Holiday yummies!

I've been hearing this rumor that the holidays are approaching. I'm never the person who starts planning gifts and such in October (and hardly in November either, but don't tell!), no matter how much I enjoy shopping for and wrapping them. I'm sure that'll change when I procreate, but for the moment, I'm trying to hold onto fall as long as I can until it slips into Winter. It makes me cold just thinking about it!

Holidays -- Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas -- are an interesting time for vegetarians. I love to spend the day with the family, but mealtime is always a challenge. Ham, turkey, stuffing/dressing, candied yams, most casseroles, and gravy are all off-limits to us crazy herbivores. I generally stick with mashed potatoes (as long as they're made without chicken broth), rolls, and pumpkin pie. The past couple of years, though, I've been contributing heavily to my family's meal to ensure I have stuff to eat. This year, I hope to make a nut loaf. Here's a recipe that sounds tasty:

2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower kernels
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups soft whole wheat bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS
In a nonstick skillet, saute onions, mushrooms and green pepper in butter until tender. In a bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, carrots, celery, eggs, walnut, sunflower kernels, salt, basil, oregano and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs.

Coat a 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line with waxed paper. Transfer vegetable mixture to a prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F Let stand for 10 min before slicing.

The dessert I'll probably make this year is my super-awesome Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (click link for recipe as posted in my blog this summer). I love anything pumpkin yearround but especially as the leaves start to turn.

What are your favorite holiday foods?