Samhain/Halloween Eats!

Halloween/Samhain was over a week ago, but I forgot to share my food pics! So here's a belated Samhain recap. On Halloween morning, our friends Sheridan and Drew drove up from Little Rock for a late birthday lunch with me. My birthday was October 16, but I was in Asheville, NC. Sher and Drew haven't gotten out much since the pandemic began in March, and they only felt comfortable meeting up for an outdoor meal and beer. So they just took a quick day trip. We grabbed some takeout from Imagine Vegan Cafe and took it to Crosstown Brewing Co. to enjoy on their spacious patio. Afterward, we enjoyed some beers in Concourse's meditation garden. Here's a safely distanced photo!

And here's what I ordered from Imagine — Messy Dog with Mac & Cheese. Every year on Halloween, I MUST have a chili dog. It's a family tradition! Until a couple years ago, my Me-maw had an annual Halloween party at her house, and we'd all have chili dogs (vegan ones for me!) while she handed out candy to trick-or-treaters. My mom and I both have retained the chili dog tradition, and we make sure to eat one every year. Imagine's Messy Dog is topped with chili, vegan cheese sauce, onions, kraut, and jalapenos.

We took some fun pics after lunch!

After Sher and Drew headed back to Little Rock, Paul and I quickly got dressed in our costumes for my coworker Jeremiah's wedding. It was an outdoor wedding (masks required) at the Woodruff Fontaine House, and there was so much vegan food (that I failed to photograph) — vegan donuts, black bean empanadas, falafel, chips and guac! I dressed as Carole Baskin.

And Paul was Deadpool. Ha! I tried to get him to go as Harold Baskin, but he likes to do his own thing.

I had a big Samhain feast planned, but we just didn't have time to cook. So I ended up cooking my Samhain meal on November 1, which is Day of the Dead anyway. Perfect timing really. We set up an altar honoring our dead friends and family and enjoyed breaking bread with them. I made Chickpea Noodle Soup (based on a recipe for chicken noodle soup from the 2021 Sabbats Almanac).

And I also made a fluffy loaf of White Bread from the Sabbats Almanac. I added some dried herbs for fun.

And for dessert, I made Pear Clafoutis. The Sabbats Almanac didn't include a vegan option for the clafoutis, so I googled and found this recipe. This is a simple dessert that's kind of like a cake-y cobbler. You can use any fruit, but pears gave it a nice fall feel. The cake was made with lots of aquafaba, so it was soft and spongey.