Going Vegan 2023!

After 8+ years eating no meat, I decided to go entirely vegan this year which is not an easy thing in Southern Minnesota where burgers and beer are found around every corner. Making the decision to serve 100% vegan fare in our tea shops (Curiosi-Tea House in 2019 Mankato & Winona 2020) has helped me with both availability and options, but I still was still personally struggling to find options outside of our shops and keeping things on hand for myself at home. A lot has changed in the past 4 years though, and I really think that with the options available and everything I have learned, I can successfully make the change to exclude all animal from my diet.

I feel as part of my story, I should go back and explain

my reasons for eliminating meat from my diet originally

1. The Animals - Even in my childhood, I believed that I would not have eaten meat if I had to kill an animal myself. As I got older, I was disturbed as I saw fewer and fewer farm animals outside and more and more 'barns' where animals spend their entire lives just being raised for food and I felt hypocritical about including those poor animals in my food choices when I myself would not be comfortable to raise or butcher them myself.

2. The Environment - I started a tea business, which is by nature an environmentally friendly product, and we do what we can to be as eco-friendly as possible in all we do. Plant based eating is just one more way to help the world around us in every way and we are creative in offering a menu with a variety of choices using as much local product as possible, but also including global foods as well. 3. Doing Something Good - When I made the switch from teaching to starting my own business, I decided any business that I created had to be a good thing for people and tea just fit that, well, to a T.

Why Tea? It is a healthy drink option, an environmentally friendly drink

"you can drink 8-10 cups of tea for the environmental footprint of 1 cup of coffee (from growing to drinking)"

and my vendors have sustainable practices and with so many options, it is easy for people to find something they would like. So I can spend more time teaching and offering experiences and let the tea sell itself. Because I had the above in mind, and had already eliminated meat from my diet, it was easy to also promote vegetarian, vegan and healthier food options to pair with tea.