I’m sure all of you have seen or read Julie & Julia. Well, I am attempting a similar project. Here is the difference: In a period of one year Julie Powell successfully prepared all 524 recipes from a Julia Child’s book, whereas I will be attempting the 155(ish) recipes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Appetite for Reduction. I know, I know, I am not nearly as ambitious as Ms. Powell by numbers’ sake, but it will be challenging nonetheless.
Why Isa? You ask. You see, as much as Julie ridiculed veganism, Isa and I are both vegans. This is something I committed to 5 years ago today. I had a few oopsy-daisy moments that first year, but I have managed (to the best of my knowledge) to refrain from animal byproducts ever since. When people hear that I am vegan, they assume based on my smallish body frame that I do it for health purposes. That’s why she’s so thin! I have heard it a million times! On the contrary, I practice veganism because I am a fairly compassionate person. The love I feel towards dogs & cats has just extended to include all animals. For more information, you can check out the videos on http://www.meat.org/.
But why now? Unlike JP, I am not at a rut in my life. I have a fabulous job teaching 4th grade with kind colleagues who value me as a person. I have a caring husband who is my best friend. I simply wanted a year-long project that would integrate activities I enjoy – writing & cooking. Honestly, I think being a writer would be the ideal career. The hubby & I have dreamed of being successful writers, living on the Oregon Coast for part of the year. The problem is coming up with a big idea and investing the time, so why not practice in the meantime? As far as the cooking, I come from a heritage of foodies. My childhood memories are connected to the smells in the kitchen. I can still remember the smell of the stuffed peppers Mom made the evening I found out my parents were divorcing. There are some emerging hobbies of mine that might show up throughout the year, but I will leave you wondering about those.
Aren’t you quite the copycat! Let’s not start a name-calling session, please! I am perfectly aware that this is not a unique idea. I’m not looking to get famous. I just needed to commit to something non-work related.
So there you have it. If you are open-minded and/or curious about the pleasures and frustrations of an average, not quite 30, vegan foodie, subscribe to my blog. If you are not, well, I still think you should read it. May this be a fun New Year’s resolution that I keep!
i like this.
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