Lauras Choice

A Blog from Laura Kubicki

Lemon Sesame Asparagus Stir-Fry

by 3 Comments

Hi Guys!

Guess what!  It’s PEAK Asparagus Season!  Yup.  Asparagus season starts in February and goes til June, but now in April is at its peak.

Which means it’s plentiful.  It’s delicious.  And you should be able to get it at a better price than usual!  Which makes it a terrific quick, healthy, side to a meal.  We eat it A LOT with grilled chicken, fish, steak…you name it.  And it’s a snap to prepare!
Speaking of snap…lets get started.

Start by simply ‘snapping’ off the tough bottom ends.  Some people cut it off, but it naturally snaps off right where it should, so do what you like there :o)!

Next, add a TBS of oil (I use EVOO) to a large frying pan on Med/High heat and throw in a clove of slightly mashed garlic.  Cook the garlic clove (a minute or so) until it browns slightly and turns fragrant – then remove.

Garlic Infusion
Garlic Infusion

You can use chopped/minced garlic, but it’s tricky on higher heat and you know if garlic burns it gets bitter and then you have to throw the whole thing away…just seems easier to flavor the oil briefly for me, but you choose!

When the oil is infused, add your sliced onions and asparagus.

Asparagus 1

Stir fry for a minute or two until the onions begin to soften and the asparagus begins to turn a bright green.

This is the time to add your salt and pepper and sprinkle in your sesame seeds.

Add Sesame Seeds, Salt and Pepper
Add Sesame Seeds, Salt and Pepper

Toasted sesame seeds add a delightful layer of flavor to this dish, but if you’ve not the time, just throw them in regular like I did here and it’ll taste just mighty fine!  Stir-fry another minute or two and when they’re nearly done (that’s tender crisp for me) turn of the heat and drizzle in a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and stir to coat.

Adding Lemon Juice
Adding Lemon Juice

And that’s it!  Pour into serving dish, add some lemon zest if you so desire and a slice or two for garnish and have at it!

This dish is so fresh and irresistible, I usually can’t help but to dig in immediately. Guests love it too, so it’s a great side to use when you entertain, and it’s so simple your kiddos can help with it!  This one’s a keeper – it’s sooo good!

Sesame Lemon Asparagus Stir Fry
Sesame Lemon Asparagus Stir Fry

So go ahead.  Dig in and make your mouth happy!!

Happy Asparagus Season friends – enjoy!

 

Lemon Sesame Asparagus Stir-Fry

From: lauraschoice.com
Prep Time: 5 Mins Cooking Time: 5 Mins Total Time: 10 Mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 slightly smashed garlic clove
  • 1/4 C sliced sweet onion
  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus
  • 1 TBS sesame seeds – toasted are marvelous
  • 1 TBS fresh lemon juice – or to taste 
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat 1 TBS of oil in a large frying pan over medium to medium/high heat
  2. Slightly smash 1 garlic clove and add to heated oil in pan.  Cook 1 minute or until slightly browned and soft.  Remove and discard.
  3. Slice asparagus and onions into one inch slices.  Add to infused garlic oil.
  4. Stir-fry 1 minute or until onions begin to soften and asparagus begins to turn bright green.
  5. Add sesame seeds and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir-fry another minute or two until just tender crisp.
  6. Turn off heat and drizzle lemon juice over asparagus.  Add to serving bowl and top with fresh lemon zest and slices if desired.

An Awe-Inspiring Privilege.

by Leave a Comment

Hi There!  Did you think I forgot ya?  I beg your forgiveness as I’ve been a bit incognito the last few weeks – and I have absolutely no good reason other than…

It was Spring Break (glorious – hear the angels singing)?  And we were…at the beach.  And I had time to contemplate things like…

how much I LOVE SEAHORSES!

Let me introduce Spartacus.  My favorite seahorse lamp – ever (and no I don’t typically name furniture and other ‘things’). However, I didn’t know they made seahorse lamps until recently and when I saw him, I loved him and knew I had to have this guy and he just had to have a name.  I think he’s regal.

Spartacus
Spartacus

And this, is a picture of actual seahorses we saw at the Aquarium located in beautiful Pine Knoll Shores, NC, while spring breaking.

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium Seahorses
Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium Seahorses

I just think they’re so dang cute.  And I mean come on – how can you not be amazed, befuddled, and impressed by a uniquely alien looking, yet graceful sea creature – where the boys have the babies!!!

Seahorse 2

Well actually, while that does amaze me – the truth is – I’m one of those weird, wacky, women who loved the “having” a healthy baby part.  The actual push ’til your eyeballs are popping out of your sockets and your handed a tiny, wrinkled, human creature ‘having’ is what I mean here.

And so now you know – I’m officially crazy.  Off my rocker.  Certifiable.  Or maybe not.  Hang on…let me qualify my statement…

My pregnancies?  Not a lot of love of that period of time for me (although I know many who LOVED being pregnant – GOD BLESS YOU).  No, for me, it was simply a means to an end ’cause I wanted that baby!  Why didn’t I like being pregnant you ask?  Oh,  that ‘hang over’ nausea feeling that leads to – well you know.  Then there’s the weight gain, the back pain, the reflux, the ankle swelling and water retention, a whole host of other issues women can face, and frankly….no wine (whimper), which made the whole nine months a less-than-happy-go-lucky memory for me…

But having the baby, my baby.  That was awesome.

I got that indescribable feeling many women report, a huge rush, like a feeling of overwhelming pride, of awe and amazement.  It was for me a true miracle….the miracle of having another human that was going to be at least a little bit like me (poor child), that no one has had before and no one ever will again.  That I loved.  And although I try always to share, I never would want to trade that experience for anything.

I happen to like the current role Daddy plays in all this – it’s an amazing thing if you really think about it.

To quote Alice von Hildebrand, a famous Catholic philosopher (who was introduced to me via FB by my dear childhood friend Jennifer Macintosh. Be sure to check out Jen’s awesome and thought provoking blog at wildflowersandmarbles.com)

“A man and woman collaborating with the Eternal God in creating a new human being is an awe-inspiring privilege not given to the angels – not even the highest of the seraphim!”  

Wow.  Now I’m not Catholic (full disclosure), but that’s how I felt.  It’s how I feel about it now.  An awe-inspiring privilege.   

Having said that, I’m still quite impressed by those darling little Daddy seahorses!  And how nice of them to call to mind this awesome privilege I was blessed with.  Thanks little guys (and girls) for reminding me of just how much family means to me, to us, to life.  

And how important and special all of us truly are.

So if you get the chance to visit an Aquarium – and if you live around NC and you haven’t been to the one at Pine Knoll Shores yet – it’s a great place to go.  We go nearly every time we’re at the beach.  And (despite the constant push toward the gift shop by my boys) we love to see the various fish, the otters, the alligators, the snakes, the sea turtles, the jellyfish, the sharks, and of course…the seahorses!

Seahorse 3

Giggle.  I just love ’em.  Toodles!

 

 

Live Your Passion!

by Leave a Comment

John Mochnick: Back, Brubeck & Beyond
John Mochnick: Back, Brubeck & Beyond

Many of you know – my father, John Mochnick, was practically born a professional musician.

It’s truly his life’s passion and only my mother, whom he’s been happily married to for 40 something years, and his children, my brother Jonathan and yours truly, supersede his love for music.  Music for him IS happiness and his dedication to his life’s passion has provided my brother and me with a strong, real life example of what living happy is all about.

Thank you Dad.

Born to my grandparents who owned a typewriter store (The Mochnick Typewriter Company) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, my Dad started playing the piano at age 7.   He’s been playing every day ever since.

John Mochnick - Age 8
John Mochnick – Age 8
John Mochnick Age 9
John Mochnick Age 9

Now retired from a 35 year career as a university choral and orchestral conductor, composer/arranger, administrator, and teacher, my Dad continues to pursue his musical passion by playing jazz.

I’m lucky enough to live in the same town as my dad and as you may guess, I too love jazz.  Especially my Dad’s.

I grew up listening to HOURS UPON HOURS UPON HOURS of practicing and watching his multiple musical performances from darkened concert halls, and I’ve been beaming with pride and amazement for my whole life as I’ve watched him time and time again impress, move, and amaze audiences with his unique talent and flair.

So, I just had to share with you, a sample of his latest accomplished performance, because it was downright AWESOME.

Once again my heart swelled with pride as I watched my gifted father perform March 4th in Wake Forest’s Brendle Recital Hall (where he used to work running the music department) with his long time friend and colleague Matt Kendrick.  The two of them have formed a local jazz duo (Mochnick and Kendrick) and play all over town in different venues (check out Nobles in Winston Salem, on Saturday nights from 7-9pm for live entertainment you’ll go back for again and again)!

The March 4th concert presented a truly unique and brand new jazz and classical program, where Dad and Matt conceived of and actually wove famous classical music pieces with uniquely arranged jazz improvisations.  They titled it Bach, Brubeck, and Beyond.  Fourteen pieces written, arranged, performed and improvised.

Totally blew me away.  I think it will you too.

And, if your thinking right now “WOW.  She sure is proud of her Dad” – you’re right.  I am.  I am every day.

Now I invite you to relax, turn up the volume, sit back, and take a look at this impressive, authentic, example of what can come of a life dedicated to pursuing its true passion. (For more, check out Mochnick and Kendrick on You Tube).

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy and live happy my friends!

Homework Tip That’s a Real HIT!

by 6 Comments

Many of you know I’m completely smitten with boys.  Mine especially :o).   I love girls too – I just don’t have any…

…except Dixie – but that’s a different story…

Nerf Math Facts

So in a never ending quest to find the best ways to grow, motivate, teach, and shape my boys into the amazing men I know they’ll be in the future, I, like you, am always on the lookout for great ideas to help me…

And I found one today.

If your little boys are like mine – ACTIVE, ACTIVE, CRAZY ACTIVE – they resist (and flat out resent) dull, repetitive, boring, homework – like practicing math facts, spelling words and the like – especially after sitting for nearly seven hours under school duress.

Frankly for my squirmy, basketball playing, tree climbing, pogo stick jumping, bathroom noise making, Lego building, wrestling, ants in your pants type of boys – any homework of this type can just be a total grind!  Especially as we move into spring…

So we’ve tried racing challenges, contests, verbal quizzing en route to school to use up our car ride time, and frankly we’re running low on interest…

So if your boys (kids) are feeling like mine, I found a great tool that helped change it up a bit in our house that I thought could work for you too – at least til April or so… :o) :o) :o).

And here it is…

Thanks to my FB friends, I was made aware of a great resource for parents with boys called BuildingBoys.net.  On this blog by Jennifer Fink, I found a plethora of great ideas and discussions on, well…boys.

THANK YOU JENNIFER!

One of these ideas was NERF GUN MATH FACTS and man has it been a HIT (get it?) in our house!

I just used a write on/wipe off board, wrote various math facts on it, along with four answer choices.  The boys stood with their loaded NERF guns in hand behind a line.  I read out the math facts one at a time along with the answer choices and then my 1st grader enthusiastically scc–reamed out the answer and shot at the target!

Voila!

Fun Boy (kid) Math Fact Practice.  And, I’m sure there are other great ways to execute this (SPELLING WORDS come to mind)…

Joseph Shooting Math Facts!
Joseph Shooting Math Facts!

…and maybe for girls they’d like to dress up as their favorite princess and HIT it with a magic wand spell or something???  Honestly when I comes to girls I have no idea (sigh), but maybe it’s worth a try….

Anyway, we “practiced” in a variety of ways…slowly, quickly, in order, mixed up, and we made new number sentences, and the best thing is – they ASKED when we can do it again.  Ah Ha!

Did I say THANK YOU JENNIFER!

So let me know what you think!  Do you like this idea?  Would you do it any differently?  Any other great ideas for helping our kids with their homework pressures as we move closer and closer to the coveted summer break??

And as always…thanks for visiting Laura’s Choice!

Come back soon!  Come back often!  Come back, come back……come back!

Smooch!

Open Faced Refried Bean Sandwiches

by Leave a Comment

Open-Face-Refried-Bean-Sandwiches

Ok.  So you just had Burritos.  YUM!

Now what to do with the refried beans and filling leftovers…

Sure I could make another burrito… and what the heck would be wrong with that????

But…if you’re in the mood to try another fun, quick lunch idea with refried beans instead (and you’ll want to use up your beans quickly as you know they only last a day or two in the fridge before they really start to stink to high heaven), here’s a great option for you (and me :o)).  Refried Bean Sandwiches!!!

Open-Face-Refried-Bean-Sandwiches-Closeup

It’s so easy and gooey, warm and delicious, is a great protein source, is fun to eat, and is another surprisingly quick alternative to turkey and PB&J!  See what you think!  I’m pretty sure they’ll make you smile…

Open Faced Bean Sandwiches

From: Recipe Adapted from Beth Mochnick (thanks Mom!).

Ingredients:

  • Fat Free Refried Beans
  • 4 Slices of whole wheat bread, toasted
  • A sprinkle of shredded cheddar
  • A sprinkle of shredded lettuce (iceberg gives a great crunch, romaine or other leafy lettuces deliver better nutrition – take your pick!)
  • Finely diced fresh tomatoes (optional – I have a hard time eating anything without tomatoes…)
  • Dash hot sauce (also optional)

Directions:

  1. Toast bread slices.  Spread beans liberally (about 2 TBS) over toast.  
  2. Sprinkle with cheese and broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and beans are warmed.  
  3. Remove promptly from broiler, place on serving plate, and sprinkle shredded lettuce to taste on top.  
  4. Serve with a side of fruit.  Hot sauce optional.