Vegan Nog!

It's almost the weekend, so how about a little Nog to get in the holiday spirit? I used to love egg nog growing up, but always thought it was a little too thick. The vegan "seasonal" Nog is actually even better than the original, I think!

The above "Seaonal Nog" is made with soy milk, but there is also a coconut milk version. The conconut milk nog definitely has a different (coconutty, duh) flavor. At first I didn't like that one, but then it grew on me.... but I think the seasonal version is still my favorite.

Sprinkle with a little nutmeg, add a cinnamon stick...

... add some spiced rum...

Zaya rum: This stuff is seriously good

... and dive in!

Oh and by the way, if you are a rum person, I highly, highly, highly recommend seeking out that rum pictured above (Zaya). A friend brought it to our holiday party, and holy cow it's amazing. It might be the best rum I've ever had. It's smooth, has a spiced, lightly sweet, almost caramely flavor, and it's pretty darn strong. It's so quality, you might even call it sippin' rum. But it does go especially well with Nog too!

Happy Holidays!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Soft, chocolate, Kahlua-spiked cupcakes, filled with melty chocolate, covered in vanilla Kahlua marshmallow icing, drizzled with more melted chocolate, and topped off with a Dandies marshmallow. I call them Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes, and they definitely warmed up the guests at my holiday party!

HoHoHoliday Party

Time for another vegan dinner party! Although, this one was filled with so many sweet holiday treats, I'm not sure it's technically accurate to call it a dinner party.... salted caramel corn, ginger spice cupcakes, "Mexican hot chocolate" cupcakes, pretzel bites, spiced Nog, mulled wine, and more!

Pumpkin Parsnip Lasagna

Another great recipe from VegNews' Holiday 2012 Issue. I couldn't wait to try this one, and made it for my visiting family members the night before Thanksgiving this year. The pumpkin and parsnip went so well, with just the right amount of Daiya mozzarella cheese- this was a hearty, delicious holiday meal.

Citrus-Herb Maple Tofu and Arugula Salad

Maple and soy sauce marinated, sweet, herb-seasoned tofu over fresh arugula and spinach with cinnamon-nutmeg orange slices and fresh avocado. In under 30 minutes. It's a delicious big fresh flavorful salad meal!

Cornmeal-Crusted Cauliflower and Truffle Mushroom Gravy

I love love love roasted cauliflower. Usually I just slice it up, toss it in a little bit of olive oil and lemon-pepper seasoning, and that's enough to make me want to devour the entire bunch. But for Thanksgiving this year, I wanted to try a new version: cornmeal-encrusted roasted cauliflower steaks, covered in a creamy, incredibly flavorful, white mushroom gravy sauce with truffle oil. Sounds heavenly, right? It was, and this would make a great addition to any holiday (or winter-time) dinner party plate...