Pad Thai

So I went way out of my comfort zone and made pad thai.  I grew up in a small farming community and wasn't exposed to a lot of different food. It wasn't until I was an adult I got to try new things, from different cultures. One day out of blue while ordering lunch for work, my coworker suggested I try some pad thai, and I really liked it. But because I didn't eat a lot of asian food I had no idea how to make it, let alone just what was in it.  Through the years, I tried it at different places, and it always tasted just about the same, but always good. It wasn't a dish, like Shepard's Pie, where depending on who is making it, it can taste completely different and can be really, really gross.  So for a while now, I have been picking up items here and there to make it, the rice noodles one time, the sauce another, I was, I thought, finally ready to attempt it.

But the day of I needed to get bean sprouts, so we ran by the store and I picked up a few items, while getting the sprouts. After I got home and checked the recipe again I realized I also needed to get green onions as I call them, scallions as others call them, well la de la. They are just green onions. So back to the store I went.

I won't add the recipe again, because I just used what was on the box, anyone can find it. But I read it over and I figured I was good to go.

I started soaking the noodles, and prepping everything else. Chopping the peanuts, and onions, cleaning and de-veining the shrimp. Something that was another first for me, I didn't think it would be so easy, you should trust yourself and just go for it. I heated the oil, got the egg, and shrimp in, the noodles started cooking. It is cool how they sort of deflate and get soft.  All while I am doing this the bread I made is in the oven. This by the way, was the hottest day of the year so far, both the oven and stove wasn't making it much better. I got everything else in, and I was finished. Yahoo!

I called my son in to try it, while it was still hot. We were both down to our last bites when a DUH moment happened, I realized I left the bean sprouts out. It was still good, we didn't notice, but I can see how they add to the dish. Next time, I will focus on one thing at a time, and bake the bread after I eat.  But what do you do with two cups of bean sprouts?  I guess I need to find another great recipe to try.  One thing I have to admit is that I used pre-made sauce, I wanted to deal with using rice noodles and not have to worry about  trying another recipe at the same time. So maybe after the next couple of times I make this, I will attempt to make the sauce also.

It was a nice change to the usual thing. I can say my mother never made anything close to it when I was growing up. I am hoping that when my children look back they can say that their mom was awesome, and could make anything.

You can see the bread, with the melting butter on top, the rolls in the back. Also I didn't think to take a photo of the pad thai until it was all gone, but you can tell we enjoyed it.

Wheat bread part II

Well, I was able to make bread yesterday, and let's just say, don't attempt to make bread and pad thai at the the same time. You might end up blowing both of them.

It didn't burn thank goodness, but the crust was pretty tough. But if you top it with butter it will get real soft, which it did, I am going to use that trick in the future. I also wanted to know if the kneading time would make a difference, and it seemed to. The bread was a bit softer in the middle. A bit too doughy for me, but my husband seemed to like it better. I also let it rise longer than before, not sure how much difference that made, so I guess next time I will knead more and rise more.

I know this seems repetitive, I just want to get good at making bread, I want to accomplish something for once.  I have a few other recipes I might try, but I want to master this one first, so I know how I can alter ones in the future. I won't be posting the recipe, because it isn't mine, I am using the wheat bread one from the Better Homes and Garden cook book. I did make one change, I heated the water in the microwave, just to save a bit of time really.  I don't think that makes too much difference. I also only have one loaf pan, so I made rolls with the rest, they are the best to have on hand when you have a very hungry teenager around. Easy to grab and eat.

This bread really reminds me of the type my mom made when I was little. I like eating it with cheddar cheese.  I am glad that I am able to make bread from scratch that I hope has less salt and fat, but maybe it doesn't. But I know it is healthier because there isn't anything extra in it.

Well it has been a while...

I have to say it have been months, and months. But what can I say, I just had a baby. You kind of get lost when you have a child. Everything is a new experience even if you have other children. You have to figure out how to make things work all over again. Add to it a baby that won't sleep very long during the day and it is a whole other struggle with time. I would love to have him nap 2 times a day rather than for 25 minutes 4 times a day.

But I have to say I have stumbled upon a whole new way of looking at food and losing weight, or maybe getting healthy. I know me, and I know my body, I am not the type to say no to something that is in the house that I want to eat, I have no will power and no ability to wait to indulge in something I am craving. So to this end, I needed to change how I shop. I can't just buy what sounds good, I need to buy things that are good for you. So no more junk in the cart. But I can't just buy fruits and veggies and call it good. I need variety. So I picked up new sauces, and new things I haven't cooked with. The other thing is I need to be hands on with my food to enjoy the experience even more. Plus, if I am going to the trouble to cook, I want to have it around after I put forth effort.  You know left overs.

So that is what I have done for the last two weeks. So far I have really enjoyed it. I was able to make bread twice, something I struggle with and each time it has gotten better, much better. I think I will make some more today. I need a faster recipe though, the last one took over four hours, who has that time? For tonight I am going to make Pad Thai, I am excited about that one. I haven't made it before, just eaten it many many times. I want to be more hands on, and adventurous.  I am hoping with this new mind set I will be eating healthier, and eating less, and be more active. Do you know what it feels like to make homemade bread, it really works your batwing muscle. Let's not forget your core muscles. So here is to new beginnings, I might need to change my blog name, and add photos. So here it goes, cheers!!!