Last night my husband, Rupert, came home with a surprise for me: ingredients to make Vietnamese Summer Rolls. These rolls have been a family favorite for about 4 years now and so I was excited because we had not had any in quite some time.

Rupert learned to make these wonderful tasting rolls while in Georgia and I am glad that he did. They are a refreshing alternative to deep fried egg rolls in that there is limited cooking and herbs used are fresh and not cooked.

Here in America the economy is a bit topsy turvy right now. Frankly we just don’t know if the prices will ever go down and that can be a scary thought.

I for one have always been a momma who shopped on a tight budget. As a single mother I was on welfare and there was a time when I was only receiving $50 a month in food stamps,$490 in cash benefits and working only 10 to 20 hours a week. Now considering my rent, which was $400, utilities and the rest it was difficult to make the groceries last. But I got smart and learned the value of coupons, day old products, the .99 stores, and other frugal living habits.

Vegan Family Living started with the vision of two people wanting to talk about how their family lived and followed a vegan diet. However, my husband Rupert has been working hard to help our family survive, so I had to move things around a bit.

In April in an effort to help bring us out of the hole we were in, I decided to start a writing business. I have been writing for over 26 years but I did not want to make a full fledge business of it because my writing started out as such a personal therapeutic journey for me. But I finally heeded the voice that told me for the last two years to two years to start a writing business. The Natural Writer was launched with clients waiting for natural health and living writer to help them with their content needs.

I am a snack person but I also know that many snacks are just not healthy for us. Especially for the vegan. I will be the first to admit that I have not always eaten healthy snacks since I have taken my vegan journey more seriously. However, I have learned a lot about snacking healthier and I have been on a quest to find good tasty snacks that are not bad for you.

When you take a trip or run your errands do you ever think about grabbing a few vegetables for the road? Instead of picking up fries or a bean burrito that may be fried in the same oil the non-vegan foods have been cooked in, why not try veggies on the go right from your fridge?

photo credit: WordRidden

Contrary to popular belief, veggies don’t need any dressing up to make them taste good. Nature has done that all by itself. They are picked fresh from the earth filled with succulent taste. The best vegetables that you can purchase are organic and found fresh in stores, at farmer’s markets, or even better, your own garden.