Hi folks, this poet is back for Challenge number three!
For this, we were asked to host a luxury dinner party,
It should have much style and be personal too,
So here’s what I did to express myself to you…
I present to you our first ever Vegan Thanksgiving,
We would eat delicious food but nothing once living,
Wait!
Don’t leave, I promise this meal is delicious!
I have some organic wine to persuade you (and it’s totally nutritious).
I’d love for you to join us, come wine and dine,
Us adults and the kids, we had a delicious time!
(However, if I said there were leftovers I’d be lying…)
You see, the word Vegan often makes people cringe in fear,
But I’m here to show you Vegan can be tasty and spread lots of cheer!
My challenge to you is to create new and fun traditions,
Print off this guide should you wish, to help you on your mission.
[Yes, I typed up 16 recipes as a fun little addition]
But do as I say, not exactly as I do,
It wouldn’t be my dinner party without a funny flop or two…
[Hopefully incinerated pecans won’t happen to you…]
All week I have been testing and experimenting so,
You can follow this plan and your own meal will glow.
So here is what I served, starting with the delicious wine,
A couple glasses down the hatch and you will really shine.
Throw on some high heels and a cute little frock,
Soon your man will want to help you around the clock. ;)
Follow the wine with Eggplant Toasts and Lemon Cashew Cheese,
A fun twist on traditional Bruschetta, they are the bees knees.
Now for the Cranberry, Pear, and Candied Pecans on Greens,
Always start off light to feel like a Queen.
To round it out, some Roasted Nuts in a Rosemary Glaze,
Oh boy did these nuts incite quite the praise.
As you can see the appetizers were light,
To make sure you save room for the main course delight…
First up, ‘Frank Approved’ Glazed Walnut Loaf and Gravy for our roast,
If you’re wondering about Frank you’ll find out at the end of this post!
Nope, This Ain’t Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole,
But this dish was at the top of my dinner party poll!
Now for the High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes with a secret twist,
Even my bean hating husband just could not resist.
Homemade Fluffy White Dinner Rolls with ‘butter’,
These rolls made my guest’s hearts go all a flutter.
Hmm what’s missing, oh that’s right delicious veggies on the side!
Olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon had our guests enjoying Brussels with pride.
And last but not least these beautiful, yet bitter berries…
Were made into a sauce with a visit from the maple syrup fairy.
Now for the grand finale, loosen your belt a notch or three,
I actually prefer to wear an empire waist and set my food baby free.
For dessert, Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream,
This spicy luscious frosting made everyone beam.
And now I present, the smashing hit of the night…
Chocolate brownie,
Pumpkin Pie,
And pecan crunch delight.
With silence and smiles, we devoured every last bite!
Now before I go, I have a few secrets to share,
On How to Host a Thanksgiving Dinner Party with Flare.
No need to break your budget just a few dollars will do,
Hit up the Dollarstore for placemats, decorations, baskets, and a stick of glue!
Next, the grocery store for gourds, pumpkins, and some fruit,
Just look at those place settings, they were easy and disgustingly cute!
Get some inspiration from food magazines and books,
Gather your clippings and recipes then set off to COOK!
Last but not least, my favourite secret to share…
Surprise your guests with take-home baskets of delicious vegan fare!
Don’t forget to click this link for the recipes all in one place,
Now you can plan ahead at your very own pace.
This now concludes our First Annual Vegan Thanksgiving,
Frank enjoyed it too and will happily go on living… ;)
If you enjoyed this post, please consider showing your support by voting for me in the Food Blog Challenge (you click the heart). Thank you for your support! :)
So, Angela. . . when do you sleep!?! :) Amazing job!
Wow…just wow :)
You are so talented. Your food looks amazing, your photography makes me feel like I’m there, your decorating skills are phenomenal, and your writing style is warm and inviting. I have a serious case of the warm-fuzzies after reading this post. You deserve all the success in the world, Angela…so amazing!
Thanks for the great dinner Ang!
I loved the gravy with the walnut loaf
I stuffed my face so full my wife called me an oaf
and both kids ate the sweat potatoe ‘cake’
I think the marshmallow toppings made my tooth ache
Now I must end this very bad rhyme
With two kids running around I’m always out of time
:) See you soon Sis
Magnificent! *clapclapclap* :D
this entire spread looked divine! i love your poetry, too. definitely a feast for all senses with the thoughtful visual touches. YUM! happy canadian thanksgiving! NS
Wow. This all looks amazing. Can I ask how long it took to put all of this together? And where did you get your apron? It’s super cute!
I spread it out over the full week (Tues-Sat) and I typically prepped from 5:30-8:30am most mornings with two 8 hour days both Friday and Saturday. The apron is from Anthropologie.
ps- I am thinking about doing a post outlining what days I made what and what things I made in advance!
I would love to know what you made in advance and how you organized all the cooking! That is the most intimidating part of cooking if you ask me, timing everything…..and I never seem to get it right! A behind the scenes look at how you pulled it off would help the whole process seem less overwhelming. And let us know what foods hold and which are better served right away. Thanks and great job!
yes yes yes! Will do forsure :)
I will also add this new info to the PDF that I made and re-upload it afterwards.
Angela you seriously outdid yourself with this one! Thanks SOOOOOOO much for typing up all the recipes. I might have to only tackle one at a time, but it will so be worth it! Probably tackling the gingerbread cake first;)
Angela, this is so lovely and it really shows off your creativity. I can’t believe you pulled this together on such short notice! Truly amazing and inspiring. I can’t wait to try that Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Crunch pie. yuuummm. Thank you for putting so much time into this and sharing it with all of us!!
Congratulations Angela! This meal looks fabulous! Now that the Food Network has it’s sights on you, they will realize that you have something that is not out there. You have the road of greatness ahead of you. Your recipes appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike. You don’t alienate meat eaters, you just put it out there that there are other ways to enjoy delicious food using healthier ingredients. You are coming out at a perfect time when people are looking for someone to show them how to cook healthier because most of us honestly do not know how. I’m looking forward to seeing what you will do next!
This looks like an amazing dinner! I love the table decorations too. Simply amazing. Please invite me to your next dinner party? :D
Wow! I love so much about this post!
Love that you are rockin’ the hot red lipstick
Love that you wore heels to cook
Love the table decor
Love the pecan pie deliciousness
Love that you didn’t forget the vino ;)
Love that you did this in honor of the Best Holiday Ever!
Fantastic!!! :D
This is one of the coolest posts/dinners I have ever seen. It all looks so good. You make me want to become a vegan! Or, at least try eating it more often.
Angela, it is so amazing to see you hit your stride with these challenges! This is truly AMAZING, what an incredible effort and great success! You have really upped the ante for this round, BRAVO!!!
Angela,
I love your blog it is always one of the first ones I open in my Google Reader. I mostly read and lurk but today I had to comment. You are very inspirational and I love your creativity with words and food. I will print the recipes and try a few things (sweet potato casserole, definitely the gingerbread and chocolate pumpkin pie). Keep up the good work, now where do I vote
Thank you! Voting begins tomorrow morning I believe :) I will update this post with the link,
Once again, amazing AMAZING job!! I’m so happy I got to come and eat all of this!!! :) You are such an inspiration to the entire food blogging community Good luck with the next round – I know you’ll be in it!!
you are amazing.
that is all :)
You did such a wonderful job! You’ve totally inspired me to create a wonderful & delicious vegan Thanksgiving for my non-vegan family :)
All this food looks delicious!! And the table is beautiful. I actually love to go to the dollarstore!
Wow – incredible Ange!