Thanksgiving

Cranberry Molasses Mulled Wine + A Giveaway

November 24, 2017ALL, Drinks, Thanksgiving, Winter0

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This Cranberry Molasses Mulled Wine recipe is perfect for chilly winter evenings or big holiday events. Serve it with a few orange slices and fresh cranberries for a stunning presentation.

First off, I didn’t post yesterday because I was with family but I just want to say that I am so thankful for all of you here! So many of my favorite opportunities would not be possible with VV and VV would not be possible without all of you. You are the best.

And happy BLACK FRIDAY! Did you wake up at 2 AM to wait in line for that new laptop? Oh wait, I’m still living in 2001 – stores open at like 8 PM on Thanksgiving now. Or does everyone just do their Black Friday shopping online these days? I’ll admit that I’m guilty to snagging a few deals today on CB2 and West Elm for our new house (which we are closing on in ONE WEEK! eeeep!).

Tapenade Tarte Soleil with Pine Nut Marscapone

November 20, 2017ALL, Appetizer, Side, Snack, Thanksgiving, Winter1

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This elegant looking Tapenade Tarte Soleil with Pine Nut Marscapone recipe can actually be whipped up in under an hour and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your holiday feast or cocktail party! Please note that this post was sponsored by Alessi Foods. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

A Tarte Soleil what with a helping of Marscapone who? Yeah – that is what your guests are going to say when you whip out this gorgeously delicious appetizer and they stare back in amazement at how sophisticated you have become. This sun-shaped puff pastry star may look super complicated but it can actually be made in under an hour and can even be prepared a few hours ahead of time so you aren’t scrambling the last few minutes before people arrive.

Vegan Pumpkin Baked Ziti (Easy Thanksgiving Vegetarian Main)

November 14, 2017ALL, Entree, Fall, Thanksgiving, Vegan2

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This Vegan Pumpkin Baked Ziti recipe (from the Veganomicon cookbook) is the perfect easy Thanksgiving Vegetarian main dish. It can even be made ahead of time and baked just before serving!

Okay don’t panic but Thanksgiving is next week. Are you ready? Yeah, me either. I think we all can agree that being a vegetarian around the holidays can be a bit tricky. After many years of going to holiday dinners and realizing I could only indulge in the salad and rolls, I’ve discovered that my best way to enjoy the holidays (and avoid pity smiles from others looking at my plate) is to take control. And when I say take control, I don’t mean run to the freezer aisle and pick out one of those deformed tofurkeys that your relatives will snicker about behind your back all day (darn you mean cousins!). I’m talking about whipping up your own vegetarian main dish that will smell so amazing, all your family members will scoop some onto their plates without even realizing it’s vegan. Here is a perfect example of this: after I whipped up this casserole this past weekend, Wyatt anxiously stood behind while I photographed these photos and asked “When do I get to eat this cheesy goodness? It smells amazing!”. I smiled, handed him a plate, and watched him devour the whole thing without even noticing that it didn’t have a drop of cheese (or any dairy) in it. I’m telling you is going to love this!

Cranberry Orange Champagne Mimosa with Candied Rosemary

December 14, 2016ALL, Drinks, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Winter0

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This simple two-ingredient Cranberry Orange Champagne Mimosa (plus garnish) cocktail is perfect for holiday parties or Christmas morning. Dress it up with an orange slice and candied rosemary or keep it simple with just the juice and champagne.

Ever since I’ve been old enough to drink (almost a decade), it’s been a holiday tradition to wake up on Christmas day to my mom preparing a simple egg bake with lattes and tall glasses of mimosa waiting for us on the counter. We lug everything into the family room with the tree and presents and enjoy while opening gifts.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dessert: Amaretto Cranberry Shortbread Slices

November 20, 2016ALL, Sweets, Thanksgiving1

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Skip the Thanksgiving pie this year and whip up this easy Amaretto Cranberry Shortbread Slices studded with fresh cranberries and scented with amaretto liquor instead.

This post is part six of a six part series on Hosting a Vegetarian Thanksgiving. Please visit post one for the full menu and tips a hosting your own meat-free holiday.

And just like that, we are already at the last part of this month long Thanksgiving series! With Thanksgiving approaching in just a few days, I’m going to bet you probably already have most of your menu picked out. With that being said, I’m going to go ahead and throw one last recipe in front of you in case you may need another dessert idea: Amaretto Cranberry Shortbread Slices.

I know what you are thinking…cookies…for Thanksgiving? Wait, hear me out! Pies are the usual go-to but they can also be insanely time consuming and rather difficult to get right (soggy pie? Been there. Shrunken pie crust? done that). You are already having to worrying about 10 billion other kitchen things (okay, maybe an exaggeration but close) on Thursday, why add another huge project to the list? These cranberry shortbread slices take no time at all to make are just as festive with their cranberry sauce and candied cranberry topping.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Side Dish: Rainbow Carrots and Chard

November 17, 2016Appetizer, Side, Spring, Thanksgiving, Winter1

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This recipe for Rainbow Carrots and Chard is a stunningly colorful side dish perfect for the holidays or your next gathering. Colorful carrots and chard stems are blanched and then tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette for a healthy and simple recipe.

This post is part five of a six part series on Hosting a Vegetarian Thanksgiving. Please visit post one for the full menu and tips a hosting your own meat-free holiday.

WOAH, Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK! Are you ready? I’m ready! To be completely honest, I’ve already been rocking my Christmas playlists (eeep – don’t tell anyone!). I’m so so so ready to take a little road trip up north to hide out on my childhood couch and catch up on a few novels (in between eating, of course). I do this thing where I get so wrapped up in my head (thank you, election + work + my over growing to-do list) that the only way for me to fully reset is to get out of my environment and travel somewhere. I’m really hoping this trip next week refreshes me in that way (and so does my clenching jaw). Hoping you all have some relaxing plans for next week as well!

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe: Pumpkin Sage Drop Biscuits

November 13, 2016ALL, Appetizer, Bread, Side, Snack, Thanksgiving0

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These Pumpkin Sage Drop Biscuits are a quick and easy Thanksgiving dish that can be on the table in less than 25 minutes. They also are perfect to serve with fall soups and stews.

This post is part four of a six part series on Hosting a Vegetarian Thanksgiving. Please visit post one for the full menu and tips a hosting your own meat-free holiday.

And we are back with another part of the Vegetarian Thanksgiving series I started at the beginning of the month. Can you believe Thanksgiving (for the U.S.) is already NEXT WEEK? How did that happen? WHEN did that happen? If you are anything like me (a young, liberal woman) than it’s probably been a pretty exhausting past week which honestly has me craving comforting family time more than ever. I’m excited to spend time with my family and whip up a huge feast with my Ma next week. Are you up to anything exciting for Thanksgiving this year?

If needing table setting inspiration than make sure to check out this post and if you are looking for vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish recipes then check out this post.

Thanksgiving Menu: Fromage Fort & Whiskey + Maple Syrup Sours

November 6, 2016Appetizer, Drinks, Side, Thanksgiving0

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Below I am sharing recipes for Fromage Fort and Whiskey + Maple Syrup Sour from Julia Turshen’s cookbook, Small Victories. This Fromage Fort is the perfect appetizer because it lets you use up all the leftover cheese and wine you have from the rest of the Thanksgiving recipes you are making (plus it’s cheese and wine – how could it even get any better than that?). Additionally, I love this simple Whiskey + Maple Syrup Sour recipe since it’s made with ingredients you most likely already have on hand; this also makes it ideal for whipping up when guests stop by or you are hosting a huge dinner (like Thanksgiving) and don’t want to add more ingredients to your long shopping list.

This post is part two of a six part series on Hosting a Vegetarian Thanksgiving. Please visit post one for the full menu and tips on hosting your own meat-free holiday.

As I mentioned in part one of this year’s Thanksgiving series, I always turn to trusted sources like my favorite cookbooks and magazines when planning a party menu. Don’t get me wrong, I love blogs (HELLO! This IS a blog!) but the recipes are not always as vetted and tested over and over again on websites. When it comes to a recipe making or breaking my dinner party, I just can’t chance it on the recipe not turning out for the big day. That is why I chose two recipes from Julia Turshen’s new cookbook, Small Victories, to include on this year’s Thanksgiving menu. Both recipes are simple, come together quickly, and turned out perfect!

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Entree Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Pot Pie

November 3, 2016Entree, Fall, Thanksgiving1

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These Mini Pumpkin Pot Pie are the perfect vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish. They also make great weeknight meals as they can be mostly prepped ahead of time.

This post is part two of a six part series on Hosting a Vegetarian Thanksgiving. Please visit post one for the full menu and tips a hosting your own meat-free holiday.

I want to cover two things in today’s post: tips for setting a simple and modern table and vegetarian main recipes. In part one, we talked about general tips for hosting your own Thanksgiving and I want to dive a little deeper and talk specifically about table settings today. As a rather young woman (in my late 20s), hosting my own dinner parties was SO intimating for so long. Not only do you have to time cooking 4 to 10 dishes but you have to think about the mood and vibe at your party: how is the table setting it going to look? What kind of music will you have playing? What about the lighting? Okay, maybe the second two aren’t as important to you (and that’s okay) but let’s at least cover the table since that is a major one. Here are my tips for setting a minimal and modern table for Thanksgiving (or any big dinner gathering, really):

Keep it neutral. Your dinner is first and foremost about the food so don’t pick out a bunch of tabletop items that are going to distract from the natural beauty of your dishes. I opted for a light beige tablecloth with beige napkins and wood and marble utensils. White, cream, grey, brown, and maybe even a light mustard would work well here.
Pick a few favorite items and create the theme around them. I created my table setting around these gorgeous beige napkins and little salt bowls so I made sure to pick out a table cloth that matched the napkins and utensils that went well with the wood. A lot of people may choose items based on a big centerpieces they have picked out which is also a great way to go. I personally ended up just picking out some orange flowers that I knew would work well with the beige and give it a little bit of a Thanksgiving vibe (without looking too cheesy).
Create a paper menu. It’s crazy how placing a menu on your guests plates can take the vibe from casual get together to full on fancy dinner party. I created the menus for this spread by purchasing a wedding package (YUP, who would have thought?) that included a menu template from CreativevMarket.com and then got it printed at a local printer (Kinkos should work if you don’t have a local place). It was an extra $20 expensive that I’ll be using over and over again.
Set a formal place setting. Do you know which side the knife goes on? What about the wine glass? Would you judge me if I told you that I had to google that? Because, well I did. And I know none of my friends would have noticed if it was wrong but my grandma sure would have said something when she sat down. If you have the silverware to set a full on formal setting, I’d say go for it but don’t feel pressured to go out and buy a soup spoon set and salad forks. If you don’t have them already then go that route – it’ll still look great if you set it up right! Use this chart to set your table correctly.
Don’t overcrowd the table with decorations. I’ve been to so many parties where the guests had to spend a few minutes before eating clearing the decorations from the table so there was room for food which just seems silly! Stick to a simple centerpiece and maybe a few candles so there is plenty of room for the main event – the food!

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu

November 1, 2016ALL, Entree, Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, Wrap Up1

Today’s post is all about celebrating the season with a Vegetarian Thanksgiving! Below you’ll find a Vegetarian Thanksgiving menu, vegetarian recipe suggestions, and tips and tricks for how to host your own meat-free dinner.

I am so freaking excited that it is officially November 1st! This means it’s finally socially acceptable for me to begin talking to you about THANKSGIVING (sorry non-US readers as this post will be very helpful for you…)! I’m extra excited this year because I’ve spent the past few weeks working on a Vegetarian Thanksgiving menu for you. Inspired by several tabletop pieces sent to me by Bomisch, a rad home goods store run by a fellow veg head, this SIX part Vegetarian Thanksgiving series will be rolled out over the next three weeks.

Thanksgiving

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