Snack Bar

Tony has a new job down in South Austin, which provides him with a lot of new lunch options. Today he suggested that I meet him for lunch and we would try someplace we hadn't been before. We decided on Snack Bar and it was a great choice. Pretty much everything can be made vegetarian or vegan. So, even though the menu is small at the moment because they are reworking it, we had a lot of options.

We shared the flash fried Brussels to start. The server said that it typically came with aioli, but offered to bring us a Veganaise-sriracha dip instead. Perfect.

Tony had the migas, subbing tofu scramble for the eggs. 

I had the vermicelli bowl with noodles, tofu, all kinds of veggies, and sesame-tamari dresssing. It was light but filling. We will have to go back when they unveil their new menu. They make tasty stuff.

Incredible Hulks gotta practice reading, too.

Party Time

A friend of ours had a birthday cookout over the weekend. I made the Mexican Roasted Corn Salad with Avocado from Salad Samurai and everyone loved it. Considering that the hostess and myself were the only vegetarians, I love that I came home with a scraped-clean serving dish.

Party animals love staying up past their bedtime.

Jackson and Olivia were the only children at the party besides the host and hostess' toddler, and I was very proud of their grown up behavior. There were no meltdowns or crazy actions seeking attention. It's nice that they are getting to the age where they can hang out with adults and have fun.

Homework

Our kindergartener Olivia is getting her first taste of homework, and she is not a fan. She can be very dramatic about the small amount of homework she is asked to do each day. For example, one day she was asked to write a sentence about what she did over the weekend. This took about 20 minutes and at one point she dramatically threw her arms up, laid her head down and declared that it was taking forrrevvvverrrr.

I made a little Ethiopian feast for dinner, to bolster her spirits and give her the energy she needed to go on. The kids enjoy Ethiopian food because they are allowed to eat it with their fingers. From Teff Love, I made the Ye'misser Wot (red lentils) and the Fasolia Be'Karot (green beans with carrots), along with some injera I had in the freezer from last time I cooked Ethiopian.

Monster waits patiently for injera scraps.

Kung Pow!

With school, homework, and soccer consuming our days, home cooking is not happening every evening. But we don't want to go to a restaurant with a long wait time, either. We got thangs to do. That is why I love Masala Wok. They are always amazingly speedy, and the food is so good.

Spring rolls to start.

Kung pao veggies with tofu, delicious.

So we still have time for video game downtime with friends. Skylanders, ready to battle!

Best Summer Ever

We are so close to my favorite season, autumn. But this summer really took it easy on me. It only got above 100 degrees a few days. We had lots of rain. And we had our neighborhood pool to cool off with friends. My happy place.

Goofballs at the pool.

We even lucked out when we timed our park visits with the sprinklers. Another fun way to cool down. 

This is childhood, my friends.

Snacks and meals worth turning on the oven for? Roasted chickpea nibbles.

Roasted sweet potato, broccoli, and BBQ tofu was our dinner one evening. They can all bake together, so the oven doesn't have to be on for so long.

Hope YOU had a great summer!

Almost Autumn

Autumn is just around the corner! We have already had some beautiful, cool mornings that really had that fall feeling. I can't wait for more cool weather. I've got my hot cocoa already! I saw this Cocoa Mojo on Naturally Lauren and I had to order some. It contains medicinal mushrooms like cordyceps. I was very lucky not to catch any summer colds this year and I want to continue this healthy streak into the fall, so I am all for immune-boosting warm drinks.

Chai-flavored anything screams autumn to me, so I was excited to try this brand of kombucha I'd never seen before, Kombucha Wonder Drink. The India flavor contains all of the traditional yummy chai spices.

Every couple of years I stock up on lotions and I just received this order from Bath & Body Works. Autumn scented everything!

Hearty noodle bowls trick my mind into thinking autumn is already here. The Veganomicon's Chickpea Noodle Soup, using soba noodles, hit the spot.

Meditation for Jenga victory. Steady hands, steady hands!

Rawr Bars

Recently I was sent three flavors of Rawr Bar fruit and veggie snack bars to try. We received Super Sweet Potato, Beet-A-Peel, and Very Berry Kale. These vegan snacks look and taste like fruit leather, but they contain up to 1 1/2 servings of veggies. Sneaky, eh? The kale one had an almost savory, curry flavor. The kids liked it all right. The beet one had a very sweet, fruity flavor, but the kids were put off by the distinctive earthy smell of beet. The sweet potato flavor was the big hit in our house. It almost tastes like apple pie, sweet and cinnamony. Olivia loved taking them in her lunch box. Thanks to Rawr Bar for the yummy samples!

Roasted Red Pepper Mac and Cheese from Isa Does It for dinner. Another way to sneak a little bit of veggies into my children.

Gladiators and ninjas need their veggies!

Cherrywood Coffeehouse

Over the weekend I got together with some friends at Cherrywood Coffeehouse. All this time in Austin, I had never been there. I knew what to order thanks to Lazy Smurf's recommendations...the breakfast taco with potatoes, tofu, and guac. The "potatoes" are crispy, salty, shoestring fries. The tofu is also breaded and fried. It's the perfect breakfast taco. Even at 3 in the afternoon washed down with hibiscus iced tea.

I also took Jackson and Olivia to a "tea party" birthday party. Here is Olivia looking fancy.

We both enjoy any excuse to dress up.

Things I Have Eaten

One week last month, Tony worked long days downtown at the convention center, usually getting home after 9 pm. Since he wasn't joining us for dinner, the kids and I ate out often. 

Big-ass house salad with cashew tamari dressing from Mothers. I was craving greens and this salad was bigger than my head!

Red-Hot BLT's from Isa Does It. Hot sauce-marinated tempeh makes these sandwiches super good.

Staring contest over cereal, super intense.

Frozen matcha latte, a summer necessity.

Rebbl maca mocha. Chocolaty herbal goodness, worth the $3.99.

Wheatsville tofu poboy with cashew tamari dressing, and a sparkling grapefruit yerba mate.

Also from Wheatsville, a Red Rabbit Co-op pink lemonade donut!

New England Glam Chowder from Isa Does It. I shut the blinds and pretend it's a rainy, cold autumn day when I eat this hearty stew.

Garden fairy Olivia.

Turmeric tonic, made by heating soymilk and then blending it up with turmeric, vanilla, and stevia.

A tiny friend on the patio. I thought it was a leaf until it hopped.

Sunday Morning Pancakes from Let Them Eat Vegan. I like the slight crunch that chia seeds add.

Looking at the world from a different perspective.

Tofu Mushroom Stroganoff from Isa Does It. The best.

Tony relaxing with Jackson after a long week. 

Tony had been eating out all week too, so I offered to cook for him, but he was craving a bowl from Bouldin Creek so off we went. He had the Buddha Bowl topped with sauteed cubed tofu.

I had the Aztec Bowl with rice, broccoli, sprouts, zucchini, and chipotle pesto.

This month, fewer restaurants, more home cookin'!

Hat Creek Round Rock

Today my friend and I met up at the newest Hat Creek, in Round Rock. I love how they are all designed differently with unique play areas for the kiddos. Jackson and Olivia could barely be enticed to eat, they were so busy exploring the wooden playhouse with its various levels and slides.

Jackson and his friend Mai were tie-dye twins.

I had the usual grain burger with fries. Never a disappointment.

For dinner, something light. Ranch Salad with Red Potatoes and Smoky Chickpeas from Isa Does It. Gotta love that avocado ranch dressing.