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The Vegan Bowls Cookbook Challenge
Why Delaney set herself the challenge of recreating every recipe in under a year.
Hello, Coco Fam! My name is Delaney. I am the proud owner of Joyful Balance, where I encourage a joyfully balanced lifestyle through plant based eats, mindful movement, and simple habits!
This year I took on what I call the Coconut Bowls Project. Basically I am cooking my way through the entire Vegan Bowls Cookbook and documenting it along the way! At the moment that I am writing this, I’m about halfway through the cookbook (which means I’ve made about 50 recipes!).
What made you start the Coconut Bowls Project?
I considered doing a project like this for a long time, but it took a while for me to find a cookbook that felt right for it. When I got the Vegan Bowls Cookbook for Christmas a year ago, I knew I had found the right one. I loved that each recipe was by a different creator, allowing me to not only make delicious food, but also introduce me to tons of other plant based creators along the way! I also loved that the book intro specifically mentions that there is room for creativity in the recipes - making me feel that it was okay to slightly alter recipes based on my own preferences and what I had in my kitchen. I announced to my followers in January of 2021 that I would be taking on this project, and began cooking!
I’ve been documenting my progress on Instagram and on the Joyful Balance blog along the way. My blog posts always include my thoughts on the recipes, and any small changes I may have made. I would love for you to follow along with me as I continue to make the next 50 recipes! If you want to cook along with me, be sure to get your own copy of the Vegan Bowls Cookbook, and use the code joyfulbalance-10 for 10% off!
What are your top 3 favorite recipes from the book?
There have been so many good ones so far, and I’m only halfway done! But I think I’d have to say that my top 3 are the Avocado Pesto Pasta (page 92), the Veggie Fried Rice (page 242), and the Creamy Chocolate Tahini Oatmeal (page 44).
The Avocado Pesto Pasta was SO creamy from the avocado! I also love this recipe because it allows me to use up leftover greens.
The Veggie Fried Rice was simple to make and delicious! I love throwing this one together for a quick meal on busy nights.
The Creamy Chocolate Tahini Oatmeal is a fun combination of flavors! I love this one because I have a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast, and this one is the perfect amount of sweetness without being too over the top.
How and why did you become plant-based?
I grew up eating very little meat, and went officially vegetarian in middle school. I then transitioned to a plant based lifestyle a little over 2 years ago. This transition was brought on by a combination of things - partially for environmental and ethical reasons, and partially because I noticed that my body tended to feel best after eating plant-forward meals.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but my love for creating recipes really came alive once I started experimenting with plant based ingredients! I quickly realized that eating this way made me feel good, and I knew I wouldn’t be turning back anytime soon. Eventually I even got a certificate in Plant Based Nutrition. This made me even more excited for my new lifestyle because I learned all about how good it is for my body!
What is Joyful Balance?
I started Joyful Balance as a way to share my love of health and wellness with the world - and my love for all things plant based is reflected in my brand! Through Joyful Balance I encourage people to eat more plants, but I also recognize that everyone’s journey looks different. Taking one step towards eating more plants is beneficial for not only your body, but also the world around us! So whether you are fully vegan or just curious about plants (and other wellness things), I would love to see you over on joyfulbalanceonline.com.
Any final thoughts regarding Coconut Bowls?
I want to thank the Coconut Bowls team for cheering me on as I’ve worked on this project! I love supporting businesses like Coconut Bowls that care about the environment and encourage us to eat more plants - and I can’t wait to continue this project into 2022. Plus, their products are unique and so very beautiful!