happy. new, year?

Yes. Well, hi. Having missed the entirety of the holiday season and then some (but having taken a ton of pictures), I have nothing to show for last year's cold, rainy, but warm-hearted festivities but a deluge of photos.

Thanksgiving app: butternut squash spring rolls w/ chile-cranberry sauce (from Veganomicon).


Thanksgiving spread. Clockwise from top: Chestnut stuffing, pot pies, and mashed potato casserole.


Tempeh & delicata squash pot pies, filled with a pumpkin sage cream sauce.


Roasted brussel sprouts with pistachios and caramelized onions (from The Vegan Table).


Pumpkin Cinnamon-Swirl Cheesecake (from The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes).


Dough; gingerbread biscotti (from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar).

Unfortunately, I was sick with a dreadful head cold as we finished the batch and developed somewhat of an aversion to the chewy, ginger-y, crunchy snacks. But they made easy, fantastic gifts!

Chai-spiced pistachio brittle, per Hannah's fool-proof recipe from the holiday issue of VegNews, all packaged up for cheapskate gift-giving!


The Dollar Store was my savior in gift giving. Maybe $10 spent on plenty cute Christmas-y tins and treat bags.


Feather (apparently baked) on Christmas morning.


Mom and I on Thanksgiving. (Pictured here are my favorite earrings, which proceeded to be lost - then found shattered on the sidewalk the next morning - New Year's Eve. R.I.P.)

I think perhaps why it's so hard for me to keep up with my most highly prolific and creative fellow bloggers (my god, people, how is it done?!) is that I am... lazy. Lazy. Sure, I feel like a busy bee 24/7, but when downtime shuffles along, I often can't find the interest to blog. Which is odd, because I spend all that time surfing other people's prolific, creative, knowledge-wealthy blogs. Which is not to say, I don't like blogging. I do. It's a somewhat self-indulgent, narcissistic activity. Which I love. Or that I don't bake or cook ever. Because, I do. This is all just... not a priority.

However - I have a lot to say. Really, honestly. In the interest of catering to most food-blog-followers (few of whom have ever visited here, having realized my blogging abilities are kind of a dud), though, I try to keep my personal life largely out of it, focusing on what I eat and cook. But, with the aforementioned laziness and not-prioritizing, I've not really produced quality blogging. You still with me? The rambling's coming to a close, pinky-swear.

So, soon (maybe) I think that I will try to blog more. But on a different playing field. It will probably involve more than just what I eat on a regular (bi-annual) basis. I live in a great city and know interesting people. I can go on a tangent about the time my omni friends gave me shit about wanting to try a new vegan bakery the last time we were in Seattle like no one's business. As self-indulgent as it is, as much as anyone outside my Facebook network couldn't care less, I think I'll be done with MamaVG's and just blog... or whatever.

I act like this is some Conan-worthy sign off. It's really, really not. But, I thought I'd ramble a little and let ya'll know. And, thank you dearly for ever having looked on over here! I appreciate every single one of your comments. I do, honest. To. God. I hope that if I've peaked your interest a bit, you'll follow me should I move along!