In Our Kitchen

Hello Friends!

Is your Monday evening as hot and sticky as ours? I've already been in to comfort and resettle our littlest one twice since he has been to sleep (in one hour!) because we northerners are simply not used to such hot June nights. That said, we are not complaining! Seldom can my children play in our shady backyard in their bathing suits but today they frolicked gleefully!

Speaking of frolicking gleefully....

A fun Sunday trip to Nanny's land in Turner Valley...
heaven for little one's with imaginations! (note that L
had turned herself into a monkey by covering her body with mud) I LOVE her!

It has been a couple of weeks since resolution gratitude and joy, and as tends to happen with all sincere resolutions life has seemed challenging! Each day has had it's own particular challenge exacerbated by a teething toddler who nurses all.night.long but certainly my temptation has been to dissolve into the doldrums or dissolve my sorrows in a very large glass of prosecco. For the most part I've been able to avoid both and find a small victory in the fact that I've remembered to make a conscience act of gratitude several times each day. I've also managed to intentionally turn several mundane tasks into gifts of love for my family and for God. Onwards and upwards!

On a night as hot and sticky as this it is hard to want to spend time over a hot stove, but with luck I've discovered a dish that takes little effort, makes minimal mess, is healthy disguised by de-e-liciousness, and my dearlings devour. I thought for something different I'd share with you just how easy Vietnamese spring rolls are!

Typically I just use any veggies I have in my fridge, but the essential element for us is mint. Anything else is easily substituted for. I cook chicken at the beginning of each week for my handsome man to have whenever he needs a snack, so I just use the chicken, wash the veggies, and cook the rice vermicelli noodles (which take 4 minutes!).

I lay everything out (usually on the clean tea-towel I had used to dry the lettuce) and then very quickly dip the rice wrap in water for 5 seconds, place it next to my assembly line, and pile up all the healthy goodness onto it. The key is, for me, to make sure the rice wrap is still a little bit hard when I pull it out of the water. This gives me time to assemble all of the ingredients and not have it falling apart in my hand when it comes time to wrap it. (disclaimer! I am not a food blogger or a photographer just a simple mama trying to show you one of our favourites!)

The counter is also clean :)

I quickly whisk together a peanut satay sauce using a tried and true recipe that we so enjoy! It is a little bit spicy so the kids usually dip their wraps into hoisin sauce, although they always want a taste.

Soooo yummy!

This is how Judah starts with his spring rolls

And there you have it, the most delicious and quite nutritious dinner for a hot night. Follow with a watermelon and mint smoothie, and (in my children's opinion) you've just eaten like a king!

This is how Judah finishes with his spring rolls -
so in his case he probably eats more like the king of the wild things!

Here is a more detailed description of how to make Vietnamese spring rolls (with much nicer photos!). If you try to make them, I hope your family loves them as much as ours does!

Do you have any go-to summer recipes that are time, budget, and kid friendly? I'd love to hear them!

Love and blessings to you on this night,