thanksgiving of champions oh nine!

Hello, Thanksgiving!

Because Nathan's parents live in Illinois and mine call New York home, we are effectively given a free pass to stay home for Thanksgiving and spend our holiday break however we see fit. While I love our families, I must admit that this is a very good deal. This year, we chose to spend Tofurkey Day with the MRTs, who were hosting their bi-annual Thanksgiving Extravaganza. As usual, the celebration did not disappoint.

As part of the solid vegan contingent attending dinner, I may have gone a little overboard. But what is Thanksgiving, if not the perfect chance to go overboard in every way one can? We could, and we did. First, the food.

My second attempt at a tofurkey was just as dissappointing as my first. Not bad. Just not... turkey-like. Mostly it tasted like a giant block of tofu, which is what it essentially is. Next year, I'm either going to go with a good old fashioned pot pie, or with the recipe that Lindy Loo raved about today. If that's not a convincing blog post, I don't know what is.

Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without a sweet potato casserole. A few years ago, I asked Nathan's mom for his recipe, and when she sent it to me I nearly had a heart attack. This version, from Fat Free Vegan, is a lot more healthy and no less delicious.

Vegan Fudge Pecan Pie from La Dolce Vegan. Always a hit!

Not pictured: my glorious Fruit and Toasted Almond Stuffing, from the holiday issue of Vegetarian Times. It was warming in the oven while I was snapping everything else, and then it was in my stomach. Trust me though - it was good. You can see it on my plate, which I diligently carried over to a window and photographed with one hand while balancing it precariously in the other. Nobody ever said I wasn't dedicated. Or crazy. Mostly though, I'm just thankful, not least of all for a great dinner, great friends, and a great many bottles of wine around the fire late into the night. But enough sappy stuff, and on to the food.

 

I hope you had as happy a Thanksgiving as we did! Now: bring on the Christmas!