Save-a-Turkey Day, part 2

(Continued from Save-a-Turkey Day, part 1.) Last Thursday I was very tempted to join in all the vegan tweeting about how our bodies should be temples instead of graveyards, that tradition for tradition's sake is—if you take a good hard look at it—pure insanity.I've tried that sort of activism, and it doesn't work for me. I get too hot under the collar, too righteous you might say, and I know I wind up alienating people. I think my friends are more open to eating vegan because I don't try to convince them. I'm fit and healthy and very happy, and if they want some of this awesomeness, they know where to find me and that I'll answer any questions they want to ask.  That said, they only admitted after they'd tucked into the food that they were nervous about a "vegan Thanksgiving." How could the food possibly be as hearty as what they're used to, when they almost always see me eating salads in the dining hall?  Fortunately my friends were happily surprised, and I had quite possibly the most enjoyable Thanksgiving of my life. I cooked and baked for hours (in intermittent solitude) and loved every minute, which was new for me. I needed the space from my family (as much as I love them!), and I needed to cook because I wanted to cook, not because people expected to be fed. I opted not to tweet about tradition and complacency, but it was still at the front of my mind as I measured and mixed. I don't want to do anything because it's expected of me. I want to do it because it gives me joy.And—not coincidentally, I'm sure—everything I made turned out amazingly delicious. I winged half of what's on this table, and in the past my "winging it" hasn't turned out so well.   My only regret is neglecting to buy salad fixings. It may be vegan, but this is still quite a heavy meal.  

.alexdoyle0 is juicing apples for "cider." Cinnamon sticks in the pot. Seat-o'-my-pants stuffing worked out fine. It smells AWESOME in here.— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) November 29, 2013

 (I messed up the tag on that tweet, but you get the idea.)   I have to admit that I did have a favorite guest. (No doubt he was everyone's favorite guest.) 

...and a gratuitous baby pic: http://t.co/ZMiAnRwt4e— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) November 30, 2013

 I have even more vegan deliciousness to blog about on Wednesday—while I was in Providence the weekend before last we went to Wildflour and the Garden Grille!