Crispy Homemade Pork Egg Rolls

These restaurant-style egg rolls are loaded with savory seasoned pork, crisp shredded cabbage, fresh ginger, and garlic—all wrapped up and fried to golden, shatteringly crispy perfection!

​Original Recipe: Homemade Egg Rolls - Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients:

• ​2 tsp vegetable oil (plus extra for frying)
• ​2 lb ground pork
• ​2 tbsp garlic ginger paste
• ​5-6 cups coleslaw mix (1 medium shredded cabbage & 3-4carrots)
• ​1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
• ​4 tbsp soy sauce
• ​1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• ​Salt and black pepper to taste
• ​egg roll wrappers
• ​1 egg, lightly beaten (for sealing wrappers)
• ​Sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce or peanut for serving

Directions:

1. Cook the pork: Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook—breaking it up with a spatula—until fully browned and cooked through (about 4–5 minutes).
2. ​Sauté garlic & ginger: Add the minced garlic and  ginger to the skillet with the pork and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. ​Add veggies & seasonings: Stir in the coleslaw mix and green onions. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the cabbage is just wilted. Stir in the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, then remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool slightly.
4. ​Assemble the egg rolls: Lay an egg roll wrapper on a clean surface in a diamond shape (with a corner pointing toward you). Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower center. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, tuck the two side corners in toward the middle, and roll tightly toward the top. Brush the top corner with the beaten egg to seal the edge securely. Repeat with remaining wrappers.
5. ​Fry until golden: Fill a deep pot or Dutch oven with 2 to 3 inches of oil and heat to 350°F. Carefully lower 3 to 4 egg rolls at a time into the hot oil. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp all over.
6. ​Drain & serve: Transfer the fried egg rolls to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Serve warm with sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce!

What we liked:

• The wrapper gets unbelievably crisp when fried fresh, and the filling has that perfect balance of savory pork, toasted sesame oil, and ginger. It's way fresher and tastier than anything you can get out of a freezer box at the store!

What we didn't like:

• Rolling them tightly takes a bit of a assembly-line rhythm so they don't burst in the oil, but once you get into the groove, it goes super fast.

What Kaspian thought about it:

• Kaspian loved the crunch!

Next time:

• Next time, we might try batch-frying them in the air fryer at 375°F with a light mist of oil spray for a slightly lighter cleanup night!

Homemade Elderflower Cordial

​This light, fragrant homemade elderflower cordial brings out the best of early summer blossoms with a bright pop of fresh lemon. It strikes a balance between sweet and tart, making it a great floral syrup to keep in the fridge for mixing into sparkling water, iced tea, or mocktails.

Ingredients:

• 15 to 20 heads fresh elderflowers (freshly picked, full of pollen)
• ​2 large organic lemons (thinly sliced)
• ​1/4 cup (approx. 50 g) food-grade citric acid
• ​2.5 liters water
• ​5 cups (1 kg) granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Prep the blossoms: Gently shake each elderflower head upside down to dislodge any tiny insects or debris. Rinse gently. Snip off the thick main green stems, leaving mostly the tiny blossom clusters.
2. ​Combine and steep: Place the prepared elderflower heads, sliced lemons, and citric acid into a large pot. Add water and boil for 10 minutes. Let steep for a few hours or over night. 
3. ​Strain: Place a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a clean tea towel over a large bowl. Pour the mixture through to strain out the spent flowers and lemon slices. Gently press or squeeze the cloth to extract all the flavored liquid.
4. ​Dissolve the sugar: Transfer the strained floral liquid into a large pot and add the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring the syrup to a gentle simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
5. ​Bottle & store: Funnel the warm cordial into clean, sterilized glass bottles or jars and seal tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 weeks, or freeze in plastic containers/ice cube trays for longer storage.

What we liked:

This was a wonderful way to use our elderflowers!

What we didn't like:

It was really fun

What Kaspian thought about it:

He wasn't a fan 

Next time:

Make more! 

Garden Gumbo with Spicy Andouille

Here is a hearty, summer-vegetable-packed gumbo loaded with diced eggplant, okra, and fresh garden tomatoes, built in a Dutch oven with a classic rich butter roux, chicken stock, and spicy andouille sausage!

​Original Recipe: Garden Gumbo - FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Ingredients:

• ​1/2 cup unsalted butter
• ​1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ​14 oz spicy andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• ​2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• ​3 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• ​2 ribs celery, chopped
• ​2 cloves garlic, minced
• ​8 oz  eggplant  diced small
• ​1 lb sliced okra (fresh or frozen)
• ​3 to 4 medium fresh garden tomatoes, diced
• ​2 cups chicken or turkey stock
• ​2 bay leaves
• ​1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• ​1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ​1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• ​1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• ​1–3 tsp Tabasco or hot sauce (optional)
• ​Salt and black pepper to taste
• ​Cooked white rice for serving

Directions:

1. ​Make the roux: Melt the butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, then whisk in the flour. Whisk continuously for about 12–15 minutes as the flour cooks until it reaches a deep peanut-butter to rich chocolate brown color.
2. ​Sauté the holy trinity: Stir the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery directly into the hot roux. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. ​Combine ingredients: Slowly whisk in the 2 cups of chicken stock to keep the roux smooth and lump-free. Add the sliced andouille sausage, fresh diced garden tomatoes, diced eggplant, sliced okra, bay leaves, thyme, garlic powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, and hot sauce.
4. ​Simmer: Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer in the Dutch oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the eggplant, okra, and fresh tomatoes are completely tender and the sausage has infused its flavor into the broth.
5. ​Serve: Discard the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot over cooked white rice.

What we liked:

• Using fresh tomatoes straight from the garden added such a bright, sweet flavor to the broth! Making it in the Dutch oven with a classic butter roux and chicken stock gave the gumbo a rich, thick texture, and letting the unbrowned sausage simmer right in the pot infused every bite with great smoky flavor.

What we didn't like:

• Standing over the Dutch oven to whisk the roux continuously takes a bit of patience, but it completely makes the dish.

What Kaspian thought about it:

• Kaspian loved it! He was definitely suspicious of the fresh tomato chunks at first, but after a few brave bites of the smoky broth and sausage, he cleared his entire bowl.

Next time:

• Next time, we might finely dice or peel the fresh garden tomatoes first so the tomato-wary kids don't second-guess the first bite!

Einkorn Buttermilk Biscuits

We are trying out einkorn flour recipes and this one we've already made several times and it's worked really well. For our high altitude we used more buttermilk than the original recipe. Kids love these as biscuits for biscuits and gravy too! 

Original Recipe: https://jovialfoods.com/blogs/recipes/einkorn-buttermilk-biscuits

Ingredients:

3 cups einkorn flour (we ordered ours from ancient grains)

2 tbsps sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter - grated on largest grater

1- 1.5 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix with a spoon. Directly into it grate the butter. 

2. Equip the dough hook and have the machine work the butter into the dough - it's not terribly successful, but after a little bit add in the buttermilk and everything should combine nicely. 

3. After everything is nicely blended together it should form a nice but fairly soft ball. Adjust with more liquid or flour if needed here. 

4. Place dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

5. Preheat oven to 425 

6. Take the dough ball to a silicone mat and fold in on itself while squishing it about 8 times or so. 

7. Use circle cutter to create biscuits of desired size. 

8. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden. 

What we liked:

These were really great and different from regular biscuits, the einkorn flour is very different. 

What we didn't like:

It was a little hard to get the proper liquid/flour ratio the first few times - but that's likely due to our high altitude. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He liked them with gravy and liked them with chicken as part of a chicken sandwich :) 

Next time:

Make more!

Brigaderio cookie? Confectionary?

OMG why has no one shown me this glorious secret before?!!?!?!? !

Also, you will need a WHOLE little jar of chocolate sprinkles if you're going that route. Next time, wholesale amazon chocolate sprinkles here we come!

Seriously, glorious. 

Ingredients:

1 Can sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp butter 

3 tbsp cocoa

whole jar of chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

1. Combine condensed milk, butter, and cocoa in a small/medium saucepan. 

2. Heat on Low/Medium while constantly stirring until thickened 5-10 minutes. The mixture will reduce in quantity and be thick and sticky. 

3. Transfer to a bowl where it can cool

4. Once slightly cooled, form balls - I used a silicone spatula/spoon. 

5. Roll the balls in sprinkles - best if you first pour them in a little bowl. 

Enjoy warm or chill until ready to serve! OMG. 

What we liked:

Definitely satisfies that chocolate desire

What we didn't like:

It's kinda sticky and gooey but so so good

What Kaspian thought about it:

He dreams of them. 

Next time:

MAKE MORE. SOON. 

Ube Mochi Waffles from Scratch

We have loved the Ube Mochi waffles and pancakes since first trying them in Maui. We have not quite found a perfect recipe yet, but always on a quest. The Trader Joe's premade mix was okay, but not quite right. This one we tried from scratch. 

Ingredients:

1.5 cups mochiko, sweet rice flour

1/2 cup regular flour

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs - separated

1.5 cups milk

4 tbsp melted butter

2-3 tablespoons ube sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Whisk together mochiko, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar and salt. 

2. In a large bowl whisk egg yolks, melted butter, ube sweetened condensed milk, and milk

3. In a stand mixer, whip the egg whites until peaks

4. Add dry ingredients to egg yolk/milk mixture

5. fold in the egg whites

6 Ready to Waffle!

Cook in Waffle iron until desired done-ness

Recommend serve with whipped cream :) 

What we liked:

Definitely a fun one to try. 

What we didn't like:

Did take quite a bit of prep time - at least the first time. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Next time:

Brazilian Cheese Rolls

These were fast, easy and great and a wonderful addition to our celebratory seafood boil!

We made 12 big ones and 12 little ones, the little ones needed to be pulled out of the oven at about 15 minutes, while the big ones cooked for about 20 minutes total. 

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sunflower oil

2 cups tapioca flour

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese preferably medium or sharp

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F

1. Combine in a blender milk, sunflower oil, tapioca flour, salt and eggs. Blend until smooth. 

2. Add in the cheese and blend for a few more seconds just until combined

3. Pour into sprayed muffin tins

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up and DELICOIUS! 

What we liked:

Fun and easy! Yay!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, they were great! We made them with too little salt but the recipe above should adjust for it. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He liked it... Orion didn't. Astrid did. 

Next time:

No changes other than what is already noted above. 

Ginger Scallion Pork Dumplings

We got some ground pork at the grocery store and were trying to see what to do with it. This was the best Idea Ever! Although it took quite a while, they were absolutely delicious. Steamed better than boiled and gloriously yummy. 

Dough: 

250 ml of water

2 cups flour

Mix together and let rest (covered with plastic wrap) while you work on the filling.

Ingredients:

3 lb ground pork

2 onions, finely chopped

3 eggs - lightly beaten

3-4 bunches of green onions or scallions

6-8 garlic cloves

6 tbsp soy sauce

6 tsp grated ginger

6 tsp fish sauce

6 tsp toasted sesame oil

Dipping Sauce: 

1/3-1/2 cup Soy Sauce

3 tbsp Mirin

3 tbsp Sake

toasted sesame oil (little bit)

1/2 tbsp sugar

finely grated ginger to taste

finely grated garlic to taste

lemon to taste (opitonal)

Directions:

1. Make the dough, let sit while you make the filling

2. In a large bowl combine pork egg, scallions, finely chopped onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, fish sauce and sesame oil. 

3. Roll out your dumpling dough pretty thin, use a round cutter to make uniform circles

4. Fill with filling and seal. 

5. Place on a tray dusted with flour. 

6. Freeze if not using right away. 

7. Boil water and steam dumplings on a steam tray for 7 minutes fresh or 12 minutes for frozen dumplings.

What we liked:

THESE WERE SOO SOOOO GOOD

What we didn't like:

The time to make :) 

What Kaspian thought about it:

LOVED them. 

Next time:

Make more. 

Garden update!

The potato bag potatoes were successful and all eaten before proper photo documentation could occur. 

This year, we have all new weeds...exciting, but at least they are not poky and spiky so that's kind of nice. BUT, they are very much super annoying to the poor plants. We then, late in the season, like June, tried out the method with black permeable weed barrier into which holes are made. We first did it with potatoes and they made some marvelous vegetables (even better than the potato bags!). Then, we purchased some plants from Alameda Greenhouse and just filled the holes and the plants grew. Our only thought is the decrease in the weed competition is causing them to grow so much better than the ones without the cloth. We thought it might be too hot, but it seems like the plants are very happy. The eggplants, peppers, and potato plants specifically seem to be very happy. The squash and zucchini are also doing great and growing but but are starting to be attacked by squash bugs. The difference in these two times is about a month. The tomatoes are growing well and so are the squash!

July: 

June: 

Potato Bag!

Have you ever used a potato bag to grow potatoes? 
NEITHER HAVE WE!! But we are trying! It seems really cool! Wohooo! Here's what they look like so far! Can't wait for them to potato: 

Pita Bread

We made real pita bread!! It's amazing how the ingredients are all the same but the breads are all different!

Turned out really great! 

 

Original Recipe was here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/homemade-pita-bread-recipe/

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine water, yeast, and sugar and set in a stand mixer mixing bowl and let sit for about 10-15 minutes. 

2. Add in olive oil, salt and flour. 

3. Mix with a bread hook attachment until smooth. 

4. Cover bowl with saran wrap and drape a kitchen towel over it. 

5. Let sit for about an hour. 

6. Heat oven to 475 F with a baking sheet in the oven - it needs to be hot. 

7. After dough has risen, create 8 balls and roll them out. 

8. After oven is hot, take out the baking sheet and place pitas on the sheet. I was able to get 4 on each one. 

9. Place back in oven and bake for 2 minutes. Flip, with tongs and bake for another 2 minutes. The pitas should inflate. 

10. Enjoy! 

What we liked:

WE MADE PITAS! WOW!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was great!

What Kaspian thought about it:

Loved it!

Next time:

Make more!!!

Our chickens make beautiful Eggs!

Biscuits and Gravy

Make cream biscuits using previous recipe - https://www.nickandalonakitchen.com/2025/01/cream-buiscuits.html

Then make the gravy as here. :) 

Goes together fabulously! And pretty quick to make - breakfast in under 30 minutes with minimal ingredients

 

Ingredients:

1 lb country sausage 

2 cups milk

1/4 cup flour 

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add sausage to frying pan, breaking it up. Cook, while stirring for about 5-6 minutes until cooked. 

2. Add in 1/4 cup flour and stir to coat. 

3. Slowly pour in 2 cups milk and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes until thickened!

4. ENJOY! 

What we liked:

So quick, easy, delicious. 

What we didn't like:

it is gone too fast!!! 

What Kaspian thought about it:

loved it. 

Next time:

make more!

Cream Buiscuits

Easy, fun,  and fast, with just a few ingredients, the best biscuits! 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1.5 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. 

2. Pour in the heavy cream. 

3. Mix, with your hands, it's very thick and sticky. 

4. Take out of bowl and put on a silicone mat and mix folding the dough in half and on top of itself. This will create the fluffy biscuit layers. 

5. Squish out the dough into a circle or square and cut with a circle cutter. This recipe will make 12

6. Bake at 400 F for about 12 minutes. 

Serve warm - great in biscuits and gravy. 

What we liked:

So quick and easy and really great with just a few ingredients 

What we didn't like:

nothing - great!

What Kaspian thought about it:

Loved it. 

Next time:

Make more!

Cake with sweetened condensed milk. Ube.

We used ube sweetened condensed milk for the frosting and it worked out marvelously. 

We used regular sweetened condensed milk for the cake parts. The cake itself will be thin and flimsy, but can be assembled in a yummy form. Ours is definitely not very pretty, and next time, we would spread the batter more evenly or in a different form for better layers. 

 Nick made the cake topper! 

Ingredients:

For Cake: 

300 g sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

1 pinch salt

180 g flour

10 g baking powder

spray to spray silicone mats or cake pans

For Frosting: 

500g whipping cream (about 2 cups)

80 g UBE sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla paste or liquid

Directions:

Make the batter: 

Preheat oven to 350 F 

1. In the stand mixer with the whipping attachments, beat eggs with a pinch of salt until fluffy. 

2. Without stopping mixing, add in the 300 g condensed milk

3. In a separate bowl combine flour with baking powder. Slowly, in parts, add in to the egg mixture. 

4. Use silicon mats and pour batter on sprayed or oiled mats directly. We used two mats and made them the same size. We made two rectangles. 

5. Bake for about 10 minutes. We suggest baking each layer separately. We find they cook differently on different layers. 

Make the Frosting: 
1. Beat cold whipping cream with vanilla. When whipped, slowly add in the ube condensed milk

Once the cake is cooled, assemble. We cut each layer in half both width wise and lengthwise, resulting in a total of 8 layers of cake. 

Assemble cake spreading the frosting evenly between all layers. Put frosting all around the sides and top. Put in the fridge to sit for at least 2 hours. We left ours overnight. 

Decorate with chocolate or berries. 

What we liked:

It was really fun to make and eat. 

What we didn't like:

The layers were very thin and would do something differently next time. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He liked it, so did Brenton

Next time:

Use different forms or spread them thinner or perhaps do a different batter altogether. 

Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Etouffee

This was fairly quick and easy to throw together for a dinner, as long as we had the crawfish. We always have long grain rice (we used basmati and it worked out, was very fluffy). We added andouille sausage the second time we made it and it was fabulous! 

This recipe does make a lot, halving it might be more reasonable for a smaller group. 

Ingredients:

6-8 cups of long grain white rice, we used basmati. We usually have rice left over for various things too. 

4-6 cups  turkey or chicken stock depending on how concentrated it is and your tastes

4-6 cups water 

1.5 cup butter

2 large onions, chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup flour

2 cans crushed tomatoes

2 lbs crawfish tails

1 package andouille sausage

green onions - chopped for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Old Bay seasoning to taste 

Directions:

1. Set rice to cook in rice cooker. We love our Zojurishi, it really makes a difference

2. Make the roux with about half the butte rbutter and flour. We used a cast iron pan. Melt butter, gradually add in the flour and stir constantly until flour is cooked and mixture is thickened. 

3. Take the other half the butter and fry onion and celery until softened. Add garlic until fragrant, about one minute. 

4. Add in tomato sauce and stock and water. 

5. Add in the roux

6. Mix

7. Add in crawfish tails and andouille sausage and bring to a simmer

8. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes

9. Serve etouffee over cooked rice and garnish with green onions. 

What we liked:

It was easy, fun and yummy. 

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was great. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Brenton actually loved it and at 2 years old ate three whole bowls! 

Next time:

Nothing, these are great. 

Chocolate cupcakes

It was Kaspian's Birthday, so we made some chocolate cupcakes with white frosting. 

They were all approved by kids and adults alike! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup  cocoa powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder or very very finely ground coffee

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup  brown sugar

1/3 cup oil - we used sunflower

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup plain white yogurt

frosting is buttercream and sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F . Line 2 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners. 

2.  Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. 

3. In bowl of stand mixer whisk the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until smooth. Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then half of the yogurt. Mix. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and the rest of the yogurt. 

4. Fill cupcakes about 1/3-1/2 full. Just distribute the batter evenly among the 24 cupcakes. 

5. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

6. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost cooled cupcakes with chocolate buttercream or frosting of choice. 

What we liked:

These came out super cute especially with the toppers :)     

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was fun to try a new recipe

What Kaspian thought about it:

He liked his birthday cupcakes! 

Next time:

No changes necessary. 

The GREAT WHITE tomato!

We grew some great white tomatoes this year. They are pretty much AMAZING. They are HUGE. We ended up planting them by accident, we thought our seedlings were not going to make it (they did!) and we rushed to the local nursery and purchased some heirloom tomatoes. One of the varieties was the Great White. The other really good one we got from them was a pear shaped yellow tomato. I don't remember the name of that one, something something sun or sunshine or something like that. But, the yellow tomatoes were the first to ripen. Then, they stopped in the summer, and now that it is cooler are back to producing. They must like the colder temperatures. Very interesting. 

Astrid's absolute favorite though is the chocolate PEAR. They are so sweet!
But, anyways, back to the great white. It is actually yellow once it ripens. It is huge and pretty awesome all around!