When I got out of the small town I grew up in and went to college, I finally lived “in town” for the first time in my life. I was so thrilled for simple things like pizza delivery and 24 hour convenience stores. Living in the dorms my freshman year was also quite a thrill because socializing with my friends could happen any time of day… no need to wait for someone to take me into town so I could “play”.

The one thing each town that I have lived in has lacked and I have wished for is Chinese food delivery. Sure, we have Chinese food nearby where I live now but it isn’t very good and it cannot be delivered. The lack of Chinese food delivery has meant that I have had to discover the next best thing…creating my favorite Chinese food dishes at home! I have never used a wok (although I keep thinking I would like to buy one) but making delicious Chinese food at home is quite simple and typically does not require a lot of obscure ingredients. By combining a few key items, you can create the flavors you are looking for without a trip to a specialty market.

One other thing the towns I have lived in are missing is the beach and the ocean. I’m not sure I can remedy that situation as easy as I could this one!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs Cornstarch
1 Tbs firmly packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs vegetable oil, divided
2 pounds flank steak or top sirloin, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium heads broccoli,cut into florets (approx 4 cups)
2 tsp grated fresh gingerroot

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch, brown sugar, garlic and pepper. Set aside
2. Heat 1 Tbs vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until almost cooked through (about 2 minutes). Transfer beef to a plate and cover to keep warm.
3. Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add onion and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add broccoli to the skillet with 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Return beef to skillet with soy sauce mixture; add ginger. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve hot over rice.

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Minus the fried ice cream and funnel cakes, our family has been trying to eat a bit healthier lately. Since my kids love fresh vegetables, I have been trying to incorporate as much as I can into our evening meals. That is why, when I saw this recipe for Shrimp and Asparagus on All Recipes the other day, I decided to give it a try.

The problem was, I didn’t really look at the recipe closely before getting started on it. What started out as appearing to be a healthy recipe ended up calling for a massive amount of butter and olive oil! Seriously – 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup olive oil? When I ended up making the Shrimp and Asparagus, I cut down on both the butter and olive oil significantly and it was still very delicious….

Read More

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As sad I am to see school back in session, I am truly excited to get back into a somewhat more manageable routine. We may have more things going on during the school year, but at least we are on somewhat of a schedule.

Along with that schedule comes the challenge of finding time to sit down to dinner as a family each evening. During the summer we would eat dinner early or eat late or eat out… we ate dinner together, but it varied greatly as far as times. Now with school getting out at 4pm, and after school activities starting soon after, I am hungrily looking for delicious recipes that can fit into our ever tight schedules.

I recently found this recipe for Asian Lettuce Wraps on another food blog and now I can’t find the blog. Luckily, I did a search on All Recipes and found the same recipe. (If I commented on this recipe on your blog, please let me know and I’ll link this back to you.) I love this recipe because it gives me something besides tacos and spaghetti to use ground beef with. It is a fun, hand held dinner and it can be made in a jiffy. With recipes like this in my repertoire, I feel like I can finally get into the groove of things!

Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps, from Allrecipes

• 16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Interested in other recipe versions of Lettuce Wraps? Check out what these food bloggers have to offer:

• Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps, from Picky Palate
• Quick Chinese Lettuce Wraps, from Chaos in the Kitchen
• Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps, from The Village Voice
• Five-Spice Turkey and Lettuce Wraps, from Culinary in the Desert

There is still some room for you in the Adopt-a-Blogger 2 event. Veteran’s especially… come on out and mentor a new blogger! Click here to sign up.

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It is official everyone… I have baby fever.

I know! You thought after this incident, that baby fever wouldn’t hit again, didn’t you? Reading through that post from that awful day, I am honestly amazed by it myself. Then you thought, “Oh, her kids are getting a bit older now, things are running fairly smoothly these days… she can get out of the house without a diaper bag full of the necessities for a newborn. She gets to sleep through the night… no nursing sessions every 2 hours each and every day. Why would she want to add another baby into the mix to just cause chaos in her already semi-chaotic world?” Yeah, exactly. You are so right. I should listen to you more often.

But, you know what, it is still there and it isn’t going away.

A special thanks for starting this whole fever goes out to you, you, you and you know what… I’m even blaming you a bit just because my Ella was born on the same day as Shiloh, and here you are going and having more babies. It also doesn’t help matters that Ella is at about the cutest stage of life ever… well, minus the humongous fits and incredibly strong personality… she really is doing some adorable things these days. Really, she is… trust me.

There was a reason we have been getting rid of all of our baby stuff the second Ella grows out of it… my husband is 100%, completely and totally happy to have three kids. It is probably a good thing he doesn’t read my blog or I imagine I would be padlocked away in a room somewhere until I reached menopause.

Tomorrow, I am sure I’ll change my mind. Someone will puke on my head, we will have a grocery store meltdown, or even worse… the children will eat all the bread that I made and I won’t get a single bite. Oh, wait! That did happen. In fact, it happend tonight with my little bambino loaf of Challah bread. I took the bread out of the oven, had one tiny nibble while it was still hot (because I personally can’t contain myself when it comes to waiting for bread to cool), left for a two hour meeting and came back to no bread. Not even a single crumb. Hubby placed blame on the kids, which I am not completely buying, but I do bet those little selfish creatures had a lot to do with it.

Well, guess what. Baby fever is officially out the window. I can share my body, I can share my life… I can even get through diaper bags, 2am feedings, grocery store meltdowns, puking on the head, etc., but I draw the line at sharing food with one more person in this family. So, back off baby thoughts, the next loaf is mine. All mine.

Ahhhh, you like homemade bread, do you? Check out these tasty recipes from other bloggers around the blogosphere:

• Fresh Tomato and Basil Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, from Farmgirl Fare
• No Knead Bread, from Steamy Kitchen
• Rustic Bread, from The Fresh Loaf
• Irish Soda Bread, from Closet Cooking
• Caramelized Onion Bread, from One Hot Stove

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We have been working hard here in the Dine & Dish household to lessen our environmental footprint. We have been taking small steps and are easing our way into the habits that will hopefully help our future generations to live in a thriving environment.

All this green business can be very confusing and it has taken us awhile to catch on. We are trying though and hopefully with our efforts we will continue to build an interest in our children about the significance of how an even small step can make a big impact.

• About a year ago, we purchased reusable fabric tote bags for our grocery shopping trips. 9 times out of 10, I forget to take them into the store, and only remember when I am checking out. So, I tell the clerk to just put my groceries in the cart and I will bag them at the car. When I do actually remember to take them into the store, I feel like I have accomplished something big that day. Yay for me… remembering my fabric tote bags.
• We have replaced almost all of our light bulbs with those ugly energy efficient compact florescent light bulbs. Why do they have to make those things so darn ugly? Still, I feel a little burst of pride every time I see my little ugly light bulbs.
• We have attempted to stop the junk mail. We get so much crap in the mail that immediately gets tossed (or recycled if applicable). Hubby doesn’t get to browse the Victoria’s Secret catalogs anymore, and I don’t dream shop out of the Pottery Barn catalog anymore. Sacrifices…I tell ya’.
• Recycle. We do recycle. Our town has a great curbside recycling program and they make it so simple to take part in recycling. It is a bit of a challenge among my family members to see who can recycle the most things during the day. Sometimes I’ll open things up just so I can win in the daily recycle race in our house. Shhhhh!
• Freecycle. How many of you know about Freecycle? This is the most fun I have ever had helping the environment. When I get on my decluttering binges, I almost always choose to Freecycle the items I am decluttering. Now, you do have to watch out for your serial Freecyclers/Freebie Hunters… those people who respond to each and every item you post. I can only imagine the fire hazard their homes are with all their freecycled goodies stashed around. The truth is, they are probably becoming millionaires Ebaying and Craigslisting all of the stuff they have received.
• Reuse. This is where I have to draw the line. My mother-in-law is probably the best “reuser” I have ever met. We will often drive up to the farm to find ziploc bags and tin foil hanging on the line to dry. She doesn’t have Tupperware. Instead, in her cabinets, you will find butter containers, sour cream containers, ice cream pails, etc. She hand washes all of her disposable flatware and plates. To do my part, we are trying to limit our use of disposable things. Napkins are now cloth, we try to not use disposable plates/flatware. I, however, cannot get into washing my tinfoil, plastic wrap and ziploc bags. Heathen as I am, I just can’t do it.

So there you have it… just a few of the small things we are doing to go green. We implement new things all the time. I know we aren’t as accomplished about this as some of you, but hopefully with each baby step we take, we are making a difference.

Speaking of green, I have to tell you about this meatloaf from the now infamous Table Talk Cookbook by Carol McManus. Yes, I’m still completely and totally loving this cookbook! Carol told me via email that she has been making this meatloaf to serve to her family for the past 25 years. This is a time tested recipe that I can now attest to being the very best meatloaf recipe I have ever tried. My children, who can be somewhat persnickety about hidden veggies, didn’t even complain about the “seaweed” in the meatloaf. In fact, I was preparing to sit down when my six year old said “Mom, you had better try this giant meatball. It is so good!”.

Go green. Green is good, people. Really good.

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I was traveling in the car last week on the way to South Padre for vacation when when a message popped up on my Twitter account about the loss of wonderful food blogger. Sher, of the blog What Did You Eat? passed away suddenly from a heart attack last week and has since left huge void among her blogging friends.

I did not know Sher very well on a personal level, but at one point early on in my blogging life, she helped me immensely with answering some questions about growing an herb garden… how to do it, what herbs to include, etc. She was selfless with her time and I appreicated it greatly.

Upon returning from vacation, I discovered that my husband had forgotten to water my herb garden. My poor herbs were brown, crispy, and no longer viable. As I was digging them out, preparing the soil for some new plants, I couldn’t help but think of Sher and her lovely blog.

One thing that hit me as I read through some of Sher’s past posts, is that she has certainly left a wonderful gift to her family and friends through her blog posts. Through blogging, we have all been able to get a glimpse into Sher’s life that we would not have had otherwise. Through our blogs, we are all giving this gift to the current and future generations. A permanent place in the world where our “legacy”, of sorts, will live on.

My heart goes out to Sher’s family and friends. I am thankful to have known Sher through her blog and appreciate the opportunity to be inspired by such a kind, funny and remarkable woman.

The recipe I made tonight for Sher’s tribute (go to Glenna’s blog for more details) was not from Sher’s blog, but because of the herbs involved, it reminded me of Sher and her contribution to my herb garden.

Garlic-Thyme Foccaccia (from Cooking Light)

1 teaspoon sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided (about 11 1/4 ounces)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in fine sea salt. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and spoons; level with a knife. Add 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, stirring to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/3 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove garlic from oil with a slotted spoon; discard garlic, and remove pan from heat.

Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Brush garlic oil over dough; sprinkle with thyme. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Make indentations in top of dough using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingertips; sprinkle dough evenly with coarse sea salt. Bake at 425° for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

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Spending a vacation in a South Texas retirement community brings on some interesting observations from a 34 and younger point of view.

• Just because older people have bigger ears, does not mean they can hear better (keenly observed by my 4 year old).
• For older men, shorts and knee-high socks seems to be the hottest trend of the season. Black socks with white tennis shoes? Even hotter!
• Speeding through the retirement community, on a golf cart, at a careless speed of 15 miles per hour can bring people out of their homes to check out what all the raucous is about.
• It would be a rare occasion that you would find a 20 year old male with a small dog named Pudding, Fifi or Muffin. Apparently, in this retirement community, the smaller the dog and the foofier the name, the better.
• Putting little kids in front of the retirees immediately elicits ohhhh’s and ahhhh’s from their mouths and requires an immediate pat on the head to be given to the little ones. “Enjoy them while they are young… it goes by so fast”, is wistfully mentioned at some point during the conversation.
• These people are so happy. Yes, there are the old biddies who have nothing better to do than complain, but for the most part living surrounded by palm trees and not having to go to work every day seems to bring out the best in people!

We are enjoying our vacation despite hurricane Dolly interfering. We had one great day at the beach… every thing about it was perfect. The rest of our week will most likely be spent indoors and inland as the skies are dark, the wind is high, and the rain is pouring down.

In the meantime, I have a beer can chicken recipe to share with you that has absolutely nothing to do with this post. Enjoy!

Beer Can Chicken

1¾ hours | 5 min prep

SERVES 4

• 1 (4 lb) whole chicken
• 1 (16 ounce) can beer (tall boy)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dry rub seasonings (your favorite)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

The post Retirement Community Observations appeared first on Dine and Dish.

The kids, my fun and crazy Aunt Rose, and I are off on a 16+ hour road trip tomorrow to visit my parents at the very southern tip of the big old state of Texas. I think when my parents retired down near South Padre, they decided to really test us to see how much we love them… would we travel that far to visit them regularly? Mom and Dad – we love you. 16+ hours in the car with three kids under six will hopefully convince you of that 😉

I am looking forward to seeing them, relaxing some, and hanging out on the beach… making sand castles, frolicking in the waves, and just being away from everyday reality for a bit. Of course, as my vacation luck would have it, they are supposed to get some kind of tropical storm there. I hope we have at least a few good sunny days!

If not, we will still have fun. I will make mom make up for the unfortunate weather by cooking us some of her delicious homemade shell macaroni and cheese. Comfort food at its finest!

Grandma Sugar’s Shell Macaroni and Cheese

SERVES 4

• 3 cups Velveeta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups medium pasta shells
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

So, you are craving comfort food? Check out these other Macaroni and Cheese recipes from some other great food bloggers:

• Macaroni and Cheese with Gruyere and Tomatoes, from Andreas Recipes
• Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese, from A Year of CrockPotting
• Spicy Baked Macaroni and Cheese, from Genesis of a Cook
• Macaroni and Cheese with Vegetables, from My Diverse Kitchen

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