Stir Fry, My style

So, this is what I made for dinner last night. It was mighty tasty. I had forgotten that I like to cook. Well, mostly.

I am really trying this whole gluten free thing. Even if I don't end up needing to eat gluten free, I think that I would still try it. If for no other reason than it might get me cooking at home more, and eating out less. That would probably also help me lose the extra fifty to sixty pounds that I have gained.

So this post is to remind myself that home cooking is a good thing. (Picture Martha saying it).



My Stirred Fry

Wok Oil (just a bit)
Chicken
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Snap Peas
Carrots
Broccoli Shoots
Onions
Hoisin Sauce
Rice Wine Vinegar
Sesame Oil

All amounts are at your discretion. Choose what you like, and how much you like. Chop and size according to your tastes.

Heat your wok over high heat. Glug the wok oil in the wok (I used about two turns). When the oil is hot, toss the chicken in. Brown for a few minutes until the chicken is mostly done. Push chicken to the sides of the wok and add a veg. Cook until the veg is just barely warm. Push that veg to the sides of the wok and add another veg, continue until all the veggies have been added. (Cook whatever will take the longest first, then add from there). Hopefully, by the end, all the veggies will be added and crisp-tender.

Add a bit of hoisin sauce. Stir. Cook until eveything is done to your liking. Turn off the heat. Add a bit of rice wine vinegar. Stir. Take wok off the heat, then add a few drops of sesame oil. Stir.

Serve over rice.

Makes about as much as you want to consume. It really depends on how many veggies you added. If your wok is too small, the cook each item separately until almost done to your liking. Take the item our of the wok just before it is cooked through and set aside. When everything is cooked, then you can add it all back in, add your sauces, and voila! Stir Fry.

OMG

I can't believe it... I mean, I did it, and I can't believe it...

I rejoined facebook...

Here I am...

Yeah...

The Farmer's Market

I went to the Farmer's market today with my hubby and a good friend. It was the first market of the season. We arrived shortly after the opening and the park was packed. It was beautiful.

The vegetables, the (small amounts) of fruit, the craft vendors, the homemade food, and the people were all great. The market was filled with wonderful smells. I began to realize something. Even if I have to live without wheat or gluten, I don't have to feel deprived. Many of the foods that I adore contain no gluten.

Carrots don't have gluten. Neither does onions, bell peppers, lettuce, or milk. The first cherries of the season- that I paid an arm for- don't contain gluten. They were surrounded by much anticipation, but they don't contain gluten!

The hubs and I decided to join a milk delivery service from Winder. We ordered milk (in glass bottles), half and half, and even groceries. With the grocery delivery, the farmer's market, and all the stuff I hope grows in my garden, I should be perfectly fine without wheat.

My booty from the market? Brilliant!

• Cherries (Even if they did cost the earth, it was worth it to have my first cherries of the season).
• Onions from my favorite root guys
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Green Leaf Lettuce
• And the Winder Dairy stuff, which will be delivered next Monday.
  

What's in my fridge?

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Iceberg Lettuce
• Eggs
• and lots of condiments
  

Not sure how I feel about this...

I may have celiac. I heart pastry, pie, and cake- and I might have celiac.

In my last post, I mentioned that I had all these tests done to figure out what the heck was wrong with my stomach, and why it hurt all the time. I was talking to my Doc, chatting with a friend, and reading Gluten Free Girl's book. My doc said she wanted to test me for celiac. My friend said my symptoms sounded just like hers before she went gluten free. The snippets in the book reminded me of how I feel all the time. So, I scheduled an appointment with my Doc.

In the mean time, I have been gluten free for the entire day, and I feel a whole lot better than I have in the past month. I know, I know, I have not been tested yet. I know it could be worse. I could have other major health concerns. As far as being gluten free goes, this is a fairly easy thing to deal with. But...

I am already allergic to things. No avocado. No mint. Can't have hydrogenated peanut oil. No white chocolate, coconut, or pecans. NO BEE STINGS! Allergic to chlorine bleach, fragrance, something in household cleaners, and I have asthma.

Can't I catch a break? Oh well. I think that I can deal. Even if I am Celiac. Which I may not be. Because I have not had the biopsy done yet.
****

In other news, the Salt Lake City Downtown Farmer's Market opens tomorrow! YAY!

Hopefully, I can grab lots of bounty and make stuff. Gluten Free Stuff. Maybe... Mostly...

What was I thinking?!?

So...I realized that I was being a bit ambitious when I decided that I was going to post once a week. Seeing how my life has been completely up in the air and crazy, I am not sure what I was expecting.

I started a new position at my job in February. For the first little while, it was completely smooth sailing. Then I actually started to get busy at work. Like tear out your hear- cry in the shower- can't sleep for thinking- doubting everything- busy. It was bad. Couple this with an insane amount of catching up in my personal life, and I was done. March was not a happy month. So, I took a step back from everything and decided that I could some things but, if I didn't want to go down in flames again, I couldn't do everything. In April, I started to slooooowly reintroduce myself to things that I like and started saying no to things that I don't like. Working on creating that work-life-project balance.

The updates on the things that have been going on for the month of May?

• The job has calmed down a bit and I am starting to find my groove.
  
• I decided (in my infinite wisdom) that I would start to train for a half triathlon- even though I have no fitness level at all. Maybe I will write about that one....later.
• I also decided that I would train for next years half marathon. I am still in too much shock to talk about that one yet.
  
• I am really not making any progress on my training for these two things, but I am trying.
  
• I gained 10 pounds, bringing my over total to 50 :( . Do you see the correlation to the craziness of the marathon/ triathlon?
• We purchased another new kidlet for our zoo. A Sunday Conure who we named...wait for it... Sunny!
• I was at the Dr.'s office many times in March and they still don't know what is wrong. I had asthma issues, and I totally bruised my wrist. Although I have to admit that one was funny. Totally epic fall on my face in the living room of my house- bird went flying, dogs went crazy, and I went screaming (thought the wrist was broken). Oh, and the hubby has been sick.
• I started twittering. It's fun and completely pointless.
• We started to redo a basement wall after having to tear it down due to water damage.
• I've been trying (for two months) to get my seedlings in the ground. But if they are not in this weekend they are not going in...

Although all of that has been quite overwhelming in the last little while, I am finally starting to get a handle on things and feel like I can post regularly. So, here is wishing myself good luck.

Ciao.

Exactly how I feel about my computer today

For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way
computers have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer
expo(COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with
the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like
the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got
1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release
stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be
driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to
buy a new car.

3.. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You
would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows,
shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could
continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause
your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would
have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable,
five times as fast and twice as easy to drive -- but would run on only
five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would all be
replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation"
warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out
and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door
handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn
how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate
in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off!

It would be sooooo cool if Microsoft would just team up with the auto industry.... Oh, wait. I forgot about the Microsoft Sync technology in the new line of Fords. Hmmm, I don't think Mr. Gates ever really felt this way.

You know....

I really, really, REALLY dislike asthma. 

Because I really, really, REALLY don't like not being able to breathe. 

:(