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Thanksgiving can be a problematic holiday for vegans, especially when they are invited over to non-vegan or non-vegetarian homes. The hosts usually mean well, but often there's not much to be had for vegans at a typical Thanksgiving gathering. When I was young I was lucky that my whole family, aside from a few in the minority, were vegetarian. That included grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and cousins. The minority didn't seem to mind because they either had also been raised vegetarian or they chose to keep silent (maybe not – I can't remember too many early Thanksgivings that revolved around talk of missed turkey).

These days, now that vegetarianism, and to a certain extent, veganism, is more widely understood and accepted, there is more sensitivity involved. Still, it's challenging for vegans to have a meal sans milk and cheese. This is where I am going to give a minor confession.

I used to love pizza. When I was a kid I loved going to Pizza Hut, getting vegetable and cheese laden pizzas, and then later in high school ordering, with frequency, banana pepper pizza from Papa Johns. The last few years, though, not including my vegan lifestyle, I have grown to not really favor pizza that much. I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling it might have to do with my days in college where I'd get more gourmet versions of it: baby mozzarella, fresh garlic, tomatoes, and basil leaves.

I love the holidays. Maybe it's because there's a change in the air, and sweaters are being pulled out and dreams of warm cocoa and apple cider fill my head, or maybe it's because people start decorating their houses and businesses in earnest.

The thing is that I really only get into the holiday spirit by living vicariously through other people. I always think to myself, oh it would be fun to carve a pumpkin or get dressed up for Halloween. But pretty much it rarely - or never - happens.