Pad Thai

I came back from Thailand with a love for Thai food, of which one common dish is Pad Thai. Pad Thai simply means Thai noodles. As such, there are probably hundreds (if not thousands) of ways to cook this dish. You can find Pad Thai anywhere from fancy restaurants to street vendors. My favorite version was one I purchased from a street vendor. After browsing many recipes, I came up with a recipe that I think remains true to the original spirit of Pad Thai, that is, making good food from readily available ingredients. It doesn't include a few of the ingredients some people say are required for "true" Pad Thai, but those ingredients are not easy to find around here. I'm no expert on Thai food--I just like to eat it, so this is what I came up with.

Speaking of hard to find ingredients, if anyone wants to give us an awesome Christmas gift, our Asian food store stopped selling our favorite Thai dipping sauce and we haven't found anything close to it. If you're in a city with a larger Asian food market, would you look for Mae Pranom Dipping Sauce? We'll reimburse you for it!

Pad Thai

Ingredients:
8 oz. rice noodles (medium width)
1 T. oil
Cilantro (freshly chopped is best, but dried will do
1/2 lb. chicken breast, diced
2-3 green onions, diced
2 eggs

Sauce:
2 T. fish sauce
1 T. oyster sauce
1 1/2 T. rice vinegar
1 1/2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Optional garnishes:
Lime juice
Sugar
Chopped peanuts
Crushed red pepper
Fresh bean sprouts

Directions:
1. Cook the rice noodles. Because I'm usually trying to rush things, I boil a pot of water, remove the pot from the heat, and then soak the rice noodles in the hot water for about 10 minutes or until the noodles are bite-able. Drain. Alternately, I think you can use really hot tap water and soak the noodles for a longer period of time. Do not try to boil the noodles like pasta. You'll have a sticky mess, not that I would know.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients (fish sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and cayenne) in a small bowl.
3. Heat 1 T. oil in wok or skillet. Cook diced chicken with cilantro over high heat until chicken is cooked through. Add green onions. Break 2 eggs into center of wok and stir fry until egg is cooked through.
4. Add more oil to the wok if necessary. Add cooked rice noodles and sauce to the wok and stir fry.
5. Serve and garnish with a splash of lime juice, a sprinkle of sugar, some chopped peanuts, crushed red pepper, and bean sprouts to taste.

If you want to eat this in true Thai style, use a fork to push the noodles onto a soup spoon and spoon into your mouth. If only DQ made 5-cent baby ice cream cones here like they did in Bangkok, then it'd be a complete meal.

I love you when...

Caleb,
I love you when...
...you give me your cheesy grin right as I put you to bed.
...I take you for walks and your socks become your mittens.
...you grab your toes and hold on for dear life.
...you blow so many bubbles that you end up with a goatee.
...you're "flying" and your goatee drips...on me.
...I feel your soft hands in the early morning.
...people comment on how symmetrical your head is.
...you "sing" while I play the piano.
...I accidentally cut your finger instead of your fingernail.
...you show curiosity about new faces.
...you cry in the middle of the night.
...you sleep.
...you try to eat your entire hand, wrist included.

Sometimes my love makes me laugh, sometimes cry, but I'll keep working on demonstrating that love in these ways. And when I fail, please remember that this love is perfect and never ending.

Pictures

Did I mention that Caleb's teething?

And that he's discovered his toes?

Or that he decided he needed glasses?

Quintessential ISU

I have some friends who are ISU grad students but have never been on the ISU campus. They've decided to visit the campus this weekend, drawn in part by their whooping Aggie loyalty. They're wondering what they should see and do on campus. I've reminisced about one of my favorite Ames restaurants. Some of the other quintessential activities for Iowa Staters include:

• Attending VEISHA and watching the Barker House Lawn Chair Brigade.
• Kissing under the Campanile, preferably with your life-long love. (You can also read about it here.)
• Walking around Lake LaVerne, also with your life-long love. (On certain days, this should also be done holding your breath so you don't inhale toxic fumes.)
• Eating Great Plains Pizza.
• Eating Hickory Park BBQ.
• For the superstitious: Walking around the Zodiac in the Memorial Union, especially before a final exam.

So Iowa Staters, what other activities are a necessary part of being a Cyclone?

Irish Shepherd's Pie

Luke and I miss several Ames restaurants, of which one is Dublin Bay for its Irish Shepherd's Pie and Irish soda bread. Since we won't be traveling to Ames anytime soon and I've been wanting fall food lately, I attempted to make a homemade version of Irish Shepherd's Pie tonight. While it wasn't the same as Dublin Bay, it wasn't half bad, and I got to try a new vegetable in the process. I'm posting the recipe here for my memory's sake. Here's the recipe I concocted:

Ingredients:
1 stalk celery, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
2 parsnips, diced
1/2 c. frozen peas
3/4 lb. diced steak or stew meat
1/2 onion, diced
Garlic powder to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. basil

Mashed potato topping ingredients:
5 russet potatoes
1/4 c. cheddar cheese
Garlic powder and black pepper to taste
Enough butter and milk to create a spreadable texture.

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes in enough water to cover them for about 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and mash with butter, milk, cheddar cheese, black pepper and garlic.
2. Place celery, carrots, and parsnips in saucepan with just enough water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes and then add frozen peas. Boil for 5 additional minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved. Drain the vegetables, reserving the water.
3. Meanwhile cook steak with onion and garlic powder. Once the meat is cooked through, drain any grease.
4. Mix together the meat mixture, the vegetables, 1 c. of the reserved water, and the spices (pepper, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and basil). Place into an oven-safe dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Top mashed potatoes with a few dabs of butter.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven until warmed through and top is slightly crusty.

This was somewhat time consuming, but I completed steps 1-4 ahead of time and then tossed it in the oven in time for dinner. Since it was refrigerated between prepping and baking, it took about 45 minutes to bake. Because it's rather time consuming, I won't make this often, but it was good for a change from the usual. Next time I may try my hand at Irish soda bread.

The first tooth

We caught a glimpse of Caleb's first tooth today, still under the gum but definitely visible, which explains some of the sleeping issues we've all had the past few weeks. Any tips and/or tricks from those of you who can still remember their experience with teething? i.e. You either have a really good memory or you remember what worked when your kids were teething.

Coffee Break Inspiration

Anne of Green Gables is one reason I'm glad that I am a girl. While enjoying a break at my favorite coffee spot this weekend (without the coffee of course), I rediscovered some of Anne's wisdom.

After Anne goes to Marilla's church for the first time, Marilla scolds Anne for not listening to Mr. Bell pray while at church. This is how Anne responds: "But he wasn't talking to me. He was talking to God and he didn't seem to be very much interested in it, either. I think he thought God was too far off to make it worth while. I said a little prayer myself though. There was a long row of white birches hanging over the lake and the sunshine fell down through them, way, way down, deep into the water. Oh, Marilla, it was like a beautiful dream! It gave me a thrill and I just said, 'Thank you for it, God' two or three times."

Crafty-ness

The definition of "crafty" from the American Heritage Dictionary:

1. Skilled in or marked by underhandedness, deviousness, or deception.
2. Chiefly British Skillful; dexterous.
   

Call it crafty, creative, or crazy, here are several projects I've completed over the past few months (notice the word completed--not started and completed):

Crocheted Baby Blanket. "Peppermint Candy" pattern from 7-day Afghans by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss using size I hook and Caron Simply Soft yarn in Berry and White.

Flannel Baby Blanket (36" square) and coordinating burp cloths. For when you get tired of wearing either spit up or a cloth diaper on your shoulder....

Filet crochet name doily using size 20 or 30 thread and size 12 hook. An ode to my great-grandmas' generation when they actually used this technique to make entire tablecloths and bedspreads 50 times the size of this little piece.

4 months

Caleb went to his 4 month "well child" appointment with his pediatrician today. Here are the stats:

• Height: 26.25 inches (90th percentile)
• Weight 13 lbs. 6 oz. (20th percentile)
• Head Circumference: 41.5 cm (25th percentile)

According to Caleb's pediatrician, there's no cause for concern if a baby is lighter weight than the American average. And that's the way he said it. He said it is evident that Caleb's nutrition intake is fine because of his height. He also said Caleb should (not can) be sleeping through the night by now, so it looks like we may be trying the "cry it out" method (again). Who can I blame for this kid's stubbornness, or should I say spirit?

Another fun note: Caleb found his feet. Who knew they could be so entertaining?