So much to catch up on – look who’s back!

My sister Sarah spent the summer with us out here in Seattle, and this was her first time back out here since she headed back to school this summer.  It’s so fun to have her here again!

After spending all summer long dealing with my pregnant craziness, she was so excited to finally get to meet the man behind the bump.  They sized each other up upon arrival…

And then all three of us headed to one of our favorite Seattle spots – the Ballard farmers market.

Our main mission was to pick up as much of our Thanksgiving spread as possible from local farmers and vendors. 

I was so excited to see fresh cranberries!  These were local to Washington, and so beautiful and crisp.

Potatoes for mashing…

And carrots for roasting…

I love my cute little family of three.  It’s so nice to be able to strap Cullen on, bundle him up, and walk with him wherever we go. 

We came to the market a lot this past summer, and it was fun to be back with my favorite summer sidekick.

Not to mention my two favorite boys.

The rest of our holiday week has involved a lot of snuggling.

And smiling.

And on Monday, the rest of our crew arrived!  My big sister, Rebecca, flew all the way from Connecticut to Seattle with her husband, Sam, and my adorable nephew, Jonah.  This was their first time meeting Cullen, and the first time the baby boys would be together!  We were all so excited for their introduction.  Cullen was a bit overwhelmed…

The past few days have been non-stop torrential rain, but during the brief periods of relief we suited up in our Ergos and explored the neighborhood. 

Jonah is SO much bigger than he was the last time I saw him in August, and I can’t believe that Cullen will be this big in just a few short months!  He is such a precious little guy, and I couldn’t stop harassing him with kisses.

I feel so lucky and blessed that Cullen will have a cousin just four months older than him.  I hope they become great friends, and can’t wait to watch them grow together.

All the excitement was a bit much for him.

For the past few days, our house has been filled with family, food, dogs, babies, naps, and everything else that Thanksgiving should be.

I could not possibly be more thankful this year.

So, two pretty important things happened today.  The first is that my precious little newbie newborn somehow turned one month old.  It has without a doubt been the best and most fulfilling month of my life.  He brings me so much joy. 

The second really important thing that happened today is that I made vegan pumpkin pie.  Two pies, to be honest, just to make sure it was juuuuuuust right. 

Pie in general is tricky and scary.  So making vegan pie feels nearly impossible.  But it’s not, and when you do it right it is amazingly delicious. 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

by Emily Malone

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients (8 servings)

For the Filling

• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 package silken tofu
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

To make graham cracker crust, start by adding graham crackers to a large Ziploc bag and then pounding with a fist or mallet until crushed into small pieces.

Combine graham cracker crumbles with melted coconut oil (liquid) and brown sugar, and pour into pie pan. Press graham cracker mixture evenly around the sides and bottom of the pan to form a pie shell.

For the filling, combine all ingredients in a stand mixer or blender and mix until smooth.

Pour pie mixture directly into crust and fill until there is just a small edge of crust remaining at the top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until middle appears to be set. You can test for doneness by giving the pan a little shake – if the middle is really jiggly, it still needs more cooking time.

Allow pie to cool completely and serve at room temperature with a big dollop of vegan whipped topping.

Vegan Whipped Topping

by Emily Malone

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: none

Vegan whipped topping is one of those things that sounds hard to find, but is actually so easy to make. Who knew coconut cream could be whipped into such a delicious dessert topping? I think it might actually be better than the original.