Friday Randomness

We had a busy Friday. I woke up early and did my weekly housecleaning, and then ran a couple of errands with Jackson and Olivia.

First we checked out a store by our house called Natural Grocers. I had driven past it several times and was under the impression that it was a vitamin shop. I needed to restock my B-12 supplements so I thought I would check it out. I was surprised to find that, while it is half vitamins, the other half is a well-stocked health food store. No bulk bins or deli, but the prices are low. So, it looks like I've discovered another alternative to Whole Foods when I need special ingredients I can't get at my regular supermarket. That's cool because the Whole Foods by me is laid out like a maze and I can never find anything. (Is that a white whine or what? Haha!)

We got some garlic, soy flour, Braggs, buckwheat groats (for dehydrator experimentation purposes), and vegan cheese spread.

I'd seen We Can't Say It's Cheese spreads on other food blogs, but never in stores, so I had to to pick up a tub. I love the hickory smoked flavor, and there's no funky, off-putting smell like with certain other vegan cheeses I've sampled in the past. What a nice find.

Next we made a quick stop to vote. Jackson loves going to vote because he always gets a cool sticker. He was excited about this sticker because he is really into flags right now for some reason. He points them out every time he sees one waving in the breeze.

After returning home and putting our groceries away, we made some granola bars.

I veganized this recipe from Pursuit of Healthfulness by using brown rice syrup in place of honey. Also, out of laziness, I didn't boil the wet ingredients before adding to the oats.

Yum. They have a buttery, rich flavor, but are actually pretty healthy. And I love that they contain flax meal. I keep a bag of flax meal in my freezer and add a spoonful to my oats in the morning for the omega 3's, but I am always looking for other ways to use it.

For dinner, I made two dishes from Appetite for Reduction -- 40 Clove Chickpeas and Broccoli, and Scarlet Barley.

I've made the chickpeas before, they are a favorite. Don't worry, they don't really contain 40 cloves of garlic! Just one bulb of lovely, roasted garlic goodness. Olivia loves them, too.

The Scarlet Barley is a sight to behold, isn't it? Beets are grated into the barley, dyeing it a bright purplish hue. Nature is pretty cool sometimes, giving such lovely vivid colors to the simplest of vegetables, like the beet. Be careful though -- the juice will stain!

Oh well, I guess cooking stains are the mark of a much-loved cookbook. Which AfR totally is!

Enjoy your Saturday!