quiet saturday at home

vegan corn chowder i made this week, i also made homemade vegan chocolate chip cookies per dbf's request.

Well, it seems winter has briefly returned to these midwestern/southernish parts, despite the obstinance of blossoming tulip magnolias, dogwoods, crocuses, daffodils, and tulips! It even hailed briefly today. Oh, well. Not to last long.

I've gone and decided (after months of subconscious reflection, I believe) to learn how to play ... the banjo! So today I went and looked at banjos at two music shops. Of course, the first one I looked at was $500 and had all the bells and whistles. But the second one that a friend had put on hold for me was just over $100 and would allow me to afford at least five months of lessons (once per week for a half hour, enough, I think, to tell me whether or not I should continue with it).

Now I have always, always wanted to learn to play an instrument. Flute did not work, my parents could never afford piano, and I have a guitar that sits and sits mainly I think because I wanted to play because it was the cool hippie instrument to play, the one "everyone else" plays. I made some halfhearted attempts at it, and just lost interest. I mean, I would love to learn how to play, I just have zero motivation to get lessons or practice. But the banjo is more of a novelty. I'm always fascinated watching peple play them, they just look like such fun! And I think that after this initial expense, it will become another of my frugal hobbies. Eventually I'd even like to fulfill another dream, to join a little coffeehouse duo or trio! But baby steps first. I'm hoping to pick this lovely instrument up on Monday when I'm paid.

This weekend, Adam has gone home to Boston for the weekend to retrieve his things, so it's a quiet weekend at home. However, we booked a crazy expensive (last hurrah before the big April 1 FRUGAL BUDGET kickoff.....hehe) weekend "away" a few hours to the east of us in Kentucky. It's at a 300-acre organic farm bed and breakfast, and only vegetarian food is served. this weekend will be plugged out, but i'll try and take some pictures. This weekend kicks off my long-awaited, much-needed spring break from school. The only other thing I'll be doing is spending two nights up at a Montessori farm school in Ohio. That should be a blast, as well.

Today I went to to thrift shops, something I haven't indulged in in AGES. So I let myself spend $18 for four shirts and the adorable cream/sugar set you see below.

vintaaaaggggeee!!! yay. I also indulged (cheaply) my bad tendency to eat outside the home - a coffee, a cookie, vegan nachos...

... a margarita. $20. groan. I will be much tighter on the purse strings come april 1 though ... determined now that I'm budgeting for two! At least I made vegan egg salad over romaine for dinner, AT HOME. go me.

vegan egg salad, sorry for poor light quality!

I think a major part of being a frugal vegan is always having convenient snacks available. I am one of those people that needs to always be eating, so if I had nuts/fruit etc. on my person at all times this would curb the need to not have to go to some cute local place and spend at least $10-15. Because you know, we can't just shoot through a golden arches corral and spend 99 cents. :-( (not that i'm regretting that one much, but seriously a VEGAN drive through would be fabulous!!)

I'll share some pictures with you from the things I've been up to lately. March has been a relatively quiet month, despite some normal (i think!) growing pains from having someone else constantly in a space you inhabited quietly for so long.

Our menu plan for the week is simple: vegan "tuna" wraps, homemade hummus and raw veg, veggie foccaccia sandwiches with pesto on the panini press (the bread comes from a local baker/deli), green smoothies, and steel cut oatmeal in the crockpot, with fruit and nuts. Also some kind of spinach/mushroom/lentil dal or soup to use up leftovers.

Here are some new links I found after listening to a great podcast about raising vegan children (actually the second link is where I found the podcast). I think I am addicted to podcasts now! They are wonderful to listen to while knitting or cooking/baking.

Kid Bean
Vegetarian Food for Thought

Hmmmm Sunday ... well since the weather is crappy I'm going to spend some time working in my classroom, go put a payment down to secure my banjo, take a walk, cook a bit for the week ahead, and maybe go to my usual tea shop for some knitting and antique cups. Here are the pics I promised you from said tea shop! (and of the baby sweater i'm knitting ... which is a lot farther along now but which looks nothing like the picture in the book ... hmmm... oh well)







have a good week, everyone.

love and light,

karen


p.s. Vegan cinnamon buns, I made them last Sunday and they are time-intensive (four hours!) but soooo worth it. I added 1 tbsp. maple syrup to the icing. Find the recipe on my friend carrie's blog, Vegan Yogini in KY (see my sidebar - then type in cinnamon rolls in her search box).