Blog Tour: Writing Buddies

So in the midst of meeting with, and working with great people, I’ve been asked to join this fun, little blog tour. It’s a chance to link up with some of my favorite blogging buddies and help spread the word about who we are, why we write and how our blogs came to be. I’ve been trying REALLY hard to get back to writing of all sorts (I did major in journalism, in case ya didn’t know!), and this is a great outlet to get back to what I love.

I originally got into blogging because I love writing. It was less about the food in the beginning of The Vegan Pact (even though, back then it was only The Vegetarian Pact) and more about the stories. Maybe because I wasn’t a very good chef back then. Maybe because cooking was less fun than writing at the time. Whatever the reason, here I am today, doing more cooking and wishing for more writing. I am in a perpetual state of “the grass is always greener”, aren’t I?

But here we go. Here’s a the set up for this blog tour. I was featured on The Economical Eater’s page last week, she answered questions about herself and then she talked about her other blogging pals. And now, here I am to do the same. So enjoy a little background on me, and get to know some of my faves!

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

Hm…what AREN’T I working on right now? I just added four new clients (a couple more in the works). I’m getting ready for a few more class sessions this summer at the Herbal Academy of New England. I recently joined Kitchensurfing, which is already bringing in some new opportunities. I’ve also just partnered with some of my favorite vegan-friendly companies, Vitamix and Beyond Meat and am super excited about that. What else? I’m working with a few other companies for reviews and giveaways too, which is my absolute favorite thing about blogging and cooking….is that enough? Oh wait, I’m already brainstorming a curriculum for the adult education fall semester at Minuteman. OK, now I’m done.

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN MY GENRE?

Well, I like to think that I am fairly rare. Vegan blogging is definitely becoming more popular and there are tonsss of great ones out there. We’re still the minority though. And there are barely ANY vegan bloggers in the Boston area. Or at least not any that I’ve been able to find. So yeah, that makes me different. I also like to think I stand out because I use lots of whole foods, where many other plant-based bloggers are tofu, seitan or soy-based. Or they fry the crap out of everything. Or use lots of canned or processed goods. No bueno. That ain’t my style.

WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

Kind of a silly question, but I write about vegan food, because, duh, I love vegan food and sharing recipes with all my readers! And as previously mentioned, I’m a writer at heart and enjoy the art of writing. Especially food writing.

HOW DOES YOUR WRITING PROCESS WORK?

I wish I had a process at this point. I try to blog every day, or at least as soon as I have a new recipe. I like to post as soon as I finish cooking so that I don’t forget anything (I never take notes while cooking or document anything while measuring-probably not good). I typically don’t like to let posts fester on too long, otherwise I’ll over think it and it’ll stress me out. In my downtime, I try to write every night even if it;s just for 5 minutes. It’s a great emotional release and I feel (and sleep!) a lot better after doing some writing. Even if it’s just to vent about my day or manifest some new ideas. Writing is a beautiful thing 🙂

Next Monday, May 19th, my blogging besties will be linking up with me, here’s a little about them and make sure to follow their blogs!

Michelle of The Economical Eater, already posted about me and I cannot say enough great things about her. Her blog is vegetarian, with lots of great vegan recipes, too. I met her last fall when she came as a guest to one of my cooking classes. She was one of my favorite students, as she asked lots of great questions during the class, and wasn’t the typical know-it-all-veg I usually get in a class. And can we talk about how awesome it is that she;s a food writer at The Boston Globe? Once upon a time, I would have killed for that job. I’d still love to do it, actually, but don’t worry Michelle, I won’t hurt you for it 😉

Jen of Letters + Pearls, is fairly new to blogging, but she is my best friend in the entire world. And is the cutest person in the entire world, too! She blogs about fashion, travel and food (lots of vegan and paleo recipes!) and documents her life in Japan with her handsome new husband. You can’t read her posts and not absolutely fall in love with her. Her positivity is infectious and her style is incredible. Beware, you will be tempted to buy every outfit she posts! And did I mention she designed her whole site? Is there anything this girl can’t do?

Jasmine of Jasmine and Sean SOUNDS like it’s just about a married couple. And, it kind of is. But not in an obnoxious way. They are ridiculously cute and don’t make you hate them, even when their life seems so picturesque. She has an awesome sense of style and is always posting uber cute home decor ideas that I wish I could implement into my own life. She is best friends with one of my best friends, and I instantrly became hooked on her blog as soon as I read the first post. I feel like a creep for sometimes knowing more about her life than our mutual friend does. You will immediately feel like Jasmine’s your best friend once you start reading!

Arikka of Love Always, Arikka is my best vegan friend. And she also majored in journalism, which makes me love her and her blog even more. She might be an infrequent blogger, but I always look forward to her posts and just wanted to include her on here, well…because she’s awesome. Plus, she’s planning a wedding so you can expect some bridal posts in the near future. Because you know us girls can’t get enough wedding posts 🙂