Entrees Etc - Lisa'S V Cooking & Baking

Wholesome and hearty comfort food for those that don’t have the time, interest or skills to plan, shop and prepare meals /snacks on a daily basis.

Do you have the desire to eat better but don’t know where to start? Are you interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet or simply want to incorporate more meat-free meals? I can help. Hearty, healthy, home-cooked meals & snacks prepared for you to enjoy whenever you like.

My Story:
I have been an animal lover, literally since infancy. I grew up with a kittie named Charley. She had a mustache like Charlie Chaplin which is how she got her name. Since her passing when we were both 15, I have fostered, adopted, volunteered with and donated to numerous animals and animal charities / groups / organizations. A list of these follows my story.

Due to my great love and respect for all animals, vegetarianism just made sense to me. I wasn’t successful the first time I tried it as a teenager since I was the only wanna-be vegetarian I knew, ate mostly at fast-food joints, had no knowledge of health / nutrition, and very little real food preparation experience. I did succeed in becoming a vegetarian when I was 21, albeit a mostly junk food one that relied very heavily on cheese.

I remained active in animal welfare causes, volunteered with those who had special needs, and pursued a career where I could assist, support, and enable those facing a variety of physical, mental and /or psychological challenges. I felt fulfilled and was content that I was doing my part to make the world a better place.

In 2009, an acquaintance I met through one of my animal-related activities, asked me why I wasn’t vegan. I responded (incorrectly) that it was because no one perished for eggs /dairy. He sent me the link for the documentary, Earthlings, and I watched it. It was a real eye-opener. Once I realized how much I still didn’t know, there was no turning back and I made a point of educating myself further. I became vegan.

Having been vegetarian for many years, I had an advantage over the average person eating a SAD* diet when it came to converting to veganism, but I still spent more than a month checking labels. *SAD = Standard American Diet. I joined the CVS - Calgary Vegetarian / Vegan Society and started attending the monthly vegan potlucks and occasional dine-outs. I also joined a couple of veg / plant-based diet meet-up groups, as well as the Calgary Vegans / Vegetarians Facebook group. I found all of these to be very friendly and helpful. Kicking my cheese addiction required a bit of work (it takes 21 days to break the physical addiction and longer to get over the psychological one) but I was determined. Being so accustomed to dairy cheese I initially found substitutions to be somewhat lacking, but not only have my tastes evolved, but the quality and variety of plant-based alternatives has expanded exponentially.

I have a passion for cooking, baking and especially eating, and am thrilled to share my love of vegan food with others. Veganism presents a world of endless possibilities and I delight in trying out new recipes and experimenting. The results have been mixed, with some being mildly mediocre, and others becoming well-established family favorites. Of course food preferences are highly subjective and it is cause for celebration when I find something we all enjoy. There is nothing I love more than veganizing old favorites and comfort foods, and the advantage of this is that one gets a healthier version without losing any of the yummy deliciousness – the best of both worlds! I hope to open hearts, minds and mouths to the joys of vegan food.

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Pound Rescue, Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society - AARCS, FSS - Free Spirit Sanctuary, Mercy For Animals, RASTA Sanctuary, ASNTF - Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force, TAS – The Alice Sanctuary, CARE – Calgary Animal Rights Effort, Meow Foundation, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), DAISY Foundation - Canada, Bear Valley Rescue, CARC – Calgary Animal Rights Coalition, Big Julies Rescue Ranch, Calgary Humane Society, and Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians Page (official).