April whirlwind

Last night I saw my first firefly of the summer. Yes, it's only the first of May, but with temperatures in the upper 80s it really feels like summer. I guess it's been warmer for months now, so I shouldn't be that surprised.

And with so much going on, the time has been flying by. Let me try to catch up on the last few weeks... Easter was beautiful and great. Addison went to her first Easter egg hunt, and even managed to find one egg before losing interest. Derek was so proud that the egg was yellow and purple (Laker colors). For dinner we had a ham with mashed potatoes and collard greens. Yum!

The rest of April was busy getting things done around the house and working hard on the yard. Slowly the monkey grass is making way for flowers and more attractive plants. Of course, there's no way I can tackle all the monkey grass this year, but at least there's a bit more to look at when we eat out on the patio.

Enjoying some ice cream at Panoply

Easter started the month, and a vacation closed out April for me. It was my first trip away from Addison, and I spent 3 nights in Mexico at a friends' wedding while Derek and Addison stayed home and played together. I had a blast seeing all sorts of friends and spending a great time with my sister, and came home to find that Derek and Addison had fun too! Of course I'm sure it helped that my in-laws came for a visit at the same time. Addison just loves an audience.

Looking forward, the pace stays pretty fierce as we prepare for a whirlwind trip to California for Memorial Day. Hopefully we'll all be able to find moments of peace and rest before then.

Below you can find a recipe for a delicious broccoli beef stir fry we had recently. It's based off a recipe from the Food Network that we tweaked slightly and really loved the results. Enjoy!

Broccoli Beef Stir-fry

Friends!

1 Lb beef chunks
2 cups broccoli, chopped into medium sized pieces
2 Tbsp cornstarch
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
5 Tbsp sesame oil
1.25 cups chicken broth (or 1 cube bullion and warm water)
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced carrots (slice in the shape you prefer for stir fry)
1/2 onion sliced

1.  Whisk 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp oil in a large bowl. Toss meat to cover and let sit for at least 20 minutes.

2. Whisk remaining 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and chicken broth in a separate bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Add veggies and cook. Add meat at the end so as not to overcook. 

4. About 1 minute after meat is added, pour in chicken stock mixture. Let cook until meat is done and sauce is thickened.

5. Serve over rice. Enjoy!