Why We’re Vegan

Hi! I’m Joanna and I live in sunny socal with my husband, Jon and two sons. We have been plant-based vegan for over seven years after watching a private screening of the documentary Forks Over Knives. We started out on this journey because of the health aspect and have grown to love and respect the lives of animals along the way. From the beginning, I have always been incredibly passionate about making plant based foods delicious and flavorful, while nourishing my family at the same time.

My favorite meals are simple, savory and easily recreated. I believe in feeding your family the best foods possible, without it being difficult or time consuming. There was definitely a learning curve and it took some adjusting from our traditional way of thinking, but I wouldn’t change anything about our journey to where we are now. If anything, over the years we have discovered that it’s actually pretty exciting and we’ve made it a challenge to find and veganize different foods that we love.

The great news is that in 2018 it is so much easier to be a vegan and less overwhelming than it was several years ago. It is a great community to be a part of and honestly, joining vegan and plant-based Facebook groups simplifies it with an excess of knowledge and a village of immediate advice on your side.

With that, as a mom, I am super proud to not always make everything homemade. I believe in simple (and ingredients like agar-agar is not something I ever have on hand) and I am passionate about making vegan food delicious. Quick and easy weeknight recipes are my forte. I call recipes with a ton of ingredients “Sunday recipes” because who really has time on weeknights to make super complicated dishes. I am so excited to have this space to share any hacks, recipes and shortcuts that we have found helpful over the years. From pregnancies and being so blessed to be raising two vegan kiddos (who fight over who gets the last asparagus!) we are excited to see the progress the world continues to make. Whether it be becoming vegan or just being vegan friendly in general, you are making an impact.