"The time will come when men such as I (da Vinci) will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men."

So I'm trying out this cooking thing in addition to just baking. You may or may not know of my dream to become a pastry chef but lately I've been thinking about trying my hand at cooking actual foods. My friend Jen turned me on to a company called Green Bean Delivery and they deliver fresh produce to your home for about the same cost as buying them at the grocery store. So I got my first delivery and OMG was it amazing! Last night I tried to make just a simple vegetable soup with grilled cheese (ham and cheese for Tyler) and it turned out wonderfully! I decided to slice, season and roast the veggies first for about 30 min then add them to the broth for about an hour. As not to jinx it, I am currently baking a gluten-free banana bread. The soup was also gluten-free. My sister has a gluten issue, possibly so it's been fun trying to find things to bake for her. I'm surprised at how many gluten free recipes are also dairy-free and vegan friendly. I'm also trying out egg replacements so really I'm only a perfect cheese substitute away from being a vegan.

On the note of vegan/vegetarianism, I'd just like to toot my own horn and mention how proud I am of myself for sticking to what I believe in. I'm not telling everyone they need to stop eating meat, although I'd love it if everyone did, but I'm also not eating it regardless of peer pressure or convenience or any other thing that causes people to fall off their chosen wagons. I've had my share of easy and convenient dinners (i.e. peanut butter sandwiches, cereal...etc.) but I don't hit up the BK Lounge or grab some McTrash just because it's on my way home. Again, I'm not encouraging everyone to stop eating meat (ok, that's not true, I am encouraging you but I'm not pressuring you) but I do encourage everyone to think about the choices and beliefs that you live your life by and see if you're really sticking with them. Especially think about the things you believe that are hard to stick with or unpopular and if they're worth it make a conscious effort to stick with them through the weekend at least. Most importantly you'll be proud of yourself and really that's the best feeling there is.