Fresh Spring Rolls

And Why Your First One Will Probably Be Ugly

I made fresh spring rolls today.

Not the deep-fried kind you get at a Chinese restaurant. The fresh Vietnamese-style rolls wrapped in translucent rice paper and stuffed with crunchy vegetables, noodles, herbs, and tofu.

And I’ll be honest… they looked terrible 🤣.

The wrapper felt weird. It stuck to everything except what I wanted it to stick to. I overfilled it. Then I tore it trying to roll it.

In other words, it was exactly like the first time I tried making tortillas. Or sushi. Or sourdough bread. Sometimes the hardest part of learning something new is simply getting past the idea that you’re supposed to be good at it right away.

We’re not.

We watch YouTube videos and see these beautiful, perfectly rolled spring rolls lined up on a cutting board and assume everyone else is naturally talented.

Then we try it ourselves and think, “Well, that didn’t look anything like theirs.”

But here’s the thing. By the third or fourth roll, you’ll get the hang of it. Not perfect. Just better. And that’s usually how progress works.

Not just in the kitchen either…

• With exercise

• With eating healthier

• With losing weight

• With learning a musical instrument

• With gardening

• With just about anything worth doing

The first attempt is often awkward. The second is a little less awkward. Eventually, what once felt impossible becomes routine.

I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve been talking so much lately about getting back to basics.

When I changed my diet back in 2008, I wasn’t trying to become vegan.
I wasn’t trying to become a food blogger.
I certainly wasn’t trying to stand on a stage at VegFest someday.

I was just trying to solve a problem. I wanted to feel better.

So I learned one thing. Then another. Then another.

• A simple breakfast

• A simple soup

• A baked potato

• A bean recipe

• One small skill at a time

And over the years those little skills stacked up into a completely different life.

That’s why I enjoy making recipes like these spring rolls. Not because they’re fancy. But because they remind us that we can still learn new things.

At 63, I still have recipes I’ve never made. Vegetables I’ve never grown. Exercises I’ve never tried. Songs I’ve never learned to play.

And honestly, I hope that never changes.

Because the moment we stop learning, we start shrinking.

So if you’ve ever wanted to make fresh spring rolls, don’t worry if the first one looks like it was assembled during an earthquake.

Mine did too.

Just make another one.

Recipe and step-by-step video instructions below…