Healthy shrimp fried rice
For real.
After being in a little bit of a dinner food rut, I feel like I had my mojo going this week as far as trying new things goes. First the chicken caprese salads, then the tempeh taco lettuce wrap things, and tonight: homemade spring rolls. I used to experiment with dinners all the time, but now that I usually need to get a meal finished in less than 20 minutes -my cooking sidekick’s time limit in the bouncy seat on the kitchen floor- I’ve just been sticking with what I know for the most part, or prepping for for the Pilot to grill. My creative gears were actually turning this week- love when that happens.
I have fallen in love with spring rolls over the 6 months or so, when I finally tried Thai food for the first time. A void in my life was filled 😉 I’ve been wanting to make some at home, but the rice wrappers freaked me out for some unknown reason. Turns out, they’re super easy to use.
And have better ingredients than I imagined, too:
All you do is heat up some warm water, add the rice sheet to the water for about 5 seconds, and then place it on a plate, add you fillings and roll like a burrito.
For our fillings, I decided to just use things we had on hand:
Basil and greens (the basil made the wraps, but Thai basil would have been even better. I have yet to find it in Tucson, though)
Shrimp, defrosted from the freezer:
and my favorite spicy almond butter sauce for dipping.
To go with it, I made some so fly fried rice with two eggs scrambled in
and added the rest of the shrimpies to the rice.
It was a delicious, filling, quick meal.
Some more adventures from the day:
Starbucks (from the Pilot)
a venture to the land of buddhas I’m not allowed to buy.
(aka World Market.)
I’m on buddha probation. They’re so beautiful, though….
As much as I love looking at the decor at World Market, the little snack/wine/ingredient section is so cool. I stare at the chocolates for at least 5 minutes in awe before picking one.
We also just hung out:
I was going to hit up the gym for a little strength training tonight, but since I’m teaching 3 pretty intense classes tomorrow, I’m just going to get my music together (no more playlist panics!) and call it a night.
Hope you’re enjoying the weekend so far <3
xoxo
Gina
Don’t forget: blog party on Monday! Stoked.
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She is such a little cutie and looks so freakin’ happy just chilling with her mama. Beautiful!
oh my gosh these pictures could not be any cuter!!!! my favorite of you 2 so far!!!
thank you 🙂
I never have a playlist when I teach, I know I am the worst! But I played a song off of Youtube in a jam once anddddd I forgot about the curse words in it. I totally sprinted to the stereo system in the middle of the class to change the music!
ahhhh! that’s definitely happened to me before!
or, if i know a bad word is coming up, i’ll start talking into the mic or change the exercise they’re doing (with lots of cueing) as a distraction
Those pictures are so stinking cute!
Those mommy/ baby pics just made my heart explode. You guys are cute.
<3!
Ha! Exactly my thoughts! Your pics of the Liv-ster keep getting cuter somehow! No wonder you wanna kiss those lil cheeks all day!
Most beautiful child ever! Love the double portraits!
thank you! i’m biased, but i couldn’t agree more 🙂 she’s amazing
Love love love the pictures!
<3
Ok Gina, cutest pictures EVER <3
thank you, friend
oh my goodness. so many facial features going on in such a tiny face. so precious.
she makes the funniest faces and moves her eyebrows so much!
The photos of you and Liv could absolutely not be any cuter. She is SO beautiful. You both look so happy- she’s so fortunate to have you as her wonderful mother!
she is so amazing. thank you, friend- i’m lucky to have her
oh my goodness gracious, i can’t get over how cute those photos are of you and livi! she is your mini-me for sure and just beautiful. 🙂
thank you <3 as we were laying there, i kept asking her "are you real?!" haha
that first pic of you and Livi…PURE LOVE!! The mutual adoration is just so sweet!
and I love rice paper rolls and need to dig out my stash of wraps from my pantry this weekend!
Yum I am going to try those spring rolls this week for dinner! I LOVE Thai food.
Check out my Thai Green Curry that I have just posted. It is healthy, fresh and delicious.
Let me know if you try it out 🙂
I’ve been eating spring rolls too! I put chicken and tons of veggies in them like avocado!
STOP IT with this cuteness, and by STOP IT, I mean swoon–Olivia is straight up squee-out-loud adorable.
That fried rice looks so good! I’m a big fan of the rice paper wraps, too. I love to make Cali rolls using the wraps instead of nori. And those pics! So cute! Your Olivia is such a doll. 🙂
You have been on the quite the roll this week with the dinners! They’ve all looked and sounded amazing. The spring rolls and fried rice is definitely going to happen in my near future. You’ve sparked a major craving!
That pic of you two would be so beautiful in black and white! Love it.
Look at that smile of Olivia’s it could not get any bigger! There is nothing like the love between a mother and her baby. Just beautiful pictures thank you for sharing!
Those pictures are adorable! And those rolls look delicious!
I love World Market. When I get a post-college big girl apartment I can’t wait to hit up World Market to buy all kinda of fun decorations for it! I could also browse the food part for hours, so many interesting food finds.
Those pictures of you and Olivia are adorable, the expressions on her face are too cute!
I love those 2 pics. She looks just like you. Just precious. I too love World Market,I spend way too much in there. I have been wanting to try wraps too but been a little unsure, glad to see it is easy.
The meal looks awesome.
I was actually going to make fresh spring rolls for dinner last night! And then I got lazy and just went out for sushi instead. 😛
Also those pictures of you and Liv just melted my heart. <3
she’s so beautiful! such big eyes!
and also I’ve been buying spring rolls SO much and I need to save money and make them myself. this post was my push!
adorable pics of you and Liv
The dinner looks delicious and easy to make. Precious pictures!!!
definitely my favorite mommy and baby pics of you two yet!!
and I love those wraps too!
Oh my word that photo of you and baby laughing at each other – what a precious candid moment! A framer for sure 🙂
Beautiful pictures! My biogical clock just started ticking even faster!
oh my gosh, how precious!! she is beautiful:) and your dinner looks *delicious*….i LOVE fried rice mmm mmm mmm! thanks for sharing!
The pictures of you two are amazing!! Thank you for sharing them!
You’ve inspired me to try your spring roll recipe for supper tonight. They looked super yummy!
That second photo of Liv is SOOOOOOOOO cute. Oh my goodness. Big beautiful eyes!
Love these pictures! She’s so adorable! Your dinner looks great! I’ve never seen rice paper wraps before…I’m going to have to be on the lookout for them!
Those meals look very healthy and tasty. It’s nice to see people who give priority to their health in this world. Thanks for sharing!
Tucson follower here, but sporadic commenter. You can get Thai basil at Grant Stone Market (sketchy) or LeeLee’s, on La Cholla & Orange Grove. 🙂 Good luck on your more Asian inspired meals.
You really need the put those two pics in a frame pronto!
The pictures are adorable!!! The food looks super yummy, too. Cannot wait until the TJ’s near me opens up so I can try everything you post about 🙂
so exciting!!
I’m going to be redundant here, but those pictures of you and Livi are completely adorable. I absolutely love her huge, ecstatic smile 🙂 Beautiful ladies!
I used to go to Lee Lee’s oriental market (I think orange grove @ la Canada near Oro valley) for things like the right basil, rice paper, fresh lychee, blah blah blah.
sorry, so tired.
the pic of you laughing with baby is adorbs.
awesome, thank you!
I love the pictures of youand Livi at the end! My baby is only 2 weeks old and I get so sad when I think about how she won’t be my tiny baby forever, but I look forward to when she can smile at me like that!!
i was sad, too, but honestly it just keeps getting better and better and better 🙂
I also have an irrational obsession with Buddhas! We don’t have a World Market near me, but from everything I have heard it sounds like I would LOVE it there!
Those pictures of you and Olivia are ADORABLE!!!!!
thank you! 🙂
OMG those pictures are too cute! Love the spring roll idea for a quick and healthy appetizer, but where did you get the paper (is that the right term???) to roll up the veggies/proteins/goodness? TJ’s?
i got it at sunflower market but it’s pretty easy to find in the ethnic section of most grocery stores
Liv’s face in the first pic of you two is priceless!!!! She’s too adorable!
she has the best expressions 🙂
Ahhh!! I absolutely LOVE those pictures of you & Liv!! Makes me even MORE excited about having a little girl!!!! 😀
I always take my Starbucks with 1 pump vanilla… So good. And your pictures of you and your baby made my heart melt 🙂
Your post reminds me about some rice paper rolls that I have in the pantry. I should get working on some of those for dinner tomorrow. My fave filling is grilled chicken, mango, red pepper, cucumber and lettuce. I serve it with an apricot and jalapeno dip and it’s so good.
what beautiful pictures girl! you are truly blessed 🙂
thank you- i’m a very luck girl
I have a serious problem with buddha buying, too. Although, I didn’t know that World Market had any, since I try to stay in the food section when I go in there, because I’m aware of the pocket dangers that lurk in there. Ross, strangely enough, usually has a vast collection of buddha stuff 😀 And they aren’t too bad on the savings acct. Just a tip. Don’t tell the hubs where you got that information. Unless it’s a good thing. Then I’ll totally take responsibility.