Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Thanksgiving: check!

Thanksgiving Supper 2011
I loved these stand-up turkey napkins my mom bought for us to use. Not extremely absorbent but cute!
Antler Elegance
Stand up Christmas napkins, anyone?

Hopefully, no arsenic.

I worked so hard on this Cinnamon-Dusted Butternut Squash. Really, it's from Whole Foods deli.

I did, however, make Homemade Applesauce. And applesauce does not need sugar. Here is the recipe I used. I was able to use up the last of our 20 lb. box of organic apples, that were starting to get a little soft, from our Azure Standard order.

Thank you again, Whole Foods, for the Brussels Sprouts I did not have to wash, chop, and roast. I did, however add the pomegranate arils after seeing Bobby Flay or someone do that on the news that morning. I think I could add pomegranate seeds to anything and love it.

I worked hard on my homemade stuffing, but I'm not sure it was worth the effort. It was pretty good that night, but it was soggy as a leftover. (I probably messed the recipe up by subbing a couple of ingredients; my main substitution was so dumb, I'm not even going to say what it was).

I did love the idea of making homemade stuffing, and I loved the idea of chopped pears and chestnuts in it. (Although - the canned chestnuts are soft and totally grossed me out. I will use only dry nuts next time.) I also added some chopped Smoked Apple Sage Field Roast Sausages, which might have saved it. My friend's stuffing at Portions of Goodness looked much better. I'll do a better job with your recipe next time, Pam.

Roasted vegetables with our Field Roast and Tofurky Roast. Road's End Gravy (not pictured) on the side. We love the marinade we use for our veggies (potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, and onions) and roasts. It's a version of this Tofurky Baste Option 2, using orange juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, olive oil, and spices.

I had kind of hoped to make a homemade roast this year...but I didn't even go grocery shopping until late Wednesday evening. And they weren't out of Tofurky Roasts, like I'd feared. Maybe one like this for Christmas.

an assortment of rolls from Whole Foods

We LOVED this Cranberry Mandarin Orange Relish, also from the Whole Foods deli. Delicious! I paired it with some plain, cooked millet.

I also took Pam's suggestion for Spaghetti Squash & Chard Gratin from Kalyn's Kitchen. I subbed in tofu, Vegenaise, and Daiya for cottage cheese, egg, and parmesan.

I won't go so creamy and decadent next time and let the squash and chard have more of a voice, but I liked it.

After a whole day of cooking and very little sampling, I couldn't WAIT to sit down and enjoy my meal. And yet...I couldn't finish even half of my plate. What a disappointment. This was the problem of deciding to have Thanksgiving supper rather than lunch: I can't eat very much in the evening, even if I don't eat a lot early on. (I'm 8 months pregnant, for those of you just tuning in.) I covered my plate and stuck it in the fridge.

My 11 year old, on the other hand, was being exceptionally quiet, and we realized it was because he was just shoveling it in.

And although everyone else got to enjoy my pumpkin pie (recipe here)...

...and this girl came back for dessert seconds, in which she asked for "more pie and more Brussels sprouts"...

...my burgeoning belly had to wait until the next day for a piece of pie. I tried staying up late just so it would settle enough for one little piece of pie. But I finally brushed my teeth, telling Ryan I was going to be a big girl and just wait until the next day.

Those of you who like Soyatoo, have you tried the new extra creamy version? I think it's even better.
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And off to get ready for Christmas!

17 comments:

  1. Everything looks great and love that you took a little help from WFs. Smart thinking if you ask me. Can you believe I've never tried pomegranates?

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  2. Everything does look awesome. I love stuffing, but I have bad taste in it, in that I really just want something Stovetop-ish. I think canned chestnuts would skeeve me out, too.
    If you're looking for a homemade faux turkey, you might consider this one: http://irreverentvegan.com/2009/11/spanksgiving-faux-turkey/
    I made it last year and it was pretty good (and easy).

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  3. So there's those roasted veggies you were talking about! Yum...I'm writing that recipe down. Wish Field Roast would come out with a gluten-free version...it looks so good. Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving eats!
    Ashley

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  4. Oh my goodness I am so humbled you tried some of my recipes! I should have mentioned that I left out the cottage cheese on my spaghetti squash and just used a little yogurt. I loved it and will make it again. I also LOVE the idea of adding field roast sausage to the stuffing! I did like mine better this year having dried the bread out for a couple days.It was less soggy for sure. AWESOME meal! I want to try your veggie marinade!

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  5. Wow it looks like a great spread and good for you not slaving over the extra sides. You obviously have a beautiful (burgeoning) family and should enjoy your time with them! Too bad about the stuffing...did you sub 1/4 cup of oil with 3 cups of water?

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  6. Oh my goodness, it all looks so wonderful! I'm with your daughter - more brussels sprouts and pie, please! I will probably use your pumpkin pie recipe for Christmas. I was so disappointed with mine that flopped...I really need one that works! :) Also, I wonder if we've crossed paths in Whole Foods before and just didn't know it? haha! Happy Holidays to you and your family!

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  7. I love those napkins! the brussel sprouts with the added arils makes for such a pretty color combo.

    The pie looks perfect. I just saw the extra creamy version of Soyatoo last week, which is exciting! Glad to hear it's better than the other version. You had a wonderful looking meal and the kids are really cute in their hats. :)

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  8. Excellent-looking spread — nothing wrong in choosing wisely from WF to supplement your meal. I like the way you made the WF sides so much more interesting with your additions. But, I am curious about the "dumb" sub, and you shouldn't hold out on us. We all know you're a great and creative cook, so if you make a mistake you should share, so we won't make the same error. :D
    I clicked your link to see what was in store for Christmas — ha! Thanks for the link. Now I'm going to check out Stacy's link, to see if it might show up at my house next year!

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  9. Yum! Lot's of good ideas and everything looks so good. :-) We always have Martinelli's every Thanksgiving, but just the plain apple one. :)

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  10. YUM what a beautiful Thanksgiving spread to be eaten by a beautiful family :) Your kids are too cute! Everything looks SO GOOD!! I am so excited that you posted the applesauce recipe because I really wanted to try making a chunky applesauce! Yours looks so delicious! The spaghetti squash and chard gratin looks so yummy and very decadent. Everyone has been posting all of these yummy vegan pumpkin pies, I think I may have to make a crustless version or maybe an oat crust version. Yum!

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  11. I found it very interesting to see your vegan Thanksgiving! It looks BEAUTIFUL! I bet it was yummy!

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  12. Mmm yum! I can relate to not being able to eat certain times, I've had some stomach issues too. Glad there was a piece of pie left for you the next day!

    I too am curious if the martinelli's had ansenic in it because I had some on thanksgiving. eek.

    My dad roasted some chestnuts recently and they were very dry so I would suspect using canned ones would make it soggier.

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  13. So what's up with the 'Stand-Up Napkins'? Is your Mom saying you're all a bunch of slobs, cuz you look like a tidy bunch to me. Especially after examining the fridge post.

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  14. Those napkins are so cute!
    Everything looks delish. Looks like a very good feast! :o) Oh, and I would have gone back for seconds on the brussels and pie too!

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  15. Love the napkins!!! Pics look great!!!

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  16. Heather, TRY THEM!!!

    Stacy, thanks for the suggestion!

    Ashley, I hope they come out with one for you!

    Pam, thanks!

    foodfeud, no that wasn't the substitution! Thanks for understanding that time is sometimes worth more.

    Molly, thank you for all of the compliments. You are too kind.

    Andrea, ha! I'm really not that great of a cook. I'm just a wannabe.

    Sarah Lynn, well I'd say Martinelli's every Thanksgiving is a nice tradition.

    vava, thank you! I hope you like the applesauce. And I have been making crustless pumpkin pies. We realized we like them JUST as well!

    our side of the mountain, so sweet of you to come over here to my vegan blog! I'm glad it didn't freak you out. :)

    bitt, every day I think I'm NOT going to eat past 5 or whatever, then every night I regret it. I don't feel sick or anything. It's just that if I bend over, it seems like everything wants to come up. Sorry if TMI. Did you watch the Dr. Oz? Martinelli's says theirs is safe. I hate all of that. Yes, I need to roast my own chestnuts. I will never eat jarred or canned ones again.

    SV, trust. We are SLOBS. The fridge is only imperative because I was wasting too much money on organic product and leftovers, etc. It was getting hidden and going bad. Ridiculous.

    Michelle, you would have eaten the brussels sprouts WITH the pie? :) You are as dedicated as she is.

    colorwheelmeals, thanks!

    THANKS, EVERYONE, for your kind words!

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  17. Dear friends, Brahmakumaris are vegetarian... and emphasize the importance of keeping thoughts pure... when preparing food... they either enhance or

    decrease the vibes of what we eat...thus affecting our health... vegetarian lifestyle is also more conducive to achieving total peace of mind.
    There is Brahmakumaris meditation...that relaxes the mind...nurtures a healthy balance between inner and outer worlds...recharge... rejuvenate the inner-self... From Gita

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