THE VEGAN 8 BLOG UPDATE
I have been wrestling with this decision for the past year or so and have finally made one. I’ve been blogging for nearly 9 years (started my first food blog June 2012) and have been running this vegan food blog, The Vegan 8, since October of 2013. I originally created The Vegan 8 because I realized just how many people wanted delicious, but simple and easy recipes that didn’t require a ton of ingredients. I’ve gone over this on my About page. But in short, my concept of 8 ingredients or less recipes (not counting the very basics of salt/pepper/water) began because the recipes that most readers were making were just that, 8 ingredients or less.
I knew that I wanted to reach and help as many people as I could. I knew that my idea was going to help so many, which it has. It has enabled for me to reach hundreds of thousands of people over the years and hear countless testimonies of how my recipes have helped your transition to a vegan lifestyle, get healthier and actually love vegan food.
I’m incredibly grateful to have connected with thousands of you over the years and become friends with several of you. It is a true honor and blessing.
I’ve reached a point now where I feel like my creativity wants to further flourish. A nudging that I can no longer ignore.
My blog has become known as a resource for a few specific niches.
- 8 ingredient concept
- Simple, easy, but incredibly delicious plant-based comfort food
- Oil-free recipes being a big one
- Resource for gluten-free recipes, but them being just as delicious as regular recipes made with traditional flour. This has been one major thing that I’ve heard from thousands-that my gluten-free baked recipes have made you love gluten-free food or helped your kids. Gluten-free baked goods are notoriously known for having awful textures. My years of experience as a baker and commitment to super high standards, has allowed me to create a blog resource for those wanting gluten-free recipes that will wow any eater. I never want people or children to feel like they can’t enjoy a delicious dessert because they cannot have gluten.
- Wholesome plant-based recipes that don’t rely heavily on processed ingredients like fake meats or cheeses. (that you’d buy from the store)
Where I’m at now. I have felt a burning for awhile now to venture out just a bit from my 8 ingredients concept. I receive recipe requests from readers weekly. Some I have to turn down simply because of that. My husband requests recipes as well. Some recipes simply cannot be done at 8 ingredients, without sacrificing my high standards of quality and taste.
For example: Gumbo, Tiramisu, Boston Cream Pie Donuts. These are just examples of requests I’ve received that I have not been able to post due to realizing that they would be impossible to do at 8 ingredients. A true gumbo would need 10-15 ingredients and a Boston cream pie donut has 3 components to it. A Tiramisu is my all-time favorite dessert. That is a multi-layered dessert that would require more than 8.
This doesn’t mean that hundreds of recipes can’t be done at 8, obviously, I’ve been doing it for years, haha. That is the whole reason I started this blog, because I knew I could do it. But this does mean, that certain recipes, cannot. And as I’ve grown over the years as a recipe developer, I want to venture out from time to time.
When I have posted pics of dinners I’ve thrown together, I’ve had requests for the recipe, which I then state it’s more than 8 ingredients, people reply “I don’t care, I want it!” That is a relief to me now.
GOING FORWARD
While I recognize that to many, it was my original 8 ingredient concept that stood out to so many, over the years of building a large reader base, it has been the quality of flavorful recipes that have kept you here. You’ve spread the goodness of your love of my recipes by word of mouth to so many of your friends, family, social media, etc.
So, my plan going forward is to allow myself a little bit extra with some of those recipes that will require a few more, sometimes maybe just 1, maybe 5, who knows, it will depend on the recipe. This way I can share my full creativity with you all. I don’t want to hold back myself any longer.
Plus, one thing that many people have told me over time is that they have followed and made my recipes for a long while and only recently realized the “8” in my blog name meant 8 ingredients and that they were just here for the yummy recipes! Haha.
So, that has made me realize that it is not just my 8 ingredient concept and wholesome ingredients, but the flavors and textures you love about my recipes. Because, let’s be honest, if the recipes were horrible, it wouldn’t matter if they were easy 8 ingredient recipes anyways, right?
DON’T WORRY!
Now, please, I don’t want anybody to panic and think going forward that all my recipes are going to be 10-15 ingredients! No, no, no, no. Most will still be 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt/pepper/water, like always! Because honestly I personally get anxiety over recipes with 10-15 ingredients. Too much work. I like simplicity and ease.
BUT, I have always made an exception to make a recipe with a few more if it’s a great recipe I really want to try. But it’s certainly not a daily thing for me, lol.
This would just be a sometime thing, so I am not changing my blog name or any crazy stuff like that.
I just felt that I wanted to share this with you all and get your thoughts. You readers are the most important thing to me when it comes to blogging.
Additionally, in my next book, I have these exact same thoughts. I will not be advertising my next book as “8 ingredient only” recipes. But rather, many 8 ingredients will be but several will not be. It is so unbelievably frustrating to get reviews on Amazon from people who failed to read the multiple places in the book where I noted that my recipes did not include salt/pepper/water in the 8 ingredients, or obviously anything listed as optional, because, well, it’s optional! Some left me awful reviews hurting my overall rating because they didn’t count properly or read. As an author and a person that works very hard and puts my whole soul into my work, it’s incredibly upsetting. I do not want to go through that again with another book.
MY PROMISE
This small progression of my recipes is simply because of my commitment to not only myself, but also to you because I care so much to give you what you want and ask for. If I didn’t care so much about providing all that I could, I wouldn’t even bother to change anything at all. But I feel sad when I have to turn down a recipe request because it’s not one that could be done at 8 ingredients of high quality.
My recipes will still all be vegan, mostly gluten-free and oil-free, like always. That is not changing. That is who I am and what I love creating. Just some once in a while will have a couple/few of extra ingredients, so I hope you are all okay with that. It will make me happier and feel more free to let my creativity flourish to share with you all. I need to be true to what my heart is tugging at for awhile now.
I feel like change is a must in life if we want to grow, and while this may seem like a small change or a big change to some of you, it has been weighing heavily on my mind since I’ve been writing 8 ingredient only recipes for, well, going into my 8th year now. And they will still almost always have that, but with some extra fancy ones thrown in the mix now!
Love you all so much and thank you for all the support you’ve shown me over the years. I can’t express my gratitude enough.
Brandi!
I did get started with you because of the 8 pbwfno motto! But you’re so amazing that I’m happy to see you branch out ❣️ Some recipes just need a bit more! I’m looking forward to getting my new cookbook in ‘24! Preordered 😁
Best to you, ur hubby and daughter ♥️♥️♥️
Just started following you looking forward to all your creativity and recipes!! I feel like the number of ingredients isn’t as important as the common-use ingredients. I have a ton of spices that I’ve only used one time. I’m thankful too for your breakdown of the different flours, info I hadn’t seen before.
I know I can rely on your recipes to not waste my time or money. I hope you continue in whatever way you want. We will all benefit. I’m looking forward to your recipes and am very grateful.
That is so nice, thank you Andy!
Recipes are delicious and I will alway support your work. Thank you for your had work!
So very kind. Thank you!
I bought your Vegan 8 cookbook and made like 8 recipes, love them all. I went for lunch to a vegan restaurant and had TNT sandwich and was wondering if u have a recipe to make bacon? it really adds a lot of flavor to a sandwich?
Thanks for your cookbook
That’s so wonderful to hear Cindy! Thank you! I don’t have a recipe for bacon, unfortunately. I should add that to the list. I’ve tried coconut bacon off the Internet and really liked it.
8 ingredients or 100, this is the best source for vegan recipes on the internet, hands down. I have made many of your recipes and have yet to be disappointed. Keep them coming, you can count on me to keep trying them!
Cheers
Awww Josh, that’s so very kind of you to say, thank you!
Thanks for all your hard work! I always come here for inspiration!
Shelly
Liebe Frau Doming,
wann wird es ein neues Buch von Ihnen geben? Ich bin total begeistert von Ihren Rezepten. Alles was ich bisher nachgekocht habe, schmeckt wunderbar. The vegan 8 ist mein liebstes Kochbuch geworden.
Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland.
TRANSLATION:
Dear Mrs. Doming,
when will there be a new book from you? I am absolutely thrilled with your recipes. Everything I have cooked so far tastes wonderful. The vegan 8 has become my favorite cookbook.
Warm greetings from Germany.
Thank you so kindly Dunja! So glad to hear you are loving my recipes and my book is your favorite! Yes, I’m working on testing recipes for a 2nd book, but it will be quite awhile before it will be available. I’m only tested a few so far and it’s quite a long process. Thank you so much for the support.
You’re one of my go to recipe blogs….I will not cry any tears if you provide a delicious recipe with 10 ingredients. Or 12. In fact I never count the ingredients. Haha. They are always great!
Thank you so much Kathy-that means a lot!!
Brandi, I’ve been following your recipes for several years now and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for you to make this change. There are definitely recipes that cannot be done with only 8 ingredients and I desperately want YOUR take on them.
Thanks for all you do.
You’re so kind, Ruth, I appreciate that!
The number of ingredients is no problem. Think of the 8 as meaning “ate” and you’ve got this! Thank you for sharing so much!
I honestly can’t believe you’ve waited so long to do this! While you have a great concept, it can be so limiting and frustrating, I’m sure, especially when just one or two more ingredients could make all the difference. I’m just relieved you didn’t decide to stop blogging, that’s was my first thought when I saw the title of the post. Whew! I have been following you for years, and am so excited to see what is coming next!
I’ve been following u since u started in 2012!! Ironically, I’d just had a serious health scare at the same time u started posting recipes, and transitioned to a plant based, whole foods, no oil way of eating WITH YOUR HELP!! I wish to thank u for YOUR support of my reversal of illness and continued health via your amazing recipes. I love u truly! I’ll always be a devoted, thankful follower and buyer of your cookbooks, regardless of the number of ingredients used. Thank u, from the bottom of my healthy heart!
My husband is a Louisiana man and eats your red beans and rice almost weekly! I can’t wait for the gumbo! He will be so happy!!
Sounds good, looking forward to all the stuff.
I cannot express enough how much I love your recipes and it has helped my family eat healthier. Thank you for your faithfulness and delicious recipes!!! You have my wholehearted support. I’m just glad you are not retiring from blogging!!😅 You are a godsend.
I fully support you branching out like this, Brandi, and I look forward to what you create. I found your blog when I was looking for whole food, plant-based recipes without oil, and I kept coming back because yours were delicious. When I cook for gluten-free friends, I know you have plenty of options. Eight ingredients or less is great for people starting to cook or cooking-while-exhausted, but the world also needs your take on tiramisu. (If not the world, then definitely me.) I have your first cookbook and will definitely add the next one when it comes out. Thank you for all the hard work you put into this!
Brandi, I was so excited when I found you and started following your blog because of your eight ingredient concept. Then I tried one of your recipes and I was in LOVE 😂
I love the idea of your new endeavor and our will continue to faithfully follow you, recommend you and sing your praises. Happy 2021
I have followed you for almost eight years and you’re right; it’s the incredible flavor and knowledge that if I followed your recipe as written I’d have perfect results 100% of the time that has made you my go-to cookbook and source of meal inspiration. A few extra ingredients (and thus an expanded flavor profile) sounds great to me! Thank you so much for all the years of scrumptious cooking/baking-I can’t wait to see what you come out with next (are Boston Cream donuts seriously on the planning board?????? Please, oh please!!!).
Aww thank you so much for all the support! I’m so happy you love my recipes so much! Haha yes, it is! They will be different of course than the original since I don’t fry things, but I’m excited to test them out!
I appreciate everything you do! The plant based Experts and Doctors helped me realize WHY I should do it, but YOU showed me HOW to do it…how to cook foods in a healthier AND delicious way so I could stick to it in the long run. Your update almost scared me! I thought you might be ending your blog…which is okay if that’s what you had wanted to do because it’s your thing and you can do what you want and you’ve given so much of your time and creativity already! I am grateful for that! When you said you just wanted to go even further! Well! I am exited for you now! Like you said, I am one that never counted your ingredients. If I followed your instructions, my food came out great and (for someone who can’t cook) that just made me happy! Can’t wait for your next Cookbook! Thanks again!
So very kind of you Katrina for your wonderful words and support, they mean so much!