Jenn’s Baking & Cooking Philosophy
Why am I publishing food recipes on a food product branding and design blog? Because I love food, that’s why! Working with so many innovative food brands inspires me on a daily basis. Food is a huge focus of my life both professionally and personally.
Here’s what I am really passionate about when it comes to cooking: making natural, healthy, nutritious, delicious food that fuels the body in a positive way, tastes great and feels great. The feeling part is key, because some foods that aren’t good for you can taste good but leave you feeling icky—and that’s no good.
My baking uses whole grains (whole spelt flour is my go-to flour for whole grain goodness with fiber and protein), natural sweeteners (pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, dates or bananas) and simple ingredients, and is vegan. When I first started experimenting with vegan baking, there were two things I immediately loved and still love about it: you can taste the batter or dough as you make it without worrying about raw eggs and salmonella, and the vegan substitutes for eggs and dairy pack a whole lot more nutrition (and the fats are healthy fats) than what they’re replacing.
Whenever possible, I use ingredients in their simplest forms. For example, instead of buying nut milk, I’ll toss water and a few walnuts, cashews or hemp seeds (or a combination) into a blender. I buy whatever I can get organic, because I do not want to put chemical pesticides in my body and especially not my growing children’s bodies. (Tests show 45 different pesticides on non-organic strawberries, for starters!)
A high-speed blender is handy for finely blending ingredients (not to mention phenomenal green smoothies) and worth the investment. It’s not uncommon for me to use my Vitamix 3 or more times a day. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)
I have a lot of fun challenging myself by asking: How can I sweeten this recipe with a natural sweetener that adds nutrients? How can I replace the dairy with plant-based ingredients that perform the same? How can I “veganize” a recipe without sacrificing taste? How can I substitute an ingredient I’m out of with whatever I have on hand?
It’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’m excited to be sharing all of this with you. If you try my recipes I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for following along!
Food blogs I follow:
This Rawsome Vegan Life
Minimalist Baker
Chocolate Covered Katie
101 Cookbooks
Love Food Eat