Publisher: My Vegan Planet – Vegan Recipes from Around the World

I am Jade, also known as one of the moderators of this site, vegan chef, awesomely nomadic globe roamer, and international foodie extraordinaire. I want everyone who visits myveganplanet.com to feel as though they have a nice, warm and cozy home at this website…with tons of vegan information and recipes. Therefore, I feel it is important that you know a little about me and why I think veganism is awesome! So sit back, relax, and I’ll tell you a little story… From Journalist to Chef When I was seventeen, I moved from my rural home in Northwest Texas to Amarillo, Texas to attend college and continue my studies in Journalism. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew it would involve writing. Maybe I got some influence from my parents, who are both teachers, but nonetheless, my path was a career in communications, not food. I’ve always loved cooking but never really had much of an opportunity to really get into it until I moved out and got my own apartment. I had a tiny kitchen, fully equipped with a half stove, a very small oven, 2 saute pans, and a very small refrigerator. Somehow, I still managed to invite my friends over once a week for giant feasts of Italian cuisine that I learned how to make while watching The Food Network and taking notes. Learning while Performing I must have been born with an amazing poker face because at this time in my life, I had no idea what I was doing, but was able to keep it a pretty good secret most of the time. However, with luck, I made a few friends in the culinary industry that helped me out along the way. I was learning how to work quickly and accurately, how to perfect old recipes and make them more cost-effective, how to come up with my OWN recipes on the fly – all while trying to expand my horizons in what I ate. I learned a great deal about Spanish Tapas – many recipes I am currently working on modifications to make them vegan. All in all, the 2 years spent being thrown into the fire after graduating were great for the learning experience, but also instilled some good kitchen habits and skills in me that I will never lose. Unhealthy and Unhappy By 2005, I had realized that although I was learning a great deal about cooking, I had stopped paying attention to my health – and it wasn’t so great. Unfortunately, I wasn’t born with the luck of being one of those people that gets to eat whatever they want, never exercise, and stay perfectly fit no matter what. I had put on some extra weight in culinary school, which was to be expected (fifteen months of eating cream and butter-filled French food in Texas sized portions will do that to you), and I hadn’t done anything to take that weight off. In addition to that, I noticed that at 21 years old, I didn’t have the energy I should have, and my general health seemed a bit weak, as my immune system was low and I was sick often. I started searching for alternative diets and eating habits…trying desperately to change things and feel better inside and out. Why Vegan? In the middle of my research, I had a flashback to a day that my friend Greg had told me about his vegan roommate. That was the first time I had ever even heard of the term or what it meant. Trust me, where I come from, there are no vegans. The first time I went back home to visit my family after going vegan, they stared at me while I ate like I was from another planet. Anyway, I decided to buy a few vegan books and after reading, I chose to give this diet a try for 6 months. The vegan diet appealed to me for 2 reasons: 1) it eliminates all animal products completely, so you literally HAVE to learn to like your vegetables, which was something I knew I needed to do, and 2) it is the only diet that does not cause harm to any living creature whatsoever, which…hey….thats pretty nice, right? I don’t have to kill anything to still be able to eat lovely food and be healthy…why not? About 2 months into my vegan experiment, I noticed some drastic changes in my health. I was losing weight, not rapidly, but it was coming off. I had more energy. My skin was more clear than it had ever been. My eyes seemed brighter and I was definitely feeling better about myself, my health, and life in general. Advertise There are plenty of ways to advertise with My Vegan Planet, simply get in touch with me on admin@myveganplanet.com to set up payment. Side Bar Image (200 x 200) 1 @ $60 per Month (1 Spot available, site wide, price fixed for 1 year maximum on continued subscription. Side Bar Link 1 @ $40 per Month (5 Spots available, site wide, price fixed for 1 year maximum on continued subscription) Footer Link 1 @ $30 per Month (1 Spot available, site wide price fixed for 1 year maximum on continued subscription)