1. SO Delicious has – in my opinion – stolen the show in terms of vegan holiday beverages this year. Both their ‘Nog & Mint Chocolate coconut milk beverages are super tasty.
The latter actually almost tastes to me like it has been spiked with liquor… but that’s probably due to over-consumption of peppermint schnapps hot chocolate during my college years. Whenever I taste chocolate and mint together I think of that drink. Anyone who attended a certain Lafayette fraternity’s annual holiday party can attest to this.
2. John and my weekly Friday night homemade pizza date was pushed back until Saturday, when I made a caramelized onion and goat cheese pie. Delicious!
Speaking of delicious, the reason pizza night was held off until Saturday is that the hubs and I went out to dinner with Shannon and her boyfriend on Friday. We enjoyed a Latin American meal at Orinoco in Brookline. If you’ve never had an arepa before, I highly suggest giving it a try!
3. On Sunday, I opted for Christmas flavor overload with an awesome bowl of stovetop eggnog oats topped with – of course – TJ’s Cookie Butter & my Gingerbread Cookie Dough Cheesecake Dip.
How To: combine 1/3 cup each old-fashioned rolled oats, vegan or light eggnog, and water + ground cinnamon and nutmeg to taste in a small saucepan. Add in a sliced banana if desired. Turn the heat on to medium and stir mixture with a rubber spatula until desired consistency is reached. I tossed in about a tablespoon of ground flax after removing the cooked oatmeal from the heat. Serve h-o-t with a generous dollop of the aforementioned toppings.
4. For today’s Back Burner post, I’m embracing my (half) Jewish heritage to bring you a healthier version of Noodle Kugel.
If you’re unfamiliar with the sweet noodle pudding, (or you’re looking for a lighter version of the classic dish), be sure to check out my recipe!
I’m posting it just time for Hanukkah, which starts tomorrow at sundown. I haven’t celebrated the holiday in quite some time – and my family never made traditional Jewish food to accompany the celebration – but I do have fond memories of lighting the menorah each of the eight nights.
I made another classic Jewish treat over the weekend as well, the photos of which I will be sharing with you tomorrow!
