A Pile O' Panini

Today was a bit cold, so we spent a lazy day at home. Jackson is working on identifying his numbers. He likes to put the flashcards in order as fast as he can. Everything is more fun for little boys when it's a race!

For lunch, I made panini sandwiches with sourdough bread, mozzarella, roma tomatoes, and pesto. I grilled up a bunch of them so we would have leftovers to snack on during the next couple of days.

Olivia can't resist pesto. It's genetic!

For dinner I made the "No-fu Love Loaf" from Let Them Eat Vegan, undoubtedly my favorite cookbook from last year. So many winners! This was no exception. I had always turned up my nose at the idea of meatloaf. Even the name is unpleasant. A loaf of meat? Well obviously there is no meat in this version. It's made from lentils, oats, and bulgur. And it's a game-changer. Tony was shocked to find that it tasted quite a bit like his mom's meatloaf, which he has frequent cravings for. It's going into regular rotation for sure.

Olivia is 3!

My baby is now a three-year-old, as she reminds me multiple times per day. Olivia has big ideas about what turning three means. 

A three-year-old gets a train cake.

A three-year-old throws a birthday party.

A three-year-old celebrates with her friends.

Being a three-year-old is pretty awesome.

Grillin'

It may still be winter for a few more weeks, but here in Texas we already have plenty of warm days when Tony gets the urge to fire up the grill, as long as it is not too windy. Yesterday we made veggie kabobs with zucchini, summer squash, red pepper, mushroom, and onion.

We ate the grilled veggies over pasta, with olive oil, salt and pepper.

We had plenty of leftovers, so today I made a grilled veggie and pesto pizza. I also pureed some of the grilled veggies and used that as my "sauce" on the pizza.

Fire Chief Jackson always looks out for us when we grill.

Today: prepping for Olivia's third birthday party this weekend. She has requested a train cake.

Have a great weekend!

Tempura Time

My latest tester recipe for Joni, Sesame Sriracha Tempura Veggies, sounded so good that I tried it three different ways for today's lunch.

Asparagus - awesome! 

Cauliflower - cool!

Brussels sprouts - bad idea? I should've halved them, maybe. Not Joni's fault. 

I'm getting really good at frying things, which is good for my culinary confidence, yet bad for my thighs. To strive for a bit of balance, dinner was a green smoothie. Extremely green, thanks to a huge amount of spirulina powder. It also contained banana, chia seeds, vanilla, and stevia. I realized tonight that I don't actually like bananas in a smoothie. Luckily, I just bought a 30-lb. bag of frozen blueberries at Costco (not really, but close enough), so I will still be able to have my smoothies, banana-free.

Today was Jackson's last soccer lesson. He has had such a great time.

We will be signing him up again for spring. Soccer is a great sport for young kids. He is learning a lot about sportsmanship and being on a team.

I joked when Jackson was growing in my tummy that he would love soccer, because he kicked me constantly. Looks like my premonition was right! 

Fort Worth

Last Saturday, we woke up and decided it had been too long since our last visit to Fort Worth, and more specifically, to Spiral Diner. So, after arranging for a friend to check in on Monster, we set out on a day trip.

Lunch was our first priority. We started out with chips and salsa, queso, and guac.  

I had a glass of lovely hibiscus iced tea.  I'm excited to make my own version soon -- I just discovered dried hibiscus flowers at a Mexican market here in town!

Olivia had spaghetti with "meatballs."

She called dibs on the vegan parmesan and guarded it closely.

Jackson went with the black beans and quinoa. I'm glad he doesn't share my bean allergy because he absolutely loves them. He also loves the farts they produce! Ah, boys.

Tony chose the blue plate special, a zucchini po'boy. When I tried a piece of this gigantor sandwich. I almost wished I had ordered it myself. Hot breaded, fried zucchini slices, red onion, red pepper, lettuce, and tartar sauce on crusty, chewy French bread. I'm such a sucker for a po'boy, and this one sets the bar high.

However, I was also blissfully happy with my choice -- the Mitch. The Mitch is grilled tofu, bacon bits, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle mayo, piled on not two but three slices of bread. Holy amazing. I remembered Jenny singing the praises of this sandwich and wondered what took me so long to try it. Now I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to order anything else.

After lunch, we stopped at the Kimbell Art Museum to see the Bernini exhibit. The sculpture below isn't by Bernini, but no photography was allowed in the exhibit. 

We kind of raced through because the kids were antsy and we got a couple of slightly nervous looks from the museum guards. I wasn't too upset because I had some Spiral Diner goodies waiting for me in the car. 

The chocolate chip cookie was just so-so.

But the chocolate brownie was pure heaven. Some brownies are dense like fudge. Some are airy like cake. But this brownie was just right. Just the way a brownie should be. It made the ride home so much nicer.

Little Heroes

This past weekend we took the kids to check out Hero Rush, a Wipeout-style obstacle course. Actually, because it was super windy and chilly out, we only visited one area, the kids' course. Jackson and Olivia were excited to put on some firefighter gear and race through the course.

Getting suited up...

Ready to go...

Olivia in the lead!

The foam pit at the end was the best part.

They didn't want to get out.

After the kids tired themselves out on the obstacle course, we went to lunch at El Monumento.  It's the new sister restaurant to the Monument Cafe in Georgetown, which we like a lot.

We started off with chips and two kinds of salsa. One was served warm, the other cold.

The kids had pineapple-mango aguas frescas.

I had a mojito, complete with sugar cane stirring stick. Small, but potent.

For an appetizer, we ordered queso flameado, a skillet of melted cheese topped with strips of poblano pepper and onion.

I had the sweet potato and Swiss chard enchiladas. They're typically served with rice and beans, but I substituted fried green beans with a sriracha aioli dipping sauce. 

I was really pleased with my meal. The waitress informed us that El Monumento uses a lot of local and organic ingredients, and just about everything is made from scratch. That means no frozen margaritas made from mix. You can taste this freshness in the food. It was more expensive than your typical Tex-Mex place. A little too expensive to eat lunch with the kids on a regular basis, to be honest. But I will definitely keep it in mind for special date nights.

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!