7 quick takes: take 9

Long week, hopefully not so long takes. Joining Jen and the ladies ova here!

1. My aforementioned funky mood was remedied on Wednesday by a husband who replicated this recipe. Delish. 

1 lb boneless top sirloin steak
1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 fat cloves garlic
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons medium dry Sherry
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar (regular or brown)
1 ½ lbs broccoli
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Accompaniment: steamed rice (we used brown rice)

Freeze steak until solid and partially frozen, 3 to 4 hours. (I left ours in the freezer until we needed it;)

Combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Sherry (or sparkling wine you may have won on your honeymoon...), sesame oil, and sugar in a bowl until sugar dissolves.

Cut steak into thin (about 1/16” thick) slices. Transfer to bowl with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.

Cut broccoli into (2” long, about 1”  wide) spears. If you have stems, trim off outer fibrous layer. Halve lengthwise and cut into 1” pieces. Cook broccoli in a 4 to 5 quart of boiling water seasoned with 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Cook broccoli until crisp tender, 2 minutes, then drain well.

Heat oil in a wok or large heavy skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers. Stir fry beef (scraped of excess marinade; in 2 batches if using a skillet) until it’s just no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add broccoli and stir fry until just heated through, 2 minutes more. Whisk cornstarch into marinade, add to wok along with beef and continue to stir fry until liquid boils and just thickens, about 1 minute more.

2. I may have had an I'm-not-clinically-insane-but-after-this-incident-you-may-want-to-have-me-checked moment last night...I had an event at school until about 7:30pm and then went by a friend's apartment for a few minutes. When I got home I was overwhelmed with I-must-clean-or-the-world-WILL-end crazy. The kitchen is clean, now just to tackle every other room. I'm ready to not be living in mess, post-wedded, boxes, bags, mess. It's. gettin. real. clean.

3. So Grace... is super awesome and always seems to make something much more fantastic with her magical sewing abilities. Now that I have a desk maybe I should take the initiative to actually use my brain for something semi-creative. 

4. Joanna's trip to San Francisco did not help with my sudden/not so sudden itch to get away. I have been thinking about camping and other semi-close adventures that could be had lately. Especially this week when things were feeling kinda down in the dumps, all I could think about was taking a trip no matter how long or how short. I feel like sometimes a short weekend getaway can be just the thing to revive a tired and worn out soul. 

5. Sister date this weekend! Pumped.  

6. I am reeeeeeeeeeally wanting to bake these lil' yummies this weekend:

7. The State Fair of Texas opens this weekend! Ahh... the state fair. Filled with semi-deathly safe rides and all the fattening food your personal heaven is probably filled with. I am about to admit the blasphemy of all blasphemes for a Texan... I've never been. I always say I want to go, that I should go, that I NEED to go...yet never do. We get a day off of school (cue choir of angels) for the fair but going to the fair on a day when all of my students may be there does not sound like the best...for me or them. If I adventure out that sounds like a fat-drenched blog post that would need to be shared to the masses (hah or the two people that read my blog). 

Happy weekend!

(photo creds: here, here, & here)