Folks, we have a wiener!!!

Prior to becoming the Big V, the kids favorite meal was spaghetti and meat-a-balls. It was a once a weeker type of meal. I was hesitant to try it the vegan way as I really don't think I could've handled disappointment in their BFF meal. Kid 3 is the only oddball with this meal. No sauce. Nada. Nekkid. With the exception of buttah, Kid 3 ate it plain with a meat-a-ball (or 2) on the side.

Onto this evening. Please remember that we are still in the experimentation phase and we are trying desperately to find basic staples. I met a wonderful woman at Whole Foods about a week or so ago and she was kind enough to not only A: give me a heads up on a nasty vegan parm cheese, B: tell me she bakes (and sells) vegan cupcakes (this makes Mama oh so very happy), C: give me her cell # so she can share some of her fave recipes, but also tell me her favorite vegan meat-a-balls. Nate's Classic Flavor Meatless Meatballs.

These meatballs were amazing! I loved them better than the homemade beef we've grown accustomed to. Really. They look like the real thing, smell like the real thing, and are kinda crispy like pan fried meat-a-balls (without all that nasty fat). The texture was perfection!!! They bake in the oven for 10 minutes!!! Seriously! No digging your hands into that nasty mixture of meat, egg, and breadcrumbs (that was always my most despised part). Honestly, that's a 10 minute meal. It takes the pasta 10 minutes to cook and the sauce just under 10. We use Newman's Organic Marinara Sauce, YUMMY!!! We were also lucky enough to find it on clearance at Target of all places for $1.89 so back in November, so we have TONS LOL.

I also made a pretty amazing salad. All the kids love salad (well, Kid 4 doesn't looooove it as much as the others). I chopped up Romaine, kale, carrots, cukes, cauliflower, and tossed in some sunflower seeds.

The verdict is out. We have a winner! Almost a unanimous vote, as well. Kid 1 went back for seconds on everything (Kid 1 is the biggest meat-a-ball connoisseur I know). Kid 2 didn't LURVE the meat-a-balls, but ate them anyway. Kid 3 was a member of the clean plater club. Kid 4 ate all but some salad. 

Look at that! All but one thumbs up!!! The halfsies is Kid 2. Yeeeehaaaawww!!! 

I did make some more zucchini banana bread this afternoon. Well, I made them into mini muffins (easier to pack in lunch boxes). I made some alterations per a comment on the actual recipe. I used applesauce instead of oil, added 2 tbs Flax meal, cut the sugar down to 1/2 C, and subbed 1/2 C of whole wheat flour for unbleached all-purpose. Can't tell the difference AT ALL. Soooo yummy!!