Out to Lunch

Today, I had a really good morning with Jackson and Olivia. First we went to storytime at a book store. Sometimes I take them to library storytime and Jackson gets a little wild. He pays attention to everything but the story. Not so this time. The story reader at the bookstore was loud and animated, which helped a lot. Before we left, Jackson got a new fire truck book. He loves fire trucks. Here he is being silly with the book. He is giving it a kiss.

Next week, they are going to have a special animal storytime with real live chinchillas, bunnies, and guinea pigs for the kids to pet. We will be there for sure. I don't know who will be more excited, me or the kids. I mean, chinchillas! Who doesn't want to pet a chinchilla?

After storytime, we went out to lunch! Why is that a big deal? It was the first time that I took both kids to a restaurant by myself, without Tony or another family member to help out. And it wasn't bad! Now it feels like a whole new world has opened up. We can go out to breakfast or lunch during the week sometimes! If you have little ones, you know how important it is to get them out of the house and avoid cabin fever, so this is a great development.

We went to Tino's, a Greek cafe. They have a veggie plate where you get to pick five things. We had salad, tabouli, baba ganoush, hummus, and dolmadas. We also got extra stuff - falafel and spanakopita. Jackson liked the falafel, and Olivia was partial to the baba ganoush. I was feeding it to her on pieces of pita bread, and she would open her mouth and crane her neck like a baby bird. But instead of regurgitated worm, she got delicious smoky eggplant! (Olivia 1, Baby Birds 0.)

I didn't take any pictures because, you know, I was busy feeding two kids by myself! But it was yummy and I'm sure we will go back.

For dinner, I made Mushroom Kale Potato Pizza with Garlic Sauce. I revised my recipe a little (the edited recipe appears in the linked post). To save time, I sauteed the mushrooms and kale together, rather than steaming the kale separately. That way, I did not have to wash out a steamer basket. Yay for fewer dishes! I also threw some sauteed vegan Italian sausage on top this time.

I'm sorry about the terrible photo. My camera is on its last legs and the settings buttons get stuck. It's OK, I've had it for almost ten years, so I think I got my money's worth. I ordered a new camera, can't wait til it gets here. Isn't it cute? It's not fancy, but it will work for my needs. There are some vegan bloggers who ought to be professional photographers. I would love to take photos as gorgeous as theirs, but the truth is that right now I don't have time in my day to pursue learning those skills. I've taken photography classes in the past and maybe some day I will again. For now cooking and yoga (and, 

oh yeah, blogging!) are my hobbies and I can't seem to wedge in another one.

Anyway, I'm just excited to get a camera that doesn't run on AA batteries and uses a 16GB memory card rather than 64MB. Can you say old school? Haha.

Finally, I have to share my belated Mother's Day present from Jackson and Olivia. Belated only because it has been drying in the garage for the past week and a half, unknown to me! Tony didn't want to bring it into the House of Chaos until it was completely set. The kids decorated it with the beads. They might have had some help from their daddy. J's little handprint and Livi's littler handprint next to it are killing me -- my heart melts every time I look at it. Can they stay this small forever?

Another Hummus Recipe

Monster had a fine birthday yesterday.

Jackson helped me make some gingerbread cookie dog treats. We got the recipe from Vegan Flower.

Monster loved them.

Jackson, well, he loved them too. The kid still tries to eat out of Monster's kibble bowl from time to time, so I guess that does not surprise me.

We also prepared something for us humans to munch on. Should I rename this blog Busy Hummus Mama? I can't help it -- my kids love the stuff and so do I. This would probably also be delicious on a pizza, topped with some lovely fresh veggies.

Tomato Basil Hummus

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not the oil-packed kind)

1/4 cup fresh basil

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup water (or more as needed)

Blend chickpeas through salt in food processor. Stream in 1/3 cup water until hummus reaches desired consistency. Add more if needed.

Enjoy, and have a lovely Wednesday. I was gonna take the kids to a splash pad, but it doesn't open until this weekend. We'll find something else to do outside. Olivia has decided she does not like wearing her sun hat, so here she is yesterday with sunscreen rubbed onto her little scalp. Punk rock baby!

Happy Birthday, Monster!

Today is Monster's birthday. He is five years old. In dog years, he is 35. He is older than me now! I asked him if he has any words of wisdom, anything he has learned in all his dog-time on earth. He responded by licking Olivia's face.

Then I asked the kids to make him some drawings for his birthday. They tried to eat the crayons. Monster was proud. He has taught them well.

Later we are going to bake him some special treats. Monster really is our "oldest child" and we always like to spoil him on his special day.

Monster, your tongue makes everyone laugh.

You are a goofy dog. Sometimes, I wonder if you get into the Scotch while we are not home.

A lot has changed since you joined our little family. Mama learned that bangs do not flatter her, for one thing.

You've rolled with the changes.

Lots of changes.

We love you, buddy!

Last night, I tried out my new grill pan. I made the Chimichurri Grilled Vegetables and the Grilled Tofu with Tamarind Glaze, both from 1000 Vegan Recipes.

The first thing I learned about a grill pan is...have a chair ready so you can stand on it and disable your smoke alarm! It never occurred to me that indoor grilling might produce a lot of smoke. Especially if you have your burners turned up too high, ahem. I had to open all the windows and send Jackson outside to play while the smoke cleared. Yikes.

After I adjusted my burners and got some ventilation going, things were much better.

The chimichurri sauce -- a blend of garlic, parsley, and basil -- was super flavorful on its own, but its herbaceous punch diminished once it was brushed onto the veggies and grilled. I had some sauce left over, so I dabbed it onto the finished veggies to give them some extra flavor. Not that grilled veggies need to be dressed up much. They are pretty tasty on their own.

The tofu was a big hit. The tamarind sauce was sort of like a BBQ sauce -- sweet and spicy. It had just the right amount of heat for me. I pressed the tofu steaks in my Tofu Xpress and they were nice and firm. I marinated them overnight in the sauce, so they soaked up a ton of flavor.

I served everything on a bed of quinoa. The tamarind sauce soaked into the quinoa and it all tasted delicious. I loved the rainbow of colors on the plate. Not bad for my first grilling attempt.

Grilling takes patience. My grill pan is large, covering two burners, but I still had to divide the veggies into two batches, and then grill the tofu. Halfway through, I realized I should be drinking beer to pass the time.

I doubt I'll be using the grill pan much in the coming months -- might as well use the outdoor grill when the weather allows it. That way my house doesn't get all warm and smoky. But it was fun to try it out. What foods do you like to grill?

Bizzy Bizzy

How was your weekend? I had a great one. Tony and I have decided to try something new. For at least part of the day on Saturday or Sunday, we will split up and do our own thing for awhile, each taking one kiddo along. This will give us some quality bonding time with Jackson and Olivia individually.

Saturday morning, Olivia and I headed for the downtown farmer's market. It was really fun. The market has grown a lot in the past couple years. We walked around taking in everything. I was excited to see that several stalls had vegan offerings, and there was even an all-vegan baked goods tent. We shared a vegan oatmeal pie for a snack.

Next we went to a little bookstore/art gallery to check out a show. The subject was the art of secret societies, such as the Masons. I don't know anything about Masons, but there was some creepy symbolism going on, for sure. You can see some of it here.  Olivia isn't too interested in art yet, but she was happy to be out and about. And I think she enjoyed not having to vie for attention with her brother.

After that, we were going to get lunch, but Olivia fell asleep in the car, so we just went home and ate leftovers when she woke up. Then she "helped" me work on my new little garden. OK, mostly she just played in the dirt.

I don't have any pics from our girls' outing because Tony took the camera, to take pictures of Jackson at the firehouse open house they attended. Jackson is OBSESSED with fire trucks. He loved it.

It was awesome to spend time with my little lady getting to know her better, and I am glad Jackson got to bond with his daddy and see some big fire trucks, too.

That night, we took a walk in our old neighborhood. Not much has changed. I always loved the eccentric ways people decorate their yards.

Yep, that is somebody's front yard with a goat in it. I took Jackson for walks past this goat every day when he was a baby. I'm glad it's still around, chillin and munching on hay.

On Sunday, we took the kids to the playground at Whole Foods. They love the slide.

For dinner I made Singapore Noodles, from 1000 Vegan Recipes. Really light and delicious.

Today I'm running some errands with the kids, and then I'm attending a yoga nidra class tonight. I usually do hatha yoga, but yoga nidra is something I like to do once in awhile for relaxation and stress relief. You just lie there and the instructor takes you through a guided meditation. I swear, it's like a massage for your brain.

Have a great week!

Friday the 13th

Hey guys, happy Friday the 13th! Do you believe that this date is unlucky? We moved to New York on Friday the 13th, so I would have to say I believe it, haha. So far today, no major mishaps...knock on wood.

Wednesday night at yoga, I had an instructor who was very serene, soft-spoken, and encouraging. I love those instructors. (Most seem to fit that description, but I've encountered the occasional drill sergeant type, too!)  At one point, we were holding a pose for a long time, and she said, "Some of you are probably wondering right now, what am I doing? Am I doing this right? And the answer is...you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, and you're doing everything right."

Normally, I might chuckle to myself at such stereotypical yoga-spiritual-goddess-talk. But at that moment, it felt like I was meant to be in that class and hear those words. I even teared up a little. Because lately I seem to spend a lot of time worrying that I don't know what I'm doing, and maybe I am doing everything wrong. Not in yoga class, in life.

But of course, Thursday morning, my newly acquired yoga zen went out the window when I burned my arm while making tea. Next, it started storming. I had planned on taking the kids to an outdoor nursery to get some plants, but now we were stuck inside. I absent-mindedly left some windows open upstairs, and the floor and rugs got wet. Jackson got cabin fever and poured his milk in the toybox. Then he hit Olivia, and she wouldn't let me put her down for the rest of the morning. Fun.

For lunch, I made this salad.

It's Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette, Sarah Kramer's May recipe from her 2011 calendar. After I made the dressing, I realized I didn't have enough baby spinach, so I had to throw in a bunch of browning, wilted iceberg lettuce that was lurking in the fridge. And that familiar feeling crept over me. You're not doing anything right, you can't even make a stupid salad. 

But my next thought was, "Well, you hate wasting food, and now you don't have to throw away that lettuce. So that's a plus." And you know, the salad still tasted pretty darn good, iceberg and all. 

And the rain eventually stopped, and in the afternoon I went and got my plants.

This is my little starter garden - cherry tomato, jalapeno pepper, hot cherry pepper, strawberry, basil, lavender, and rosemary. I tried to garden once before, a couple years ago, but I didn't get enough sunlight on my patio and my tomato plant died. So I'm nervous about subjecting these innocent plants to my maybe-not-so-green thumb. But the dude at the garden center guessed that the lack of sunlight was probably the problem last time, not me.

So maybe I don't suck at everything. It's possible. We'll see how our new plant friends do.

In the end, the day wasn't a total wash. Last night was free admission night at a bunch of museums and galleries downtown. We took the babies for a stroll and checked out a couple of places. First we hit the Austin Museum of Art. They had an exhibit featuring several upcoming local artists. Debra Broz's ceramic animals were my instant favorite. So cute, yet so creepy.

(image source)

Next we hit up the Mexic-Arte Museum. They put on a Dia de los Muertos parade every year that is super fun, but I had never been inside the actual museum. It was neat, too. And free! A fun, relaxing evening, and all we had to pay for was parking.

Today might be Friday the 13th, but it's going better than yesterday. I successfully got Jackson down for a nap (he's been skipping naps, which makes him super cranky and wild). The weather is nice, so later we can play outside and go for a walk and stave off the dreaded cabin fever. And there are other things that have been bothering me that I am trying to let go. Sorry, yoga teacher, I am never going to do everything right. But at least for now I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

Hope you have a good weekend!

Super Nachos

We've spent lots of time outside the past couple days. The kids love the new water table I got them. They don't want to come inside...but sometimes they need to come in and take a shower! I took these photos when they first started playing, but don't be fooled by their relative cleanliness. Within minutes, they were stripped down to nothing (because their clothes were soaking wet) and covered in mud and grass! It's amazing how filthy kids can get while they are playing in water, haha.

For dinner last night I made super nachos with my chickpea refried "beans" and they were awesome. Besides the beans, I layered them with avocado, black olives, lettuce, tomato, cheezy sauce, and salsa. Next time, I am going to make them even more super by adding scallions and pickled jalapenos. What are your favorite nacho toppings?

I'm looking forward to my first yoga class in awhile tonight. Love my little guys, but I also need some baby-free time to decompress. Hope you have a good night!

Mother's Day in Oklahoma

Hi guys, how was your weekend? After Tony got off work Friday, we drove up to Shawnee, Oklahoma to surprise my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. Tony called her when we got to Ft. Worth to tell her we were on our way (we didn't want to just show up at midnight and scare the crap out of her) and she was so happy she started crying. She hadn't seen her grandbabies since Thanksgiving so she was really pleased to spend time with them. She and Jackson are great buddies.

On Saturday, she and my sister-in-law Janet were nice enough to watch the babies so Tony could take me on a Mother's Day date, just the two of us. We never get to do this, so it was pretty awesome. I love my kiddos, but I also love a few hours without potty assists and diaper changes! Tony took me down to Norman, where I went to college. We walked around for awhile, seeing how things have changed and also stayed the same. It's been a couple years since I last visited. Then we ate at my favorite restaurant, Pepe Delgado's. I left my camera at the house, but if I had a picture of the experience, it would show me grinning like a lunatic as I devoured the Plato Vegetariano (veggie fajitas.) For all of Austin's Mexican restaurants, I don't think there are any that compare to Pepe's.

On Sunday, I awoke to this Mother's Day surprise from Tony.

A gift card for yoga! This is the studio I used to go and I really liked it, so I'm super excited to start going back this week. Tony did good.

The rest of the day was spent playing outside with the kids and cooking out. They got so filthy that I had to hose them down before bringing them back into the house! But they had the best time.

I've never seen Olivia so worn out! She fell asleep sitting up on my lap.

I went grocery shopping before we left town, so when we got back I was able to make this Tamarind BBQ Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes from Appetite for Reduction.

A note of warning if you haven't used tamarind paste before -- I don't know if all brands are like this, but mine (made by Seasoned Pioneers) had hard seeds in it, the size of peanuts. I tried to pick them all out before serving, but I still ended up crunching down on one. Ouch! Also, my sweet potatoes didn't get very tender. I put in another tray of sweet potatoes alongside the BBQ, just to have roasted sweet potatoes to snack on, and they cooked up fine. But the ones that I cooked with the tempeh were still on the hard side. So you may need to bake longer than the recipe states.

The tempeh turned out really nice, however. I liked the sweet, gingery flavor of this BBQ sauce. I picked out the tempeh pieces and ate them on a ciabatta roll with pickle, and I microwaved the sweet potatoes until they were more tender, and ate them on the side.

Today I am going to assemble the water table we bought for the kids. They are both total water babies, they love to splash and play in the bath, so I think they will like it. Hope you're having a good day!