Happy Thanksgiving? Or Not.

Now that we're 25 days into A Month of Vegan Gravy - it's time for a small confession. I know it seems un-American, non-traditional, sacrilegious, anti-family and downright wrong, but I'm just not a Thanksgiving Day fan. Even more of a surprise since I love cooking and all things foodie. No, we spent the morning cooking (*gasp*) real turkeys and feeding the homeless. Later, we went to a movie, had Thai food and swam in the motel pool. And it was unanimously agreed upon as the best, most stress-free Thanksgiving my girls and I have had.

I have a multitude of reasons for not being a fan - and won't go into them in great detail here.

Well, maybe I will rant a little.
OK.

Read on at your own risk, but I'll warn you, there's no gravy; that'll be back tomorrow, no worries.
(As a disclaimer: I love my extended family, we DO get along, and they are not the horrible, inflexible, misunderstanding ogres I may make them appear to be with my ranting. But I still have a few issues with Thanksgiving...)

First of all, I don't consider my kids to be "picky" - nevertheless, they don't like most of the traditional (vegan versions) of "Thanksgiving" foods.
And I see no purpose in every year, imposing these six or seven foods on them (just because someone deemed them 'traditional') when they will eat kale, beets, okra, sushi, hot chiles and virtually every other (vegan) food in the entire world! Clearly no one's in danger of malnutrition.

I know, who doesn't like rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, green beans and pumpkin pie, right?
But those are their preferences, and I don't "make" them eat what they don't like. There are much bigger battles out there. Judge my parenting if you dare. They would have made bad Pilgrims, what can I say.

In light of that, it seems an unnecessary struggle to cart them off to whatever family is hosting our fairly "traditional" dinner, (don't even go there) only to have to explain (again) that:
1.) No, I don't force them to "take some of everything and then clean their plates" (and I'm, literally, a large example of what *can* happen when that is imposed)
2.) My children are not un-greatful, but they will NOT "eat what is served them if they're hungry enough".
3.) And no, the starving children in China will not benefit from my children's clean plates.

OK, :whew: end of THAT rant.

Second, not to whine, but I have a very tight budget (both time AND money) and making my all-vegan dinner PLUS providing requested several dishes to share with the whole extended family Thanksgiving potluck stretches my budget outside my comfort zone. Especially when I then find that someone brought a "regular" (non-vegan) pie (or whatever) anyway, because they "weren't sure they'd LIKE mine". Really? *grumble*grumble*

Third, speaking of Pilgrims, I'm just not all that convinced the history books have it correct. That day in 1621 when Pilgrims invited their "friends" the Native Americans and supposedly shared their "bounty" with the Indians in a harvest feast? Yeah, most, if not all, of the food was actually brought and prepared by the Indians. The Pilgrim crop had failed miserably that year, but the agricultural expertise of the Indians had produced corn, without which the Pilgrims would have died.

Think about it. The Pilgrims, who came from England ridiculously unprepared to survive, ended up relying almost exclusively on handouts from the overly generous Indians–were actually the western hemisphere’s first welfare recipients. Though the Native Americans tried their best to help, they weren't usually "friends" with the whites, and in fact, those who came within the vicinity of the Pilgrim settlement was often subjected to robbery, enslavement, or even murder.

My daughter's American history book for 5th grade in 2010 doesn't even touch on this aspect. You'd think we could be a little more up-to-date, but then, what would we do with all the "Happy Indian-Happy Pilgrim" cut outs and bulletin board decorations, right?

Personally? I think Native Americans should be allowed to pelt us with tomatoes just like my favorite episode of Northern Exposure. Here's a clip. Watch it and enjoy the nostalgia of my favorite TV show, then read on...



What you don't see is that after Joel is pelted by tomatoes, his receptionist, Marilyn Whirlwind (played by Elaine Miles), explains that around Thanksgiving, the Native Americans throw tomatoes at the white folks because, “Tomatoes look like blood but they don’t hurt.” It’s the same reason that the whole town is festooned with skeletons and “death’s-head pumpkins.” For the American Indians, who make up a large portion of Cicely’s population, Thanksgiving is about the systematic slaughter of their people and their culture, so they “celebrate” in their own way, while the white people play their part as the willing victims of vegetable assault. (Which reminds me, I have a GREAT Tomato Gravy-Marinara I need to share!)

So. I've mentioned vegetables and vegan food, thus fulfilling the requirements for November's Month of Vegan Blogging extravaganza. I didn't give you a gravy recipe today, but please stay with me (even after my ranting!) I won't let you down - more gravy wonderfulness awaits tomorrow, not to fear.

Stuffing (or Dressing) with Apples, Cranberries and Roasted Pecans

Because it's getting to be that time of year and I don't think I've posted this (veganized) family Thanksgiving stand-by, yet...

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Stuffing with Apples, Cranberries

and Roasted Pecans

12 cups 1/2-inch cubes whole wheat bread (homemade is better because it's more "dense", you can use part white or even part cornbread if you want)
1/2 cup Earth Balance (Or less, but it's the Holidays, come on, make it right!!)
2 cups chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 red, tart apples (not red delicious) UNpeeled and chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2 Tbsp. finely minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh if you can find it in November...)
1 Tsp. crushed dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup chopped roasted pecans or whatever nut you like (OK, not peanuts, that'd be weird!)
1 1/2 cups vegetable (or vegetarian "chicken-flavor") broth

Toast bread cubes 5 to 7 minutes or until barely golden, in a 400 degree oven.
In a large skillet, melt 1/2 the Earth Balance and cook onion and celery over medium heat for 3 minutes or until softened.
In another skillet, melt remaining Earth Balance, add apples, and saute until softened.

Mix everything together. Toss gently.

If it's really dry add a sprinkle more broth until the texture you like.
Toss well and adjust seasoning and bake until heated through.

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Optional: Crumble and fry 4 Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage sausages and mix in. REALLY amazing-super-yum!!

Thanksgiving 2007

I won't do a long, warm and fuzzy speil about how thankful I am or how great it was to share the day with family. Because all those things are SO true, but they have been said so much more eloquently by many other bloggers out there today and I'm still in a bit of a non-turkey induced food coma of un-creativeness.

Dinner was a collaborative, and all vegetarian, potluck put together by my sisters and myself; We had almost 30 people celebrating with us. Family, significant others, in-laws and friends. (Oh, and the dogs!)

My family is lacto-ovo vegetarian and pescatarian, (I'm the rebel vegan) but at least 8 people there had never celebrated a Turkey-free Thanksgiving. Everyone remarked how wonderful dinner was, even the omnis in the crowd said it was the best Thanksgiving meal they'd had!

Here are random pictures of the day... a few of the people and some of the items we served. (I didn't get pictures of everything, it was set up buffet style on little tables all around the house, but here are a few highlights...)

The non-tofu vegan pumpkin pie and the stuffed mushroom recipes are posted elsewhere here on my blog, I believe, and the others? I'm too tired and too lazy to post recipes right now, but they're pretty simple and basic - probably the same as, or similar to many you'll find out in Google-land.

Not pictured were a multitude of other dishes - all of it lacto-ovo, all of it from scratch - no mixes, no cans, no instant anything... most of it vegan. Mashed potatoes with two types of gravy, cheese-laden-potato something, brussel sprouts, mashed squash, salads and salads, rolls, green-bean casserole, dressing/stuffing, wild rice, some sort of bean patties with gravy, and veggies and dip, cheesecakes, tart, jello and pies. Many pies.

Happy weekend to all of you, hope your day was wonderful.