BEEF STIR FRY AND FRESH STARTS!

We have had an unbelievably rainy spring here in the Northeast, but, because I'm a glass is half FULL kinda gal, I am so thankful for this abundance of water. Why? Because I love the way all of this precipitation  makes all of the new plants in our perennial garden just grow, grow, grow! And I don't ever think I've seen such a lime-green spring as this year's....it's enough to burn out your eyeballs!.....

The Daylilies are doing so well........

I just planted this Scotchbroom....love the delicate pink flowers.......

This Clematis comes back like a champ, each and every year.......

My trusty Shasta Daisies, my 2nd favorite perennial, next to Black Eyed Susans.........

Lamb's Ears.....they feel just as soft as they appear!................

Columbine.....the deer gobble these up, every single year. Sigh.......

With all of this freshness going on in our yard, I've been itching to freshen up our front porch, also. We have big plans, weather permitting, to stain the decks next weekend...and I just finished sewing these pillows, just in time for some summer time porch sittin' / book readin' / wine drinkin'! I am so in LOVE with these iron-on monogram letters I found at Hobby Lobby. So much fun, and so easy to do...hmmm....what else needs a little monogramming around here?..........

My old garage sale wicker chair that mean ol' Big Daddy keeps threatening to take to the dump. Nooooooooooo..................

Do you remember a few months back, when I had my dear girlfriend Patty over to cook some Vegetarian Stir-Fry? Well, we were craving stir-fry again the other night, but this time with a little beef. After all, our vegetarian daughter will be home in a few days, so our meat days will be numbered for awhile! I found these Japanese Udon noodles at my favorite grocery store last week, and was itching to use them, so here we go--Beef Stir Fry with Asparagus and Red Pepper.............

Here's my secret to successful stir-frying: Prepare everything in advance. EVERYTHING. Because a good stir fry should come together very fast, with hot hot oil, so you don't want to be chopping and measuring when you should be cooking! First thing I like to do is prepare a basic stir fry sauce. In a small dish, you will combine freshly grated ginger, garlic, green onion, soy sauce and some red chili pepper flakes. Don't be intimidated by ginger--it may look kind of funky, but once it's peeled, it is easy to chop or grate, and the flavor it adds is unbelievable!......

And here's how the sauce will look, before you mix it up:

Slice your flank steak into thin strips, about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Use a nice piece of beef, trimming off all extra fat...........

Cut asparagus into 1 and 1 /2 inch lengths, cutting on the diagonal:

Parboil asparagus pieces for 2 minutes, then drain, rinse in cold water and set aside. Chop bell pepper into thin strips:

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of water..this will thicken your sauce later...............

After all of this prep work, now it's time to cook! Stir fry the asparagus in oil, on high heat, for about 2 minutes. Set aside. Add more oil to the pan, and stir fry the beef strips for 2-3 minutes, or until browned but still pink inside. Add bell pepper and toss over high heat until just starting to wilt.........

Add cornstarch liquid and stir fry sauce to pan. Cook until sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Return asparagus to pan and toss to coat evenly. You can serve this over white rice, or if you are using noodles like I did, toss noodles into mixture and serve...........So delicious and good for you!.........

Just had to get this one in.....Big Daddy loves to show off his mad chop stick skills around me, because I, sadly, must resort to a fork..........

Here's the recipe:

BEEFO STIR FRY WITH ASPARAGUS AND RED PEPPER

Serves 4

3 tblsp. vegetable oil (I used peanut)

1 / 2 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1 1 /2 inch lengths

1 lb. flank steak, cut into thin strips about 2 inches long

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips about 2 inches long

2 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved into 3 tblsp. water

Basic stir fry sauce:

4 tblsp. soy sauce (I use low-sodium)

2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, including green tops, chopped

1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes

While chopping ingredients in preparation, bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Parboil asparagus pieces for 2 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, drain and set aside. Prepare stir fry sauce by combining the ingredients in a small dish, and set aside. Stir fry asparagus in a wok or thick bottomed pan in 1 tblsp. oil, on high heat, for about 2 minutes. Remove asparagus from pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and stir fry the beef strips for 2-3 minutes or until browned but still pink inside. Add bell pepper and toss over high heat until just beginning to wilt, about 1 or 2 minutes. Quickly stir the cornstarch liquid and add to the pan, along with stir fry sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Return asparagus to the pan, toss evenly to coat and serve with steamed with rice. Or, toss noodles into stir fry mixture to coat evenly.

TODAY I'M MOST GRATEFUL FOR:

*Only 2 days until Little Miss Thing is home for summer! Can't wait for our long walks and lunches and dinners out with her and her sweet friends.

*I'm on day 5 of my new chemotherapy medications, with no nausea to speak of yet! Hopefully this is a sign that I will be able to tolerate this medication in the future. Here's to some better health!

*I'm thankful for Windex (really, I am!), to clean up my greasy stove, after cooking all of that stir fry!