Masala Yum

Jackson had a rough soccer game this week. Literally rough, as the other team was not showing good sportsmanship, probably thanks to their aggressive, yell-y coach. A tough loss for the boys, but a good lesson in how not to act on the field.

After the game, Tony and I split up and he took Jackson to Mighty Fine, where Jackson had earned a free meal thanks to perfect attendance at school.  Olivia and I went to Masala Wok, her choice. (She had missed just one day of school due to upset tummy.) It all worked out nicely and we were both able to spend some one-on-one time with our kiddos.

We started with garlic naan.

Olivia ordered noodles with veggies. Girl loves her noodles.

I had the sag paneer with tofu, so rich and delicious.

Hope you have a happy Halloween! Tree pose skeleton is spooky!

Gamerz

Jackson is starting to really get into video games. He likes to have buds over after school to play together.

Sometimes he convinces Tony to join in. OK, it does not really take much convincing.

For dinner I made fish tacos using Gardein fishless fillets, cole slaw mix, veganaise, with a little lime juice and pickled jalapenos. They were good, but the Gardein fillets might be a little *too* realistic for my palate. To each their own.

Bahn Mi and TV

Couch potato afternoon. Video games and Legos for Jackson and a buddy.

Princess books for Olivia.

Vikings (TV) and The M Train (book) for me. 

Veganomicon French dip bahn mi's for all! 

And then back to the couch. What is keeping you glued to your couch lately?

You Two

I say that a lot when I am observing my silly kids. "You two." Sometimes there are no words. They are who they are and it is fantastic.

Tonight's dinner was simple and good. Pesto Cauliflower and Potato Salad from Salad Samurai, and roasted corn.

Black Sheep Lodge

Today I met Tony for a lunch date at Black Sheep Lodge in South Austin. We started with chips and salsa. You can't really tell from the picture but the bowl of salsa was gigantic. Thumbs up for that.

I had the portobello cheesesteak with beer battered fries. The sliced portabello mushrooms were heavily marinated in a vinegary, garlicky marinade. Super bold flavor. The Hatch chile cheese sauce was mild in comparison. Only thing I didn't like was the bun, it was soft like a hot dog bun. I like bread that is more tough and chewy.

How much do I love when the kindergarteners all come out of school wearing construction paper hats they've made? A lot.

Sushi and Spring Rolls

Recently, Jackson and Olivia's school hosted their first annual Move-a-Thon. This fundraiser was done as an alternative to selling gift wrap, magazine subscriptions, and other ecologically-unfriendly items. Instead, the kids spent the afternoon getting some fresh air and exercise while raising pledges. Have I mentioned I love my kids' school? We are so lucky to be among like-minded families who are interested in promoting fitness, outdoor play, and being green.

I love this pic. Jackson looks like a freaking gazelle or something.

I made a healthy dinner to refuel. From the Veganomicon, Butternut Squash Spring Rolls.

Also from V'con, Spicy Tempeh Rolls. Jackson and Olivia were sooooo excited to have sushi at home! I must make this more often.

October Eats

It's that time where the month is coming to an end and I am clearing off my camera. Here are some tasty autumnal eats we've enjoyed over the past few weeks.

Mole Skillet Pie with Greens from Veganomicon. Soooo satisfying, and that mole sauce might not be authentic (their words not mine), but it's the bomb and so easy to make!

Saucy BBQ Chickpeas and Green Beans from Plant-Powered Families, paired with some kinda quinoa-amaranth-millet pilaf from Costco. The pilaf had an earthy (polite way of saying dirt) flavor. The BBQ beans are awesome.

Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions from Veganomicon. Oh, my sweet baby mujadara. I am the only one in my family who likes this dish, and I don't care. Sometimes I make it just for me and eat it for days. The love is real.

Apple Pie Smoothies from Plant-Powered Families. A perfect homework-time snack, and it really does taste like apple pie!

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup from Healthy Happy Vegan. I love the smooth texture of the blended sweet potatoes! I hated how spicy it was, even though I cut down on the amount of chipotle powder that the recipe called for. I love spicy food but I don't like it when heat overwhelms the other flavors. So I will cut it down a lot more next time.

Raw Chard Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing from Healthy Happy Vegan. Made up for the too-spicy soup. I could have eaten the entire recipe myself but I shared with Tony so he could partake in the goodness.

Cheesy Cauliflower and Potato Bake from The Abundance Diet, along with cornmeal-crusted roasted okra from our garden. Sooooo gooood. Ultimate comfort food, cheesy and creamy and wonderful.

Tap shoes and a blanket, why not?

Art in Fort Worth

Over the weekend, we road-tripped to Fort Worth to see the Kehinde Wiley exhibit at the modern art museum. On our way, we stopped for lunch at El Fenix. I ordered one of the specials, veggie enchiladas with tomatillo avocado sauce. Tasty!

We all shared a piece of tres leches cake for dessert. Loved the chocolate ganache.

The museum offers a great family-friendly environment, with free admission every Sunday, and sketch books for the kids. I intend to have them bring sketch books to any future art shows, what a fantastic idea for keeping them involved!

We first saw this artist's work in New York several years ago. I love the references to Renaissance art and the organic, vine patterns that run through all of his work.

The stained glass room was gorgeous, although we had to remind Olivia a few times not to touch. The bright colors were calling out to her!

Next, we meandered through the rest of the museum. Andy Warhol is one of my favorites. Olivia thought it was funny to see all the cans of soup in a row.

There were a couple of paintings by Tony's favorite, Gerhard Richter.

This Anselm Keifer sculpture was my favorite thing in the museum.

Some inspirational words from Jenny Holzer. I, too, would like to do nothing every day.

When the kids started to get bored, we went outside to explore the grounds.

Admiring the silver metal trees.

The kids were excited to play in this thing, because if you made noise inside it, it echoed loudly off the walls.

Jackson looking cherubic, which is funny if you know him.

A successful visit! I had fun talking to Jackson and Olivia about certain works of art and getting their opinions. It is always interesting to learn how they interpret the world around them.

Dr. Zombie's Vegan Recipes

The other evening I was driving with Jackson and Olivia when a pumpkin patch caught our eye. Every year I try to get them to pose for pumpkin pics at Halloween. Every year, they get sillier!

They preferred to climb on the playscape rather than pose for pics. Understandable.

After letting them play for 20 minutes or so, I finally got a nice sweet pic of my little punkins.

I recently received a review copy of Dr. Zombie's Vegan Cookbook. How is that for perfect timing with Halloween coming up? Zombies are surely on all our minds. And the recipes are designed to be cooked in 15 minutes or less, so you don't really even need a working brain to make them. 

I made the Sweet Dates & Cinnamon Granola Brains, which are so easy, just dates and oats and a few spices. A nice sweet treat for the health-conscious undead.

I also made a batch of Tastes-Like-Hellfire Roasted Veggie Salsa. I could not stop eating this! I cut down the cayenne and black pepper quite a bit so the kids would enjoy it, too. Liquid smoke and tons of chili powder give the salsa a roasted flavor, without having to take the time to roast your tomatoes.

Some of the recipes are a bit more adventurous and I'm still getting up the courage to give them a try. Sweet roasted mushrooms and vanilla hummus sound freaky, but maybe they're ghoulishly good!

As a special Halloween treat you guys will be able to get this e-book for free on October 30th. Just follow the link, Dr. Zombie's Vegan Cookbook. I'll post a reminder on that day. Thanks Ryan for the review copy!

Lunch Spider

Today I had a lunch date with my favorite ninja fairy princess, at her very favorite place, JuiceLand.

Sadly, JuiceLand has removed the kids' play area that used to grace their patio, to make room for more seating. Olivia was bummed. But then she spotted a rubber spider laying on one of the tables, an attempt at minimalist Halloween decorating perhaps, and we had some fun with that.

Olivia got her usual orange-peach Clementine smoothie, I got an all-veggie Fountain juice, and we also shared a coconut-mango-chia parfait and some sour cream and onion kale chips.

For dinner we had Creamy 15-Minute Vegan Fettucine from Plant-Powered Families, with a side of garlicky roasted broccoli. It is a small miracle when Jackson and Olivia both love the same meal, but they both asked for seconds of this.