Egg Hunters

Today we went to an Easter egg hunt at the rec center. I wasn't sure how the kids would react to Mr. Easter Bunny, but after he handed them some candy, they were BFF's.

On your marks, get set, go!

Lightning fast!

Olivia actually filled her basket more quickly than Jackson. She explained that her flip-flops helped her run super fast.

After bagging up our loot and recycling the eggs, we headed to the Vegan Nom for lunch. The Vegan Nom is a vegan taco trailer that, for some inexplicable reason, we had yet to try.

We started off with chips and queso, $3.

Olivia had a breakfast taco with tofu scramble and tempeh bacon, served with 3 kinds of salsa. Only $2!

Jackson chose the Jalisco, with faux-chicken, onions, red peppers, and vegan cheese, $4. 

I had the Ranchera Luna, $4, with tofu scramble, spinach, sprouts, vegan cheese, and chipotle sauce. I could tell that the cheese was Daiya, and since I don't like Daiya, I will have to remember to order my tacos without cheese next time I go.

And I hope that next time is soon! I don't normally include prices with my restaurant posts, but I'm totally impressed that I can get a delicious, filling, healthy vegan lunch for about $6 at this trailer. 

HONK!TX

On Saturday we used a Groupon for lunch at El Chato, a unique Mexican eatery on the east side. Unique because you dine on a bus.

A bus driven by a lucha libre wrestler, I might add.

There's outdoor seating as well. The food is prepared in a separate trailer.

We started with thick-cut tortilla chips and three kinds of salsa.

The kids amused themselves on the playscape while we waited for our food to arrive.

We had to wait quite awhile, and my rajas poblanas were lukewarm when they came out. The flavor was good, though. The restaurant hasn't been open that long, so hopefully they will be able to speed things up once they get more established. I would love to go back since it is such a cute spot and a great place to take kids, in spite of the wait.

After lunch, we went to check out HONK!TX, a gathering of street bands from all over the country. 

The DMC brass band was Jackson's and my favorite. Why?

Because they are zombies! Ha! My favorite guy was just a torso being carried around buy a zombie. Yet somehow he could still play his trombone.

Next, we checked out a New Orleans percussian band called BateBunda. They were pretty amazing.

After taking a lap of the park to check out some other bands, it became clear that Olivia was tired, so we headed home. Dinner was another cucumber bagel, this time with avocado. Thanks to Shen, this is going to be my default meal. So good.

Wordless Wednesday

A Monday Montage

Spring is here, but wintry winds are lingering in Austin, at least for a day or two. We spent a lazy Monday indoors.

Well, I was lazy. The kids got a lot of use out of their new hopscotch rug.

Breakfast was oats with dried cherries, almond butter, and a splash of Almond Breeze coconut/almond milk. I'm trying to get back into the habit of eating oats for breakfast. 

For lunch, I took a cue from Shen and had a sprouted wheat bagel with Sabra hummus and sliced cucumber with salt and cracked black pepper.

I had no idea that cucumbers love black pepper! So yummy. I had more as an afternoon snack.

For dinner, I made Isa's Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup with Spinach & Olives. Guys, make this soup tonight!  I looooove smoked paprika and there's a ton of it in this soup. 

I'm counting the hours until I can eat the leftovers for lunch.

Sherwood Forest Faire

The Sherwood Forest Faire is held each spring in the woods outside of Austin. This was our first year attending. Jackson is slightly obsessed with knights and sword fighting, so he was thrilled to don his knight costume for the day. His excitement is contagious, and Olivia also wanted to dress up. So off we went with our brave knight and fair princess.

The poor tomato guy. He probably thought he would get a break from having tomatoes smashed in his face when he saw these two tiny people approaching.

No such luck, tomato man! Jackson served up some tomato justice right in his face. 

Next we took our seats in the stands just in time for a jousting match. 

The riders took turns trying to knock cabbages off a pole with their lances. Then, they took turns trying to knock each other off their horses!

Glued to the action.

The food was typical fair food -- deep fried everything! Deep fried olives are pretty tasty, I have to admit.

After lunch, we watched a falconry show.

The falcons were well-trained, swooping over the crowd as they flew from one post to the next.

At the end of the day's quest, Sir Jackson found a ferocious dragon to slay. Or, to sit on and pet gently, as it turned out.

When we got home, Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions (from Veganomicon) was the perfect bland, yet amazingly good, meal for tummies needing something more than fried food.

Central Market

Today we met some friends for lunch at Central Market. They make a tasty Greek salad, complete with stuffed grape leaves and plenty of kalamata olives.

Jackson and Olivia shared a pizza, also with kalamatas.

This evening we messed around with the ice cream maker some more. This time I followed the vanilla ice cream recipe from The Vegan Scoop, which uses a soy creamer base.

 I added dark chocolate balsamic vinegar and fresh blackberries. The result had a better texture than the frozen yogurt we made before, but it had a sort of plastic-y flavor that I did not care for. I think this came from the soy creamer, so I'll need to try out some other brands or maybe try coconut creamer next time.

The kids had no complaints, and experimenting is fun. By summer, we will have perfected our homemade ice cream recipe!

SXSW 2013

Friday night we headed downtown to see a free concert as part of SXSW.

We settled in on the hill, with a direct view of the stage, but far enough away that the music didn't hurt Jackson and Olivia's sensitive wee ears.

With their bags of kettle corn, the kids were ready to rock.

When the Divine Fits took the stage, Olivia showed off her moves. My girl loves to dance.

We stayed until after dark to catch the Flaming Lips. After a late night on the town, we needed breakfast tacos the next morning. I needed Maudies' potato, poblano pepper and onion tacos with a side of guacamole, to be exact.

How was your weekend?