Oh, my. It has been quite a while since I have posted. My most sincere apologies, friends. Let's get back into the swing of things, shall we? Seeing as I have not recounted my wonderful holiday feasts, let's start there!
For my fifth annual vegan Thanksgiving (yay!) I had my immediate family over once more. I absolutely love that time of year... spending quality time with my entire family all at once is a rarity. All of us gathering to enjoy some cruelty-free food is truly a blessing. And this year was no different when it came to the quantity and quality of said feast!
We started with an appetizer: Hot Caramelized Bacon-Onion Dip. This stuff is positively sinful. So gooey-creamy-smokey-cheesy-sweet... I'm gaining weight just thinking about it. HIGHLY recommended for those occasions when calories are not being counted.
To be super-decadent, try dipping my mom's Mini Daiya-Cheddar Chive Biscuits in this magical concoction. Trust me.
Here's what our plates looked like - clockwise from top: maple-dijon roasted brussels, spring mix salad with pecans, dried cranberries, and a maple-dijon vinaigrette, homemade cranberry sauce (made by my mama), sour cream & chive mashed potatoes,
Gardein Holiday Roast with gravy, Isa's
green bean mushroom casserole.
A wonderful combination of tastes and textures. I was originally hoping to find the individual serving Gardein Stuff'd Turk'ys, yet there were nowhere to be found - the Holiday Roast was everywhere, however. I decided to give it a try and was satisfied, yet I believe my omni family may not have enjoyed the unusual texture as much as I did. The breaded version is much tastier. Nevertheless, I recommend giving the Holiday Roast a try! You'll have many leftovers.
You wanna know what this is? Oh, I'll tell ya... it's a god damned
Speculoos Maple Pecan Cheesecake. Did you hear me? SPECULOOS MAPLE PECAN CHEESECAKE. In our faces. Amazing recipe - very creamy, very sweet... my omni step-dad absolutely raved about it - and he usually isn't a big fan of sweets!
A religious experience.
My mom hosted a second Thanksgiving meal so the menfolk could have their traditional dishes, yet she lovingly included a buttload of vegan foods for me: stuffing, more cranberry sauce, green beans, brussels, sweet potatoes with candied fruit, mashed potatoes. And, yes, wine. Fantastic!
For our Christmas Eve extended family gathering I brought my usual noms: spinach dip with pumpernickel bread.
Vegan
baklava, bitches! An annual favorite.
I also tried my hand at making homemade hummus with dried chickpeas, using a crock-pot. It was a fantastic success and I vow to never, ever make hummus with canned beans again. The recipe still needs a little tweaking (less tahini, more garlic), but I was quite proud of the result.
Happy belated Holidays, everyone. There will be more posts to come, promise!
