This holiday season is a first for us, despite being together for over 15 years. This is the first year we are able to spend the holiday season together, actually off of work on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and in our tiny home. In the past, we have been gearing up to be very busy since our business catered to families who were leaving their pets and traveling over the holidays. We hardly enjoyed the holidays since it was just taking one hour at a time, just going through the motions, counting down the days until January 2nd.
This year, as excited as we are, we also have the melancholy aspect of not having Pharrell with us (another first in 15 years). Despite the sadness that often lingers, we are doing our best to make sure it is enjoyable for not only us but also for Betty White.
Living in Beaufort, it hasn’t exactly been the norm to be non-meat eaters, so going to Whole Foods to get our Tofurky wasn’t an option since there isn’t one within 100 miles. After scouring the local stores and not finding one, we were able to find one to order to have it shipped to us from an online store: Vegan Essentials, along with a Tofurky-ham…who knew this existed?! Vegan Essentials was a great find for us, since the local Piggly Wiggly isn’t exactly busting at the seams with vegan options. If you haven’t tasted the Tofurky options, do it! You can start by including it in your dinner plans for Meatless Mondays, or if you are a vegetarian and want more options, check them out! We are big fans of the Tofurky deli-non-meat options for lunches.
We put together our favorites for our Thanksgiving menu and did the same for our upcoming Christmas dinner. We could hardly contain ourselves knowing that we were able to spend the whole day cooking our scrumptious meal- a meal we were going to eat on the actual holiday. We listened to
Christmas music while we prepped (yes, even on Thanksgiving), and we shared stories of our family traditions from the past (before our business made it impossible to celebrate the holidays). We made our Tofurkey and Tofurky ham, green beans, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and yeast rolls, and we made two pies: honey and sea salt, and an apple pie. We sat and shared what we were thankful for mostly our lives here by the sea, and making it through a very difficult 2017 (almost). Betty was able to also have her a little of the Tofurky mixed in with her usual dinner.
In the few days that followed, my mom and stepdad came down and spent a few days with us, going out for dinner, and biking around the island. We have since decorated our tiny abode with natural greenery- white pine garland, and a wreath made of Fraser fir, boxwood, and white pine. We have a tiny 3-foot tree on the front porch, and we have vintage-colored lights strung on the porch, like the ones our grandparents used to have. We are able to enjoy the festive feelings of the holiday season, and actually take part in enjoying each other, our lives together, and the ability to take some time and relax a bit.
Eat. Drink, and Bill Murray. Have a mindful holiday!
You may enjoy reading more about making holiday meals easier with our toaster oven/air fryer combo!
