2021, an eventful year. Unpleasant things and good things. Let’s forget about the unpleasant ones. We will leave them behind us, just like the year itself. Let’s talk about the good things before we say our final goodbye to 2021.

New skills

Ever since I became vegan (which will be 10 years ago in 2022!) I have been acquiring new skills. I will dive in completely until I have become completely familiar with whatever it is I have set myself out to learn and then continue onto the next goal. This way I have added quite a few skills such as: growing my own herbs and veggies, how to recognize wild herbs and their health benefits, baking sourdough bread, making pizza dough, making pasta, baking cakes without eggs, to name just a few.

But not only did I enhance my skills in the kitchen. I also tried to changed my lifestyle for the benefit of the environment. Or perhaps I should say: I try to reduce my impact, one step at a time.
Especially this past year I have made some progress in that area. I stopped using the conventional washing detergents and replaced them with natural soaps without chemicals. I replaced kitchen products such as aluminum foil, paper towels etcetera with recycled products. I changed our shampoo and toothpaste and started using micro-plastic free products (with the aid of the Beat the Micro bead app*). And of course I switched to using the all-natural, plantbased , micro-plastic free skincare of Food for Skin, one of the best decisions I’ve made!

All of the above are only a few examples of the good things from 2021. There are lots more, but there is one that is especially worth mentioning. A decision that will change life as I know it for the new year and even beyond that.

To explain what I am talking about I to have to go back to spring this year when I was about to call it quits. The ongoing travel restrictions which made our culinary travels impossible broke my heart and my spirit. (Uhm, that was actually an unpleasant thing which I promised not to talk about, but otherwise the story makes no sense…). I wanted to make a change instead of waiting for something that probably wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

What makes you tick?

During my yoga classes the teacher asked us students the same question, lesson after lesson: ‘what is it that makes you happy, what is it that makes you tick?’

I did not have to think long about that one. Israel, my Israeli friends and talking Hebrew are what make me tick. Being able to speak Hebrew, something I have taught myself, is something I am extremely proud of and brings me joy. I can barely find the words to explain what it means to me.

It is one of the reasons I came up with the idea of our culinary travels to Tel Aviv in the first place. My love for Israel and it’s people combined with the love for plant based food is like a match made in heaven and something I want to share with the world.

But as I said, that is all on hold for now. Which forced me to think about what to do in the meantime. How to I spent my time in a satisfying way without feeling ‘on hold’? The answer came to me this Summer. What I refused to do after high school, something I considered doing in my thirties but didn’t follow through, that is what I will do now at the age of 55 (in a few weeks😉). I will go to University to study Hebrew and Jewish culture!

New year, new opportunities

On January 1st 2022 I will register for the next academic year which starts in September 2022. I cannot think of a more exciting way to start a new year!

What does this mean for the future of Everyday Plantpower? Do not fear. As you can see in the picture above, I ordered new business cards and a new personalized notebook to write down new recipe ideas and creations. Also, September is still eight months away. Months during which I have every intention to finally finish my recipe book. A project I started many years ago, and so far haven’t been able to complete. So, you haven’t seen the last of me yet!

Clearly lots of excitement in store for me in 2022, good things to look forward to.
Which makes me curious, what are you looking forward to? I would love to hear what makes you tick and hope you’ll feel free to share that with me.

Whatever it is that you are looking forward to, big or small. I wish you all the success and courage to accomplish your goals. Let’s make 2022 a year to be proud of!

Cheers to that.

*more about Beat the Microbead