Yesterday I made the chocolate chip cookies and they were also fantastic.  Keep an eye out for a Book Review to be posted on the main site soon.

One suggestion would be to go ahead and do a trial run of this recipe.  It takes a bit of experimenting to get the right texture.  Adding more wheat gluten and or water has worked for me, when needed.  Every time I make it seems to be a bit different.  Perhaps the humidity?  But practice makes perfect.

photo courtesy of rhymeswithvegan.com

I’ve made this no-bake chocolate pumpkin pie from the Sweet Beet and Green Bean blog several times and I love it. The combination of pumpkin and chocolate was not something that sounded wonderful to me initially.  But Jacqueline is right in that you don’t get the pumpkin flavor immediately, but more of a spice cake type of taste which is so wonderful with the creamy texture  of the filling.

The recipe calls for an Oreo type crust, but I’ve also made it with a traditional graham cracker crust, which I liked just as well.  I thought the graham flavor was nice contrast to the chocolate.  The filling is a  very rich, chocolate, that’s for sure.

The absolute best part about this recipe is that it is no-bake!  I make the day before any party and I really think it tastes better the second day anyway.

photo courtesy of Sweet Beet and Green Bean blog

Coming from someone who has broken two ceramic knifes cutting squash, my first piece of advice is “use a sturdy knife” and a good thick cutting board.  Wood is best.  Typically you peel the squash first if using it for something like soup, but I also live to scoop out the seeds and cook some kind of grain inside the squash.

One of my favorite and really easy squash soup recipes is this Vegan Curried Butternut Squash Soup. Basically squash, onions, curry powder, and veggie broth, the recipe really brings out the sweet flavor of the squash. Give it a try!  It’s great to serve at holiday meals, too.

I’m the only one in my family who is vegan, so I am always traveling with food. The holidays can make things difficult, especially with the focus on food and eating.  Planning ahead is the key for me.  I always bring one or two dishes to my family gatherings and Thanksgiving is no exception.

I made Fat Free Vegan’s green bean casserole several times and it’s always a hit.  Often, it is more popular than the regular green bean casserole.  Thanks to Susan for the recipe!

A couple of tips:

- Heat your dish right before you go to the meal, if possible.  You don’t want to ask to heat up your dish when you arrive.  There may not be room in the oven.

- Being a serving utensil.  There are never enough!

Photo courtesy of manifestvegan.com