I found my love of cooking many years ago. It started off with my original blog “The Common Sense Cook” where I shared all of my recipes that I often made up. This lead to researching, reading, and watching many different recipes from many cuisines. The one that caught the most of my attention was Julia Child. Her fun personality and warbly voice combined with easy instructions for any home cook became an obsession.My husband bought me both volumes of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” for Christmas and I knew exactly what to make. I instantly turned to bouef bourguignon (beef stew). It was the first video I had watched when I found “The French Chef” on YouTube. I followed her instructions intimately, as I rarely do, and I was rewarded with probably the most delicious French beef stew that could be put into existence by us mere mortals.

  But, nearly two years ago I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and as a side effect became allergic to all mammal meats. So yes, you guessed it. No more Julia’s Bouef Bourguignon. It didn’t bother me at first and sparked my vegan journey so in a way I’m grateful for this experience. There’s been so many great lessons, however… Cravings do happen. READ MORE

 

Ami Lee, author of Work Hard Eat Kind, is a busy mom and wife who blogs about plant-based recipes, body positivity, and family. She was inspired to go vegan after she was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and chronicles the failures and successes as she goes.