About Verna

Hey Everyone I'm Verna! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea Vegan Food Blog! where I share delicious 100% Vegan inspired recipes the whole family will love, as well as everyones favourite recipes, veganized! Most are healthy and a lot are gluten free.

I was 18 when I landed my first cooking job, at a restaurant called "The Dunderave Cafe", I was the dishwasher/salad prep person. I didn't know how to boil water when I first started, and almost got stitches my first day (yup my finger?).

Well that didn't faze me in the least! I was a fast learner and my best friend Marjorie was the kitchen manager (yup you guessed it, that's how I got the job haha). Marj called me her assistant, we had a lot of fun! That was when my love of cooking was born.

Fast forward 30 years- Awesome husband, two beautiful daughters, two handsome son in laws, four amazing grandkids, two chihuahuas. excellent jobs in the cooking industry along the way and here I am folks!

I believe that saying "You are what you eat". For years I thought I was eating right, but it wasn't until I started eating a mostly plant based/vegan diet that I truly felt great and I was inspired all over again for my love of cooking!

I don't believe in labelling myself, I just try to do the best I can. Of course it's not always easy, I have my moments as I'm sure a lot of people do.

I have extensive knowledge of food and its preparation having worked in restaurant kitchens for 3o plus years.

I live in the West Kootenays in beautiful British Columbia, with my husband Carl and our two chihuahuas, Roger and Frankie.

Confessions:

- I used to hate chickpeas- haha!
- I love ketchup.
- I love red wine more.
- I'm addicted to burritos.
- I can only eat turnips in stew.

WHAT KIND OF RECIPES WILL YOU FIND ON MY WEBSITE?

My recipes are all about flavour! They are 100% Vegan. Some are healthier than others and 100% plant based. Some are a little more indulgent. I have a lot of gluten free options as well. All recipes are absolutely delicious, the majority are Easy recipes with easy to find ingredients, either at your local grocery store, health food store, Walmart or on Amazon. That's what you'll find on my website! Simple Vegan Recipes!

I only share my very best recipes, that are tried and true, tested multiple times, and that myself and my family truly love and eat on a regular basis. To see my vegan recipes check out my Recipe Index.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY MOST POPULAR RECIPES:

WHAT ELSE WILL YOU FIND ON THE CHEEKY CHICKPEA?

Besides my own recipes you will also find my Recipe Roundup Category where I share my own recipes as well as other food bloggers recipes in my roundup posts. It 's nice to showcase not only my own recipes but other delicious recipes from other vegan bloggers, to give my readers even more tasty vegan options. Sharing is Caring❤️ You can check out my Recipe Roundup Posts here.

THE CHEEKY CHICKPEA FAQ:

What's your favourite kitchen appliance?

My favorite kitchen appliance would have to be my Nutra Bullet followed by my food Processor and of course my blender! and my newest obsession my Instant pot! So I have lots of favourites lol!

Are your Vegan Recipes easy to make?

Absolutely! My recipes are all very straight forward, most are quick and easy some involve a little more time, but none are hard! I have worked in the restaurant business for 30 plus years so I have learned how to mange my time extremely well in the kitchen, there for providing detailed and easy step by step instructions in my recipe cards for my readers.

Are your Recipes Gluten Free?

No, not all of my vegan recipes are gluten free, but I do have quite a few to choose from in my gluten free category. You can find them all here.

Do you have Vegan Recipes that kids will enjoy?

Absolutely! I know how picky kids can be having three young grandchildren. The majority of my recipes are kid friendly. Here are some of my grandkids favourite recipes from my blog:

Is it expensive eating vegan?

It can be expensive if you shop incorrectly. Eating out and buying a lot of processed foods can add up. Buying in bulk like beans, flours, nuts, fruits and veggies, etc..and planning your meals days in advance and shopping the sales is a great way to save money.

Do you have difficult to find ingredients in your vegan recipes?

Not at all! You can find the ingredients at your local grocery store, Walmart, health food store or Amazon.

Are you on Social Media!

Absolutely! I am on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Come and find me and follow along❤️

Contact me:

If you need to contact me you can email me at [email protected]