Two weeks ago, we were away for a conference for Paul's work and visiting old (meaning known since high school) friends. Last week, I didn't get around to a meal plan. It was a rough week. I literally had no idea until the end of the day what I might prepare for dinner. Poor choice. Please learn from my mistakes. Make a menu plan.

We--Paul and I--have been on a mission. We'd like to serve Nora crackers with a little less additives and that are a little healthier. Some people might call that "processed" but I hasten to clarify. After all, if I'm using a food processor, it seems like the recipe is rather processed. My goal is to have fewer ingredients, adding more whole wheat flour when possible. And hopefully creating a cheaper product while I'm at it.

I was reading through one of the many blogs I follow and became inspired to make mini-quiches. One thing I've learned as of late is to bake everything I can in muffin tins. You see, the weather in Florida is positively wonderful right now. (Sorry, dear loved ones in Spokane.) And it doesn't make a lot of sense to run your oven for an hour because as it is the windows are open to let the wonderful breeze blow through your house, and there's no point in making a case for turning on the air-conditioner.

One day during our visit to New York City, Paul's mom joined us for a stroll around town. After tootling around town, we stopped to eat. We chose Soho Park, if I remember correctly, because it didn't look too expensive, didn't have too long of a line, and had vegetarian options on the menu. Actually, there were four vegetarian sandwiches on the menu. And I believe without cheese, the burgers are vegan.

As you know, a few weeks back we had a planting party. It stemmed from the need to have a friend water our container garden while we were out of town here and there over the summer. (Don't worry. We repay such favors.) But our friend thought it would be a good idea for her 2-year-old to see the planting process as well as water and harvest the results.

There have been some great articles in magazines that have come through my door this past weekend about health and vegetarianism. I thought it would be fun to share some.

Redbook Magazine interviewed actress Alicia Silverstone about her vegan cookbook. And while I don't advocate a vegan diet because it isn't right for everyone, there are a few wonderful things that she says that apply to any healthy food choice.

There's been some great articles about vegetarianism in a few magazines I've read in the last few days. I thought it would be a great idea to share some of the thoughts.

I'm late getting this posted today, but I think I have a very good reason. These are photos of Nora's birthday "cupcakes" a month ago. We chose to make homemade cupcakes instead of buying such things. Many people have allergies, and store bought ones can be so expensive and have such high sugar.

Those who know me well know I am a girly-girl. And as a child, I despised dirt. I momentarily appreciated the chore of using the riding lawn mower to cut our 1/4 acre. But I was uncomfortable with weeding, dirt, and bugs. I have tried hard to change. While I still have an odd fear or hatred of lizards (which I'm trying to get over), I have learned to appreciate the dirt involved with gardening and weeding. After all, they get me out in the fresh air and provide a bit of exercise--two very important things for sustained quality of life.

Recommended by the staff at The Full Plate Diet, Gobo's menu looked fantastic. Paul was wise enough to get us reservations for 6 for dinner. It would have been nicer to have seated seven, but they didn't have a highchair. So Nora was passed from person to person, and therefore she had 6 plates of dinner to choose from.

Just before New Year's Amazon.com had a great sale on some organic berry-flavored apple sauce. A couple of weeks ago, we got Plum Organics Peaches. While previously I was not interested in such convenience foods, even as a working mom, I've learned that Nora enjoys them because sucking solids is a new action for her mouth. The packaging intrigues her, and its shelf stable for when I'm on the go.

I used my "Get Out of the Kitchen Free" card early this week. I just couldn't convince myself to get started cooking. We went to P.F. Chang's, which is special to us as it was the location of our first date. Ironically, we met one of my "heros" Henri Landwirth, the creator of Give Kids the World where we had our second date.

On our Friday in New York, my father-in-law sat with Nora. He had to work, and she could be protected from extra cold outside. Paul, his mom, and I tootled around the City. At lunch, Gerald and Nora went to the Red Flame for an egg salad sandwich. Sunday morning, he took us back for breakfast and a number of people remembered Nora. Even her name! Now of course I can talk about how great and special my kid is, but in a restaurant that always looked very busy when we passed going to our hotel, and had a long waiting line on Sunday morning at 0930, I'm very impressed with the staff who clearly pays that much attention to remember the name of a customer and even the last time they saw her.

Naturally the omelets are huge. They are a little less fluffy compared to Charlie's Frog Pond, but I loved their vegetarian selection of ingredients. We had one spinach and feta and two tomato, avocado, and mushroom (the California) at our table. They came with shredded potatoes or grits (creamy grits, mmm) and toast. Paul had me order a Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. I asked for the whipped cream on the side. So they put it around the sides of the waffle. Amusing. At least it was easy to scrape off and share. The berries were certainly good for the season, and I thought my waffle was nice and light.

Have you seen these new Triscuits? Maybe they aren't new to you, but they are new to me. They are called "Hint of Salt." And believe it or not, they have 50 miligramss of sodium per serving. Care to guess how much sodium the traditional Triscuits have? 180 miligrams. That's a lot! And I'm much more comfortable about us eating these, and more likely to let Nora sneak one, than I ever would have been with the regular ones.

I got flack for this around the lunch table on Sabbath afternoon, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I had some bits-and-pieces of food around the house. Ricotta and Mozzarella were on sale. I put together a vegetable lasagna that I was quite proud of. (Paul teased me because it was like a "garbage-plate" of leftovers mixed together.)

Plain organic yogurt. (Stonyfield is our favorite.) Homemade baked apricots with cinnamon. Warm oatmeal. What adult wouldn't eat this, let alone a baby? And that's the point. I want Nora to cultivate the same tastes now that she might eat when she gets older. I love the idea that you can add seasonings to your child's food. That's where the cinnamon comes in. It adds great spice without extra sugar. It's good for digestion. And as I add seasonings, she learns flavor doesn't have to come from just salt.

This recipe is automatically vegan when you use olive oil for preparation. And it's gluten-free when you use a preferred wild rice cooked to package directions.

Happy Valentine's Day! And tomorrow, Happy Birthday to Me! The problem: I'm just a little busy to get it together enough to make a nice meal for either special occasion. Celebrations will just have to wait until after papers are graded. Lucky for me, I have a very patient husband.

It's really important to me as we are trying out the pasta recipes to remember to have additional vegetables. It's easy to eat nothing but a giant plate of pasta, but it's so important to remember to add additional nutrients and fiber. So, you'll often see a salad with a variety of ingredients based on what I have on hand and what is already allocated for another meal.This is the most simple of pasta dishes, but it packs a very special punch.

I got called by my old employer to work the lead nuclear tech's maternity leave. Naturally, this would happen during the last two weeks of class. Also during the week of my grandmother's 91st birthday. But fortunately after Nora's birthday! I'll do my best to enjoy the time at work (but away from my daughter) because change is good for variety, especially if you're in a rut.

I have received a complaint about the direction Eat Like a Rabbit seems to be going. And while I walked around grumbling for a few hours, I have since truly understood the issue even though it wasn't worded very well in the email.

My menu plan for Monday night required me to feed 20 for a church function. The only stipulation when serving is that it needs to be vegan-friendly because of allergies of some of the participants. I prepared the soup a day in advance because I didn't expect much time between work and the serving time. I was able to purchase the bread, lettuce, and cucumbers across the street and next door to my office, respectively.