After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back and armed with a few Costco carts of new vegan recipes! A lot has happened in the last year and half, so I'm going to fill you in, and talk a bit about what you can expect over the next few months.
For those of you who are new here, WELCOME!
I am SO happy you're here. Let me introduce myself - I'm Eliza and I love plant-based food, and food photography. I've been ~mostly~ plant-based for the last 4 years.
When I learned that eating plants is one of the most impactful things you can do to lower your carbon footprint, I gave this whole plant-based thing a shot. And my body felt so much better without animal protein, so I never looked back.

My favorite words in the world are "you wouldn't know this is vegan." That's the goal.
I loved to cook and eat even before starting this journey into the plant-food universe. Recreating my favorite foods in a more sustainable way is my jam. My favorite words in the world are "you wouldn't know this is vegan." That's the goal.
So buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride.
Let's back up:
- In June of 2019, I started a new job.
- In August, we purchased a condo...
- And in September, we moved.
- In January 2020, we started our renovation...
- ...and in March, the bathroom portion was finished (1 day before the world shut down!)
- In August, our new countertop arrived
- And in December, we FINALLY hung our TV, officially "completing" our renovation
Keeping up with posts between a new job and a kitchen in dire need of renovation became a little too much, so I took a break.
The renovation
When we moved into our new place, we knew we needed a kitchen island, because the current sliver of counter space was simply ~not enough~ for developing and publishing a few recipes per week. Not to mention my primary photography surface (our coffee table) was serving as a makeshift console table while we renovated.
We looked into furniture pieces, but in the end decided that we needed outlets for our blender, stand-mixer, and toaster, because our cabinet clearance limited our space on the other counter.
Let me tell you, it was WORTH THE WAIT. I lived with out of the box unfinished cabinets, with a plywood counter for 9 months. 9 MONTHS!!! The day they installed our quartz 42in x 72in gray beauty, I nearly cried.
Of course, in the midst of our renovation, COVID happened. The world shut down the day after they finished our bathroom. I was very lucky to keep my job, and learned a whole lot about patience.
Eventually, we hung the TV and there was nothing stopping me from getting back into the food game. I visited a friend in Hawaii this January who inspired me pick up the camera again and go for it.
New year, new vegan recipes?
This time around it's going to be a little different. My new vegan recipes will focus on things that I make every day like smoothies, avocado toast, hummus, lasagna, as well as the vegan sweets that we all love.
I want you to get the most out of the time you spend in the kitchen. Sometimes that will mean purchasing some things from the store instead of making them yourself. As Ina Garten says, "store-bought is fine." And what Ina says, goes.
It is easy it is to make ah-mazing plant-based food. I'll show you how by sharing tips, tricks, and techniques for building flavors into your dishes. I'm also looking forward to showing you how to ditch the "recipes" and veganize your favorite foods for yourself.
Are you excited? I certainly am. Sign up for my email list if you'd like to be the first to know when new recipes hit the blog.
Until next time...
Susan Dillard
Your new kitchen island looks amazing! Looking forward to hearing more from you
The Hangry Chickpea
I am so happy you like it, Susan! Can't wait, so much fun stuff is coming!