A Very Vegan Christmas

I've had an extremely busy and upheaval-filled couple weeks, so please indulge me as I take you back in time to Christmas night. As you may recall from my Christmas lunch post, I was invited to a vegan Christmas party that evening. What better way to celebrate a holiday than with a group of like-minded people? I met some new people and enjoyed the company of those I already knew. When I sit back and think about it, it's shocking how fortunate I am.

The photo above is of the delicious buffet. There were crackers topped with tapenade and Miso Mayo (my first time trying it and it was good!), veggies and dip, vegan Doritos and spinach dip (I was hoping to find a link for the recipe on their blog, but no such luck). Real Food Daily goods included Caesar salad, tempeh meatballs, spinach linguine with marinara, cupcakes, and cookies. Our fabulous hostess made an amazing cheesy potato bake that is pictured below (I still need to ask for the recipe...note to self) along with delicious sweet potatoes and green beans whose origins I don't know (most likely our wonderful host's and hostess's doing again).



In the dessert category were Dee's Nuts donuts (I had half of one and thought it was ok; I guess I need to try them fresh), chocolate chip cookies (also ok), and sugar cookies (soft and quite good). Oh, yes, and in the foreground of the below photo is my dessert contribution: Persimmon Blondies, a test recipe for the ultra-talented Hannah Kaminsky's forthcoming book (more on those later).



Our hosts provided an ample selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including multiple varieties of vegan eggnog and vegan chocolate peppermint milk. I'm telling you, this party was divine. The company was engaging and lively and there was even an impromptu jam session that left me wishing my guitar-playing skills were ready for the public. Thankfully, there were many others talented enough to share their musical abilities. A Very Vegan Christmas, indeed.



As for those Persimmon Blondies, I've been quietly testing recipes for Hannah for a few months now (don't worry, I do have photos of the other couple recipes!). Hannah's blog and first cookbook are evidence of her incredibly ingenuity, creativity, and talent. This latest twist on blondies further displays those traits and results in a moist, delicious treat. The party-goers raved about them, so I can safely say that I'll be baking them again!