4th of July

We spend July 4th weekend up in Oklahoma. We were just in time for the grand opening of the new water park in Shawnee.

It was just what we needed to get the kids out of my mother in law's house for a few hours and let them get their sillies out.

Tony and I got in too. I don't understand parents who don't get in the water. I am not just going to sit there and sweat for several hours. I'm getting in.

We had a low key holiday, hanging around the house. Jackson and Olivia got to meet their cousins from California for the first time. They just happened to be visiting at the same time as us. 

One evening, my mother-in-law volunteered to watch the kids so Tony and I could have a date night in the city. Believe it or not we passed up getting Chinese fast food from a convenience store.

We had heard good things about The Mule and it did not let us down. Their specialty cocktails are all variations on the Moscow Mule. I had the Okie Mule, made with hibiscus syrup, vodka, ginger beer, and lime. It was amazing. I wish I was drinking one (or three) now.

My handsome husband.

We started with the craziest stuffed mushrooms either of us had ever encountered. They were loaded with cashew cheeze, grilled jalapenos, barbecue sauce, and guac.  Hot and gooey and amazing.

I had the Herbivore sandwich with cashew cheeze, beets, mushrooms, tomato pesto, onions, jalapenos, and avocado. That is a lot of ingredients to pile onto a sandwich and I was impressed. The vegan side of the day was quinoa with butternut squash and pecans. It was sweet like something you would eat for breakfast, kind of an odd pairing but it worked.

My other handsome gentleman, always ready for a road trip.

T-Rex!

Last week, the T-Rex from Erth Dinosaur Petting Zoo made a stomping, roaring visit to Zilker Park. Of course I had to take my little dinosaur aficionados to see him in up-close and in person. 

Jackson and his buddy couldn't believe their eyes.

T-Rex, coming through! His hands may be tiny, but he's still a scary sight!

Olivia maintained a safe distance beside a sign which she employed as a protective shield.

Other children were not so concerned with self-preservation.

After T. Rex lumbered off to his next appointment, we found ourselves with dino-sized appetites. Austin's Pizza is a favorite lunch spot for us, thanks to its playscape. That is my #1 tip for dining with children, right there. Always look for the playscape.

Black olive pizza for the kids.

Spinach mushroom pizza rolls for Mama.

So, I'm still finishing up testing for Joni, and I've been having so much fun, I didn't want the fun to end. So I've started testing recipes for Celine Steen and Tami Noyes' new finger foods cookbook! Here are my first attempts.

Green Beans Jal-frezi...lovely green beans cooked in a curry tomato sauce.

Brussels Sprouts with Browned Onions...rich and decadent. Who know brussels sprouts could taste like a treat?

Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms...barley and pine nuts give this filling a nice, chewy texture.

Antipasta Stuffed Tofu Shells...so many delicious flavors contained within these little shells, I couldn't even begin to list them all off.

Can't wait to share more with you!

Molly Monkey's Visit

This week, Jackson brought his friend Molly Monkey home to stay with us. Molly has been making the rounds among Jackson's classmates, and now it's our turn to play host to her. As with any houseguest, the first thing we did was make sure we had her favorite foods on hand.

 

We planned some outings to entertain our guest. A trip to the park...

Weeee! Be brave, Molly.

Jackson has never shown interest in a stuffed animal before in his life, but I can tell Molly is different.  He hasn't put her down.

In addition to bananas, one evening I made a risotto with roasted broccoli and brussels sprouts.  I was inspired by Carla who posted this delicious dinner back during Vegan MoFo.  You can roast the veggies in the same time it makes to cook the risotto and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Another night, I made tofu bacon, recipe courtesy of the Vegan Cookbook Aficionado.  I skipped the freezing and thawing of the tofu. Instead I pressed it in my Tofu XPress and used a serrated knife to cut thin slices.  It turned out great! Crispy, salty and smoky.  (It's also quite greasy when you take it out of the pan, but you can transfer it directly onto some paper towels and that will soak up a lot of the oil.)  It was fabulous on a rye bread BLT.

One evening when it was just me and the kiddos, I had a craving for stuffed mushrooms. These are Melissa's Stuffed Mushrooms from La Dolce Vegan.  Garlicky and amazing!

And here's my attempt to replicate Sabra's Supremely Spicy hummus at home. That stuff is like crack for me.  In a small bowl, I combined minced roasted red pepper, chili pepper flakes, and some olive oil. I let it sit for awhile to combine the flavors, then spooned it over some basic hummus. It wasn't quite as spicy as I wanted, so I sprinkled more chili pepper flakes on top after I took this picture. Not quite as good as Sabra's, but it'll definitely do in a pinch.  Yum!

Thanks for visiting, Molly!

And thank you for visiting me here. Have a great weekend!