fall dinner coming right up...

Mark and I have been trying to make some favorite fall dishes this week before we head back to Florida. Last night it was beef and bok choy hot pot. An amazing recipe with the best flavors that I thought I would share for when fall heads your way.

Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot

2 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy (I use spinach)
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot
2 cups hot cooked wide rice noodles or fettuccine

(**mom tip... Sorry to bore you non-moms. I try to do all of my prepping for dinner while Gavin has his snack. That way he is contained, I know... that sounds so bad, and when it is time to cook I can pretty much just throw everything in the pot,pan, bowl etc. to cook. We talk about the food and what I am doing. When he was little I would put him in his bouncy chair or later in his bumbo. Probably many moms do this and it is nothing new, but I like to share because I always like hearing other peoples' tips and secrets!! Help is always good! Feel free to share!! I need it too!!! This time Gavin was very into smelling the ginger. He had to share the experience with all his friends having snack with him!)

1. Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add beef, browning on all sides. Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil
3. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Stir in bok choy (or spinach) and carrot, and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles in a bowl. A definite fork AND spoon meal.
Yield: 4 servings

As this recipe simmers your whole house smells so good! The cinnamon and ginger just make it feel like autumn!!

Gavin and I were VERY busy in the kitchen! He also helped me bake chocolate chip cookies to put in the freezer for our drive next week. Well... not all are going in the freezer. :) And I am hoping the whole egg scare is over because Gavin definitely got some dough in his mouth even though I said not to eat any of it!! The little pickle!



anxiously awaiting warm chocolate chip cookies. is there really anything better??