Return to Sherwood Forest

Last weekend we attended the Sherwood Forest Faire out in the woods of McDade, TX.

Our knight and princess were ready to party Renaissance style!

At Jackson and Olivia's insistence, our first stop was the Tomato Justice booth. They remembered it from the last time we went, two years ago.  Being allowed to pelt an adult with tomatoes is an event that sticks in the memory of a child.

Next up, the archery booth. Tony actually does know archery and he was happy to give the kids a brief lesson.

After that, we were just in time for a falconry show with various birds of prey. I happened to be sitting right next to one of the perches, so I was able to get a close-up view of Mr. Horned Owl.

Next, rides!

Whew, time to refuel. Fried foods were in abundance.

Jackson and Olivia got soft pretzels. There were a few vegan offerings such as fried artichokes or olives, but I just munched on a Larabar I had in my bag.

While we had our snack, a magician happened by our table and offered to give the kids a go at spinning plates.

We then made our way to the jousting grounds.

Our section was supposed to cheer for this knight. And he won!

Jackson and Olivia had been behaving great up to this point, walking around checking out the various booths and entertainments without complaining. We decided to stop at the Magical Grove and let them play in the kids' castle for awhile. 

While they played, Tony and I hit the beer booth, and I discovered the magic of Guinness mixed with mead.

Bees really liked my drink, too. Because of the honey, I guess. Mead is fermented honey wine, so I suppose that makes it not vegan. *Sigh* It was so good. Well, at least the mead was local and hopefully that means the honey was sustainably harvested.

Finally it was time for the last event of our day, swordfighting school!

"Bring your bloodthirsty children!" called out the instructor, and we did.

Swordfighting diplomas, how cute!

We had such an awesome day. A great family memory. Already looking forward to next year!

For dinner, we had a couple of dishes from The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East -- Shahi Paneer with Rice Pilau. The tomato sauce is so creamy thanks to ground cashews.

Rio Grande in Pflugerville

My view during my morning stationary bike ride.

Afterwards, I was ravenous. We tried out a new Tex-Mex place called Rio Grande that Tony had discovered on a Starbucks run. I had hoped to try their breakfast tacos, since they offer nopales as a filling and that's kind of rare. But they're only served til 11 a.m., and it was noon.  So I ordered the veggie fajitas, which arrived sizzling hot with warm tortillas and a side dish of guac, pico, rice and black beans. 

I also had a sangria margarita. Day drinking, since I already got my workout in.

A nice meal. I gotta go back again and try the nopales tacos!

Valentine's Party

This year Jackson was very focused when it came to writing out his Valentines. He made sure that the "BFF" ones went to his closest pals, and the girls all received the most generic cards possible, like "You Rock!" or "Happy Valentine's!" I asked him if he was going to give anyone the cards that read, "Be Mine" or "XOXO" and he said, "NO." Ha! Didn't want to give anyone the wrong I idea I guess!

How cute was his little bag for collecting cards?

Olivia and I were invited to attend his class party. She was soooo excited to go to school like all the big kids.

All the good parties involve crossbows...

Look who came down with a case of "Love Pox!"

When we got home, this happened. Partied out! 

For dinner I made the Pea and Potato Curry from The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East. It was good but it needed some tofu I think. It wasn't very filling.

I also made some chickpea blondies. A friend posted the recipe on Facebook and I forgot to save it. 

Valentine's Day 2015

On Saturday, I woke up to the best Valentine's Day card ever, made by Jackson and Olivia.

This year? Hmm. Is it me, or does that sound vaguely ominous?

I'd picked up some Chocolove treats for them. Valentine's day is all about chocolate.

That evening, my parents babysat so Tony and I could go out to dinner. We were super excited because we had a reservation at Counter Culture's special 5-course Valentine's dinner! 

We drank local - a Zoe beer from Hops & Grain brewery for Tony, and a Buddha's Brew ginger kombucha for me.

The first course was a baked apple with caramelized onions and a "brie" cheeze. I loved how the savory cheeze contrasted with the sweetness of the apple.

Next up, borscht with a dollop of sour cream. Tony does not usually care for the earthy flavor of beets, but he admitted this soup was much better than he anticipated. I loved it; it was so thick and creamy.

Then we were served a raw dolma - a collard leaf filled with sundried tomato, raisins, and pine nuts. With raw food I'm often taken aback at how bold and intense the flavors can be. Each bite was totally satisfying, no need for a dressing or dip to make this dolma amazing.

We had a choice of two entrees, so I ordered one and Tony got the other. There was much sampling from each other's plates going on. I had the tofu scallops, very lemony with a nice crispy outer crust. They were served alongside rice and asparagus with a fantastic dill gravy, and a seaweed and cucumber salad. It was all so good! I love seaweed - so good for you!

Tony loved his mushroom and pea bourguignon, served with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. He said it was as rich and flavorful as any beef stew. An omnivore's high praise.

We had a choice of two desserts as well. Tony went with the flan, adorned with almonds, whisky-soaked dates, and salted caramel. I could've drank a cup of that caramel sauce, yum!

It's hard to say there was a standout since the whole meal was awesome, but if I had to choose, it would be the raw tiramisu I had for dessert. I guess I'm just amazed at the different flavors and textures you can achieve with raw ingredients. All the layers of a traditional tiramisu were represtened...the whipped cream on top, the sweet, creamy chocolate, and the dense, coconutty "ladyfinger" layer at the bottom. 

By the end of the meal, we were full, happy, and relaxed, yet not overstuffed. It was such a special treat to have such an elegantly presented meal that was entirely vegan!

Before heading home, we stopped at Capital City Bakery down the street and picked up some special Valentine's goodies to take home and enjoy the next day - a "Fauxstess" chocolate cupcake and a heart-shaped sugar cookie.

I love this dude!

Ice Cream Friday

Ice Cream Fridays started over the summer, when Jackson and Olivia were asking for frozen treats every day. In order to put a stop to the constant begging, but still maintain my image as a loving, benevolent mama, Ice Cream Friday was created. Now they know that they don't need to bother asking for ice cream throughout the week, because Friday is the day for no-holds-barred, whatever-toppings-you-want, ice cream madness.

At Sweet Ritual, Austin's all-vegan ice cream parlor, my kids are partial to the monkey cones. See the little monkey faces? Strawberry for Olivia, chocolate for Mr. J.

This time I went for the turtle sundae, with salted caramel ice cream, chocolate and caramel syrups, and crushed pecans.

Sugar brings out their competitive nature.

McConaughey watches over us all.

Dinner was Mulligatawny Soup from The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East. The less said about the unattractive dirt color of this soup, the better. But the flavor is good and the rice and lentils make it hearty.