Setting the mood

We actually went on a date for Valentine's Day-ooohhh. Have we reformed our anti-valentine-day-ways? Nah- it was just convenient timing. We took Eden to Carthage and let my parents babysit for the evening and we went to a movie and then dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. We chose to see Coraline in 3-D which was awesome! Although it was a little creepy and we were sure all the small children in the theatre would need a little counseling afterwards- it was quite enjoyable. Dinner was.. interesting. We gave our name to the hostess at Johnny Carinos- one 40 minute wait and a call to 911 later we were sitting down to a meal that was interupted by police officers three times. No big deal- there was a wreck outside of the restaurant for which NO ONE STOPPED. Seriously people - STOP if you witness a wreck- the restaurant did not have a view of the road we could just hear it- so my police statements were frustratingly inadequate- but as the 911 caller I apparently still had to give one.

Although there has been a lot of cooking, I haven't blogged about it due to the embarrassment that I have met very few of my criteria- namely the cheap, healthy, and sometimes quick criteria (ok, so that's all of them). First it was the tomato and pesto tart which was a little expensive because of the goat cheese, pesto, and asparagus, had to bake for an hour, and was made only slightly more healthy by using a wheat crust. Next came the Indian feast (I even found flatbread in Nacogdoches!), which was at least quick- but most importantly fun. One of the prepackaged side dishes (chickpeas in curry, mmmmm) came with a CD of Indian Classical music- like getting a prize in a cracker jacks box. Admittedly it was annoying after about 3 minutes; however, I committed and kept it going through dinner.

That brings us to tonight- I will meet my goals!! I've made this one before and I know it's healthy, quick and cheap. It's quite tastey- enjoy!

Szechuan Pork Stir-Fry- from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 6 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles, uncooked
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
• 1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• 3/4 cup red bell pepper strips (about 1 small pepper)
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (2-inch) diagonally cut green onions (about 4 green onions)

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, chili garlic sauce, and ginger to pan; stir-fry for2 minutes. Add bell pepper to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter to pan. Reduce heat to low; cook for 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Stir in onions. Serve over noodles.