Shrimp Pad Thai with a few minor adjustments

Shrimp Pad Thai- Except there are no flat rice noodles or peanuts. So, basically it's yummy shrimp and pad thai sauce stuff over rice. It was really good though, and so easy. I say that for all my recipes because I don't do complicated but this one literally took me 20 minutes I think? If you have the rice cooking while you're doing everything else it works out perfectly.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup (2-inch) green onion pieces
• 8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil  

Preparation

• 1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
• 2. While water comes to a boil, combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl.
• 3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done. Add cooked noodles; toss to combine. Stir in sauce; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon peanuts, and 2 teaspoons basil.

My version: I didn't have the noodles obviously, or the siracha sauce. this is the second time I've come across a recipe that calls for this so maybe I'll get some?  I also did not have sprouts, lime juice or the peanuts and I didn't use 5 garlic cloves! Doesn't that seem like a lot? Although, maybe the flavor would have been a lot stronger.
Anyway, make this! The amount says 4 servings but really, I would say 2 1/2 depending on who you're cooking for and how much you normally eat.

Also, I should have taken a picture of Boyf's plate. It was much prettier than my bowl. 

Why I could never be a Police Officer

Whenever I drive by a police car with it's lights flashing it's as though it has some sort of ability to penetrate my skull and suddenly my brain stops and can't function for about a full second (which, could really be a long time if you think about it).

So, in terms of actually being a Police Officer and being exposed to those lights I would be the worst officer ever. For example, if I was on a high speed chase after someone and my lights went on, or I was chasing them with another police car with it's lights on, my brain would be scanned and I'd lose all brain function for about a second and the car would get away.

I was telling Boyf. this last night as we passed a few police cars with flashing lights. He told me I would get used to it but I'm not so sure. If something can actually penetrate to my brain and stop it's function how I am ever going to get used to that? I just say, it's a good thing I would never want to be a police officer. But then again, maybe I should be one and then use it as my excuse when I can't get any work done.

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

This morning I made some lemon muffins and they took about 30 minutes, they were so quick and they really turned out. Here is a picture of the batch to entice you to keep reading

Recipe:

• 7 9/10 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar 
   
  • 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  • 2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); make a well in center. Combine ricotta and next 5 ingredients (through egg). Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
  • 3. Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over batter. Bake at 375° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

   
  These really turned out and like I said they were really easy. I did spend a minute mashing up the ricotta cheese but it still had a few small clumps when I put them in the muffin cups to cook.
  
  Here's an up-close of a half eaten muffin. Yum!
   
  Boyf took me to the grocery store and I had to pick up some muffin cups and they pretty much only had two choices, princess or transformers. My first instinct was the princess ones of course, but Boyf pointed out the transformer ones to me, twice. So, I felt like I had to pick them.
  Also, a recipe note, I would recommend using the turbinado sugar for sure on top, it made them look profesh and I really liked the little extra crunch on top after they'd slightly baked in. And really, it's not expensive, like, $2 for a pretty decently sized bag.
  
  

Boyf is funny and I lose

Ah Boyf, you are silly.

Boyf was making fun of a really cute shirt I bought him that has a V-neck. I agree that v-necks can be a little douche-y but it was a really neat color and super value priced and only a slight v-neck. Like, if he had chest hair it wasn't a deep enough V for his chest hair to stick out. So he was showing me that if he tied a sweater around his shoulders it would maybe cover up the V and would really complete the outfit. But, instead he grabbed a regular button up and tied it around, which ended up looking like a cape. I laughed and laughed and tried to take a picture of it, but because my iphone is slow to open the camera app I only caught him right before he got it off. Sad, for you.

In the course of this conversation about the shirt it turned into an argument and he said I lost. I don't know what, but apparently he won. Throughout the course of the rest of the night we had ridiculous arguments. For example, Boyf threw a small card at me and I told him he could have poked my eye out and I reenacted the card-throw and we argued about how my throw was definitely not the way he threw it.

Boyf and I hardly ever argue, but when we do it's about awesome things like a v-neck shirt and how he could have seriously poked my eye out.