These always seemed like some exotic jigsaw puzzle to me when we got them at the restaurant. So neatly wrapped, tight enough the filling hardly ever fell out, but with the most simple of ingredients. I had a craving for spring rolls the other day. Instead of spending $5 for two rolls, I bought all the ingredients to make 2 dozen for about $10. I started with a package of spring roll wrappers and just picked up the ingredients listed on the back.

1 package spring rolls wrappers
1 package rice stir-fry noodles

lettuce or cabbage, cut into long thin strips

carrot, cut into long thin strips

fresh coriander leaves (otherwise known as cilantro)

1 can bean sprouts (or you could use fresh)

1 package salad shrimp (you could use larger ones, these were just less expensive, or you could leave them out or use some other kind of meat or even tofu)

Put very water in a shallow pan. Immerse one wrapper at a time until they are softened. Pull the wrapper out, lay flat on a dishtowel (the non-fuzzy kind works best). Blot extra water off the top with another towel. Place ingredients in small amounts in the middle of the wrap. I placed first a strip of noodles, then some lettuce, then carrots, then bean sprouts, then coriander and then shrimp. Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper over the filling until it just touches the wrapper on the other side. Fold the ends toward the middle. Snug your filling in and roll the wrapper until it sticks to itself and forms a roll. And you're done.

We ate ours with a store-bought peanut sauce, but if you look online you will find some other recipes. I think I will try to make some from scratch next time we make these. I'm also going to make some thai chili sauce for dipping. Next time I'm also going to add cucumber cut into thin strips.

Just a few photos of things I haven't written down, but that I have felt were photo-worthy in the last several months. There are more, but the cable for the camera is AWOL at the moment.

Homemade CSA spaghetti sauce with a side of steamed veggies (also from the CSA).


The first round of canning: purple and traditional kraut, kim chee, and salsa made by natural fermentation. I used the Nourishing Traditions cookbook for all of these. We like the purple kraut best. This is the only kraut I will eat. I can't stand the stuff in a can or bag at the store.

Spinach lasagna (used up the CSA loose spinach in this one)

Two cheese grilled cheese on some homemade bread (with the obligatory tomato soup).

Italian pickled garlic and green tomato antipasto. It was inspired by a trip to a local Italian restaurant with a salad bar that had this mixture on it. Matt was hooked, so I figured out how to make it since we had CSA garlic filling our crisper for months and a bunch of tomatoes green on the vine on our little late-fruiting plants.

Second round of canning. This time, only purple kraut, and I cured this batch on the ledge in our basement instead of the counter for only three days and then into the fridge.

Tonight I made my second batch of the most delicious banana chocolate chip muffins I think I've ever eaten. The first batch went with me to work in 2's as a morning snack (okay a few of them were eaten at home, including the one I had hot out of the oven). It's a super easy recipe and they come out tall and fluffy.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
3 tbsps vegetable oil
3 tbsps milk
3 tbsps citrus juice (I used pineapple this time, but last time it was strawberry/orange/banana)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used 2 good sized bananas)
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F
Place the egg, oil, mashed bananas, juice, vanilla extract and milk in a mixing bowl and mix together until well blended.
Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder .
Stir until evenly blended.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Grease a muffin tin and fill with mix to the top of the openings.
Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. You don't want the tops to get too brown, pay attention to any sides you can see inside the muffin tins and if they are getting brown, it's time to take them out.

p.s. photo coming as soon as I find my cable for the camera.