from somewhere in my imagination

Slow Cooked Asian Beef Ribs

A few weeks ago I had a hankering for ribs, I was going to slow cook them with stout but then the weather warmed up and that just didn't seem right.  So, with the help of the ever awesome Kylie Kwong, I cooked up the most delicious asian flavoured beef ribs.

I cut down one of Kylie's stock recipes to make the marinade/sauce.

Slow Cooked Asian Beef Ribs - Serves 6

Ingredients

12 beef ribs, the thick layered looking ones

3/4 cup sha hsing wine (hello asian grocery store)

1/2 cup dark soy

1/4 cup light soy (try the pearl river brand which is usually on the bottom shelf in the sauce section at our supermarket, it's my staple soy)

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, smashed

8 cm-ish piece of ginger, peeled and chunky chopped

1 tsp sesame oil

3 star anise

2 cinnamon quills, broken

3 strips fresh orange zest

To Serve

1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cleaned and sliced

steamed jasmine rice

steamed or stir fried veg (unless you are feeling especially carnivorous)

Method

Preheat oven to 160C

Pack ribs into a large baking dish

Measure out the shao hsing wine and soy sauces in a jug and add in brown sugar and stir to dissolve.

Tip over ribs and add rest of the ingredients + 1/2 cup water

Cover with baking paper and alfoil and pop into oven for 90 mins before removing paper & alfoil and cooking for a further hour to 90 mins, top up with water another 1/2 cup of water if things are drying out a bit.  You want the meat to be falling apart.

Remove ribs to a serving dish.  Skim or decant the fat from the suface of the liquid in the baking dish and tip what it left over the ribs.

Scatter with sliced spring onions and serve.

Seriously delish.

Because it's Monday, I'm a linking up with Menu Monday with the ever gorgeous Kate of Kate Says Stuff.

My brand new blog look by Leigh Ann of Freckled Nest is going to the launched in the next few days so if you pop by and I'm not available that is why.  To keep up with what's happening in my world and chat with me more you can like me on Facebook here or follow me on Twitter here.

I seriously cannot wait to lauch the new look.  It is so.completely.me!

Have an awesome week.

Tatum xx

La La How the Life Goes On

Yesterday I was driving to school and a song came on the radio.  I had not heard it for years, I turned it up really loud and sang along.  It's a song that just totally makes me smile, don't you love how music can give you the most sensational lift.

It put me in a great mindset for the after school thing.  Lil had had a bit of a crappy day.  Charlotte and Sebastian both seemed in good spirits.

Then Lil and Sebastian started fighting in the car.  Awesome.  Before we got home I asked the kids to leave whatever bad things may have happened in their day outside and to please not bring them in the front door, that I was keen for an afternoon with no tears, tantrums or fighting.  I asked them to come and talk to me about their day if there were things that they needed to talk about and to please not take anything bad out on the rest of the family.

I made pikelets and we ate them with lemon curd and golden syrup, separately, not together...that wouldn't be nice.

There was a large bird strolling down the footpath outside as we ate.  Random.

J was all cute and Sebastian had managed to this point (an hour after arriving home) not to have any tears.  He's been in tears before we even walk through the front door most afternoons lately.  What a joy that is.

I'd turned on that song and a whole string of others and we'd all danced around a bit.  I suspect the kids may have thought it a little odd that I seemed to know every single word to a bunch of songs they'd never heard.

I was present and engaged and having fun but unfortunately that still wasn't enough to keep the moods at bay.  To prevent Charlotte from being rude or needing to ask Lil 4 times to do the same thing, which wasn't even a chore.

Happy music, pikelets and cuddles aside it just got too much for me.  I went and hid in my bedroom around 5.15 (having diligently already put dinner in the oven).

Today is a new day.  It's all been pretty cool, calm and collected so far.  Fingers crossed we get the whole way through in that manner.

As for that song, I bet it makes you smile too.

 

Thank heavens for the end of the week.

Tatum xx

Run, Run You Can't Catch Me

well...actually, you probably can because I'm not that fast, I just like the nursery rhyme reference.

I've talked about how running is an alternate form of meditation for me and a little about my struggles with foot, ankle and knee injuries in the last 12 months.  Last night I went for a walk with my friend but I ran to her house and ran home when we were done.  My feet had wings, it was awesome.

I've run (or jogged if you want to call it that?) for as long as I can remember.  When I think back and try to remember how old I was when I started I actually can't.  I used to go out for a jog around the block with mum after school each day.  I'm looking forward to taking my girls with me soon, I feel pretty lucky that it's something I started doing at such a young age and I want to do that for my kids too.

When I was in year 12 I came home from school and ran about 12kms most days.  I was absolutely the more focused on running (and study) that I have been in any other time in my life then.  Healthy body, healthy mind.  At 33, 15 years later I want to get to that place again, but this time without all the negative body issues I had as a 17/18 year old.

In a little under 12 months I plan on running a marathon.  It's been a goal of mine for sometime now.  I was going to be this year but a little trip to the USA right in the middle of when I needed to be training hard made that a little difficult.  I've got a few other running milestones in mind that I want to complete over the next 12 months but the marathon is the number one thing I have my sights set on.

Running is something that pretty much everyone can learn to do.  I know a few people who have started running recently and used the C25K program really successfully.  If you are thinking about taking up running here are a few (totally random) pointers from me:

• Make sure you have the right shoes for the job.  You will injure yourself faster than you can even imagine if you start running and your shoes aren't right for or up to the job.
• Find the time of day that works best for you.  I'm most happy running first thing in the morning or around 5-6 in the evening.  I hate heading out anytime after about 10 and before 3.  Quirky.
• The smell of people cooking dinner when you are running can be pretty horrendous.  Lamb roast is the worst!
• If you like to listen to music make sure your earphones aren't going to pop out.  Mine do so my ipod does not coming running with me.  I need to get some with those hooky things.
• Find your own rhythm.  For me running is a solitary thing.  For you it might not me but, to be honest, people who you can run comfortably with are few.
• Learn to zone out.  My best runs are when I zone out.  My body doesn't hurt as much and it is actually one of the few times that I can actually make my mind still.
• Good core strength is an asset when you are running.  A strong core helps hold you upright so it makes your running motion more natural and comfortable.  I've just started using the Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack DVD...It's a great workout...I'll let you know in 6 weeks how my abs are looking ;)
• To begin with pick a course and stick to it.  Once you get to know it well it's easier to set little milestones along the way if you are struggling a bit.  It's easier to map your progress too if you can compare distance and time with each run.
• The smell of water from someone's garden hose is seriously incredible.
• Make sure your clothes are comfortable and your knickers aren't going to give you a wedgie.
• There is no such thing as too much support when you are running...I wear a sports bra, a compression bra and a sports singlet when I run.  All that breastfeeding has done enough damage, I don't need to make it worse by letting the girls bounce all over the show when I'm running, besides it's uncomfortable.  When I see girls running and their boobs are bouncing I cringe for them.

So tell me...are you a runner?  do you want to be a runner?  do you hate runners? what are your best running tips?

Tatum xx