Hi friends, hello and welcome!

I’m Bianca; mama, writer, reader, plant-eater, INFJ, and homebody. My husband and I are raising two girls and working on living with less, though we are not perfect.

On this blog, you’ll find plant-based recipes, meal inspiration, slow living/minimalism content, book recommendations, and more. I recently discovered I have a gluten sensitivity, so you’ll also find GF-friendly recipes in newer posts.

I am a voracious reader and if you are the same, let’s be friends on GoodReads! I have a real passion for children’s literature, as well. We are 1000% a read aloud family – the library is our home away from home. Be sure to check my picture book lists by month if you are looking to read more books with your kids.

A few other fun facts about me:

☁️Home is a place that experiences four seasons in all their glory. 🪻🌊🍁❄️ But autumn has my heart forever. 🍂

☁️I have a degree in English Lit. Reading & discussing good books for 4 years straight was a dream. I worked as a Copywriter for almost a decade before becoming a SAHM.

☁️My hobbies include reading, writing, cooking/baking, thrifting, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, watching the office & GBBO, and being in nature. I would love to take up watercolor, pottery, and bird watching eventually.

☁️I’ve had a fascination with orcas and whales since I was 7.

☁️Yellow is my favorite color. 💛🌻🌞

☁️I listen to a wide variety of music but my favorite feel-good, nostalgia-induced, hazy lazy warm days music is 311. Also blink-182. 🤘🏼

☁️I eat the same foods nearly every day: oats, potatoes, rice, beans, green leafy veg, fruit, vegan queso, and cashew cream. I don’t get sick of it! 🌿

☁️My favorite classic lit is Jane Eyre but if you really wanna know my favorite book… it’s the ACOTAR series. No shame. 😂 Also, Emily Henry is my fave author.

☁️The ocean is my happy place.

You can take a peek into my life on Instagram, too. I am much more active there! I hope you’ll follow along and connect with me. Never hesitate to shoot me a DM – I love hearing from you guys. Questions, comments, anything.

Shop some of my very favorite products – from household to baby – HERE.

my plant-based diet

I’ve been thriving off a plant-based diet since 2014, and I’d love to show you just how easy and inexpensive it is to do so. I choose to live this way 1) for the animals, 2) for my health, and 3) for the planet. For me, it’s a happier state of living, and I’ll never look back. I talk more about this here and have provided an extensive list of resources if you’re interested!

Just to be 100% transparent, I do not like to label myself. While I eat mostly vegan, there is the exception of organic/local honey from time to time. I know this can be a heated topic, so that is why I prefer to say plant-based. I am also not living a 100% vegan lifestyle. I don’t want anyone to be offended by this or misled, so I hope this clears it up. I am doing the very best I can to do the least harm and most good, but I am far from perfect.

For the sake of SEO and the blog content, I will freely use the word vegan to describe recipes without honey. If this offends you, the Friendly Fig may not be the space for you (though I hope you understand!)


Please note: This is a for-profit blog. Occasionally, there will be a paid sponsored post or review, but these opportunities are chosen carefully. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I will never blog about something that is not relevant to the community that I have built on The Friendly Fig!

In addition, some posts contain Amazon affiliate links, which means that I’ll receive a commission if you purchase from this link. This will not change or increase the cost of your purchase. This extra income provides for my family and keeps The Friendly Fig running strong. Thank you so much for understanding and supporting this blog!

51 Comments

  1. Hi Bianca and Sara! Thanks for visiting my Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen blog! I am so happy to discover your site too!! And what a great name!! Can’t wait to read more from you ladies. Please stay in touch.

    1. Thank you so much, Vicki! So excited to follow you, as well :) xx

  2. Hello ladies, lovely blog! Thanks for the follow and looking forward to seeing more posts from you. Keep in touch :)

    1. Thank you so much, Sahar! So excited to follow along and see what you share! xx Bianca & Sara

  3. Hi girls! I love your blog so I have nominated you for the Lievster Award :D The link to all of the information is here http://eattoinspire.com/2014/09/10/the-liebster-award/ Have fun answering the questions! Olivia ♥

    1. Oh… this is amazing!! I am going to have so much fun doing this later. Can’t wait – thank you soooo much for the love :-D We love your blog, too!! xx Bianca

  4. Thank you for visiting my blog & for the follow. I am so glad you did, because I was able to discover your wonderful blog. I love what I’m reading already & look forward to more! :D

    1. Thanks for the kind words, Abby! I definitely stalked yours, as well!! <3 Looking forward to more. xx Bianca

  5. You guys are awesome! So psyched to keep in touch! <3

    1. Thank you – likewise! <3 xx

  6. Haha I love your energy. Bianca, re: fiestaware and “it’s like that now,” I feel you. Sara, I’m not into following rules either, which is why I keep calling my new diet “vegan-influenced”…I don’t know. PS – I do content at my “real job” too!!

    1. Aw, thank you Randle! Seems like we have a lot in common! :-D xx

  7. Hi Bianca, thank you for visiting me. I’ve found you now and how magical is that! I look forward to reading your posts. Chrissy x

    1. Oh, you are so welcome! So glad we could connect <3 xx Bianca

  8. Hi both,

    Thanks so much for visiting my pantry party! Your blog is awesome and I’m definitely going to tag along for this interesting journey of yours.

    P.S. – bright purple antioxidant smoothie bowl? Hell yes please.

    1. Thanks, Sian! So happy to connect with you! The antioxidant smoothie bowl is so good – and stunning, right? <3 xx Bianca

  9. Hi girls!
    I’m so happy you commented on my blog, as I have now found your awesome blog :). I’m excited to follow along your journey xx

    1. Thank you, lovely! I was excited to find your blog, too :-D Excited to see more! <3

  10. Hello ladies! I don’t know if this is the usual thing, but I so much enjoy your blog I’ve nominated you right back for the One Lovely Blog Award! http://backyardowl.com/2014/10/20/one-lovely-blog-award-my-15-blog-loves/.

    All the best!

    Emily

    1. Ah, thank you Emily!! We appreciate this so much :-D We will have to do this soon! <3

  11. I love your blog! You are seriously talented. I want to take the plunge and set up my own domain name/customize my blog but I’m just not sure about it, any tips?

    1. Ahh, thank you so much for the compliment!! That is so sweet of you. I think you definitely should! I love how official a custom domain makes the site feel :) I bought mine at: http://www.1and1.com/

      I used this as a guide to set it up: http://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/

      As for customizing it, I just used a free WordPress Theme and tried to customize it as best as I could! I love widgets, so I added a ton to my sidebar (like you have now!) I think it is worth it to also add FB and Twitter to it (if you have one) so people can find you easier :)

      I hope these tips help a bit! I am no pro, but that is what I definitely think you should do. Especially a domain!! <3

  12. Thanks for visiting my blog. Looking forward to spending some time with yours!

    1. You’re so welcome – same, love! <3

  13. […] was able to interview Bianca about The Friendly Fig, being a vegan cook, and the surprises of blogging.  She also shared her […]

  14. I love this is a shared blog! I really like the title and logo too :)

    1. Thank you so much! So happy you’ve stopped by – so sweet :) Will be checking out yours!! <3

    1. Thank you so much! Very sweet of you :)

  15. Hello, what a beautiful blog/website you have. You recently visited my blog (at http://www.amandaattard.com) and left a lovely comment. I have just started a new website and have used your comment on their with a link to your blog. Let me know if that’s OK. I can take it down if you wish.
    http://www.sweetsandgreens.com.au

    1. That’s fine, Amanda. Thanks for doing that! xx

  16. You all show so much personality in such a quick little blurb! Sara’s bit about trying recipes but really just dumping things in a pan made me lol (I feel like my mother just wrote that sentence, but I really did chuckle out loud).

    K
    http://peeledwellness.com

    1. Aw, thank you so so much! That’s so sweet of you to comment :-D and I agree about Sara – she cracks me up!! xx

  17. Thanks for the follow! I’m spending some time browsing your site now.

    1. You’re so welcome – happy to connect with you! :)

  18. glad to find you girls. I just returned from a trip to India, and have been vegetarian since. My own country lacks vegetarian options, but I hope I can keep it this way. :) Thanks for the recipes and articles!

    1. Thank you for visiting us – we are excited you are reading along!! Hope you try some recipes for sure :) xx

  19. […] Yes, I eat honey. You can see a bit more about that here. I only consume honey made from local beekeepers, and I feel comfortable doing so. I hope that […]

  20. […] Who the hell am I? Yeah, I guess I should start there. I’ve been a vegan for exactly a year now, and I created The Friendly Fig as a way for me to not only document my successes and recipes, but to share with the rest of the world that veganism is not a sacrifice! I’m making it my personal mission to create dishes that are easy for the average, busy person to make. Inexpensive, fast, and delicious – not at all “elite” or out of reach. Because veganism is not hard, and it is not expensive. I hope that this comes through in our posts and recipes. […]

  21. Lovely blog! I’ve nominated you for the The Liebster Award! Congratulations! Check out details on my blog… :) Enjoy!

  22. Hey girls, I recently published an article on my blog, Strength Without Cruelty, featuring a piece of advice from your post – 100 Quick Vegan Diet Tips. Keep up the great work!

    1. Hi Jonno,

      Thank you so much for featuring one of our tips. That’s a great round-up. Your site looks great! xx

  23. HI Bianca,
    We love your work. If you’re ever interested in testing vegan products by Abbey St Clare please let us know. We would be honored to see your honest view.

    Best
    ABS

    PS
    We have products for your little one too! :)

  24. I saw your post on the ACC and tea tree oil toner. Three cups of toner is a bit much. Is there a recipe/measurements for 3oz bottles?

    1. Hi August – I just happen to make mine in large batches, but you can feel free to half the recipes, or even cut it down further. I do not have the ratios for 3 oz bottles. Apologies!

  25. https://thefriendlyfig.com/2015/02/19/inspirational-vegan-quotes/
    comments are closed on that page for some reason

    Ellen is not vegan, her quote is illegitimate.
    The quote attributed to Johnny Depp, has nothing to do with him.
    This is the correct quote and author:
    ““If you don’t like pictures of animal cruelty being posted on social media, you need to help stop the cruelty, not the pictures. You should be bothered that its happening, not that you saw it.” ~ Marie Sarantakis

    1. Hi Shane – thanks so much for clarifying.

      I realize that about Ellen, but the post was written several years ago, when she was vegan. It’s unfortunate that she didn’t stick with it.

      I will make the edit on the Johnny Depp situation. Thanks!

  26. Hi Bianca,
    I’ve not heard about not having hummus during pregnancy. Why should we avoid it?
    Thank you 😊

    1. I have never heard of this either! I ate a lot of hummus while pregnant. You will have to ask your doctor. xo

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