I know I'm a naughty blogger. It's been a WHILE. But I got so sick of taking pictures of restaurant food on the road, and who wants to see another room service Chicken Caesar or Amy's TV Dinner?? So, I've spared you all the hideous travel bytes I've had for the past several weeks.
I got home tonight after singing 10 days in hot and humid Tampa! We recorded a cd due out in August, too, and I made a whole slew of new friends, and got to catch up with old ones. University of Southern Florida (USF) is a very nice campus, with pretty palm trees, woody paths, and lots of cute birds and turtles.
Despite running into too many cockroaches (I could never live in FL with all those creepy crawlies!), and eating not the world's greatest dining hall fare, we all still had a fun time!
Needless to say, the first thing I wanted to do (after a wicked long nap) was GROCERY SHOP!! We decided on "Chinese". That is, my fake version of takeout. I made a yummy Shrimp Veggie Stir-Fry with Quinoa, and we even heated up some yummy Chicken Veggie Eggrolls from the frozen section. Happily, there are loads of leftovers for tomorrow, too!
Stir-fry has a false reputation for being an easy meal. Maybe I'm just a horrible cook, but I have screwed up more stir-frys than I care to admit. Too often the tofu gets squished, the veggies wilt, and shrimp gets tough, the pan gets watery. So many things can go wrong and make you wish you had just ordered in!
Tonight, I actually got it right. :) I think I just didn't make some of my old mistakes.
-Spring for the fresh shrimp. Putting shrimp in frozen can make your s-f all watery! Plus, the fishy water gets into the veggies and it can be nasty. Today I paid a little more than usual ($19 for just over a pound of large shrimp) but it was worth it. They were soo good!
-Don't add the shrimp until you are ready to eat!! We waited until the egg rolls were golden and crispy in the oven, and the quinoa was fork-fluffy. The veggies were just done enough- still crispy and bright in color, the table was set, drinks were poured, and then tossed in the shrimp. I even took off the tails first, for easy eating.
-Don't over cook the shrimp! It took 2 minutes max. They were awesome. Yum.
Quinoa is a yummy protein-packed substitue for rice, too. Try it!
During dinner, my cousin (who I've always called Shrimpie) texted me! :) :) I can't wait for our big family party on July 4 to see everyone, including Shrimpie, who just finished her freshman year of college. Love you, Shrimpie!
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