Good Things Come to Those Who Wait  Have Someone Cook For Them

Over the weekend I was telling my husband I've decided he's spoiled. Don't get me wrong, if someone deserves to be spoiled, he does. But then on further investigation I decided that it's not so much that he's spoiled, it's that he's EASILY spoiled. It takes a lot more to spoil me. I'm a quality over quantity kind of gal, or as my better half so graciously puts it, "an Anderson snob".  Craig's spoiling over the weekend consisted of one of his favorite asian food recipes, cuddling up with a violent movie of his choice (why do men still want to cuddle when they are watching buildings be blown to bits?!), and girl scout cookie ice cream. Oh, and no baby, which means I put her to bed early. For not being very original, it was a fun little at home date night I must say. 

The recipe I am going to share is one I actually made up when we were in Gooding, Idaho last summer. Craig was here for an internship and was living with a bunch of roomates in a normally vacant house (which means it had previous insect and rodent occupants who hadn't actually left! Including a rattle snake I accidentally walked over with my 6 month old). Anyways, Grace and I went down to stay with him for a few days there and I came up with this recipe while pulling together resources from a bunch of bachelor pad boys kitchen supplies (I made a trip to the store). It was a big hit with Craig and his room mate who liked to join us for dinner, and occasionally he requests it still. You start with some fresh ingredients...

A cabbage, or in this case a bag of cabbage, carrots, green onions, other onion leftovers, mushrooms,  cilantro, fresh ginger, and rice noodles. (we like the thick ones)

This is the sauce I used. I know I know, I am giving you a recipe with a pre-fab sauce, but this is a good one, and you don't need much!

Chop it all up and add some minced garlic...

saute in a little olive oil... 

Slowly add in everything else...

I've always used shrimp in this recipe in the past, and  Craig and I both agreed
 it is better with shrimp, however, Wal Mart sold me some
BEASTLY stuff in the way of shrimp,
so I cooked up a couple chicken breasts instead.

When everything is in the pan except the noodles,
add some seasoning, and your sauce
and simmer for a few more minutes
while you prepare the noodles.

 

Here is the finished product before the noodles

Rice noodles are super easy. 

You just stick them in a bowl and 

pour boiling water over them...

Like so...

Then just let them sit, with  a lid on top until they are cooked through. 

Now for the finale!

Add them to the veggies and you're done!

 I served these it with egg rolls,
and it was pretty awesome.
Also, that is sweet and sour sauce,
not ketchup I promise.

I was only going to post 1 picture of the satisfied husband, 

but every time I delete one, 

all of the photos disappear. Blogger is so 

weird sometimes I swear!

Anyways, over all it was

 a really yummy dinner.

 It's way better than ordered Chinese 

 and yet it satisfies the 

same craving...if that makes sense.

Happy Cooking!

Never Judge a Quiche by it's Stereotype 

     Every time I make or eat a piece of quiche I always think of my brother-in-law Garrett. The story goes that he was at BYU one day, eating lunch out on the campus somewhere. He was eating a piece of quiche that my sister Ashley had packed for him and some random guy walks by him and in passing says, "Real men don't eat quiche!" lol I always crack up when I think of that story, and then wonder why quiche gets such a bad wrap. This isn't tuna casserole we are talking about here people. But then again I have had broccoli concoctions supposedly called quiche that were pretty smothering in the worse way. All in all I think I've decided that it's either terrible or awesome. I will never forget a couple mini ones I shared with my sister Camilla and friend Aubrey in Paris on a breezy afternoon. After many exhausting trains, buses, rails, multiple museums etc. we stopped at a local patisserie and had THE. BEST. piece of heaven in the form of quiche ever created. I think I instantly gained 5 lbs, but it was so worth it. ;)  I've decided the secret is in the cheese used and the crust. 

Ok so enough chit chat, over the weekend I made Craig some that I must say was pretty great.

I wanted something fresh and easy so I picked up some Asparagus, tomatoes and shrooms.  Asparagus always reminds me of spring, it was exciting to find some that was small and fresh and yummy, verses thick and stringy and tough like it has been all winter. 

Ok, so I chopped everything up...

Examined the cheese I had to work with on hand, which was crumbled Gorgonzola and a mild smoked Greyere 

sauteed the mushrooms  asparagus and green onions with some salt and pepper to bring out flavor, and then covered and steamed until it was soft and tender 

The crust needs to be baked ahead of time, so I put it in my pie pan and then used waxed paper and some legumes (in this case garbanzo beans, but pie weights would be ideal if you have them)  to help the crust hold its shape while cooking.

Next I mixed a cup of half and half with 3 eggs (next time I'd do 4) 

And wisked it together with some salt and pepper and a dash of  nutmeg

When the crust has baked for 7 or 8 minutes you add the steamed veggies to the bottom...

Put some cheese on top of that...

Add your egg mixture and then tomatoes, with a tiny bit of your seasoning again on top, pop it in the oven at 400 degrees for 35 minutes...

And then try not to pull it out 45 minutes later, as it will then look over baked,...like this. :)

Overall this recipe was a big hit! I'd give you a sight for it, but I mostly made it up. Or more specifically I took like 3 different recipes, and added what I had on hand instead.

Craig loved it, which means that real men DO eat quiche. ;)

P.S. the leftovers the next day for lunch were evvvvvvan better than the night before.

Happy Cooking!

 Monday Monday Monday!

Well we had a wonderful week last week, and I can't believe it is already the Monday after! My sister Ashley and her kiddos came to stay and we were SO sad to see them leave. Gracie looked for them as soon as she woke up and while I was putting her to sleep she would look constantly around the room not convinced that there wasn't still someone around to play with. The morning after they left she just about jumped out of my arms and then searched the whole upstairs looking for them, and when they weren't to be found she just stood there in the living room looking sad, and refusing comfort from either Craig or myself. Sad sad day, but hopefully they will come back soon! :)

I thought I'd post some pictures from the week, since I took quite a few and explain some of the fun things we did as I go along.

Enoch, my sister Ashley's oldest was big enough to get her out of her crib in the morning and so I came downstairs to get her a few times and found her already up playing. lol He pushed her around on her train for quite a while one morning.

She's not spoiled at all. ;)

One evening we were all piled on the couch after Craig got home from work one day, just goofing off and laughing so I thought I'd pull out the camera...

Tickle attack!!!! I love their expressions in this one!

As Craig put it, "I got all the girls!" haha Lucky man, that one! ;)

Ok, so we weren't ALL goofing off. The boys were pretty intently playing battleship

Fun with Neilson

Goof!

Neilson was complaining that I shouldn't be kissing Craig on the cheek in public...so I kissed him instead. haha

    We did a backyard cookout one of the days. I think that the kids had a lot of fun. They played pirates, and chased Neilson around the yard trying to get their "treasure" (I think it was a box filled with rocks)from him, and had sword fights using pretty much anything they could find, and then Craig let them shoot his air soft pistol.
Ashley and I made a dutch oven dinner with potatoes and eggs and sausage, mushrooms, onions peppers etc. it turned out pretty yummy, but I think next time we will pre-cook the potatoes a little better. lol over all a good evening though with lots of sunshine!

Love this one!

Sliver?

Yea, I don't think he was supposed to be pointing that at me. Good thing it's just an air soft gun. lol

Oh, and did I mention we roasted marshmallows for s'mores after dinner...

Uncle Neil helping Ethne girl

Ashley was the chocolate melter on broken Graham crackers person. Broken because Gracie thought it would be funny to throw the whole box out of the cart at the store. Stinker! 

"Dorsy, could you help me with my Moshmellow cause it jus keeps sliding down the sing!"

Ethne wasn't digging the smoke constantly in her eyes. :(

Gracie's first roasted marshmellow was quite the success in her eyes. lol she was a fan!

I have no idea what she was doing here unless she was just trying to keep warm. lol

Over all I think everyone had fun. We certainly hope that Ashley, and the Fry cousins and "Nell" as Gracie calls him, come again soon!