Vegan Potluck at Imagine Vegan Cafe!

Okay, well, all those calories I burned running on Sunday are back in my system. All those calories and then some.

Tonight was Kristie Jeffrey's birthday. She's owns Imagine Vegan Cafe with her husband Adam. They closed the restaurant early tonight and invited friends and family over for a birthday vegan potluck! The great thing about Imagine is that it's not just a restaurant. It serves as a home away from home for our little community of vegans. It's like the community center where vegans hang out. And sometimes, we shut the place down and throw parties.

Here's Kristie, the birthday girl (and her glowing daisy headband), and me!

There was so much food! And when I'm at a potluck, I have to try absolutely everything. I can be completely stuffed, and then a late person walks in with a new dish, and I'm back in line fixing up plate number three. It's a real problem. But hey, I love to eat. Anyway, for my contribution, I brought Somer's Extra Kick Ace Vegan Cheese Ball with some Ritz crackers (yes, they're vegan). I've made this cashew-coconut oil cheese before, and it was a hit then. It was a hit again tonight. Just can't go wrong with this recipe.

Since we were in the restaurant, Butler (the general manger) was cranking out all kinds of dishes, in addition to the potluck offerings. She brought out Spinach Dip in a Blanket (like pigs but with vegan spinach dip inside).

And Vegan Sausage Balls.

Someone brought a fantastic Vegan Onion Dip with various crackers and pretzels. Also, Trinity brought another onion dip — one with sundried tomatoes — but I failed to photograph it because I was too busy eating it.

There was a terrific Pasta Salad. Lots of olives!

And Kristie's oldest daughter Savannah made her famous Vegan Potato Salad. It's so good. I could just eat a giant bowl of this and call it a meal. I love it because the potatoes are mashed but still a little chunky, and the sauce is so creamy. Reminds of the deli-style potato salad I used to buy before I went vegan.

And Clarita brought some sweet and tangy Baked Beans. These were awesome with the potato salad, very picnic-y.

Someone brought Ratatouille with pita chips for dipping.

And to break up all that brown, there was a bowl of fresh Steamed Veggies. I ate a carrot and a piece of broccoli for good measure. Gotta balance the bad with the good, right?

Speaking of good, someone brought a pretty Edible Arrangement. Sadly, I skipped the fruit in favor of more chips and cake.

Megan and Joey showed up late, but they were armed with Vegan Rotel Dip and chips. Yes, I made another plate.

For dessert, there was Vegan Monkey Bread! Omg. This was so good. I'm so passionate about cinnamon roll-like desserts, and the inside of this bundt cake was as soft and cinnamony as any roll I've ever had. Heaven.

And of course there was birthday cake! Although Stephanie couldn't come (because tonight was also her husband's birthday), she made Kristie a Chocolate Sheet Cake with Caramel Frosting and Chocolate Ganache.

And just as I was leaving, Butler brought out pizza from the kitchen! I grabbed a slice of Vegan Buffalo Chicken Pizza with Ranch Dressing for the road. I'll have it for dinner tomorrow because I just can't even with all this food right now.