Merriness and Pads of the Thai variety

Behold: Merriness.

I like to imagine that the nativity people are to scale with the tree. That way it's like they’re at Fashion Island where the tallest Christmas tree in the country at 115 feet resides (take that, 90 foot Rockefeller Center tree). I'm all for blending (more like clashing) old and new world Christmas traditions.





Special shout out to Meg and Owen for the righteous Nativity set!



Old earrings and bracelets-- some of which are too small dangly/flashy/heavy/high school for me but that, for some reason, I couldn't bear to give away (thank you, Mom's genetics).



Harry learned to fold these way back in the day, like every single 12 year old Mormon boy seems to do. They serve two functions: fancy tree stars, and you can throw them boomerang style at people.

Grand total: $9 and something cents.

Thank you, ghetto drug store next to my office, for carrying all these little things at a price that fits in President Jackson's/my budget.

Speaking of Pad Thai, which we weren't, we made it for dinner last night.


Note: We now never want Pad Thai unless we've made it ourselves with this recipe. You MUST try the recipe and you will know why for yourself. It is as follows:

Pad Thai

2 TB tamarind paste or substitute
¾ cup boiling water
3 TB fish sauce
1 TB rice vinegar
3 TB sugar
¾ tsp cayenne pepper
4 TB peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
8 ounces dried rice stick noodles, about ¼ inch wide
2 large eggs
1/8 tsp salt
12 ounces medium shrimp or diced chicken
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 medium shallot, minced
2 TB dried shrimp, chopped fine (optional)
2 TB Thai salted preserved radish, chopped (optional)
6 TB chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
3 cups (6 ounces) bean sprouts
5 medium scallions, green parts only, chopped fine on sharp diagonal
¼ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (optional)
Lime wedges for serving

1) Rehydrate tamarind paste in boiling water (soak 2 TB of it in ¾ cup boiling water for about 10 minutes, then push it through a mesh strainer to remove pulp and seeds). Stir fish sauce, rive vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and 2 TB oil into the tamarind liquid; set aside.

2) Cover the rice sticks with hot tap water in a large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside. Beat eggs and 1/8 tsp. salt in a small bowl; set aside.

3) Heat 1 TB oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add chicken or shrimp and sprinkle with a little salt; cook, tossing occasionally until cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

4) Off the heat, add the remaining 1 TB oil to the skillet and swirl to coat. Add garlic and shallot, set skillet over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1 ½ minutes. Add beaten eggs to skillet and cook, scrambled, about 20 seconds. Add rice noodles, dried shrimp, and salted radish (if using) to the eggs; toss with 2 wooden spoons to combine.

5) Pour fish sauce mixture over the noodles and increase heat to high. Toss until noodles are evenly coated. Scatter ¼ cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but ¼ scallions, and cooked shrimp or chicken over the noodles. Cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender, about 2 ½ minutes (if not yet tender, add 2 TB water to the skillet and cook until tender).

6) Transfer noodles to serving plate and sprinkle with remaining scallions, peanuts, and the cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

And with that,