Hi everyone!
Thank you for your kind words about my Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls entry for Challenge #8! The post was in the works for about 3 weeks now and I was soooo happy to finally hit publish. Voting is now open if you care to show your support. They are cutting 50% of contestants, so only 12 will remain for round #9.
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What’s with all this snow, you ask?
Eric and I are in Alberta visiting my family for an early Christmas celebration!
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We leave on Wednesday and I am already very sad to say goodbye to my family. I’m pretty sure I am going to stuff my nephews in my suitcase and make a run for it. ;)
We were a bit scared during the days leading up to our trip out West because we heard that there was a deep freeze going down in the Prairies…
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Burrrrrr.
Luckily, OSGMOM told us that it would be ‘warming up’ to –10C by the time we arrived.
Err… ;)
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I need layers…lots and lots of layers.
I have also been drinking my body weight in hot chocolate and tea.
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Luckily, fur ball Rudi has been keeping us warm…
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He is never cold!
Well, sometimes…when he wants to snuggle up to The Cat Whisperer (Eric).
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I hope Sketchie doesn’t see this!
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They have a view of The Rockies from their backyard. I guess this makes up for the cold! :)
Gorgeous, eh?
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My mom and sister Kristi surprised us with a mostly vegan Christmas dinner on Sunday night.
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It was very exciting.
I came into the kitchen to find that they were working hard on a bunch of my recipes!
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This time I got to have it made for me!
Mom said, ‘I hope you will still love me if I screw up these recipes!!’
I said, “I don’t care what you do as long as I don’t have to cook!’ ;)
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I had total faith in my worker bees.
I kept them in line with a spoon!
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I got to make the vegan gravy and then I forgot about it on the burner and nearly fried it! Just a day in the life…
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The non-vegans had stuffed chicken and myself and my friend Ashley had In A Jiffy spelt veggie patties.
They were awesome in a roll with vegan gravy! It was a great idea to make for the vegan protein portion.
High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
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I also brought along Soft Peanut Butter Cookies for my nephews and the rest of my family. They were a huge hit!
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Mmmm, I filled my plate and was one happy vegan!
I had a whole wheat dinner roll with vegan butter, peas, butternut squash, This Ain’t Grandmas Sweet Potato Casserole, High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes, In A Jiffy Veggie Spelt patties, vegan gravy, and Cranberry, Pear, and Pecan Spinach Salad.
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For dessert, my mom made my Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream!! Gosh I love this dessert.
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And some non-vegan layered cake!
The boys watched the Grey Cup football…
The ladies did not. :)
Then we exchanged gifts with Kristi and the family. I got some amazing pictures of my nephews, a new apron, a holiday table runner, and artwork from my oldest nephew. :)
I told my nephew that my fridge was covered in his artwork, but I was going to add all of the new drawings to it too, and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and he said, ‘REALLY???’
Then Papa and mammoth Kinder Eggs stole the show and that was that!
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Well, we are off for another day of adventures. See you later!
Love your post! It looked so beautiful! I love snow! I have a question do you have any kind of recipe for a vegan pizza? I love pizza and I have been craving it, but didn’t know how to make it vegan. I am new to vegan, I also incorporate raw into my diet, however, it is getting cold where I live and I need some warm food. Thank you so much! I hope that you had a safe trip home!
Wow, your pictures look amazing! I can’t believe all that snow up there! We just got our first flurries in Chicago!
Those are fantastic photos. Looks like you are having a great time! And Rudi is adorable!!!!
It’s so awesome that they surprised you with your vegan yummies. Have a wonderful visit! Those sweet potatoes look SO amazing. And the Rockies aren’t to shabby either!
What a beautiful Christmas you had with your family :-)
Love the fluffy kitty!!! My mom has those same bowls with the nursery rhymes written inside.
I’m glad to hear you’re having a wonderful time in Alberta (and that you escaped the weird cold snap, especially since it’s not usually past -30 until jan/feb). Since you’re so close to the mountains, if you have the time, you should give some of the trails a try; there are few things prettier than the Rockies in winter.
Thanks for sharing your lovely photographs with us readers.
Now I am REALLY excited for the holidays!!!!!!
Have fun with your family. It is so sweet that they made such an effort to have vegan dishes! They are awesome!!
Lurker but never a commenter….. but I’m quite curious, is that picture of Springbank Rd just outside of Calgary?
Love your site and recipes, I have tried so many and never had a failure yet! Glad you had a great trip!
i made your gingerbread, but omitted the pumpkin and altered the frosting a bit–instead of using the spice blend, i used 1/4 tsp peppermint extract and once i frosted the gingerbread, sprinkled crushed candy cane on top. so good! a fun alternative of your recipe for christmastime. although, i will definitely need to make your pumpkin version next year!
Seriously in LOVE with the Beatrix Potter table wear! I would love to find something like that.