Don't let the door hit you on the way out January.
Sheet Pan Beef Stir Fry and Dead Easy Energy Bites
Happy February friends, it’s FINALLY here! Nothing like starting off the new year with a month that feels 92834270389 days long, huh? Why is July sixty seconds long and January feels like a prison sentence? Ironic that the new year is about new goals, jumping into resolutions and being pumped for 2025 but the month it starts in seems to drag on and be depressing as heck?! Is it just me?
I’m being dramatic but you get the idea (I still mean it though).
I heard from a lot of you after my newsletter last week and gosh darn it, thank you. Not only did I get some words of encouragement about switching careers but I learned that many of you are feeling exactly the same. Restless and ready for something new.
After I hit the publish button on that post an interesting thing happened. I think that was the first time I had given a voice to how I was feeling about my current situation (other than the relentless emails and texts I was sending close friends every day). And once it was out there, I actually felt SO much better. Mentally I had some clarity, It’s totally fine to feel this way. Now it’s time to move forward.
So I’m heading into February with a much more positive attitude and I’m looking forward to what it might bring.
Firstly, it brought me a beautiful snowy scene that completely surrounds this old house from every single angle and window. We had the most gentle snow falling Friday night and at sunset I just walked around the yard and through the trees for the longest time letting those large flakes fall all around me. The only sounds I heard were from the snow crunching under my feet and Suri scurrying through the snow up ahead. She would run ahead and then run back to me just to make sure I was still following her. I can’t even explain how quiet it was outside, but looking back it was the perfect way to shed a work day that was full of so much noise.
And a magical way to end January if you ask me.
I’ve been using most of this weekend to stay inside and fill up some of our stores. The granola bin has been empty for weeks and we need more scones and muffins for lunches. I fed that poor neglected sourdough starter (hope it’s still alive), made some bread dough and I’ve got banana bread cooling on the stove. If I get reeeeeal motivated, I might just throw a quiche or two in the oven later.
I feel like I’m doing a beginning of the month reset here and that wasn’t even my intention. I’ll take it though, I know I need it and it actually feels pretty good. And along with filling up the freezer and hugging trees, I plan to be focusing a lot of those positive February vibes on meeting some of my personal goals.
Any who, for now I’ve got to get going. While the bread is in the oven I’m going to head back outside and soak up the sun for a while.
Welcome to February. Have a great week friends.
Renee xo
I am a massive fan of sheet pan dinners. You can load them up with any veg and protein and have dinner ready in under an hour. WIN! Also, sheet pan dinners are magical for meal prep. I love this one because I can use up the veggies in the crisper drawer and I know that the great sauce and tender steak bites will be loved by all. The meat is not tough in any way and the veggies are perfectly tender crisp. The sauce is from a recipe from Fork In The Kitchen blog and literally takes 5 minutes!
Sheet Pan Beef Stir Fry -* 5-6 servings
600 gr sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 inch strips against the grain
1 tbsp flour mixed with generous pinch of salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 cups snow peas
sesame seeds for garnish, optional
cooked rice, for serving (Jasmine is great for this!)
For the sauce:
1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 c beef broth
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or 1/4 tsp dried
1 tbsp maple syrup
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tsp flour mixed with 2 tsp cold water
Line a large sheet pan with foil and preheat the oven to 400F.
In a small jar mix together the sauce ingredients, EXCEPT the flour mixture; set aside.
If you’re serving with rice, start cooking now according to package directions.
In a small bowl toss the steak pieces with the flour/salt and pepper mixture and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place the steak on the sheet pan in one even layer, using up about half the pan. Add the vegetable pieces to the other half of the pan and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Toss the veggies with your hands to evenly coat with the oil.
Cook until the steak is brown on the outside, about 10 minutes. Do not be tempted to cook it longer. The vegetables should start to become slightly soft as well. Remove from the oven, stir the flour/water mixture into the sauce and drizzle the stir fry sauce on top, making sure to evenly coat everything. You may not use it all and there will still be some on the bottom but it’s so good on the rice. Use a spatula to toss everything together. Make sure everything is in an even layer again.
Broil on high for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken and the meat starts browning slightly.
Serve immediately over the prepared rice. Scatter sesame seeds on top for garnish.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Last week I made these for a friend, as a thank you for gifting me something. She is trying to eat healthier and exercise more so I thought she might appreciate these instead of a sugar laden baked good. They were delicious and I was lucky enough to have a few extra left over for myself! It’s the perfect, not-too-sweet snack for coffee break or when you’re on the way out the door (pop one in before you head to the gym!). They’ve got healthy fats, loads of fiber and all the benefits from whole grains and seeds. They keep well in the fridge but are best frozen for long term storage.
Dead Easy Energy Bites - *33-36 bites
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/3 c coconut flakes, toasted
1 c almond butter
3/4 c ground flax seed
3 tbsp hemp
1/4 c chia seeds
1/4 tsp sea salt
2/3 c maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1 c mini chocolate chips
Use a mixer with a paddle attachment to mix together everything but the chocolate chips (you can also mix by hand!). Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
Use a small cookie scoop to portion into even sized 1” balls. Place the balls on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm.
The bites can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Note: If you’re finding the bites are not sticking together add a bit more almond butter.