Not gonna lie, this was our first attempt at a 100% vegan Thanksgiving meal. It was an exciting but nerve racking experience, especially since almost everyone in attendance other than the two of us eat animal products. The first thing we had to do was come up with a menu that would satisfy a wide range of tastes. A million questions ran through our minds, would we have a turkey replacement? How creative could we get with our side dishes, or should we keep it as traditional as possible? Will they like it? In true Olive and Button style we picked up our glasses of wine and got down to business.
The Menu:
1. Stuffing filled Tofurky Loaf (made from scratch a la Olive)
2. Vegan Stuffing (a la Button)
3. Vegan Mashed Potatoes (I know, potatoes are already vegan, but we wanted creamy goodness.)
4. Vegan Gravy (a la Olive)
5. Creamy Faux “Fromage” Broccoli Bake (a la Button)
6. Whole Wheat Maple Dinner Rolls
7. Candied Yams with Pecans (brought to you by our friend and dinner guest K.)
8. Pumpkin Pies *Vegetarian* (brought to you by our friend and dinner guest M.)
9. Spiked Pumpkin Cake (a la Olive and Button)
10. Thanksgiving Punch and of course Red Wine ;)
The idea for a vegan Thanksgiving was one that we were both passionate about. We wanted to share our vision for a vegan dinner with our friends and loved ones without “torturing” them. We wanted it to be a compassionate dinner, not just to the animals but to our friends and family. The dinner HAD to be a success!
The Tofurky Loaf needed the most time, so it began the night before in Olive’s kitchen. It was a time consuming, but interesting and fun process. Towards the end of the cooking Olive was distracted by her lovely assistant Carly and neglected to baste it on time which caused it to crack. If we had to say one thing we took out of this experience is that you most definitely need to baste it every 15 minutes.
The next morning we gathered in Button’s kitchen for the making of the side dishes. The two recipes that required the most work were the Mashed Potatoes, and the Whole Wheat Maple Dinner Rolls. Other than some minor prep work, over all the side dishes were very simple.
By the time our guests arrived, the house smelled just as Thanksgiving should. Everyone ate till their hearts content and afterwards we discussed everyone’s favorite items and how they felt about their vegan Thanksgiving experience. The top three favorites were the Vegan Gravy, Vegan Stuffing and the Spiked Pumpkin Loaf. Honorable mention went to the Creamy Faux “Fromage” Broccoli Bake. The stuffing filled Tofurky Loaf, although good, was not a smash hit with the meat eaters. It is a good recipe but we feel that next time we can make some substantial improvements. Stay tuned!
All in all the experience for both of us was a great success, especially when we heard nothing but rave reviews from our meat eating guests. For all the recipes above and more please visit the vegan recipe section of our page.
We wanted to finish this entry with what we are thankful for this holiday season. Button; is thankful for her amazing and loving husband, my best friend and partner in crime Olive, and the generosity life has given her. Olive; is thankful for her beautiful family especially her little girl, her bestie, her yoga practice and the crazy path that has led her to where she is now. Now you say what your thankful for!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Olive and Button
We wanted to finish this entry with what we are thankful for this holiday season. Button; is thankful for her amazing and loving husband, my best friend and partner in crime Olive, and the generosity life has given her. Olive; is thankful for her beautiful family especially her little girl, her bestie, her yoga practice and the crazy path that has led her to where she is now. Now you say what your thankful for!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Olive and Button
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