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Lake Mills

October 3, 2014 by admin

We recently headed out to a nearby city’s library book sale. It was a beautiful Fall day and even though we had never been to the city of Lake Mills, the idea of an exploration along a country road was enticing enough for this TRFamily.

Tip: Why not slow down and explore that place you always just drive through on your way to somewhere else.

The library is an impressive stone building that was constructed in the late 19^th century. It is situated right off the city’s Commons Park. The book sale was held in a small house owned by the library on the back of the property. At $2 a bag of books, we were quite pleased to rifle through the offerings. In addition to our bags of books, we scored a good supply of FREE books on tapes that include Arthur stories and a German Language series for kids.

After the sale, we decided to look for lunch. There was a smattering of cafes across the green space and we headed that way. Timber Creek Pizza Co seemed a great choice and it didn’t disappoint this sometimes picky family. They have tons of choices at fantastic prices. Service was friendly, accommodating, and fast.

Full of good food, we decided to explore the Commons Park and its massive band shelter before heading home. But on the way out of town, Rock Lake Park on County Rd B caught our eye. It offered a small playground, a fun hand operated water pump drinking fountain, and a secret tunnel passage. It was a great way to end our visit in Lake Mills.

No matter where you live, there is probably a town or area that you haven’t really investigated. Give it chance. Get out there and explore!

Category Jaunts | Tags: Book Sales,books,Community,good eats,Neighborhoods,Parks,Traveling with kids,Wisconsin | Comments Off on Lake Mills
How Do You Like Them Apples?

September 28, 2014 by admin

Fall! One of our favorite seasons in the TR family. The air is cool and crisp! Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. Bugs are dying by the truckload! And apples are ready for picking.

We love apple picking. We look forward to it every year.

Walking through rows and rows of trees, seeking out the perfect pieces of fruit that we can take home, is a memory none will soon forget. And when you find that perfect apple, and take a big bite standing under the tree it grew on- well that’s just out of sight! It’s a great combination of outdoors activity, good eats and good fun!

With our bounty of apples we’ll make pies, tarts, and maybe applesauce? Who knows? We have plenty of apples to work with.

Our orchard of choice is Door Creek Orchard. They have a great selection of different varieties of apples in a beautiful, hillside setting. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the prices excellent. They also have cider and grapes available and Black Welsh Mountain sheep to admire.

If you don’t live near Madison, find your own local orchard and give it a try. You’ll come home with tons of fresh fruit and good stories, too!

Category Jaunts | Tags: Autumn,good eats,Outdoors,togetherness,Wisconsin | Comments Off on How Do You Like Them Apples?
Vegan Quinoa Burgers

September 19, 2014 by admin

There are so many different ways to make a veggie burger and we are always up for trying out a new one in our search for the elusive ‘perfect’ burger. We recently tried a new recipe featuring white beans and quinoa and were quite pleased with the results. Try it for yourself, and let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Dried White Beans

1/2 Cup Quinoa

1 Cup Water

1 Small Onion

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

1/2 Cup Corn – frozen or cut off the cob.

1 Small Clove Garlic

1 t Oregano

1 t Ground Cumin

1/2 t Marjoram

1/4 Cup Flour

1 T Corn Starch

1/3 Cup Water

Tip: Flour can be wheat flour, or any other type of flour you prefer. Use bean or rice flour to make gluten-free vegan burger, if you like!

Process:

1. Boil Beans for approximately 1 hour in 4 cups of water until soft.

2. Boil water, add quinoa. Cook for five minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Cover and turn off heat and set aside.

3. Fine dice Onion, pepper and garlic. Saute over low heat along with corn, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and marjoram.

4. Mash about 3/4 of the beans, along with the sauteed veggies in food processor or using an immersion blender.

5. Mix beans and veggies with finished quinoa.

6. Mix cornstarch and water thoroughly, and add to bean-veggie-qunioa mix, along with flour.

7. Form into 6-8 patties (Depending on the size) and bake on oiled sheet for ten minutes.

8. Flip burgers and cook ten minutes more.

Enjoy with your favorite burger toppings on a great bun, or in your favorite wrap!

Category Recipes | Tags: good eats,vegan,Vegetarian | Comments Off on Vegan Quinoa Burgers
In Racine, Head for Z’s!

September 12, 2014 by admin

A recent trip to the Racine area left us hungry and ready for lunch. Our pre-trip research had suggested a place named Z’s might be a good choice, so we pointed ourselves in the right direction and went to check it out.

We’re glad we did!

Z’s Grill and Custard is a Wisconsin custard stand with a few twists: They are open all year round and they have way more than custard on their menu.

Z’s opened a few years ago with a goal of transforming a seasonal custard stand into a year round restaurant. But even though Z’s offers traditional local fare like burgers and dogs, they also incorporate the owners’ family favorites like hummus, tabbouleh and house-made soups and chili.

What a delight to be able to walk into a place on the outskirts of a town and order a vegan wrap, or a grilled cheese on a fresh pita! Everyone in the family found something they loved.

We were impressed immediately by the friendly service. The warm greeting we received was a fantastic start. The Staff were happy to answer any questions. They took care of us and made sure all our food was to our liking.

Z’s prices are quite reasonable also. Our total bill was right in line with our typical Saturday lunch bills. Kids and adults were happily fed and we’re looking forward to stopping at Z’s again the next time we find ourselves in the area.

Category Road Trippin' | Tags: good eats,Racine,Traveling with kids,vegan,Vegetarian,Wisconsin | Comments Off on In Racine, Head for Z’s!
Backroad Bonus: MUGS, in Ripon, Wisconsin

September 5, 2014 by admin

Although we do have our list of go-to chains that have decent vegetarian/vegan options on their menus, we do so love to find new places that are off the beaten path and that might serve up a good meal.

After several trips to the Ripon, Wisconsin area, we finally stumbled upon a good lunch stop downtown.

Located just a few blocks off the Ripon College campus, MUGS is a coffee shop/ sandwich shop that fits the bill for our family.

MUGS is a cozy place that is well suited for studying, or just settling in with good book or the daily crossword. From the number of large tables in the dining area, we imagine many Ripon students head to MUGS for study-time and group project planning. (We arrived prior to the start of fall semester, so there weren’t any crowds.)

We loved seeing several vegetarian and vegan choices from grilled cheese to a delicious hummus veggie wrap. All this served up with great coffee and fresh-made chocolate milk. They also have Chocolate Shoppe ice cream on hand, along with a small number of desserts.

The pricing fits the student budget too- which means it works well for our hungry family. Most sandwiches were under $5 and included a side of chips. Large coffees were around $2. The friendly staff was helpful and accommodating. They didn’t hesitate to modify their grilled cheese for our Bluey. We could see ourselves as regulars if we lived in the area. As it is, MUGS will be our go-to cafe when we are next in Ripon.

Category Road Trippin' | Tags: backroads,good eats,vegan,Vegetarian,Wisconsin | Comments Off on Backroad Bonus: MUGS, in Ripon, Wisconsin
Begin The Vegan

August 29, 2014 by admin

TRMom has decided to embrace veganism. Vegetarian since around 15 years of age, she noticed that as an adult, her diet had deteriorated into convenience and junk. Wanting to make a step towards better health and realizing that structure and strictness were motivating factors for her, the vegan diet seemed an obvious direction.

One of the most difficult aspects of this dietary transition has been figuring out road trip food. We are a family on the go! We usually pack a decent amount of snacks, and occasionally a picnic lunch. But just as often, we like to enjoy lunch out when exploring.

The usual go-to Culvers veggie burger is not vegan. So what sort of choices are out there that would be friendly venues for our entire family? Thanks to the internet, we found two very helpful site links:

http://urbantastebuds.com/43-vegan-chain-restaurant-menus-every-vegan-needs-know/

http://www.peta.org/living/food/happy-cow/chain-restaurants/

It was very interesting to see how many options exist! Now we can do just a quick bit of research, either before our trips or while on the road. And TRMom can enjoy something other than a sorry little side salad.

This vegan thing just might stick!

Category Rambler Ramblings | Tags: good eats,vegan | Comments Off on Begin The Vegan
Backroads Bonus: Pockets in Aurora, IL

August 24, 2014 by admin

It can be hard to find a good place to eat when traveling. Many places we consider are either too expensive, not at all nutritious, or lack vegetarian/vegan options.

And then there’s the trick of convincing the kiddoes to give a new place a try. On some days they are very adventurous and eager to check out a new menu. Other days they want the satisfying security of going to a known restaurant. We can easily fall into a pattern of seeking out the short list of national and regional chains that offer foods we know our kiddoes happily eat.

But we are also working on expanding their palates, as well as encouraging their eagerness to try new places.

We found great success with this endeavor on a recent jaunt to Aurora, Illinois, where we discovered Pockets.

Pockets is small chain in Illinois featuring a menu built around the idea of… pockets! Pitas, calzones and stuffed potatoes make up the bulk of their menu. But they also offer salads and pizza, along with soups and a few sides.

Pockets hit all the marks for us: cost, nutrition, vegetarian/vegan-friendly, and kid-friendly.

Upon entering, we were most pleased to read on the Pockets’ board, in big letters, “Veggies Only? Subtract $1.20!” Typically, we are charged the standard price of a meal whenever we request the removal of the meat. We knew that we were in the right place when we’d finally save money for being vegetarians/vegans!

Pockets bakes their whole wheat bread fresh. Their kids meals come with a choice of fresh fruit and the kids pizza is on whole wheat crust in the shape of a dinosaur! You can choose from the standard menu or you can build your own meal.

Our food arrived within 15 minutes and we dug in. Everyone ate up to the very last crumb. We were completely satisfied and very impressed. The total bill was equal to our family’s typical charge for eating at one of our favorite chains.

So now the only question that remains? When will a Pockets open in Madison?

Category Road Trippin' | Tags: backroads,good eats,Traveling with kids,Vegetarian | Comments Off on Backroads Bonus: Pockets in Aurora, IL
Chickpea Salad

August 21, 2014 by admin

Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good bean salad!

We make them regularly, and with several types of beans, but lately our favorite has been this nutritious and filling Chickpea Salad. Once you’ve cooked the beans, it goes together in minutes and can be eaten fresh, or saved for a later day.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Dried Chickpeas

1/2 Diced Red Pepper

1/2 Diced Red Onion

1/4 Cup Shredded Carrots

1/4 Cup Your Favorite Salad Dressing

Process:

1. Boil Chickpeas in plenty of water, 1-2 hours until they reach your preferred level of softness.

2. Drain beans and toss with veggies.

3. Toss with Salad Dressing, either all at once, or as needed.

Tip: We prefer to leave the salad undressed, so it can be customized when eaten. Each family member can choose their own favorite dressing, for example.

You can eat the cold chickpea salad within a wrap. Or you can throw it on top of some brown rice, add a little salsa, and warm everything up for a nice sort of stew. Really, the possibilities are endless!

Category Recipes | Tags: good eats,Vegetarian | Comments Off on Chickpea Salad
Vegan Pizza

August 1, 2014 by admin

Occasionally we want to cut down on the amount of dairy products we consume. Or we just crave a dinner that’s a little bit lighter than a full-on traditional pizza. And we’re considering what it might mean for our family to go fully vegan- could we still have versions of our favorite foods?

Well, pizza is one of our family’s faves. This recipe proves that we can still have delicious, filling pizza prepared vegan.

It’s simple and pretty quick to put together.

First, you’ll need some dough. Start this step a few hours before you plan to eat, so the dough has time to rise. We recommend two hours. But you can cut that by a lot (even less than an hour!) and it will still work out OK.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 T Sugar

1 T Dry Yeast

1 t Salt

2/3 Cup Water

6 t Olive Oil

Process:

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl, cover and set aside for about 2 hours.

Now, for the pizza toppings:

Ingredients:

1 Red Pepper

1 Red Onion

8 oz. Sliced Mushrooms (we used button)

Small bunch of fresh Basil, chopped

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1 t Oregano

1/4 to 1/2 Cup Your Favorite Marinara: homemade or a favorite store brand- you decide!

Vegan Parmesan Cheese (we used Go Veggie!)

Process:

Saute veggies to help bring out flavors, about 5 minutes. Use veggies from your garden if you can!

Roll out/ toss dough into a round, about 14 inches across. Place on a pizza/cookie pan dusted with cornmeal.

(Optional) Precook dough 5 minutes or so, at 350 degrees. This can help keep the pizza from being too soggy in the middle once you add your toppings. But it’s ok to skip this step.

Spread marinara on pie, and finish off with sauteed veggies. Sprinkle with a light topping of vegan parmesan.

Bake 15 minutes at 350.

Eat and enjoy! There may just be something to this vegan thing.

Category Recipes | Tags: Gardening,good eats,vegan | Comments Off on Vegan Pizza
Zucchini Hot Pot

July 23, 2014 by admin

Here’s a great soup we recently created: Zucchini Hot Pot Soup. It’s a Korean-based soup, modeled after a beefy soup recipe in one of our cook books. We adjusted it to become a vegetarian soup and couldn’t be more pleased with the results. It’s a spicy soup, refreshing on a summer day, or warming in winter.

It’s also ridiculously easy to put together. And a great use for summer’s zucchini bounty!

If your kitchen cupboards aren’t already stocked for Korean cuisine, you’ll need to pick up a few things at a specialty grocery store. Or you may luck out and find these items in the “Ethnic Foods” aisle of a larger supermarket.

Miso Paste: A paste made of fermented soybeans with other ingredients including mushrooms and grains. It’s sort of like a bouillon for asian cooking. Miso comes in a variety of types. You may want to start with a ‘mild’ variety, and work your way from there. Miso can be used in many other recipes as well.

Korean Hot Red Pepper Paste: This peppery paste gives the soup and other Korean dishes their unique heat. We found some at our local supermarket, from the Bibigo Brand.

Now, on to the soup!

Ingredients:

2 T Miso

3 T Korean Pepper Paste

1 T Minced Garlic

1 T Sesame Oil

1 Medium Onion, Diced

2 – 3 Cups Stock or Water

1 Zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces

1 package (12 oz.) Tofu

Scallions for Garnish

Salt to Taste

Tip: The miso and pepper paste both have some salt, so depending on your stock and desire of saltiness, you may not need any additional salt.

Process:

1. Saute onion in sesame oil, pepper paste, miso and garlic a few minutes.

2. Add stock or water and bring to a simmer.

3. Add zucchini and tofu, simmer until zucchini is ready to eat.

4. Serve over brown rice with scallion garnish.

Yum!

Category Recipes | Tags: Gardening,good eats,Vegetarian | Comments Off on Zucchini Hot Pot

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