harvest menu ~ thanksgiving day

 {photo credit modern perch}

In the early days, since becoming vegetarian  and now vegan I have always referred to my Thanksgiving menu as a Harvest Day Celebration or Harvest Menu, it is the term I began using when printing out the menus for the big feast. Being the planner that I am, our menu is developed and printed about a month or two in advance. Even though the gathering is small there is always plenty of amazing compassionate dishes to share with anyone that would like to join us, along with good company and loads of laughs. Some years it is simply Justin and I with family joining us for dessert, other times a few adventurous family members who soon realize after one thanksgiving meal at our house you can have a pretty amazing feast without the turkey.

pumpkin pecan cheesecake

Oh my goodness, this cheesecake brings me back to my Cheesecake Factory loving days. Albeit, 9 times out of 10 I was way stuffed to actually enjoy a slice of their famous cheesecake, but boy did I love looking the crazy combinations and creations on the Cheesecake menu. For Justin and I, Cheesecake is a once a year foodie splurge; reason being we really have no self control when it comes to vegan cheesecake (sad I know). We have deemed Thanksgiving to be our unofficial Cheesecake Holiday.

braised greens // golden raisins + smokey tempeh

Every Holiday table should include at least one "green" dish; for us some years it may be maple cider glazed brussel sprouts, a fall harvest salad or green bean casserole. Growing up the standard green on my Gram's Thanksgiving table were your plain old green beans, for Easter; asparagus from a can. As I mentioned in my stuffing post we didn't often stray from our traditional family menu. On our Thanksgiving menu you will always find the standard Thanksgiving must haves; traditional mashed potatoes, farm house rolls and assorted pies, but you will also find at least one "experimental' dish, if good enough a dish that may find its way onto the Holiday menu must have's list.

multi seeded baguettes

Do you know what I love more than bread? Seeded bread! I absolutely adore all shapes, sizes and textures of bread but head over heals in love with multi seeded breads & bagels. So in love.

Bread making may seem tedious to some, but I love the motion of kneading, watching the first rise and the smell of baking bread. Baking bread  is a labor of love which involves all senses. Truthfully, it really isn't that hard to make a beautiful loaf of bread at home, just a little bit of practice and time.

chickpea magazine ~ 2013 winter quarterly

 

Chickpea Magazine is by far my favorite vegan magazine, not only does my heart flutter at the site of their beautiful content featured in each vegan quarterly, but also for the people behind the features. Chickpea gives everyday bloggers, writers and artists the opportunity to have their work published for the world to enjoy. Cara & Bob, the force behind Chickpea are pretty incredible and their vision extraordinary.

Chickpea in a Nutshell

"Every quarter we showcase our favorite things in the vegan world at the moment, whether it’s a personal story, a new book, a killer recipe, or a photo story that captures the essence of the season at hand. "

acorn squash quinoa stuffing

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for many reasons - family, loads of food with lots of leftovers, no pressure to find the perfect gift; these are just a few examples of why I love the last Thursday of November. It  is also the one Holiday that Justin and I celebrate at home - our door is always open for those that would like to experience a full on Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner or a Vegan dessert spread with locally made sparkling hard cider and home brewed beer.

Each year it is inevitable that I will prepare way too much food and imbibe too many glasses of champagne - but that's what makes Thanksgiving so great, just throw on a pair of stretchy pants and grab another mini pie!