The backyard pea-adise

As you may have heard, upon my arrival to Oz I became a weeder, dish washer, and ceiling vacuum-er. Since Trip's birth I have become a boombox, baby jiggler, stuffed animal collector, and gardener. Maybe his birth has kicked in my maternal instincts (no, I won't be popping out babies anytime soon, so get your mind out of the gutter), more of a growing instinct? Either way I am pleased to announce the birth of my pea plants!

1 week...

3 weeks!

Even though I followed the package and picked an amazing place, they seem to disregard the zig zag pattern anticipated for their growth. Instead they choose to clump together like tiny pea plant islands in a giant bed of mulch. Maybe like their peas in a pod, the plants don't want to grow alone either, to which I say "Go right ahead plants, pease yourselves." (Too bad I haven't planted any corn yet.) But I have planted lettuce! Check it out!

1 week...

3 weeks!

If this doesn't seem impressive to you, just remember I am the girl who killed an aloe plant. A plant that grows in cactus soil and you only water it every 2-3 weeks. (I am continually amazed that MadDog lived so long.)

For my turn in the kitchen this week, I made spicy sesame noodles with chicken, and let me tell you, it's totally better the day after:

Mince about an inch long piece of ginger (or 1/4 tablespoon in a jar), four cloves of garlic (we like garlic), and saute in small fry pan with about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of peanut oil for a few minutes. Add to a large bowl (big enough to fit the whole pasta dish). Whisk in 3 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon hot chili oil (we used hot chili sauce because we couldn't find the oil and it worked beautifully, and I added a bit more because I like the heat), and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Cook 1 pound (or the close equivalent) Chinese egg noddles per the packaging. Drain and rinse. Place in the large bowl and toss to coat the noodles. Add 12 thinly sliced green onions (pale green and white parts only), 1 diced red pepper, 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh Thai basil leaves, 1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts (unsalted), add your chicken (I marinated the chicken breasts in fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper, then cook however you enjoy your chicken, and chop into bite sized pieces) and toss. You're meant to serve it at room temperature so there's no pressure to finish all the cooking at once. I bet it'd be delicious if you garnished with fresh lime wedges.

YUM!

Love your hot cooking Kiki.