Summer So Far & Banh Mi Rice Bowl

Are we almost there yet?

If summer were a road trip, that’s what I would be asking. We are officially a quarter way through summer and like a kid who just finished breakfast in the backseat of the car on a 12 hour road trip, I’m wondering, “is it almost over”?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily want summer to end, it just feels like we are at the end! Over the past decade, I have come to see seasonal indicators as milestones. The April blooms let me know that school’s end is fast approaching and in June I see the yellow butterflies, which lets me know that it will soon be time to pick cherries! In July the sun gets hotter, which indicates that that family will soon be arriving. In August, the smell of smoke lets me know it’s Peachfest time and in September, the smell of over ripe fruit lets me know that school is about to begin. All of these things remind me of what is happening and what comes next. Except this year has been all messed up! Normally by my birthday, the magnolias and fruit blossoms are everywhere, but not this year. This year it was a bit later, which messed up my perception of time. The yellow butterflies usually start appearing at the end of May, and by the end of June have sadly disappeared… But not this year! This year there’s been an abundance of yellow butterflies and I am still seeing them on a daily basis even in mid July! BUT, the biggest mind bend this year? Our family visiting the first 2 weeks of July instead of the last week of July and first week of August!

I’m not complaining, I’m just completely thrown for a loop! Usually, after everybody leaves, it’s time to get down to business and start our back to school shopping, set up our new school year goals and chore charts, and start winding down from all of the excitement of visitors. This year all of that has changed. This year, we are 2 weeks into the summer and all of our visitors have come and gone, we have enjoyed all of the summer tourist attractions with our visitors, and the hot summer sun has left it’s mark on all of us. Literally.

Of course I am completely joking! I love summer! I just need a little rest and then we will continue to explore, have fun and live like tourists in this little slice of paradise that we are lucky enough to call, home 💛.

This week Ninja had a very special guest on his music podcast, Our Liner Notes! HBear! Check out Our Liner Notes Episode #228: Mixtape with Rowyn Maier HERE!

Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #337: F is for Family HERE! This week, we get together after 14 days of visiting family! Topics: dog attacks, steak house, WestSide Daze, wine tasting, local politics, punishing kids, spicy margaritas, cherries, & summer playlists.

Every year when Ninja’s Sis, and her son JQ visit, I always try to have them over for dinner. It became a running joke that I always served Mexican food when they came 😆. This year it occurred to me, I don’t even know if my SIL likes Mexican food?! You see, she is usually up for anything! She likes fresh foods and flavour, so I just enjoy cooking for her! This year I tried something a little different, still fresh, but with a little spice! She has been ALL about spicy margaritas this summer so I wanted to use some spice in the dish too! We also wanted to do some thing that was easy to prepare ahead of time, allowed everybody to dish up and take what they like for themselves, and also something that was light and refreshing to be enjoyed on a ridiculously stupid hot day! I think we found the perfect dinner, a Banh Mi Rice Bowl with Chili Mayo Sauce! The pork melts in your mouth, the pickled vegetables are incredibly refreshing, and the spicy mayo is the perfect accompaniment! *I doubled this recipe for 8 of us.*

Banh Mi Rice Bowl

Adapted from Spoonful of Flavour

1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 carrots, cut matchstick
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup hot water
3/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon-tablespoon chili garlic sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cups rice, cooked
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Jalapeno slices, to garnish
Cilantro, to garnish

Place the pork in a large plastic zipper bag large. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and black pepper, whisking well. Add the contents of the bowl to the bag and toss to coat. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sear the pork in batches, spreading the slices in an even layer and allowing them to brown for 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork, adding more oil as needed.

Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a large sealed container. Shake to combine. Add the carrots and radishes to the container and allow to marinate 1 hour, or overnight.

Combine mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce in a small bowl, whisking well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Divide rice between 4 bowls. Top with cooked pork, pickled veggies, cucumber, green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro as desired. Drizzle with Chili Garlic Mayo.

Week 2 was busy! I found more pictures from last week’s RibFest and pool adventures! SBean has been working hard at creative make up applications 😉, had a sleepover with JQ and came with us as we wine tasted at J’s winery, Heaven’s Gate! We had a McDonald’s lunch date, did chores and had puppy cuddles. Ninja and HBear went golfing with my cousin’s husband and son and then they all came over for dinner for a nice visit! We did the Wibit, the Henna Hut, and played corn hole at Slackwater Brewing (to be honest I was in bed when everyone went to Slackwater but I heard it was a blast!)! I spent too much time in the sun, HBear tested out her new paddleboard, and we had Ninja’s family over for a farewell dinner before his Sis and JQ left for back home. I used up some bananas and made some banana loaves and as always, enjoyed the magic of living in the Okanagan Valley 😍.