New Year's Birthday

VM is lucky that her birthday falls on a holiday because that means there's always plenty of time to celebrate (sorry, OD; that's just the way the cookie crumbles).

 

This year we did a Boston Creme-esque pancake breakfast to celebrate.

 

Our family's favorite pancake recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance schmeared with Rigoni di Asiago's Nocciolata Dairy Free Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread (vegan nutella) and dolloped with So Delicious coco whip and ample maple syrup.

 

89 helped with setting the table.

Then ate more than her fair share of pancakes.

THREE (#pancakegate)

This put us in a food coma until dinner, which was takeout Ethiopian food because VM refuses to cook for her own birthday. This is kind of a downer because she's the best cook in the family, but who can complain about Ethiopian food? Not us.

 

Certainly not her.

For dessert, Peaceful Provisions donuts in our current fave flaves: rainbow and cannoli because I masterfully plan ahead for all contingencies.

Happy Bday, VM! And happy new year to all; let's get ready to stand up for ourselves and those around us...beginning now!

As Jeannette Rankin told to a journalist re: if she had her life to relive, she said she'd, "do it all again,” adding, “But this time, I'd be nastier.”

Chrismukkah

Well, another Chrismukkah has come and gone for my Christmas and Hanukkah- celebrating family. Since I've eaten nothing but white carbs for weeks, I'd say it's just in the nick of time.

 

Some highlights of our merriment:

Early on, there was Hanukkah gelt from Gone Pie, Italian cookies from Sweet Maresa's, and dinner at Garguilo's. I went to see some of my favorite, NYC, holiday lights with a friend.

Columbus Circle (OD tells me it's no longer called the Time Warner bldg)

Saks Fifth Avenue light show- worth the (short) wait

This experience warmed my heart in early December:
When I got on the C train at 59th there was a young woman playing the electric violin whilst hula-hooping in half a Santa suit. I got on the train smiling, as did a father with two kids, who all sat next to me. Another man sat across from us and, as we rode, he asked the father if he could have his phone to take a photo of the family. The father handed his phone over and the man took a couple of photos moving, then a couple more when the train stopped. When he handed the phone back to the father, he said, "Sometimes we get caught up in our lives and we don't see ourselves how others see us. I wanted you to see." 

When the man got off the train he wished the father and his sons a Merry Christmas and they shook hands. The younger son said to the father, "That was nice." The father then explained to the kids that if they had done anything even the slightest bit differently in their day- stayed or left the party they were coming from just a minute more or less, that they would have missed meeting the man.

The father then showed me the photos on his phone, which had perfectly captured his beautiful family. Then he showed me the video he'd taken of the violinist, and then another video of a group of subway performers from earlier in the day, who were inspired when someone randomly started dancing with them- thus causing them all to dance long after she'd left to catch her train.

When my stop came I was too choked up to say much more than happy holidays, but with all that's going on in the world, it was nice to see so much goodness spreading with the slightest provocation.

I took 89 to see Santa, but it did not go nearly as well as it has in years past- both with Mr. Claus and the Easter Bunny. I blame Santa.

 This is where her skirt is supposed to fall; it's not a collar. Seen best on home territory.

 Saw the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

I was pretty adamant that I wasn't going to get a tree this year because I was behind on everything. At what I thought was the last minute, I dragged a friend around NYC until I found this gem.

I tried decorating it, but when I saw my feelings reflected in my Hello Kitty ornament's despondent profile, I knew I had to get a real tree at what really was the last minute.

So, I took the Hanukkah half of my family and got me one.

89 was as surprised as everyone else that I caved.

 It was worth it.

 

VM did an amazing job with Christmas Eve/First Night of Hanukkah dinner, which was repeated on Christmas.

Her famous stuffed artichokes with a stalker.

And her infamous eggplant unrollatini.

 

 

There were lots of presents, of course; it happens when you're celebrating two holidays concurrently.

Some of us received more than others. 89 even overtook my stocking this year.

And was receiving gifts in the mail every time I turned around. Lucky duck!

Yep: Hanukkah...

 and Christmas.

 

Christmas morning we had Vegan with a Vengeance pancakes with maple syrup, So Delicious coco whip, and pickled pumpkin from a friend. Don't worry; she got plenty.

Of course, the requisite mid-day snax.

And, for dessert...the one and only rainbow cookie from Sweet Maresa's.

89 did very well this year.

But I think we can all agree on the best present she received. Expect warm ears and lots of Instagrams of this gem.

Here's hoping your holidays were happy ones.

Eating All the Things: Holiday Highlight Reel

Happy New Year! It seems fitting (or perhaps masochistic) to be recounting some of my best eats from the long, holiday season on the first day that I'm attempting to get back into an eating routine that doesn't include some variation of dessert for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Unlike last year, this year Hanukkah fell right where I like it: beginning mid-December and running almost exactly through Christmas Eve. This meant that the holiday celebrations kind of volleyed back and forth with little distinction other than the color of the wrapping.

We took 89 to see Santa.

She behaved very well on line.

 

But was still happiest when it was over.

She even seemed to like how her picture came out.

Then we went to get our tree.

This is always one of 89's favorite things.

 We hung our stockings and displayed our admittedly disproportionate menorah.

 

Even 89's Hedgie got in on the action.

 

The tree at Pine Box was quite a bit grander than our own.

I also don't have these at home: Fairy Tale of New York- stoli Razberi, creme de cacao & peppermint schnapps shaken with grenadine & almond milk; served up with a candy cane.

followed by more...

89's Hanukkah presents seemed to err on the Christmassy side this year.

Then she stole one of mine- a hedgehog ornament, off the tree.

We visited another Santa. 89 still isn't convinced.

 
Finally! A new Hanukkah shirt (that I bought on Halloween).

 

 
Despite the sinful amount of sweets that was about to befall me, for some reason I felt it necessary to make VCIYCJ pignoli cookies.

Had Vegan Treats' soft serve delivered: vanilla with chocolate chips.

Also some Vegan Treats' donuts: smores, Boston Creme, and 2 jellies!

There were more than a few visits to The Bean for drinks with rotating holiday wishes.

And one of many holiday Vegan Shop-ups.

Here's the Gone Pie table looking particularly exquisite:

My new favorite: their take on Mexican wedding cookies. Shortly after inhaling my first of seven (not consecutive), I watched as another customer purchased one to try, then bought the entire remainder of the plate; my kind of lady!

Beautiful mini fruitcakes for my dad.

 And their famous pecan pie.

Having worked my way through the Pine Box Rock Shop holiday menu the week prior, I went with a Red Moco Cooler (or two) this visit.

You already know how I feel about Sweet Maresa's Italian rainbow cookies, also at the shop-up.

 

Blogposts about individual, holiday dinners coming soon...
On this day, dessert was a chocolate shake from TBICSITU.

89 tried to steal the Hanukkah gift for her friend, Ennis.

She suffered through more Hanukkah-wear...

and received a mini reindeer to seasonally adorn her placemat.

A bunch of Sweet & Sara goodies for gifts: rocky road bark, rice crispy treat, mini smores, three-bite smores, and peppermint bark (if you haven't tried this yet, it's a MUST).

The arrival of my annual Vegan Treats cookies! 

Still more Hanukkah gifts for 89.

Christmas prep in the Bean house.

 

89 deciding all gifts must be hers (most are; this one was).

Cinnamon toast!

Christmas posing.

VM's eggplant rollatini.

Again, with pasta.

Copious amounts of So Delicious Mint Chocolate coconut milk with even more mini-Dandies.

Santa arranged 89's gifts under the tree to save wrapping (and unwrapping) time.

Yet the first thing she did was to unceremoniously pull out a pair of wrapped, Xmas pjs from the grandparents.

Once she realized the bounty that awaited her, she steamrolled right through it.

 Her first choice: the smallest toy, a Santa-hatted hedgehog.

 
Up next: the biggest, a winter-hatted snowman that she took down like a lion would a gazelle.

89 got her own blueberry pancakes on Christmas morning.

But, she still chose to ogle my cookies anyway (maybe a little more than ogle).

The best gift of the day: a personalized blanket!

The goofiest:

For dessert, more from Vegan Treats.

Chocolate cake with...vanilla (?) cream filling:

Red velvet cake with cannoli (?) cream filling:

Oh, who can remember? They all looked incredible and tasted even better.

89 sitting atop my own best gift prior to unwrapping: a snowblower!

I decided, yet again, to add to the fray with cowboy cookies from VCIYCJ.

More Christmas-wear and a walk: 60 degrees!

And then an involuntary nap that caught 89 off-guard, practically mid-bark.

More of this snazzy concoction:

And then it was New Years' Eve.

Despite all of her new toys, 89 started off the year contentedly playing with her favorite: a toilet paper roll.

New Years Day is also VM's birthday, for which I made VWAV chocolate, chocolate chip pancakes with Dandies marshmallows and So Delicious Coco Whip.

You really can't blame her.

Interior:

And, for VM's birthday dessert: a donut sundae in homage to those from Vegan Treats.

Chocolate-encased angel-food donut topped with So Delicious Coco whip, and fresh raspberries.

It was only fitting that, as I undressed the Christmas tree, 89 once again stole the hedgehog ornament.

I hope your holidays were merry and bright, and that 2015 brings you more reasons to be peaceful and compassionate!