Welcome

I, Amanda, am on the verge of my personal first veganniversary -- one year since I became vegan, and I have been doing some reflecting on what this year has meant in my culinary, dietary and personal lives. The simple conclusion is that things haven't really changed that much, except that I don't eat certain foods and I have more energy.

Digging deeper, though, there is still the fear that I am missing out on certain experiences. Food is about so much more than eating. It can be about friends, conversation, comfort, solace, laughter, memories and any number of different human feelings.

The memories aspect of eating is one that nagged at my decision to stop eating animal products. Yes, it was what my conscience told me to do; but I was afraid chia seeds and quinoa would erase all my connections to the past. In the end, old traditions cannot stop us in our search for a more just world. Just look at the history of the United States for innumerable examples. Frankly, I like having the right to vote and work and live among equals in this ever-evolving Great Experiment.

And it turns out, quinoa doesn't actually have the power to take over my life. It has its place, to be sure. But I'm still the same person, with the same memories, and with the same family as I was a year ago. So, we come to the purpose of this blog.

My maternal grandmother passed away before I came to be, and all I have left of her are stories and recipes (and a weird red light bulb filled with detergent or something). This blog was created with the recipes in mind. I want to make vegan versions of them that replicate as much as possible the dishes my own mother made for me, reading the words her mother had written delicately on now very precious index cards.

And I want to take you along for the journey. I will try to share my failures as well as my successes, as best as I can muster. You can learn from my mistakes and share my successes. Then we can tackle all the dishes that taste like home, so the vegan journey remains ever connected as well as compassionate.