I believe that the industrial farming and slaughtering practices in this country are horribly cruel. If you have any doubt, just search for videos online and see for yourself how these poor creatures are abused and mistreated. My eyes were opened to these facts in 2001, and I have been a vegetarian ever since. After slowly but continuously replacing dairy products with non-dairy alternatives, I finally became a vegan in 2008 and I'm never going back. Living a vegan lifestyle is anything but restrictive. I have developed a love for foods I'd never eaten or liked before. I am lucky to live in Seattle where it is easy to find dairy and meat replacements. From Gardein meats to Daiya cheese, there's few recipes I can't veganize. While I try to stick to a mostly whole foods diet, I do love to recreate some of the decadent casseroles I grew up loving in the Midwest. I love cooking vegan dishes for my family and friends. I love that I can cook them fabulous dishes and they don't even miss the fact that they're not eating meat. My absolute specialty is soup. My dream is to open up a vegan soup and sandwich shop one of these days. My grandmother's recipes!! She lives in Missouri and has always been an amazing cook. She always made terrific casseroles and veggie dishes. While I've since branched out to lots of different ethnic food traditions, there's something about down-home Midwest cooking that I find satiating. Three amazing vegan Thanksgivings in a row. I am beyond lucky to have a family that supports my veganism and allows me to celebrate and give thanks in a cruelty-free way. The first meal I ever cooked my first boyfriend was a tomato and garlic in olive oil pasta dish. I over-cooked the pasta and cooked the tomatoes to the point where the skins came off. Also, Brussels sprout soup...turns out there is a reason why you can't find a recipe for it :)