Xmas pictures

Did you all have a great Xmas weekend? I hope so! I have to say that mine was perfect. Xmas to me was always about family. I'm not a religious person but I really enjoy this holiday. Being far from my family sometimes makes things not that easy, but everything was amazing. I spent the last days with Matteo's family at home and we had the best time - and the best (vegan) food. I also saw my parents on the 25th through Skype (thanks technology for making our lives better!) and also showed them our street covered with the snow.

We celebrated Xmas on the 24th evening and on the 25th. In Italy they also celebrate the 26th, but we didn't this year. I decided to prepare the meals with easy recipes, so I wouldn't spend the entire days in the kitchen. And it was worth it! Everything was cooked by 4 hands (by me and my sister-in-law) and it was all delicious.

First meal: creamy corn risotto, for the 24th lunch:


The living room table ready for the Xmas eve: non-alcoholic grape drink + white lasagna (with home made pasta, funghi, white cream and sun dried tomatoes)


Xmas eve dessert: peanut butter "cheese" cake:


Xmas day vegan brunch: it was a Saturday that sounded like Sunday, so we decided to have brunch. Besides the guacamole we did everything from the book "Vegan Brunch" (tomato scones and an amazing broccoli quiche). And, of course, cupcakes.

I added one smoked tofu to the filling and it made the quiche even better!

I'll make a post with the lasagna and "cheese" cake recipes, I promise!

HAPPY VEGAN CHRISTMAS!

Hope you all have an amazing weekend, full of peace, happiness and vegan food ;-)

Relax and get a cupcake!

I have no words to explain how my life sounds crazy right now. Just to give you an idea, I have to finish 5 assignments in 72 hours, having a full time job. But, this is not a place to complain and I'm excited about the last days of the year. It's being a great year in general, have to say and I just want to make sure it will finish in the best way too.

This weekend I had the visit of my lovely French friend Aurelia and we really had fun. She's like an younger sister and it's always good to have her around. So I decided to relax a little bit and just enjoy these days as much as I could. And I baked some cupcakes. I can't remember when was the last time I made them. It was so good to see them ready to eat and I used some of the vegan "M&M" that I bought in Berlin too (yes, I know, still have to write about the trip).

I'm not being able to take orders but I hope I can bake more stuff for Christmas and New Year. Baking is good. I miss it.

More vegan products in Italy

Last week we had to go to Italy to a short trip. The reasons weren't amazing but it was great to be there for a couple of days. Me and Matteo could relax a little bit and enjoy all the homemade vegan food and love that are always waiting for us there.

It's funny how countries have different vegan products. Italy doesn't have vegan cheese, but it has lots of biscuits and ice cream. Ireland has a lot of vegan cheese options, but not amazing biscuits and just a few (and expensive) ice cream options. Italy has vegan pizza everywhere. Ireland has potato wedges. I could keep going, but this was just to make a point: no place (that I know) is perfect, so I always try to enjoy the best food each place has.

We didn't go out too much but I could take pictures at home and in the supermarket of some great products that we had tried there this time:





This was how we left north of Italy:


This was Dublin last Saturday morning:

And this was Dublin after 5 days of heavy snow (nobody was ready for it, but it was amazing and the city looks even more beautiful!):