WELCOME TO WELL AND FULL!

Hi, I’m so glad you’re here! My name is Sarah, and I created this blog in 2015 to share plant-forward recipes inspired by my life in New England. Here, you can find a variety of recipes including vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, and vegetarian options.

WHERE IT ALL STARTED

I was a sophomore in college when I first dreamed about starting a blog. Over the years, I created a number of blogs about yoga, gourmet food, lifestyle, etc. For me, these provided a much-needed outlet for my creativity, where I could talk about my passions in an open-ended format.

After I graduated from college, I took a job in corporate finance that led to a total burnout in only a few years. This was mostly because I had started getting sick – debilitating yet amorphous gastrointestinal symptoms that no one could pin down. It was at this time when I decided to start Well and Full as a vegan blog. During those years, I experimented with vegan, raw, and stereotypically “healthy” recipes, but I still didn’t feel better.

Fast forward four years. I finally found healthcare professionals who would listen to me, after years of pleading with doctors to do more testing. A capsule endoscopy ordered by a PA found ulcers in my small intestine.

Now, I am in remission from Crohn’s disease. I still struggle with my gastrointestinal health, but having answers for my health has been life-changing. Going through that journey taught me a lot about myself, especially where I stand with food. I support veganism from a moral stance, but unfortunately it’s not feasible for me. Every person’s body is different, and there’s no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach to health. That being said, I strongly believe in encouraging plant-based eating where possible – for health, for the environment, and for overall well-being.

Many of the older recipes on this site are vegan, with an increased presence from vegetarian recipes later on. In 2024 I started to include a few non-vegetarian recipes as well. Because of this, I call my eating style “plant-forward” – meaning that plant foods are the star of the show, and almost always the base of my recipes.

MY CULINARY BACKGROUND

I always say I was taught how to cook by the School of Food Network ;) I would watch shows like Iron Chef, Good Eats, and Chopped, taking notes on everything. I created a spreadsheet with hundreds of entries on foods, ingredients, cooking techniques, and wines. (I should mention – I love wine!)

I had the opportunity to take a few cooking and wine-tasting classes when I studied abroad in Toulouse, France in the summer of 2012. I’ve also learned by cooking hundreds of recipes from cookbooks, from trained chefs such as Julia Child, Yotam Ottolenghi, and Jacques Pépin.

However, the process that taught me the most about food was being vegan for two years. There’s a quote I found on a blog years and years ago – “If you can’t cook at least one vegan meal you like, you aren’t actually that good of a cook.” (I wish I could remember the name of this blog, because this is such an insightful quote!)

Being vegan taught me how to build flavor using fresh herbs, a variety of spices, fresh citrus and zest, and a myriad of other ingredients. Some of my most popular recipes here are vegan, such as this Kale Detox Salad and Vegan Buddha Bowl, with hundreds of 5-star reviews in the comments and on Pinterest.

MY APPROACH TO COOKING

I’m a big proponent of experiential learning – that is to say, learning by doing!

In a lot of my recipes, I’ll give measurements for ingredients like salt but add “or more, to taste” in the notes. This is because everyone’s tastes are very different! For example, if you cook almost all your meals at home and rarely eat store-bought foods, snacks, etc., you will likely have a low salt tolerance. So, one recipe that may seem overly salty to you might seem under-seasoned to another.

Same goes for other ingredients like fresh citrus. I personally love recipes with citrus (like salad dressing) to be zippy and a little on the acidic side. But that’s not something everyone will love! Hence the “or more, to taste” note. Once you start gaining experience by cooking, you’ll be able to learn your preferred ratios! For more information about balancing flavors,  I highly recommend the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat.

Ultimately, the best way to become a better cook is to just COOK!

FUN FACTS ABOUT ME

• I live in Connecticut with my husband Jon, and my dog Ivy!
• Ivy is my rescue baby and she is the light of my life. You can read more about her here!
• I’m a classically trained pianist and sang competitively in school. Music is a huge part of my life.
• Reading is my greatest passion! I started reading at the age of four, and have read over a thousand books since then. In 2023 I read 109 books.
• My favorite books are the Three Body series by Cixin Liu. Some of my other favorites include the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, and My Life in France by Julia Child.
• Jon and I both have scuba diving licenses, and enjoy snorkeling as well.
• My husband and I are passionate about ocean conservancy, especially preserving coral reefs. One day we hope to volunteer with coral reef restoration. We’re also huge fans of sea turtles, and Jon calls me the turtle whisperer – I’m always able to find them in the water!
• My other hobbies include ice skating, gardening, crafting, and hiking with Jon and Ivy. I’ve also been taking adult beginner ballet classes! :)

WELL AND FULL GROUND RULES

Keep it kind, keep it respectful! Above all, have fun!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

P.S.  The best way to get ahold of me is through the comments! I absolutely love hearing from my readers, and I respond to each and every comment I receive. But if you’d like to send a private message, please feel free to drop me a line at wellandfull@gmail.com.