What We Ate Wednesday: Just The Two Of Us

June 18th, 2013 - filed under: The Food » Food Styles

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First stop, every morning.


So Damian and I have been tweaking our share-parenting schedule recently, moving things around and trying out new configurations. It used to be that I only ever had Waits on half of a weekend day, usually the first half of Saturday. Which, after he started going to preschool 5-days a week, meant that I never got him all to myself for a full day.

On the day these pictures were taken – a Sunday – I woke up next to my baby boy and we were together until he fell asleep. It’d been a little while since I’d had that kind of day, and man we had a lot of fun! Here’s how it all went down:


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Waits wanted chia pudding for breakfast. I do a heaping tablespoon of seeds with 3 tablespoons of oat milk. He ate this and then asked for another one, and ate that as well.


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I’m never hungry in the way-am, so I just downed that giant mug of black tea up there (it had liquid stevia and almond milk too. double bag ’cause I’m hardcore.) Then, because I know I need to have *something* in my belly, I do my “food as medicine” in the morning.


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Two tablespoons of freshly ground sunflower seeds, as part of my cycling seeds for hormonal balance, and one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses, for iron and calcium. Not much, just a little hit of protein + fat from the seeds, and some quick-burning simple carbs from the molasses. It’s actually a pretty good way to start the day!

A little later in the morning, Waits was hungry again, so I gave him some chlorella tablets to munch on . . .

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. . . while we whipped up a batch of my “Better Than Larabars” real quick.


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This time I used chocolate protein powder, and peanuts instead of almonds, and prunes as the dried fruit, and YUM. They came out great! And of course, we nibbled as we worked.

After that it was time to get out of the house. We decided to hit the park, and set out on foot for a long stroller walk across town. A bit of a trek, but this park? Is worth it.


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Seaweed Snacks right before playing.


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And he’s off!


And what makes it so worth it? Well, it’s not because of the playground (even though it does happen to be the best playground in town).

But no, the reason it’s worth the trip, is this treat:


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And that, my friends, is heaven-on-a-stick. Waits calls this “ice cream”, and I feel lucky that he doesn’t know any better. I’ll let him think it’s ice cream for as long as I can!

He ate his “ice cream” on the walk home, and once we got there he turned the living room into a construction site . . .


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Fun with dried beans.


. . . while I fixed us lunch. A tray for him:


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Tomatoes (untouched, but I’ll keep trying) and carrots (he ate about half), peanut butter pretzel bites (he ate about half), olive mix (he ate most), and leftover pasta (he ate almost none), with a bit of the homemade Larabar mix. He also had a cup of oat milk.


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For myself, I threw together a “leftovers salad” with mixed greens, arugula, shredded carrot, diced red onion, grape tomatoes, and kalamata olives tossed in olive oil/red wine vinegar/crushed garlic/nutritional yeast, and topped with leftover pasta which had olive oil, nutritional yeast, red and yellow peppers, crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions, and lentils. Whew, that’s a mouthful!


After lunch we had quiet time, and in the late afternoon we popped into my neighbor’s to listen to his new demo (my neighbor is also an old and dear friend, and a musician). Oh! but first there were snacks:


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A half peanut butter sammie on brown rice bread for Waits.


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And another vat of black tea for me.


For dinner we had a date at my godparent’s house, which we do about once a week. Waits loves it over there, mostly because he gets to spend his time playing with tools in the garage (supervised, obvi) or running around their property watering plants or digging in the garden or generally mucking about.


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This time it was even more exciting, because my godfather has built Waits his very own box-car, to enter into a neighborhood “race” at the end of the month. Seriously? Little boy HEAVEN.


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They worked on the car out in the driveway, while my godmother and I chatted in the kitchen. Dinner:


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Photos can be so deceiving. This bowl is ENORMOUS and fed the three of us heartily. That’s a giant salad with red leaf lettuce, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, tons of avocado, orange slices, and pan-seared savory maple tempeh. Served with a homemade cashew cream dressing.

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The Waits plate – bell peppers, carrots, jicama, cucumbers, and tempeh chunks. I drizzled extra virgin olive oil on the veggies, and he ate a bunch of olives as well.


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After dinner we all went outside, where we foraged for dessert:


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Blueberries right off the bush. Delicious!

We also took the box-car for a (er, about a million and one) test drive(s).





Waits fell asleep on the drive home, and I was able to work late into the night. Perfect.

  • http://coconutandberries.com/ coconutandberries

    Oh to be a kid again! That box-car looks insanely fun! What a lucky little boy you’ve got.
    You’re making me even more jealous of your California location with that mango on a stick…I’m guessing those are local? Waits truly looks in heaven :)

  • lexie

    This looks like a super fun day! I’m very envious. My next day off will have to be epic.

  • Tracy

    you have a great eater there. I wish my 3 year old would expand his diet…maybe one day or I can just have hope my 7 month old will be the adventurous eater. Thanks for sharing this…

  • Rachel McCready-Flora

    What a beautiful day. Thanks for sharing and for the lovely pictures!

  • http://www.sweetandsavoring.com/ Christy Milford

    I can’t get enough of the delicious food you guys are eating! I like this kind of post because it gives me snack/meal ideas- about to go make a wrap with my pesto-esque spread- walnuts, grape tomatoes, basil, spinach, garlic, lemon juice, i might have even put lentils in there- plus more fresh greens, mustard, olives, and…shredded carrot?
    P.S. Waits is so, so cute!

  • http://practicalecologist.blogspot.com/ Rachel

    I need to get down on some leftover salad. Also, the vid of the boxcar test run is adorable!

  • Bianca-Vegan Crunk

    Looks like a lovely day! Love all the snacky meals.

  • jacqueline

    That picture of Waits with the mango is adorable!

  • skeptk_vegan

    LOVE IT when you post videos! <3!!!! Totally loving the Waits w/ mango photo. How to you take your breakfast? I was trying to picture you spooning seed-powder but I'm not sure it's that "hardcore". Also I've been meaning to ask what your experience with Ginny (Vegan RD) is as far as blog interaction, responding to comments, etc. She's an automatic interest of mine seeing as I am vegan, pursuing a dietetics degree, and would love her insight and personal connection.

    Your blog's increasing energy is continually inspiring me, and someHOW you seem to post things according to a fused timeline of my own interests! Blows my mind. Thank you always.

  • skeptk_vegan

    Adding… do you get headaches (other withdrawal symptoms) if you skip your tea? Or do you notice any difference between the “artificial jitters” of caffeine from coffee vs. from tea? Do you eat entirely gluten free? Do you soak those chia seeds overnight to make the pudding? Enough questions?!?! :)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Haha, I guess I’m that “hardcore”! Yeah I just take it off the spoon and chase it with a gulp of water ’cause otherwise it’s hard to swallow, all dry and chalky-like. ;-)

    I adore Ginny! She’s been helpful and present in all of our interactions, on her blog, on Facebook, and in person. She’s super on top of things and will always respond to questions. She’s great!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    I definitely notice a difference between tea caffeine and coffee caffeine. I do get withdrawal symptoms if I’m completely without caffiene, but not as bad now that I’m on tea as it was back when I was on coffee all the time (that’s when I would get headaches and stuff).

    I am totally 100% gluten-free now! Finally nixed beer officially (after beer fest, haha) and the only places I get gluten now is probably very occasionally in soy sauce at a restaurant.

    For chia pudding I soak the seeds for about 5 minutes! 5-10 is all it takes, no need to soak overnight. =)

    No worries on the questions, I don’t mind at all!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    I felt like a kid again riding that thing! Sometimes as adults we really lose touch. Such simple pleasures and so much FUN to fly down a hill on a pice of plywood. ;-)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    DO IT! If I truly inspired you to have an epic day, then I consider my job very well done. Yay, hope you make a great adventure for yourself!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Waits eats healthy things but he’s very picky as well. It’s all about finding the healthy things they’re willing to eat and then giving them LOTS of those foods. I’m envious of the way my friends kids eat, so I think it’s a matter of perspective and perception. But yes, starting early with your 7 month old will definitely help!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thanks, and it’s truly my pleasure. =)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    That wrap sounds delish. Glad you find these posts helpful!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Leftover salad is so full of win. You gotta try it!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Snacky meals is how we roll around here. Yes, I eat like a three-year old. ;-D

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thank you, he was in heaven!

  • Cary Markin

    This page was linked to on my Vegucated feed. Very cool.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    What feed? But thanks, glad you like it!

  • Cary Markin

    I’m not sure if this link will work: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegucated/146947672024544?fref=ts

    If not it’s on the Vegucated facebook page. They posted it on Wednesday.