I have a little catching up to do here, and I wanted to start with one of this weekend's highlights: brunch-date with friends at vegan Mi Lah in the city. This is my favorite place for brunch in Philly! On my plate this time: beer-battered seitan, mostly hidden underneath two large Belgian waffles with fruit. The seitan was delicious, though I can't say I tasted any beer flavor. Still, bonus points for using Philadelphia's own Yard's beer. Other favorites at Mi Lah include vegan omelette and French toast.

And She Is Nine

Yesterday was Sarasvati's ninth birthday. Nine, what a great age to be! 

Today we went out to the park for some play and party-planning. The original idea fell through, so now we are working on the back-up, but I think it is going to be great. The weather is going to be beautiful this weekend, and we found a perfect spot in the park. 

Happy Mother's Day!

11

Today was our 11th wedding anniversary! Last year we had a romantic weekend getaway in New Hope, PA. We brought our bikes and stayed at a quaint little Bed & Breakfast. This time we brought the kids out to a local Chinese restaurant. Rasika ate his fortune.

Dinner At Earth

Yummy dinner at Earth Bread & Brewery here in Mt Airy. We love this place. They make their own beer, soda, even kombucha. So far, we have not tasted better pizza (or flatbread, as they call it) anywhere in Philly. The crust is amazing, made with local wheat from Lebanon County, and the topping combinations are most intriguing. Many of them are vegetarian, most can be adjusted to be. They also really endeavor to always use local/sustainable options, support local artists, food banks etc. Best of all: it is just a block away from our house! We can see it from our back window!  

Above: Creamy Israeli couscous with mushrooms and greens. 

"The Veggie": Garlic oil, mushrooms, potatoes, brussel sprouts, greens, fresh mozz, red pesto. My favorite!

"Red Pesto": Red pesto, pine nuts, potatoes, fresh mozz, basil.

Nacho Libre!

Over the weekend we ended up re-watching Nacho Libre, one of our favorite movies ever. I am pretty sure it is the only wrestling movie I will ever like. This is one of my favorite scenes, and I think especially those of my friends that were ever involved with the Hare Krishnas will appreciate it.

Fresh From The Garden

I have kept the garden really simple this year. A few herbs, lots of lettuce, and whatever tomatoes that spontaneously came back from last year (I am guessing it's those sweet little pear-shaped tomatoes, but time will tell). The only new thing this year was a few little broccoli plants that I picked up when I was out with the kids. Everyone loves broccoli here!

Every little success we have in the garden amazes me. It is such a special experience to watch your dinner grow right in your own backyard. (I guess that's how things used to be.)

Good Things

Today was a good day. For one thing, my Christmas gift subscription to Vegetarian Times finally showed up. I had just about given up hope... In the afternoon, I went to meet up with a fellow Philly-Swede, Amy, who just published a Swedish cookbook together with her sister. I am so glad to have my hands on their book. I love the concept: favorite family recipes, mixed with lots of beautiful pictures, not only of the food, but also of family and friends on idyllic Marstrand on the Swedish west coast. All packaged in a goodie bag with pink nail polish!

Other good things happened that I will write about later. Pretty big news, but I am not telling yet. Well, some of you already know what is going on. (Not pregnant, sorry.)

Nerds!

To celebrate "May the 4th be with you" (get it? yeah, me neither...) today, all four kids - I mean three kids and Dave - put on their Star Wars t-shirts. The evening was spent watching Star Wars by some, and flipping through new cookbooks by others. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my Star Wars t-shirt anywhere. Oh wait, I don't have one. ;)