Disclaimer:
I am a bit devil-may-care in the kitchen.  I get really hyped or tipsy as I cook and neglect to use little things like measurements.  My education wasn’t learned from a book but watching my mom and aunt in the kitchen. Things were not written down.  In the south- well definitely in my family if you wanted to learn how to cook a dish you went into the kitchen and watched them do it.  You didn’t speak, offer advice or give them your take.  You chopped onions if they trusted you enough to do that. 
In my case I chopped onions while trying to take nips from the Jack Daniel’s we were using to flavor the damn thing.

I promise to write out the next few recipes with daRuz.  He’s really good about things like measurements and baking times and temperatures and not getting all tipsy while trying to get the meal to the table.

It’s my first Vegan Thanksgiving and I’m trying to figure out ways to convert my traditional Southern favorites into vegan friendly delights.

Can’t be done!! says you
Vegan and Southern in the same sentence are you smoking crack?! says you.

Bite me!
and then bite into my dinner
both will be fucking delicious says I

Ingredients:
4 to 5 large sweet potatoes
½ Jack Daniel’s or Kentucky Bourbon
¼ Orange Juice
Vegan Butter
Spice Blend

Spice blend (pick your poison and flavor to taste)
Sweet: (start with 2 tsp of each) cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, tbsp brown sugar, tbsp honey
Spicy: (start with a tsp of each) cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric
Sizzle: coriander, cumin, chili powder, turmeric

Preparation:

Cut the potatoes in half length wise, bake them at like 375 for 30-40 until soft

Remove the skins while they are still warm or cold depends on how hard core you are

Mash the hell out of them with two tablespoons of fake vegan butter substance your jack and orange juice.  Add more of either liquid until you get it loose and all “mash potatoey” like. I would add more liquor since that seems to be a great at getting things/people to loosen up easily

Mix in your spice blend of choice and pour into an oven safe dish

Butter your baking dish and pop that bastard in the oven and bake at 350 for 20 to 30 mins or until hot and bubbly like … take a shot or two of whiskey while you wait

Extra credit: take an orange and zest the outside of it into your potatoes.  In the name of all things holy wash the damn thing first and don’t zest past the white part under the skin or your dish will taste like bitter ass.  Instead of using bottled orange juice slice that bad boy open and squeeze the juice in.  Ann Burrell has this bass ass trick where she pierces the orange half with her butcher knife and squeezes the juice out.  While I don’t recommend this unless you are a pro or have insurance or dull ass knife I will admit to trying it while my boyfriend’s back was turned…. it was awesome.