Monday, November 25, 2013

Hubby's Family's Thanksgiving & What I Brought

My Husband's Family has their Thanksgiving the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  Those in attendance are:  He and I as well as his brother, his brother's girlfriend, his mom and step father, his Aunt and Uncle and their 3 kids and their significant others and their kids...at least 4 of them this year, his Aunt's Mom, his Grandmother (who is the host of it all) and his Grandmother's Best Friend.  Everyone bring a dish or two to pass.  When I was a vegetarian I ate 'everything but the meat dishes' but since dropping dairy I noticed last year just how much his family loved not only their meat but their dairy!  So I brought 2 dishes last year and this year I brought 3 PLUS for the first time in my life decided to buy a vegan turkey roast from Gardein.  It wasn't bad...more on that later.  For the other dishes I bought - I brought baked beans - which where almost gone when we left and these two dishes that I have pictured here in this post!  This first one is a Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole of sorts.  It was a BIG hit!  I've never made anything like this before.  I was originally inspired by OhSheGlows.  I tweaked it a bit, tho!  Here's what's in this one...

4 Sweet Potatoes
2+ T Earth Balance
1 t Vanilla Extract
4 T Maple Syrup
1 t Nutmeg
1 t Cinnamon

And for the top layer I melted about 1/4 C Earth Balance and sprinkled the following on top:

1/3 C Wholesome Sweeteners Coconut Sugar
1/3 C Spelt Flour
1 C Pecans

It turned out WONDERFUL if I do say so myself!  It was SO SO SO Sweet!  I had a bit of it with my meal and then when everyone was eating pie I had a bit more as my dessert!

Then there was this...Creative Potatoes!  Again I saw a recipe similar online and tweaked it a bit.  Here's what's in this dish...

1 Pound of Red Potatoes (peeled)
1 Pound Cauliflower
(I cooked and mashed both)
Splash of Hemp Milk

1 Large Onion
1 Large Sweet Orange Bell Pepper
(I cooked in skillet on stove top using "Butter" flavored Grapseed Oil)

I mixed everything together.  I then added 3 T of Daiya Onion & Chive Cream Cheese as well as 1 T of Parsley and 1 T Chives.  This ended up being thinner than I hoped so I added a bit of Spelt Flour and it seemed to help.  I REALLY liked these.  I know that a few family members are Mashed Potato Traditionalists and wouldn't even consider trying them and that's totally fine.  What I really got a kick out of was one of the kids who is about 11 LOVED them...he made a mention of it TWICE.  That is what made it all worth it.  All-in-All I would say a SUCCESS!

Participating Post:
Live It Up At The Healthy, Happy, Green
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12 comments:

  1. suituapuiNovember 25, 2013 at 1:25 PM

    So sweet of you to bring something. Nothing can be better than something own-made - it has that special touch! Glad what you brought was a hit!

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    1. UnknownNovember 25, 2013 at 1:27 PM

      Thanks! I used to NOT be into cooking but now that I am not eating dairy in addition to not eating meat I need to take a more active roll :)

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  2. Christine (The Raw Project)November 25, 2013 at 2:18 PM

    Thanksgiving can be fun for vegans, I usually end up bringing too dishes I can eat to family events. The sweet potato dish sounds wonderful!

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    1. UnknownNovember 26, 2013 at 4:54 AM

      I have been having fun the last couple of years - actually this year and last year - as a veg*n - even moreso than being a Lacto-Ovo Veg in years past/before that

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  3. Anna@stuffedveggiesNovember 25, 2013 at 2:57 PM

    Those potatoes look awesome! So great that the 11 year old loved them! : )

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    1. UnknownNovember 26, 2013 at 4:56 AM

      Thanks! I think I will add Garlic next time but loved the onion and pepper additions!

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  4. Deborah DavisNovember 30, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    Wow! That's what I call creative vegan soul food!

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    1. UnknownDecember 2, 2013 at 4:49 AM

      Thanks so much! I LOVE discovering new-to-me dishes!

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  5. Deborah DavisNovember 30, 2013 at 5:18 PM

    Thank you for sharing those sumptuous dishes on the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Hop! We appreciate it!

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  6. UnknownDecember 1, 2013 at 4:41 PM

    That is awesome that you decided to get creative and made sure you wouldn't go hungry at the family feast =) I triple love that ohsheglows recipe - I know which one you're referring to and I always make that for dinners like this. Your potatoes sound divine!

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    1. UnknownDecember 2, 2013 at 5:14 AM

      OhSheGlows is a great site! I should visit and comment more often - they have really good search engine results I know that! :)

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