Happy Yule!

Today is Yule. Happy Yule to you!

Another over-scheduled day here at Deer Run, with much business to tend to. My focus was on Yule, as much as it could be. I made my Yule log. My first ever, and vegan to boot. This vegan Yule log is a source of pride, so lookie-lookie, I've posted a picture.

As I had blogged earlier, I poured over the internet looking for "how to's" in support of this project. I got confused, I admit. Some of those recipes are complicated, and I began to get intimidated. When push finally came to shove, I decided to toss out the traditional "should do it this way" rules & requirements, and instead do it my way. I used my own basic chocolate cake recipe, my own chocolate not-buttercream frosting, and my own chocolate ganache. All vegan, all tried & true recipes. I did watch a tutorial on how to make a Yule log (much more complicated than it needed to be), and my goodness, winging it I'm satisfied with the results. The cake is chocolate in all its glory. Marzipan is not vegan, so I ditched the little "should do it this way" marzipan mushrooms & decorations, instead I foraged outside for sea grape leaves, a small palm frond, holly berries (poison! they never touched the food I swear it!) and some flowers from the garden. I'm proud of my vegan Yule log with a tropical flare. Within less then 1/2 hour of completion, my friend, Jerri, a kindred spirit, happened by with Yule wishes, and a beautiful geode for me. As I write this, that very special gift is on the beach, soaking up all the light the full moon has to offer. Jerri and I sat and talked, and I swear it, the Universe sent her to me to celebrate Yule. She was the first one to see my cake, and the perfect person to share it with. She is a very special lady. She also is a turtle person; she patrols beaches during nesting season, and is completely dedicated to the cause. What an amazing spirit she is!

Admittedly, I am tired. I worked past 1am, and decided to catch a quick nap before the eclipse. A little after 2am I made my way to the beach to watch the lunar eclipse. I was cold and went inside for a wrap. When I came back out, Peri was waiting for me. He jumped onto my lap, made some kitty pizza, and settled down with me for quite a while as the eclipse went total. Did you see it? It was worth getting up for. I saw 2 shooting stars as well. The sky down here was absolutely crystal clear; the milky way was splashed across the Universe. It was quite a humbling spectacle out there.

Through all the hustle and bustle, Winter Solstice came & went, and my Yule gift arrived in the form of a kindred spirit to share my labor of love. This was a great day, over scheduled & hustle-y bustle-y, but full of friendship, chocolate, nature, love & hope. I hope your Winter Solstice was peaceful, and I wish you a very happy Yule. Time for more cake, gotta go!