On the menu

I write this post while sipping on my chocolate mint latte, all the while patting myself on the back.  Damn this latte is good and there are many more good eats to come in the next 24 hours.   Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday.  Since our family is way too far away, we do T-day with our group of friends, which have quickly become our Oregon family.  This year (and last year) we are heading over to Jess, Cody and Maxx’s house for the food frenzy.  The lovely hosts are vegan, so this a BYOM affair.  Keith is bringing a rib roast and there is rumor of turkey to be brought by another couple (Jack & Emily).  The vegans are going to be surrounded by meat.

My contribution to the affair include the following four recipes I stole from two of my favorite bloggers. Ashley and Sarah.  We are on a first name basis. Yep, they have no idea who I am.

These guys are just waiting to me made into magic.

The recipe I most excited about is the Raw Cashew Dream Cake I got from the blog My New Roots.  I pretty much followed this recipe to a tee, except I doubled the recipe and put it in an 8″ spring pan rather than a 7″ and I used a medley of frozen berries. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of a slice of it to show off how beautiful this guy is on the inside, because he is still in the freezer anxiously awaiting his debut.  I do have these photos though:

1st layer- coconut flakes

2nd layer pecan & date pie crust

3rd layer cashew, lemony, vanilla-ny, goodness

I am obsessed with this layer. The vanilla bean speckles kill me

Top layer. He is dressed and ready to go.

Next up.  I decided to try to make the Black Bean Chili Cherry Cookies from My New Roots too.  Sadly, I did not love these.  They were a little too spicy.  I will try to make them again and reduce the cayenne.  I doubled this recipe too, so perhaps it would’ve been better if I kept with the original configuration.

Today I am swiping another of My New Roots’s recipes.  I am going to try my hand at  Sarah’s Poppy Seed- Crusted Butternut Squash with Pomegranates.  Obviously I am obsessed with this blog.  I promise you will be too.  I do not have a picture because he has yet to be born.

I do have a picture of the Pumpkin Spice Hummus that I swiped from Ashley over at The Edible Perspective.  I followed this recipe to point and it turned out swimmingly.

nailed it.

Off to walk the pug.  I hope everybody has a truly amazing Thanksgiving!!