“Editor”’s note: This is the first update from new contributor, Jordy. That’s right. We’re like a collective.
I thank God, Allah, or whoever you might worship that Thanksgiving Day is done and over with. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't dislike the perfectly fabricated tale about the first colonists and the Native Americans. And I am thankful for what's come and gone from my life over the years. What I really don't like about Thanksgiving, what really get under my skin, is the inevitable conversation I share with all of my acquaintances.
Person A: "So you're a vegetarian right?"?
Jordy: "Yeah that's right."?
Person A: "So uh"?(awkward pause, slight chuckle) what did you eat?"?
Jordy: "Dead gerbils. You?"?
OK, so I might have fabricated the last part of that theoretical conversation; but the fact of the matter is, just because I don't eat meat, doesn't mean I don't enjoy food, eating or the holidays in general. Not all, if any, vegetarians are calorie, fat, and cholesterol hating monsters. I love Thanksgiving dinner. I eat mashed potatoes, stuffing (outside the turkey), cranberries and pie smothered in gravy (vegetable stock), just like everyone else. Mine and my family's holiday was not ruined or any less because of my lack of meat consumption. So stop smugly asking me what I ate Person A, and any other theoretical conservationist that might come my way. I will proudly step off my soap box now.
Cider Glazed Vegetables
- 900g mixture of carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, green onions
- 1250ml cider or apple juice
- 100g brown sugar
- 50g margarine (vegan or butter)
- ? tsp ground nutmeg
- ? tsp ground allspice
- 75g cranberries to taste
Lightly steam the vegetables until part cooked. Combine the cider, sugar, margarine, nutmeg and spices in a non-stick saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Add steamed vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.