About Me

The short version- I went from hating vegetables to loving them and I feel so much better now.


The long version- I became a vegetarian at the wise age of 4.  There were chickens at my preschool and it dawned on me that- what?  These chickens are the same thing as the ones on our table!  Mom and dad tried their best to rid me of these crazy ideas, but to no avail.  "If only we had beaten you," my father often laments.  "Now it's too late." 


So, I tried my best to discover what it meant to be a vegetarian, and conveniently decided that the answer to my question was pizza.  Lots and lots of pizza.  And cookies.  Lo and behold, my health suffered.  I know, right?  I became depressed, lethargic, and had trouble concentrating in school.  I went to several doctors who all had the same advice- pills.  Pills for my mood... "But these pills make it even harder to focus..."  Pills to help me focus... "But now I can't sleep..."  Pills to help me sleep... "Now I have trouble waking up in the morning..." "Well, then the answer is PILLS!"  Not once did the subject of diet come up.  My entire high school career was a haze.  I felt lost.  What's a lost soul to do?  My mind and body were crying, "Fix me!" but I didn't know how- and nobody around me seemed to, either- except for an Army recruiter.  He had all the answers, and took me out to McDonald's for parfaits.  Now I had to join- he had bought me, like, 3 parfaits! 



I was sworn into the U.S. Army at the unwise age of 18.  Boot camp was an incredible experience.  It taught me what I was really capable of and how much power my mind had over my body.  But when I arrived at my station in Ft. Hood my depression came back in full force. After 2 years of having all of my decisions made for me, I was sent back out into civilization to fend for myself.  



The next few years are a bore and don't have much to contribute to my story.  I got a worthless degree in Fashion Design (school was exposed as a fraud), waited tables- basically poured myself into work and school.  My old problems were  still with me, but I was able to manage them a little better.  
 
Then I met my husband.

I'll spare you the details, because our story truly is sickeningly sweet.  But he's been my biggest cheerleader and has given me the confidence to pursue so many passions, including of course, this blog.  He's not afraid to taste my wildest experiments, and even though he is a steak lover to the core, has really embraced a wide range of vegetarian foods.  


In more sickeningly sweet news, I became pregnant with twins.  

This is when I finally realized my diet needed an overhaul, so I started reading health blogs and learning more about nutrition.  I spent hours every day in my kitchen, cooking, tasting, playing, and developing an appreciation for food that I never really had before.  Despite years of mistreating my body, our boys were born perfectly healthy, and not quite as grumpy as they appear in this picture...

But every bit as cute.

It is my goal to instill in them a love for healthy foods now, rather than later, in hopes of sparing them some of the troubles I experienced.  This blog serves as a means to save and share my recipes.  Thanks for stopping by- I hope you find something you enjoy here.