Out and About

Jackson was extra sproingy this morning. He bursts out of bed full of energy, in spite of the fact that our 6:30 a.m. wake-ups are getting darker and darker as we make our way through autumn. 

Watch out, kindergarten!

Olivia and I got out to Camp Mabry for a walk around the track and some pilot practice.

She had to try all the pieces of exercise equipment in the outdoor workout area, too.

For lunch, we picked up a take-out order from Bouldin Creek Cafe. After my recent failure at making homemade "eggs" benedict, I decided to let the professionals handle it. The "Renedict," pictured below, features ciabatta bread topped with tofu scramble, spinach, tofu bacon, and Hollandaise sauce. I really couldn't get home fast enough to tear into it.

Olivia was eager to share it with me, but she fortified herself with some Earth Balance cheezy crackers on the drive home. These are super good!

Dinner was Pantry Paella from More Quick-Fix Vegan. The idea is a Spanish paella made with ingredients you keep in your pantry, so the base is quinoa. It was tomato-y, olive-y, and not too heavy, perfect after a big lunch.

Zoo and Paella

Today we visited the Austin Zoo, which is actually an animal sanctuary. Jackson and Olivia were excited to ride the train, as we had never ridden it before.

The petting zoo was our top destination. The kids couldn't wait to hand-feed the hungry goats.

One little goat wasn't feeling snacky. He just wanted to hang out.

This dude, on the other hand, was eager for his share of feed.

The tiger seemed to be posing just for us.

For dinner I made the Artichoke Paella from Vegan Eats World, as part of the PPK Cookbook Challenge. It looked so gorgeous in the pan, making me really excited to dig in!

And the flavor did not disappoint. Tempeh chorizo, artichoke hearts, and an array of veggies are blended with creamy aborio rice. I subbed Spanish green olives for the pearl onions since I had a jar in the fridge. I've only tasted paella once before, at a restaurant years ago that offered a vegetarian version (it's typically made with sausage and seafood.) My memory is hazy, but I think this was better. And it wasn't much harder to make than boiling a pot of rice, if you make the tempeh chorizo the day before (that recipe is also found in the cookbook.)