hi its only four weeks until Christmas so i was wondering what do hippie do at Christmas. Also is there any vegan hippies out there and if so what do you have instead of turkey and duck and so on ?
I'm not sure I understand the connection between hippies and Christmas. Just do whatever you want. As for the meat question--you could bring a "celebration roast", or an entree that is vegan friendly to share with people. Or just make a meal out of side dishes. Cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes (bring vegan butter?), yams, stuffing, anything you like. Food needn't separate you from your group.
From our vegetarian section, originally written in 2008 by me: Our Canadian brothers and sisters have ducked Thanksgiving for the year but Yule, Christmas and Hanukkah are on the way, emotionally loaded food holidays. These are a challenge every year, but for new veg*ans, it can feel insurmountable. There are a couple ways to "handel" these: (sorry) First, you must decide your limits. Will you avoid a lot of pain if you suck it up over honey and remember the aguave next year? Is dairy OK? Egg? Are you stepping down and are you a bit flexible in the name of family peace? Are you set in your ways and willing to work to provide some acceptible alternatives for your use and to share? Are you frozen in terror at the thought that you might get a stray splash of gravy? Are you capable of hosting the dinner yourself and willing to do so? Scenario one: live with family (of origin: parents, auntes, etc), don't cook, teens to young adult options: learn one main dish, make it and be aware of what is in the grocery store food like reheat rolls. (this is also great pot luck strategy) pitch in and be part of the shopping and prepping provide the vegan substitutions in a way that does not make extra work My mom makes ambrosia that is fine for vegans until she adds home made whipped cream and marshmallows. I worked an arrangement when I was 13 that I would prep all the veggies and fruits (her least fave part-she's into the alchemy side of cooking) in return for getting part of them before the non veg parts came in. I had tropical ambrosia (I now make this with Hip Whip from Now and Zen and a lot more tropical fruits), green beans almondine (which roped me into doing it forever), baked sweet potatoes (only my late step dad would eat that with me -they liked the marshmallow goo) I even made a separate stuffing/ dressing. Scenario 1.4: live at home/ can cook. Whoo hoo! work with the person who coordinates the dinner and see where you can help over all and provide yourself with options out the wazz that everyone can have Scenario two Family goes to a restaurant for the meal (common after the divorce in my childhood home) call ahead and explain that one member of your party has food issues and "what are the options?" You will need to have some easy ideas in place, but think oven roasted veggies without soup stock, sauteed green beans without bacon etc, wild rice pilaf without butter or chicken/ beef/ turkey stock and similar items that are easier to whip up. If you are going ethnic, lobby for Indian, Thai (watch the fish sauce and ask for peanut sauce instead) African or other veg friendly cuisine. Scenario three: family/ friends pot luck make a few main dishes and a dessert. I also provide a cranberry chutney (really chunky sauce) canned cranberry is OK. know the ingeridents, or have a really good idea. This is best discussed before everyone gets silverware. Especially knives. Scenario four: on own, hosting meal with omni family (kids, spouse/partner) Of mixed households, this is the most open scene. Talk about the holiday and what it means as tradition to you. Does someone REALLY want chocolate pie because that's what is always done? Ask if you can buy one from a restaurant or make it in line with your new diet/lifestyle. Some kids will decide it "don't mean a thang if it don't have merengue" (sorry, again). What foods really mean the holiday for them? For you? A precooked turkey breast might be enough for two-three omnis. My mom and I fill the table at her home so that there's no room for carcass as centerpiece, but it is on the counter for those who want it. Maybe turkey won't matter but stuffing will (this is good). Or that weird green bean and mushroom soup with fried onion casserole. Or fresh bread. Who in the omni side is willing to handle the meat/ eggs/ milk that you don't? Personally, I'll make it (years in commercial kitches) but the dishes get to me, so I will make glazed salmon or a roasted hen, but I do NOT wash up. I'd say that of the dinners I have orchestrated more than half were all veg-lacto-ovo (my family has to have deviled eggs) I personally haven't found a mock turkey I like, so I don't bother. Scenario Five: A fully veg feast. Lucky you. and congrats. The turkeys thank you. read Dav Pilkey's "'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving" that the then omni now vegan Pilkey STILL contends is not a book about vegetarianism.. right. and The Jungle was ONLY about class struggle and Unions. (which was it's intent) Original thread: http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=199813&f=442
I love finding out about the different winter traditions, I like Yule, the Winter Solstice, and also Hogmanay, a Scottish New Year celebration with traditions that hark back to the Vikings invading Scotland. So my celebrations tend to start around the 21st December and run right through to New Year. I don't know much about Kwanzaa, but from my limited knowledge, I've heard it's an African-American holiday which celebrates community, family and culture. Pretty much what Christmastime means to most people I think. So I will probably learn about that this year and see if there's any traditions or customs I wish to adopt. I find it fascinating learning about different festivals and celebrations, especially those that originally took place on the land I live on now. Whatever you do, enjoy it, and make sure it is something that feels right to you. Don't just do something because you think it's the 'Hippie' thing to do. Happy Holidays!
I cook for the whole family every year and every year I do a meat main course and a vegan main course. This year I've made a nut roast for the vegans (made from chestnuts, walnuts, cashews, brandy) and it's in the freezer now waiting for Christmas. On Christmas day, I just take out the nut roast and reheat it, and then everything except the meat is vegan. We have a long table and I just put the meat and the nutroast at opposite ends of the table. Vegans sit at one end, carnivores at the other. I also have a vegan Christmas cake which I've made. It's never been a problem. We also celebrate the Winter Solstice, usually going up to Stonehenge the night before, parking up in the van with all the other hippies and usually party the night away with everyone we haven't seen since the summer festivals. At dawn, there is a Druid ceremony in the stone circle and then we normally go home, have a cooked breakfast and go to bed for a few hours.
