Below: The Savouries Table
Maybe that's not quite true ... I love seeing people, trying new dishes, getting Sam out'n'about with other doggies, talking to other bloggers, and reaffirming that there are so many normal, cool, not-crusty vegans out there (just like me! Yeah!).
Yesterday's potluck was hosted by Emily, and it was one of the biggest I've been to with about 25 people and more food than we could eat. Buzz and our friend Miss Ellie came along for their first potluck too. Once again, everyone brought dishes that almost brought a tear to the eye, such was the effort, inventiveness and taste-sensation-ess of it all.
Below: a colourful plate of mmmm.
I made a white bean pesto and asparagus tart from Lolo at www.veganyumyum.com, which I threw together in the hour between arriving home from a Hen's Weekend at Lorne and having to leave the house again. As might be expected, it certainly had many areas for improvement but Lisa and Cindy were kind enough to say they liked it and soggy as it was, it all disappeared.
Below: my soggy but tasty asparagus tart. Note the asparagus falling off the pastry.
I also attempted a white bean aoli (since I managed to find the tins of white beans in the third supermarket I went to I thought I'd better go all out) but in my panicked rush forgot to saute the 6 garlic cloves, put them all in raw, realised I'd rendered it inedible, hastily added a tin of minced tomatoes and more olive oil and threw some coriander on top to create some kind of Franken-aoli. I was not offended when it came home almost untouched.
I outsourced some baking to my sister, Miss T Junior, who is an enthusiastic and quite bossy baker and indeed she came up trumps with some chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing from VCTOTW which were topped with darling little pastel star shapes. I resisted the urge to steal her thunder and claim them as my own, and publicly gave her full credit for them. Well done me!
Below: Miss T Junior, take a bow.
Buzz's contribution was chocolate crackles, which I'm embarrassed to say I only recently realised were vegan, and also a doddle to make. They were very cute in their bright patty pans ... I mean, they were very butch and manly, ahem ahem.
Below: Buzz's Special Confectionery
Other standouts included Kristy's ice cream cakes, the nachos pasta bake, Janice's fruit skewers, and our friend Miss Ellie's fabulous beetroot and quinoa salad with pomegranate dressing.
Below: Miss Ellie's beetroot and quinoa salad
Below: Kristy's ice cream cakes. I had trouble wrestling my half off Buzz.
It was great to see (in some cases meet) and hang out with fellow PPKers and food bloggers Emily, Lisa, Lidia, Kristy, Toby, Michael and Cindy, and Pip, and there were lots of others there also who I didn't get to chat to. The day was only made indescribably cuter by the presence of Kimba (PuppyMama: Lisa), Stumpy (PuppyMama: Lidia), my Sam (quintessential Mama's Boy) and Dallas (PuppyMama: Emily), and we missed poor carsick Penny and Spike (PuppyMama: Christie).
Below: Kimba is ready for her close up, Mr De Mille, and Sam surveys what he thinks is his domain.
Here are some other morsels of scrumpt, as Miss T Junior and I say (well if something is scrumptious, there must be a thing that is a scrumpt, no?).
Below: Miss Ellie's curry and cauliflower balls
Below: lemongrass tiny muffins by Pip
Below: a real cherry-berry ripe by Cindy and Michael
Lisa: www.lisadempster.com.au
Emily: www.aduki.net.au
Pip: www.fairestfeed.blogspot.com
Michael and Cindy: www.herestheveg.blogspot.com
Kristy: www.bluerthanpink.blogspot.com
Toby: www.askmetomorrow.blogspot.com
Lidia: www.moretolovevegan.blogspot.com
3 comments:
What brand are the stars that Miss T Junior used? I've only ever seen not vegan ones, and my cupcakes look very sad without them.
Sam does have a very regal look about him! And he's so well-behaved. And cute. We should do more chihuahua playdates!
Also, I didn't realise it was Buzz who brought the chocolate crackles. Yummy!
I'm not sure about the stars .. I now we checked the ingredients and colour numbers, but I can't remember the brand. I'll fid out and let you now - they certainly did cute things up!
I say yes, yes to more chihuahua playdates... they're so maligned by people unfortunate enough not to recognise their greatness. We should def get the kids together for more small-dog gambols.
Sam is well behaved except for his frequent tendency to do revenge wees on the back of Mummy's couch and NaughtyBoy poos when he can't be bothered going all the way to the laundry where he should be doing his GoodBoy poos. Also he can't be trusted in his grandparents' house so I am always really reluctantto le thim off his leash in new places ... God I hope Emily hasn't found any presents from him!!
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