So, when did you cut out meat?

The catalyst to changing my lifestyle started at a young age. When I was five (5) years old, I went to a farm on a school field trip. I was horrified to find out that the meat I ate came from the animals I loved. Shocked and upset, I told my parents I was not eating meat ever again.

In 1995, being a vegetarian was not very popular. It was even more difficult given that no one in my family was vegetarian. Thankfully, my family was supportive (despite my father to this day still asking me if I want ribs he just smoked on his smoker). Plus, my mom didn’t mind making a separate meal. Once I was old enough to use the oven, I learned how to make delicious vegetarian food that didn’t make me miss out on anything.

Everything was great until going out to eat would happened. In the 90s and even in the early 2000s there were a lot of restaurants that I struggled to find anything to eat at. Don’t get me wrong, the challenge is still there (cough – diners step up your game – cough), but I am actually shocked at how accustom places are to handle a plant based lifestyle. From Dunkin Donuts to small delis around the world, what went from “if you’re a vegetarian your options are either a small side salad or French fries (if you’re lucky they have Cajun fries)” to a plethora of options.

Beginning in February 2020, I decided to take my lifestyle choices one step further and start to eliminate dairy from my diet more. Finally! I knew this was a long time coming, as I would get sick often or feel absolutely terrible after eating diary. There have been hiccups, and I am not perfect, but I live by an 80/20 rule. Through this, I learned many vegan/plant based recipes don’t have to be “scary” or “tasteless.” I found that substituting the cheese and/or eggs in many non-vegan meals with easy vegan substitutes made from simple ingredients made things so much easier.

So, I have decided to officially make a blog, rather than sharing just on Instagram and Facebook, or notes I have shared with friends on the iPhone (yes, you can share notes! It’s so cool), to provide easy vegan recipes that I create.

And finally I can show everyone who meets me this blog when they ask me “oh my gosh, you don’t eat meat — what do you eat?!?”