micro-self:
Apparently, up until a few centuries ago, it was common for people to sleep in two “phases,” one right after dark, and another in the morning, with a few hours awake in between. They’d use that time to pray, read, spend time with a spouse, etc.
For years, I’ve been trying to figure out why I would wake up in the early hours of the morning (2:30-3:30, pretty predictably), and not be able to go back to sleep.
MY LIFE MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE NOW.
livingxvxfaith said: Will you be embracing that time now to do something?
Yes, I think I might! It might mean going to bed a little earlier than I do right now. Since my job doesn’t require me to get up early, I usually go to bed late, but I’m usually not at all productive after 9pm or so. If I could have an hour or two where my brain was wide open (as it is during my 3:30am ponder-the-universe sessions), and feel more well-rested the next morning, I would gladly trade away a few hours spent doing nothing in the evening.
Sorry it has taken me so long to get to this; my beloved MacBook died several months ago, and I don’t have the money to repair it. I’m currently using my work computer. Shhhhh ; )
So, Thanksgiving is the holiday of all food holidays, which means it can be tough for vegans who celebrate with omnivores, like my southern American family. Fortunately, I didn’t have to just survive my first vegan Thanksgiving; it was really incredible! That’s a picture of my first plate up there, so here’s a summary of what each is:
(Not pictured is the pumpkin cheesecake with a hint of chocolate I made out of Nava Atlas’ Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Everyone I made it for this year loved it, including my sister, who doesn’t even like pumpkin!)
Stuffing - made the way we usually do, but obviously with vegetable stock and no chicken or egg.
Field Roast Celebration Roast - Field Roast is one of my favorite brands of mock-meat, flavor wise. Unfortunately, I’ve since figured out that I have a minor gluten sensitivity that makes eating something so wheat-y give me major stomach pain, so I won’t be eating it anymore. If you don’t have that problem, it is still really delicious.
Mashed potatoes - we made this, and a few other dishes, completely vegan for everyone. Just used soy milk and vegan butter.
Macaroni - This recipe. Not as cheesy as I’d like (I even added more shreds), but it’s a great recipe for fixing in a pinch, or when you’re running around fixing ten other things.
Cranberry sauce - This is a great recipe my mom got from the Food Network. It has apples and citrus in it, and it’s so much better than the canned stuff. I can’t find her recipe online, so when I can get it from her, I’ll update here.
Green beans - My parents grow their own green beans, among other things, so these were canned from last year’s pick. The. Best.
Sweet potato casserole - Another dish everyone ate vegan (whether they knew it or not…). We modified my mom’s recipe, which uses a pecan crust instead of marshmallows. It’s below:
—-Sweet Potato Casserole—-
-3 cups cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
-1/2 - 3/4 cups sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 “eggs” (egg replacer, beaten well)
-1/2 stick vegan margarine
-1/2 cup milk (we used almond)
-1 tsp vanilla
Mix ingredients together (a food processor makes it extra creamy, but isn’t necessary) and pour in a 9x9 baking pan.
Topping
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/3 cup flour
-1 cup chopped pecans
-1/3 cup melted margarine
Mix together (Mom uses a ziplock) and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes (longer if you double it) until topping is light brown.
Filed under vegan vegetarian whatveganseat vegansofig veganfoodshare recipe thanksgiving holiday
Mini pot pies a.k.a. veggie-stuffed crescent rolls.
I used my normal recipe for tofu pot pie filling, and Immaculate Baking Co. crescent rolls (which don’t have the hydrogenated oils of Pillsbury, although those can be used as well). Basically, you stretch out the crescent roll a little, put a spoonful of filling in the middle, and wrap the three points over. Press seams together so stuff doesn’t fall out. Bake as normal. It takes practice to get them this pretty, but they’re yummy regardless. They’re best hot, so keep in mind that you can make the filling early/refrigerate leftovers, so later it takes no time at all to have a fresh, warm batch!
Bonus tip!- Crescent rolls can make a good vegan alternative to a lot of things. I use then to make cinnamon rolls- spread margarine, sugar and cinnamon on each before rolling them up and baking.
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Got a big ol’ pot of veggie noodle soup for this chilly* evening.
*Comparatively chilly. It got up to 73 degrees yesterday, which is a heat wave for December in NC.
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welleducatedtrophywife:
The answer to “What do vegans eat for Thanksgiving?” is, of course, “A lot.”
I’ve been lax on the posts lately due to chronic death of laptop, but I’m hoping to do a post-Thanksgiving recipe roundup soon :)
(Source: micro-self)
Filed under vegan vegetarian vegansofig thanksgiving vegan thanksgiving
I was watching Good Eats with my mom last night and I realized: I love Good Eats. I remember liking him as a kid too. Alton Brown is a bit cheesy, yes, but he has this way of breaking down the science of food and cooking that makes my chemist side happy, instead of telling you how to follow directions. Last night, I learned a good deal about garlic and mushrooms (two vegan staples, IMO). I found out that Good Eats is on Netflix, so I think I’m going to start watching all the veggie friendly ones (aka not the first episode about steak) as a sort of free cooking school. I might make notes for my own future use, and post them here. Sound good?
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Vegan pizza night with the roomies!
The crust is a generic brand canned dough that was accidentally vegan. I’m probably most proud of the dessert pizza (bottom): chocolate hazelnut butter “sauce,” angel flake coconut “cheese,” and chopped walnuts for topping. Absolutely wonderful.
Filed under vegan vegetarian food pizza vegan pizza dessert veganfoodshare whatveganseat veganmofo vegansofig
