This year was my first Friendsgiving. My friends Mark and Carol and companion Ken joined me for a 4-course Vegan autumn themed meal. It was the first time for each of them to meet each other but I think that everyone had a good time. As usual when I host a meatless Thanksgiving, I focused on autumn harvest foods and did not try to replicate a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Table: I borrowed my Mom’s plates, place mats and napkins. My friend Carol designed the flowers. She used a special flower holder that goes around candles. We worked together with the place cards. For years I have thought about putting a flower in a water tube to add to a place card. This year seemed like the perfect time since I have a lot of water tubes from flowers my new companion.

Sweet Potato Chips with Vegan Onion Dip – I used this dip recipe and this vegan sour cream recipe.

Pumpkin Soup with Leaf Shaped Cinnamon Tortilla Chips, Maple or Spicy Pumpkin Seeds, Maple Syrup
Cut corn tortillas with a cookie cutter, brush both sides with olive oil, place on cookie sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Date Butter – I mostly followed this recipe but I did not use the apple, mushrooms, sage, thyme, or cinnamon. I used red onion and added spinach and chopped pecans to the filling. I made a simple vinaigrette with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and a little olive oil and added it to the quinoa filling. I roasted the acorn squash the day before and heated the squash in a 300 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Then I added the hot filling and served. I added the Brussels sprouts and date butter to the plate.

Apple Pie with Toasted Walnuts and Caramel – I used this recipe for the tart but made individual pies. I used this pie crust. After the tarts came out of the oven I added Vegan Caramel Sauce and some toasted walnuts.

My critique of the meal:

I continue to work on my plating skills and combining flavors and think that I am improving. I normally don’t like dates but I enjoyed the walnut date butter as part of my main course. I LOVED the Vegan Caramel Sauce! I think it is better than ordinary caramel and I am a huge fan. I loved the taste but the addition of almond butter adds protein and just makes it seems healthier. I enjoy making individual desserts since it seems more special. I thought that the table was beautiful and suitable to the day and food. In my eyes, the meal was a success.