Shrimp Lo Mein, Neighbor/Doggie Problems, and Band Night!

UPDATE: I have just been informed that Ashley signed up to play the trumpet or the baritone next year in band! Also, the April Menu planner is posted on the right ----->

This was Monday night's dinner, I just didn't have time to blog about it.

Shrimp Lo Mein

(self created recipe & homemade sauce)

•  3lb bag of frozen shrimp (any size, uncooked)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 pepper, sliced (any color, but I think red is prettiest)
• 1 can cubed or crushed pineapple (I did not have, so it can easily be omitted if you don't have or don't like*)
• cooking oil, as desired
• 1-2 cloves garlic (or crushed garlic) 
• raman noodles, or other as desired

For sauce:

• reserve the juice from the canned pineapple  (*if canned pineapple was omitted you will need approx 1/2 cup tropical juice such as orange, pineapple, mango, etc.
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp orange peel seasoning
• 1 tsp lemon peel seasoning
• 1 tsp crushed ginger or ginger seasoning
• 1 TBSP dried parsley
• dash of crushed red peppers (if desired)

• sprinkle of sesame seeds (optional garnish)

Prepare noodles per package directions. Cook shrimp in large skillet on low with cooking oil and garlic. While shrimp is cooking chop onions & peppers (or if you're like me, the onions and peppers are already sliced and in the freezer, so run hot water over them until they are easy to break apart). Add to shrimp when it's about 1/2 way cooked. While shrimp & veggies are cooking whisk together the sauce. Add to skillet and simmer until just starting to bubble. Add pineapple and cook for about 3 minutes on low, just enough to warm the pineapple. Add cooked noodles and toss to coat. Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired.

 
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So, Brian and Ashley are off at band night tonight. It is when the 5th graders go visit the middle school and learn about band. I don't know if there is a concert, a teacher, kids from current band class, or if they get to try out the instruments, so I'll let you know when I find out! But, they were exceedingly late due to doggie problems.

When I arrived home one of the children (will remain nameless, but not D this time) was standing at the back door with it wide open. I got out of the car and was just about to yell out to close the door when out ran Gus - the big dog.  He stopped for 1/2 a second when I called him, but decided that running around free as a bird would be much more fun than stopping to see Mommy.

He's the size of a 70lb lab, but all muscle and dressed here in Ashley's nightgown

The chase was on and both Dad and Ashley suited up (it's pouring rain) and went after him. This process is usually futile, and after about 30-40 minutes they returned home without the dog. While I was outside with the little dog, trying to coax in the big dog, the neighbor lady came out and decided to pick a fight with me about the big dog.

From across the street (don't even do me the courtesy of coming over to my yard) she yells at me that I need to do something about my dog because she's sick of my dog in her yard and going after her dogs (ill behaved Pugs who don't say in her yard any better than ours - I get to listen to her yell at them every morning on my way to work because they wander into the street in front of me during their potty walk)! This is also especially hilarious because like I said, he is as gentle as a lab and he "bites" the little dog ALL the time and it feels like a massage!

So, I tell her that she's going to have to talk to my husband about it because I am usually not home. She yells something at me again about calling animal control the next time she sees him out. She then asks me if my husband told me that he (the dog) almost got killed by the bus the other day. I tell her yes, he did, but I wasn't even at home, so there's nothing I can do about it. She retorts that I'd better do something about it!

Here he is "massaging" the little dog's neck -
he's as harmless as a lab.
The little dog draws blood!

It was now past time to leave for band night and actually make it on time and no one had had dinner. But, they left anyway, only to return a few minutes later with Gus! They saw him and opened the van door and he jumped in. We put Gus in the cage in the house and they leave again.

They return a few minutes later and Brian takes Gus from the cage to the front door, where a woman (I assume another neighbor from down the street somewhere) looks at Gus and tries to determine if it's the dog that HIT her car. No, not the dog she hit WITH her car, but the dog that ran into her car! She does seem concerned that the dog is hurt, even though he did it to himself. She said she went out looking for the dog's owner to make sure the dog didn't come home bloody and we didn't know why. Apparently Gus is actually an ox because he is no worse for the wear. We are however going to have to pay for a broken side view mirror.

Miraculously the dinner that I'd been trying to cook since I got home at 4:45 hadn't burned and it is now ten 'till 6. I don't actually have a photo of tonight's recipe, but here it is, compliments of my friend, Robin. It was de-lish' and D has seconds.


Onion and Paprika - Gulash Basic Recipe (AKA- Chicken Paprikas)

1 lg cooking onion minced
1-2 diced green or sweet yellow peppers (we just cut them in strips)
1 tomato cut up in quarters
2 tbsp. oil
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt

Boneless meat is cubed quite small. Meat with bones is cut as small as possible. Saute onions in oil on low heat until onion becomes transparent.  Remove from heat, add paprika, mix well and add meat and salt.  Coat the meat thoroughly with the onion-paprika mixture, add peppers, and simmer covered until meat is tender.  The meats juices generally are adequate; however, if necessary, you can add a little water or stock to keep it from burning.  The slower the cooking the better the flavor; thus this dish lends itself to crock pot cooking very well.

For the chicken version add 1/2 cup of fresh sour cream before serving.