Hello!
Welcome to Serene Trail! My name is Bonnie and I love to share delicious vegan recipes with you. Here’s a little bit more about me. At first, I thought vegan eating was going to be hard, but have found that it is so easy and absolutely mouthwatering!
I hope you can join me on my journey of having fun in my plant-based kitchen. All are welcome here no matter what your diet is and I know that there is something on Serene Trail for everyone to love!
What You’ll Find Here
- ways to modify classic recipes to make them vegan
- fuss-free delicious plant-based recipes that your family will love
- vegan lifestyle tips to use when shopping and eating out at restaurants
- recipes with inexpensive ingredients that can be found at your favorite stores
Why vegan and why blog about it?
I initially had so many questions and learned lots of things along the way, and I am bursting to share! I want to pass along delicious recipes, ingredient substitutions, how to order at restaurants, and many other tips that can make things easier for all of my vegan friends.
Fun Facts About Me
My hometowns
austin & el paso, texas
Born In
landstuhl, germany
favorite meal
tofu quinoa bowl
Favorite places
desert & hill country
my weekends
sports & family
snuggle buddies
my dog & my toddler
A few more interesting tidbits…
- Half of my family is from Mexico so you might see lots of Spanish influence within my recipes.
- I love traveling with my family, jogging, yoga, reading, cooking, organizing, decorating, and home renovations.
- Our family has called the following places “home”
- Austin, Texas
- Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Fort Bliss, Texas
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Jacksonville, Florida (current)
A little more about me
I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Applied Learning and Development. For ten years after that, I loved working with children as an elementary school teacher.
A few years into our marriage, my husband, Rich, and I had our son, Caleb, and daughter, Aubrey.
Toward the end of my teaching career, I decided to get an MBA and transitioned into the world of publishing. It was very hard for me to leave the classroom, but my husband’s job in the military led to frequent moves for our family. My new role gave me the opportunity to work from home.
For quite a while, I longed to share my vegan journey with others by blogging,
but I think I was afraid of taking the risk of putting myself out there.
That All Changed In 2020…
My husband and I found out we were expecting a surprise baby girl! We were totally shocked but so excited. We decided to name our miracle baby, Emily Hope. She was to be the most loved and spoiled baby girl with two (much) older siblings. We couldn’t wait to meet her.
Sadly, at 23 weeks, I went into preterm labor and my darling angel baby left this earth.
Losing her has been the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. Every day is tough, and I’m so sad for the many, many other families who have lost their babies too soon. If you too are a loss mom or dad, I am so sorry. I send you all my love and a virtual hug.
All that being said, this devastation led me to do some serious soul-searching. My reflections on life brought me to the realization that the time is now for me to follow my heart.
I thank my darling Emily for guiding my way, and my sweet family for all of their support. I especially thank my brother, Brian, who has encouraged me for years to step out of my comfort zone and start a blog.
Update!
I am so pleased to announce the arrival of our precious little guy, Rowan Everett! He joined our family in December of 2021. We are so in love with our rainbow baby.
Baby Rowan has brought so much joy and happiness to our lives! He loves to play baseball with Caleb, hit the volleyball with Aubrey, wrestle with Rich, and help me out in the kitchen. My little buddy also likes to make huge messes and keep me busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!