I made a super quick and easy Chicken Pad Thai last night, and just reheated it for dinner tonight. It was and still is so good that I just have to share it. I took a picture on my phone, but it doesn't do it justice, so I'll let you try it out for yourself and see how good it looks in person :)
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8 ounces rice noodles
4 tsp vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 chicken breasts, cut into small, thin slices
2 cups mung bean sprouts
6 tbsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp chili-garlic sauce
chopped peanuts (to top off this glorious dish)
Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 10 seconds. Add eggs and scramble for about 30 seconds. Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Add drained noodles to wok, toss about 1 minute. Add bean sprouts, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Toss for about 3 minutes, or until sauce thickens a bit.
Sprinkle with peanuts and serve! This makes about 3 decent sized servings.
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A few learning points from my first go at Pad Thai:
1 - Have everything out, sliced, and diced before hand. Because the oil is heated over high heat, it does not take long to cook anything! I made the mistake of not having my eggs out or chicken chopped before I added my garlic, so it got a tad too toasty.
2 - I thought I had checked all of my labels, but it turns out the chili-garlic sauce was not preservative free :( I found a recipe here that I will be trying for my future makings of this dish.
Enjoy!
2.22.2011
2.20.2011
project complete!
I am happy to report that I have officially completed my first real before and after project (that wasn't just a matter of organization and decorating). I bought the supplies last June to redo this set, but life got in the way and I just now got around to this project. I made a spontaneous, quick trip home this past weekend and decided that instead of studying, I should make this set (left behind by the previous owners) pretty. So here we go!
Before... Worn and Rusty
And After!
And how about a little close-up action:
Serious Rust
Ahh yes, happiness.
I am so excited! It is now safe to sit in the chairs and have coffee dates on lovely mornings with my husband. Sadly I haven't had one yet because I had to get back to school, but soon enough!
2.12.2011
great words in small verses
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
-1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on your guard
You must know that Satan is lurking around every corner, every insecurity, every question. You must know that he is trying to intervene and destroy your relationship with God. You must be on the defensive to keep him from doing this.
Stand firm in the faith
Your best protection against Satan is your faith. Be filled with God's word and use it when Satan attacks. Trust in God and He will protect you.
Be courageous; Be strong
Even in your darkest hour, God is with you. Have courage and strength at all times knowing that God is in control and trusting that He knows exactly what is right for you.
Do everything in love
Let everything you do be inspired by God's love for you.
Happy Saturday :)
-1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on your guard
You must know that Satan is lurking around every corner, every insecurity, every question. You must know that he is trying to intervene and destroy your relationship with God. You must be on the defensive to keep him from doing this.
Stand firm in the faith
Your best protection against Satan is your faith. Be filled with God's word and use it when Satan attacks. Trust in God and He will protect you.
Be courageous; Be strong
Even in your darkest hour, God is with you. Have courage and strength at all times knowing that God is in control and trusting that He knows exactly what is right for you.
Do everything in love
Let everything you do be inspired by God's love for you.
Happy Saturday :)
2.01.2011
being good isn't easy
"No one knows how bad they are until they have tried to be good" - CS Lewis
I read that quote just a few days before I read a devotional on a sleepless night, that said "God saw that His work was good (Genesis 1:25). Just as God felt good about His work, we can be pleased with ours. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. What are you doing that pleases both you and God?"
Well, what am I doing that pleases me? I can think of many. But, what of these things are also pleasing God? It hurts to only be able to list a few.
Currently, things I am doing that are pleasing to me and God (from my point of view of course):
1 - Reading His word every morning
2 - Praying every morning
3 - Eating preservative free
That is it. Three things. And I can easily find faults with or improvements to be made to each. I am finding that the things that were so fulfilling and good in the beginning aren't feeling quite as fulfilling anymore. But, I should absolutely use this realization to my advantage, and dig deeper. Just when you think you have something "good" mastered, you can quickly see ways to make it better, if you allow yourself to. I know God loves me, and He is proud of my efforts. But there is a serious tug at my heart to be even better in these areas.
My three good activities made "more good"
1 - Dig deeper into reading. Read related passages. Read throughout the day rather than just during set times in my routine.
2 - Pray throughout the day. Be in constant communication with God. And be less distracted when I pray (don't be thinking about my massive to-do list that I may have).
3 - Pray when I struggle with eating no preservatives, wasn't that my objective in the first place?
So, being good can be one of the most difficult things a person might try to accomplish. And not just being good compared to those around, but being good in God's eyes alone. I know God loves me without me ever getting to a point that I actually deserve His love. But I want to try to be better and make His heart as happy as he makes mine.
So again, and again, and again, and again I pray: "God, please help me to show your love through my every word and action," because then, I will be good.
I read that quote just a few days before I read a devotional on a sleepless night, that said "God saw that His work was good (Genesis 1:25). Just as God felt good about His work, we can be pleased with ours. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. What are you doing that pleases both you and God?"
Well, what am I doing that pleases me? I can think of many. But, what of these things are also pleasing God? It hurts to only be able to list a few.
Currently, things I am doing that are pleasing to me and God (from my point of view of course):
1 - Reading His word every morning
2 - Praying every morning
3 - Eating preservative free
That is it. Three things. And I can easily find faults with or improvements to be made to each. I am finding that the things that were so fulfilling and good in the beginning aren't feeling quite as fulfilling anymore. But, I should absolutely use this realization to my advantage, and dig deeper. Just when you think you have something "good" mastered, you can quickly see ways to make it better, if you allow yourself to. I know God loves me, and He is proud of my efforts. But there is a serious tug at my heart to be even better in these areas.
My three good activities made "more good"
1 - Dig deeper into reading. Read related passages. Read throughout the day rather than just during set times in my routine.
2 - Pray throughout the day. Be in constant communication with God. And be less distracted when I pray (don't be thinking about my massive to-do list that I may have).
3 - Pray when I struggle with eating no preservatives, wasn't that my objective in the first place?
So, being good can be one of the most difficult things a person might try to accomplish. And not just being good compared to those around, but being good in God's eyes alone. I know God loves me without me ever getting to a point that I actually deserve His love. But I want to try to be better and make His heart as happy as he makes mine.
So again, and again, and again, and again I pray: "God, please help me to show your love through my every word and action," because then, I will be good.
1.26.2011
seven things
these glorious things are those that will be getting me through this spring semestser. i have several starbucks mapped out that i will be frequenting throughout the next four months. vitamin D (yes, the gummy ones) will keep me healthy, scoutmob dates with sarit will keep my sanity in check, and my iphone for phone dates with my hubs and family will keep me happy. my rainboots will be put to good use (and already have been) by walking through the rivers that develop on campus in even the slightest drizzle. i obviously need something to fuel my OCD tendencies, of which my planner satisfies. and when i need a little pick-me-up, i have bravo TV. so yes, i love these seven items. and with them, i will survive semester two of grad school.
1.16.2011
green-inating
today, i plan to (finally - after a week of staring at it) part with my preservative filled foods.
goodbye reduced fat creamy jif peanut butter, filled with magnesium and zinc oxide, ferric orthophosphate, and copper sulfate. goodbye deliciously salted pita chips, with your absorbic acid and thiamin mononitrate. goodbye glorious Christmas candy, filled with who knows what.
it is a sad day, but hopefully a day of permanent change and awareness. and grocery shopping :)
goodbye reduced fat creamy jif peanut butter, filled with magnesium and zinc oxide, ferric orthophosphate, and copper sulfate. goodbye deliciously salted pita chips, with your absorbic acid and thiamin mononitrate. goodbye glorious Christmas candy, filled with who knows what.
it is a sad day, but hopefully a day of permanent change and awareness. and grocery shopping :)
1.11.2011
life is flying
i am back in atlanta after a busy three weeks at home. i loved my time there, but as always, it went by so quickly. i enjoyed my time with the best husband ever, my time with my family and jared's (which is now also my family - love it), and the short amount of time i had with a few close friends (although i would have loved more). i'm hoping to tweak and organize some pictures from my break here shortly, and post them later.
at the moment, i am enjoying snow day number TWO! it is gloriously white outside. since i have no schoolwork to catch up on yet, i spent yesterday sledding with a few friends, and truly loved it. it was one of my best and most memorable days at georgia tech so far. but i am so sore today from the miles of walking through snow and the sledding down hills and walking back up them to sled again, that today i plan to relax and rest.
ah yes, 2011. i suppose that since it is a new year, it's time for some goal making:
start "eating green"
i am not participating in the full Daniel Fast as i did last year with my church, but i still am hoping to challenge myself so i rely more on God. my goal is to eliminate artificial preservatives, chemicals, and additives from my diet. this is so much more difficult than you would think, especially when life is busy and you need something quick and convenient. almost every canned good (which i LOVE to use) has some sort of preservative or chemical in it. so i started checking labels this sunday on my grocery trip, and i'm easing my way into eating green. i'm hoping for this to become a permanent change for me in my life, and to rely on God every step of the way in making this change.
show His love in all i do
i always fear i am just "going through the motions" in my reading and prayer. i want to truly learn from His word and apply it in my life. i also want to be in communication with Him more often. i want to live for God every minute and have His love shown through my every word and action.
survive grad school
i worked harder than i ever have in my life last semester, and i want to continue that discipline and determination this semester and next, so i can graduate with a good gpa in august :)
so here we go, 2011!
at the moment, i am enjoying snow day number TWO! it is gloriously white outside. since i have no schoolwork to catch up on yet, i spent yesterday sledding with a few friends, and truly loved it. it was one of my best and most memorable days at georgia tech so far. but i am so sore today from the miles of walking through snow and the sledding down hills and walking back up them to sled again, that today i plan to relax and rest.
ah yes, 2011. i suppose that since it is a new year, it's time for some goal making:
start "eating green"
i am not participating in the full Daniel Fast as i did last year with my church, but i still am hoping to challenge myself so i rely more on God. my goal is to eliminate artificial preservatives, chemicals, and additives from my diet. this is so much more difficult than you would think, especially when life is busy and you need something quick and convenient. almost every canned good (which i LOVE to use) has some sort of preservative or chemical in it. so i started checking labels this sunday on my grocery trip, and i'm easing my way into eating green. i'm hoping for this to become a permanent change for me in my life, and to rely on God every step of the way in making this change.
show His love in all i do
i always fear i am just "going through the motions" in my reading and prayer. i want to truly learn from His word and apply it in my life. i also want to be in communication with Him more often. i want to live for God every minute and have His love shown through my every word and action.
survive grad school
i worked harder than i ever have in my life last semester, and i want to continue that discipline and determination this semester and next, so i can graduate with a good gpa in august :)
so here we go, 2011!
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