Hello! :D
Yesterday we had a wonderful get together with the family for Thanksgiving. :) I made a vegan banana walnut chocolate chip loaf that was a huge hit.
It was literally gone in 10 minutes! lol. I love showing people that vegan treats can be even better tasting than ones made with animal products. No one believed me that it was vegan. :) Music to my ears!
My brother in law had about 7 slices! hahaha. ;)
I brought my Aunt some Glo bars!
Prepping in the kitchen:
The appetizers: Pita chips, cheese, hummus, candied almonds, and my bread:
I got the recipe for these candied almonds and I will be making them soon. They were so delicious!
Table for 12 (plus 2 kids!)
Our Uncle Steve has a huge garden and he gave us a big bag of Tomatillos!
I’ve never seen them in the flesh before!
I’ve been told that I must make Salsa verde with them. Anyone know a good recipe?
Turkey…
My MIL makes deep fried potatoes every Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The boys goes crazy over them. No, crazy isn’t even the word!
Stuffing:
Fresh Carrots from the garden (my fav!):
Caesar salad:
As you can see, the choices I had for a vegan diet were quite limited. I don’t expect people to cater to my lifestyle though, so I always make sure to fuel up prior to the event. On the way there, I had a couple snacks to tie me over.
My plate:
I took advantage of all the veggies and filled my plate with them!
- Fresh carrots
- Fresh peas
- 1 potato
- Herbed roasted squash and red pepper (I had the cheeseless option)
I had it with some 20 Bees chardonnay which was really good:
I also went back for seconds on the carrots and peas. :)
Eric’s plate:
He isn’t a big turkey fan and he doesn’t like gravy. ;) He actually puts ketchup on his plate! Everyone makes fun of him each family dinner when he asks for ketchup. His request is always met with gasps of horror. lol. My dad always teases him too, he says, ‘Oh you aren’t going to ruin that plate with ketchup are you???’ ;)
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Being a Vegan At Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is always a bit difficult when you are vegetarian, and even more so when you are a vegan. Considering that the whole holiday revolves around eating an animal, it sort of provokes mixed emotions for me.
Firstly, I love Thanksgiving for the part of it that brings family together. Each Thanksgiving we go to our Aunt’s place and she puts on a fabulous dinner for us. It is always a really fun visit catching up with the family.
On the other hand, I am bothered by what is being served on millions of tables across Canada. Most likely, the turkey comes from a factory farm where it has suffered tremendously and been pumped full of hormones to make it grow. The method by which most animals are killed on many factory farms and slaughterhouses is nothing short of gruesome, inhumane, and down right disturbing.
Eric and I had a long talk on the drive home about factory farms and slaughterhouses. Apparently there is a slaughterhouse for pigs right near his work. He told me that each morning he sees a huge truck filled with pigs that are being brought to the slaughterhouse.
Eric said, ‘You know Ange it is really disturbing to see that. The pigs are just crammed in the truck with no room to move and you can see their cute little snouts sticking out of the truck. It is really sad to think about what happens to them in there.’
I think because Eric has witnessed this ‘so close to home’ so to speak, it has really started to change the way he thinks about eating meat.
He said something that I thought was quite interesting, ‘If I had to go out and obtain my own food [without having the convenience of a grocery store], I would 100% be a vegetarian. Actually I would probably be a vegan!’
We talked about it some more and I admit I got a bit emotional about it all. It really pains me to think about all of the animals out there who are abused, tortured, and living in conditions so severe many of them will ‘starve-out’. Starving out is a term when the animals starve themselves until death because they are under so much stress.
I never thought I would see the day when Eric would be slanting toward the side of giving up meat!!!!!
When we met, his diet consisted of meat, cheese, Coke, and bread. I’m not even joking. He hated vegetables.
I think because I make so many vegan dishes for us, he is starting to appreciate that a meal doesn’t always have to consist of animal products to taste good.
Whether he will or will not fully give up meat, I really have no idea and quite frankly that is up to him. I am just happy that he has reduced his meat intake to only having it on special occasions or when he goes out to eat. That is a huge change and certainly makes an impact on the meat-driven ‘system’.
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I’m off to bake 300 Glo bars today! I’ve got a full 10 hour day in front of me so I need to get going. :)
By the way, I added more Glo bars for sale on the shopping cart in case you were trying to get them when they were sold out.
Hi Angela!
I have been reading your awesome website for awhile. I loved seeing that delicious dinner you and your family had together. It was really interesting to read about the convo that you and Eric had on the way home. My husband had to trap animals for fur and hunt for meat when he was younger. He was the last man I would think would become vegetarian/part-time vegan. But he and I just celebrated our third year veggie-versary! He and I had watched “Fast Food Nation” and let’s just say that the ending of that movie had us both disturbed (I was eating turkey meatloaf too!). Anyway, I just thought I would throw my two cents in…….great discussion! You rock Angela!
that pig slaughterhouse is just south of king and bathurst – i always see the cute snouts sticking out of the truck too! AND they are still sticking out like all in the dead of winter! think about how cold those pigs must be on the truck traveling 100 km/hour in a truck with wind whipping through the holes! very sad.
My sister is vegan & I’m vegetarian and the two of us always set to work to make a main dish that is good and can also be enjoyed by others at the table. Last year was a vegan pot pie which was AWESOME; everyone loved it. But i have to say, the biggest hit of our thanksgiving dinner for the past few years has been the vegan pumpkin cheesecake we make. It’s SO good and everyone now requests we make it!! Love when that happens :)
I think the key is to make something that you can eat but also can be enjoyed by others. Our family is always mindful of using vegetable broth in sides etc. so everything other then the turkey is veg friendly
You know you have to give us that recipe for banana walnut chocolate chip loaf now haha. I love to bake and am usually pretty good at it but for some reason I’ve had numerous banana bread “FAIL’s” and I always have over ripe bananas on hand. I’d love to know your recipe, or where you got it from if you’re willing to share :)
Eri needs to do some research — maybe pick up a copy of The Omnivore’s Dilemma or rent the DVD of Food, Inc when it comes out in a few weeks. “most farmers are not going to endanger the live of the animals that pay the bills for the farmer” — um endangering their lives to find the cheapest ways to feed these animals and pump them with growth hormones and antibiotics is these farmer’s bread and butter! They get government subsidies for high production so you better bet they will endanger the animals to find what will get them the most money. Stuffing tons of animals knee deep in feces — and yes, this is the “norm” for factory farms, feeding them with corn that they can’t digest properly and packing them one against the other their entire lives all add up to “endangering the lives of the animals that pay the bills for the farmer.” That is because their lives are SO short as it is — with all the growth hormones they are slaughtered as children!
I do believe that humane, local grass farms that let you visit and see where your animals come from are wonderful for the environment. If you choose to eat meat, it will be better for your health and the environment and eventually the food industry if you choose to buy your meat there. But if you can’t be sure where your animal is coming from, it is safe to assume a factory that is actually the “norm.”
Last year was my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian. My dad even tried looking for a tofurkey for me! It was sweet. Like you, I dont expect anyone to cater to my lifestyle either. I always try and bring one vegetarian or vegan dish so that I can show them that, yes i can eat “normal” food and it tastes good! I am planning on having my family and my boyfriend’s family over for dinner and I am going to cook a meal that is 100% vegetarian. Im excited.
It was nice to read your views, as well as Eric’s views, on this issue. I hope you have a fantastic holiday!
what a beautiful family dinner! Your bread looked fantastic! Have you posted the recipe before?
What a feast! I’m glad you enjoyed your get together.
I love Thanksgiving. Love the food, but love the feeling of being with the ones you love even more :)
Good luck baking away today!
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s one of my fave holidays – I love family time :-)
Your bread looks WONDERFUL!!! Droolworthy.
It looks like a lovely family dinner, and I am very interested in the deep fried whole potatoes – they look divine :-) Your plate looks full of yummy veggies!
I have to say that one of the reasons why I started following your blog was because of its slant towards health and wellness. You’re so transparent about your fitness regime, and it is so admirable.:-) Imagine my amazement (and admiration!) when I discovered that you are also vegan. This blog just rocketed to the top of my favourite list.
I’m almost vegan myself. We all do it for different reasons. But I’m SO glad you brought up the whole issue of factory farming as we had into Thanksgiving celebrations. The whole ethical issue is one that needs addressing, and is gut-wrenching. I have a three-year old daughter, and it is very difficult to explain that when we go to visit the animals on the farm, most of them will end up on someone’s plate. She loves them like they’re her best friends!
Anyway, I think the issue is starting to balloon past small circles – people are reconsidering what they put on their plates for so many reasons. The fact that your Eric is thinking about too is further testament to that.
So, in my “thank-yous” for this season, having your blog to read is definitely on my list of things to be grateful for, lol!
p.s. I got my Glo-bar shipment last week. OMG, to die for!!!!!! My favourite was the chi. I’m addicted to the bars already, and I don’t know if I can afford the habit, lol!
Yay for Eric having such a thoughtful and open-minded discussion with you! It is never my intention to coax my friends or family members into thinking vegetarianism/veganism is for them, because it obviously has to be a personal choice, but all you can do is provide them with delicious food and prove that dishes don’t need to be made with animal protein to taste good. Bravo!
This is a wonderful post, and I completely agree with you. I’m hoping to see if my parents will order a turkey from a human farm, and if not I don’t know that I’ll be eating it this Thanksgiving. Honestly, it’s not my favorite part of the meal and I am more than happy to do without!
Eating meat has never been an issue for me, but the more I read about it the more I look for grass-fed, humanely raised meat and that is what we buy. I was in Costco the other day looking at all the steaks to bring some back for the boyfriend’s birthday. I literally stood there for 10 minutes debating on what to do but knew in my heart that I just couldn’t buy that meat. It makes me feel like a horrible person, knowing what those animals go through and knowing what kinds of hormones and chemicals they contain.
I am 100% behind you and your decisions! I only hope that more and more people can become educated about our food system.
Glad that your enjoyed your dinner with family! And that your fish got a new home! It is always hard for us to eat meals with our family as well (though some of them are coming around). We grew up in sunny Florida with seafood. And than our 2 older sisters got married to big ‘meat eaters’. We have tried and tried to tell everyone about watching their meat intake – but doesn’t last long. :( It kills us – though we know every one has to make their own choices. My sister and I have also witnessed first hand a huge truck full of chickens… actually we were driving from FL to NC during winter and got stuck in a snow storm. And unfortunately we were driving next to this truck full of chickens and it made us so sad to see all these chickens freezing to death in the cold. We were in the car for 18 hours! I think most of chickens probably froze to death! :( So sad
Wonderful post! Now, I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, but I rarely eat meat — it’s just not a part of my “routine” so to speak. I also read the book “Skinny Bitch” and that really opened my eyes a lot. It’s unbelievable what goes on in those slaughterhouses and “farms” — I shudder at the thought. The more I examine my eating habits, the less I see myself eating meat.
I really enjoyed reading about Thanksgiving from your point of view. I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m open to hearing other people’s opinions and I love that you put yours out there!
Great post! It’s interesting to see how other vegans survive. I am a vegan, but Thanksgiving is probably my favourite holiday…I even started a tradition of having a big Thanksgiving dinner for all of my friends here in Australia (a vegan Thanksgiving at that!). I have a hard time going to a Thanksgiving with a turkey as a centrepiece, but I actually started a tradition the first year I went vegan. My sister had just had a premie (my niece was born at 28 weeks!), and she wasn’t allowed to be around other kids. We decided that I would come over and make them a vegan Thanksgiving dinner that year, and ever since it has been a tradition! So much so that when I visited my family in the US in July we had a vegan Thanksgiving dinner! It’s the family part that makes Thanksgiving so great from my perspective too, and if you can feed your family fabulous vegan versions of traditional foods (and not so traditional ones too), it’s even better! :-)
Glad to see you had a good time, and that your fishes finally have a ‘fancy’ home!
happy thanksgiving angela…
thanksgiving is my fave holiday and this was my first vegan thanksgiving…and it was wonderful…i made a lovely vegan stuffing with roasted yams and butternut squash…
reading your post today and the conversation you had with eric re the cute little piggies on their way to slaughter made me quite emotional…and it reinforced my decision to become vegan…
thanks so much for your brilliant writings…each day you give us all something insightful and inspiring to read and think about…i think you “use your head” quite brilliantly…
=)
Happy Thanksgiving!
We made a big pot of vegetarian chili for dinner tonight. Along with cornbread and a salad. Not very Thanksgiving-ish but it was good!
If only we had a slice of your banana walnut chocolate chip loaf for dessert, it would have been a perfect meal!
Cheers!
You’re going to love tomatillos! We eat them on a weekly basis. We make green chili out of them. I couldn’t tell you the recipe as the DH just makes it up as he goes along. :) Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!