When I decided to start plant-based recipe blog, I began by checking out social media and other blogs that highlight vegan recipes. What I discovered that some of these places can be pretty scary – highlighting memes about animal slaughter and shaming folks for not taking an “official Vegan oath.”

This will not be one of those places…I would like to dedicate this space for helping the new vegan, the vegan before 6, the vegetarian, the pescatarian, and yes, even the concerned carnivore. Mostly to help everyone understand that plant-based foods are easy and economical and can improve your health and the health of our planet. I won’t make this a daunting or angry place and I hope the readers and comments will respect this as a safe resource for animal lovers, forward-thinking sustainers, and home cooks that need help broadening their horizons to explore the joy of plant-based meals and snacks.

Also, I’m not a chef or a dietician, I have not been professionally trained or coached, and I will not claim to be. Please be aware that a lot of the recipes I’ll share have tons of tree-nuts, peanuts, gluten, berries, etc., so if you’re allergic to any ingredient, be careful.

And finally, I’ve been a home cook for over 30 years, my training overseen by an Italian mother and grandmother who had me rolling cabbage rolls and meatballs at a very early age. Job hunting in Chicago in my 20s, I did my time in the food service industry, working as a barista, waiter, stocking shelves in gourmet markets, and even making grinders at the very first Potbelly on Halstead in Lincoln Park. My point is, please don’t mistake me for a professional, my recipes may not be perfect (but I do try them about 3x before posting) and I subscribe to “a little of this and a little of that” and I encourage you to as well to suit your tastes and to make each recipe your own. Cooking for yourself, family, and friends should be enjoyable, relaxing, and give you a sense of freedom and accomplishment – you should never enter into it stressed or come away sad thinking you’ve not produced something perfect. Good ingredients and a little love are usually enough to make something special. So…

Try it! One of the myths is that going plant-based is expensive and it can be if you’re relying on overly-processed packaged foods. Last I checked, a pound of dry beans is less than a buck and filled with healthy fiber and sustainable plant protein. For the beginner that’s not very encouraging I know because that lowly bag of dusty navy beans can be daunting. I feel like my job here is to help empower you to access and explore the varied textures of plant-based alternatives so you can expand your personal repertoire in the kitchen to include cooking plant-based, heathy, planet-friendly, and delicious food with confidence.

Enjoy! 🌱