I grew up around healthy food and have always enjoyed cooking. In fact, my mom is the reason I learned about miso at a young age.

But when I went vegan in 2011, along with my husband Mark, I discovered a whole new level of excitement for cooking and baking.

Over the past 13 years I've passionately explored the world of vegan food - testing and experimenting with recipes to find the perfect balance of delicious + practical.

One of my FAVORITE aspects of recipe creation is thinking outside of the box and solving problems. Have you ever noticed when searching online for recipes, most of the results that come up on the first page are pretty similar?

I find inspiration in putting a twist on the expected. I do this to hopefully add something new that will make being vegan and cooking plant-based easier, better, and more accessible for us all.

For example, do we really need more vegan ice cream recipes made with coconut milk? I think we have that covered! So I created a variety of oat, nut, and seed-based ice creams.

I want to fill a need and be part (even if only a tiny part) of the ever-growing community of cooks and chefs around the world taking plant-based food to the next level.

We lived in a small, rural Midwestern town when we went vegan. I was 36 at the time, and as far as I know, I had never known another vegan! So at that time, being able to learn from vegan food blogs, books, and cookbooks was immensely helpful.

All of this is what inspired me to launch My Quiet Kitchen and what keeps me going today!

Since then, it has been an amazing ride as I've discovered a community of people from around the world who try the recipes in their own kitchens and report back with thanks and wonderful reviews. Hearing from you motivates me to continue sharing!

It's a joy for me to share my love of vegan food with you.