Home For the Holidays, Part 2!

This post could also be titled "Too Much Food" because that was definitely what I experienced yesterday for Christmas!! I am not complaining though...they say that's what the holidays are for, right?! I really had one of the best Christmases ever, and it was because of the awesome time with family AND the great food!! I really like holiday cooking and baking, and here's the evidence!!
For Christmas morning breakfast, I made RRE's Cinnamon Rolls from the Bjorked Off blog! I made them with whole wheat flour, so they are a little tanner than your average cinnamon roll...but much healthier! Here they are, ready to be baked:

And here is a BIG one, all nice and cinnamon-glazed!!! Worth the effort for sure! Is there honestly anything tastier than the warm center of a cinnamon roll and a big mug of hot coffee on Christmas morning?? Don't think so. For lunch, my family decided to go with a Mexican-themed meal. I decided this would be the perfect opportunity for me to try out Celine's Seitan Chorizo from the Have Cake, Will Travel blog! This was spectacularly savory, spicy, and flavorful! We made soft shell (whole wheat!) tacos, which we topped with shredded cabbage, onion, my grandma's guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and Tofutti Sour Supreme! YUUUUM! On the side, I made a big batch of refried black beans...my first time from scratch! They are spiced with lime, garlic, and cumin, and are very addictive!In keeping with the Mexican theme, I made the Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World! Perfect combination of chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne in a moist and tasty cake! I made a cocoa-cinnamon buttercream to top it off, too...
Then, because one dessert simply isn't enough for a holiday, I made the Mexican Wedding Cookies from the Joy of Vegan Baking. These are so good! They are like little balls of pecan shortbread with powdered sugar, and they just melt in your mouth! I think these were my mom's favorite!Okay, I know another dessert may sound crazy...but I had to make another vegan dessert to take to my dad's house for another Christmas celebration! These are coconut haystack bars, which are something that we sell at Main Squeeze, where I chef, so I borrowed the recipe from there to make at home. It is a shortbread crust with a coconut-pecan-chocolate chip filling...made sticky with barley malt syrup...and drizzled with melted dark chocolate post-baking! These are so perfect! A little bit of everything you would want in a dessert, without being overly sweet!To wash all of this feast down, I recommend some Chocolate Peppermint Stick soymilk from Westsoy!! A nice alternative to the usual Soy Nog enjoyed by vegans at the holidays (which I also love), plus who can beat chocolate and mint together in a creamy, cool drink?? Not me, that's for sure!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!

Does anyone have any good Hanukkah recipes they recommend, now that my Christmas cooking and baking is done? I can't turn down a good theme meal! :)