THNKSGIVING!

[RAINRA]

Ok Have to do it again and ask. How do you brush off your family and not offend them on so called Turkey DaY? I told them I just was to busy. Seems like that was not good enough for them. I guess they just don't understand that not all vegans do thanksgiving and specially that way. I don't find it amusing to see a dead turkey on the table. Some say come after the meal but that won't make sense to my family because Thanksgiving is the Meal.

 

Any ideas?

[Richard]

It doesn't exist here, but I have the same kind of battle at Christmas every year, I don't like it, I'm not religious, and I don't get on with my family, so why can't I just be left to do my own thing? And it's always an argument. I say, just tackle it head on, remain polite, state your case - they can't force you to do anything you don't want to, and they'll eventually get used to it hopefully.

[Vegan Joe]

In situations like these my thought is that:

Family is more important than Ideologies,

and working towards an amiable relationship is key.

Please don't hate me for feeling this way.

[RAINRA]

Yeah I will be there with fam over the Christmas holidays. I don't think it is much better but it does not have a big turkey lying cooked and dead on my table. I just don't agree with celebrating the mass slaughter of turkeys. Family should understand that specailly the fact that the food is is what brings us all together. As for Christmas.. I am not religious but I do celebrate it just to please my family and it is the one time a year we all come together. I still will eat my own food even if they decide to cook meat. For Thanksgiving it is more of the principle of the Holiday.

[Vegan Joe]

Yeah I will be there with fam over the Christmas holidays. I don't think it is much better but it does not have a big turkey lying cooked and dead on my table. I just don't agree with celebrating the mass slaughter of turkeys. Family should understand that specailly the fact that the food is is what brings us all together. As for Christmas.. I am not religious but I do celebrate it just to please my family and it is the one time a year we all come together. I still will eat my own food even if they decide to cook meat. For Thanksgiving it is more of the principle of the Holiday.

I had no idea that's what Thanksgiving was all about.

Sorry I don't mean to sound ?

But I refer back to my first statement.

[RAINRA]

Vegan Joe I am glad you look at this more postive ... good for you

 

Enjoy your family!

[Vegan Joe]

Vegan Joe I am glad you look at this more postive ... good for you

 

Enjoy your family!

You're right I should enjoy my family more. Today my daughter brought a paper home that she wrote for a college class on the subject of veganism and animal rights. I'm the only vegan in my household (so far).

[zinzen]

I am just hoping that my family will go do things I cant join in, Christmas is cool cause we go to Canada and the wifes family feeds us tofu, still gotta see the death but at least it is in non whole form.

[RAINRA]

Zinzen I Typically go to Europe for Chritmas. Traveling on the holidays is a pain though.

 

Vegan Joe hopefully more of your family will see the light. Seems like your daughter is creating awareness. Cool!

[Amy]

I am not a fan of family get togethers when it involves food. Every member of my family eats meat. I love my family though and want to spend time with them. I'm sure that is why your family wants you to be with them. They will miss you if you aren't there. Maybe you can sit at the kids table so you don't have to stare at the turkey. I'm kidding. Maybe you can ask your family to serve food buffet style for a change. That way the main turkey isn't sitting on the table to stare at. Hopefully your family will take your feelings into consideration.

 

My family is really large. We don't have room for everyone to sit at one table for dinner. And it is too much to put all of the food on the table too. Everyone brings a dish and then the food is served up buffet style. I think my brother's wife this year is preparing me a main dish instead of the turkey the rest of the family will be eating. I plan to bring several vegan items that I can eat as well as others. I am bringing a crock pot of beans or black-eyed peas (I haven't decided yet) and avacodo sushi. I also plan to make broccoli casserole. I just have to find out how to make it vegan style.

 

Anyone have suggestions on a good vegan cheese that melts good (and tastes good) when baked?

[Marcina]

Vegan Gourmet cheese by Follow Your Heart

 

http://www.followyourheart.com/

 

Nyum nyum it melts too! It's awesome stuff.

 

 

Yeah, I don't celebrate Christmas either.. I do it to make my family STFU. Last Thanksgiving wasn't too bad. I made my own dinner and took it over to my mom's place.

[xvx ben]

I'm lucky, my mom went veg when I did in high school. So the whole Thanksgiving & Christmas tables are meatless, with some special vegan dishes for lil' old me as well. She makes a rockin' vegan pumpkin pie. (Not to mention the greenbean casserole, cranberry nut bread, roasted potatoes, candied yams...) My meat-eating dad and brother just have to deal with it!

 

Amy, here's a recipe for a "cheese" sauce that I always use when baking. Poured it over 3 1/2 cups (measured dry) cooked macaroni and baked at 350 it makes vegan mac and cheese, I also use it for enchiladas. It's from the "New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook." (I took mac and cheese made with this to a vegan potluck a few weeks ago and three different people asked for the recipe...)

 

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup earth balance (or other veg. margarine)

3 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

pinch of turmeric

1 cup of nutritional yeast flakes

1/4 cup oil

 

start the water boiling. melt the earth balance in a skillet, medium heat. Whisk in the flour a little bit at a time to make a roux. Whip it up 'till it's creamy, then let it thicken and bubble. Add your now-boiling water, stir it up and stir in the salt, turmeric, soy sauce and garlic powder. (I also add a 'lil squirt of yellow mustard here but it's not in the original recipe.) Let it thicken and bubble again. Stir in the nutritional yeast and oil. (You can use less oil here if you want, or leave it out. It mostly makes the sauce less "sticky" and easier to pour when adding it to dishes...)