I never thought I’d say this, but I’m in the final days of finishing my cookbook manuscript and handing it in to my editor. After 15 months of testing recipes, writing, and shooting photography, I finally feel like things are coming together. Very, very slowly, mind you. I’ve shot about 50 recipe photographs so far, but that means I still have at least 50 recipes to remake and photograph. gulp, gulp, gulp. I’ve heard the editing process is pretty brutal, so I’m just taking it one day at a time and not looking too far ahead. The journey of getting my recipes to a place where I’m happy (and all my recipe testers) has taken much longer than I anticipated, but I didn’t want to rush the process. Quality over quantity, I say. If this is the only cookbook I ever write, I want it to be something I’m proud of. And seriously, it might be the only cookbook I ever write!
Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say hello! I might not be able to post as much as I’d like to over the next couple weeks, but just know that I’m thinking of you always and looking forward to sharing some recipe inspiration as soon as I can. Right now, every creative cell in my body seems to be on hiatus, but it will recharge soon enough. Isn’t that what red wine is for??
Now for the giveaway fun! In my mind, there’s nothing better than curling up with a good cookbook and feeling more inspired with each turning page. Today’s giveaway highlights a couple awesome vegan cookbooks that I have in my collection as well as my favourite recipe creation tool that I reviewed recently – The Flavor Bible! I’m giving away all the books below to one lucky winner. If you happen to already own one or some of these cookbooks, I’ll be happy to send you an Amazon gift card instead. You decide. The books will be shipped new directly from Amazon.
In this giveaway:
Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton
Let Them Eat Vegan! is packed with 200 plant-powered recipes for the entire family. Dreena offers notes on how to modify her recipes for those with allergies or common substitution questions. Natural vegan ingredients are abundant in her recipes, many of which I already have in my own pantry. See my full review here.
Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
Veganomicon is truly a work of art. With over 250 recipes for any occasion, this is a cookbook I turn to often. Whether you’re in the mood for something quick and easy or something fancy and elaborate, this book will have it. There are also handy user-friendly guides for soy-free, gluten-free, low-fat, and quick and easy recipes.
The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
The Flavor Bible, described as “the essential guide to culinary creativity”, profiles ingredients and the corresponding herbs, spices, seasonings, etc. that pair well with each of these ingredients. As someone who has grown to love recipe creation, this book is a resource tool that I turn to when I’m looking for a nudge in the right direction. When I have an ingredient in mind that I’d like to cook with, I often look to this book for suggestions of other “compatible” ingredients that I can include in the dish. For my full review, see here.
To enter: Leave a comment below and tell me what you are reading right now or maybe tell me about a book you’ve read recently that you enjoyed. If you’d like a second entry you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest and leave a second comment letting me know you did so. This contest is open to anyone, anywhere and the winner will be chosen at random on Sat April 27th . Good luck!!
Please note: The links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links – if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage from Amazon which helps support costs involved for this blog. Thanks in advance!








I just finished Gone Girl. It was awesome and I won’t give anything away.
I saw a post about The Flavor Bible the other day and it looked incredibly interesting.
Man, I am reading a lot right now. I finally bought Terry Walters’ cookbooks based on your posts a while back and I am in love with them!!! I even bought “Clean Start” for a friend because she kept stealing recipes from my copy.
My fun book is the “Clockwork Prince” by Cassandra Clare. I love getting lost in fictional fantasy worlds. In fact, I just took some time early this morning to lose myself so that I would be settled for the day and ready to focus on my studies.
All the best in your final manuscript days – I can’t wait till your book is added to my collection!
I also follow you on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you!
Right now I am living in Rwanda with my husband where we are working as nurses. Unfortunately we weren’t able to pack any cookbooks with us (I’m sure you know about luggage limits), and I find that cookbooks MUST be read in print where you can enjoy all of the beautiful pictures, eReaders just don’t work for things like that. On my kindle I am just finishing The Sea of Tranquility and I ADORED it. I will probably read it again before this trip is over.
As far as reading about cooking, your blog is my go to. My husband and I drool over your recipes and photos nightly trying to figure out how we can improvise with ingredients available here. We weren’t vegan back home in the states but this trip has sort of changed our diet to be such. We eat oatmeal and fruit every day for breakfast; rice, beans, and avocado every day for lunch; and soup and fruit every day for dinner. Needless to say my husband has lost 30 lbs and me 10lbs!
This diet may not have been our first choice but we are now loving the benefits of clean eating and unprocessed foods. I am ready to dive in head first in several months when we get home to our little condo in the mountains of California. Thank you so much for this blog, the inspiration, and the beauty!
Peace & love,
Krista
Really cool book called “The Body Has a Mind Of It’s Own”, about how our brain maps our movements through space. Our physical body and any accessories we might be holding. Very interesting!
thanks for the giveaway:)
currently reading Tom Robbins’ “Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas” and loving it so hard – funny, brilliant, irreverent, gorgeous language, smart and smart-ass.
would love to read some new cookbooks this spring!
xo
2nd entry, following you on twitter:)
on twitter i am _ginandjuice_
Hey there,
first of all what a lovely site this is :D i like it!
I’m kinda new at this. So for now i’m slowly eating more fruit and veggies and less meat.
And i’m searching for more information site to site. so that’s what i am reading currently.
and off course lots of youtubing :P the last book was about juicing (translated ultimate juicing by Donna Rodnitzky. But i rather use a blender because then you have no left over.
i’m hoping all this new information about food can help me grow into being more healthy and overcome my eating disorder.
Your story is an inspiration to me.
yes now i follow you on FB
I am re-reading “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts. Epic novel about a man on the run who becomes entagled with the Bombay mafia. Congrats on the cookbook, I am a newbie on your site and I am loving it!
I am reading UnDiet right now. Love it!
I follow you on pinterest!
I’m reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (for the 5th time), because studying for school all the time is boring.
currently reading a coupla food-related books (as usual): real food all year AND in defense of food, which i never got around to reading when it came out. then for a fiction fix, i just started kidnapped by robert louis stevenson. gotta respect the classics.
I just finished The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling. It was definitely a change of pace from my childhood love affair with Harry Potter. Today I’ll be starting Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz.
as well, i am totally following you on twitter and loving every tweet! good luck with your photographing and publishing! we all are very excited to see the finished product, i’m sure :)
I also follow you on Pinterest. – Ashley Gibson
Can’t wait to get your book! Am currently reading “Karyn’s Raw and Karyn’s Cooked” cookbooks. Love her restaurants in Chicago!!
I just got Vegan Eats World and am obsessed with the book. I have discovered a love for chickpea flatbread.In my non-cooking life I am reading Weekend With Mr Darcey by Victoria Connelly.
I am totally loving your site and recipes, I refer people here to catch up on the latest Vegan yum :).
Today I’m into The Vegan Scoop by Wheeler Del Toro (scored a Donvier off a friend), Independence Days (Food history, etc) and maybe a few Slinky Malinki’s for Holling my wild three year old.
oh ya! Are you planning on releasing an electronic Kindle or something version of your book? I’m keen to get it in both versions: electronic and old school.
I’m currently reading Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner. Fascinating book!