A laptop, a blanket, three beers, three cows and a paddock; ground zero for the birth of this book.
My husband, Scott, and I find food to be the great subliminal educator, on even par with kind interaction or observation of animals in their natural surroundings. Choosing a vegan lifestyle is a shift in consciousness. It is not a trend or something you can pretend to do. However, if you do pretend long enough, you have the chance of your choices becoming habitual.
Our vegan bed and breakfast property, Bed & Broccoli, does not actively seek out animals in need; rather, it is the other way around. They seem to find us. When a local dairy farmer asked if we would like some bobby calves destined for veal, how could we have said no and ever slept again?
Chickens have been dropped here or we have been phoned asking if we can help with some homeless ones. As this little family grew, so did the dynamics of our village. A community developed, and it is lovely to sit and watch them go about their business with the same thought and focus we go about our days.
We chose a vegan lifestyle out of our love for animals. There is no reason a living, feeling family member of the animal kingdom should die for the sake of satisfying the palate for a few moments of our day. Especially with much tastier and healthier options out there! With this choice came the comfort in sharing our time and space with our animal friends. There are no hidden agendas.
The discovery of what it means to be vegan, not only to us but also to the animals of this world, pales in comparison to the discovery of the variety, simplicity, fullness and healthiness of the foods available. To choose the lifestyle for the animals seemed natural and aspiring. Discovering the food was amazing!
We believe cooking vegan is a vocation everyone should aspire to. It fills you with passion and knowledge. Your body thanks you, animals thank you, so why wouldn’t you?
The recipes in this book are designed to offer variety for different levels of culinary skills – some I have created, others I have modified, and some I have been making for so long now I don’t know their origin. Enjoy them with a clear conscience. These are simply some of the meals we eat here.
I hope through reading the words in this book, admiring the beauty in the photos and enjoying the fear-free food, you can enter an imaginary place that will transport you into our lives, for what we have here should be shared.