maria munroe

Since moving to Portland, I've been on the hunt for the perfect summer roll. Lucky for me, the food culture here provides quite a few options for anyone looking for a summer roll fix. I've been trying them from every food cart and restaurant I can find that makes them (Poompui and Baan Thai both make good ones, and they're both less than two blocks away from my apartment!), and though I've found some good ones, none have really satisfied me quite like making my own.
Pro tip, if you've been to Chipotle, that tuck and roll they do with burritos works just as well here. 


I have to thank Claire Marshall of heyclaire on YouTube for posting her summer roll video (click here to check it out), so I could literally see just how customizable and easy to make they are. I love summer rolls that are heavy on the cilantro, Thai basil and mint, so that's how I made them. I won't go too in depth with instructions, because I think Claire did a fine job in that department. I'll include the recipe I used for my peanut sauce though!

I followed Claire's advice and wet down my work surface before rolling. I also used a ceramic cutting board which I think helped quite a bit with the issue of sticking. I made a few rolls with raw tofu that I simply sprinkled with sesame oil and those were just as good as the fried tofu rolls in my opinion. But again, I was just in it for the herbs anyway. 


Second pro tip, to store your summer rolls over night, drape two to three very damp paper towels over them, and then cover the plate in saran wrap, being sure to not leave any holes for the air to get in. 

For the peanut sauce, I mixed together 1/4 cup of peanut butter, a tablespoon of hoisin sauce, two teaspoons of soy sauce, and a teaspoon of minced garlic until combined into a smooth paste, then slowly added warm water to the mixture until it was as thin as I like it. Easy peasy, and definitely something I can eyeball next time. 


If I could change anything, I'd swap out the rice noodles (I used more of a pho noodle) for something thinner, and I'd definitely add some spice to the peanut sauce.


Overall, I am a happy camper. I hope you try these out. They seem so much more difficult to make than they actually are. I've learned that the best way to get the perfect summer roll for my herb loving taste is to just make them myself, and guuurrrrrrrrl, I'm planning on making them myself forever now. You should too!

Seeya soonish!

Maria

Happy March, and holy crap. It's been a while. I just finished up finals; school was kicking my butt for a bit there. Hey! Speaking of butts, mine looks pretty amazing in my favorite thrift find of the month: These printed pants from ninety. These high waisted beauties were $5 at William Temple House Thrift Store here in Portland. The print really caught my eye. I'm always in neutral colors, and thought a neutral pattern might break up a bit of the monotony in my wardrobe while allowing me to stay in my comfort zone. Also, capris are coming back, and I'm letting them happen.

I bought them with Spring in mind, but knew I wouldn't be able to resist wearing them sooner, so I grounded them here by keeping the rest of my outfit black and very casual and comfy, making the whole look a little more rainy day (aka everyday in Portland right now) appropriate.

PS. Turns out I'm a horrible model. I'm just too goofy to stay still. What can you do though, right?





Pants are thrifted. Brand is ninety.

1. Mane 'n Tail Conditioner

2. Beautiful Curls Activating Leave-In Conditioner

3. Cantu Coconut Oil Shine & Hold Mist

4. Garnier Fructis Curl Shape Defining Spray Gel

I started by painting my dowel black. That was an unnecessary step, but I really wanted the arrow to stand out against my white walls.

While the dowel dried, I drew out a V shape on the back of my card stock. I cut that out and used it as a template to make two more. I also cut out a small triangle to use as the tip of the arrow.










Then I arranged my photos in the way I wanted them to hang. I actually ended up hanging them backwards, but the overall shape was the same.

Starting from the bottom of each column, I connected each photo to the one above it using a chain of three paperclips: the bottom one of those clips I clipped to the photo, and the topmost I taped to the photo above it. The third, center paperclip helped the chains and the photos lay flat.












I then made four chains (one for each column), five paperclips long, and slid these along the dowel, being sure to space them far enough apart for the photos to hang beneath them. Then I hung that sucker on the wall.



I  attached the arrow tip and "feathers" while the dowel was on the wall, using some double sided tape, and then column by column, I attached the chains of photos to the paperclip chains already on the dowel. And boom! Done! :)


I love this thing. The black really pops off of the wall. The paperclips give off a metallic, industrial feeling that I'm trying to bring in to my bedroom, but the photos and the polka dot card stock keep it from looking too cold. It was very easy to make, and could  easily be tailored to match any color palate by swapping out paint and card stock colors. I hope you make one!

See you soonish!
Maria