The last week in December is one of my favourite times of the entire year.
Everything slows down. It’s eerily quiet. The normal traffic has vanished. Snow falls from the sky and glistens on the trees.
Eric’s home early from work. We have impromptu get togethers with friends. I feel proud when I’m able to peel myself from the couch and go for a run.
I have hot showers and eat cookies straight from the freezer.
I drink too much wine and get hangovers.
We torture ourselves with Big Holiday Crossword puzzles.
We watch hockey.
Sketchie warms our legs while we watch movies.
We stay up too late.
I have this undeniable urge to organize my pantry.
I wear clogs Crocs in the snow to take pictures because I’m too lazy to put on boots.
We make a fire or two.
I take some time off work when I feel like it, which is often. Other times, I’m inspired to sit down with a hot cup of tea and write. There isn’t pressure to accomplish much if I don’t want to.
The last week of the year reminds me that it’s a good thing to occasionally just do “nothing”.
A real good thing.
And sometimes the biggest accomplishment of the day is to sit down to a home cooked meal with loved ones.
12) Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Gravy
11) High Protein Tortilla Pizzas
10) Naughty and Nice Vegan Enchilada Casserole
9) Olive Oil Pasta with Walnuts, Lentils, and Red Peppers
8.) Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
7) Easy Tomato Barley Risotto
6) Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce
5) Ultimate Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf
4) Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze
3) Our Perfect Veggie Burger
2) Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos
1) 15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta
Here’s to making the last week of the year whatever you want it to be!
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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
I made the avocado pasta with my cousin once; it was divine! Great if you put on a little salt + pepper on top of the pasta when you serve it, too!!
Although I hate cold weather I LOVE the holidays and I love snow! Here it hasn’t snowed yet, hope it will soon!
Your top 12 looks so delicious!
Happy New Year Angela!
Hi,
Sorry I couldn’t find an email, or a place to ask a general question so I will ask it here!
Have you made you Spinach Artichoke dip the day before you wanted to serve it? I am thinking of making it the day before (tonight) and then just putting it in the oven the next day…thoughts?
Thanks!!!
Hey Tida, No I haven’t…I think it could get watery if made in advance so I’d be hesitant to try it.
Angela, I finally made the avocado pasta last night and it was DIVINE! Thanks for the great recipe :)
Where, oh where did you get that yellow running jacket? It’s my favorite color!
I can’t wait to try those veggie burgers! Can you tell me what kind of bun you have them on in the picture? It all looks SO good! The other entrees all look worth a try too!!
Thank you for a great year of recipes. I’ve made almost everything on the list except the walnut loaf and risotto. My husband isn’t a fan of anything in loaf form but maybe I can win him over with it. Looking forward to more great food in 2012!
I think my favorite is the Shepards pie. Yum! Wonderful pictures too.
I’ve been vegetarian for 15 years, but lately have been feeling pulled to go vegan. I found your blog a couple of weeks ago while searching for vegan Nanaimo bars. They were one of the things I was afraid I would miss out on if I went vegan–but there they were! And they looked DELICIOUS!! I love looking at your beautiful photography and reading your posts–you just sound so FRIENDLY! (My husband, the Canadian, says that’s just because you’re Canadian ;-) ) But tonight I finally made my first of your recipes–Olive Oil Pasta with Walnuts, Lentils, and Red Peppers. SO SO SO good! And my husband (the meat-eater) went back for THIRDS! THANK YOU!
Hey Cara, That is so great to hear! Thank you so much for the feedback :) I hope you enjoy the nanaimo bars!
Thank you for a wonderful year of recipes, travel logs, and humor! Happy New Year Angela!
Those all look amazingly tasty. Happy New Year!
Hi! What type of winter running tights do you have? Do you recommend them? I am moving soon (to a place that is very chilly) and need to buy some, but have NO clue where to start! Thanks!
Hi Angella, I really like your blog and vegan recipes. But I would like to ask you if you use nature cosmetics, which is not tested on animals an is certified Vegan. Thank you for your answer.
Happy New Year and good luck with your blog :)
Maria
Hi Maria,
Thank you for your kind words about the blog. When selecting vegan cosmetic products this guide is extremely helpful for me: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/the-ultimate-vegan-makeup-guide/ Enjoy!
I am loving my down time…in a winter wonderland. It feels so good to switch up the routine and spend time with family. Enjoying my last day with a girls’ day…my mom and sister-in-law will enjoy a lunch out and check out if there is anything left in the stores…first time out shopping since before Christmas!
Thanks so much for sharing all these fantastic recipes – although we love our meat, we have truely enjoyed trying many of your recipes (sometimes adding meat others enjoying them as they are!) This is the one blog my hubby loves me following and asks what you posted each day and when I’ll be making it!! The Roasted Tomato Pesto & Creamy Roasted Tomato Garlic & Onion Soup is by far our favs- even tho I we ate them every week during the last month or so of my pregnancy!!! Thank you for introducing me to roasted tomatoes!!!!! Looking forward to all the great recipes in 2012 & your cookbook!!!!!
I love your story! I love your food! Thank you for keeping this blog going.
My family eats the veggie burgers and the enchiladas ALL the time! I’ve printed 5 of the top 10 recipes to put into the rotation.
Happy New Year!
Oops, top 12 recipes…
I made the vegan enchiladas last night and they were amazing!! the cilantro avocado cream sauce is finger lickin’ good!! Your recipes are sooo great. I want to make these all the time :) thank you. Happy new year!
My husband and I made your enchiladas (with – rest assured – homemade sauce versus the canned stuff) a few nights ago – so, so, so good!
Happy New Year and thank you (as always) for sharing your ever-delicious recipes with us!
Thanks Rachel! Glad you enjoyed it :)
That avocado pasta has rocked my socks off numerous times. My non-veg boyfriend absolutely loves it! Those burritos were killer and I’ve also made the mac & cheeze more than once. I made your pumpkin spice donuts this morning and the Detox salad for lunch- HOLY YUM! Looking forward to another year of tasty, healthy vegan recipes from your awesome blog. :) Cheers!
cannot wait to try several of your recipes in the new year, as I aim to make more meatless meals for my family. here’s to a delicious year of vegan cooking ahead!! thank you for all of the effort you pour into this blog!
Your blog has become my new “must check” web site. I have recently made the Creamy Avocado Pasta for my family of 3, and for New Years Eve I made the Olive Oil Pasta with Walnuts and Lentils. AMAZING!!! My daughter – who is 8 – loved the walnut dish (she ate the bowl clean), and while eating it she said “Mommy, can you make the avocado pasta for our next meal…it was SOOOOO yummy!”. Neither my husband or daughter miss the meat and even my parents are trying your recipes now. THANK YOU!!!
I have to say… you are amazing! I have made SO many of your recipes and time after time they are better than I expect. Thank you for sharing your talent!
I’m in love with the avocado pasta. Just made. 3 garlic cloves worked for me :) Thanks so much!
Hi Ange and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thanks for all the inspiration and the lovely recipes. I’ve tried many of them an all turned out perfect and very yummy. What I love most is that through cooking and baking vegan meals I feel so comfortable in my own skin – not to mention I’ve dropped 10 pounds LOL. The hubs also enjoys the cookies and most of all the veggie burgers. When his Corean customers visited I baked several bars, cookies and cakes for them and they were just delighted.
Your website has given me so much already – I cannot wait to see what 2012 has in stock. So thumps up to you!
Have a great January and give kisses to Sketchie LOL
angela-
just so you know-for the avocado pasta- i had leftover avocado cream sauce and put it in a separate container and stored in the fridge. then i stored the extra pasta in a container with olive oil in the fridge. took out tonight for leftovers- heated the pasta and then mixed the sauce on the hot pasta and voila- perfect like it was just made!!!
I made the avocado pasta last night and it was better than I had even hoped. So simple and delicious. I doubled the recipe. My kids even ate a bit and they are picky. They would have had more if I didn’t put in so much garlic!
I totally agree with your #1!! I am making this tonight and have made it at least 20 times in the past 4 months :)
wow..just made the mac n cheeze…favourite recipe so far. Thanx sooooo much !!!
Glad to hear that Sheree!
Your website has become one of my go-to’s for the answer to “What’s for supper tonight?” All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the delicious and nourishing recipes! I have made most of the recipes on this list. Last night was Shepherd’s pie, which was a huge hit with my mashed potato loving husband!
I am in love with this list! I can’t wait to try out these recipes especially the vegan entrees. The butternut squash mac n’ cheese looks heavenly!
Just wanted to say I finally tried the avocado pasta and it was delicious! I recently had some leftover romaine lettuce and decided to use this as a dressing, thinned out a bit with water. I also added baked tofu ‘croutons’ and the result reminded me of a vegan Caesar salad- delicious!
I know I’m a little late to this party, but I just wanted to tell you how awesome the black bean and butternut squash burritos are. I have been making them practically weekly since I first tried them. They are also amazing if you sub sweet potatoes for the squash (as I found out one day when I realized my squash had gone bad but I wasn’t going to give up on making these burritos). Thank you for all of the great recipes. Also, I’d just like to say that as a frequent reader of multiple food blogs, your food photos are by far the most attractive, colorful, and appetizing of any vegan food blog I’ve seen. I am a vegetarian rather than a vegan but will try vegan food on occasion. Frequently, the photos of vegan food from other blogs turns me off before I’ve had a chance to look at the recipe, but your food always looks amazing, which is obviously important when you’re trying to teach people about delicious vegan food.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the burritos Jen! Thanks for the compliments about my photos too.
You watch hockey, yay!
Great website. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. Matthew