Cupcakes in the rain

I had more of this pumpkin bread for breakfast before dashing through the downpouring rain with a tray of cupcakes…

My birthday girl!

She was SOOOO happy with all the attention!  Ha.  We sang to her and then she had her cupcake, cutie, and roasted chickpeas before circle time.  She has barely taken the crown off since she got it, despite it getting soaked in the rain later that day.

Here are the day’s salad building blocks…

Since I was all out of roasted squash, I subbed in roasted Brussels sprouts.

It would have been good with some kind of cheese too, but I kept it vegan.  And then munched on a bunnnnnch of candied walnuts after this bowl was gone.

I had been planning on making salmon for dinner, but forgot to factor in how late soccer gets us home.  Then I remembered how quick Melissa Clark’s Vietnamese Caramel salmon was when I made it in the Instant Pot. And delicious.  I quickly checked the recipe and we had everything we needed.  Done and done!

I got it all set up in the IP, with the sauce ingreds in the insert and ready to sauté as soon as I got home. Meanwhile I decided on zucchini quinoa as a side dish.

I cooked quinoa in the rice cooker with the quick setting and pulled a bag of shredded zucchini from the freezer (still have a bunch from last summer!) which I thawed in the pan with some oil and tamari.  I left a little quinoa separate for Kyle though.

Once we got home from soccer dinner came together in no time at all.  Seriously, I think it took under 10 minutes!

This caramel sauce!!!!  It is amazing!!

AHHHH.  I love this dish.  Buy this cookbook for this recipe alone.  <– I think I say that about all her recipes!

Delish!