About Me

Hello, my name is Jane.

You'll find simple and healthy recipes here. I occasionally like to post about succulent plants, especially on Instagram. My motto is to eat everything in moderation (well, my "everything" is relative, see below). While I enjoy eating wholesome foods, I completely love indulging, too!

I have battled chronic pain since I was in high school. Here are the many symptoms I have had for last 15 years. As many of you with chronic illness know, traditional medicine did not cure me, let alone give me adequate answers.

Along my health journey, I recently discovered that my diet was the culprit, if not a major contributing factor.

Starting September 2013, I went gluten-free after I tested positive for gluten intolerance. After experiencing some relief, but hitting a plateau after six months, I took another blood test in April 2014 to rule out common gluten-associated cross-reactive foods. (Turns out these foods also coincide with the FDA's top eight food allergens)

When I refer to my "former life," it is when I ate everything in ignorance. Jane 2.0 is when I went gluten-free. Here's to a new chapter of my life, Jane 3.0:

My diet is now gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, corn-free, oat-free, teff-free, and hemp-free.  I eat meat, but my sides and snacks closely resemble a vegan or vegetarian diet. 

I was a latch-key kid, so I ate a lot of processed food growing up--think Costco frozen and packaged foods). Now, most of my produce is organic and sourced from local farms. I figure since I spent most of my life eating foods that weren't good for me, I should make up for it.

There is no need to add disclaimers for allergen-free food. I believe all (if not most) of the recipes will appeal to gluten-loving and gluten-abstaining folks alike. Yes, you can have healthy and tasty food; you can have your gluten-free vegan cake and eat it, too!

I am a lifelong learner and not an expert by any means. Really, my blog is an avenue for me to share what I learn with friends and family, and new friends that I meet along the way.

I want to advocate for those like me. May the lessons I have learned (many times, the hard way) help you "short cut" your way to healing.

Honestly, this blog motivates me to cook more at home, meal plan to prevent waste, and discover new recipes and techniques to keep things fresh. But, it's not my full-time, or even part-time, job. So, I ask for a little bit of understanding.

I hope that this blog may inspire you, inform you, and maybe even teach you a thing or two. 

Love,
Succulent Succotash