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 so happy to say that, because I listened, financially we are beyond being blessed and now we are ready to do with this blog what we really wanted to. That includes offering more information on natural health and living, whole food consumptions, and also providing all natural (really they are all natural) products.

Now of course everything will not occur overnight but you will see not only cooking and transitioning vegan information but a full fledge naturally healthy family blog. But you will see some changes not only on the blog post themselves but also on the podcast. So be on the look out.

I was excited when Rupert came to me because I did not want to pressure him at all to do his part. I knew how hard he was working and it would have been totally wrong of me to bother him. So today I am one happy woman because the vision for Vegan Family Living is coming to fruition.

Let me explain what I mean by that.

When I started me transitioning journey to a vegan diet, I was stuck in the way I cooked. It made it difficult for me to make a meal, but I was who I was and I was very resistance to change.

So when I discovered Boca and other products similar to food that I was used to, I was excited. Then I discovered that not all products are created equal and the taste of some left little room for falling in love with the item. Now I love Boca products, so don’t think I am referring to them, because I am not.

It took me five years just to find a hot dog that I actually liked. By the way Morning Star hot dogs are the best by far; tasting the most like a real hot dog.

As far as vegetables went, my horizon view was very limited and I could only see so many varieties. In essence what I discovered was that I was simply wearing blinders. Now I have always loved veggies, but I only saw a few hundred, as opposed to a few thousand varieties and possibilities when it came to cooking with vegetables.

I am also a “cook it” woman because I was raised by a “cook it” momma. So I cook most meals. Of course we will do salad and a few other raw sides but I have never made a completely raw meal.

Rupert seldom discourages me from such and to tell you the truth, I know better. I know the benefits of adding raw food to your diet. My goal is 60/40 with the 60 being raw but I am not there yet.

We need to learn to think outside box and not be trapped by the walls that keep us from seeing beyond.

I am moving out of the box. Thinking beyond what the ceiling allows me to see.

My eating goals for this year is to add more raw, to learn how to make burgers from beans and veggies, discover more fruits and vegetables, and to find ways to move beyond the “cook it” thought pattern. Well, there is more but I will wait and share it with you as I experience it.

Do you think outside of your typical “food” box?

As an African American woman I grew up on my momma’s and my aunt’s soul food. My daddy could throw down too!

When I began the transition over to a vegan diet, I was not quite sure how I would manage cooking the soul food I knew as a little girl and even a grown woman. I did not try for some time because I did not want to ruin my reputation as a good cook.

But I started missing the flavors and it reminded me of home, my daddy who died in 1985, and the fun we used to have just about every weekend with my aunt burning in the kitchen.

So along with Rupert, I took the journey towards learning how to cook tasty soul food without all the meat, lard, and other no good stuff.

My first attempt was a pot of collard greens and it turned out a little gritty. We ate it but I was not thrilled with the results. Then I tried to make a base of sorts with some yeast, butter, and bacon bits. I added garlic and onion and a little vegetable broth. I then let it simmer for while and then added my greens.

Well can I just say Yum!!

So now I can do just about every soul food dish vegan style. Like the plate on my Wordless Wednesday post from this week. Black eyed peas, cabbage, mac and cheese but with a different pasta ( I was out of macaroni), and even some fried tofu dipped in a homemade vegan style fish batter.

This helps me to remember my family when we were all in one spot for the most part.

Oh the comforts of home and the way it was.

I don’t have the recipes for all the dishes in the WW pic but i do have one for mac and cheese and a few other Soul Food dishes:

Macaroni and Cheese – For this recipe you can just use my Vegan Cheese sauce and then all you need to add is the pasta, the mushroom soup, and the cream cheese.

Cynthia’s Sweet Potato Pie Vegan Style -Cynthia is my momma

Vegan Fried Chicken

Honey Gingered Sweet Potatoes – For those who don’t do honey just use organic brown sugar or agave nectar.

To do the tofu patties all you need is a bag of fish fry some firm tofu and oil to frying (coconut oil is best). Drain the tofu, dip it in the batter and then fry in about 1/2 cup to a cup of oil.

In my early morning internet hopping, I decided to open up my Netvibes page and went to the feed page to listen to some podcasts. As I looked around to see what I wanted to listen to, I saw a post that caught my eye. Chele Niesler of Moms Loves Shopping wrote about why Vegan Family Living inspires her.

I was touched because yet again, reading her post showed me that I am on the right path with what I am doing. One thing that really caught my eye and made me say “YES” was when Chele said that “you can comfortably be curious and listen without putting up your defenses”.

Now that made this brown child grin from ear to ear.

You see Vegan Family Living was not created to bash or judge those who choose to eat meat or to say whether someone is or is not a vegan. Heck as I always say….It really is a matter of choice. I am no one special to be choosing for anyone. As a woman who believes in God, I know that there is only one Judge and that ain’t me!

So thank you Chele for restoring my faith in my vision and mission here at Vegan Family Living.

While you are over at Moms Love Shopping, be sure to listen in to Chele’s podcast and view her many resources, because it is loaded.