The only thing I like about Thanksgiving is the food. But some of that food is super heavy and makes me feel tired and lame. Maybe because I eat it for like a week instead of one meal. So this year when I started getting sweet potato and pumpkin pie cravings, I decided to hunt for another route. Fortunately my cravings arrived simultaneously with a new cookbook in the mail… Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker. And that’s where I came across a genius idea. Butternut squash butter.

I had a butternut squash from the CSA.

I had marshmallows my friend made.

I had a new blowtorch I wanted to play with.

Ya can’t line up better or more delicious stars than that. Just remember to use vegan marshmallows if you are a vegan. Some people don’t know gelatin comes from animals.

I spread the butter on a whole grain english muffin and added some fat marshmallows on top and then torched the bajesus out of them for my first round. After that I was good and ate it sans marshmallows to be healthier. It has been great for quick and easy breakfasts and snacks.

When I was little, my grandmother made jar after jar of canned veggies, fruits, jams, jellies, you name it. My favorite was her grape jelly (from her own grape vines) and her apple butter. Although I never understood why its called “butter”. I guess it just makes it sound even more delicious. Regardless, I always make apple butter like she made this time of year, until today, when I decided to switch it up and make butternut butter. Which is the most fun thing to say ever. It bears mentioning if you are new to my site that I am not usually a fan of overly sweet things, so while I am going to give you the recipe from the book, know that I only used a quarter of the sugar called for. This made for a more naturally sweet spread, and I really enjoyed it.

I even made my own apple juice with CSA apples and threw a couple chopped apples in to the mix! Nom Nom. Just look at how beautiful that is!

And the book is simply wonderful, it is my new favorite resource for making my diet more healthy and fulfilling. And because they are all made in a slow cooker, they are easy, stress free, and can be made year round no matter the weather or how busy you are! SCORE.

Just a few things I am excited to make…North African Chickpea Soup, Barbecue Beans with Coffee and Bourbon, Chili-Potato Gratin, Jerk Tempeh with Sweet Potatoes and Onions, Wine-Braised Seitan (Hail Seitan!) with Cremini Mushrooms, Stuffed Zucchini Puttanesca, Stuffed Collard Rolls, Chimichurri Spaghetti Squash, Balsamic Veggie Crock…and then there’s all the butters, jams, chutneys and ketchups. All of which can easily be followed up with Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars and Pina Colada Cake. There are even bread recipes in this thing!

It really covers every meal and season in a very concise fashion, wonderfully edited to provide you with something more than the same old boring vegan fare, or worse, soy-laden recipes. NOTHING is good for you in large amounts, and soy in particular is really not good for you to eat regularly. When I was a vegetarian that was the worst mistake I made. Now I am proud to say I eat a balance of all foods, often vegan and vegetarian, which the CSA has also made very easy for me.

But now for you. I want to know what YOU want to accomplish in your diet with this book, and what one of your favorite vegan dishes is, or what dish you want to learn to make healthier. Just leave it in the comments before Midnight, (NYC Time!) on November 25th, and then I will announce the winner, and you can win the cookbook for your kitchen!

With Love and By Hand,

SweaterMeat

11/26 – A WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN!!! Skeld7757 has won!!! Cant wait to hear about what you make! And the proof…