Eggroll Wrappers, Not Just for Eggrolls?

Egg roll wrappers/skins

Last night's post mention egg roll wrappers in passing.  I love these things!  The wrappers are really thin sheets of pasta.  I have heard you can make them at home but they are difficult with a kitchen pasta machine, and extremely difficult by hand.  (Have you rolled normal pasta dough by hand? It is very hard!)  I originally bought these to make my Mexican Egg rolls.  I had some leftover sheets and noticed a recipe on the back for... Cannelloni?!  Boil water, drop sheets in for a minute, place ricotta filling on edge, roll, cover in sauce, and bake for 20 minutes?!?!?!  I tried it!  Super easy super yummy cannelloni that I can make on my lunch break, (microwave for 5 to 10 minutes is another time saver).  That success sold me on the wonderful little guys.  I keep them on hand, always.  Leftover chicken and vegetables?  Make a broth, add the chicken, veggies, and sliced wrappers... instant home made chicken noodle soup.  I love lasagne, but to be frank lasagne noodles are a pain, even the no-boil kind.  So on a whim I decided to try the egg roll wrappers.  Everything in lasagne is pre-cooked, so you are only "marrying" all the flavors.  I layered my wrappers into individual servings of lasagne (Demarle is awesome).  They came out light, almost fluffy, without the starchiness of regular noodles.  Another score for the wrappers!  As I was looking online today for other recipes for my wrappers I came across a recipe using them to make cups.  Baked longer if re-baking (filled with custard) or shorter is filled with cold filling (taco salad).  My goal is to make a few of these recipes in the near future.  I'll post them when I try them.

A couple tips to keep in mind:

While assembling the egg rolls, keep the stack of wrappers moist by covering them with a damp towel. You can seal the rolls with a "glue" made with cornstarch and water. Store them in the refrigerator or freezer, but let them come to room temperature before using.

24 Hours and 3 Delicious Recipes

First off, I made some great food for dinner tonight!  BBQ Pork Ribs...  I was supposed to do them on the grill but I didn"t quite manage it.  First, a rub of brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, peper, and Dollar Tree Memphis Seasoning (LOVE this stuff).  I sifted it, rubbing the powder onto the ribs and dumping the clumps into a jar.  The jar then had worchestershire sauce and BBQ sauce mixed in.  All the flavors "married" in their respective positions for about three hours.  Since I didn't have a big enough oven dish for the ribs, I cut the slab in half.  I put each half in a Demarle round (meatier side down), and covered them with half the sauce.  Into the 375 oven for 1.25 hours (covered with the silpat) then flipped over, covered with the remaining sauce and left uncovered for 20 minutes more.  They were so much better than on the grill, since I have a tendency to overcook on the grill.  They were flavorful, moist, sweet with a little kick.  And clean up was a cinch, 5 minutes with warm water and mild detergent, no scrubbing at all!!!  Can't tell you how much I love my Demarle.

Second, I made Cranberry Twist relish for lunch.  My mom always makes this in the fall.  I found cranberries in my freezer when i moved, so I decided to make some today.  My mom uses an orange and a bit of sugar to balance the cranberries, but my one orange is supposed to be used for a recipe this week.  Luckily I had a Califonia pink grapefuit.  No need for adding the zest of the rind to my twist version.  I ate it all, so refreshing, sweet yet tangy.  Tastes like CT.

Third, last night "L" and I made my Mexican Eggrolls for quick meals, they are great in the freezer, healthier than frozen burritos.  Simmer, covered, two chicken breast in a cup of chunky salsa for about 20 minutes.  I put them in frozen and whole, when i see they have thawed a little I cut them up into small chunks.  Then shred the chicken, add a can of black beans (rinsed), simmer for 5 minutes.  Add frozen corn to the mix until it look right (I know it isn't specific but some people like more or less corn).  Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.  If drain off any excess liquid.  I save mine because it is great base for leftover mexican soup for lunch the next day.  You can simmer the liquid all off, but that can overcook your corn.  Then take out your package of eggroll wrappers.  Paint all four edges with egg wash or oil.  Place 2-3 tablespoons of mixture in the wrap and roll up like a burrito or the back of the package has eggroll rolling instructions.  Bake until golden brown.  Obviously I use my silpat, but if using a cookie sheet line it with foil, sometimes they leak a little.  I allow them to cool for an hour on the counter then freeze them in portions.  We eat them on a bed of lettuce with salsa, sour cream, and cheese!

P.S. I bought tumeric and curry last week! So excited to try them out this week!

Some Meek Greek for Lunch

Got to leave work early today to make up my Saturday hours.  Came home to the big question, "What am I going to eat for lunch?"  One of my many new endeavors is to try to use up all my specialty purchases.  Meaning, when I buy feta I must use all of it, not a single bit to waste.  I am usually good at this anyway, but in my new save-money-on-groceries mentality, I started thinking of the food that gets wasted after I spend the money.  Back to my point of lunch... Stomach: Grumbling, Fridge: Open, Eyes: GOT IT!  Boca Burgers, Greek yogurt, feta, and my new cast iron grill pan!  Grilled my burger, grilled some tomato slice and onions, mixed feta, yogurt, garlic, and dill. Piled together on a warm bun, I got my Meek Greek meal! 
P.S. I am getting ready for my first organized coupon shopping trip this week!

New Day, New Post

New Beginnings!
I'm trying this thing again. I recently moved to Smithfield, UT, the northern end of Cache Valley, and away from my nearly 3 year roomie. I have found I have more "empty" time and I want something to show for it. So this blog is being reactivated!
But what will I talk about?! Technically, anything I want, it's my blog! But I do have an idea of a few things:
1) I have fallen more and more in love with cooking. I am CONSTANTLY trying new recipes and new ingredients. I expect that to be a common topic from now on in this blog.
2) Also, I am becoming very enthralled at couponing. I want to find out how beneficial couponing is for the single female cooking for herself.
3) What entertains me, books, movies, concerts, plays, and public venues.
4) I may not know tons about this final subject, but you will find me commenting on various current events throughout the community, state of Utah, and this great nation.
5) Finally, I will post thoughts and impressions on the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the heart beat to my life. It is what makes me, me.

So, I hope this works out better than last time.
Wish me luck!

Catching Up at Christmas

So 10 days til Christmas... What are you thinking about? I'm trying to get presents together and figure out what I'm doing for Christmas. Well, not really, just hoping I can do everything I want to do. I love that we finally have snow out here in Logan, about 6 inches. I loved shoveling for two reasons... the snow is light and fluffy and one of our neighbors came and snow blowed most of it. Yay for great neighbors! I'm gonna make cookies or something for him. Work is great. I'm glad that most of my training is finished, although the training in Salt Lake was helpful. I felt a little more confident today. Oh, I found out that it is really great to have mile reimbursement. The $30 I spent on gas for the training last week, will be reimbursed at about $200. Did I mention I LOVE mile reimbursement? I had a great birthday!!! Thanks to all that sent me birthday wishes. My best roomie took me out to eat on Saturday night. And on Sunday we made my mom's recipe for cinnamon rolls, my Aunt Jan's pizza braid, and my Grammie's French Cherry Pie. It was fun! I also sang in church with the choir. Well, I think that's it... looking forward to the rest of the holiday season!!!!!

Christmas Survey

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real Tree!!!
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually right around my birthday, Dec. 14th.
4. When do you take the tree down? usually right before school starts again in January
5. Do you like eggnog? YES!!!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The little illustrated classics books
7. Hardest person to buy for? My Parents
8. Easiest person to buy for? John-Mark, usually...
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, if I remember
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? no clue
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Most of the classic cartoons, I like The Year Without a Santa Clause
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I am always shopping for Christmas.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Heck Yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Spiral Cut Ham with a GREAT glaze
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, always white
17. Favorite Christmas song? Too many to count, I do LOVE the Kenny Rogers Christmas CD, The Gift.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? GO home, if I could afford it
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star!!!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? people that don't like Christmas and having to work and worry about money
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? ornaments that have sentimental value
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Spiral Ham with Glaze
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? anything sentimental will do

Then They Came For Me

"When they came for the gypsies, I said nothing, because I wasn't a gypsy. When they came for the homosexuals, I said nothing, because I wasn't a homosexual. When they came for the Jews, I said nothing, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I said nothing, because I wasn't a Catholic......then they came for me, and there was no one left to defend me."
-Niemoller

We must support our fellow humans. Support and love will bridge the gaps and heal our country.