Crook's Corner Shrimp and Grits

There was a brief chocolate discussion at Tia's "Debt Free" Party.  I couldn't remember the name of the chocolate that I have been wanting to try- so here it is.   All the reviews that I have read say that this is some of the best chocolate anywhere, several say it is the best..

Drunken Noodles

8 - 16 ounces flat rice noodles 

1/2 cup soy sauce  

1/4 cup oyster sauce 

1/4 cup sugar 

3  tablespoons oil 

1  cup cooked & shredded chicken 

1 head of minced garlic (adjust to your preference, we really like garlic)

2 large tomatoes, wedged

1 bell pepper- thinly sliced (sometimes I use a bag of frozen stirfry veggies)

Juice of two limes

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon  thai chili paste  

2-3  cups thinly sliced onions 

2 large bunches of Thai basil  (also called Anise basil, Asian Farmers Market in Knoxville has it, but you will have to remove the leaves from the stem) 

Soak noodles for 25 minutes in warm water.  (Adjust time to your prefered level of doneness.)  Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, salt, and sugar and put it aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  (Woks work MUCH better)

Add chicken and onions cook until done.

Add garlic and cook 10 seconds.

Add chili paste and  vegetables - stirfry for 1-2 minutes. 

Add the noodles, soy sauce mixture,  and basil.  Stir-fry until hot.

Here is where you have a choice to make...  you can serve it as is, or you can do what we do and put it all in a big bowl, have each person take a serving and then re-stirfry their portion with the amount of chili paste that they want.  That way each person can adjust the spiciness to their own tastes.  

When we use 16 oz of noodles, this usually makes enough for dinner for us, my mother, lunch the next day, and maybe the day after that.  Depending on how hungry the monkeys are.

is addictive.  Sigh. 

What foods do you crave?

At 6:45 in the morning every Wednesday and Friday a high pitched metallic sound fills our house.  It is the sound of a not so great but doing its best blender.  Usually on Wednesdays and Fridays the boys have swimming practice at a local college, and because I am not a morning person we usually have about fifteen minutes to get ready before we have to leave.  This morning all three of us were feeling a bit under the weather:  I have a sore throat, Christopher has a cold, and Corbin is coughing- so we stayed home.  However, we still enjoyed our "thrown together smoothie" for breakfast this morning.  Corbin got to pick the fruit mixture today.  I think it was the best mix yet... or at least tied with pineapple mango.

1 cup yogurt (kefir works too)

1 ripe banana

1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries

1 cup frozen mango pieces

1 T unrefined coconut oil (melted)

1 raw egg (optional)

Throw it all in the blender, and...yum.

(If the mixture is too thick try adding milk.)