A new beginning and introduction

Hey everyone! I'll be honest, I'm not particularly sure how to start off this blog. I feel like I should say something along the lines of "Hello, I'm Lindsey, and I'll be your host this evening..."

A little bit of background on yours truly: I currently work in Corporate America and share an apartment with the three loves of my life: my fiance and two sweet rescue pups. Growing up, I've always had a passion for cooking, baking, and animals alike. So, a little over a year ago, I decided to combine both passions and become a vegetarian.

Let me tell you, I used to be that person who refused to give up my medium rare steak and ate meat on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, I even joined the Atkins fad for quite some time and believed that meat = goooood; carbs = baaaad. Yep, I was that girl. Though I never ate pork, veal, or anything "gamey", I still ate meat all the same. After becoming vegetarian, I then became the person who couldn't imagine a life without milk and cheese. Eggs? Meh. I could do without those even when I did eat meat. But cheese... Oh, the delicious, gooey, salty wonder of cheese. I can guarantee throughout my journey and throughout the blog, you will hear about my struggles with cheese. Seriously, if I knew that I was going to die tomorrow, my last dinner would somehow incorporate Mexican queso dip and a wheel of authentic Romano cheese. Anyway, I digress.

So, through the course of the past year, I have earned a new appreciation for food. Although I ate pretty healthy prior to being vegetarian, I lived a pretty unhealthy lifestyle: I smoked cigarettes, I ate fatty meats, processed foods, and exercised so little that I ended up selling a treadmil I had bought off of Craigslist (which I never even used).

Now, however, I am a new person (with the same struggles over cheese). I quit smoking cold turkey almost a year ago, I've started exercising more frequently (with a few recent slip-ups, naturally), and I do my very best to avoid eating things I cannot pronounce or that are labeled with the words "high fructose" or "sugar". Through this blog, I'm hoping to hold myself accountable to actually staying 100% vegan (and not the potato chips and grape soda vegan I tend to be on a lazy Friday night). Although I do plan to incorporate some foods which have labels - enter organic vegetable stock, light coconut milk, soy milk, and rice milk- my goal from here on out is to eat as naturally and "whole" as I possibly can. I plan to post recipes, tips, and my progress (obstacles and successes alike), and hope to make a few friends along the way.

Thanks so much for reading, and I look forward to what this adventure brings us. I hope you enjoy the ride!