Serena Williams…and Spicy Peanut Noodles

Moon, my baby girl, joined her school’s tennis team.

Thing one: Somebody in my family is on a TENNIS team. What?!?! My people don’t play tennis (’til now!) Look at God! Won’t He do it?!?

Thing two: You know I now have dreams of her going to the Olympics and becoming the next Serena Williams, right?

I have no chill. None. What.So.Ever.

So it came as a surprise when she announced that there was a match at another school, but she would not be playing.

“Why not?” Her father and I asked (she did not know we were secretly staying up at night  making poster boards that read–“GO MOON!” “THAT’S MY BABY!” “BLACK GIRL MAGIC!”–ok, maybe not “black girl magic”, but we were thinking about it.

“Well,” she started, “Only the top seven players play.”

Well, damn. How many people are on the team, I thought, and her father asked.

“Ten.” her response.

Hmmm, so, maybe not Serena Williams after all.

I let it go. Obviously tennis is not her sport.

But her father…he says, “Do you need us to hire you a private coach for one-on-one training?”

Thing one: who is “us“?

But before I could say anything, Moon’s emerging grown woman stood up and announced, “This is a gym requirement. I am not trying to be great at this. I chose tennis because I thought I wouldn’t have to run.”

And there went allllllll my Olympic hopes, but I felt very pleased by her ability to state her truth.

I’m doing such a good job parenting:)

People, a couple of weeks passed. Moon dragged herself into the house each evening after practice lamenting the woe that is the sport of tennis. Falling asleep before dinner because of the physical exertion. Counting the days until this portion of her school requirement was over.

Yada, yada, yada.

But, y’all, last night she came home after her first, real match–a couple’s match which she played(!)–having won.

WON!

Won.

You. Couldn’t. Tell. Me. Shit.

You should have seen me. You would have lost all respect for me had you. I didn’t even try to censor my excitement. Exhilaration, really.

“THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, MOON! WE ARE THE BAYOCS, BABY! CHEST BUMP!!! HUHHHHH!!”

She laughed. Because, truly, what else can one do when her mother is requesting a chest bump?

To celebrate the win, I made Spicy Peanut Noodles.

Because my Olympic hopeful (look, do not judge me) likes noodles.

‘Til next time, Reine.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

for the sauce…

• 3/4 cup unsalted, all-natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup hot pasta water (from your cooked noodles)
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)
• 3 TBSP toasted sesame oil
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s)
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 TBSP sriracha hot sauce
• 1 TBSP maple syrup or agave

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

other ingredients…

• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup sliced, sweet red and orange peppers
• 1 cup edamame (I used frozen and did a quick defrost in the pasta water)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• cooked rice noodles (about 8oz dried…I DID NOT USE the entire 14oz packaged pictured). Drizzle the cooked noodles with an additional 1 TBSP sesame oil after cooked and rinsed with cold water.

Directions to cook your Spicy Peanut Noodles:

1.  Add your 1 tsp of olive oil into a skillet set over high heat.
2. Add all your vegetables, minced garlic and minced ginger and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add your cooked noodles and pour your peanut sauce directly on top of the noodles and toss.
4. Serve. I like to add some fresh thai basil (’cause I’m fancy) and some fresh sliced cucumber to cut the richness of the peanut sauce.

Y’all know you can use any vegetables you like. You can use any noodle you like. You can use almond butter for the peanut butter…or another nut or seed butter. Your kitchen…your magic. Enjoy!