summer rolls

*note, this post is not about my weight loss goals: the title refers to these yummy little wraps we made!
we were inspired by patrick's awesome cousin danielle and aunt pauline, who tried these and posted beautiful pictures on facebook. i hunted down the ingredients that day, and had a blast trying to make them yummy and pretty.

they turned out to be so delicious that the next day we had company for lunch and made them
again! it was impossibly simple:
rice paper, filled with cilantro, celery, basil, carrots, chicken (the next day we also tried spicy sausage, and it was a hit), cold rice noodles, and chives for some prettiness.
the sauce was hoisin, soy, and vinegar. mmmmmm.

(now that i'm not in school, i've got a lot more time to play in the kitchen.)

we wanted to do something special when bekah and justin came for supper, so we decided to eat on the floor ;).
we made nachos using jensen's orchard veggie chips - yum! - and blended up two of our favorite crazy dips: dill hummus and mango-lime guacamole. we ate them african style on the floor with a chitange mat, and used robb & angele's present - gorgeous african napkin holders & napkins.

and i'm trying to use more veggies lately, so i made stuffed peppers for supper one night. mashed potatoes, turkey, celery, and green onion made up the insides, which i stuffed into parboiled peppers without burning my fingers (success!).
after i took this photo, i decided to top them with grated cheese and pop them into the oven until the cheese toasted. less healthy, but more yummy. mmm good!