this really resonates with me. i love this post :)

For the raw lemon poppyseed cake, I used this recipe exactly. It came out *looking* gorgeous and *tasting* good. It was my first raw cake and for me the texture took a bit of getting used to. I’ll probably stick to raw tarts and cheesecakes in the future. But I will say – OH MY GOD the frosting was awesome! I had no idea the coconut oil would ‘whip up’ like that, becoming so light and fluffy (I just used my food processor since I don’t have beaters) like regular frosting. It was great and that one is definitely going into my repertoire! =D

About Damian and his veg*nism, and how Damian and my veg*nism differs . . . well that’s long and complicated and maybe deserves a post of its own! (?)

The summary is that Damian did not go veg*n when I did. I sort of . . . *ahem* . . . just announced one day that we would now be keeping a vegan kitchen. Luckily Damian is the ultimate awesome, very supportive (and by supportive I mean he puts up with/humors me in all of my eccentricities). So he was like. “okay sure, whatever just make it taste nom!” So at that point he was eating veg*n at home, and we would talk a lot about veg*nism and the various philosophies surrounding it. We listened to a lot of podcasts together and eventually we watched Earthlings. Whereas veg*nism resonated immediately with me, it was a much more gradual and delicate transition for him. It’s definitely a reflection of our personalities. =)

Damian went vegetarian the day after Thanksgiving that year – so about 4 months after I went veg*n. He went veg*n a few months after that. Now he’s 99% vegan. He lives a vegan lifestyle (went way out of his way to find suitable vegan shoes, for example) but he will eat a non-vegan donut if it’s free. Seriously, haha, that’s his main exception! It happens less than once a month.

We are both veg*n for the same three reasons – the same reasons anyone is veg*n really: health, environmentalism, and ‘the animals’ – but we prioritize those reasons differently. So while I remain veg*n primarily as a commitment to live without cruelty, and secondly because of the environmental impact, and I just think it’s a totally rad bonus that this is the healthiest way of living, Damian is driven fore-mostly by his dedication to environmentalism, secondly by the health factor, and thinks it’s really awesome that living this way is also best for the animals.

So yeah, that’s the long and the short of it . . . mostly long. I’m sort of rambling. Will anyone read all this? . . . =D

You look SO happy! I’m so inspired reading your story dude! Your family is AMAZING, and that cake! MMM! RAW cake? Wow! I’m so happy YOU are so happy and content. I’d also be interested in Damian’s story, you both sound so deliberate and thoughtful!

I can’t believe it’s just 2 years, it seems like you’ve been veg*n for all of your life.

Did you and Damian become vegan on the same day? It would be interesting to hear what your different understandings of veganism are. My boyfriend has turned from being omnivorous to being vegetarian thanks to me and I’m so-so happy about it! Sometimes though, I forget how big of a deal this is and I become sad when he chooses to buy cheese or icecream. I should remind myself that it’s his life and his decisions! But I have to say, I dream of the both of us being vegans and supporting each other. Just like you guys :) It feels like it’s usually easier for girls to change like that.. how did it really happen for Damian? (If it’s not a secret :D)