Sherwood Forest Faire - Paolo Garbonzo Performing

For Austinites wanting to do the renaissance festival thing, our choices so far have been a long drive out to the Texas Renaissance Festival towards Houston in the Fall, or a long drive to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival up near Dallas in the late Spring.  Well starting now (Spring of 2010), we have a new option in the Sherwood Forest Faire which is a mere 35 miles east of Austin, Texas on U.S. Highway 290.  It opened for the first time this past weekend, and my family and I went yesterday on the festival’s second day of existance.  This is my review – with an eye for the vegetarian aspect as well as the family fun.  They are open from 10:00 a.m. until dusk and we got there around 11:00.  The drive is so much better and easier than the hike out to TexRenFest.  It was short enough that the kids hardly had time to get restless.

First Impression

The last bit of the drive there was a pain – over a stretch of rough pavement and then an even rougher stretch of dirt road.  Once at the festival, the faire grounds were impressively large and everything seemed well constructed.  I was surprised at the number of large permanent buildings already built.  It is evident that they have really committed to this project with the sheer size and scale of what they have built for a newly-opened facility.  Much of the construction of things like fences, bridges, and stages was done with rough-sawn wood boards so it gave the impression of being rustic construction, but was very solid.  A number of the food and merchandise shops were full-on buildings – some even two story and a few of the bar areas had huge concrete slab seating areas.  The toilet situation appeared to be all port-a-potties (I really like the constructed bathroom facilities at the Texas RenFest), so they have room to grow in that area.  Other than that, everything I saw was solidly constructed and looked great.

Being the first weekend ever of the festival, the turnout of people wasn’t huge.  This was both negative and positive; each of the different stage areas had sparse audiences which both made the performers more accessible while also making the shows seem less like a proper production.  When thinking about it in hindsight – and considering the size of the festival grounds and the number of different stage areas – the turnout was really pretty good.

Faire Food

Ah, faire food – my favorite.  If you are trying to eat vegan or strict gluten free, you probably already know this isn’t a good place for you.  For vegetarians, however, there was plenty of food and it was excellent.  We had fried cheese sticks (our kid-approved favorite), french fries, cheese quesadilla, nachos, and churros with ice cream (another kid favorite!).  Other veggie-friendly items I noticed were veggie burritos, hummus and pita, cheese pizza, fried jalapenos (which I tried to order, but they were out), fried eggplant strips, plus the usual suspects like funnel cake, roasted nuts, and kettle corn.  Note that the menu on their website is not complete.  They actually had much more variety at the faire than they list on the website.  The food was a definite highlight for myself and for the kids.

Entertainment

We caught a few of the shows and it was the standard renaissance festival performances.  As I commented above, the low turnout made the shows we saw seem more intimate, but less like the large performance spectacles I am used to.  I was surprised to see that they had a jousting arena set up and .  The program ($1 just inside the gate) lists 22 different performance areas.

Final Thoughts

Sherwood Forest Faire - Archery Demonstration

I was impressed, we had a great time, the kids enjoyed it and they are already talking about going back.  Other than just continuing to get the word out to get more guests to show up, I really didn’t see any faults at all.  Make sure you check it out and help them get going.  The festival runs now through April 4 on the weekends and you can buy discount tickets on their website, or from HEB stores.  I’m looking forward to next time.

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Keep It Simple

I researched for a long time and there is a huge range of rice cookers available.  My first stop was to our local large Asian supermarket.  I was totally surprised to find way too many choices and most of them very expensive.  Most of the models were over $100 and I really didn’t know what the difference was.

I finally decided to keep it simple and purchased this Aroma 4-cup Rice Cooker for under $30.  It couldn’t be easier as it has a single button that works like a toaster – push it down and the unit automatically pops the button up when it is done cooking the rice.  I wanted to get something so I could get started cooking more rice and get into the habit of feeding my family more rice in general.  If I find that this isn’t full-featured enough, then I will upgrade to a more advanced model.

Use It

What ever you end up selecting, make sure you use it.  I stocked up on rice trying to keep a few different varieties on hand.  With the simplicity and speed of a dedicated rice cooker, there is no excuse for not using it often.  Even with the bare-bones unit I selected, there still is some trial and error and it takes time to figure it out.  My first few batches were dry and a little on the hard side.  I figured out that if I add a little more water and/or let the rice stand in the water first it turns out better.  Also, rinsing the rice first really helps get rid of the excess starchiness of the finished rice.

Then Get Fancy

After using my rice cooker for a few months, I have now started to experiment more with it.  Tonight I used vegetable broth instead of water and I added zucchini and tofu right into the pot when it cooked.  It turned out great and my wife even went back for seconds (which doesn’t usually happen with my rice experiments)!

I am happy that I purchased something and this unit has already exceeded my expectations.  What ever rice cooker you decide to purchase, I urge you to pick something and start cooking.  Eating more rice is a great way to improve your vegetarian diet and it is naturally gluten-free too.

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Gluten Free Pasta Types

The main two types we found are rice based and corn based.  While it does depend on the brand, we found the rice pasta held up better to cooking and tasted better.  The rice pasta also tastes more like typical flour based pasta.  Corn pasta has very different strong corn flavor.  This can be a nice change, but is less like a pasta substitute.

Rice based gluten free pasta

Corn based gluten free pasta

3 Cooking Tips

1. Don’t over cook.  We found that gluten free pastas do not hold up well to boiling and can easily get overcooked and turn mushy.  Follow the directions on the package and err on the early side – check the pasta early and often and make sure not to overcook it.
2. Use lower heat.  Usually I cook regular pasta on a full rolling boil.  For gluten free pasta, I use medium-high to medium heat and a slower boil.  This helps to keep the pasta intact.
3. Rinse with cold water.  Most gluten free pastas will have a starchy residue on them.  A good rinse with cold water removes this and improves the taste and texture.  I throw the rinsed pasta back in the pot to heat it up again.  Then you can serve it from there, or if you are serving the pasta with sauce you can add the sauce and heat it all up together.

Best Bet

Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta - Best Bet!

These bags of brown rice pasta from a company called Tinkyada are the best bet that we found.  They are available in a bunch of styles and taste great.  They have spirals, elbows, shells, spaghetti, and more.  Many of them are available in organic varieties as well.  This pasta holds up great to cooking and can even handle a little over-cooking.  It passes for regular wheat based pasta and can fool people and they most likely won’t realize it isn’t regular pasta.

I have found this brand in several stores around us like HEB, Central Market, and Whole Foods.  They shouldn’t be too hard to find.  Look in the pasta section and the specialty gluten free section of your stores.  I hope you find these tips and recommendations useful.  Be sure to comment and let me know.

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I’m writing this post using the iPhone WordPress app which seems pretty good at first glance. I may do a future post about it once I’ve had some tome using it.

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Thanksgiving Meal

I find it unfortunate that there is so much focus on turkey for Thanksgiving.  With all the other traditional side dishes we never miss the turkey and always feel full.  We have made an effort to create our own family traditions around the meal without the turkey.  We have the typical fare of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing (if using store-bought, check the ingredients – not all are vegetarian), and green beans.  One year we tried to cook a tofurkey and it was a unanimous failure – we all hated it.  Our vegan friend swore that tofurkey really was great and that we needed the tofurkey gravy, but I don’t think any of us are willing to try it again.  I have also heard of other families that make a tradition out of trying new recipes for main dish turkey-replacers.  What ever you choose to do, it is a good opportunity to build family traditions.

Holiday Hype

I also find it unfortunate that Thanksgiving now gets overshadowed by the beginning of the Christmas holiday season and the hype of the black Friday shopping.  As a non-Christian it seems like we are overwhelmed by people who think that everyone celebrates Christmas.  I’m not looking forward to another month of cashiers wishing me a merry Christmas and having to decide to either tell them I don’t celebrate or just grit my teeth and respond with a yielding nod.

Staying Positive

Anyway, the real think to focus on for Thanksgiving is exactly what the holiday is named for – giving thanks.  It is a wonderful time to stop and think about what we are really thankful for.  I suggest you take this time to think about what you are thankful for, what you want from life, and how you can get there.  Stay positive, and be thankful.

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Finished Dish - Rice and Tofu

This was a really simple dish which I was surprised that I got the kids to eat and enjoy pretty easily.  There is a little cooking involved if you count the rice, but hopefully that is easy enough.

I have also tried to get a little fancy with the sauce which I cook in a small pot on the stove.  Even with these two things though, this is still a very simple dish.

I have gotten in the habit lately of making rice once or twice a week and have it figured out pretty good.  I use two cups of dry rice so I get enough for leftovers for use the next few days.

First start a pot or rice-maker of rice going.  This is the longest part of the dish.

Then start the tofu by pressing the water out of a block of extra-firm tofu.  I have found several organic brands at different stores here, but find that extra-firm is the easiest to work with for dishes like this.  I wrap it in a few layers of paper towel and then place a bowl on top with a can or two from your pantry in the bowl to add weight.  If you do this about the time you start the rice, then the timing works out pretty good.

For sauce you can use just plain soy sauce or something similar.  Lately I have tried experimenting with cooking a sauce on the stove.  I start with a few cups of vegetable broth and add whatever I have on hand – soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, etc.  The kids have liked the sauces, but my wife hated them and suggested I take a sauce-making class before continuing to experiment!

Tofu and Rice being assembled

When the tofu is sufficiently pressed, cut it into cubes.  Then take a big microwave-safe bowl and put the tofu in.  I also happened to have a zucchini so I sliced that and added it as well.  Pour the sauce over the tofu.  Then heat it in the microwave for several minutes until it is nice and hot.  Stirring in between will help to get the tofu thoroughly coated and soaked with the sauce.  Then simply plate some tofu and sauce over a bed of rice.


Even though this one involves a little more cooking than some of my other meals, I have found myself making this fairly often lately because it really is simple once you get a system down.  I also feel good serving my kids rice and a simple tofu dish like this instead of another Morningstar Farms chik patty or something overly processed like that.  It is a simple, healthy dish and then I end up with leftover rice which I can use for the next mealtime.

When I actually figure out some sauces that work I’ll try to write up that as well.  Until then, you’ll have to experiment yourself.

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Build your own taco bar

Build Your Own Tacos

This is a very simple idea and was a really big hit with the kids.  I called it a “build your own taco bar” and they were sold instantly.

I think the idea that they got to choose and assemble the tacos themselves really worked.  After a particularly hard period of at least one child complaining about something I tried to serve, I decided to put the choice into their hands and it worked well.

I found hard taco shells that are flat on the bottom so they stood on the plate while we filled them up.  This would also work with tortilla shells as well.

Taco Filling

Taco shells, rice and beans, black olives

Find something good for the main filling.  I had some leftover rice so I mixed in part of a can of black beans.  My kids really don’t like black beans so this was barely passable, but the rice made it ok.  If yours like beans, then cooked black beans or other beans would make a good base filling.

Also pictured here are black olives.  These would make an acceptable main taco base in a pinch.

You could get fancy and cook up some meatless ground beef or something like crumbled tofu or seitan as well.  I was going for speed and using what I had on hand.

Taco Toppings

Then I put out bowls of taco toppings for them to choose from.  Here are guacamole and lettuce.  I made a rule that they needed to pick at least one green item for their tacos.  One of my sons loves guacamole, but the other two kids hate it.

Finally, some cheese (or cheese substitute if doing vegan) and some salsa.  Here I’ve got some Pace organic which is really good and has been popular with the kids.  They aren’t big on spice, so this is the mild, but after they rejected several other salsas, I was happy to find one they liked.

Thoughts

This was simple and involved no cooking at all.  I mixed beans in with the leftover rice and heated it in the microwave.  The rest was just assembling the different ingredients.  It wasn’t all that different than burritos that I serve fairly often, but the kids really liked the do-it-yourself aspect.  From that point of view it seemed like a completely new idea to them.  I plan on using this one again, and also using the “assemble yourself” idea for other meals as well.

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Junk Food Vegetarian

Relying on junk food instead of real meals and healthy food because it is too hard to eat vegetarian.

Overcoming this problem is a two part solution.  First you need the willpower to not eat so much junk food.  You need to learn to say no and slow down your eating.  Yes it is hard at first, but it becomes easier as you eat less and less.  Second, it helps to have better alternatives.  The best way to accomplish this is to learn to cook more and keep healthy foods on hand.  Another backup is to find healthy restaurant options and eat out or get take-out more often.

Frozen Foods

Relying too much on frozen foods like meatless offerings from Morningstar Farms and Boca Burger.

This solution falls into a similar category with junk food regarding having better options.  I still keep Morningstar Farms foods in my freezer and they certainly have a place in our meals when we are just too busy and exhausted, but they play a smaller role.  I have made a big effort to use them sparingly instead of relying on them.  I’m actively trying to cook more and also just seeking out healthier options both fresh and frozen in the grocery store.  I have found really good tasting veggie burgers that don’t have wheat, dairy, or eggs in them.  I’m planning on including them in my veggie burger roundup coming up.  While not as bad as pure junk food, the key here is moderation and not relying on frozen food with huge ingredient lists for every meal of every day.

Child Care

Having children in child care accidentally being served meat.

The solution to this one comes down to being very vocal about what your kids can and can’t eat and making sure you talk to everyone involved in your child’s care.  For us, this was a matter of going into the kitchen and talking to the chef to make sure he/she knew our kids and their restrictions.  We also made a point to go in at different times so we talked personally to all the staff on both morning and afternoon shifts.  One school had nameplates on the tables that indicated the vegetarian restriction and even this wasn’t enough.  Talking to everyone and stressing the importance was our solution.  Another way to solve this is to bring your own food for your child.  Some child care places don’t provide meals or don’t provide vegetarian meals, so this may be your only option.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, mistakes happen and that is part of life.  Our lives are always too busy, but we need to make eating healthy and eating vegetarian a priority and make sure that we do for our selves and our children.  When everything else is stripped away, is anything more important than health?  Does anything really matter if we are sick and unhealthy?  Ask yourself that and make the time to avoid these vegetarian mistakes.

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Junk Food Vegetarian

This is probably the easiest and most common pitfall that us vegetarians can fall into.  When you can’t easily get fast food and don’t have time or the know-how to cook much, it becomes all to easy to grab for the nearest bag of potato chips and soda.  I was (and occasionally still am) a junk food vegetarian for far too long and managed to pack on about 35 pounds.  This becomes a dangerous cycle because then you have less energy from the junk food so you feel even less like making healthy things.  Also, your body adjusts along with the amount of food you consume – as you consume more food you get hungry quicker and want to eat more and create another bad cycle.

Frozen Foods

This is a step down from pure junk food, but I feel it is still a mistake.  While frozen foods from companies like Morningstar Farms and Bocca Burger are great, I spent too many years relying on them to feed myself and my family.  The Morningstar Farms Chik’n products have been popular with my kids, but they have a long list of ingredients and are full of wheat, dairy, soy, and eggs.  As I discussed in another post on food sensitivity testing, one of my sons and I discovered we have wheat sensitivity.  Relying on these foods and consuming them too much I feel has contributed to ear infections and congestion problems for my kids and myself.

Child Care

My 3 kids have all been vegetarians from birth and all have been in some amount of pre-school child care.  We had several situations where they were fed real chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and spaghetti with meat sauce.  I can’t do anything to change this, but I consider it a mistake that I wasn’t more on top of who was feeding my kids.

Final Thoughts

While eveything in life is give and take, I can look back and clearly see things I could have improved about my vegetarian eating.  I am very glad that I have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle and feel that even with my mistakes I am better off, and the world and the animals I have saved certainly are better off.

Do you have any vegetarian mistakes you have learned from, or things you just don’t know how to fix?  Be sure to comment and let me know.

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This lady suffered from many health issues which ultimately were caused by sugar and food sensitivities to many grains.  She has put her years of experience into a book with both recipes and methods for transforming your favorite recipes to gluten-free and low-glycemic.

This book contains much about losing and maintaining weight with yoga, but also comes with a complete additional bonus book called Vegetarian Recipes for Health and Happiness.

This comes from a mother-daughter team with the mom’s handed down recipes and the daughter writing them all up in simple to read and use format.  This offer comes with lots of extras including books on weight loss and organic food.

Vegetarian Cooking Made Easy. A Step By Step Guide To A Vegetarian Lifestyle.  This comes with tons of extras including getting started basics, tons of recipes, simple formulas, things to watch out for, plus how to make sure you are getting everything you need.

Do you have any cookbooks or resources you find indispensable?  Be sure to comment and let me know about them.

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