10 Years of The Vegan Nigerian

 Ten years ago today, 20 year old me was sprawled across the sofa at home with my pink mini Dell laptop open and search results for 'how to start a blog' plastered across the screen. One spicy bean burger recipe later and The Vegan Nigerian officially came to be.

Since then... I mean, how do I even begin to list all the ways that this niche blog has radically changed my life? From the dear friendships and relationships I have now, to the career opportunities I have gotten to explore, to the lessons in consistency and passion and going after the things you want in life (no matter how weird or odd they may seem). To experiencing first-hand the power of community and connection and service. To continuous learning and unlearning. To falling more and more in love with the beautiful vegan lifestyle that has a far-reaching positive impact on how we relate to the world around us (animals, planet, people). I can trace all these things back to that afternoon on the sofa.

In every direction work and life has taken me over the years, it's always felt good to return to the blog as a home base. A reminder of where so many of my cherished memories started.

In terms of what comes next, here are a couple of things I'm currently working on and what I hope to work on in the near future:

1. Online cooking workshops. In an effort to become more laser-focused, I will be expanding and becoming more intentional about hosting online cooking workshops where I teach participants delicious vegan recipes and cooking techniques. Targeting teams and groups that want a unique bonding and/or learning experience. Think office team-building events, bachelorette parties, fundraisers, black history month activities, etc. To make this particular service more streamlined, my husband (who is very tech savvy) helped me create a sister website - Cook With Tomi - which is still under construction but has most of the key details on there already. I hope to be booked out every month if possible so if you're reading this and you're part of a team or group that would be interested, I'd love to hear from you. 

2. Another cookbook. I'm in the early ideas stage (i.e. still mulling things over in my head) for another recipe book, this time focused on creative, one-of-a-kind desserts inspired by West African ingredients. Aside from being a fun and tasty project to get stuck into, I truly believe there is room for innovation when it comes to the sweet side of our cuisine. The desserts will be mostly healthy, perhaps a bit wacky and experimental. Now that I've put this out there, I hope it provides some accountability and that it's not too long until I have some new updates to share. 

2023 is going to be a super eventful year in more ways than one. I hope yours has gotten off to a great start and that you already have a ton of exciting things to look forward to. Thanks for supporting my work over the years. My door is always open if you ever want to swap ideas, share your updates or share ways that I can support your work in return.

Tomi x

20 years old; early days of my vegan lifestyle in France