And We're Back

::pooooooooooooof::

Sorry about that. Just had to blow off a little dust around these parts. When last I typed more than a few words, it was ... last year?

Just a few things have happened since then. Holidays and such, you know. There was a trip to Indianapolis, about seventeen trips to various Must Do holiday things, school events, blah, blah, blah. I took two weeks off of work and then used that time to squeeze in as much life as possible.

And memorize Five a little more while I had the chance.

People refer to the Terrible Twos, which I have always said aren't nearly as bad as anybody says. Three is when the nightmares start, and Four? I'll go ahead and let my phone correct it to the Ducking Fours because that's exactly what they are. They're as maddening as fighting with a duck while smashing your head against a wall and herding cats. Four. Is. The. Worst.

THE WORST.

But Five. Man, I love Five. Five is bright-eyed curiosity and funny questions and endless frustration surrounded by oodles of charm. The hours are long, but the year is short and Five is so delightful. It's not easy because there is no such thing as an easy age, but it's fun. So fun.

Case in point, I have dozens of videos of Mila being charmed by all things Christmas. Santa delivers toiletries at our house and Mila loved every single thing. The toothbrush? Worthy of a party. The bottle of shampoo? SO EXCITING! The box of Frozen Band-Aids? THE BESSSSST GIFT EVERRRRRRR! Santa genuinely shorted the kid (Because Mom and Dad delivered a Nintendo Switch, which is waaaaaay over budget so BALANCE. Santa gets to bring ... no toys), and yet Mila was over-the-moon and filled with excitement.

Everything about her pure joy was perfect.

And it's a good thing that I sat back and soaked it all in. The kid is about four minutes from untangling all things Santa, so it may not be the same next year.

Kung Pao Tofu

If you're wondering how much of the holidays I spent living off of desserts and assorted crap, I've made real dinner with all sorts of vegetables twice already this year. IT'S ONLY THE 5TH. I need to not see any candy or cookies for a few days ...

Enter Kung Pao Tofu. All things Chinese-ish are a good choice for everyone in this house, so we're going to make our way through all of the different sauce choices. I still prefer General Tso Tofu to this one, but it was a solid way to get the girls to eat. Mila will happily live off of mushrooms all day long and Alexis loves zucchini, so there you go. They're both happy, even if they do eat off of each other's plates more than they should.

Kung Pao Tofu

Marinade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 package extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed

Stir Fy
2 tablespoons vegetable or sesame oil
1 small zucchini, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce (yes again - it'll make sense after you read step 1)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons hosein sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup unsalted/roasted peanuts

1. Mix together the first round of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch. Pour it into a Ziploc bag and add the cubed tofu. Squeeze out the air, seal, and allow to sit for at least half an hour. Overnight is better.

2. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable or sesame oil. Add the celery, carrot, and zucchini. Cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Add the tofu and cook for another 4-5 minutes while you make the sauce.

3. To make the sauce, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, hosein sauce, sugar, and cornstarch together. Whisk thoroughly and set aside while you finish the stir fry part.

4. Go back to your skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then add the sauce from step 3. Stir thoroughly.

5. Add the peanuts.

6. Serve over rice.

Two Little Fishies