With every ones busy schedules we celebrated Valentine's Day & birthday the following Saturday. My mom makes this wonderful dish that I request every year for my birthday dinner. I'm not sure where the recipe came from...she's been making it for years now, but we always look forward to having it.
I'd also had a hankering for pineapple upside-down cake, so instead of the usual red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting she surprised me with a homemade one. It was sooooo yummy and hit the spot perfectly.

Beef Strips Oriental:

2 Lbs. Round Steak - cut into strips
3-4 carrots sliced ( into rounds)
3-4 celery ribs sliced
fresh mushrooms sliced
1 large can of water chestnuts
2-3 garlic cloves (grated or minced )
3 TBS soy sauce
( Note: you can add or take away from the above ingredients according to what you like)
* use a large pan/cooking pot

* Brown steak strips in small amount of oil ( do this step in two batches).
* Once steak strips are done, add 3 cups water to strips. Add 3 TBS soy sauce, and 3 garlic cloves grated.  * Cook covered for 45 minutes. ( check and stir contents during this step. You can eye it and if it starts cooking down to much so that it is drying out add more water.)
* Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, and water chestnuts to the pan and cook covered another 30 minutes.
* Thicken with cornstarch slurry ( a slurry is a mix of cornstarch and water. Take 2-3 TBS cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, mix together then add to the pot. This is just an approximation of the measurement since we usually eye it.)

Rice: use original white rice, following the instructions on the back of the box for servings and cook times.

Sorry it took so long to post the recipe...I had to find where I stuck it, but I can assure you it's worth the wait. My mom has made it so much she doesn't need to look at the recipe any more.
Thanks mom=)