Friday Night Dinner

Last night Jay made dinner! He wants you to know that he doubled the amount of rice (we had leftovers) and tripled the sauce so that he could coat all the rice (I'm not big on plain rice). Jay and I loved it, Laurel liked all but the rice, and Miah concurred. Sadly, we voted to not keep this recipe because the kids weren't very enthusiastic. However, the next time Jay and I get a chance, we will be eating it alone! My only suggestion would be to chop the bok choy into smaller pieces because the end of the stalk can be a little much to chew, especially for little kids.

On another note, we talked the kids into trying a new puppy last night. I talked to the lady extensively before we even bothered to drive to her house. It turns out that she rescues pups that need extra care as a hobby. Miraculously, Dobby took a liking to Harley, just like she did to Ben, and after getting many kisses and ear nibbles, we decided that this one would fit in pretty well. She is completely crate trained, and behaved perfectly last night. Not a peep until 6:30 when she needed to go out. She is a Chocolate Lab/Weimaraner mix: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner (she thinks, seeing as these were the type of dogs that were in the awful place she was rescued from.) Harley was infested with ants and fleas when she was rescued, and has some scars that should fade as time goes by. Despite her rough beginning, she is every bit as sweet as we could hope for, and by the way, is potty trained. Not a single accident! Thank goodness!

Beef and Bok Choy Stir-Fry:

Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 heads baby bok choy, quartered
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the steak with 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate.
2. Wipe out the skillet. Add the bok choy and 1⁄4 cup water and simmer, covered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and sugar. Add to the bok choy in the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the steak and any accumulated juices and cook, tossing, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over the rice.