Skip to main content

Tag: christmas

A Magical Fairytale Christmas in Alsace (A Conversation)

In conversation with Brighde Reed of World Vegan Travel, the two of us share all the reasons why Alsace France is a magical place to visit anytime of year, but especially at Christmastime:

  • Quaint medieval villages
  • Festive Christmas markets
  • Dramatic castles
  • Bear and wolf sanctuary in the Black Forest
  • Wine
  • History
  • Culture…
  • …and glorious French food, made plant-based and delicious!

We’re going back again and taking folks with us, but whether or not you join us on our Joyful Vegan Trip to Alsace or plan on traveling there on your own, this episode will make you want to curl up with some hot cocoa (or mulled wine) in front of a warming fire.

Saffron Buns (St. Lucia’s Day)

Gorgeous in Color and Buttery in Taste!

If you listened to the podcast episode Christmas Feasting, you’ll know that these wonderful enriched buns are a staple during the holidays, especially on December 13th in honor of St. Lucy’s Day. Also called Lussekatter (meaning St. Lucia’s cats), this is a Swedish favorite at Christmas. S-shaped and saffron-infused, they are slightly sweet, wonderfully buttery, and a vibrant yellow from the saffron-infused dough. I can’t wait to hear what you think — and see your photos!

NOTE: Plan ahead a little when making these, was the dough will need to rise twice.

Ingredients

3/4 cup nondairy butter

2 cups nondairy milk (+ extra for brushing)

1 teaspoon of saffron threads

¼ cup dry yeast

3-½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Raisins / sultanas

Directions

In a small pot, heat the butter, milk, and saffron together until the milk is steamy and finger-warm. Do not boil! Let cool until it’s warm to the touch, but not hot.

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm saffron-infused milk, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it starts to foam.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 3-1/2 cups of the flour, the 1/4 cup of sugar, and salt. (You can do this by hand, as well; it’s just easier with a stand mixer.)

Make a well in the center, and add the milk / butter / saffron / yeast mixture, and mix until it is well incorporated. 

Knead by hand, or switch to the dough hook of your mixer, and knead on low speed. Add additional flour if necessary, kneading to incorporate after each addition. Continue until the dough is still a little sticky to the touch, but does not completely stick to your hands.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl.

First rise

Cover with a towel, and leave to rise at room temperature until doubled in size. (At least an hour.)

Once your dough has risen, place it on a floured counter. Break off a piece and form it into a ball about 2 inches wide. Roll the ball out into a snake, about 14 inches long. 

Next, curl the ends in opposite directions, forming an “S” with spirals at each end (or the shape of your choice.) Place on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.

Second rise

Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot until the dough shapes double in size, 30 minutes to an hour. 

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). 

Brush with plant-based milk, and gently push a raisin/sultana in each swirl on the buns.

Bake each tray in the middle of the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes until just golden. Let cool for a few minutes, but they’re absolutely delicious eaten warm with butter (non-dairy, of course).

Food and Feasting: The 12 (Vegan) Days of Christmas

First comes fasting, then comes feasting!

Whereas the period BEFORE Christmas has historically been about fasting, contemplation, and self-reflection, the period starting AT Christmas and going for 12 days thereafter is all about feasting, revelry, merriment!

In today’s episode, I argue that feasting and festivities are a lot more meaningful when they follow a period of deprivation.

12 Days of (Vegan) Christmas Recipe Bundle

WHAT’S MORE: Inspired by the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” I have a brand-new recipe bundle that features recipes that can be served at a single holiday party OR as inspiration for each day of the holiday season. 🎵 On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…🎵

Forbidden Meat: Fasting and Abstinence During Advent

Abstaining from meat, dairy, and eggs during religious holidays has been a tradition for centuries in many religions. In Christianity, for example, during Lent (40 days prior to Easter) and Advent (40 days prior to Christmas), parishioners were forbidden to consume animal flesh as well as as dairy, cheese, and eggs. 

In today’s episode, we explore this history and demonstrate that not eating animal products was more common than not, especially during the period of contemplation and contrition leading up to the holy days of Easter and Christmas. I share my own experience growing up Catholic, my memories of Fish Fridays, and the meaning of a common English word whose origins are steeped in religious abstinence.

   

25 Meaningful Zero-Waste, Ethical Gifts

Aspiring to live “zero-waste” doesn’t mean being perfect or never buying anything ever again. It means valuing and taking responsibility for what we bring into our lives or into the lives of others.  This list first debuted on my Food for Thought Podcast, so if you’d like to hear it in the context of a larger story about living meaningfully, compassionately, and thoughtfully, check out the episode Lessons and Gifts: Making Meaningful Holidays (and Lives).

As for our list, I’ve categorized them into a few different categories and look forward to hearing your thoughts and your ideas for meaningful, zero-waste, ethical gifts. Please use the comments below to do so!

FOOD

  1. Loose Tea — find your favorite in bulk or in tins; if you order from FarLeaves.com (their tins are reusable and recyclable), enter “colleen” as the coupon code for 10% off
  2. Herbs and Spices — If you can’t find them in bulk near you, you should be able to find spices and herbs in glass jars (which can be reused again and again).  When creating your gift for others, you can make theme-based gift packets, such as “baking spices” (including cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom), or “Italian herbs” (including parsley, basil, and oregano), or “favorite herbs for soup.” You get the idea. Add the spice jars to a basket and wrap in a pretty kitchen towel and raffia ribbon.
  3. Fruit and Nut Basket — Go to a local farm stand or farmers market and buy some beautiful seasonal fruits like persimmon, pomegranates, and apples and some whole walnuts (along with a nice metal nutcracker) — even a jar of local or homemade jam and create a gift basket. Add a couple hand-written recipes that feature the fruits you’ve included. 
  4. Ready-to-Bake Ingredients in a Jar — Instead of giving chocolate chip cookies, what about giving chocolate chip cookies ingredients (and promising to come over and bake with your friend)! Get a bunch of jars from a thrift store and add exactly the amount of all the ingredients in each jar, along with the recipe itself. Make it more special by adding a pie plate or cupcake tin, and pack it up in a pretty paper box. 
  5. Homemade Baked Goods — Bake a pie, crumble, or cobbler and hand-deliver your gift! Make my Caramel Popcorn (from The Joy of Vegan Baking), and present it in a pretty  tin. There are so many ways to create a pretty presentation of homemade goodies.

REUSABLES
Give these individually, as stocking stuffers, or Secret Santa gifts — or create a gift pack of some or all of these. (If you order online, just call when you’re placing your order to request using only paper and not plastic packing materials.)

  1. Reusable straws
  2. Stainless steel food containers
  3. Reusable coffee cups
  4. Reusable grocery shopping bags
  5. Reusable produce bags
  6. Reusable water bottles
  7. Reusable tea thermos (you know me and my favorite tea thermos!)
  8. Reusable shampoo and conditioner bottles
  9. Reusable travel cutlery set
  10.  

EXPERIENCES

  1. The 30-Day Vegan Challenge Online Course 
  2. Concert or Theatre Tickets  — Either find a theatre near your recipient and pick a show you think they’d like to see, or buy a gift certificate from the theatre so your recipient can choose exactly what show they want to attend. 
  3. The Gift of Time (in a Coupon Book): Something I’ve done over many years is create a little coupon book, which you can make as simple or as elaborate as you like, that you give to a loved one for them to redeem — for a massage, a home-cooked meal, a movie, a walk, a hike, a dance — whatever experiences you want to encourage you loved one to ask you for. There are companies that sell these nowadays, but I just like making my own. 
  4. Travel by Theme: My husband David and I set for ourselves the goal to sleep in every county in California. When we lived on the east coast, one theme was “Literary / Author’s Houses” (and still is, depending on where we go) as well as “Lighthouses of New England.” The National Parks of North America is another on our list, and that can be done either by driving or by train! (Travel doesn’t have to include flying, though if you want it to, then I recommend my CPG Vegan Trips!)
  5. Local Walking Tours. Many cities have walking tours led by docents who love where they live and relish sharing the history of the place with others. Lots of cities also have themed walking tours — they might be literary, history, architectural, women’s history, etc. (For those who came to my Compassion in Action a couple years ago, I led a walking tour of the animal protection history in Oakland!). Contact a city’s chamber of commerce and register you and a friend today! Many are free; some ask for donations, some you pay a minimal fee for — it’s worth it! I promise!

BOOKS 
 Obviously, as a writer and a reader, I’m a huge fan of books — even if they’re ebooks or audiobooks. I usually buy a bunch of my favorite books to give out throughout the year, and I’ve listed some below that I use as manuals for living every day. I encourage you to create your own.

  1. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (trans. Stephen Mitchell)
  2. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (trans. Gregory Hays)
  3. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
  4. Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
  5. Zooburbia by Tal Moses
  6. Commonplace Book and / or Blank Journals — I journal every day, but I also keep a common book inspired by the Stoics. (Ryan Holiday explains here.) The idea is to not only record your own thoughts (blank journaling/free-writing) but also to record quotes and thoughts of others you find meaningful and want to remember. The act of just writing down meaningful sentences and paragraphs penetrates your mind even more than just reading them. 

BONUS IDEA: MY BOOKS. I’m an author. I’m proud of my seven babies. If you’d like to buy one or more as gifts for others, you’ve made it worth the work I’ve put into each of them. Thank you. 

ENJOY!


Enjoyed this post & want to show your gratitude? Then please support me on Patreon!