Stir-fried Chicken with Bean Sprouts - #Recipes

Not long ago, I posted about how easy it is to sprout your own mung beans. The crunchy, delicious sprouts can be used in the following recipe:

Chicken with Bean Sprouts

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinated (see instructions below)

4 cups fresh bean sprouts

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 bunch scallions, sliced thin

Stir-fry sauce (see instructions below)

Earlier in the day, cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and marinate in:

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Stir together and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

When you're ready to cook, prepare the Stir-fry Sauce by stirring together:

¾ cup chicken stock

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, optional

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Set sauce aside.

Let’s make dinner! Heat a wok or a large pan over high head. Add 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil. Stir-fry the chicken (no need to drain; put chicken and marinade into the wok!) until cooked through. Add the ginger and the garlic to the hot oil, cook for 1 minute. Add the bean sprouts and the scallions. Stir to combine. Give the sauce ingredients a stir (the cornstarch will settle to the bottom) and then pour it over everything in the wok. Stir and heat until sauce is bubbling and has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat (do not cook the crunch out of the sprouts!) and serve over steaming jasmine rice. Delicious!

This is a regular dish in my house. I have been known, in a pinch, to use a bottled stir-fry sauce. The brand I prefer is House of Tang Classic Stir-fry Sauce. I can recommend this website that offers lots of stir-fry sauce recipes. Yum! As you can see from the photo above, I often add other vegetables to the recipe. I might toss in some broccoli and carrot, or some celery and water chestnuts, or a handful of cashews, or some snow peas. You can easily make this recipe your own by adding your favorite ingredients.

Is this a recipe you would try? What ingredient would you add?

Prayer Of Quiet Helps You Escape the Chaos @DonnaFaz

Many of you know that I describe myself as a spiritual seeker. Well, in my seeking I came across a simple and beautiful devotional practice, and I felt compelled to let everyone know about it. The result is PRAYER OF QUIET.

Here’s the book description:

~~~

Do you wish you could escape the chaos of the world? The Prayer of Quiet is a spiritual practice that can be used every single day to help you do just that. Communing with God in utter stillness is a method of devotion that is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition and has life-changing potential.

Prayer of Quiet is a short, simple instruction book offered as a means to open our eyes and our hearts so we might become more aware of God. It might be time to stop talking and start listening.

~~~

I’m proud to announce that the book is available in these formats:

Paperback

Paperback, Large Print

US Kindle     UK Kindle     CA Kindle

Nook Book

US Kobo     UK Kobo
    

This is truly a book-of-my-heart and seeing it published brings me a great deal of joy! If you have friends who are also spiritual seekers, please tell them about PRAYER OF QUIET. Thank you.

I wish you Love and Light!

The Merry-Go-Round by @DonnaFaz On Sale This Week!

Have you had your eye on
THE MERRY-GO-ROUND? Well, now is the time to pick up a copy. It's under a buck this week! 

Find it:
In the Kindle Store
In the Nook Book Store
In the iBook Store
In the Kobo Store

Still undecided? You can read an excerpt here. 

"An utterly charming romantic comedy..." ~Karen McQuestion, author of A Scattered Life

"I could see this book being adapted for the big screen." ~Jeannie N. (Amazon)

"Wow! What a story! This book was so entertaining I couldn't put it down." ~Bev H. (Amazon)

On sale through Saturday, May 24th

Here's Your Invitation To The Prima Donnas Street Team @DonnaFaz

Hello!

I have some exciting news I'd like to share with you. I'm finally organizing a Street Team and I'd like to invite all of you to join in the fun. There will be monthly giveaways...everything from jewelry, to books, from t-shirts, to tote bags.

You might be asking yourself, "What's a Street Team?" Well, it's a group of avid romance readers who enjoy books written by me, Donna Fasano. You'll have access to insider information and chances at such things as Advance Reader Copies of new books and other giveaways. But I don't want you to join just for the freebies. I'd like for you to really love romance novels, and I hope you'll be willing to spread the word to your romance-loving friends whenever I have a sale or a new book available.

The group has simple 3 rules:

1. Love books by Donna Fasano.

2. Have fun!

3. Be kind to one another.

That's it! So if this idea sounds fun, come on over to The Prima Donnas Facebook Group and join. We're already over 20 members strong.  

Feel free to add your friends, but only add them if you think they might be interested. If we can reach a membership of 25, I will send one lucky member a signed paperback of Reclaim My Heart.

Hope to see you over at The Prima Donnas!

My best,

~Donna~

Is Your Life A Melodrama?

Let’s set the scene. “The children are arguing over whose turn it is to take out the garbage. The husband forgot to stop by the store and pick up a gallon of milk. The needy neighbor is at the door with the latest cul-de-sac gossip. Your mother is on the phone and wants to know when you’re coming to visit. Your best friend is once again sitting at the kitchen table, teary-eyed, as she complains about her boss. Meanwhile, all the water has boiled out of the potatoes, leaving the pot a scorched, smoking mess.” 

These are the days of our lives. [cue symphony music]

It’s so easy to get caught up in and overwhelmed by the little annoyances that pop up in our daily lives. A feeling of anger here, a little resentfulness there, toss in a bit of impatience, and soon we’re filled with negativity and strife. Who wants to live like that? It’s not healthy. It’s also not fun. 

What we tend to forget is that, even in the midst of chaos, we control our own reaction to any given situation. And isn’t that what melodrama is? This person’s action sparks that person’s reaction which riles yet another person; before we know, the train to melodrama has left the station.

Richard Carlson, author of Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, recommends that we transform our melodrama into “mellow-drama” and I think he makes an excellent suggestion. The simple act of consciously reminding ourselves that we don’t want to get caught up in the turmoil will go a long way in helping us maintain a more peaceful existence. 

Avoiding drama doesn’t mean you don’t care or that you should walk away. It simply means you temper your reaction. I have found that identifying a situation as one that could be blown out of proportion helps immensely. “There it is,” I think, “another annoyance knocking at the door.” I take a deep breathe, find my inner calm, and I’m better able to react in a manner that won’t further inflame the moment. 

Do you like the idea of turning melodrama into “mellow-drama”? What’s your best tip for holding onto your peace and taking the soap out of our daily opera? 

Join The Mother's Day Picnic - #Giveaways Galore! @DonnaFaz

We're having an early Mother's Day Picnic. The authors are giving away free ebooks and audio books. The party is taking place this coming weekend, May 9th - 11th, on Facebook. Just click "join" and then leave comments on the conversations to be in the running for a prize.

Take a look at all the gifts up for grabs!

If you don't have an ereader, never fear! You can download free reading apps from these stores:

Kindle    Nook    Kobo    iBooks

You've never listened to an audio book? Never fear! It's easier than you think!

Come join in the fun. Tell your friends. Meet some new authors, ask them some questions, and maybe win something free. Happy Spring!

 

A Child Who Reads...

I firmly believe this is true!