Friday, December 11, 2009

Shrimp and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Uncovered the garden today and surveyed the damage. Not too bad. We'd kept it covered since the teen-temp-time because it was dipping down to freezing temps almost every night and we didn't want to be out there during the cold mornings before leaving for work in the dark uncovering just to be back out there in the cold dark when we got home covering it back up. Some of the lettuce got bit pretty bad and a few of the coles were damaged a bit, but not much was so damaged it wouldn't come back ~ just two or three lettuce plants looked so bad I didn't have a lot of hope for them, so I pulled them and gave the chickens a snack.

After much planning and map drawing, Helen planted her square foot garden. Looks cold, doesn't she?


Some of the bok choy was flowering, so I decided to pull some. I hated putting a hole in this beautiful little bed, but it had to be done.


My prize:


And the final result ~ Shrimp & Bok Choy stir fry with peanuts.

It was fabulous! I think tomorrow I'll pull the other ones that were flowering and make more to freeze for lunches next week.

Shrimp and Bok Choy Stir Fry
two dozen medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
one head bok choy, chopped (or 8 or so large leaves)
half a white onion, chopped
two cloves garlic, finely chopped or put through a garlic press
handful of peanuts
few tablespoons of peanut oil
four tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce (or anchovies, maybe one small tin?)

Fry the onions, peanuts and garlic in the peanut oil 'til onions are soft. Add the bok choy, oyster sauce and fish sauce, cooking 'til bok choy leaves are wilted and stems are soft. Add the shrimp and cook until they're done, being careful not to overcook them.

This can be served over rice or with noodles, but I didn't want the carbs so ate it as is. It was really good! When I eat oriental food, I usually leave the extra cabbage once the meat is gone. But with this, even just bites of cabbage with a couple peanuts were marvelous.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

14 Degrees of Separation

It was fourteen degrees when I woke up this morning, 7am. Now that's cold! But it makes for some pretty pictures. The sparkly frost on the cabbage and kale makes them all the more colorful.


I'm still miffed over the snow peas not getting to revel in their namesake.


BJ's just happy to be outside with me, poking around in the garden. She was so happy with the cold, along with all the other animals.



But fourteen degrees will change a lot. It separates the survivors from the tenderlings.

Goodbye, wandering jew.


Goodbye, crinums.


Goodbye, bananas.


Goodbye, habaneros. I'm never really sure why I planted you in the first place. Bragging rights?


See you all again next spring (with the possible exception of the habaneros).

Friday, December 4, 2009

Snow day ~ NOT!

I got screwed!!! Screwed, I tell you!!! Here I was, all ready and settled in for a snow day ~ freezer full (it usually is), dip bucket ready by the well (in case the pipes froze), garden covered (and how), chickens tucked in (I fluffed up an entire bale of hale in there for them to burrow in), one in the soup pot boiling on the stove (not one of the ones in the pic, I swear), buffet in the barn for the horses (spent a few hours on that and the chickens day before yesterday), camera batteries charged (fully) and a six pack of Beck's in the fridge. All ready. And ... and ... and ... NOTHING! I'm not real happy with my local weathermen and women right now ~ am sitting here putting the six pack to good use, plotting their comeuppance...
They let my snow get away and go to Houston!!!



See? No snow here:



And no snow here:







And none here, either:






I don't think the chickens mind that there's none here:




Though there was a little bit in there at one point:





Oh, well. Even without the snow, it's still beginning to look a lot like Christmas.



Please pardon the shakiness of that last picture. I was putting that six pack to good use, remember?
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