Celebrating holiday traditions just became more delicious! What do vegans eat on Thanksgiving? It seems the number one question I hear most often this time of year is "What do vegans eat on Thanksgiving?" It's a good question, but I think a better question is "What don't vegans eat for Thanksgiving?", in which case the answer is easy - we just don't eat anything from an animal. The fact that vegans wouldn't eat turkey is obvious. But, we can and do enjoy almost all the other other traditional dishes served on a Thanksgiving table, which includes dressing. Enjoy the foods you love! It's quite e ..read more

Bakers - turn on your ovens & start baking! I've been in the mood to bake pumpkin bread. Despite the fact that I live in San Diego, where it's 80 degrees in November and the palm trees never change color - fall is still fall. I don't care if the weather feels like the middle of summer, the calendar says it's autumn which means it's time to pull out the pumpkin plates & decorate the house with swags of wheat and cattails. It's time to sort through the pantry - stock up on fresh flour and spices - and, yes, hot as it is here, it's time to start baking! What is it about pumpkin bread th ..read more

The simple magic of making marvelous meringue without eggs Who would have imagined that an unsung common liquid would become a rockstar in the world of vegan cooking? Meet your new friend...Aquafaba. Almost sounds like a superhero! What is Aquafaba? Aquafaba (bean water) is the viscous water or liquid in which legume seeds such as chickpeas have been cooked. It is often used to replace egg whites in vegan cooking, as a key ingredient in making plant-based desserts, such as meringue, icing, marshmallows, ice cream, nougats, and fudge. It is also used in baked goods, mayonnaise, batters, and che ..read more

How a beloved recipe from my past became my new favorite, again. Becoming vegan does not mean you have to give up many of the traditional dishes you love. By using the right plant-based ingredients to replace animal products, you can update many of your favorite family recipes, making them better than ever! Just like my favorite pie. It's hard to imagine improving on perfection. Particularly when that perfect thing happens to be your most cherished recipe, or more specifically, your perfect mother's perfect recipe, which you've adored since childhood - Mom & recipe. My mom aka "Mama Love ..read more

The humble yam (or sweet potato) has just been elevated to a new level! A beautiful vegan entree or side dish, so delish ..read more

Need cheese? Got a minute? ⏱ Who said being vegan means having to give up the flavors you love? It's simply not true. In fact, one of the wonderful benefits of being vegan is enjoying all of the amazing, healthy, and delicious plant based ingredients you can use to recreate and, frankly, improve many of your favorite traditional foods & dishes. Parmesan cheese is one of those basic staples most of us like to keep on hand in our kitchens. Spaghetti without a sprinkle of parmesan? Unimaginable. Never fear! If you need some parm in a pinch, with this super quick recipe, you can throw together ..read more

Pumpkin or apple? Why choose when you make them both! Autumn is here and it's time to turn on the oven! Harvest season is a great reason to celebrate vegan living and I can't think of a better way to get into a festive fall mood than to bake a pie. The amazing aroma of spices, pumpkin, or apples wafting from your kitchen will make your home feel cozy and welcoming. You're going to love making your own vegan apple and pumpkin pie. It's as good as it gets! Vegan Apple Pie Pie Filling Peel, core, slice, place in a large bowl: 2 large Fuji apples 3 large Granny Smith apples 2 large Rome or Jonath ..read more

What's better than butter? Vegan butter! Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Charlie's Acres, a farm animal sanctuary located in beautiful Sonoma, CA. Nestled between rolling grapevine covered hills in the heart of California's wine country, this remarkable place is home to more than 120 rescued farm animals, which include horses, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and cows. During my visit, I met most of the animals and learned about their stories. Many of them had come from the factory farm industry and had experienced physical or emotional abuse. Before I became vega ..read more

Finding inspiration from my past A couple decades ago, when my kids were young, I kept a journal. Nothing fancy, just a yellow legal pad, with the following written on the first page: The Carrot Underground - Raising Compassionate Kids in a Carnivorous World - In the early 1990's, veganism was still considered a fringe lifestyle. My husband and I, both vegetarians at the time, had explored becoming vegan, but like a lot of people, struggled reconciling the fact that, not only would we be giving up cheese, but life in general would be a lot more challenging. Few, if any non-dairy products were ..read more

How farm animal sanctuaries change lives ..read more