Thanksgiving 2013

We had Thanksgiving dinner #1 last Sunday with my parents, before they went out of town for the rest of the month.

I attempted to prepare a homemade Tofurkey, using the Tofu Roast recipe from La Dolce Vegan. It fell apart while roasting. It still tasted fine, but the presentation left something to be desired. I think next year I'll just part with the $7.99 for a store-bought Tofurkey. I've never had one, so it will be something new. And hopefully, it won't explode in the oven.

The side dish of honor was two pounds of Brussels sprouts. I've always kept it simple, roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper, but this year I did a Dijon mustard-maple syrup glaze. Very nice, and Jackson and Olivia were popping them like candy.

I classily ate off a paper plate, since we only have five dinner plates and there were six of us. Alongside the tofu and Brussels, I had mashed potatoes with Bangers and Mash Gravy from the 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe, only with the onions strained out. I like the onion flavor but I prefer a smooth gravy.



For dessert, I made a cheater banoffee pie; I used a jar of dulce de leche, rather than boiling the cans of sweetened condensed milk to make my own toffee. Still tasty.

After the feast, a visit to Zilker Park to play on the old-timey firetruck.

This natural spring, located just to the side of the playground, is home to an endangered blind salamander. We didn't see any. They are pretty tiny, and you're not allowed to get very close.

Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving!