Thanksgiving Weekend in Pictures

Apparently Charlotte takes Thanksgiving VERY SERIOUSLY.

Having fun with beautiful Aunt M

Trying to scare the sweet 20-somethings with our child during our super fun Friday meet up in Springfield, MA.

Meeting more friends over the weekend! Living in such a central location is having great benefits!

"What is that THING on your face???"
She grabbed it and held on for a while in amazement.

*For more pics (and some funny ones) see the album on Facebook tomorrow.

Better Thanksgiving Leftovers

If you're looking for a little more creativity than the go-to turkey sandwich today, try out some of these recipes for some more inspired Thanksgiving leftover meals
(All care of the Food Network)


Second Day Fried Stuffing Bites with Cranberry Sauce Pesto
(OK, I haven't made these, but are you kidding me?! YUM!)


Turkey & Green Bean Pot Pies


Easy Turkey Bolognese

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all have a wonderful, fattening day with your friends and families. If you're hosting this year, be sure to do a Thanksgiving wrap-up of what recipes you used and how they turned out! I've been watching Thanksgiving specials on the Food Network for a week straight now, but we're not hosting the dinner this year (nor have we ever, actually!) so I'd like to live vicariously through you!


Picture is of The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie

Home Grown Tomatoes presents...Beer Battered (anything)

Beer Battered Fried Tofu

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column by Giovanina Bucci

I had some serious challenges this week deciding which recipe to post. My heart has been swept up by thoughts of Thanksgiving, however, my cooking has been swept up by a wave of needing and wanting all things fried. Strangely enough I am writing this post on my birthday, which is my excuse to be able to indulge in french fries tonight. Although, Beau conveniently pointed out to me that I seem to have a "valid" justification every time I am craving french fries or anything fried for that matter...'It's my birthday', 'I am going to start eating better next week', 'It's your birthday', 'I'm drinking beer and some things just go together', 'It's Sunday and we're watching football'... you get the idea. So here I am, mouth watering, at the thought of dipping those delicious fried numbers into globs of ketchup...

Anyway, I have an excellent beer batter recipe that can be used on most anything: tofu, onions, veggies. I even dove into the world of chili rellenos for the first time this past weekend (recipe to come), beer batter and all. I've decided to share the Beer Battered Tofu recipe this week, as the tofu takes a bit of prep in order to attain that cravable texture: crisp on the outside, tender and moist on the inside.

Serving Size: 4 people who are "munching"

1 block Extra Firm Tofu

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbs. Braggs Liquid Aminos

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Drain tofu, either by hand or by weight, and dice into cubes. Laying the tofu on the larger rectangular side, I cut the tofu once in half, horizontally, and then cube from there. This makes for perfect bite size bits that are easy to work with. Although, I have sliced the tofu into thin "french fry" like strips (as seen below) too, and that seems to be great for dipping (because, of course, you NEED a dip). Spread your tofu out into a baking pan, drizzle olive oil (don't be shy) and Bragg's, and let tofu bake for about 12 minutes. Usually 6 or 7 minutes in, I try and turn most of the pieces over, or at least move them around to ensure that they are not sticking to the bottom of your pan.

While your tofu is baking, you can prepare the batter. Now I am going to be honest, I have not measured this to perfection. But seriously, you can't go wrong, because you're frying something, and that's pretty difficult to butcher. Just to premise the batter, the idea is that you want it to be like the consistency of pancake batter. And for those of you who have gluten issues, you may want to try and experiment with different kinds of flours. I'm not sure which alternative flours fry the best.

1/4 C. whole wheat pastry four (whole what or white flour works great too)

6 oz. dark beer (i.e. Ambers, Stouts, Porters, etc.)

1 Tbs. sugar

1 1/2 Tbs. grade B maple syrup

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp of basil

Dash of cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes (depending on your like of spiciness)

black pepper and parsley to taste (optional)

Whisk all ingredients together until you have a batter that drips off of your spoon, yet retains a bit of thickness to it (as I mentioned, just like pancake batter). If you find your batter is too thick or too runny, simply adjust by adding more flour or more beer. Now the problem is, if you end up starting with too much flour and have to add all of you beer, you can't drink the rest. Try to avoid that!

Once your tofu is ready, heat up your oil on medium high heat (I use half olive oil and half vegetable oil, because we're on a budget) and fill a large pot about 1/4" to 1/2" up from the bottom. Basically, depending on what you are frying, you want enough oil for one side to fry without having it touch the bottom of the pan. With this tofu recipe, you can use the lesser amount of oil. The main objective being, you don't want it to stick to the bottom. If you're frying the smaller cubed pieces of tofu, you can even use a smaller pan and fry in batches of 8-10 pieces. (Be careful with the oil, you don't want it too hot, whereby, you're getting hot oil splattering up into the air and potentially onto your precious limbs.) You'll hear a subtle crackling sound, and that's the safety zone. Any loud pops means your oil is too hot. Drop a bit of batter in to test it out, and you'll easily be able to tell if you need more or less heat.

To accompany this dish, I make a VERY simple aioli that you can adjust to your taste buds.

1/2 C. vegannaise

1 tsp garlic powder

dash of red pepper flakes

juice from 1 lemon (substitute with about 1-2 tsps of apple cider vinegar if you don't have a lemon)

dill, cilantro, or parsley - whatever you have on hand or are craving...

Mix all ingredients together. You'll end up with a punchy tartness, smooth texture, and a subtle herbal inspired backdrop.

Speaking of backdrops...this is our front yard table that overlooks the garden in the summertime. A perfect place to enjoy snacks and beverages on an evening in Flagstaff. The fresh mountain air, good company, and the sound of the Rt 66 train in the background.

Enjoy this recipe, and play around with it. It's extremely malleable, and can accommodate whatever your needs may be, not to mention, the fried tofu in particular makes for a great appetizer! Also, don't hesitate to recycle your oil. I usually strain the leftover into a Tupperware container to alleviate any extra fried batter. Have fun with this!

Life's Big Questions

I'm learning that there are some central themes to being the parent of a baby and one of the dominating ones is this:


Do I inhale my food now and get to eat it hot, or do I do X, Y, or Z (random but urgent baby-related thing) first and then eat it cold, but slowly and without indigestion??


There is no right answer.

The War of Art

I'm currently reading the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and I'm not being hyperbolic by saying that it is absolutely life changing. It's very easy to read since the book is broken down into chapters that are only a page or two long. And there is so much wisdom that the book should not even be picked up unless you have a pen in your hand to underline all of the ideas that speak to you. And please don't be scared off by the subtitle that includes the word "creative." In this context "creative" does not mean that the book is for painters, it refers to absolutely anything that you love and feel passion for.

The tenet of the book is this:

"Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance."

If you have ever laid in bed at night daydreaming about other possibilities for yourself (and I would be absolutely floored if someone genuinely had never done that) then go buy this book. It's not in any way a motivation book (that very phrase makes me shutter for all kinds of reasons), it's far more genuine than that.

Here's a chapter in the book about criticism that was one of the many passages that made me think "Yes! You are so smart Steven Pressfield!!" As the saying goes, everyone's a critic, but I'm sure you know people who have elevated that trait to a very unlikable art form. And on the other hand, hopefully you have had the joy of encountering someone who is so happy and pleased with their own life and their own path that they seem totally disinterested in the judgment of other people's lives.

So whether you apply this passage to yourself, a coworker, a family member, or a friend, I hope it provides a little insight that you didn't have yesterday. Or maybe it'll serve as a good reminder for something you already knew. Either way, enjoy...


Resistance and Criticism

If you find yourself criticizing other people, you're probably doing it out of Resistance. When we see others beginning to live their authentic selves, it drives us crazy if we have not lived out our own.



Individuals who are realized in their own lives almost never criticize others. If they speak at all, it is to offer encouragement. Watch yourself. Of all the manifestations of Resistance, most only harm ourselves. Criticism and cruelty harm others as well.




Passage from pg. 38 of The Art of War by Steven Pressfield.

Body Poll

I ran across a great poll in Glamour magazine the other day that I thought we could repeat here. It's been a while since we've done a blog poll and I hope I still have enough readers left to participate! As always, feel free to comment anonymously. Also, don't feel like you have to complete the sentence with just one word. Most of the magazine answers were a sentence or two and they were all SO fascinating.



My Body Is... (and you can't say anything negative!)

Home Grown Tomatoes presents: Football Seasoned

Caramel Popcorn

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column
by Giovanina Bucci

Well it's official, we've winterized our house and succumbed to turning our heat on. We were going to try and at least make it until Thanksgiving, but alas, when Beau could see his breath this morning inside, he decided that the battle had been officially lost. Which brings me to today's post - we're going for comfort, my friends. Pure, unadulterated, extra junk in my trunk, wintery comfort. Not to mention, it's football season. What better way to watch others exert energy than with a giant bowl of homemade caramel popcorn at your fingertips? And if you think you can make a nice big batch of this stuff and maintain portion control - you're fooling yourself.

Popping your own popcorn (uh hum...not in the microwave) is insanely entertaining. Or I'm easily entertained, which very well could be the case. Between that darling little popping noise and the aroma, it's a nostalgic combination I'm happy to delve into on a Sunday afternoon.

Servings: Dive in, selfishly...

1 C. popcorn kernels

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Directions for popping popcorn are always on the container - but I've found this to be a perfect ratio of kernels to oil. I turn the stove on medium high heat, use our 10 quart pot with a breathable lid and go to town, making sure to shake the pot every minute or so, in order to maintain an even coat of oil among the kernels.

Once your popcorn is popped, you can begin the process of making the caramel sauce. A caramel sauce WITHOUT corn syrup - can you even imagine?!

3/4 C. brown sugar

3/4 C. white sugar (Most often, I have organic, cane sugar on hand)

1/4 C. Grade B Maple Syrup

1/4 C. honey

3 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Bring all ingredients to a boil for 8-10 minutes and then pour over popcorn. I do this right in the 10 quart pot, stirring to make sure all of the kernels are coated evenly. Once coated, spread the, now caramelly, popcorn on a sheet of wax paper. Give it about 15 minutes to set up and then DIG IN! In my rare moments of non vegan baking, I like to add chunks of candy bars to cakes, cookies, etc. I'm assuming this combination would be borderline illegal. But, can you imagine biting into a half melted bit of Snickers amongst crunchy caramel popcorn? Not to mention, you could also add nuts or chocolate to kick things up a notch as well.

Also, I'm sure you could use agave syrup or agave nectar in place of maple syrup (due to costliness) or in place of honey (due to hard coreness of being vegan). Regardless, indulge and enjoy!!

Home Grown Tomatoes presents: Taking the Heavy out of Cream

Cream of Celery Soup

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column

by Giovanina Bucci

Obviously, posting recipes requires cooking and it SHOULD require eating, but alas, I am here on the penultimate day of the Master Cleanse, salivating instead. And to top things off, I planned our Thanksgiving menu this week - what the hell was I thinking?! Clearly, I wasn't. But enough about the silly predicaments I put myself into and onto the Cream of Celery soup that filled Beau's belly for a few a days.

We're big fans of celery in our house; we use it for dipping in all kinds of goodies, most often homemade hummus and peanut butter. (Because celery and peanut butter make me feel like I'm nine again, which is a good thing with a birthday around the corner). Every time either one of us goes to the grocery store, we come home with celery, unknowing whether or not we actually need it. As a result, the moment was bound to arrive whereby celery was literally leaking out of every crevice in our refrigerator. I took all of the "not quite firm enough to dip anymore" celery and went to town, and produced a pleasingly, creamy, perfect-for-a-November-day, soup. And so it goes...

Serving Size: 4 bowls, 6 or so cups (I actually have no idea, this is an estimate)

3 heaping Tbs. Earth Balance Butter

1 medium sized yellow onion (diced)

4-5 large stalks celery (diced)

3 small red potatoes (diced)

1-2 Tbs. Bragg's Liquid Aminos

3 c. (or more, depending on the consistency you enjoy) Rice Milk (or other milk product, you could even do half Veg. broth here)

3-4 Tbs. Tofutti Sour Supreme

1-2 Tbs. Tofutti Cream Cheese

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1/2 tsp. onion powder

dash of white pepper

dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

garnish with spring onion (if you're feeling spunky)

Saute the white onion in the butter and Bragg's on medium high heat until the onion is translucent, or better yet, until the onion is caramelized. Then add the diced potatoes, let them saute for about five minutes, so they begin to get a bit tender. Don't hesitate to add some milk at this point, if it seems like your pan needs some moisture. Finally, add the celery and about 1/2 c. of milk and let all three veggies tenderize for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At this point, turn the heat down to medium low, add the rest of your milk, sour cream, and cream cheese. (If you're a vegetarian, you can use heavy cream for this recipe and nix the sour cream and cream cheese. Personally, I use sour cream and cream cheese as thickening agents in vegan soups, not to mention they do add a nice punch of flavor.) To top things off, add the celery seed, onion powder and white pepper and let the soup simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Finally, puree the soup to give it a thick and hearty consistency. After I've done this, I usually let the soup simmer on low heat for about 5 more minutes. Add those red pepper flakes if you're into a bit of heat and give it a taste test. I tend to go big on herbs and spices, more often than not, I find myself adding a touch more of this and a tad more of that. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, thinly sliced celery (1" in length) and chopped green onion. Then pour yourself a nice glass of red wine, bundle up with a blanket, and enjoy a perfect, cozy November day.

Baby's First... Everything

This weekend B was in Chicago having a boys weekend, so the little lady and I were holding down the fort alone. As if to reaffirm the fact that I was a (temporary) single parent and that I should obviously not eat red meat while breastfeeding (though that burger was damn good), she rewarded me on Friday night by waking up every hour screaming. We never even made it off the couch.

But in a move that I will never understand and that continues to repeat itself, a night of no sleep, or cat naps at best, led to a very bright-eyed Saturday, whereas the nights of full sleep lead me to only a moderate level of energy. Cest la vie.

So we took our burst of Saturday energy and made french toast, bacon, and coffee for breakfast and then headed out to the local art & history museum. Baby's first museum visit! It wasn't my type of art work, but being an art lover in general, I could still appreciate the paintings. Plus, the portraits were a fascinating study in fashion, so that's always interesting.

The fact that it was her first museum visit was not lost on me, as she continues to have all kinds of "firsts" all the time. It's one of the mind blowing things about being a parent. One of my most vivid (positive) memories in the delivery room was her first kiss. As I was waiting and waiting to hold her - which took a full 45 minutes after delivery thanks to a misplaced needle - all I could think of was that *I* was the one who got to give her her first kiss. Thousands and thousands of kisses would follow - cheek kisses, belly kisses, passionate kisses, kisses from grandparents and girlfriends. From men who are wrong for her, and men who are right for her. Polite kisses, obligatory kisses, the list goes on. But there has to be a first one, and I got to delivery it. It was so symbolic and touching.

She had her first laugh the other day also. She gave it to her daddy while he was singing her the "I've got pee-pees in my pants" song that he invented. Her second laugh she gave to me the next day, also while singing the very same song on the very same changing table. Apparently it's a big hit. But again, all I could think about was the millions of laughs that we'll share together over the years. The unabashed toddler giggles, the 13 year old slumber party squeals, the devious cackles that accompany most of college, and the wine-tinged hysterics over long dinners at our dining room table. Laughter is a huge part of our household and our family, and to see the beginning of that was absolutely enchanting.

In case you were wondering...

This is how you end a weekend.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

It took three months, but Miles finally discovered the luxurious comfort of the baby papasan.

Home Grown Tomatoes presents: Crust a Must? No.

Crustless Pecan Pumpkin Pie with Maple Pumpkin Frosting

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column by Giovanina Bucci
(in other words...Scarlet Lily did not write this:))

I just like staring at these pictures. They make me happy, except I am doing the Master Cleanse right now, so they're kind of pissing me off, because I can't eat anything for 10 days! Nonetheless this creation, otherwise known as Crustless Pecan Pumpkin Pie with Maple Pumpkin Frosting, is sweet, delicious, and gluten free! In my humble opinion, it's pretty much an edible version of the Adirondacks: pumpkin, maple, pecan...

Beau requested this number for Thanksgiving this year, so I figured a trial run wouldn't hurt anyone. And it didn't. We grabbed forks, spoons, whatever we could find, and dove into this delight like ravaging animals. And now it's gone... :)

I adapted this recipe from My Sweet Vegan, which is a highly recommended, fabulous vegan dessert cookbook with pictures for each recipe. I decided to ditch the crust, add my own little flair for the frosting, and made a few other changes. Speaking of frosting, I was acting like an 8 year old on Christmas this day and couldn't wait for the pie to cool before frosting with my Ziploc bag. Regretfully I piped too soon, but I grabbed the camera just in time. About one minute after these pictures were taken, the frosting started gravitating towards the middle and the pies' decadent appearance disappeared as each pecan was swallowed. Tasty, nonetheless.

Serving Size: apparently 8 slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pumpkin Filling

1 C. pumpkin puree

1/3 C. sugar

2 Tbs. of Rice Milk (Soy Milk, Soy Creamer, anything milky...)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger (which I didn't have, but I'm sure would add a magnificent dimension)

1/8 tsp. allspice

2 Tbs. Non-genetically modified cornstarch

(Note: I am not a huge fan of using cornstarch, and try to use it minimally in my cooking. I haven't experimented yet, but I imagine there are alternatives here, especially if you're not vegan. And as a vegan, I would likely try using something like Arrowroot Powder or something similar to help the pie set up and thicken.)

Pecan Filling:

1 C. pecan halves

2 heaping Tbs. of honey or 1 Tbs. of agave syrup

1/3 C. maple syrup (I used Grade B, which is excellent for cooking)

1/4 C. dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Maple Pumpkin Frosting:

This was a "wing it" effort - so the measurements are, well, approximate.

3 Tbs. Earth Balance butter (room temperature)

1/4 C. confectioner's sugar

2-3 Tbs. pumpkin puree

1 Tbs. maple syrup

Essentially, with frosting, you want to get a good consistency and sweetness, and those two things aren't very hard to accomplish. Begin with the measurements above and modify as needed. The worst that could happen is you'll make too much...which gives you an excuse to eat a spoonful here and there.

First, mix all of the ingredients for the Pumpkin Filling. Once mixed well (either by hand or using a mixer), pour into a well greased 9" pie dish. Mix the ingredients of the Pecan Filling and layer on top of the pumpkin. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Once the pie has COMPLETELY cooled, frost away.

As I said earlier, I just used a Ziploc bag and piped small, round swirls to add to the beauty. Honestly, since I dove in head first, I didn't even attempt to slice the pie. However, it did set up nicely and I think would be sliceable. Now that I am looking at the size of this post, it looks overwhelming. Seriously, I don't make things that are overwhelming or take 3 hours to make, because I'm impatient and usually hungry. This whipped up very fast and the outcome is well worth it! Enjoy.