Pinterest Odds 'n' Ends

Occasionally I become determined to actually cook a few of the hundreds of recipes I've pinned on my "food I will cook" Pinterest board!

First up, Soba Noodles with Lemony Kale Pesto. I love soba noodles lately, and they are so easy and fast to cook. I didn't know you could make pesto from kale. It has a really green, vitamin-y flavor. Really tasty; I had two helpings. Oh, and I cut the amount of oil in half and just thinned it out with water as needed, because an entire cup of oil is too crazy.

Next, Roasted Radishes. OK, I also never knew you could roast radishes. Pinterest is so educational. When roasted, the radishes have a buttery, potato-like flavor and texture. Aren't they pretty?

Finally, Okonomiyaki -- Japanese savory pancakes made from napa cabbage, and served with a dollop of sriracha-enhanced Veganaise. These crisped up really nicely and I'd definitely make them again. 

I had to pick up some bath soap for the kids today, and instead of their usual Mr. Bubble, I decided to go a more natural route. Although I don't usually talk about bath and beauty products, I have to rave about this Everyday Shea lemon-lavender bubble bath. Aside from being all natural and fair trade certified, it smells amazing. And very strong! I could smell it down the hall, and my babies came out of the tub smelling like the little cherubs that they are (haha!)

I also picked up two bags of Saffron Road crunchy chickpea snacks because they were on sale at Whole Foods. I got Bombay Spice and Falafel flavors. Olivia has eaten almost the entire bag of Bombay Spice by herself. Jackson is not crazy about them. The Falafel flavor is spicy, so we saved that one for Tony. I grabbed a Kosmic Kombucha for myself. I brew my own kombucha but sometimes I want a different flavor. Kosmic is my favorite brand and their Mint Julep flavor is super refreshing.

My pretty girl showing off her new headband.

Valentine's Day 2014

Tony and I aren't ones to make a huge fuss over Valentine's Day, but now that we have children, we will always take up my parents' offers to babysit so we can enjoy a romantic dinner, even if the occasion is an arbitrary day in February!

We chose The Dojo, since we're kind of obsessed with Japanese food at the moment (as is most of Austin, it would seem, given the number of new Japanese restaurants that have opened in the past year). I was excited to discover that they offer a separate vegan menu and have a dedicated vegan fryer.

We started with a few small plates to share. The fried Brussels sprouts were amazing. I love Brussels, so that's not too weird for me to say, but I seriously wanted to lick the bowl clean.

The blistered shishito peppers tasted kind like a cross between grilled green peppers and poblano peppers.

We also shared a plate of assorted pickles veggies. Lots of eggplant, to my enjoyment and Tony's disdain.

Our server brought us complimentary glasses of strawberry champagne.

I also had a nice, strong cucumber mojito.

Next up, while Tony dug into his meat dishes, I enjoyed tofu caprese with avocado mousse and balsamic pearls. The tomatoes weren't at their ripest, but I was impressed with the culinary fanciness of the balsamic pearls.

For my main dish I had the Dojo's version of okonomiyaki, potato pancakes. In this case, homemade waffle fries piled high with avocado mayo, scallions, carrots, ginger, and balsamic drizzle. I loved this dressed-up comfort food.

Afterwards, we popped in at a friend's party. She had a nice little spread with champagne and finger foods, including cookies that looked like candy hearts and were printed with filthy Valentine's messages that cracked me up. Let's just say the one below was the most PG-rated of the bunch.

Hope you enjoyed celebrating or not celebrating Valentine's, as to your preference.