This weekend we welcomed our friends Deborah and Akio into our home for a visit. We had a great time exploring the hills, flowers and food of San Francisco! Akio is a remarkably sensitive and thoughtful 2-year old. Deborah is a patient and thoughtful mom. We all get along really well!

In between visits to some of our favorite San Francisco restaurants and parks, we hung out at home, napping and snacking. I was excited for the opportunity to try out my newly developed vegan mac & cheese (same pan — leftovers!) recipe on two omnivores, one of whom is a tough critic in the form of a pint-sized palate.

Much to my delight, the mac & cheese was a hit with both our friends, especially Akio! If I can convince a toddler to eat vegan mac and ask for seconds, I feel like I developed a solid recipe!

Here’s a photo montage of Akio’s take on the dish:

First bite (served with a little ketchup): looking good!

A serious face for some serious eating!

Taking a break to wipe his face; Akio is a very polite guy!

All done, and (no joke) asking for more! He ate another serving!