Snow and Thai food

The snow is falling, the dog is going haywire, we've been cooped up in the house for 4 days, and it's gorgeous outside.  My work is closed again tomorrow (3rd day in a row) so I have more puttering about to look forward to.  I'm just bummed I don't have my snowshoes with me...although I have seriously considered harnessing the hyper dog to pull me on skis...

The corned beef is on the stove now, smelling like heaven.  I can't wait to try it.  I'm pretty confident my stomach will be ok with it, but it's been up and down the past couple of days.  One of the hard things about Crohns is that, although some foods do set it off, food is only part of the picture.  Often I have no idea how to predict how I will feel.  

Last night we made homemade vegetarian Herb Salad Spring Rolls.  It was so easy to make and it was delicious, especially the accompanying Spicy Peanut Sauce (Mike says add more peanut oil than the recipe states).  Even though all the ingredients should have been okay, Mike was fine but it didn't sit so well for me.  Next time we'll try it with a few changes to make it milder--hoisin (plum) sauce instead of spicy peanut, and blanching the vegetables before rolling them up.  Hopefully that should make it a bit easier.  But for those of you without a gut like a discount muffler, I highly recommend this tasty recipe.  All the veggies can easily be put in a food processer, so the whole thing can be ready in less than 45 minutes.

Also...while we were making the spring rolls, we were inspired (okay, I was inspired because I'm the one who's secretly a 12 year-old boy) to make the world's best Halloween appetizers!!  This is my invention:

Brain Tasties

2 ounces cellophane noodles

rice paper rounds (4" would be ideal)

hoisin sauce

crushed peanuts

chicken or fried tofu

fresh basil

fresh mint

Directions:  Cook the cellophane noodles and cut them into 3-inch pieces.  Mix with hoisin sauce and set aside.  Cook up chicken or tofu, cut into tiny pieces, and mix with the crushed peanuts, basil, and mint.  Put a rice paper round in very hot water for 45 seconds to a minute (until soft).  Put on a cutting board.  You might double up the rice paper if they are cracking.  Spread 2 tablespoons of the noodles onto the rice paper.  Put a tablespoon of chicken/tofu mixture in the middle.  Roll it up like a dumpling (you might need to cut away extra rice paper if you got big ones).  Turn it over...and it looks like a little brain!!  So tasty....

In a few hours we'll be enjoying the corned beef!!

--Kate