Blizzard Bound!

Used to be when I was little my grandmother would come visit us during the winter, and she would typically time her visit to coincide with the worst blizzard in that year's history. This would ensure that she couldn't leave for her long trek home for at least 2 weeks. During that time she would cook, we would play cards, we even held a sceance once when my parents were gone! She tried to make me think the flimsy card table was floating off the ground my perching it up with her knee! We had a lot of fun but what would typically begin as a happy snowbound existence would quickly deteriorate into us all having enough of each other! During one of her visits, she put beans in a pressure cooker with some baking soda because she heard it made them cook faster. I came home from school to find beans dripping from the ceiling of my mom's kitchen because the baking soda in the pressure cooker came to an explosive end. She brought musical Christmas bells with her and would turn them on and play them for two weeks straight. At one point, I think my dad may have even told her to leave and take her bells with her! The visits would leave us all reaching for the liquour cabinet before it was over! But the memories are happy in my mind today. Now I find myself home with my kids, too cold to venture outside, and already fresh out of ideas to keep them entertained! And for some reason the only thing I can think to do that will soothe me is cook! Here are some recipes for you all to dip into if you get bored. :)

Beef with Snow Peas - Easy to make a so tastey.
ngredients

* 1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
* ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
* 3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
* 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
* 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
* 8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
* 5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
* Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
* 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
* Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
* Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.