All the Food 2016 (Pic Dump)

I thought posting a bunch of random meals would give an idea of how I am eating in 2016. Not 100% vegan, no. Too prohibitive when I am dining out frequently with a husband, parents, and children who are all meat-eaters. They do not want to eat all their meals at vegan restaurants, and I am not just going to eat a plain baked potato at their restaurant choice when I can eat something healthier and/or more satisfying which may also contain some cheese. I am still cooking all vegan at home. So that's what is working for all of us! Also I have started using the MyFitnessPal app back in December to just be more conscious of portion size and calorie intake/output, and as a result I feel I am making healthier choices overall.

Anyway, here's some food I have been putting in my face!

Homemade pad Thai.

Garlic broccoli with rice and spring roll, Bo Asian Bistro lunch w/my parents.

Spaghetti squash and baked tofu, topped with chimichurri (from Vegan Eats World, the best chimichurri recipe ever!)

Medjool date with almond butter, such a great snack when I have sugar cravings because it actually satisfies me instead of just making me crave more sugar!

Some kind of stir fry with cauliflower, broccoli, chickpeas, tomatoes, peas? I'm sure it was good.

Golden Corral...well, what can I say, this was Jackson and Olivia's choice of where to eat lunch on their very last day of winter break.  We usually eat there with Grandma when we go to Oklahoma at Christmas. We didn't go up there this Christmas due to a number of reasons, so I think this was their way of keeping the tradition alive. So much "brown" food in that place, but I tried to keep my plate as "green" as possible.

Pesto margarita from Roots Bistro in Round Rock. I really wish we had a place like this in our hood! Coffeehouse/cafe by day, bar at night, the perfect anytime hangout.

Simple, whole foods: roasted butternut squash, baked tofu, and gingered collard greens (from The 30-Minute Vegan, it's my favorite recipe for collards.)

A sample kid meal. Tater tots, baked tofu, edamame, blueberries.

Butternut fennel soup. Roast 1 butternut squash and 1 bulb of fennel. Puree with vegetable broth. Eat.

Garden burger patty with kale salad (I just toss the kale with flax oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper) and oven fries.

Tortilla soup, from Happy Herbivore's first cookbook.

More pizza! Buffalo cauliflower pizza from Counter Culture, with vegan ricotta, pesto, and red onions. So amazing. And SPICY!

Best banana muffins (from Plant-Powered Families.)

Overnight oats, soaked with chia seeds, soy milk, and chopped dates.

Ezekial bread with avocado and cherry tomatoes.

Ice skating at Chaparral Ice over the winter break. So cold! But so fun!

Mother's Day 2015

I know, I am just now getting around to posting about Mother's Day. Better late than never! Jackson made me a sweet little handprint bouquet at school.

The whole family got me a few kitchen goodies I had on my Amazon wishlist. I received a rotating cake stand for cake decorating, a new nonstick skillet, and a popsicle mold!

We went to Counter Culture for brunch. As you'd expect on a holiday, the restaurant was busy and the wait was long, although worth it of course. Our server brought us some chips and salsa to pass the time.

I also entertained myself by taking pictures of Tony among the Caribbean colors and tropical plants that line the patio.

Jackson and Olivia both ordered the blueberry pancakes.

Tony had the Tofu Rancheros, a tofu scramble with corn, beans, avocado, and salsa served on tortillas, with a side of home fries.

I had the East Side Quesadilla, stuffed with cashew cheeze, seitan sausage, potatoes, onions and peppers. It came with salsa and spicy aioli. Best quesadilla I've ever had!

Tony and I also shared a side of tempeh bacon, which was so good. 

Hope all the mamas out there had a lovely day!

Valentine's Day 2015

On Saturday, I woke up to the best Valentine's Day card ever, made by Jackson and Olivia.

This year? Hmm. Is it me, or does that sound vaguely ominous?

I'd picked up some Chocolove treats for them. Valentine's day is all about chocolate.

That evening, my parents babysat so Tony and I could go out to dinner. We were super excited because we had a reservation at Counter Culture's special 5-course Valentine's dinner! 

We drank local - a Zoe beer from Hops & Grain brewery for Tony, and a Buddha's Brew ginger kombucha for me.

The first course was a baked apple with caramelized onions and a "brie" cheeze. I loved how the savory cheeze contrasted with the sweetness of the apple.

Next up, borscht with a dollop of sour cream. Tony does not usually care for the earthy flavor of beets, but he admitted this soup was much better than he anticipated. I loved it; it was so thick and creamy.

Then we were served a raw dolma - a collard leaf filled with sundried tomato, raisins, and pine nuts. With raw food I'm often taken aback at how bold and intense the flavors can be. Each bite was totally satisfying, no need for a dressing or dip to make this dolma amazing.

We had a choice of two entrees, so I ordered one and Tony got the other. There was much sampling from each other's plates going on. I had the tofu scallops, very lemony with a nice crispy outer crust. They were served alongside rice and asparagus with a fantastic dill gravy, and a seaweed and cucumber salad. It was all so good! I love seaweed - so good for you!

Tony loved his mushroom and pea bourguignon, served with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. He said it was as rich and flavorful as any beef stew. An omnivore's high praise.

We had a choice of two desserts as well. Tony went with the flan, adorned with almonds, whisky-soaked dates, and salted caramel. I could've drank a cup of that caramel sauce, yum!

It's hard to say there was a standout since the whole meal was awesome, but if I had to choose, it would be the raw tiramisu I had for dessert. I guess I'm just amazed at the different flavors and textures you can achieve with raw ingredients. All the layers of a traditional tiramisu were represtened...the whipped cream on top, the sweet, creamy chocolate, and the dense, coconutty "ladyfinger" layer at the bottom. 

By the end of the meal, we were full, happy, and relaxed, yet not overstuffed. It was such a special treat to have such an elegantly presented meal that was entirely vegan!

Before heading home, we stopped at Capital City Bakery down the street and picked up some special Valentine's goodies to take home and enjoy the next day - a "Fauxstess" chocolate cupcake and a heart-shaped sugar cookie.

I love this dude!

Counter Culture

The other day I took the kids to eat lunch at Counter Culture, in East Austin. Counter Culture started out as a food trailer and recently opened as a sit-down restaurant. It's super cute -- you can see a picture here. Aqua is my favorite color, so it goes without saying I am in love with their decor.

All the food is vegan, and there are several raw options. We ordered two raw entrees to share. Each entree comes with a choice of two sides.

Pesto "Rawviolis" -- the raviolis are made from thinly sliced jicama and filled with cashew cheeze. The pesto topping was amazing! It has a totally intense basil flavor. I loved this dish so much. Olivia devoured the raw kale salad. It's called Pac-Man salad because the carrot slices are cut to look like little Pac-Man faces. Cute! There was also a side of quinoa salad -- quinoa with nuts and raisins mixed in. 

Raw Pad Thai -- the "noodles" are made from kelp, a sea vegetable. I had never heard of kelp noodles. Apparently, they are very low in calories. I wouldn't have known this unless I looked it up, because this dish was filling. In addition to the noodles, there were scallions, cilantro, sunflower seeds, and various greens. The sides were garlicky greens and roasted sweet potatoes.

Everything was so delicious! I can't wait to go back and eat there again.

This morning we had some friends over to play. I served some kid-friendly snacks. We had hummus with baby carrots and pita chips, and I made these easy sugar-free lemon-coconut balls.

I also made the chocolate chip banana bread from 1000 Vegan Recipes. Best banana bread ever, hands down!

Have a great day!