Weekend Fun

So I'm going to attempt to do a post even though my camera is deceased and my replacement hasn't arrived yet. Because I had such a great weekend and I feel the need to document it. If you came wanting food pics, I apologize, please check back in a few days!

Friday night we got some awesome thunderstorms. I had to run outside and move my plants to shelter because all of a sudden it was pouring. I love a good storm, and we definitely need the rain.

On Saturday, I hung my new bedroom curtains. I love the print so much.

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Then we ran some errands, and stopped for lunch at Hyde Park Bar and Grill.  I had a big salad with ginger tamari dressing and a bowl of lentil soup. Tony was telling me that he eats lentil soup almost every day for lunch at his work cafeteria (aww, look at him eating vegan when I'm not there) and it sounded good. Olivia happily helped me finish it. I guess it's a favorite of the whole family. Here is my recipe for the lentil soup I make at home.

Saturday night, Tony and I left Jackson and Olivia in the babysitter's capable hands and went out on a date. First we went to a neighborhood bar and had some beers. It was nice to be able to enjoy each other's company without having to entertain the kids. Then we walked over and saw Bridesmaids, which was the funniest movie I've seen in years. It's not a chick movie, either. Tony thought it was hilarious. What's the best movie you've seen lately?

We saw it at a theater that serves beer and food. Great idea, right? But I had already snacked on guacamole and chips at home, and Tony ate a big lunch, so we were not that hungry. We had some red pepper hummus and pita. I can always work up an appetite for hummus.

The kids did great with the babysitter, so we plan to make these date nights a regular event from now on. Yay!

Sunday, I made sure to have some girl time with my sweetie Olivia. Just like last weekend. First we went to a very cool craft fair. There were some extremely talented artists and crafters showing their work. I could have spent a lot of money. But I managed to restrain myself. I did buy a couple of prints.

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Doesn't he look stylish? There were dozens of different sharp-dressed animals. It was hard to choose only one to take home. But of course I had to go with my beloved sloth.

I guess I felt inspired by all the DIY handmade goodness at the craft fair, because our next stop was Joann, where I bought some fabric to make curtains for the front entry and the master bathroom. It is not much harder to make curtains than it is to hem store-bought curtains, even if you don't have a sewing machine (which I don't) so hopefully I will be able to get 'em done this week. 

When we got home, Tony and Jackson were working in the yard. I've never seen someone who loves yard work as much as Tony. When he bought his new weed trimmer, he was practically giddy. It's pretty cute. As they finished up, Olivia and I made Pad Thai from Vegan with a Vengeance. I love this recipe, it comes together in no time and it's full of my favorite flavors -- lime, sriracha, ginger, peanut, cilantro. I think 2011 is going to be the Summer of Cilantro. I seem to sprinkle it on everything lately. Hmm, I wonder how a cilantro mojito would taste??

Here's a photo from another time I made Pad Thai. This time, I used fatter rice noodles. With the thin (3mm) rice noodles below, you can just soak them in hot water to soften them. If using fat noodles (10mm), you'll want to actually boil the water first before pouring it over the noodles. Hot tap water won't do it. This is what I learned today.

Let me know how your weekend was, if you feel like sharing. Hope you have a good week!