Trick or Treat!

We started our Halloween right, with lunch at Alborz. As far as I know, it's the only Persian restaurant in Austin. They offer a lunch buffet with vegetarian and vegan items clearly marked. I loaded up on hummus, tabouli, eggplant stew, and several different kinds of rice pilafs. One had lima beans and dill; another had sour cherries and nuts. On the side, must-o-khiar (cucumber yogurt dip, similar to tzatziki) with lots of fluffy flatbread for dipping.

Then we spent a couple of hours at a birthday party, before coming home to change for the main event. Trick or treating! Fairy Princess and Ultron were so excited they could barely contain themselves.

Tony didn't want to wear a real scary wolf mask and frighten the kids, so this is what we came up with. Haha!

First we went to the neighborhood park for Trunk or Treat. The kids played some carnival games, checked out the decorations, and compared costumes with friends from school and soccer.

Triceradog!

Candy! Yassss!

Then it was off for a short walk through the hood, collecting more treats along the way. I love how our neighbors go all out with their decorating!

Spooky graveyard!

We finished up the night at a neighbor's potluck party. The kids chilled in the garage watching Halloween cartoons, while the adults nibbled on finger foods and drank pumpkin beer.

I brought kalamata olive tapenade, using the recipe from The Urban Vegan.

It was a perfect Halloween night! Hope you had a good one!

Field Trippin'

Last week, Olivia and I accompanied Jackson's class on their spring field trip to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls. We arrived before the school bus, so she took a turn on the bounce pillow while we waited for the kindergarteners to show up.

The strawberries were ripe for the pickin', and each kid got to bring home a carton.

Jackson had a mantra. "The redder, the better!" he kept saying.

Olivia got to pick, too.

The kids also carefully released ladybugs into the strawberry patch. The ladybugs kill the aphids who destroy the plants.

Next the class got to feed the goats. One of them was extremely eager for his snack.

One goat was snacking on what looked like a giant hunk of butter. I'm not sure what it was! I should have asked.

That evening, the kids ate up their strawberries while I made a quick dinner, the pasta carbonara with tempeh bacon from Urban Vegan.

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Kindergarten

Kindergarten today is more intense than when I was a kid. Jackson had homework before school started. He had to make an "About Me" poster to show and tell the class. He drew himself as a fire-breathing lion riding a motorcycle.

We also had to make a name tag for his cubby.

His campus is nut-free, so I made a trip to Natural Grocer to pick up some sun butter. Sriracha chips magically found their way into my basket, too.

Finally the first day arrived. I was nervous. I wasn't sure if I was ready to send my little guy away from me for seven hours each day. That's practically a full-time job! But nerves are contagious, and I didn't want Jackson to worry. He'd really been taking it all in stride up to this crucial point. So I masked my uncertainty with enthusiasm and sent him off with a big hug and the hopes that his first day would be totally awesome.

Then it was just me and a somewhat delirious Olivia. Waking up at 6:30...oh man. It's an adjustment.

The day seemed very long. Finally it was time to go pick up brother. As we walked up to the school, we encountered the other kindergarten parents waiting anxiously to see how their kiddos did. As soon as Jackson spotted Olivia and me, he said goodbye to his teacher and ran over. "So, how was kindergarten?" I asked him. He paused and said, "Well, it was...pretty awesome!" He was happy that he got to draw pictures of snakes during science class, and he got to see his pre-K friends, Maeve and Alex, at recess. 

Right after we got home, a sudden downpour began. It was as though the clouds sensed my relief. The kids eagerly stripped down and ran outside to play. And just like that, I have a kindergartener.

For dinner I made Pastitsio from the Urban Vegan cookbook.

Kind of like a lasagna, except made with ziti, and the tomato sauce has hints of cinnamon and allspice. Tasted lovely and plenty of leftovers.

Bella

Last night I made a batch of maple-pecan Alternative Granola from The Urban Vegan. The "alternative" is that this granola includes atypical grains such as quinoa and amaranth. Well, to be honest, there's no amaranth in mine, because this was a spur-of-the-moment craving satisfation and I had no amaranth in my pantry. I had a bowlful this morning with Greek yogurt and sliced peaches.

For dinner I made two Going Vegan tester recipes. First, Summer Squash Veggie Sloppy Joes, served open-faced on whole wheat buns, sprinkled with nooch. These unique joes have a distinctly Italian flavor, rather than the traditional smoky BBQ flavor I frequently associate with sloppy joes.

Herb Roasted Potatoes on the side. The spice blend coats the potato cubes and bakes into a crispy, flavorful shell.

Today I ventured into IKEA to look for a bookshelf for the kids. No luck there, but I picked up a milk frother for $3. This produkt is going to revolutionize my coffee experience...just as soon as it gets cold enough to drink latte's. I'm hooked on iced coffees at the moment.

Afterwards, I stopped in to see my parents, who are all settled in to their new home along with their two cats, Bailey and Bella. Little hermit Bailey was hiding under the bed as usual, but Bella came out to say hi. She is so tiny, barely six pounds.

She's really sweet, although you wouldn't guess it from these photos. Every time I aimed my camera at her, she shot me a glare that clearly said, "Put down that stupid camera and pet me, human!"

What Bella wants, Bella gets.