Mmmmm lettuce wraps

Tonight I tried to recreate the famous PF Chang Lettuce Wraps!

And oh my! They were delicious!!!!!!

This made enough for 4 servings (ate for dinner and there is enough for leftovers!)

I used Romaine Hearts instead of iceberg for more nutritional value ;)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2⁄3; cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1⁄8; teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1
Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2
Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3
Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4
Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5
Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6
Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7
Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8
Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9
Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10
As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11
Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12
When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13
With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14
Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15
Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16
Top with "Special Sauce".


Here is the link: http://www.food.com/recipe/p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps-15865#ixzz1mDrJ32f6

Unexpected fantastic movie

Well... Just watched Moneyball last night and I have so many good things to say about it.

First, I'm not sure how I didn't hear about it. 1. It's about baseball (the 2002 Oakland A's). 2. It's directed by Brad Pitt. 3. Brad Pitt stars in it. 4. Jonah Hill is the supporting actor.

This movie came out in September of last year- right during football season.. For Iowa.. That. HAS. To be why I didn't hear about it.

Anyway, the story is based on a book... Which I now must go buy. It's a story about how the GM used a statistic of OBP (on base percentage for you non baseball fans)... To acquire players.

You see the 2001 team lost three big names and they had to be replaced, but the A's didn't have the Yankees bankroll, let's be honest- who does? Well, the GM ends up using this formula...

Let's just say it is an amazing movie and the fact that it is true made it one of my top 5 from last year. (Midnight in Paris posted earlier too). It made me laugh, cry, and get pumped for baseball season!

Watch it!

Chili

I have only made chili one time via a recipe on allrecipes.com. I wanted to make my own chili for the super bowl... So here is what I did:
1lb beef, 1 lb pork, 29 oz tomato sauce, 1 can kidney beans with juice, 1 can diced tomatoes with green Chilies and juice, 1 can chili beans with juice, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, 2 browned onions, 2 jalepenos peppers with some seeds, 1 c water.
3T chili powder, 1T oregano,1T red pepper flakes, 1T ground cumin, 1 T ground coriander, 1 tsp paprika, 1 T salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper. 3 T minced garlic.

First in 1T of oil brown onions about ten minutes. Add garlic. Brown both meats. Add tomato sauce, water, kidney beans and chili beans.
Pour into crock pot. Add all spices and vegetables and cook on low 6-8 hours.

To spice it up add Louisiana hot sauce! Serve with sliced green onion, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips!

Julia Child Strikes Again

I love spending a couple of hours on dinner when the chance allows. Last week, I spent about 2 hours making this dinner. It was just one word- AMAZING!

Supremes de Volaille a Blanc, (chicken breast with cream), buttered asparagus tips, and parmesan risotto.

Let me just say that this was my first time making risotto- the process takes about 30 minutes... But the end result is very good! I used a recipe from my Carrabba's cookbook! Now, I want to experiment with different types.

Next, the chicken and sauce- simply rich and delightful! A Julia recipe- To. Die. For. Paired with her buttered asparagus tips and a glass of Traminer- (like a Riesling... Very good!)

The sauce is what brings the dish together.

Here is the recipe:

1/4 c stock
1/4 c dry vermouth
1 c whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice, as needed
2 T fresh parsley
4 T butter

Pour stock and vermouth with butter into pan in high heat. Let boil down until syrupy. Stir in cream and boil down again until cream has thickened. Off heat add drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper to your liking. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Birthdays are still nice

Not sure about everyone else but I love my birthday!

I turned 35 today.

I've learned a lot over the last year but most importantly to be grateful for family and friends!

I've had a rough start to the year, but little by little things are looking up.

Thanks to my supportive husband, I know that I can be open about anything.

Thanks to two of my girls G and Sarabel... I'm opening up... A . Lot. More!

I have to say it is refreshing to let it all out... Something I didn't grow up with.

I leave you all with some pics from today!

It's Not Good bye.. it's see ya later

On January 12th I lost my Grandma Caroline. I was named after her... And it has been pretty hard to deal with. She was 82 and diagnosed this year with lung cancer.

My sister, Con put together a great memory of her that we all contributed to:

"Don't let the past dictate who you are BUT let it a part of who you will be."

"First one to the top is King of the mountain"
"Is your refrigerator running?"
"uh, maybe next year"

We all have our memories--but sometimes you have to stop and think it is not just a memory but something in your life that you carry out--

Connie remembers picnics at Schiller park and Gram would say, "First one to the top of the mountian is King" Gram always taught us to be proud of our own accomplishments--even if it was something like climbing a hill. Gram, I really was Georgey Peachy!!

Julie remembers sleeping over at Grams and prank calling our Mom--Mom would leave us and 20 minutes later Gram would say, "Lets call your Mom and see what she's doing?" Let's prank her!! Our favorite was, is your refrigerator running? Well, today Julie is the same way--after she has a get together at her house she gets on that phone to call us 20 minutes later--What are you doing she asks?? Umm, Julie we're driving??

Caroline remembers Gram coming to see her play ball at Thillens and sending her the ticket from the game years later and all their talks about the cubs--They both know their cubs stuff and Caroline really believes 2012 is their year, Gram!!

Sometimes you to have realize that someone is a part of you,
from a memory in the past
and they will always be with you,
from a moment that will always last.

The memories will always last. See ya later Gram!

Closure

It's been an emotional week...weekend... Well, New Year.

I'm not ready to go into details, but am very grateful for my husband, family and friends.

Got this amazing plant from my work family today. I never thought this kind of gesture would make me speechless- yet, it has.

Xo.