Thursday, March 20, 2008

Quick Trip to Jacksonville, Fla

Jared's family is from and around the Jacksonville area in Florida and we decided to take a short trip to see them this weekend for Easter. Jared's family is always a lot of fun, especially his Grandmom, who we are staying with. Apparently, there will be tons of relatives in Jacksonville this weekend, some of which I haven't even met yet! I think typical Easter fare in his family (like a lot of families) is spiral ham with sides loaded with milk and butter products. No surprise, Jared and I are more than likely going to be the only vegans celebrating this weekend, so I have made a few things to take with us so we can enjoy a meal with family without having to stress.
I made my very first Roasted Tofurky, which I basted in olive oil, soy sauce and fresh sage. Jared has made this roast before and loves it. If it tastes as good as it smells, I know I'll love it too.
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For sides, I made roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary & thyme, garlic and olive oil, as well as fresh steamed green beans.
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For a sweet treat, and to warm over wary non-vegans, I also made some of my chocolate chip pecan cookies, which is always a huge hit.
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I am also bringing cereal and soymilk for breakfast and a raw nut mixture of cashews, almonds, pecans and pistachios.
I hope everyone has a Happy Easter and a lovely weekend with friends and family!

17 comments:

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

I haven't had Tofurkey in so long. Love that stuff!

Theresa said...

Happy easter, Lori and Jared! Everything looks really good!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

We have a similar family situation, so you're so smart to make up food beforehand!

Anonymous said...

Wow everything looks delicious!! It's tough being the only vegans, especially when you go to another person's dinner. But you guys seem to have fared well. =) And I can see why they liked your cookies.. who doesn't like cookies (vegan or not)??

Rural Vegan said...

Have a wonderful time, your cookies will surely win over any skeptics!

J said...

I've never had tofurky.

Sounds like you guys got yourself covered. Oh, and if you need any help finishing those potatoes and beans, you could send them to a special someone in Columbia, Missouri. ;-)

Oh, and the same with those cookies!

Happy Easter! Have funny in sunny Florida!

Jess said...

I have never had a Tofurky roast... I bought one for Thanksgiving TWO YEARS AGO, and it's been sitting in my freezer ever since. What the hell is wrong with me? I need to defrost that thing soon & try it out. I used to love turkey, so I think I'm just scared.

Have a great Easter! That will be a fun celebration with delicious food!

Vegan_Noodle said...

SOunds like you are going in armed with plenty to keep you full!! Hope you both have a wonderful Easter weekend... save me a cookie!

Veggie said...

I'm just about to start cooking my Tofurky to take to Easter dinner tomorrow. I seriously need stop reading blogs and get in the kitchen!

Judy said...

Ok wow, those potatoes and cookies both look fantastic. I am so hungry now.

Anonymous said...

Let me know how that tofurkey roast is!!! I eat tofurkey sandwiches all week long and love them so I'm sure I would love that too. A great substitution for Easter ham, for sure! Have a wonderful holiday and safe travels!

Tofu Mom (AKA Tofu-n-Sprouts) said...

My sister lives in Jax. Wave at her next time you're there. HA!

Seriously, I only seem to think about Tofurky at Thanksgiving, why is that? It'd make a great Easter dish I think too.

Anonymous said...

You know, I've never actually had Tofurkey before!! I always see it at the store but never actually buy it!

It looks good, i'll pick some up next time!

Veggie said...

Hi Tofu mom,

I made a Tofurky for Easter with a Cherry and Onion Glaze and it was delicious, everyone loved it! The glaze made it more similar to an Easter ham.

I'll have the recipe up on my blog in the next few days.

easyV said...

mmm...vegan cookies...

Wheeler's Frozen Dessert said...

Bringing your own food - what a good houseguest! And it looks great - you should watch out for the family trying to eat all your food instead of their own!

bazu said...

Happy Easter! I wish I was in your family- you wouldn't have to worry about your yummy food going uneaten!