Vegan Vocalmama: Tom Petty: The Family Tie That Binds

I thought it was about time for the first music post of this newly formed chaos. This would fall under the “Sing a song” portion of our weekly program. I hope you enjoy it. Remember to always listen to the tunes that make you feel your very best, and share them with those you love.

On Sunday, October 1, 2017, I turned 43. I’m not a big birthday person. Chilling at home with the family and a good movie is alright with me. And that’s probably what we did. Then Monday, October 2, 2017, I got up, took Lennon to school and went to work like any other day. Then I got the news. Early that morning, Tom Petty was found unconscious at his home, not breathing and in full cardiac arrest. It was unreal to me. This man. This icon. This stranger that had been a part of our family would most likely not make it through the night.

We had grown up on Tom Petty. The memories were endless. He knew our grief, he knew our joy, and he knew we were regular, normal people trying to get by. He put our visions and emotions and wants and needs into words when we weren’t even able to ourselves. I was fortunate enough to see him perform when I was younger. But now… now being older (and wiser? Questionable, I know), he seemed more of a peer than a rock star. He seemed like that favorite beat up old cozy sweatshirt you bust out on the cold days for that extra layer of physical, emotional and mental comfort. He seemed like an old friend.

After Doug and I were married, we saw him together in Charlotte. It was like a rediscovery of life. All of the good parts of it. Over time, we found that, often unbeknownst to us, Tom and his lyrics would weave themselves in and out of our lives at fairly regular intervals. What better anthem for your 10 month old pulling himself up and gaining independence than Learning to Fly?

Lennon would ask for Tom Petty at a very young age, recognizing the safe feeling of home it gave him. I remember him singing Runnin’ Down A Dream. He would get half of the words wrong, but that was okay, and I’m sure Tom would think it was okay, too. We listened to a lot of Tom in 2017, and the Highway Companion album became a front seat passenger on the many baseball road trips we would take. We couldn’t go anywhere without Tom. If I had a nickel for every time I heard “A coyote ran across the road, on the move without a home…” well, let’s just say I’d probably have a lot more time to work on this blog. His lyrics gave us things to talk about as a family. It gave us things we could relate to. In a time of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and everyone with their face in a device while sitting 5 feet away from each other in the same room; where everyone rushed through everything and there never seemed to be enough time for anything or anyone, his music was somehow able to bring us together.

Earlier that same year, after a quick stop to see Tom's childhood home in Gainesville, FL, and take a stroll down his old street, we were fortunate enough to see him perform in Tampa. To be able to share that with Lennon, to watch him experience this person who had just been a voice on a recording, it was worth every penny and then some.

It must have been the music gods that scheduled that part of the tour while we were in Tampa for a Rays game. Because who knew that 5 months from then, he would be gone.

I remember that day so clearly. I had picked Lennon up from afterschool and we stopped at the dollar store for something. We were in the car in the parking lot and I told him that Tom Petty was really sick and in the hospital. I had never seen my little boy cry so hard and feel so much pain. He understood and it hurt like hell. But he remembered. “I’ll never get to see him again!” he screamed through tears in the car trying to catch his breath. He remembered seeing him. He had the memory and that would never go away. And we would all help keep that memory, and the overall memory of Tom, alive. Because that’s what he did, and does, for us. He keeps us going. He keeps us alive.

In late September of 2018, Tom Petty, An American Treasure was released, billed as “a career-spanning Tom Petty box set featuring 60 tracks on 4 CDs that unveils previously unreleased recordings, alternate versions of classic songs, rarities, historic live performances and deep tracks that spotlight Tom's remarkable depth and evolution as a revered and tremendously influential songwriter, recording artist and performer.” I couldn’t have put it better myself. So many new things to discover, and rediscover. Perhaps one of the coolest things for us is that the “Even the Losers” track was recorded live at Rochester Community War Memorial in Rochester, NY on September 9, 1989…and my husband, Doug, was there. Talk about coming full circle.

I have listened to this collection almost daily over the past 5+ months. A lot of it on my own and quite a bit of it with Lennon. And we now have a new favorite song. It’s our feel good song. Our song that even after a rough, rushed and harried morning, we can get in the car, take a deep breath and know that the day is going to be okay. Maybe even better than okay. Previously unreleased track 16, “Keep a Little Soul,” is a 1982 cut from the Long After Dark sessions. I was 7. And now I listen and smile and rock out to it with my 8 year old son, volume blaring and windows down even when it’s 20 degrees out. Because, is there any other way? You’re welcome.

I tried to find a food reference in Tom’s lyrics to pay a special culinary tribute, which after weeks of searching are, oddly, slim to none. But Doug did find an article where Tom says his favorite sandwich was peanut butter and jelly. So in honor of the late, better than great, Tom Petty, I give you my own little creation of thanks…Full Moon Fevers (vegan, of course!):

FULL MOON FEVERS

Ingredients:

1 flax egg (courtesy of The Minimalist Baker – click HERE for recipe)
1/2 tbsp. water
1/4 cup peanut butter (I think creamy works best. Also, you could use any nut butter, but since this is paying homage to Tom, we’re sticking with the traditional peanut)
3-1/2 tbsp vegan heavy cream (courtesy of tybeet contribution @ Genius Kitchen – click HERE for recipe)
1.5 tbsp vegan confectioners’ sugar (I prefer Wholesome Organic Powdered Confectioners Sugar
1 package of puff pastry - should include 2 rolls (I prefer Athens Phyllo Dough Sheets, vegan and easily found in even the freezer section at Walmart!)
3 tbsp jam/preserves of your choice

Directions:

Thaw pastry dough (see box for best method)
Make your vegan heavy cream. I made mine a few hours before and put it in a glass jar in the fridge. It separated little, but all I had to do was shake the jar up. It is a little thinner than heavy cream, but did the trick J
Make your flax egg and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then add the additional water and stir. Set aside.
Mix your nut butter of choice, v. heavy cream and v. confectioners' sugar in a bowl until the smooth and well blended. Set aside.
GOOGLE WORKING WITH PUFF PASTRY!! This stuff dried out super quick so it’s good to have some wax paper and a wet towel on hand.
On a hard surface that you can cut on, unroll 1 pastry sheet. Either dust the surface with flour or lay down some wax or parchment paper to prevent sticking. (Yes, there are supposed to be lie 30 ridiculously thin sheets that comprise one layer or sheet. No one told me this…I was confused.)
I used a canola oil nonstick spray and sprayed between each layer to maintain moisture and to help give it a buttery, crispy texture after baking.
Using a round cutter, cut 6 circles out of one sheet (if you get better at it, you can probably get more out of a sheet, but being new to the dough, I had a lot of scrap!) You really need to press down and twist the cutter back and forth to get it to cut through all of the layers.
Lay each of the circles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
In the center of each circle, plop a spoonful of the nut butter mixture and a spoonful of your jam/preserves. (I had some of the nut butter mixture leftover, but yummmmmm, that was fine with me! Freeze it, you’ll love it).
Using a brush or small spook, spread the flax seed mixture around the edge of the dough circle, this will help create like a glue to seal ‘em shut.
Using the same technique, unroll the other pastry dough and cut 6 more circle. Place these on top of the 6 beauties on the tray (actually they won’t look beautiful yet, so don’t panic.)
Press the edges of the top and bottom circles together to seal them up.
Stab them gently once in the center with a fork to create 4 much needed vent holes (I'm just saying), or a small slit with a sharp knife.

Bake for 15 minutes, then let them col on the sheet for another 15 minutes.
Top with confectioners sugar (I finally got to use my clearance special sifter!!! I felt very chefyJ)

These reheat well, too, but just for like 8-10 seconds in the microwave, wooh! That jelly gets hot!

Let me know if you have any questions, or if you have any other filling ideas! And if you make them, post it on Instagram and tag me @veganvocalmama !