Sunday, November 29, 2009

Thanksgiving Redux

Ya'll know I love food ... more than one probably should. But on most days, I carefully watch what I eat. I count calories. I work out. I plan meals by the week, all to ensure that my love of food doesn't turn into a full-on food addiction. But Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year when gorging oneself is not only accepted ... it's encouraged. So every year on the last Thursday of Novemver, I stuff myself until I can't breathe. Here's a shot of my first plate at my family's Thanksgiving dinner this year:

Top (left to right): Vegan Mac & Cheeze, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Corn, Vegan Cream Cheeze Mashed Potatoes. Bottom (left to right): Greens & Turnips, Mama's Best-Ever Vegan Cornbread Dressin', Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Slices of Field Roast Celebration Roast, and Marinated Slaw.

Except for the turkey, my mom and Granny make everything vegan. I get my own casserole dish filled with my mom's famous vegan dressin, and my mom uses Earth Balance in all the sides. She even used Tofutti sour cream and cream cheeze in the mashed potatoes, and none of the omnis could tell a difference. I made a small pot of vegan mac & cheeze, so I could eat it while everyone else ate baked mac & cheddar cheese casserole.

I used to cook a Tofurkey, but for the past several years, I've been baking a Field Roast Celebration Roast instead:

I like the texture and taste of the Field Roast better, and it's smaller so that means less leftovers. Nothing against leftovers, of course. I've been eating Thanksgiving plates all weekend! But Tofurkeys are so big that I'd have more leftovers than I could eat in a week.

My second plate was filled with one slice of all three of these delicious vegan pies. Granny brought a Vegan Pineapple Marshmallow Cream Pie:

She used Soy Whip, Dandies vegan marshmallows, and crushed pineapple in a graham cracker crust! I'm definitely stealing this recipe from her for my cookbook.

She also brought over one of her famous Old-Fashioned Coconut Pies, another recipe she developed for my cookbook. This is my favorite pie in the whole world ... ever:

And I made a Smlove Pie from the Veganomicon:

I've made this recipe several times before, and this rich chocolate tofu pie with peanut butter caramel, candied pecans, and chocolate ganache is always a crowd pleaser.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed the gluttony of Thanksgiving Day (and the days of leftover gorging that followed), I'm ready to get back into my old healthy-eating habits.

Hey testers! I FINALLY posted another recipe on the tester site — my Choco-Choco Praline Pecan Cookies. Check it out when you get a chance!

23 comments:

The Voracious Vegan said...

Awww you are so lucky that they made everything vegan! You have such an incredibly kind and supportive family, I'm really wishing I could spend Thanksgiving with you all next year!

And wow...what food. It looks incredible, I want seconds of everything!

nora said...

What a great Thanksgiving! that's so nice that they made (almost) everything vegan for you! go granny!

ZippyZu said...

Oh my! This is amazing- and your such a lucky duck!! Can I come along next year?!? Your mom and granny spoil you :-)

T said...

Once people realize how easy it is to veganize most things it isn't tough to persuade them. But I'd love to know how you convinced them the first time around!

What a phenomenal spread, and that Field Roast looks to die for. So does the mac and cheese... amazing meal!

Anonymous said...

those pies look delicious!

Mary said...

What a feast! And with the exception of the pie, it all looks pretty healthy! Your family sounds like a fun bunch.

Sarah S. said...

What a nice fam you have! if only i could convince my family to put the butter and cream away, we'd all be better for it! Everything you ate looks amaaazing, well done.

A_and_N said...

Happy thanksgiving (belated ;) ) Bianca :)

The spread looks great. The coconut pie looks the best though :) I LOVE the way it has browned at the top :)

Any black friday shopping ;) ?

Nicole said...

Man, that pineapple pie sounds so delicious! I have never even heard of anything like that.

That's one heck of a Thanksgiving spread!! It all sounds amazing.

Leslie Richman said...

Yummy! I way overate too, especially after being such a good little Eat To Live-er for the last few weeks. It was all so tasty though!

Katrina Adams-Burnside said...

Bianca,
Everything looked so delish!
And I'm not a big fan of desserts, but your Smlove pie looked heavenly!

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you had a really great Thanksgiving! It's so cool that your family made everything vegan for you. It's nice that your family is so supportive of your veganism.

I can't wait to try the coconut pie recipe in your cookbook.

(Don't worry about eating too much on Thanksgiving. It's just one day of the year!)

Erin said...

What a fantastic looking Thanksgiving plate! Your family is so awesome for making all the sides vegan. And the pies all look amazing!

Dani said...

My mouth is watering looking at your thanksgiving feast! yum! I created all my side dishes with smart balance etc, my family didnt know either. Where do I get the recipe for the coconut pie? That think looks orgasmic...

Trinity (of haiku tofu) said...

Your family sounds awesome. I don't think my granny ever understood what vegan meant. Also, the pie you made has left me drooling. I also ate until I couldn't breathe this week, and it felt awesome! ;)

Cyn said...

Yum! I love Thanksgiving. My family made vegan versions of Apple & Mince pies, stuffing, and a bunch of other stuff. It was fantastic, and I was totally stuffed after.

jessy said...

holy jeebus, Bianca - your plate is loaded with so much yumminess - it's magical! yay! that is just too awesome that everything but the turkey was vegan - your family rocks socks! i never thought about putting some tofutti yumminesses in smashed potatoes. that sounds wonderful! hooray for your granny's pies - and your smlove pie looks absolutely PERFECT! superw00t!

Jenna said...

Everything sounds fantastic! The Field Roast looks yummy. I have only tried Field Roast apple sausage and absolutely love it! I used it in my stuffing recipe this year.

Awesome that your family makes sides you ALL can enjoy!

the twins said...

wow, that chocolate pie looks so fantastic! and so does everything else. sounds like you had an amazing thanksgiving.

Devadeva Mirel said...

bryanna clarke grogan has a really great recipe for a thanksgiving roast. takes a few hours to cook but really really easy.

xotaylor said...

My gf and I had the Field Roast Celebration Roast this thanksgiving and it was really good. First time trying it. I'm a fan of all the Field Roast products. :-)

Sheridan said...

Oh my GOSH! YUMM! Why, oh why, didn't I go to your house for some awesome leftovers!?!

Shaheen said...

Who says vegans eat salad leaves only? That plate looks really delicious and substantial. I have never seen the Field Roast before, it looks good, unlikely that I will find it in the U.K.