Jane and I have been traveling recently.  We were so wrapped up in planning for our trip, getting things ready for us to be gone at work,  and then being away that we cannot get our minds around the fact that it is the start of the holiday season already.  How did that happen?

Normally we plan our meal way in advance as Thanksgiving is "our" holiday.  Our tradition is that we always eat the dinner alone together and "dessert around the world."  One year we visited with four other families for dessert.  The trick to surviving that is to eat the smallest possible amount everywhere. Now we try to limit it to 2 households.  This year, we'll be stopping at one of our neighbors and our cousins who live nearby.

Anyway, because we're so strapped for time this year, and because we are pretty happy with the way our meal turned out last year, we decided to recycle that menu.

So here's what we're making, again:

• Tofurky and Celebration Roast
• Poblano Chili Cornbread Stuffing
• Cashew Gravy
• Cranberry Orange Sauce
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Cumin Braised Brussels Sprouts
• Green Beans with Balsamic Carmelized Red Onions
• Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Jane will make her apple pie to bring to our cousins house, and her chocolate truffles for the neighbors.  She's toying with a vegan cheesecake recipe, but doesn't know if she'll have the time.  Anyway, if you're still working on your menu, don't forget, we've got a number of Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes posted.

Whatever you wind up doing, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is World Vegan Day, for some of you around the globe, it is today already.   So what?  Why should you care?   Well, it's certainly not as well-known or celebrated as Halloween is.  But it is a chance to get out and meet with other vegans, to sample vegan fare, to stand up for animal rights, or simply to get our stories out there.

WorldVeganDay.info is asking us all to do just that, to get our stories out there.  To blog, twitter, YouTube, FaceBook, MySpace, or visit forums and get the word out.  Why did you go vegan?  Tell your story, who knows, you may inspire others.

Below is a partial list of activities around the globe.  If you don't see anything in your neck of the woods, check out google, facebook, craigslist, or your local colleges.  The information is scattered, but it is out there.  As for Jane and me, we're going to be making dinner for a few friends who aren't vegan.   Activism through eating.

• If you're in Melbourne, AUS, here's some info on your World Vegan Day celebration.
• If you're in Wellington, New Zealand, here's info on a World Vegan Day Bake Sale.
• If you're in England, near  Croydon, here's some info on your World Vegan Day celebration.  They're saying you should be there, or be without vegan cake and beer.  (Damn, wrong continent!)
• If you're in England, near Ennis Killen and are interested in practicing some yoga, followed by a meal of home cooked vegan fare... visit here.
• If you're in Glasglow, the Univerity of Glasgow is hosting an Animal Lovers Fayre in honor of World Vegan Day.
• If you're in Paris, you should check out  Paris Vegan Day.  I can't tell you exactly what they have planned, but dusting off my High School french, I believe there will be  vegan product representation and vegan food availabe.
• If you're in Montreal, they've got a World Vegan Day Fashion Show planned.  It's billed as an  evening of fashion, gourmet vegan cuisine and musical entertainment.
• If you're in India, the Sthitaprajna Vegan Life Centre near Byndoor, Udupi District, Karnataka, is planning a three-day vegan event (Nov 1 - Nov 3).
• If you're in San Francisco, there's a World Vegan Celebration dinner on Monday night.  Just $15 including tax and tip.  Details here.
• If you're in the Los Angeles area, VegKids is sponsoring a rollerskating event in NorthRidge
• Please note, if you're in the Los Angeles area and were planning on attending the Animal Acres World Vegan Day celebration, IT HAS BEEN CANCELED.
• If you're in Phoenix, AZ, the  Spectrum Mall light rail station is hosting a potluck of vegan goodies.

Mezzetta Southwest Vinaigrette

Jane and I sampled two of the Mezzetta Vinaigretta salad toppings recently.  We tried both the Southwest (pictured)  and Mediterranean toppings.   The product comes ready made in a jar.  Their tag line is "just add lettuce."  Jane loved the idea of the product as something quick to prepare for those days when getting a meal together can be a challenge.  I was  a little leery.  I'm not a huge fan of things like this... I feel that the ingredients all tend to gelatanize over time and become a soft mush.   But I'm not the cook, and if the cook needs to have the occasional quick fixins I'm not going to complain.

We were concerned about the lactic acid and "natural flavors" on the ingredient list.  This is the email we received:

The Vinaigretta is indeed Vegan (except for flavors with honey, which is debatable). Regarding your questions:
1) The lactic acid we use is produced from the fermentation of sugar.
2) The natural flavor is derived from spices.

Let me know if you have any further questions, thanks so much!

So how did it taste?  Neither of us loved the Mediterranean Vinaigretta.  It had an odd taste and was rather oily.  The Southwest Chipotle Lime Vinaigretta was better.  I liked it, Jane thought it was okay.  Neither of us in any rush to run out and buy more, but it makes a nice meal if you don't really want to think about putting together salad dressing and fixings.

So there is this fun little vegan questionnaire going around, you may have already seen it.  It comes to us via an email from Janine in England (she has no blog).  Anyway, it's below.  Feel free to submit your answers on your own blogs.  It's a fun way to get to know each other a little better.

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
Actually, I have three:

1. Home-made almond milk -  Jane whips up a batch using our  Soyabella Milk Maker every four or five days. I use this in our breakfast shake and Jane uses it for almost all of her cooking/baking endeavors.
2. For cereal, I like WestSoys Plain Light - it's closest to the old fat free cow's milk I used to drink BV (before vegan).
3. Silk Light Chocolate - I like this as a snack.  I'm totally addicted!

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
I don't do any of the cooking... but Jane's certainly got 3 recipes on the back burner that I can't wait to try.  Susan's Okara Crab Cakes and her Seitan baked in Sweet and Sour Orange Sauce.  And a whole bunch of new recipes Jane is planning on debuting for Thanksgiving this year.

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
I have never been a huge fan of flavored popcorn.  I prefer the regular buttered and salted variety.  So it's Earth Balance for me!

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
The worst thing Jane has made for us as vegans has been Veganomicon's Mac & Cheese.   I know plenty of you enjoy it, but we both took one bite and then Jane threw out the panful (something she NEVER does).  It was such a disaster that we have avoided all mac and cheese recipes

5. Favorite pickled item?
There is a wonderful Japanese pickled cucumber condiment we get sometimes.  I can't remember what it's called, but I know they use a bit of sugar in the brine too.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
I don't understand how Jane has the books organized, but she knows where each one lives.  She's also got a ton of recipes online organized by things like: appetizers, breads, soups, breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, cakes, cookies, and FAVORITES

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
How about recycling?   I compost all our kitchen scraps.  And we're lucky, we can co-mingle all our recyclables, including all plastics, which are picked up weekly.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
Turkish Lentil Stew, Strawberries (really ripe, fresh from the farmer's market) or Cherimoya, and almost any bread.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
My mother made hamburgers for dinner one night; they were rocks (my mom was and still is a HORRIBLE cook).  When my parents weren't looking, my brother grabbed our burgers and threw them out the third floor window.  When my parents went out that night, my brother ordered us a pizza.  He was 6 years older than me, and I thought he was sooo cool.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
So Delicious - Chocolate Brownie Almond

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Again, I defer to Jane.... It's her Kitchen Aid Mixer.

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Savory: Cumin // Sweet: Cinnamon

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
Joy of Cooking, and we still use it!

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Blackberry.

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Tofu chocolate mousse.  People cannot believe that it is vegan.

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Seitan by far.  But tofu is the easiest.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Jane likes to cook in the afternoon.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Because we have such a tiny kitchen, we have a ton of stuff on top of our fridge.  The toaster oven lives there, along with whatever cold cereals we are eating at the moment, tea bags, two bottles of liquor, and the local phone books (what are those?).  I'm probably forgetting something!

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
That's easy.  Morningstar's Grillers Vegan, frozen fruit (blueberries, blackberries, and cherries) for our breakfast shake, and Trader Joe's Chocolate non-dairy dessert (our vegan ice cream).

20. What's on your grocery list?
Phyllo dough, Field Roast sausages, and tofu.

21. Favorite grocery store?
Trader Joe's.  They are starting to carry more and more vegan products, and their prices are usually much better than what we get elsewhere.

22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
Macaroni and cheese!

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
Fat Free Vegan - Susan has the best recipes!

Seitan is My Motor - Mihl also has a great blog.  Jane has had good results with her baked goods.

Bitten - Mark Bittman's blog for the NY Times.

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Jane's chocolate truffles.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
Soy milk powder.  Jane uses it in icing.  It was around $14 for a canister.  Sheesh!

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Jane bought something called annatto for a recipe she can no longer find.  It's been sitting in the cupboard for about 4 months now.