It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at the Blue Barn. The tree is up, the holiday cards are all addressed and the menu is being created for Christmas Eve. Truth be told, we don’t do a lot of presents over here (I asked for the bunny stall to be completed as my gift from Santa- it looks like he’s going to deliver- woohoo!!! bunnies!!!!) Oops, I digressed…. As I was saying…the menu is just about complete.

Christmas Eve appetizers and sweets have been the tradition in my family for years. Crossing over to plant based versions of my favorites was not the easiest road. A lot has changed over the last twelve years, however, and delicious options for holiday foods are EVERYWHERE. So this week, I am sharing some resources so that your holiday meals can be just as delicious as ours.

First, I’m going to share one of my greatest plant based successes…Vegan Baked Brie. My mom made the BEST baked brie ever and we would polish off not one, but TWO of them by the time the holiday came to a close. That was a hard dish to say good bye to, truth be told. My conscience felt great, but my taste buds were a little sad…until last year.

We made a cashew based brie, topped it with homemade pear preserves and wrapped it up in phyllo dough and smothered it in Miyoko’s butter….O>>>M>>>>G. SO good!

If you want to try it out for yourself, I found an updated version that you can try here..

While we do snacks, many will opt for a sit down, family style dinner. We thought this made that option look pretty easy- the menu is done for you. No need to collect from lots of different sources. One day, I’ll be re-visiting this site to give these recipes a go. Let us know if you give any of these a try this holiday!!

While we are going to load up on our veggies this Christmas eve, one non-negotiable is dessert. There MUST be sweets. While we will have a few different options, I found my choice from one of my faves, The Minimalist Baker. She’s listed a fabulous resource guide for the holidays and I’m going to be leaving it for you riiight…HERE.

We’ll be giving her Peppermint Black Bean Brownies a whirl…I’ll let you know if they actually make it to the table (cuz, you know, SOMEONE might eat them first)

Hope that helps with your holiday meal planning!

We wish you the most joyous and peaceful of holidays- however you choose to celebrate. And thank you for considering more compassionate choices on your holiday plate!

With Gratitude,

Melissa & the Blue Barn team