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.

How Fashion Designers Dress

Baked potato for lunch. Sometimes I just really like a good baked potato.

Plant-Powered Families Creamy Fettucine for dinner. If you guys don't have this cookbook I highly suggest purchasing it. I love all Dreena Burton's cookbooks and this one is just blowing me away with these quick, easy family dinner recipes. We all devoured this one, best vegan alfredo sauce I've ever had. I threw in a cup of frozen peas too.

For dessert we had blueberry lavender ice cream. The recipe is from Ripe From Around Here.  I love both of Jae Steele's cookbooks as well. 

This handsome guy.

"This is how I dress when I'm a fashion designer," she said while tying a fruit rollup wrapper around her head. Seems about right.

Going Vegan Testing

Joni Marie Newman's latest, Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen, just came out (It's awesome!), but she's already prepping her next book, Going Vegan, due out this summer. I've already tested a few recipes, and here are a couple more.

Spaghetti and peas with "Almond-fredo" Sauce -- a creamy, garlicky sauce made with almond meal. Easy and yum.

Chocolate Pudding sweetened with date syrup. It's hard to go wrong with chocolate pudding!

Olivia is the queen of board games. I'm pretty certain that, in this picture, she is beating Tony for the third or fourth time in a row.

Wagon Wheel Alfredo

For dinner last night I made pasta with alfredo sauce (I used the Vegan Yum Yum recipe). I added sauteed zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, and spinach. Jackson helped me make the sauce in the food processor. It was one of the nicer cooking experiences we have had lately. I took my time chopping the veggies and making sure everything was just right. Sometimes when the kids are fussy or wild, I just want to get done...or go out to eat.

 The wagon wheel pasta really adds that extra touch of sophistication, no? 

I've heard that when kids help make dinner, they are more likely to eat it...but Jackson was still not too keen on the veggies. He nibbled on some pasta pieces and said he was all done. He's going through a phase. Not picky exactly, distracted is more like it. He wants to eat a couple bites and go back to playing. 

I am going to do a little thrift store shopping this morning -- I am hoping to find some picture frames that I can spray paint. What are you doing this weekend? Hope you have a good one.

Panera Salad and Hurry Up Alfredo

Today for lunch I found a use for my blue Sheese that I impulse-bought at Whole Foods recently.  I was inspired by a salad I used to order at Panera.  It only has a few components and is easily recreated, thanks to the wonders of vegan blue cheese.

"Panera" Salad
Toss one bunch of chopped red leaf lettuce, half a wheel of crumbled blue Sheese (be sure it is very cold or it will smush instead of crumble), 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts, and a can of mandarin orange slices, with Annie's lite raspberry vinaigrette.

Love the different textures -- crunchy toasted walnuts, creamy blue cheese and sweet, juicy orange bits.

For dinner, we had spaghetti with Hurry Up Alfredo sauce  from Vegan Yum Yum.  I substituted Tofutti cream cheese for the cashews in the sauce, and it turned out just lovely, very creamy and comfort food-y.  I also added some kale because, well, what isn't improved by the addition of kale.

This weekend I've got to get the rest of my Christmas shopping done and straighten up the house before my parents get in town.  Hope you all have a fun weekend!