Bahn Mi and TV

Couch potato afternoon. Video games and Legos for Jackson and a buddy.

Princess books for Olivia.

Vikings (TV) and The M Train (book) for me. 

Veganomicon French dip bahn mi's for all! 

And then back to the couch. What is keeping you glued to your couch lately?

Sushi and Spring Rolls

Recently, Jackson and Olivia's school hosted their first annual Move-a-Thon. This fundraiser was done as an alternative to selling gift wrap, magazine subscriptions, and other ecologically-unfriendly items. Instead, the kids spent the afternoon getting some fresh air and exercise while raising pledges. Have I mentioned I love my kids' school? We are so lucky to be among like-minded families who are interested in promoting fitness, outdoor play, and being green.

I love this pic. Jackson looks like a freaking gazelle or something.

I made a healthy dinner to refuel. From the Veganomicon, Butternut Squash Spring Rolls.

Also from V'con, Spicy Tempeh Rolls. Jackson and Olivia were sooooo excited to have sushi at home! I must make this more often.

October Eats

It's that time where the month is coming to an end and I am clearing off my camera. Here are some tasty autumnal eats we've enjoyed over the past few weeks.

Mole Skillet Pie with Greens from Veganomicon. Soooo satisfying, and that mole sauce might not be authentic (their words not mine), but it's the bomb and so easy to make!

Saucy BBQ Chickpeas and Green Beans from Plant-Powered Families, paired with some kinda quinoa-amaranth-millet pilaf from Costco. The pilaf had an earthy (polite way of saying dirt) flavor. The BBQ beans are awesome.

Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions from Veganomicon. Oh, my sweet baby mujadara. I am the only one in my family who likes this dish, and I don't care. Sometimes I make it just for me and eat it for days. The love is real.

Apple Pie Smoothies from Plant-Powered Families. A perfect homework-time snack, and it really does taste like apple pie!

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup from Healthy Happy Vegan. I love the smooth texture of the blended sweet potatoes! I hated how spicy it was, even though I cut down on the amount of chipotle powder that the recipe called for. I love spicy food but I don't like it when heat overwhelms the other flavors. So I will cut it down a lot more next time.

Raw Chard Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing from Healthy Happy Vegan. Made up for the too-spicy soup. I could have eaten the entire recipe myself but I shared with Tony so he could partake in the goodness.

Cheesy Cauliflower and Potato Bake from The Abundance Diet, along with cornmeal-crusted roasted okra from our garden. Sooooo gooood. Ultimate comfort food, cheesy and creamy and wonderful.

Tap shoes and a blanket, why not?

Two Kids, Two Approaches to Sports

Soccer season is underway. Jackson is back with his same team from last year. They are a great group of little dudes.

Olivia is playing this year, too! Her team is called the Rainbow Dashers, ha! 

She did amazing in her first game, scoring four goals! While our happy-go-lucky Jackson is just out there to have a good time with his friends, Olivia appears to have quite a competitive streak in her! I am not the least bit competitive, so this is an interesting development and just goes to show that, with children, you never know what you are going to get! 

For dinner I made the Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry from Veganomicon. I was too lazy to make seitan, so I subbed tofu.

Fall

You guys it's fall! I'm so excited. Sorry to have been away. Tony has been traveling a lot since starting his new job in August, and I do not always have the time to post every day. So here I am, catching up, while I love sitting here with the windows open because it's 65 degrees out!

Veganomicon Roasted Fennel and Hazelnut Salad with Shallot Dressing sounded nice and autumnal, so I whipped that up for dinner on the first day of fall. I could not find chicory at two different stores in Austin, so I used endive because they are in the same family. Along with the salad, I made the V'con Curried Carrot Dip, served with some naan bread.

I love the seasonal drinks. Harmless Harvest has introduced cacao and cinnamon clove flavors of their amazing raw coconut water. It is expensive but it's tastiest brand in my opinion. I also picked up a Rebbl hibiscus mint yerba mate tonic. I was excited because it was the first time I have seen any Rebbl drinks around here. I want to try them all!

Sprouts has and entire wall of pumpkin products. Not kidding! 

I came home with pumpkin loops cereal and pumpkin spice kale chips.

At HEB, I picked up pumpkin spice Mini Wheats, apple cinnamon Special K, pumpkin spice latte M&M's, and pumpkin spice baking chips.

I think we have reached Peak Pumpkin Spice, guys! At HEB I got pumpkin spice and rosemary dish soaps.

I also bought a bunch of Snapea Crisps and Lentil Snaps because they were on sale and Olivia absolutely loves them in her lunchbox.

Finally, not autumnal but pretty tasty none the less, a High Country kombucha, wild root flavor. It contained sarsaparilla, licorice root, star anise, yellowdock root, burdock root, wildcherry bark, and dandelion root. How's that for an interesting ingredient list? It tasted very medicinal and herbal, in a good way!

To welcome in this spooooky time of year, we made some cotton ball ghosts.

oooOOOooo! Happy autumn to you!

Almost Autumn

Autumn is just around the corner! We have already had some beautiful, cool mornings that really had that fall feeling. I can't wait for more cool weather. I've got my hot cocoa already! I saw this Cocoa Mojo on Naturally Lauren and I had to order some. It contains medicinal mushrooms like cordyceps. I was very lucky not to catch any summer colds this year and I want to continue this healthy streak into the fall, so I am all for immune-boosting warm drinks.

Chai-flavored anything screams autumn to me, so I was excited to try this brand of kombucha I'd never seen before, Kombucha Wonder Drink. The India flavor contains all of the traditional yummy chai spices.

Every couple of years I stock up on lotions and I just received this order from Bath & Body Works. Autumn scented everything!

Hearty noodle bowls trick my mind into thinking autumn is already here. The Veganomicon's Chickpea Noodle Soup, using soba noodles, hit the spot.

Meditation for Jenga victory. Steady hands, steady hands!

Austin's Park

In lieu of a party this year, we celebrated Olivia's birthday at Austin's Park.  She and Jackson were a little excited to say the least.

We arrived right when they opened, on a chilly Sunday. It was awesome because hardly anyone else was there, so there were no lines for any of the rides.

Olivia was not quite tall enough for some rides, like the bumper boats. We will just have to go back next year after she grows a bit more!

She made up for it by riding her favorite rides over and over. And over!

First rollercoaster ride!

Lunch break/shark attack!

Austin's Park has an all-you-can-eat pizza and salad buffet. The salad bar had a pretty good range of offerings; I didn't go hungry.

Jackson came soooo close to reaching the top of the rock wall. 

After lunch we headed back outside for some mini golf.

"OK Mama, that's enough pictures, let's go ride some more rides!"

A great day of family fun. For dinner I made the Veganomicon French dip sandwiches with au jus. Our favorite meal.

Bluebonnets and Kids' Meals

Thought I would share our annual bluebonnet pics, a Texas springtime tradition, along with some recent meals that Jackson and Olivia enjoyed. To my readers with kids, I am curious, how often do your kids eat the same meal as you do? Or do you serve it to them in a different way or fix them their own separate thing?

Jackson and Olivia both prefer to get their fruits and veggies in raw, bite-sized form. Olivia will eat half a cantaloupe for breakfast if I slice it up for her.

I can't put onion in any dish, or Jackson refuses it. So I have started omitting onions from recipes and using onion powder instead, for flavor. It worked fine in this French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme, from the Veganomicon.

One reason we eat a ton of Tex-Mex is that my kids love it. They will usually have a cheese enchilada with rice and beans, while I will go with spinach mushroom enchiladas, like these from El Mercado.

Same dish, at Maudie's. I like the grilled zucchini on the side, but I will give most of it to Olivia because she loves it.

Tex-Mex (or just Mex, maybe) at home. Baja-Style Tempeh Grilled Tacos from Veganomicon. Now, there is no way my kids are eating something like this. Too much going on. Too many foods combined.

So I serve it to them deconstructed. A little seasoned tempeh, a little slaw, a tortilla with Earth Balance. And, for extra veggie-tude, a bowl of cherry tomatoes to share.

There are some meals Tony and I enjoy, that they just will not have any part of. For example this Pan-Seared Tofu with Basil Balsamic Glaze (from Celebrate Vegan), served over rosemary mashed potatoes, with leftover focaccia.

So I give them their own separate meal, consisting of odds and ends that I find in the refrigerator. Kale chips, cherry tomatos, 1/2 Amy's bean burrito, and tortilla with Earth Balance.

Whatever works! I think they eat pretty healthy, and their pediatrician checkups and infrequent illnesses reflect that.

Love.