Home

We're home.

Soon I'll make a post about our 1800-mile road trip from Poughkeepsie to Austin, our week living in a Residence Inn, and my obscenity-laced dealings with extortionist Russian Mafia auto shippers. But for now, I just want to send a huge thank you to all of you who wished me luck with my move and expressed concern about whether the Texas wildfires have affected me (thankfully, they have not.) Thank you. It feels great to be settled. It feels great to be home.

Tony's previous employer wouldn't let him take time off work to fly out here and look for housing before we moved, so we had to wing it and find a house to rent once we arrived in Austin. Every morning, I would hop on the shared computer at the hotel and check the listings, and then we would drive around and scope places out. Each day I grew more nervous because houses were being rented out so quickly. We would see a place that we liked, and call the realtor, only to discover it was already taken. This happened five or six times. We couldn't increase our budget and we were determined to get a house, not an apartment. Tony and I had never lived in a house together, and it was time. The kids need a yard to run around in. I need a washer and dryer that belong to me and only me.

At the last possible minute, (the movers were literally heading into town with our stuff and needed somewhere to put it) we found a home that had just come onto the market that morning.

Our home.

The inside is pretty basic because we haven't really decorated yet. I like that we have a fireplace (believe it or not, it does occasionally get cool enough in Austin to warrant using a fireplace), and a garage so my car doesn't have to bake in the sun all day.

And oh yes, look what else is in that garage.

Sniff, sniff, aren't they beautiful? I'm so proud.

The house is only a few minutes from Tony's new job, which is awesome for him. There is also a greenbelt that is accessible at the end of our block -- I've already done a little exploring with Jackson. But the main reason we love this house is the backyard.

Jackson and Olivia love it. All they've known for so long is cold and snow, and apartment living with no space of their own. Sometimes Jackson will just sit in a deck chair and relax in the shade, looking out at the trees. My little guy, who is usually such a tornado of energy, will sit there quietly for a good twenty minutes. It's like he turns into a tiny old man. Then he gets another burst of energy and wants to run around and feel the sun on his face.

Olivia is a big fan of the deck. She is more like her daddy, preferring to hang out in the shade where it's cooler.

I like my new kitchen, too, although it's too overcast outside to take good photos today. It has a pantry, and a gas stove which I'm still getting used to, and window over the sink so I can look outside while I wash dishes. I also have a bookshelf for my cookbooks, so I don't have to store them in a cupboard. Now I can show 'em off.

The other night, I made an Ethiopian feast in honor of Tony's first day at his new job. All of the recipes were from Appetite for Reduction. I can't believe I almost didn't buy that cookbook, thinking it was "diet food." Everything is so delicious.

Y'abesha gomen - gingery collard greens. These were so crazy good that I finished them off for breakfast the next morning. Cold. I might be a freak for being so addicted to greens, but I don't care.

Ethiopian millet. If you haven't tried millet, it's similar to couscous, but with a little more bite to it.

Mushroom tibs. This dish was so easy to make. You whisk a spicy tomato sauce together in a measuring cup, dump it over the mushrooms, and stick it in the oven for 20 minutes. The recipe doesn't call for chickpeas, but I figured the sauce would complement them, so I tossed in half a can. If your store doesn't carry cremini mushrooms, don't worry, just use white button mushrooms. I almost always use button mushrooms wherever cremini are called for, since they are easier to find and cost less.

I'll be back soon, but a kind neighbor just stopped by to school us on recycling and trash pick-up schedules. I had put out our blue recycling bin along with the regular trash, but apparently it only gets picked up every other week.  I'm pretty pumped that we have single-sort recycling here -- it is really convenient and we didn't have any type of recycling available at all where we used to live. But now I have to run to Home Depot to buy a special kind of bag to use for lawn clippings. Who knew there were special bags? Ah, it's good to be home. 

Quick Update

Hey guys! I promise I haven't disappeared. We made it to Austin no problem and have been staying at the Residence Inn while house-hunting. We found a great house with a huge backyard for the babies and dog to play in, and today we are checking out of the hotel and heading over there to finish unpacking.

However we won't have an internet connection until April 21, unless the cable company decides to have mercy and fit us in sooner. So it'll be a bit longer before I can start posting again.

Hope you all are doing well! I'm sorry, I haven't had time to read and comment on your blogs while using this shared computer but I will catch up soon. Have a great day!

Almost Time To Go

Our home is becoming unrecognizable, with boxes everywhere. Poor Olivia. My sweet but high-strung baby girl is super nervous. It's her first move. She's been needing more cuddles and reassurance than usual. 

Jackson, on the other hand, is taking it in stride. Last night he was showing off his sweet breakdancing moves on the packing boxes.

Everything is an adventure for him. Besides, he is an old pro at this.

I made sure to walk around and take some final photos of our place, so Olivia can look at them when she is older. This was her first home. She learned to walk here.

We have shared many meals here.

 

This is the last one...cooked by me, anyway. It's take-out from now until Friday morning, when the movers come and we hit the road. I'm packing the kitchen as we speak.

Scrambled tofu, roasted broccoli, and home fries.

Speaking of last, this will most likely be my last post for a couple of weeks. I won't have my computer until the movers bring it, and I don't have a laptop.

But I do have car snacks.

And new toys to surprise the babies with over the course of our journey.

And soon, many more meals together in our new home.

We'll see y'all in Texas!

No Scrambled Tofu, Just Scrambled Thoughts

Last night, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. I laid in bed for a couple of hours and finally got up and started looking at house rentals on the computer. The babies weren't even stirring yet. Safe to say my mind is working overtime these days. In a month’s time we will be settled back in Austin. So crazy to think about. 

Although it has been stressful at times, the past year and a half has been a huge learning experience. I learned never to buy a condo when the market is about to take a nose dive! Ha. Seriously, I learned a lot about real estate. Should I ever want to buy again, I will know what to look for -- and watch out for -- in a realtor and in a property. I also learned that the grass is not always greener and realized how lucky I was to live in a city like Austin, which has so much to offer in terms of nice weather, music and art scene, friendly people, vegan-friendly dining, and activities for kids.  When I was attending college in Oklahoma, I always loved driving down to Austin to see bands play and hang out. I wanted to move there for a long time. It just took awhile to realize that dream. Once I got down there, I was so happy. But then we bought the condo and quickly discovered what a money pit it was (and how gross some of the other tenants were -- ugh, the stories I could tell!) Also, Tony and I were having a hard time, as I think a lot of couples do when they first become parents, and I wasn't loving my job, either. Put all that together and I was becoming quite the bitter little pill.

Who would have known that Tony losing his job was really a blessing?  We went through several months of thinking we were going to be foreclosed and our finances would be screwed forever.  And we had to move to upstate New York, an area I had never even thought about visiting. But in the end, it made me stronger. If I can pack up everything I own and move 2000 miles to a place where I have no family or friends, with a 1-year-old in tow, while extremely pregnant mind you, I can do just about anything and get through it. And that is a good thing to learn about yourself. 

We were able to sell the condo and get back on our feet financially. As much as I bitch about certain aspects of the East Coast (seriously, winter, I give up, you have beaten me, it's okay to retreat now), I'm thrilled that I got to visit Boston and Montreal, and of course all our day trips to New York City.  And now that this chapter of my life is coming to an end, I'm getting a second chance to appreciate all that is good about Texas, and raise my family there as I intended.

In less than three weeks, we're setting out on a road trip, stopping in Nashville and Memphis and I'm not sure where else along the way.  We are going to find a place to live once we get there. I've never done anything like that, just packed up and hit the road with no forwarding address. I can't wait.

So, uh, I guess this is a food blog, yes? Where does food come in? Well, I'm trying to use up stuff I have in my freezer and fridge. Dry goods can be packed and shipped. I hate to toss anything. So my meals might be sort of...interesting...for the next several days. 

Last night I made Moroccan Lentil Stew, from Vegan on the Cheap.

My slow cooker gave off a horrible burning smell as it started to heat up. You know when you turn on the heater in a motel room and you can tell it hasn't been used for awhile because it smells like burning dust? It was like that. I was pretty scared; I really didn't want to get electrocuted while making soup. But I turned it down to low for awhile and the smell went away. I'm not sure my 1970s crockpot will be making the move with me. Sorry, buddy.

I also made a huge batch of kale chips, using Averie's recipe. Best snack ever. Here they are ready to go in the oven. I don't have a dehydrator but the oven works fine.

Even though Olivia just got her two front teeth, for a grand total of four, she wants to eat everything she sees us eating. She loves to gnaw on the kale leaves until there's nothing left but a few soggy strands.

If you've gotten this far, thank you for reading my thoughts on moving and everything. Writing helps me clear my head. Have a great day!

Still Around and Great News

Hi, sorry for my disappearance there! For a few days I was busy 24/7, doing some single parenting while Tony was on a business trip. And honestly since he got back, I've been on pins and needles waiting to hear about something...which I can share with you now, and will in a minute...anyway I was too nervous to do much cooking, let alone blogging. But I've calmed down now, enough to share some news, and of course some food pics.

First, my big news -- we are moving back to Texas! That was the nature of Tony's trip last week. Well, he nailed his interview and is starting a new job next month! We are SO excited. I've talked a little bit before about how we ended up in New York. It's never been a good fit for us and we've always considered Austin our home. And in a few weeks, we are going home!

We are just beginning our planning process of how we are actually going to move two adults, two babies, a dog, and all our stuff over 1800 miles. The rest of this month is going to be insane and stressful, but a good kind of stress, because our dream of the past year and a half is coming true. 

So in between getting estimates for moving vans, I'm de-stressing by spending time in the kitchen...

First, my latest Urban Vegan tester -- Irish soda bread. A nice crusty, dense loaf, tastes great with margarine and jam or agave. As the name implies, soda bread gets its rising ability from baking soda rather than yeast. So you do not have to allow an hour for the yeast to do its work. Just mix it up and stick it right in the oven. So easy.

Our local health food store expanded over the winter, and now has a full bakery and deli. While I was checking out the new design, these tofu chicken fingers caught my eye. I don't often buy pre-made treats like this, but it was one of those times I was too nervous to cook.

I made an agave-mustard dip for them. They were kind of bland. Just a reminder that homemade is usually better!

Cajun-spiced Po'Boys from Vegan on the Cheap. Creole seasoned seitan, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard, Veganaise and pickled jalapenos. Yum! The seitan recipe was also from VotC.  It's not my favorite seitan...it had a slight grittiness to it...but it makes two pounds for super cheap. It always surprises me when I see expensive pre-made seitan is. At my health food store it's $4 for 8 oz. I didn't work out the exact cost of this seitan but it was far less, and so easy to make.

Next up, Matthew's Spicy Tomato Peanut Kale Pasta from La Dolce Vegan. Many of my favorite recipes come from this cookbook. I actually have a recipe published in it, too. Woo! Anyway, this was one I hadn't tried. Man, is it good! You cook the kale in tomato juice and it has such a great texture. . So perfect and easy.

Finally, Wolffie's BLT Casserole, also from La Dolce Vegan.  Yes, I adore BLT sandwiches so much that I sometimes like to eat them in casserole form. However, we have a strong superstition about this casserole in our home. You see, every time I've made it, Tony and I have gotten in a fight.  Not a fight about the casserole -- we both think it tastes great. Just some unrelated argument.  

Oh casserole, what evil powers do you contain?

We were sure that this time, the spell could be broken. We ate our casserole and, to our relief, we did not fight that night.  But...we did fight the next day. Nooooo! It must have been the leftover piece in the fridge. Even a single piece holds enough bad juju to make us fight. Couldn't have been any other reason, ha!

Luckily we made up quickly and everyone was in good spirits to celebrate Olivia's first birthday! Which I will have to get to tomorrow, since it's time to go to a dentist appointment. Fun!

I hope you guys are all doing well.  Any good news, funny food superstitions, or other randomness you want to share? It is good to be back. See you tomorrow!