Friday Randomness

We had a busy Friday. I woke up early and did my weekly housecleaning, and then ran a couple of errands with Jackson and Olivia.

First we checked out a store by our house called Natural Grocers. I had driven past it several times and was under the impression that it was a vitamin shop. I needed to restock my B-12 supplements so I thought I would check it out. I was surprised to find that, while it is half vitamins, the other half is a well-stocked health food store. No bulk bins or deli, but the prices are low. So, it looks like I've discovered another alternative to Whole Foods when I need special ingredients I can't get at my regular supermarket. That's cool because the Whole Foods by me is laid out like a maze and I can never find anything. (Is that a white whine or what? Haha!)

We got some garlic, soy flour, Braggs, buckwheat groats (for dehydrator experimentation purposes), and vegan cheese spread.

I'd seen We Can't Say It's Cheese spreads on other food blogs, but never in stores, so I had to to pick up a tub. I love the hickory smoked flavor, and there's no funky, off-putting smell like with certain other vegan cheeses I've sampled in the past. What a nice find.

Next we made a quick stop to vote. Jackson loves going to vote because he always gets a cool sticker. He was excited about this sticker because he is really into flags right now for some reason. He points them out every time he sees one waving in the breeze.

After returning home and putting our groceries away, we made some granola bars.

I veganized this recipe from Pursuit of Healthfulness by using brown rice syrup in place of honey. Also, out of laziness, I didn't boil the wet ingredients before adding to the oats.

Yum. They have a buttery, rich flavor, but are actually pretty healthy. And I love that they contain flax meal. I keep a bag of flax meal in my freezer and add a spoonful to my oats in the morning for the omega 3's, but I am always looking for other ways to use it.

For dinner, I made two dishes from Appetite for Reduction -- 40 Clove Chickpeas and Broccoli, and Scarlet Barley.

I've made the chickpeas before, they are a favorite. Don't worry, they don't really contain 40 cloves of garlic! Just one bulb of lovely, roasted garlic goodness. Olivia loves them, too.

The Scarlet Barley is a sight to behold, isn't it? Beets are grated into the barley, dyeing it a bright purplish hue. Nature is pretty cool sometimes, giving such lovely vivid colors to the simplest of vegetables, like the beet. Be careful though -- the juice will stain!

Oh well, I guess cooking stains are the mark of a much-loved cookbook. Which AfR totally is!

Enjoy your Saturday!

Dehydrator Trial Run

My dehydrator is here!

I decided to do a test run by making some kale chips. For the first go, I was mostly interested in keeping an eye on the time and temperature and seeing how the machine works. So I used this recipe because it looked basic. 

I dehydrated the kale for four hours at 135 degrees F. I thought it would take longer, but they were definitely crispy at that point, and I didn't want to risk burning them.

The verdict? Well, I didn't care for this particular recipe so much. The flavor was good, but the 1/4 cup of oil was way too much. If you've ever eaten super greasy potato chips, the kind you can't eat without a napkin on hand for wiping your fingers constantly, you know what I mean. It seems like a small amount of oil would allow the seasoning spices to stick to the kale.

The dehydrator was a piece of cake to use. Just plug it in, set the temp, and wait. Well, I did rotate the trays halfway through, as recommended in the instruction booklet. Next time I'll use a more appealing recipe, like Averie's. Or send me your favorite kale chip recipe, if you have one. No more paying $8 for a little tiny bag of kale chips at the store! I am happy about that.  I think I will get a lot of use out of my new "toy." Next, I want to make fruit roll-ups and flax crackers.

Because I'm a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, I was sent a package of these new Newtons Fruit Thins cookies to sample. The flavor was Blueberry Brown Sugar.

They're not really cookies, more like digestive biscuits if you're familiar with those. They have a hard, crunchy texture, with little pieces of chewy dried blueberries here and there. Jackson and Olivia both loved them, and I thought they were tasty, too. They would make a good snack if you're wanting something that's a little sweet, but not super decadent or anything. They also make a great on-the-go snack for little ones because they are easy for small hands to hold, and they don't fall apart and leave crumbs everywhere. They're also fairly healthy - vegan, no high fructose corn syrup, whole grain, and the sugar content isn't terrible (8 grams per 3 cookie serving).

This week has flown by!  I don't have big plans for the weekend. Going for a swim sounds nice right now. I got the first disc of the HBO series Treme from Netflix, and I have a couple of new books on my Kindle -- The Help and If Sons, Then Heirs.  I've been reading so much more since I got my Kindle because I can use it on the treadmill. I always found it hard to hold a book and turn its pages while walking or running. With the Kindle, I can set it on the treadmill and just tap it lightly to turn the "page."  It's helping me to run more, since I don't get bored while running.  I ran 3x this past week and got up to 1.5 miles. Not awesome, but I haven't run in months, so I'm happy about it. I also went to yoga twice. I hope to keep up this combination of yoga and running. Doing one or the other doesn't quite meet all of my exercise goals. When I do both, I notice a difference in how I feel.

 Let me know if you have any other book recommendations that I should add to my queue. I always like to hear what others are reading/watching/listening to, and I know y'all have good taste. Have a great weekend!

Coconut Veggie Curry

Tony's allergies have been bothering him all week, so he wanted something spicy to help clear his sinuses. He requested my coconut veggie curry. I've been making this for longer than I can remember; I hope you enjoy it.

  

Coconut Veggie Curry

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

1/2 pkg. (7 oz.) firm tofu, drained, pressed, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 can coconut milk (light is fine)

2 Tbsp. red curry paste (adjust according to your heat preference)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

Boil 2 1/2 cups water and add rice. Reduce to a simmar, cover and cook for 45 minutes (or, cook your rice according to package directions to make 4 servings.)

In a steamer basket, steam the potatoes and broccoli for 8 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, dry-fry your tofu cubes in a large nonstick skillet, stirring occasionally. When golden brown on all sides, remove the tofu and set aside.

In the same skillet, combine coconut milk, red curry paste, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Smush the curry paste with a wooden spoon so it incorporates into the coconut milk and turns it a pinkish-red color. Keep at a low simmer and add the potatoes, broccoli, tofu, and frozen peas. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often so that everything soaks up the lovely curry sauce. Right at the end, stir in the fresh basil. Serve over rice.

Have a great day -- we are off to the splash pad again!

Movie Day and a Quiz

Hey guys, just a quick post this morning. I'm taking Jackson and Olivia to their first movie in a short while. That's right, I am taking two toddlers to see an almost-two-hour film (Ponyo) in a theater full of other babies and toddlers, by myself. Only in hindsight will I know if this qualifies as an adventure or a poor life decision.

The Vietnamese sandwiches with dipping broth made another appearance on our table Sunday night. This is my favorite meal; I don't know why I don't make it every week. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the Veganomicon seitan cutlet recipe. The cutlets are baked, and then you thinly slice and saute them, resulting in a very firm, chewy, almost tough texture. Tony loved them from the start, and since I would much rather see him eating faux meat than real meat, I kept making them. Now they've totally won me over, too.

Last night I made the Edamame Pesto from Appetite for Reduction, using fresh basil from my garden. I can't say enough good things about this recipe, guys. High in protein, low in fat...and it's pesto, which I love. I am a basil fiend, haha. And it takes no time at all. By the time your pasta is done cooking, the sauce is ready to go. I served it with ziti and cherry tomatoes, also from my garden.

And now, a fun little quiz I swiped from the vegan collegian. I'd love to hear your answers to some of these.

A is for Apple: What’s your favorite variety? Pink Lady

B is for Bread: Regardless of nutrition, what is your favorite type? Rye and pumpernickel swirl - it makes the best BLT's, in my opinion

C is for Cereal: What is your favorite kind currently? (just one!) Peanut Butter Puffins. (The more peanut butter in my diet, the better.)

D is for Donuts: You might not currently eat them, but what kind do you fancy? I like cinnamon sugar donuts in the fall, with a glass of hot apple cider.

E is for Eggs: How would you like yours prepared? Tofu scramble :)

F is for Fat Free: What is your favorite fat free product? I don't buy anything specifically labeled fat free. So...fruit?

G is for Groceries: Where do you purchase yours? H-E-B usually. Whole Foods, Fiesta or Wheatsville if I need something they don't sell at H-E-B.

H: is for Hot Beverages: What is your favorite hot drink? Tea

I is for Ice Cream: Pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.  Mint chocolate chip with chocolate sauce

J is for Jams or Jellies: Do you eat them? If so, what kind and flavor? I like strawberry and cherry. Oh, and pumpkin butter in the fall.

K is for Kashi: Name your favorite Kashi product? I like several of their cereals, but they do contain honey.

L is for Lunch: What was yours today? Kale chips, apple, pita chips

M is for microwave: What is your favorite microwave meal/snack? Baked potato

N is for nutrients: Do you likes carbs, fats, or proteins best? Carbs. I need my pizza, pasta, potatoes, all that good stuff.

O is for oil: What kind do you like to use? Olive

P is for protein: How do you get yours? Nuts, tofu, soymilk, seitan...lots of things.

Q is for Quaker: How do you like your oats? With peanut butter, chocolate chips, and flax meal.

R is for roasting: What is your favorite thing to roast? Sweet potatoes

S is for sandwich: What’s your favorite kind? Vietnamese sandwich from Veganomicon. 2nd runner up: the BLT.

T is for travel: How do you handle eating while traveling? For vacations, I look up restaurants online while I am making the itinerary.  I love trying new restaurants. For road trips or visiting family, that is a little more difficult in terms of staying vegan. I stock up on Larabars and do my best.

U is for unique: What is one of your weirdest food combos? I like to smush my corn and mashed potatoes together. Not that weird, I guess.

V is for vitamins: What kind do you take? Multivitamin and B-12

W is for wasabi: Yay or nay? Love it.

X is XRAY: If we xrayed your belly right now, what food would we see? Just ate breakfast, so...cereal.

Y is for youth: What food reminds you of your childhood? Fast food :P

Z is for zucchini: How do you prepare it? Sauteed and tossed with pasta.

Raw-rrrr

This morning, I spent some one-on-one time with Olivia. It's our weekend tradition.

First, we did a little thrift store shopping. At Treasure City we found a new toy.

I had a moment of deja vu when I saw it.  My brother had this toy when he was Jackson's age, almost 30 years ago! You drop a ball (or, if you are my son, you drop a cherry tomato you sneakily picked from your mama's garden) through the hole in the top, and watch it roll down the slanted rails. The kids were mesmerized, and you can't beat the price - $1!  I love thrift stores.

Next we checked out a little boutique called Blackbird that I had not visited before. I loved it. All of the clothing and accessories had a dark tone (not goth, just dark) and the decor was elegant and old-fashioned. Olivia adored the two tiny chihuahuas who were hanging out behind the counter.  She kept pointing at them and grinning and laughing. I bought a necklace.

I'm not afraid of spiders.  I hope this spider will be a good talisman and help me not be afraid of anything I am afraid of.

Kind of like this print I bought recently.

Lately I'm trying to be more brave about things that scare me. The other day I took Jackson and Olivia to a moms' club meetup in our neighborhood. Normally, I would be terrified to go to something like that, where everyone knows each other and I am the new person. Talk to strangers? Noooo! But it's important that Jackson and Olivia learn to play with other kids. And it wouldn't hurt for me to make some new friends here, either. As it turned out, the other moms were nice and the kids had a blast.  Sometimes the only way to find out whether or not you can do something is to do it.

Oh yeah...Olivia and I made one more stop on our morning of fun. Right next to Blackbird is a vegan food trailer called Counter Culture. It was too hot to eat outdoors, but I was (vegan cliche alert!) craving kale in a bad way. So I got a to-go order and brought it home.

Raw bruschetta with flax bread, cashew cheeze, tomato and basil, with a side of raw kale salad. Guys, I think this officially constitutes my first encounter with raw foods. And I gotta say, raw food, you are not too shabby! The bread was more like a cracker, crunchy and studded with tiny flax and sunflower seeds. It had a nutty flavor. It would be too dry to eat on its own, but it paired perfectly with the creamy cashew cheeze and juicy tomatoes.

Later in the day, Tony and I were having trouble getting the kids to nap, so we took them for a drive. I wasn't hungry for a big dinner due to the heat, so I popped into Daily Juice and got a smoothie made with banana, coconut, raw cacao, and spirulina. I didn't take a pic, but if you can picture a smoothie that is worth paying $7 for, you got it.

Also, I apparently didn't get enough of a kale or raw food fix earlier in the day, because I impulse bought these Rhythm Chips.

Cool ranch, yum! I've made kale chips before, using Averie's recipe. But since I made them in the oven, they didn't turn out nearly as dry and crispy as these dehydrated chips.

As we drove home, I commented, "I think I paid a lot for these chips." I didn't get a receipt, but when I figured up the cost of my smoothie and Tony's yerba mate, I was like, "Aw man, I think this little bag of chips cost $8!" I joked that I should get a dehydrator and make my own. Tony immediately said, "Yeah you should...then I can make beef jerky!"  I know, EW.  But also, YAY, because... I'm getting a dehydrator!

Do you have a dehydrator? How do you like it? What should I make first? I ordered a couple of those special screens so I can make fruit leather for the kids. I actually own an Ani Phyo cookbook that I've yet to crack open, so maybe I will start there.

It turns out I can't resist ending a post about raw food with a little ODB. Enjoy.

Wagon Wheel Alfredo

For dinner last night I made pasta with alfredo sauce (I used the Vegan Yum Yum recipe). I added sauteed zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, and spinach. Jackson helped me make the sauce in the food processor. It was one of the nicer cooking experiences we have had lately. I took my time chopping the veggies and making sure everything was just right. Sometimes when the kids are fussy or wild, I just want to get done...or go out to eat.

 The wagon wheel pasta really adds that extra touch of sophistication, no? 

I've heard that when kids help make dinner, they are more likely to eat it...but Jackson was still not too keen on the veggies. He nibbled on some pasta pieces and said he was all done. He's going through a phase. Not picky exactly, distracted is more like it. He wants to eat a couple bites and go back to playing. 

I am going to do a little thrift store shopping this morning -- I am hoping to find some picture frames that I can spray paint. What are you doing this weekend? Hope you have a good one.

Pancakes to Beat the Heat

I don't know about you, but as the temps increase, my appetite seems to be decreasing, as well as my inclination to turn on the stove. The kids have been picking at their food, too. They have more important things to do.

Today, this was lunch.

Between Jackson, Olivia and me, a can of chickpeas doesn't stand a chance. I'm really into smoked paprika lately. Like the name implies, it gives a smoky flavor to whatever you put it on.

When dinnertime rolled around, I found myself avoiding the kitchen. So I acted as the devil on Tony's shoulder and emailed him at work, saying we should go out to eat. I guess I'm a convincing devil.

We went to Kerbey Lane, a cozy, hippie diner that offers a bunch of local and vegetarian/vegan options. I had the vegan breakfast platter -- blueberry pancakes, tofu scramble, and sausage patties. The sausage was a little overcooked, but not too bad. The scramble was really noochy and covered in chunks of tomato and scallions. I was surprised by the blueberry pancakes, which had a noticeable coconut scent. I'm guessing they were made with coconut oil. I don't mind a little coconut with my blueberries, no sir.

 In upstate New York, there are diners as far as the eye can see, and not a tofu scramble to be found at any of 'em. As I cleaned my plate, I thanked my lucky stars yet again that I am back in Austin. 

Have a fun weekend!