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Vegan blogger Diann Mayer: What’s in Your Fridge Friday?

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By Addie Broyles | Friday, October 24, 2008, 07:00 AM

Diann Mayer, the Austin blogger behind Eat’n Veg’n, says she has always enjoyed cooking and baking and about three years ago became a vegan to improve her eating habits. She was worried that because she’s into weight training that she wouldn’t get enough protein as a vegan. “Like most nonvegans, I believed meat was the only source of protein,” she says. “Beans have now taken the place of meat in my diet. I cook a huge pot of pintos, lentils, black beans or chickpeas every weekend.”

What 3 things are always in your fridge? Assorted fresh veggies, but always fresh broccoli, homemade beans, and almond milk.

What’s your favorite locally made product? That’s a tough one. There are so many wonderful ones to choose from and they are so readily available from Whole Foods. But I’ll have to go with NadaMoo vegan ice cream, plain vanilla flavor. It’s the best vanilla ice cream I’ve ever tasted. A veggie and pesto pizza from East Side Pies is a pretty great treat too.

What your favorite thing to cook for your nonvegan friends? The easiest way to win over nonvegans is with baked goods. My family recently declared my chocolate cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting the best dessert ever. The most impressive meals to prepare for nonvegans are those that are naturally vegan. Nonvegans aren’t easily fooled into believing they are eating meat. With cooler weather here now, I would prepare Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili with cornbread or Homemade Falafels and Lentil Soup. Of course there would be brownies or chocolate chip cookies for dessert.