Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Doming.
Brandi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a wife and mother to a wonderful husband and daughter. But before I ended up in this place in my life, I lived a very different one. Before I became a blogger, I traveled many different roads. Right out of high school, I entered into overseas professional modeling, then moved into doing auto loans for many years (what a change!) to then running my own little real estate gig as a full-time realtor and home designer/stager. My husband and I run a small house flipping business on the side in our spare time as well.
I still have my real estate license, but my full attention and passion is creating in the kitchen. In addition to cooking, I love interior design, painting and sewing, but my greatest love is being in the kitchen. I’m basically a person who loves to create things and express myself through the creative process. I find immense satisfaction on creating something entirely on my own, as I’ve always been extremely independent.
When it comes to food though, I didn’t always eat healthy. I grew up in Texas, where barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs and tons of cheese, was the norm. I drank a lot of milk growing up, all the way into my adult years. I also suffered from chronic sinus infections, digestive problems and constant tummy aches. Little did I know that it was all that dairy and meat causing the problems. When I became vegan, it was truly incredible how all those issues vanished! I still can’t believe I struggled for so long without knowing that food was the culprit.
I started cooking when I was just a kid from cookbooks my mother had. I remember her letting me plan out a few dinners here and there and cook them myself. My mom’s favorite thing in the whole world to do is cook. I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that I became that same way. Although, I never saw it as a “career” or passion or focus that it is now. That all changed because of my husband.
It became a huge part of my life. Not so much because I loved to cook, I love baking much more, but because I had to learn to cook a certain way. My husband suffers from gout, a very painful form of severe arthritis. It affects mostly men over the age of 35. Almost always, gout can be controlled through proper nutrition. It’s been many years of struggle, living on crutches and tons of research to learn what to avoid. It seemed no matter what my husband ate, he would suffer painful flare ups. The main culprit is high purine foods and many acidic foods, including meats, dairy and even some veggies as well. We decided for the better of his health, a vegan lifestyle was a must. It has been the best decision and has been life-changing. Because of having to learn to adapt in the kitchen to better his health (and mine), I fell in love with cooking and creating in a way I never imagined! That is why I started blogging, to share all the amazing, creative food that comes out of my kitchen that is better for you but still tastes incredibly decadent!
You can find all my recipes on my blog at https://TheVegan8.com. I create all my recipes to be simple and all requiring just eight ingredients or less, not counting salt/pepper/water or anything optional. This is to show how easy and simple following this way of eating can be, but always full of flavor and comfort.
You can also find my cookbook, The Vegan 8, on Amazon.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a wife to a husband struggling with a debilitating disease for many years was not easy. Some days he was fine and sometimes he was in bed for weeks because of the swelling in his feet or knees. It was scary to cook for him, as I did not know, at the time for many years, what foods were causing his issues.
But, I’m a determined individual to find a solution. One thing I knew for sure, I did not want him to be on crutches most of his life or have to be on so many medications with side effects. Additionally, being in pain and not walking had a huge setback as a new father. Our daughter was born in 2011 and he was in pain a lot of that first year of her life. We finally went vegan in October 2012 and that’s when our world began to change for the better.
My best advice to people going through something like this is to not give up. Work hard to find a solution no matter how long it can take because the rewards are so worth it.
Please tell us about The Vegan 8.
I run a blog called The Vegan 8 and write all vegan recipes that contain no more than eight ingredients, not counting salt, pepper or water. I love to show that eating more plant-based food does not need to be complicated or intimidating. I’ve helped thousands transition to this way of eating with my simple approach to recipes, but always so full of flavor.
I am also an experienced lifetime baker. I create hundreds of dairy-free and often gluten-free baked goods so that anybody can enjoy them. Since I’m a big believer in desserts tasting like true dessert and not healthy, my recipes are rich and decadent, which are shockingly different than traditional recipes made with butter, oil and lots of refined sugars. People are always shocked that they are so much healthier! That is always my goal.
Baking is my passion and it’s evident when you take that first bite of one of my cakes, cookies or brownies! They will please all eaters!
Since most traditional desserts are baked with white flour, white sugar and oils or butters or lots of ingredients, my recipes are very different and a refreshing approach. Creating desserts in unique ways is a true joy of mine.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Believe in yourself and your ability and never compare yourself to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://TheVegan8.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevegan8/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVegan8
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheVegan8
Image Credit:
Jason Wallis took the family photo one, the one with the red shirt, the one with me squeezing the lime juice over the sweet potatoes. And the one with me and my daughter baking together with the cookies.
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