Ancient Chinese Recipe

There are certain types of food that are meant to be eaten out.  In my opinion, Chinese food is one of them.  I've tried to make stir fry and yes, it's good, but it never tastes totally right.  So when I decided to try again to make my own Chinese food, I had very low expectations.  I tried to make lo mein once, and it was downright inedible.  I did learn that more does not equal better when it comes to grated ginger. It was a valuable life lesson.

Tonight's dinner consisted of chicken and vegetable potstickers along with homemade fried rice.  I needed a recipe, so I went on food network to find whichever recipe for fried rice didn't involve a $30 trip to the grocery store, and was pleased to find this recipe from 30 Minute Meals for Special Fried Rice.  The final product looked pretty good!

Steve gobbled it up (Will, not surprisingly was not a fan), and it tasted pretty close to take out, but it seemed to be missing something.  Next time I'm going to make a couple changes: 1) Less soy sauce.  I thought it was salty, and I used lower sodium soy; 2) it needed some heat.  I think next time I would add some sweet thai chili sauce and see if that helps; 3) I wouldn't serve it with the dumplings again.  I think I'd mix in some teriyaki marinated chicken or something similar.  The dumplings with the Gyoza dipping sauce was total sodium overkill.  Aside from those three things I'm really proud of myself!  It was loaded with organic veggies and I used brown rice to make it a bit healthier.  On an aside, I didn't buy the shredded carrots from the grocery store, but instead attempted to grate baby carrots.  Big mistake.  BIG.  I'm surprised I still have the tips of all my fingers!

One other change for this week's menu.  Steve has requested that we join the 75 and older crowd on Friday night for the Trenton Order of the Hibernians Friday night lenten fish fry.  If you're interested, here's the link to their website. No, we're not Irish.  But I do enjoy using fried fish as a vehicle for consuming malt vinegar.  They also have a liquor license, and we can feed the three of us for under $20.

On an aside, Emma is cutting her first tooth (finally!!!)!  She's pulling up on the furniture & trying to cruise & she's not even 9 months old! Also, I downloaded my Disney pictures the computer, and most aren't appropriate for this G rated blog, but here are two good ones.  One of me "Singin' in the Rain" at Hollywood Studies (otherwise known as The Park Formerly Known as MGM):

And one of me outside the French pavilion at Epcot just as the sun was setting.

Tomorrow night is going to be another menu crapshoot, so we'll see what I can cook up using a box of couscous, freezer burned Lender's bagels, and Trader Joe's boxed macaroni & cheese. Suggestions? I'm thinking leftovers.