PICTURE POST II!

[CorporalClegg]

Emher wrote:

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I can only assume no butter/milk.

Yup.

Vegan mashed potatoes have been a struggle of mine for years. Soy milk and veggie oils simply don't whip as well as dairy milk/butter. One thing I've found to help a lot is use smaller potatoes.

I've found using red potatoes instead of the traditional Yukon Gold or Russet to be a bit better. They're less starchy and mash better on their own. You'll never get the traditional creamy potatoes, but they still go down easier than the ol' vegan potato brick.

Also, since you're not using gravy, I've found boiling the potatoes in a vegetable broth adds flavor--I usually go half water, half broth. And some garlic, green onion or shallot, and kale mixed in is really yummy.

[J. Allen]

CorporalClegg wrote:

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Yup.

Vegan mashed potatoes have been a struggle of mine for years. Soy milk and veggie oils simply don't whip as well as dairy milk/butter. One thing I've found to help a lot is use smaller potatoes.

I've found using red potatoes instead of the traditional Yukon Gold or Russet to be a bit better. They're less starchy and mash better on their own. You'll never get the traditional creamy potatoes, but they still go down easier than the ol' vegan potato brick.

Also, since you're not using gravy, I've found boiling the potatoes in a vegetable broth adds flavor--I usually go half water, half broth. And some garlic, green onion or shallot, and kale mixed in is really yummy.

Almond milk worked pretty well for me when I tried it.

[teacake]

I keep hearing about almond milk. Almonds are pretty expensive, how much is the milk?!

Mashed potatoes are overrated unless you ARE sculpting alien landing pads. I like a simple red/pink potato nuked with cracked pepper on it. I don't need salt or butter.

(Actually I like every western food with cracked pepper on it..)

[cooleddie74]

Garlic and buttered mashed potatoes have been a staple of my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for years, but they need to be at least a little chunky and have some texture. Too many mashed potatoes are soft and runny or - just as bad - too thick and clumpy like it's industrial caulking or plaster. The key is getting the texture just right so you don't need a straw or an acetylene torch to eat 'em.

[thestrangequark]

CorporalClegg wrote:

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Does TSQ take a bad picture? Ever?!

Oh lord yes. You should have seen my 3rd grade school photo.

cooleddie74 wrote:

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I've said it before but tsq looks damn adorable with her cool haircut and highlights.

Thank you

Tom Hendricks wrote:

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It is a beautiful sweater, nothing better then a home made gift. I love how you coordinated your outfit with your hair.

Thanks! I've been obsessive about matching since I was 3, you can ask my mother!

Emher wrote:

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I can only assume no butter/milk.

Yep. Both sisters and the nephews are vegan, plus, my younger sister has a terrible dairy allergy. The potatoes actually turned out good. They were just supper stiff because I'd made them the night before and they'd been in the fridge. I used veganaise and veggie broth, and they tasted really good! And considering there were 10 people at dinner, I don't think that mound of potatoes was that much!

Emher wrote:

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^Nope. Never ever.

Okay, that are some gosh darned cute kids. The eldest is definitely gonna be a heartbreaker when he grow older.

He is for sure! This is his first ladykiller picture, at age two:

OMFG, The Wind in the Willows! I loved that as a kid!

Me too!

[Emher]

We are people of impeccable taste.

And that's kinda ridiculous how handsome the boy looks already. He even has a photogenic slightly arched eyebrow in that pic.

[Sephiroth]

never did understand the whole vegan thing TBH. And I personally like to boil red potatoes in water and chicken broth, with some butter and some pepper.

[An Officer]

Finn wrote:

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^I know you are talking about Tom Hendricks' wife but that comment is a bit jarring after looking at TSQ's pictures

I can see how you might think so! TSQ is always cute, of course, but I just had to comment on those kids, totally adorable at that age!

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I wish I had pics of my niece Harper who is about two weeks old now. She is, of course, totally off the charts on the cute-ometer.

I remember the last time I was over at their house and I was sitting in a chair holding her for awhile, then I had to say to my nephew "Kai, dude, can you go and get Mommy to come in and get the baby? I'm afraid to move." And I was. I literally could not dare to move. I know you have to be VERY careful with newborns and I didn't want to hurt her!

And of course my sister in law comes in and WHOOSH picks up the baby and carries her away in a totally flawless motion. Only the mother knows!

[cooleddie74]

Sephiroth wrote:

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never did understand the whole vegan thing TBH. And I personally like to boil red potatoes in water and chicken broth, with some butter and some pepper.

I'm not vegan by a longshot but I've grown to like or even love certain vegan foods as time has passed. Some of the best pizza I've had in ages has spinach and black olives for toppings and not one molecule of meat on the entire thing and I love a good salad with assorted veggies and lowfat dressing.

[thestrangequark]

Emher wrote:

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We are people of impeccable taste.

And that's kinda ridiculous how handsome the boy looks already. He even has a photogenic slightly arched eyebrow in that pic.

He is indeed!

Sephiroth wrote:

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never did understand the whole vegan thing TBH. And I personally like to boil red potatoes in water and chicken broth, with some butter and some pepper.

My younger sister feels especially strongly about veganism. She simply believes that, if one can live without exploiting animals, then it is unethical to exploit them, whether by eating them, using them for labor, wearing their skins, wool, or fur, or using products that have been tested on them. It's not for everyone, but if one fully comprehends that humans are animals, and that animals also have sentience/consciousness as we do (and there is no scientific reason to believe they do not), then believing they should be entitled to the same right to not be exploited by people as other humans are is not a particularly difficult ethical position to understand, even if one doesn't agree with it. She's also seen amazing health benefits from going vegan.

Again, veganism is not something I personally would do, nor is their philosophy one that I agree with entirely -- though I do believe in the humane treatment of animals -- but she has a fair point.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I am...about as far away from vegan as can be. That's all I can (and probably should) say about that.

[iguana_tonante]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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I wish I had pics of my niece Harper who is about two weeks old now. She is, of course, totally off the charts on the cute-ometer.

I remember the last time I was over at their house and I was sitting in a chair holding her for awhile, then I had to say to my nephew "Kai, dude, can you go and get Mommy to come in and get the baby? I'm afraid to move." And I was. I literally could not dare to move. I know you have to be VERY careful with newborns and I didn't want to hurt her!

And of course my sister in law comes in and WHOOSH picks up the baby and carries her away in a totally flawless motion. Only the mother knows!

Actually, if I understand it correctly, newborns are rather durable. They just squeezed through an opening slightly smaller than their head, at an angle, and twisting all the way through. They ought to be pretty resilient. And looking at the way obstetricians handle them, you'll think they're made of rubber!

[thestrangequark]

^My nephew does look pretty bouncy.

[Alienesse]

If anyone is interested, you can find a link to photos from the London convention in my signature. Enjoy!