We had the upstairs insulated, the doors sealed, the thermostat moved, and the a/c ducts replaced recently. And right now I am roasting beets in a 425-degree oven as I type this and I can't even tell, except for the occasional whiff of dirt smell. A month ago even boiling water up here would have been inadvisable as it was usually about 86-88 degrees in the kitchen every night when the sun went down, and so much as glancing at the oven would jack that up to about 92. I thought getting new ducts would be one of those shitty necessary but not-at-all-exciting expenses, but I was wrong. All of a sudden being able to inhabit half our house for half the year--and cook, really cook, year-round--is fantastic. This is easily the best money we've spent since we moved in three years (and three long, hot summers) ago, especially since city rebates paid for almost half of it.
Being able to hang out and cook upstairs also meant I got to make spring rolls yesterday afternoon, and holy cow, they are so easy and fun to make. I mean, the prep took a while, as prep tends to, especially the first time I make something, but they were really simple.
I had no idea. I was so scared. I thought it would be lots of complicated folding and nimble wrist flicking and exhibiting patience and all that stuff I'm horrible at, but the rice wrappers are easy to roll and fairly forgiving, and it's very satisfying to watch the plate fill up with damp, tidy packages of deliciousness. The recipe is here, and I can't recommend it enough. You can sub chicken, beef, tofu, carrots, cucumbers, Vienna sausages, whatever the hell you want for the shrimp. And I just used sweet chili sauce for the dipping since we had a bottle handy, but I'd like to try a peanut version next time. And now I want to make every summer recipe, ever, just because I can. Suggestions?