Raw-rrrr

This morning, I spent some one-on-one time with Olivia. It's our weekend tradition.

First, we did a little thrift store shopping. At Treasure City we found a new toy.

I had a moment of deja vu when I saw it.  My brother had this toy when he was Jackson's age, almost 30 years ago! You drop a ball (or, if you are my son, you drop a cherry tomato you sneakily picked from your mama's garden) through the hole in the top, and watch it roll down the slanted rails. The kids were mesmerized, and you can't beat the price - $1!  I love thrift stores.

Next we checked out a little boutique called Blackbird that I had not visited before. I loved it. All of the clothing and accessories had a dark tone (not goth, just dark) and the decor was elegant and old-fashioned. Olivia adored the two tiny chihuahuas who were hanging out behind the counter.  She kept pointing at them and grinning and laughing. I bought a necklace.

I'm not afraid of spiders.  I hope this spider will be a good talisman and help me not be afraid of anything I am afraid of.

Kind of like this print I bought recently.

Lately I'm trying to be more brave about things that scare me. The other day I took Jackson and Olivia to a moms' club meetup in our neighborhood. Normally, I would be terrified to go to something like that, where everyone knows each other and I am the new person. Talk to strangers? Noooo! But it's important that Jackson and Olivia learn to play with other kids. And it wouldn't hurt for me to make some new friends here, either. As it turned out, the other moms were nice and the kids had a blast.  Sometimes the only way to find out whether or not you can do something is to do it.

Oh yeah...Olivia and I made one more stop on our morning of fun. Right next to Blackbird is a vegan food trailer called Counter Culture. It was too hot to eat outdoors, but I was (vegan cliche alert!) craving kale in a bad way. So I got a to-go order and brought it home.

Raw bruschetta with flax bread, cashew cheeze, tomato and basil, with a side of raw kale salad. Guys, I think this officially constitutes my first encounter with raw foods. And I gotta say, raw food, you are not too shabby! The bread was more like a cracker, crunchy and studded with tiny flax and sunflower seeds. It had a nutty flavor. It would be too dry to eat on its own, but it paired perfectly with the creamy cashew cheeze and juicy tomatoes.

Later in the day, Tony and I were having trouble getting the kids to nap, so we took them for a drive. I wasn't hungry for a big dinner due to the heat, so I popped into Daily Juice and got a smoothie made with banana, coconut, raw cacao, and spirulina. I didn't take a pic, but if you can picture a smoothie that is worth paying $7 for, you got it.

Also, I apparently didn't get enough of a kale or raw food fix earlier in the day, because I impulse bought these Rhythm Chips.

Cool ranch, yum! I've made kale chips before, using Averie's recipe. But since I made them in the oven, they didn't turn out nearly as dry and crispy as these dehydrated chips.

As we drove home, I commented, "I think I paid a lot for these chips." I didn't get a receipt, but when I figured up the cost of my smoothie and Tony's yerba mate, I was like, "Aw man, I think this little bag of chips cost $8!" I joked that I should get a dehydrator and make my own. Tony immediately said, "Yeah you should...then I can make beef jerky!"  I know, EW.  But also, YAY, because... I'm getting a dehydrator!

Do you have a dehydrator? How do you like it? What should I make first? I ordered a couple of those special screens so I can make fruit leather for the kids. I actually own an Ani Phyo cookbook that I've yet to crack open, so maybe I will start there.

It turns out I can't resist ending a post about raw food with a little ODB. Enjoy.