Tasty Tidbits

 

More home projects! This winter the goal is to finish the bathroom. We decided on a grayish lavendar for the walls. Then we're going to paint the base cabinet white to match everything else. We have a piece of new floor laminate to lay down, which is the biggest thing left to do in there. I can't wait till it's done!

 

We're making our own anise extract! Extracts are pretty pricey & when Dad & W make pizzelles, they are always disappointed in the potency. This is just star anise pods with vodka, which we are supposed to let sit for 10 weeks, shaking occasionally. It's already much darker than when we started. I'm making vanilla extract, too, with vanilla beans & bourbon. It's almost done!

 

Happy weekending! It's hard to believe it's already 2 1/2 weeks since Christmas!

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Mango, watermelon, & kale smoothies
• Leanne's Chia Egg Coconut Granola
• Katie's Vegan Banana Pancakes for one topped with fig butter & almond butter
• Summer's PB Baked Oatmeal topped with fig butter
• Bananas + pb

Lunches

• Quinoa with roasted broccoli
• Brussels sprouts grilled cheese with tomato soup
• Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Salads
• Grapefruit, oranges, apples & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Taco salad - romaine lettuce topped with black beans, onions, peppers, salsa, guacamole, & black bean chia chips

Sunday:

• Vegan Richa's Gluten Free Oat Rice Focaccia Style Pizza Crust  topped with pesto, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, & Gena's Vegan Cashew Cheese 

Monday:

• Leftovers

Tuesday:

• Veggie summer rolls with peanut sauce

Wednesday:

• Cooking Classy's Minestrone - This made a HUGE pot of soup! It seems like a lot of ingredients & chopping, but actually it took less than 30 minutes of hands on time, plus another 15 to finish cooking. And it was super flavorful & full of great textures. It would be easily adaptable with things on hand, too.
• Green salad

Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choir

• Apple Squash Soup
• Green salad

Friday:

• Mega salad - lettuce, spinach, onion, avocado, almonds, & apples

Treats

• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate
• Christmas cookies
• Angela's Quick 'n Easy No-Bake Protein Bars - I love the intense pb flavor in these. I should have added a bit of almond milk as mine turned out a bit dry. They make a great afternoon snack!