RECIPE JOURNAL: STIR-FRIED BEEF AND SNAP PEAS

A walk on the coldest day of the year deserves a hot and hearty dinner!

 

Stir-fried beef and snap peas served over brown rice fill the crankiest kid bellies. This dinner can be made in the time it takes to cook the rice. 

Stir-fried Beef and Snap Peas

1 pound sirloin beef, thin sliced

2 Tablespoons wok oil
1 pound snap peas, washed and drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
4 cups cooked brown rice

Sauce:
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
dash of dried ginger

As the rice cooks, mix together in a large bowl the five sauce ingredients until cornstarch is smooth. Add the beef and let sit while wok heats.

Heat oil in wok until it begins to "smoke". Add in beef and sauce and saute until beef is cooked through. Add in water chestnuts and snap peas and cook for five more minutes (or until peas are cooked to your preference).  Serve over hot brown rice.

NOTE: The beef and sauce mixture can be made hours before and kept refrigerated until ready to use. Allow meat to rest on counter at least ten minutes before adding to wok.

Enjoy!

STUDY IN SUMMER: WALNEY POND

One of our summer traditions is a week spent in nature camp at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park which had once been a 700 acre Virginia farm in the 18th and 19th centuries. 
The property includes the original farmhouse, the garden, a smokehouse, acres of hardwood forest, three creeks, and Walney Pond. Usually I drop the kids and head for a coffee shop to write for a few hours.



But on the last day of camp, the heat dipped below 95°, making it seem balmy instead of stifling. So while the children walked in the creek and planted flowers in the butterfly garden, I found my camera and headed for the farmhouse.

But I quickly got distracted by the colonial-era kitchen garden. Fenced and gated to keep out deer, the simple garden layout included corn, pumpkins, root veggies like carrots and potatoes, a variety of squashes, and herbs growing wild.

I also caught a few volunteer flowers hiding from the volunteer weeders (including my own children).

As I  wandered through the garden, the buzzing got louder and louder. At first I thought it was the  drone of cicadas hiding in the trees, but then I noticed the bees. 

Lots and lots of bees. 

Not being a huge fan of bugs, especially those that sting, I headed for Walney Creek, knowing it would lead me to the pond.

Walney Pond covers an acre of land with a marsh in the shallow end,and lily pads filling in around the edges. 

The marsh, besides being private and peaceful, offers a multitude of native aquatic plants and flowers that attract local wildlife experts and artists, 

bird boxes for tiny songbirds seeking solace and safety,

colorful flowers for the butterflies,

even a home to a tiny ant.

And, of course, there were more bees. (They must have heard me coming!)

As I rounded the pond, I heard laughter coming down the path with cries of "Tag! you're it!"

And I knew it was time to leave. Another nature camp over, with stories of S'mores,  snakes, and bugs. But there was one more thing to do--one more summer tradition that the children begged me for. 

A tradition I was happy to oblige!

Before summer ends, I hope you find your own special place of solace, quiet, and peace.