We’ve had a busy weekend, and I seem to have documented just bits and pieces, so I’m going to smash my two days into one fabulous mediocre post!

First, I have to say that my back has NEVER FELT BETTER.  Well, I’m sure it felt better after that one time that I had an hour long massage, prior to ever having children, playing “Piggyback Chase,” and unloading a 25 lb. reusable Costco grocery bag (those babies are HUGE!) with a 34 lb. toddler on my hip, but since Dr. BackQuack decided to do a flexibility test that burst my disc like a sumo wrestler on a whoopee cushion, my back has never felt better.  I’m limited on my exercise until I talk to the doctor tomorrow (I’ve just walked the past two days), but I’m confident that if I’m careful, maybe I can keep things feeling good!

Here’s a little treat I made up for breakfast myself this weekend: Pumpkin Chia Hemp Pudding.  Mmm…doesn’t sound quite as good as Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes, except you won’t need angioplasty after a bowl of my pudding.  In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m having chest pains just reading that Paula’s cakes have a whole stick of butter and a whole block of cream cheese.

In the pudding:

  • 1/2 c. pumpkin
  • stevia
  • cinnamon
  • 1 T. chia seeds, soaked in 1/2 c. almond milk
  • 1 T. Vanilla Spice hemp protein powder

I made a gel out of the chia seeds and then blended everything together.  It tasted a lot like pumpkin pie filling.  Think anyone will notice if I sub this into my homemade pie crust on Thanksgiving?  Somewhere in the blogosphere, my mom is yelling, “Please God, NO!!!”

Speaking of God, we headed off to church this morning, and while I tried to focus on the message, I was distracted by a lady in the second pew who liked to give verbal feedback.  That then got me thinking about things that are okay to shout out in church, like “amen,” “hallelujah,” and “that’s right!”, in contrast with things that are never appropriate to yell out in church, including “bingo,” “fire” or “you lie!”  I also was distracted by my growling stomach.  I should have made Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes for breakfast.  I contemplated asking for another communion wafer.

Instead of being distracted with the “amen lady” and food, I perhaps should have gone to check on Lulu in the church nursery.  When we went to pick her up, her eyes were all red and puffy and it was quite obvious she had been crying the whole time.  Bad mommy.

Doesn’t she look filled with the Spirit?

I managed to fill my own gap with a little lunch when we got home.

I had some steamed carrots and broccoli topped with tahini dressing and a cup of Pacific Foods Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup.  I’m pretty sure that they don’t make a bad soup.

I also indulged in a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte before heading out for some fun.

I don’t have any excuse to keep using that coffee mug, except for the fact that I can’t find a “Sometimes Takes the Stairs Girl”  mug.

Guess where we went:

Two prior trips to the pumpkin patch were not sufficient.

I got to see this guy up close.

He reminded me of Carrot Top, in that from a distance, he looked interesting, but up close…(shudder, shudder)

I’m pretty sure he doesn’t follow Erin’s eyebrow tutorial.

While we are on the subject of makeup, look what Gigi found at the pumpkin patch.

Like a moth to a flame.  Problem was, I’m pretty sure I could have done a better job facepainting had you blindfolded me, given me some anesthetic and talked to me about Tom Petty, and handed me a tube of Wet and Wild Lipstick and a Sharpie.  And it cost $10.  I may have promised to paint a face or two upon our return home.

No weekend in our house would be complete without a little baking and a trip to Sweet Tomatoes.

I made my honey the Lime Sucker Coconut Pie from, where else Eat, Drink & Be Vegan.  A similar recipe can be found here, but if you haven’t bought this cookbook yet, well, it doesn’t matter if you have or haven’t…I’m going to keep shoving it down your piehole.

Of course we made it to Sweet Tomatoes:

My parents invited and treated us (thanks guys!), and of course the only thing better than all you can eat salad is FREE all you can eat salad.

Unfortunately, that black bean chili was the only vegan soup option, and after tasting it, I let the waiter guy take it away.  Even their tomato soup wasn’t vegetarian, because you know, the first thing I think of when I think of tomato soup is “chicken.”  Thanks a lot, Sweet Tomatoes, or should I say, Sweet Chicken?

Well, the family is waiting for me to carve pumpkins and I’m hoping that somehow sticking our hands in seedy, stringy squash innards will have the girls forgetting all about face painting, or at least buy me some time.