Yesterday was an exciting day in the land of All Things Ferguson. Not only was it my 100th post, which due to exhaustion of recent sleepness nights thanks to 3 of my 4 little Ferguson’s, I was only semi-excited about, BUT I also had my largest blog day EVER.
EVER!!!!!!
Funny how God works, because yesterday’s sleep-deprived post, just happened to be the post that over 2,000 people came to read. 2,040 visitors as of 9:30 pm last night to be exact! I have never hit over 300 before now, which is great by me, but really Lord, did it HAVE to be that post that the multitudes visited?
Oh well, I’ll take it, and count it for the blessing it is. I can see by the numbers, they stuck around on the site long enough to read the About Me and About Us pages, as well as 4 little Ferguson’s, 4 Big Miracles. Besides, here’s the low-down about this subject….
This blog is a peek in my world. And like true life, sometimes it’s happy, sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s funny, and sometimes it’s exhausted and uninspired. Sometimes exciting things are happening, and sometimes I do nothing but laundry all day long. These post can’t always be amazing, and I am ok with that. I blog for me, for my kids. I aspire to print off the entire blog one day, bind it and give it to them. What a fun way to remember all the great things they did and said!
So why all the extra traffic you ask? Well, it was due to the fact, that one of my recipes was featured on Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen step-by-step food blog, by my TK friend of Eat, Live, Run, a blog I frequent thanks to her yummy recipes & beautiful food photos. Now THAT is a way to celebrate 100 posts, it made my day! Thanks Jenna!!!! 🙂
So, on to the recipe you clicked on here to see. Oh man, was this ever GOOD! I am talking like, P.F. Chang’s good! This is based off a great recipe my friend, Sarah sent me!! (Thank you, Sarah!)
Korean-Style Noodle Bowls
(click on title to print)
Salt and pepper
1 box (13.25 oz) whole wheat spaghetti
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 large cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 c tamari or soy sauce
6 T honey
4 T tomato paste
4 T rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
1 t Sriracha hot sauce (do 2 t. if you like heat)
[found in the ethnic section of your local grocery store, it’s Dale’s FAVORITE hot sauce]
2 T oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken meat, cubed
1/2 bag cole slaw mix
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and place in large serving bowl.
Combine in a small pot, a splash of water, the ginger, garlic, tamari, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, sesame oil and hot sauce whisking until smooth and heated. Pour sauce over noodles and keep warm.
Get all of the remaining ingredients ready for a quick stir-fry.
In an oversized skillet, saute mushrooms in 2 T butter, remove from pan. Add 2 T oil, and heat over high heat. Add the chicken cubes and stir-fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrots and bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the green onions and toss for 1 minute. Add back in the mushrooms and empty skillet contents over noodles and top with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Take a bite, and marvel at your fantastic creation! Pinch yourself to make sure you aren’t dreaming…..
Yup, you just made something THAT delicious!
For dessert I made CHEESECAKE BARS. [Read that:What I had for dessert, after the kids went to bed, while watching the Bachelor, was a delicious Cheesecake Bar.]
YUMMY!
The dessert that is, you didn’t think I meant Bachelor Brad, did you?!
Scandalous!
I found this recipe here on The Country Cooks blog. I love her site, she has great recipes!
Now don’t get me wrong, I love No Bake Cheesecake like nobody’s business, but sometimes you just need the texture of a baked cheesecake! You know, the kind you make in a springform pan.
Alas, I have no such pan, so I was very happy to find this baked version I could make in my 8 x 11 baking dish. (Brandie used a lined 8×8, which I also do not own.) Oh, and I was a rebel and did not line my dish as directed, just lightly sprayed it.
My favorite part was how much crust there was! Look! It’s as thick as the cream cheese part and just plain FANTASTIC!
I used the canned cherries I had on hand, because I was too lazy to thaw the Blackberries we have in our freezer from last year’s Blackberry patch. Maybe next time? And YES, there will be a next time!!
Go on, make these recipes for supper tonight, you know you want to!
And go buy the Rice Vinegar, Sesame Oil, and Sriracha, don’t try to substitute, you’ll be sorry you did! It’s SO worth getting them, and I know you’ll use them again. Especially if you make Pioneer Woman’s Simple Sesame Noodles sometime, a GREAT side dish for a Chinese night, with Sweet Sour Chicken and your favorite stir-fried veggies.
And if your husband loves hot stuff like mine does, he’ll be putting Sriracha on EVERYTHING!
According to the back of the bottle: “It is excellent in soups, sauces, pastas, pizzas, hot dogs, hamburgers, chow mein or on anything else to give it a delicious, spicy taste.”
I swear the only thing Dale hasn’t tried it on is ice cream………yet!
Happy Cooking!
~T 🙂
Woo Hoo – 2,000 visits! Hey, I bet they all LOVED that post. You have such a great sense of humor and that really comes across in your posts! Thank you so much for the shout out. And I loved that you used the spray instead of the liners – glad to know it still came out great (guess what I’ll be doing from now on?? lol) Your picture is gorgeous too!!
Thanks for the encouragment, Brandie! 🙂 I was just heading to facebook to tell you I posted about you today, man those bars are good. I am making 2 more batches today to donate to a school function! I wonder if you will get this comment reply. I am still figuring out how all this works. I will go write you on FB just to be sure. 🙂
Congrats! I am one of the many who found your blog because of ELR and I must say I love your blog! Your children are so cute and one day I hope to have half of what you have!
Aw, thank you Sara! Glad you found me! Soo, call me stupid, but what is ELR? 🙂 I’m headed to your blog now so I can “meet” you too.
Eat, Live, Run.
Thanks for checking my blog out! Have a good day 🙂
Oh GOTCHA! 🙂 I thought everyone was coming from TK, I didn’t know Jenna put that recipe on her blog too. I’ll have to go check it out. Thanks for clearing that up. And your blog? Wow! You are amazing! I’d say go for the WWOF, you gotta do stuff like that while you can. I didn’t get as far as I wanted to on your blog cause it was lunch time and naptime around here, but I have it pulled up to finish reading later. Have a great weekend!! ~Tonya
Those noodle bowl look so good, totally something my family would eat which makes me happy! Don’t just love those cheesecake bars?!? Brandie is amazing!
I just looked at your blog, GREAT recipes!
Hi T!
I am new to your site courtesy of your recipe being posted yesterday on TastyKitchen.
4littlefergusons is now in “my favorites” list.
I love your site, I read it from stem to stearn yesterday. Nice looking family.
So, I was one of the thousands who came to your blog the other day after seeing your recipe for the chicken noodle casserole. Guess whats in the oven tonight for dinner? It’s coming out any minute and I am SOOO excited about this one! As soon as I read that your kids gobbled it up, I printed it off and have been dying to try it ever since. (I also have four little ones. Well, not-so-little, really.) So, I’m back today and notice the korean style chicken bowl. I have officially become a follower for life. 🙂
Thanks Krista! SOOO, what’s the verdict? Hopefully your family loved it! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of the Korean noodle bowls. Come back soon!
I made it here from TK, but I will be back many times 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Therese! I’d love to hear what you think after you make this. Come back soon!!
Congrats on your 100th post and so many extra visitors to your blog! Im lovin it!!! Great recipes! : ) Im also a very busy Momma like you so I know EXACTLY how u feel : )
Thank you, Holly! 🙂 I sure enjoy your blog too!!
I, too, came here from Tasty Kitchen….and promptly spent a half hour reading as much as I could before my lunch break ended. I giggled, teared up, found multiple recipes I NEED to try…and was so, so encouraged by your life, especially the snippets about your first daughter. I dream of being a stay-at-home mom someday, but right now I have to work. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God *does* have a plan, and that His plan involves me being a stay-at-home mom (Lord willing) before I’m, like, 40 years old.
I can’t wait to make these noodle bowls, too!!
Hi Nikki, How many kids do you have? Or just planning ahead? 🙂 Thanks for spending your lunch break with me! I am so pleased to meet all these new wonderful woman I am meeting through TK, and right after I asked the Lord to “expand my territory” too. Amazing! Come back soon….Tonya 🙂
No kids yet, just planning….but since I’m in my late 20’s and we’re hoping for a big brood, I’m starting to feel like the clock is ticking!
I’m so glad you loved and shared the recipe! I’ll have to visit Tasty Kitchen. Yeah for God using your blog to encourage people! 🙂
Hi! I found you from Tasty Kitchen. I have seen your recipes with the picture of your youngest child. I have pointed his picture out to my husband and children because he is SO CUTE! They all agree with me. I really love how your blog is giving God glory through your life stories. I am the mother of boys and I pray that they find a Christian woman like you to share their life with. You are special! God bless!
Thanks, Kiki! That is such a nice compliment. When the Lord asked me to start blogging, I committed to give Him glory in everything I wrote, I am glad that is coming through. God bless! Thanks for taking the time to comment! ~Tonya
I am FOR SURE making this one!!!
I have been craving THIS dish!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
YAY! Come back and comment so I know what you think! 🙂 Or go review it on Tasty Kitchen for me! I see you are a recipe junkie like me. I am working on typing all my favorites out on Tasty Kitchen’s site. My user name is 4littlefergusons, search by member name and all the “Ferguson Family Favorites” I’ve typed out so far, will be on there. Thanks for taking the time to come comment! Nice to “meet” you! Tonya
I just love Korean food. This sounds like such a great recipe.
Congrat’s!!…ypur recipe was in my TOP 3 on
Made it on Monday!
Let me know where I can send your prize!
And remember to grab your “I was featured on” button.
http://larkscountryheart.blogspot.com/
Lark
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