For years my friends and family have begged me to write a food and cooking blog. I’ve always been resistant for a variety of reasons. The biggest reason is because I enjoy cooking so much, it’s a way to relax and be creative.
I’ve always felt if I started to associate it with a blog I’d lose something. I wouldn’t be able to just simply cook a dish because I like it, but rather I’d start looking at everything I did in the kitchen with the question “Is it blog worthy?” hanging over my head.
The truth is I often cook without measuring, so giving someone a recipe can be difficult. Another thing is, and I think everyone can relate, sometimes I eat things that aren’t glamorous or even that pretty when photographed, but they taste good. So I am momentarily moving past my resistance in order to share my recent experiences with food.
Today marks my third week of being what I’m referring to as a part-time vegan. My decision to eat this way is due to numerous struggles I’ve had with hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed with the condition four years ago, at age thirty. I take medication for it, and while it has helped with my energy levels, I have still had a few other issues, mainly relating to hormonal fluctuations. I’ve done quite a bit of research over the past four years and all evidence points to the only way to see an improvement is by reducing or eliminating meat and dairy from the diet, or veganism.
I’ve fought making this change for years because, well I like my meat and my dairy. I set out to make a moderate change in my diet to see what would happen. I decided that for the month of February I would eat vegan 3-4 days a week and eat “regular” food the remaining days. The past couple weeks have been amazing. I feel great.
The recipes:
Putting my cooking skills to the test over the past couple weeks, I have tried a few new recipes, and even invented a couple of my own. I made vegetable broth from scratch from celery, carrots, 1/2 an onion, 3 garlic cloves, sea salt and pepper and dried herbs (parsley, rosemary and thyme).
I made veggie fajitas one night, which consisted of onions, tri-colored bell peppers, garlic and mushrooms cooked in olive oil, the juice of one lime, a little cumin, turmeric, sea salt and pepper. I topped those bad mamma-jammas with salsa verde, the Pioneer Woman’s restaurant-style salsa and avocado slices. I made Spanish rice as a side.
I also made homemade hummus which was awesome. And probably my favorite vegan recipe I’ve made so far, vegan pumpkin pie pancakes. Whoa, momma are they good!
Don’t miss out on recipes! Connect with me online!
While I know I won’t blog about every recipe I try, I am striving to put all my favorite recipes (both vegan and non-vegan alike) on my various Pinterest boards. I like having one centrally located space online where I can quickly find my favorite recipes. If you’re looking for new recipes, consider following me on Pinterest by clicking here.
As a die-hard foodie, from time to time I take pictures of what I’m eating and share it with the world via Instagram, you can follow me on Instagram by clicking here. Or by searching for my user name in the Instagram app: amanda_bretz
Amanda Bretz 