Happy New Year: Spring Rolls

I must preface this post by letting you all know, I am not a professional spring roll -roller. Never have I made spring rolls before. Now, I have eaten plenty, that’s for sure. But never tried to make them myself. So I figured what better time to make Chinese Spring Rolls (also known as egg rolls) than Chinese New Year! And boy, do I sure wish I had made these sooner. 

Truth be told, they weren’t even hard to make. In fact, I might even call them downright easy. Well, sure some of mine looked like they had been squashed, or sat on, or just wilted, but I mean they tasted fine. And I think that Brett has found his calling, because his rolls were just so..rolly. Seriously all of the nice looking ones were ones he rolled. They do take a little bit of time to make, but not as much as I thought. We made Gyoza one time and those were much more difficult, so I was pleasantly surprised by these spring rolls. The best part is, the recipe makes a whole bunch and you can just freeze them up and then have spring rolls anytime you want! yessss..

chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

Hi everyone. I’ve been away awhile.. but I have a good excuse! sort of. Well, I went to Thailand. That’s a pretty good one, right? I mean, sure I got back a week and a half ago, but that’s a big time difference! I’m still…adjusting? Anyway I know it’s cruel to taunt you with these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes seeing as it’s January and everyone in the world has resolved to eat less of things that contain such goodness as chocolate and peanut butter, and here I go just shoving it in your face! Well. I made no such resolutions. So here’s to the rest of you who fail in such things like resolve. And restraint. And self control. And adherance to any sort of rules. You go and you make these cupcakes. And eat them. And bring them to work to eat in front of all your friends munching on carrot sticks. And enjoy your little January rebellion. 

Sugar Crisps: unveiling a family recipe

I missed the boat on Thanksgiving recipes; I don’t plan to do the same with Christmas. Now, in my family, there is one and only one sure sign that it is Christmas. No, it’s not the decorations (since those usually go up last minute and stay up far too long), or the Christmas Plates (which don’t come out until Christmas eve), or the music on the radio or the weather (hello, Southern California), no, it’s not any of those things. It’s much more simple. Sugar Crisps.

What are Sugar Crisps, you ask? Only the best and most delicious cookie you’ll ever eat. Unfortunately, you’ll only ever eat it on Christmas. I believe Angels actually partake in them around the holidays. And sadly for you, you’ve probably never had one (unless you are my family. or my friends) because this recipe has been closely guarded. Because Sugar Crisps are my grandma’s cookie. Did she invent them? For all intents and purposes, I’m going to say yes. Maybe it was her mother. Or maybe it was her grandmother. Or maybe it was an article in the paper or a recipe in a cookbook, I sure don’t know. All I know is we learned it from her, and that’s all you need to know.

  

[hostess] Chocolate Cupcakes

*so I realize I missed the boat on the whole giant-food-holiday-called-thanksgiving and failed to post anything remotely holiday-like. So to make up for it, here are these:

I don’t have much to say about these. They’re just so dang good, you really just have to make them. Like, right now. It’s a Hostess Cupcake. One million times better. It’s chocolate and marshmellowy-frosting-goodness and thick loads of more chocolate and oh man. I think I’ll go have another.

  

          

I made cheez-its. seriously.

I mean, no joke. As in, this is not a joke. These things taste exactly like cheez-its. But don’t be like my mother. When I called her, literally bursting with joy at the cheezygoodness that was hommemade cheez-its in my mouth, she just laughed. She laughed and then said “what’s the point of that? can’t you just buy them?” Jeez, mother. I mean, cmon! I’m clearly so excited here!!

      

seriously though, before you say the same thing she did, check this out: they’re made with 100% whole wheat flour. chyeah!! that’s right!! whole-effing-wheat! (Didn’t I mention I’m having a little tryst with whole wheat at the moment? It’s awesome. I hope I never stop.) Also, I’m sure this is not the case in, uh, any other state in the US, but it is true in Hawaii: packaged foods are ding-dang expensive and coupons are few and far between. Seriously, a box of cheerio-s is like 7 bucks. ridic. I dunno if making these were really any cheaper, but man. They were delicious. Seriously. go try them. pronto. 

Mixed Berry Scones: You tricky, tricksters, you.

I have a new obsession. Before I tell you what it is, just promise me you won’t judge me for it. Promise me you won’t think I’m obnoxious. Or pretentious. Or overly concerned with health. Because trust me, I am none of those things. Okay. Ready? I am currently obsessed with…Whole Wheat Flour

  

I know, I know, it’s annoying sounding and it’s one of those trendy food things that people are doing and blah blah blah. BUT WAIT, you promised you wouldn’t judge! Let me let you in on a little secret: it’s awesome. Look, let’s be honest here, one look around my recipes and you’ll know I’m not a health freak. However, I am in public health now and I feel that this field comes with certain responsibilities. I’m not about to give up cupcakes or ice cream or fried food (or  a sausage mcmuffin when I’m hung over..) but I do find myself trying to get in some of those “daily recommended amounts” or whatever they’re called. Turns out, it’s not really all that difficult to eat healthy things if you just trick yourself. All you have to do is hide the healthy in something so delicious it can handle. 

While we’re being honest, lord knows I don’t eat enough whole grains. And seriously, do you? (If you do, you impress me. You can stop reading now because clearly you are better than me. and I want to be like you.) Cmon.. white bread? Dosen’t count. White rice? Doesn’t count. Pasta? Doesn’t count. Sucks, doesn’t it? But white bread and pasta and rice is so…good. Yum. So I have decided to share with you some of my tricks. I have been very, very tricky lately. I’ve made whole wheat just-about-everything and let me tell you the best part: I can’t even tell!!

Wait!! I know that you’ve heard this before! I know that you don’t believe me! But have I ever lied to you before?? I promise you, people, I’m not a liar! And I take my baked goods very, very seriously. If it tastes like healthy I just plain won’t eat it. Unless it’s slathered in butter or cream cheese. So when I say “you won’t even notice the whole wheat flour” or “it’ll taste exactly the same as regular flour” please, trust me. I really mean it. 

A quest for a Cookie

So, I know that every self-proclaimed baker in the world has a story about their personal search for the “Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie”. (yes, in quotes and capitalized) And, boringly enough, I am no different. My journey started my junior year of college when I finally had my very own kitchen (which I shared with three other roommates and one stowaway). I just decided one day that that was the year I would perfect the chocolate chip cookie. That was the year that I would find the missing ingredient, the lost chip, the final pinch of something-or-other to make what no one had ever made before–the ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE.

On a side note, can I just mention that fact that if you google “best chocolate chip cookies” or “ultimate chocolate chip cookies” you get over 5 million recipes claiming to be the greatest ever. How does that even work? Obviously, 4,999,999 of those recipes are lies. Right? Only one can actually be the best. And silly little naive Erin, with no baking experience whatsoever and no clue what it takes to make a chocolate chip cookie besides chocolate and sugar, decided to try her hand at it.

I don’t really think I ever succeeded. Well, I know that for awhile I thought I had. I developed my own recipe (yeah! that’s right! I made up my own recipe!) based on several  of those aforementioned recipes which called themselves The Best. But then, after a year or so, the cookies started not being the best anymore. They all started turning out flat and greasy and kind of bleh. Not that people didn’t enjoy eating them; every time I made them they practically dissapparated* off the table, but they certainly weren’t Ultimate.