Preparing to make (vegan) Lentil Shepard's Pie:
In addition to the listed ingredients, I added nutritional yeast to the potatoes, and fresh basil (instead of dried) with garlic to the lentils:
Homemade (vegan) Pumpkin Pie, soy-free, made with avocado, cashews, chocolate chips, and graham cracker crust:
Thanksgiving dinner plate: mixed green salad, lentil shepard's pie, brown sugar sweet potato mash, stuffed mushrooms, Pop Sparrow's famous celery salad with marinated olives:
The fun festivities began: video games, sword fighting, chasing, wrestling, toy car racing, UNO, card tricks, Cranium, musical chairs, and dancing:
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!!!
My own vegetarian story has a lot to do with Thanksgiving. For the years before I went veg, I just never felt right eating animals. But I grew up in a very meat-eating household of strict Italian decent, and one that was rife with tradition and conformity. So going vegetarian wasn't going to be an easy task. In the winter of 1995, I had reached 17, started listening to The Smith's, and began rebelling in ways that only a middle-class white kid (going to Catholic school) really can. I got the flu in early 1995, and I used this to my advantage. The last tangible thing I remembered eating was a hamburger. Staring down into the debris, I knew this was my way out. I was "scarred" by the experience, I told people, and no longer wanted to eat meat. This caused a huge uproar with my family, and since I wasn't doing the staple cooking at this point (and still lived at home), I bargained that I would still eat chicken. Transitioning into college in NYC, I lived on Ramen noodles, boxes of white rice, and frozen veggie burgers. I didn't care about my health then; all I cared about was not eating meat. Instead of gaining the "freshmen 10," I actually lost weight, going all the way down to 102 pounds. I went to Long Island on the weekends to visit my family, and my mother would not let me leave again unless I took her chicken cutlets -trays of them- back to the dorm with me. In hindsight, she was only concerned about my health and thought she was doing the right thing. This was before the internet, before you could google the millions of vegetarian recipes, blogs, and nutrition information that is so readily available to us now. She thought she was doing the right thing, and I can't blame her for it. I don't remember if I ever ate them all, truth be told, but I took the cutlets and went back on my way. I still ate chicken occasionally though, and even had a "vegetarian" roommate who convinced me that chickens “weren't really meat.” I don't know why I followed suit, but I was still listening to other people and hadn't quite developed my own backbone yet. Late bloomer, I guess.
It was a real awesome treat to revisit the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary again for Thanksliving. Eight of us (including fellow bloggers CP and KZ) packed our hungry butts into a car and traveled up to Woodstock in total excitement and giddiness. The travelin' was as much fun as the event itself!
The vegan feast: wild rice medley, stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce, citrus sweet potato mash, kale salad, roasted root vegetables, and Field Roast (seitan) with mushroom gravy.
Dessert was supplied by Vegan Treats, including the infamous (and totally knockout) Peanut Butter Bomb Cake, and Pumpkin "Cheese" Cake:
Then it was time for my favorite part....visiting the animals! This lil' guy came frolicking towards us, looking for pets, the same way my own cat or my brother's dog would. He was a total love muffin, and liked his ears rubbed.
The rest of the animals were just as lovable! Wearing what looked like a designer white gown (Vera Wang, anyone?) this turkey greeted at the door, and escorted us right to the others:
At the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, turkeys are the "guests of honor!" They are all treated very well; running free, beautiful and clean. Back in the heated dining tent, the turkeys even gobbled whenever the crowd applauded to the speakers, music, and comedy (to show their appreciation; what a witty sense of humor those turkeys have). I loved hearing their voices and hangin' out with them!
Overall, this was such an awesome experience. Although, I get really sad when I think of the animals that are slaughtered so cruelly, and are not as fortunate as these rescued animals featured here. I think of my friends and family, whom I love very much, despite hearing their remarks about my choice to not eat animals. How they can disconnect the food on their table to how it gets there. I have a childlike wonder that often haunts me: how can we say that we love animals, how can we love our pets and treat them like they are family, care for them and get sad for them, and still eat these slaughtered beings? These same beings, who also like their ears and bellies rubbed, who come when called and know their own names, who are intelligent and lovable. I don't understand, in this day and age, who made the decision that our pets are sacred, but these other animals (with such similar characteristics) are simply "food." I can't wrap my head around it. I know that I can't change this carnivorous world, but I can change my own self and not take part in this kind of cruelty, one day at a time.
I was given a crock pot from Sandy a few years back, but unfortunately I never had the chance to use it. A little intimidated, although not sure why, it was one of those things I always "meant to do" and never tried. But with the cold weather creeping in, it was time for a real down-home meal that was ready right when I walked in the door.
This recipe is "Barbecued Seitan with Layered Vegetables," from the book Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker.
This was packed with flavor, and really comforting and warming on a cold day. Served over noodles with a side of kale.
Words just cannot describe the pleasure-exploding taste of this ultra creamy vegan Mac & Cheese recipe by Dreena Burton. This recipe calls for Brazil nuts, which I luckily had on hand for another "cheese" type recipe. However, after reading the ingredients over, I was more excited about the idea of comfort food on this rainy day off from work, and decided to do the m&c instead.
Oh my goodness. This is THE BEST vegan mac and cheese EVER!!!!!!!!
On an added note, it's especially nice to exercise after eating such a rich and satisfying meal....( just don't fall asleep on the mat)...eh hem, Tim.
Butch Boxtail* highly appreciates yoga, but (and more importantly), his favorite pose is Savasana, otherwise known as corpse pose. Lazy bum.
What do you do when you are invited to a vegan wine & cheese party? Why, you make your own, of course! Getting together with CP for a lil' cheese-making pre-game, I was super excited to use a recipe that I've been ogling over for some time now:
* ¾ cup water
(insert musical montage to a "getting things done" song, preferably of the 80's variety)
The agar-agar, a gelatin-like substitute derived from seaweed, boiled with the water and tea.
This stuff is amazing! It is just like Jello, turning from a hot liquid to a cool mold in the fridge (but without the grody animal bone usage).
Mix everything together in a blender or food processor.
Viola! You are now ready for your cheese mold (I only had round CorningWare available, giving it a more "cheese wheel" shape, rather than an actual cheese ball).
Ready to cool and mold in the fridge.
Meanwhile, back at the CunyQueen ranch, the spread was fantastic! Her first guests were practicing some serious restraint while waiting for other arrivals (we did not share their will power). A vegan dream of creamy nut, vegetable, soy cheese & crackers:
Clockwise from the upper left: herb crackers, tortilla chips and pretzel flats, rice chips with vegan pate, nacho cheese dip, artichoke cream, saltines, quesdillas with rice cheese, blue tortilla chips, Teese mozzarella, Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese in aged macadamia flavor, salsa, and Soy Feta.
Added later was a homemade vegan fondue, made with beer! The beer really gave it that sharp cheddar-like twist, and the texture was fondue perfect.
Our cheese wheel joined in on the spread, with a sidekick of rosemary crackers.
I usually eyeball my smoothie ingredients, and end up with way too much for one person. In theory, it would be nice to save it for later, but if you know a banana like I do, you'll have a gray smoothie on your hands. Not unhealthy for you, but not exactly eye candy in your fridge after a long day at the office.
This So Delicious brand yogurt is, indeed, rightly named!! It is dairy-free, certified vegan, soy-free, and coconut-based (although it doesn't taste heavily of coconut at all). Full of pro-biotics, calcium, B-12, iron and fiber. It is super creamy and blends great!
I did end up with a little over a glass full of smoothie, but I managed to finish it off. No gray leftovers this time! Some day, I will master the art of one prefect glass full, but for now, I can deal with a little extra topping off before leaving the house. (Slurp!
