I’m a vegetarian that uses cooking / baking / eating / photographing / music as creative outlets. In turn, I’ve created VV as an attempt to inspire all of you to get creative and dance in the kitchen with me!
Vegetarian Ventures is a vegetarian food blog that shares vegetarian and vegan recipes with a twist of adventure and inspiration. I’m a 20-something year old who lives in the heart of the Midwest. I work with indie-rock music by day and blog here by night. I love to vegan bake, cook with far too many spices, play with my peanut butter lovin’ puppy (Tuko // Taco // Tofu), go on picnics, camp, dance in the kitchen and take road trip adventures. I love things like Chai-flavorered anything, dream catchers, cacti, and David Bowie so please don’t be alarmed if I throw in a glam rock photo or two. I’ve been a vegetarian for over 10 years which has forced me to learn to cook for myself; however, I am nothing of an expert and am still learning everyday. This blog is here to motivate and push my cooking abilities while hopefully teaching all of you a few tips along the way. I am constantly seeking a healthier (but delicious!) cooking routine so come along and join in the journey with me!
Talk soon,
If you’d like to get to know me outside of my blog, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] or check VV out on Facebook and Bloglovin. Please note that all photos, unless specified, on Vegetarian ‘Ventures are taken by Shelly Westerhausen or Wyatt Worcel. Please make sure to properly link back to the original photo if you borrow it and properly post photo credit.
VV gets around! VV has been in print publications such as Chickpea Magazine, Vegetarian Living, Weekend Almanac and Remedy Quarterly. VV also has recipes and articles featured on websites such as Food & Wine, The Kitchn, Food52, Foodgawker, Sheknows, Saveur Magazine, Kitchen Daily, Daily Candy, Babble, Finding Vegan, Taste Spotting, Tasteologie, Threadesque, Dishes Undressed, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and many others. Interested in featuring VV? Contact me at [email protected]
DISCLAIMER: Some links on this site are affiliate links and I do earn a commission from them. Please note that all opinions are my own.
Photo by Anna Powell Teetervvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Unc George
We need a recipe for a vegan turkey so we can prepare for thanksgiving
shellywest
I’ll get on that. Do you guys have a Whole Foods?
girlinafoodfrenzy
Love your site! It’s incredibly gorgeous
though I’m not a vegetarian I can definitely appreciate your blog, so glad I stumbled across!
shellywest
Aww thanks so much! Glad to hear it!
fueled by vegetables
Love your blog! I will definitely be trying out your recipes and recreating these masterpieces! Nice job and Happy Eating!
Valerie (all mussed up)
I followed you back here from my blog, thanks for stopping by! Can I just say AMEN to everything you just said above? Spice overloads, vegan baking adventures (especially as therapy or procrastination) and picnics are things to live by.
cheers!
Frankie
Thanks for stopping by my blog, which prompted me to stop by here. I love what you’re doing. I’m a pescatarian so I appreciate some great vegetarian and vegan recipes. I especially can’t wait to try out that oatmeal bread.
recipemirror
Just saw that you won Cookie Wars at Baker Bettie. Congrats!! Your cookies look awesome!
shellywest
Thanks so much! It was a fun contest to be a part of!
More Than Greens
Just stumbled upon your blog and I love it! Your design and photography are both amazing. Looking forward to stealing some of your recipes! 😉
shellywest
Thank you very much! I’m glad to hear my recipe have inspired your cooking!
katherineboyle
Wonderful blog! Can’t wait to try some of your recipes!
shellywest
Thanks Katherine!
Denise Browning
Thanks for visiting my food blog and like my article about Pineapple-Mint pops, Shelly! Success on your ventures…
Angie's Food Adventures
Hey Shellywest! Thanks for noticing my blog, especially since I just started doing this and it’s still so strange to me. But I’m loving it and I get to meet interesting people and see great websites like yours! Can’t wait to make those fritters, gluten free of course. I’ll let you know how they turn out!
leroywatson4
Hello There,
We love your blog, so we’ve nominated it for a Kreativ Blog Award.
See the link below:
http://thebeachhousekitchen.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/beach-house-kitchen-voted-for-a-kreativ-blogger-award/
Happy Blogging, Lee and JaneX
More Than Greens
Hi! I really enjoy your blog and have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. You can check out the post here: http://morethangreens.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/versatile-blogger-award/
Have a great day!
– Sarah
Angie C
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Love your blog..some amazing recipes that I must try!
Hungry Jess
This is such a cool blog! I love the layout and the photos
shellywest
Thank you, Jess!
iatelunch
Hey there! I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award! http://iatelunch.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/one-lovely-blog-awards/
tildyteacake
hi there – thanks for checking out my blog! you have some great looking food on here – very inspiring
thewildbohr
BEAUTIFUL blog Shelly! Looking forward to following you!
Your Vegan Neighbor
Thanks for checking out my blog! I love the look of your blog and your vegan dishes all sound great! Can’t wait to try some if them! P.s. I too love David Bowie
veggiewhatnow
I have nominated this blog for the Food Stories Award for Excellence in Storytelling: http://veggiewhatnow.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/food-stories-nominee-for-excellence-in-storytelling/ Congratulations on your nomination!
luvnorcal
I have nominated your blog for the Pink Tree award! Thanks for being awesome, and congrats
http://livingforthenextmeal.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/livingforthenextmeal-receives-an-award/
marthastoever
thanks for visiting my blog!! i can’t wait to look through your recipes… i’m always on the hunt for more vegan inspiration!!
alissa
sheelbeel
Ahhh you sound like so much fun! I love a lot of the same things as you! Can’t wait to keep reading!
One Veg World
Hi Shelly,
Thanks for visiting our restaurant’s blog and thanks for spreading the veg message through your wonderful blog
If you’re ever in the area, we’d like to invite you to visit our restaurant
Best wishes,
One Veg World
Linda
Hi Shelly,
Thanks so much for liking the Orange-Rum Tea Cake post on my vegan cooking blog, Vegetate!.
I love Vegetarian “Ventures, your recipes and photos are wonderful!
I am definitely going to make some of your Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes ASAP, wow!!!
Best Wishes,
Linda
shellywest
glad to hear from you, Linda! That tea cake really sounds delicious! Am hoping to make it soon.
simplesustenance
Nice blog!
erica banks krug
I LOVE David Bowie.
myfoodreligion
Beautiful looking blog.
Maci
I adore your pictures! They’re beautiful!!!!
detroittokyo
Hi, Shelly. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for liking my Baked Havarti Cavatappi with Mushrooms & Spinach post. Your blog is very nice, can’t wait to poke around some more. Have a nice weekend!
soupandsuch
Hi there, Shelly! Thanks for stopping by my blog…which has led me here! I love discovering new blogs and yours looks so great. Can’t wait to take a longer look around!
Happy summer!
leroywatson4
Shelly, your journey is a real beauty! We love your blog at the Beach House, your food and images are a source of inspiration. We’ve voted you for a ‘Lovely Blogger Award’, something that has happened many times Im sure. But what you have created could certainly be called ‘Lovely’ at the very least. Its a work of art! Happy days, lee and janex
shellywest
Thank you so much, Lee and Janex! This is not the first time you have made me feel like I should be proud of my blog and I am very grateful for the encouraging words.
Also, you both are such fascinating people yourself! I was smiling the whole way through your bios on your blog! You have both had so many experiences already and I love the describing words for your favorite places!
leroywatson4
Oop, the link is here btw – http://thebeachhousekitchen.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/beach-house-kitchen-voted-for-one-lovely-blog-award/
gwynnem
Thanks for stopping by mu blog and checking out today’s post. I love the look of your blog!
A Dairy Princess Cooks
I love your blog, my daughter is also vegetarian I can’t wait to show her your blog.
Jorie
Love this blog already. Excited to follow along, Shelley!
Allison
Hi Shelly, I just stopped by to say that I love your blog and I’ve nominated Vegetarian ‘Ventures for a Liebster Award!
(You can find the post here: http://spontaneoustomato.com/2012/07/19/the-perfect-snack-a-blog-award/ )
dinnerversions
Hi there, thanks for the Like on my white bean and tomato salad today. I’m checking out your blog and I like what I see! I’m definitely going to have to try the vegan thai lettuce wraps!
myfoodreligion
I have nominated you for the Inspirational Blog Award. Congratulations & thanks for your great blog. http://myfoodreligion.com/2012/08/01/inspiring-blog-award/
Cathy
I enjoy reading your blog so much that I have nominated you for an award! Take a look here: http://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/inspiration-awards-and-stuff/
Congratulations!
ohshecooks
You’ve been nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award! I guess it’s your second nomination, but, well…that’s just how it goes
Please check this out:
http://ohshecooks.com/2012/08/01/one-lovely-blog-award/
The Farmers Taft
Thank you for spending hours and hours of your time creating a lovely, healthy, and inspiring blog for all of us to enjoy. I have nominated you for an Inspiring Blog Award, with nothing to do other than bask in the glow! http://thefarmerstaft.com/2012/08/06/feel-the-love-inspiring-blog-award-and-15-bloggers-you-should-visit/
Teresa
Hey this is an extremely belated thank you for visiting my food blog and liking the Black-Eyed Peas Baked squash. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you. I hope you are able to make the recipe some time and let me know how it turns out. I have lots of other vegetarian recipes on my blog and over a thousand pins on Pinterest if you are interested in checking them out sometime.
ikigaidance
I enjoyed checking your blog out. I like how you offer alternatives to the usual way of doing things, such as the samosa patties where you suggest the usual samosa filling encased as a patty rather than having the typical crisp triangle end product. It is great not to feel restricted by a recipe and change things up.
kahht
Your blog is so beautiful and chic! So many good recipes too. I love your style lady.
shellywest
thank you oh so much, Kahht!
[email protected]
I love your site and I wish I had discovered you prior to the potluck. But I am definitely following you now!
Anne
Your blog is so beautiful
Jennifer St. James
Hi there! You won my cookbook giveaway! Please get in touch so I can have the publisher send you a cookbook. Cheers! And congrats
Shellywest
Oh, yes! I loved the way those sweet potato cupcakes sounded. I could not find an email address to contact you on through your website? Mine is [email protected] if you’d like to email me there! Thanks for the opportunity and cannot wait to start cooking out of the cookbook!
Y. bertaud
I had nominated you for One Lovely Blog Award… http://ybertaud9.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/one-lovely-blog-award/
Lukasz
Congratulations, I’ve nominated your blog for the Reality Blog Award! You can pick it up here http://thebravecook.com/2012/12/13/my-second-award-the-reality-blog-award-2/ I really enjoy your blog!
Lukasz
chinmayie @ love food eat
Just stumbled up on your blog today and I had to tell you how I am totally in LOVE with it!
Also… I noticed that your design is also by Blogmilk like mine 😉
cheers!
Shellywest
Thanks! I love the blogmilk designs and your blog looks fantastic! Your photography is wonderful and that bell pepper chutney is gorgeous. Can’t wait to start following along on your blog!
nitahannele
Hey shelly, just found your blog this morning and it’s gorgeous! i tried to follow you in bloglovin but unfortunately i couldn’t find your blog?
keep up the great work (:
Shellywest
Thanks for the kind words, Nita!
You should be able to follow VV on Bloglovin via this link:
http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3391305/vegetarian-ventures
Sophie33
Nice to meet you
You have a lovely blog over here! You cook vegetarian & vegan.
I cook, bake & eat vegan at least 5 times per week with my husband. I also eat organic meat or fish, 2per week. I also have a lot of vegan & vegetarian recipes on my blog! Come on over & check me out!
Many greets from a foodie from Belgium!
Sophie33
I also joined this VVP, in the dessert section!
kylie
I’m so happy to have found your blog! Love your recipes & food photography! IF you’re ever in portland again let me know, I’d be happy to show you around!
Ashlae
I kinda wish I still lived in Bloomington so we could vegan bake together. I live in Denver now (and love it here) but dream of Bloomington often. And Soma and Laughing Planet. And Bloomingfoods. *Le Sigh*
Samantha Peacock
Your blog is absolutely beautiful. Stumbled across you via the Best Food Blog Awards. Good luck & keep making great stuff!
Maria
Not a vegetarian, but fell in love with your blog at first sight. Lovely images!
Maria
tim
would be nice to have a “print” button for the recipes, instead of having to cut and paste to text/edit on my MAC
Mark
Your site is great!, i came here via alink fromthe website my blue and white kitchen. as a veggie of 20 years, i really appreciate your efforts. Thanks from the UK. I kae music too
xx
chief
Great photos, nice graphic design, good recipes. I can almost hear the music.
Dana
I’m new to your blog (blogs in general), and I just love it. I find it so unifying that people that love food and preparing food seem to also be so inspired by music and have such a fondness for dogs! Warm hearts, I guess. I love to eat meat, but also love animals, so your blog will be so integral in my journey to eat less meat. Thanks and can’t wait!
Kezia Sze
Lettuce wraps, sweet potato cup-cakes, white bean and tomato soup – I just love wholesome eating of all kinds of living foods on your blog.
mrcake57
[email protected]