Welcome!

A few months ago my dear friend Liz sent a recipe to Sophie and I with the bequiling title, Sister Jah Love Roasted Squash Soup. A few days later she shared another recipe then some time later she said, "You know, you just have to get this book." The book in question is Vegan Fusion World Cuisine.

The three of us talked about how much fun it would be to start a blog that follows our progress as we attempt to eat a little healthier using this cookbook and the authors' approach to food as a starting point. We can share our thoughts on cooking and the role it plays in our lives. We can point to recipes in the book and other cookbooks and blogs that we, and our families, like.

Who are we?

Me. My name is Dawn and I am a Mom to two young children, a wife and a printmaker. As my artist's bio states, "I prefer art to housework." Most meals in my house have to be quick and easy to accommodate as little time spent away from my other interests as possible (more about that over at my other blog, moreart). I wrestle with a family of mixed dietary requirements, one vegetarian (my 12-year old daughter), one veg-aquarian (myself) and two omnivores (my husband and 9-year old son).

Liz. Last September. I went on a foodie walking tour of Portland (highly recommended if you are in the Portland area). One of the stops was the Blossoming Lotus restaurant in the Pearl District, where we were treated to some amazing cashew hummus and crackers. A lively discussion about raw food ensued - the tour guide told us that in Portland there is a movement away from calling it raw food to calling it live food. My boss was on the tour with me and wanted to know if those no-bake cookies his wife makes count as raw/live food. I informed him that that was actually called "cookie dough" and that it probably wouldn't pass the live test. Anyway, all definitions aside, the hummus and crackers were delicious. As luck would have it, I was at Powell's the next morning and came across the Vegan Fusion World Cuisine cookbook. And so begins our story.

I love to cook and I especially love to eat. I have also struggled with my weight ever since I was a kid and have spent a lot of time trying to figure out the right way to eat for ME. I've read a lot of books and cookbooks and at various times have followed low fat, low-carb, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, wheat-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free and raw diets. And these are just the ones I've tried for longer than two days. All of this seeking finally led me to pursue a Master's in Holistic Nutrition, which I am very close to finishing.

For me it's all about trying to find the right balance, if not on a daily basis, then hopefully on a weekly or (at the outside) monthly basis. Right now I'm trying to figure out how little meat I can actually get away with eating. I've played around with my diet enough to know that I can't get away with none, so I'm trying to figure out how much is enough - because anything more than "enough" is "too much."

I have an almost 11-year old son who has recently been struggling with his weight, in addition to high cholesterol and ADD. I used to make him separate food. I don't anymore, and he has been a trooper about trying new things. He definitely doesn't always like it, but he's always willing to share his opinions - and I will be including his comments here.

Sophie. I am Sophie, the lucky gal who gets to have Liz and Dawn as friends-for-life! (Seriously, you don't know what you're missing!) I am also a mom, a wife, a nurse, and a gardener, among other things. I've been "veg-aquarian" for about twenty years, which for me means a primarily vegetarian diet with the occasional indulgence of local, wild-caught seafood.

My household, too, is one of varied preferences: My husband, a diabetic, is a devout meat-eater; given the choice, my 10-year old would happily eat nothing but eggs, cheese, pasta and milk; and my 4-year old eschews meat and dairy, preferring a Spartan diet of peanut-butter sandwiches, oatmeal and juice. Needless to say, meal-planning in our home is tedious. I am always looking for new recipes that will appeal to all - or even most - of our tastes.

I am fascinated by the roles foods play in familial and cultural identity, as well as what happens to us as individuals and a society when we become disconnected from our food traditions. My own family has a rich tradition of crowding around tables loaded with sumptuous meals. It is my hope to expand on the meatless dishes at these gatherings, so future vegetarians have more to dig into than the starches that surround the turkey.

In addition to the authors of Vegan Fusion, all three of us are inspired by the likes of Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver, and Jamie Oliver. It is a joy to translate this inspiration into personal change in the company of dear friends! Of course we are still hoping to get Pierce Brosnan to write a few kind words about our blogs (as he does for Vegan Fusion) but that probably isn't going to happen anytime soon, so this will have to suffice.

Enjoy!