New Year, New Name!

SURPRISE! Happy New Year, friends! I got you this new blog. Well, a new name for the blog, anyway. This has been in the works for a while, but I’m so excited to officially announce that Eat Within Your Means is now Pass the Plants.

The plan was to share this news on January 1. It was a very good plan, too. Changing the name of a blog sounds so simple and easy, doesn’t it? I am here to tell you that it is anything but. I won’t bore you with all of the technical stuff, but suffice it to say that I had some aggressions to get out by the end of the day. So, I did what any good mom would do and I made my kids laugh by screaming into a pillow. Try it sometime, it diffuses a tense situation so well I think diplomats should add it to their bag of tricks. Anyway….

You are probably wondering…why the change?

When I started Eat Within Your Means, the idea was figure out how to eat within my means and share what I learned along the way. That’s still something I’m interested in, but as I looked back over the past 3 1/2 years of recipes and comments, what I realized is that the blog had formed its own identity. These are comments from the past few months, but there’s more where they came from. Do you see what they all have in common?

I just made a big pot of this because it is cold and a good soup day. It is delicious and gets bonus points for making enough for leftovers. Even my picky child liked it after the prerequisite “I’ve never had this before, I hate it I’m not eating it… (takes a teeny dramatic bite)… actually this isn’t too bad” then ate the whole bowl. This recipe is a keeper.” (Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup)

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“I am one of those people that follows along and never comments. I am a dietitian and love having recipes that fit all dietary needs and have loved all of your recipes that I have tried. The best is when my carnivorous hubby and kiddos love them and don’t even know they are vegan! ????”

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“OMG …So easy to make and fool my kids with a healthy dinner. Even my husband the steak and potatoes guy loved it. When I told the family it was squash they went no way.”

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“This Is Really Good!! Like, delicious! I made it for my family, and everyone loved it–including my reluctant 14 year old son, who is really freaked out by “vegan” foods. It didn’t really even take that long to make. I’ve made it twice now, and will absolutely be making again and again!” (Best Damn Vegan Lasagna)

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“Let me just say, I am not a vegan and I meant to use some cheese in this recipe and it totally doesn’t need it at all!”(Vegan Calzones)

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“Just finished making my first batch and can’t believe how fantastic it is! Better than any other vegan version, bought or made, I have ever tasted. I doubt that anyone would be able to tell that it is not bacon if hidden in a sandwich.” (Easy Tofu Bacon) – by the way, my omnivore father-in-law told me the same thing after he ate a tofu BLT that I made. 🙂

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“This is an incredible recipe – it is so absolutely delicious and you really can’t tell it’s all plant-based. The prep was quicker and easier than I expected. I didn’t need to add the maple syrup and I used whole grain pasta instead of the zoodles – it was still fabulous! My husband went back for seconds and even asked if we could keep the recipe in the menu rotation ????” (Vegetable Bolognese)

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“These muffins were AMAZING!! My non-vegan mom and mother-in-law both asked for the recipe.” (Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins)

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It doesn’t take Sherlock to solve this case.

Plant-based food that anyone can enjoy.
Meals that you can bring to a potluck and not have to bring home leftovers.
Dishes that can be shared at the holiday table without the whisperings of “ew, vegan food”.
Tofu that actually tastes good.
Kid-approved dinners that are equally enjoyed by adults. This is a big one.
Lasagna that is worthy of sharing on Christmas. Seriously, last year 3 different people told me that they made it for their family’s Christmas dinner and everyone loved it.

Do you see what’s missing? Any mention of saving money or how affordable the meals were. It’s kind of embarrassing that it took me so long to realize that I don’t get pumped to make frugal healthy recipes. I mean, I do, but that’s not my main motivator. THIS is.

Happy cow. . . . 38/100 #the100dayproject #100daysofcharacterdesign . . Knowing that the beef and dairy industries are huge contributors to climate change (not to mention the cruelty aspect), we decided to get our family off the red meat and gravy train. . Cutting out cow’s milk was a cinch given all the excellent plant-based alternatives available. But try telling a 4-year-old his favourite meal in the universe, spaghetti bolognese, is off the menu forever. Not happening. . So I’ve been searching for a meat-free recipe that isn’t just a bowlful of soggy seitan and tonight I FOUND IT. Based on @eatwithinyourmeans vegan bolognese recipe (I had to make a few substitutions to fit what was in my pantry), it uses nuts and mushrooms rather than any processed vegetable protein. . I served it without mentioning that it was meat free, and the Small One had no idea. He wolfed it down, asked for seconds, and just like that, we eliminated red meat from our diets leaving one VERY HAPPY COW. . . . #meatfree #happy #cow #vegan #vegetarian #dairyfree #crueltyfree #bolognese #spaghetti #plantbased #soy #100daysproject #kidlitart #recipe #childrensbooks #illustrator #illustration #wip #development #children #picturebook #joinme #artoftheday #paint #instaart #inspiration #art #watercolor

A post shared by Megan Herbert (@meganjherbert) on Jun 27, 2017 at 12:56pm PDT

I still remember reading that post for the first time. It made me cry happy tears. And it made me want to get my booty in the kitchen and keep making plant-filled recipes that can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter their eating preferences. The money-saving side of things just wasn’t the focus, and I found myself feeling at odds with my own “brand”, if you will.

So one day in November, the decision was made, and it was an easy one. A new name, one that would reflect what the blog has been about all along. And yet, it still leaves room for the old. I’m not letting go of the Eat Within Your Means ideal. In fact, this transition has brought a freedom to explore that theme and apply it where it makes sense. So you’ll still see “fat wallet tips” peppered in here and there, and I’ll share what I’m doing to cut costs in the kitchen. But now the focus will be on sharing plant-based food that is easily made and eagerly gobbled up by everyone.

There’s so much to come, and my to-do list is a mile long. I’m going to take it one recipe at a time. Hope you’re hungry!