My experience with telling people I keep a vegan diet has been largely positive. Although there have been a few harsh responses here and there, most people are impressed and curious. They want to know more about my diet and what it is that I eat. The most popular question I get asked is if I miss anything. I always struggle to come up with an answer, which is a good thing -- it's a testament that I really don't …

Here are my favorite July 4th HH recipes!

HH Whole-Wheat Fat-Free Baked Corndogs (vegan of course)

Big Mouth Backyard Mushroom Burgers (from e-book Sneak Peak)

Fat-Free Creamy Potato Salad (vegan of course) from e-book Backyard Vegan

Homemade Baked Beans (vegan of course) from e-book Backyard Vegan

'Crab' Cakes -- an omni-favorite at our BBQ's!

Today is the final day! All HH e-cookbooks are being discontinued after today!

L-F Sugar Cookies (from e-book Pudge-Free Holidays)

As promised in an earlier post, I'm giving away several copies of e-books to give them a proper send off!

Veggie, Bean & Quinoa "Meatballs" (from Backyard Vegan)

Here are the randomly selected winners:

Erika (tangy pulled pork sandwich/african mash)

MeShell (maple muffins)

KarynH (baked tofu parm/shells & cheese)

Jenna …

The bagel shop by my apartment recently started carrying rice pudding. I'm social with the owner so I asked him about the new addition to their deli counter. He said "people love rice pudding when it's hot outside." Puzzled, and a bit surprised, I replied, "Really, creamy food in HOT weather? I'd peg rice pudding for more of a fall food..." The owner smiled and said, "Have you never eaten ice cream on a hot day?" Point taken.

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Today's inspirational interviewee is coming to us from sunny, California, only not so long ago Candice a.k.a. HealthOC was facing much darker days.

HH: Let's start with the million dollar question. How long have you been following a vegan diet and why did you go vegan?

I've been a vegan since August 2008. In October 2007 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and after 10 months of hormone therapy I sought other alternatives which lead me to …