Good morning! We had a nice flight (read: left on time, arrived on time) and enjoyed our first day in Florida by running errands and chilling out. We started with lunch.
(Like my “Friend not Food” hoodie? You can get it here!)
First up, Fried Tofu.
After lunch we ran some errands. We’re having our big holiday meal on Christmas Eve and though one guest is bringing a vegan item (sweet potato casserole) I’m in charge of anything else vegan so I’m going to make three dishes. I also wanted to pick up foods for the vegans and non-vegans to enjoy over the four days.
So what’s happening there? From the left: lemons, garlic, (vegan) wine, raw green bean salad, tempeh salad, Tofurky beer brats, romaine lettuce, red kale, scallions, pecans, Earth Balance mindful mayo, chickpeas (do you know how long it’s been since I bought canned chickpeas? I miss my pressure cooker!), MorningStar breakfast patties (EDITED: eek! these are made with egg whites–I won’t be eating them!), dried cherries, Sriracha, So Delicious vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream, almond slivers and two raw cookies.
Little did I know, back at the house, my mother-in-law had a surprise for me.
I posted this picture on my Facebook page yesterday and people wanted the cookie recipe ASAP! Good news folks, it’s easy! She simply used a packaged sugar cookie mix and opted for Earth Balance and Ener-G egg replacer. She added chunks of dark chocolate, dried cranberries and chopped mixed nuts. So good!
After errands I kicked back.
(Don’t worry, by 2:00 p.m. today those nasty feet are going to look stunning because I have a pedicure appointment!)
As I was getting caught up on Facebook and Twitter I got some fun news. My photo of the kale-polenta cutlets from Celebrate Vegan is on The Today Show’s food blog: Have vegan holiday guests? Make them a feast of grains. How cool is that?! (Thanks, Dynise!)
I napped and then suddenly it was time for dinner. My husband volunteered to make a vegan meal for all three of us (two omnivores and one vegan).
He prepared the Tofurky beer brats by lightly sauteing them and then steaming them in, well, beer. He then sautéed garlic and sweet peppers to serve on the side.
That little dollop of cuteness in the upper right? Horseradish with Sriracha in the middle. I dipped my sausage in it and it was AWESOME!
He also made a salad with romaine lettuce, cucumber, beets and apple and topped it off with a dressing that included olive oil, balsamic vinegar, hearty grain mustard, salt and pepper.
It was a lovely first day of vacation!
