Welcome to Day 17 of NaBloPoMo! It’s also Wednesday, one of my favorite days of the week. Tuesday-Wednesday is like my weekend because I have those days off. This “weekend” I have a LOT TO DO!
My son comes home from college on Saturday- he’s a freshman and this will be his first time home since school started. I asked him what food he would like while he’s home and he listed pumpkin baked ziti, spaghetti, deep dish pizza, tacos for lunch one day- I love how he even included lunch requests- and oh yes- I also have to cook an entire Thanksgiving dinner!
Wait just a minute! (you may be saying.) We thought you were vegan! What business does a VEGAN have celebrating Thanksgiving???
Ha ha… well, the fourth Thursday in November is not “Turkey Day,” around here, it’s Thanksgiving, and we eat lots and lots of delicious food.
We make cornbread stuffing, a radicchio-pear salad, fluffy rolls, (YUM) mashed potatoes with a potato chip crumble topping (YUM, obviously) a vegetable crescent roll ring,, and then at the bottom is a Field Roast plant-based roast.
That roast was actually the low point of the dinner- everything else was so homemade and delicious, and it tasted like a processed piece of old rubber. This year, we’ve ordered a “holiday box” from The Very Good Butchers, a plant based “meat” company. The box- if it arrives on time- will include a stuffed “beast”, sausages, bacon, and snacking pepperoni.- all made out of chickpeas, vegetables, wheat gluten, and other plants.
I’m excited to try this, although I’m not convinced it will arrive by Thanksgiving. Fingers crossed- and there’s always a plan B if it doesn’t.
The crescent roll ring is supposed to look like this:
My version is very, very delicious, but there’s a balsamic glaze on top and mine always gets too thick and kind of glops on. Every year I think maybe it will be the year I’ll get the glaze right… still hoping.
And don’t think we vegans are skipping dessert! Noooooooo…
So now you’re thinking “Oh, she obviously has ten or twelve people over for Thanksgiving dinner.” No! It’s just the four of us. Yes, four people who really love pie. Last year we had a cranberry-apple pie and two pumpkin pies. Two, because I don’t eat sugar. One of the pumpkin pies is sugar-free. Yes, I have a whole pie to myself, muahahahahahaha.
As you can see, I’m not a chef. Or a food photographer. But I try! The kids help me with the pies, and my husband and son are in charge of the potatoes and salad. We really love our Thanksgiving dinner!
Well, I’m off to make lists and shop.
Are you cooking a Thanksgiving dinner?
Canadian friends… Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? What are your traditional Thanksgiving foods?
14 Responses
Ahhh…thanks for remembering your neighbours up North.
The menu for our Canadian Thanksgiving is pretty similar to Christmas – both tend to involve turkey (I don’t know of anyone that does ham). We had a great feast with rotisserie chicken, parsnips (for my father-in-law and roasted they were delicious) and carrots, baked potatoes, corn, and a homemade cheesecake. Decidedly not vegan, though!
I actually do make quite a few vegan recipes (have you read Oh She Glows cookbooks. They’re written by a Canadian and I think they’re some of the best vegan cookbooks out there)!
Enjoy the special time with your son! Nothing beats home cooking and I love that he thought through all the meals he wants to see on the table!
Yes, I know Oh She Glows! I didn’t realize she was Canadian though.
It’s funny- my son didn’t really appreciate my cooking while he was home, but after he had been at school a couple months he texted “I never thought I’d say this, but I miss your spaghetti!” Ha ha.
we are hosting 19 people this year. I am the only one who is a vegetarian so it is a lot easier over here. Still a lot of work though. Looks like you have a great feast prepared
NINETEEN??? I don’t know how people do that! I certainly hope people are helping you with the cooking.
Your vegan thanksgiving sounds really yummy.
In Germany thanksgiving is not a thing. So no celebration. But I actually wanted to invite some friends for a Friendsginving in 2020 but that obviously never happened. And this I didn’t even allow myself to think about it. Maybe one day.
Maybe you’ll get your Friendsgiving in 2022! Let’s hope we’re in a better situation by then.
For the past two years my husband and I were alone on TG so we cooked for ourselves and had a great time with it. It ended up being a ton of food but we had no problem eating the leftovers. I’m glad that we’re having a big family get together this year but I’ll miss our small family meal. I’ll probably make a few apple pies for us to have at home since we all like them so much.
My sister and her husband ALWAYS spend Thanksgiving alone, just the two of them. They cook, they go for a long walk, they eat, and they really love it. It does sound really nice!
That looks delicious! I am also a plant-based person, but I really don’t care for any of the “fake meats.” I think your homemade dishes look scrumptious! We go to my MIL’s for Thanksgiving, except this year, and there is almost nothing for me to eat. One year I had peas. Then in 2020 I had access to my own kitchen and I supplied all sorts of roasted veg and salad, and it was so good. Win-win! My MIL just doesn’t cook veg much and so until I had a kitchen where I could contribute to the dinner, I had to sneak trail mix in my room later in the evening, just so I would kill someone from being hangry!
I’m glad you found a solution to that problem- trail mix in your room does not sound festive! I agree- I don’t care for most fake meats. My husband and son like them though.
That sounds really awesome… and I love that you’re making a feast for four people. You gotta have options!
We’ll be cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us, not too fancy. We usually get a small hen (because turkeys are too big for two people) and then vary the side dishes every year.
All the dishes look delicious.
My wife cooks similar desserts: they are very tasty!
I’m glad you’ve found a way to have a yummy vegan Thanksgiving! I’m thankful that all I have to contribute this year are cookies and deviled eggs – the hard work will be done by my cousin and her husband!
Oh you are lucky! I have a lot of cooking to do in the next couple of days! My family is helping though. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!