MOTIVATION! Where's my motivation? I think it's in a sewer somewhere. I've got to get to working. Later, when I can read my memory card I will tell the story of the most archaic microwave I've ever seen in my life. It exists in this office enclave in which I've been working and actually achieved mostly heating up my breakfast of corned beef and cabbage. Laugh if you like, it was tasty.
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So, they've hired someone into my position already. I found out through mass communication e-mail. How lovely. Quite honestly I'm a little intimidated. She sounds like she is 2000% more qualified to do this job that I am. Although I guess that's a good thing. I guess it's about time that they hired someone that actually had the full training to do this junk. She's probably going to think "Good gracious this girl is an idiot!" And if she does, so what, I'll be getting paid to have a killer view. Nanny Nanny Boo Boo and all that jazz.
Husband, husband, where is my husband? I've tried to call him and to no avail. My guess - he's outside with our doggies enjoying the beautiful day before he has to go to work. Lucky ducky. And he has the next two days off which I'm pretty excited about. I love quality time. No matter how I'm feeling about work or anything else all I need is one great big back cracking hug from him and I'm all better. Cheesy I know. Grab a glass of wine and you'll feel right at home.
Tonight I had Pork Stiry Fry with Rice. It was tasty and I yet again channeled P-Dub and decided to share the recipe with step by step pictures. Keep reading, there's a funny story in the middle.
So first I got out all of these ingredients for a family portrait. Lemon juice & butter were also used but not able to make the group shot. In other words, forgot all about it until I needed it.
Right off the bat I got the rice boiling. About a cup of rice to 2 3/4 Cups of water. I added had 2 C. water and 3/4 C. of chicken broth just because I had a can open in the fridge I needed to use. Hubby would scoff at measuring the water for the rice. He has this trick where he sticks his finger down to the bottom of the pot and measures it somehow. I don't really know how to do it.
Here's the pig. "Boneless ribs". It's a really cool cut of pork because it has the "dark meat" which is much tastier than the "whiter" and dryer parts. It's really inexpensive to boot.
Cube it up like an inch to an inch and a half and then season it up good, real good. Just S&P does the trick.
Heat an eye with a non-stick wok to medium-high. Don't have a wok? Any big ole pan'll do! And don't put the dogs outside. This will come into play later.
Add about two tablespoons of the veggie oil. Let it get hot. Real Real Real hot.
You may not be able to tell but I sliced half an onion pretty thin whilst the oil is heating up. 
2 cloves of garlic minced. On a side note this is one of Hubby's fave knives. It keeps a great edge and has a nice light bamboo handle. It's a good thing we live together or I'd steal that thing!!
I've got to get a better camera!! Anyway, chop the green pepper. This dish would be so much prettier if it was a red pepper but we are being budget conscious and the greenies are so much cheaper that we just eat a lot of really green food.
Finally the oil is rocket hot. Be careful that it doesn't splatter but go ahead and add the pork. If it doesn't scare you a little of getting burned when you add it, the oil isn't hot enough yet. It's gotta be that hot. Your first instict will be to stir. DON'T DO IT. LEAVE IT ALONE!
I mean it. Leave it alone until it gets white around the edges. Then check a piece to make sure it has a pretty brown sear. The flip flip flip! Flip until all the brown is up and all of the pink is down.
Round about this time (depending on how many pictures you take if you're a nerd like me) the rice should look like this. Most of the water should have cooked out and when you bite a grain or two it should be 95% done. Pull it off the heat and cover it up. The steam in the pot will cook it the rest of the way without letting it get all sticky. Remember, we're not making sushi here. And if you hear your dogs barking in the back yard right about now, go check on them.
So while that pork's a gettin' brown go ahead and cut up the rest of your veggies. The great part about stir fry is that you can stir and fry anything that's in the refrigerator that sounds tasty to you. I have mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash here. Carrots, snow peas, water chestnuts, etc. would also be great here. Again, check on the barking dogs.
So once the pork is all browned up on all sides go ahead and add those veggies. I have a couple that I kept to the side and I'll explain that in a minute. Oh, and if it sounds like someone is knocking on your back door but you're not sure if it's the dog or a knock, assume it's a knock.
Here are the stray veggies. Cabbage and frozen broccoli. I kept them out because they both let out a lot of water when they cook and they'll take a little longer. So, I par steamed them in the microwave.
While the microwave hums you a tune add the butter, lemon juice, soy sauce to taste, about a teaspoon of chili sauce, and 2 teaspoons of hoisin. Mmm mmm good. Stir it all together. Then when the phone rings, answer it ASAP. It's Hubby. Then when there's a knock on the back door, answer it, it's the neighbor. He's come to tell you that Matriarch Canine has made a break for it for the second time this week. Before you go to make a futile chase after Matriarch Canine turn off the stove and move the pan off the heat. Take my word for this. Then go chase after Matriarch Canine and keep Offspring Canine from wrapping around your legs and forcing you to almost go face down in a pile of poo. The phone will ring again at this point, it will be Hubby in quite a hurry to tell you something while he's at work. Go ahead, talk to him. Matriarch Canine will let herself back in the house, 20 feet of cable dragging in behind her, like she never went anywhere at all. Not that any of this happened to me, oh no.
So, once the cabbage and broccoli have steamed just a bit, drain it and add it to the wok. See why I say you need a big pan? Make it a huge one.
Keep stirring it all together until the cabbage is a little wilty but still bright green. Then breathe a sigh of relief. It's finally time to eat and both Matriarch and Offspring are inside the house never to see the beautiful fresh air outside until Hubby is home to take them.
Then you just have to spoon some stir fry over that rice that should be steamed to perfection by now. Make this, make it soon, it's so tasty.
DAW
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