It's that time of year again - several major holidays in the span of just a few weeks (or days) and each of them with their good share of delectable food. When it is discovered that I am vegan (eschewing* dairy, eggs, fish, and meat), I am often asked what it is that I do eat around the holidays. I grew up in a vegetarian household, and so our family was no less tied to our food traditions than other households. There would usually be our own version of "turkey" - FriChik [1] or some other fake meat. The ever-present mashed potatoes and gravy [2], green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Dessert oftentimes would be a variety of pies - pumpkin, apple, or pecan, or it would be this rich dessert with a condensed milk base called Burnt Pudding (to die for, but not sure I can - or should - find the vegan version).

Christmas dinner this year will probably be very similar to our Thanksgiving meal [3]. I absolutely love those mashed potatoes, and am more than happy to revisit those again. We will also probably have "duck" again, which is our favorite meat alternative. I am considering making dinner rolls [4] and Fatfree Vegan Kitchen's Chocolate-Orange Cake [5]. I'll be sure to post recipes and pictures when I've recovered from yet another holiday meal.

As I am getting older the main things that I love about the holidays are time with family, being able to relax, and eating delicious homemade food. May your holidays have all or most of these things, and I challenge you to try your hand at least one vegan dish for your holiday meal.

*I find "eschew" to be such an interesting word, especially when used in relation to food. Es-chew...