Roadtrip 2009 day 3.

Breakfast in Longmont, CO.

the cafe was Cafe Luna

it was cute, charming, and they only accept cash or checks! we, of course, only had debit and credit... but they totally surprised us and reminded us that we were in a small town and they took IOUs!!! we were truly in shock..and ran to the atm and paid them. lol.

Roadtrip 2009 day 1 & 2.

our safe traveling talisman~ courtesy of ira~
"wilson" :D

we made it to truth or consequences, NM at around 11:30p.m. after 7 hours in the car the girls were wired and up until 3:30 A.M.!!!!!



pic from somewhere in new mexico...lol
this is the ONLY shot i have from our fun day in albuquerque, NM! i guess i was having too much fun to remember to take pics!

ahhhhhhhhhhh

one week on vacation- and the next week CHICKEN POX!


im uploading some short and sweet posts right now- the past two weeks have been crazy busy!

easiest " i want one" request ever....

liv was fast asleep and we were looking for something quite to do.... we were looking through mothering magazine and Ira pointed at some felt crowns and said, " i need one of those!"

we grabbed some scrap felt and yarn and made one up in the span of liv's nap...


I was pretty proud of what we did with scraps and one hour... even though MY fingers were numb from handsewing that fast....

I put it on ira and she said, "I love it, but its not for ME"

oh, I thought.... who Is it for then?

Her bear, of course!!!!! so she made up a second one for the other bear....

ira inventions

Ira letting the air intake of the a/c do the hard work..... who needs wind?
Homemade mouse trap.....

random moments in time

here, ira made a "pet shop garden"....



liv chillin...


yum dinner. sauteed green pepper and onion on tortilla with veganaise and a side of baked fries.

wildlife museum

the view from the parking lot....


ira prepared for an adventure... we go to this place so often- but it never gets old for her...


snacks and puzzles.


sabertooth marsupial skull....


sabertooth tiger....



learning the difference between spots on jaguars, cheetahs, and leopards...


tarantula.....

yummy things

Two things that I have been eating that make me miss cheese less.

~Broccoli Sprout Sandwich~
Ezekiel Bread- toasted
broccoli sprouts- a lot
tomato
veganaise
mustard
S&P


~Spinach, Garlic & Onion Pasta~
1 bag pasta
1 medium onion
handful or more of spinach
6 cloves garlic
1 can organic diced tomatoes- drained
2-4 tbl tomato paste
oregano
basil
s&p
garlic powder

I start sauteeing the onions in EVOO, then add garlic, when onions get clear- add the spinach and stir until wilted slightly, add drained tomatoes, dried spices and tomato paste. I add extra garlic powder because i think it adds a different flavor that I need in pasta sauces.

Right before serving I sometimes add a tablespoon or two of earth balance..... I used to add butter... but.. well ya know ;)

sprinkle with nutritional yeast would be yum as well.

Ugh. A virus.....

invaded our home... somehow... and I am truly surprised since we are truly hermits 4 out of 7 days a week :)

yesterday I was sooooo soooo tired and we were all getting sore throats and runny noses... we camped out on the floor, made a tent on the couch, watched movies, etc.

But we were all a bit antsy.

So I filled an egg carton with paint and let them at it while I read a book to try and get time to pass quicker.

It worked like magic. Before I knew it my husband was home and all was right and just in the world.

just like her sister....

more than just a little sweetness.....

ira said,

"take a picture of me eating this awesome snack" (grapes dipped in so delicious coconut yogurt~mango)
I LOVE THIS FACE!!!!

tahini

we decided to continue on our food processing journey....




ira provided the tunes









yum.

we did not roast or toast or cook the sesame seeds at all, and we added no oil.

just pure sesame......

Few exciting moments of my day!

no pictures... but we just had a powerhouse of food invventing/testing/flavor combining....we are trying all kinds of things lately- trying to stillsatisfy our cravings and not use animals products.

First- i made another batch of vegan pesto- first we put it on sprouted grain bread with veganaise and fresh farmers market tomatoes.... super yum.

Next- we made vegan pasta and tossed it in theremaining pesto- lunch for tomorrow for me and girls- solved.

Then, we tossed some organic (V) udon noodles in some braggs liquid aminos and siracha- then added a couple handfuls of Tia To, now this recipe was not my thing.
i think it needs maybe some lime juice, less braggs, and maybe veggie stock?

ALMOND BUTTER

we made almond butter for the first time!

I had no idea it was so easy.... except for the fact that our food processor is from the 70's.... its a beast of a machine that works awesome and is still going strong... however- it overheated after the first 2 cups of almond butter, so I had to take a longish break to let it cool.

5 cups almonds= 16oz. jar of almond butter- plus 3/4c almond butter left over.
Organic raw almonds were on sale for $6.99/lb. and a 16 oz jar of organic raw almond butter was $20.99! talk about savings.


ira added the almonds....






I had zero faith that this process would yield anything but almond flour... I was such a fool-

it took about five full minutes - but it happened!