CardiOats

Fall is a strange time of year.  While I will join the masses in saying that it is my favorite time of year, and it truly is, I can’t help but feel melancholy and reflective. I’m sure it’s a chemical thing. The days are shorter, it’s proof that time is passing….the leaves turn and fall, the days get colder, and my drinks get warmer.

It’s a season of highs and lows. Two of my very best friends have birthdays in the fall, and every year I am overcome by how lucky and grateful I am to have them in my life.  My grandmother passed away two years ago in November and I feel memories wash over me as soon as the wind blows cooler. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I am overcome with gratitude and joy when I’m surrounded by family and carbohydrates. My boyfriend and I also have our anniversary in November, and this time of year always reminds me of our first dates, and how he has become such an essential part of my life.

It’s easy to get caught up in the past, thinking about old times, old friends, and previous versions of myself.  It’s easy to think about college, and even high school, and get caught up in the “what if’s” of days long gone by. But I think it’s important to remain in the present, and be thankful for the people that we love, and the person that we are right now. We are constantly surrounded by an urgency to improve ourselves and continue to want more and more out of life. To make more money and lose the weight and buy those boots, etc… It’s important to stop, and breath, and be thankful for where we are right at this moment.  The choices we have made and the people that have touched our lives have shaped the person we have become today, and where we are right at this moment in our lives is where we are meant to be.

Our little family is going through some major changes in the coming weeks, and I’m making an intention this fall to be more present in my own life, and to have gratitude for the people that fill it up with so much love. And if you’re reading this blog then chances are you ARE one of those people, so thank you.

I know you think I’m treating you like a baby, assuming that you can’t make a simple stir fry.  I believe that you can make a stir fry, I just don’t believe that you can make a stir fry THIS GOOD.  I swear, we have this stir fry every week and it never gets old.  It’s so quick.  It’s so easy.  And the sauce tastes just like fancy takeout except that you control everything that you put in it.  You can make it fancier by using fresh ingredients (fresh garlic, ginger, etc…) or you can make it simple like I do with seasonings from a jar.  Either way you will never go back to just chicken with soy sauce ever again (I’m looking at you, Kelly).

I’ll tell you right off the bat that this is the secret ingredient:

It elevates the dish to a whole new level.  It’s worth the purchase even if you just use it to make stir fry.  Its toasty, it smells amazing, and it makes everything taste authentic.  Start off by adding 1 TBSP of sesame oil to the pan and letting it get good and hot.  Then clean your chicken and slice it nice and thin, I find this helps everything cook up faster and it reminds me of chicken at Chinese restaurants. Add salt and pepper, and brown the chicken, cook it all the way through.

After the chicken is cooked set it aside.  In the same pan heat up another TBSP of vegetable oil to cook your vegetables.  You can use whatever veggies you like! I buy this Asian veggie mix from Trader Joes, it saves time and is a perfect veggie blend for us.

At the same time that you cook the veggies, you need to start the sauce.  Add 1 cup of chicken broth, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, and 1 heaping TBSP of corn starch to a saucepan.  Dissolve the corn starch with some vigorous stirring (a whisk is easiest), and bring the sauce to a boil.  This thickens everything up.  This will be a basic brown sauce with no spice.  Add whatever you like here to make it your own!  Sriracha, garlic powder, ginger, and or even an orange sauce from a bottle come to mind.  I added some garlic powder and…

Just a couple tablespoons, it adds a perfect amount of flavor and spice.  Try other flavors at the grocery store too, teriyaki or garlic sauce would be awesome too. Once it comes to a boil then turn it down to a simmer for a few minutes and it will thicken up (this whole time you should be stir frying your veggies too).

Toward the end of cooking the veggies add a couple shakes of soy sauce and scrape the bits from the bottom of your pan from the chicken.  It adds TONS of flavor, don’t skip this step!

Once the veggies are done to your liking and the sauce has been simmering for a few minutes turn off the heat.  Then add the chicken back in that you set aside.

Now add the sauce! Yumyumyumyumyum!

Taking that picture was not as easy as this stir fry is to make.

You did it! And in less than 30 minutes, I’m so impressed!

I would rather have this than takeout 9 out of 10 times (a girl needs an eggroll every once and a while).  What’s your favorite kind of takeout?  Mine is totally Greek, I can’t make that stuff at home to save my life.

Hope you’re having a great week!!

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I always forget how much EASIER it is to run in the fall! Today was our first real fall day, it was 50 degrees, crisp, and just perfect outside.

Insert picture that I should have taken here.  Ugh.

Not to mention I feel about a thousand times more comfortable in my running tights than I do in shorts, and I love starting off the run being a bit chilly and warming up my body naturally.

You know what else helps make your run a little bit easier?  New playlist! Give this a try, I found it playing around in the iTunes store today while I was bored and work and I am just about to buy her entire album.  It’s brilliant, and different, and perfect for running (no lyrics!)

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You can’t tell me that isn’t a little bit cool.

The song I bought today is called Moon Trance, but I couldn’t find it on YouTube – give it a listen on iTunes!