Hey, y’all! My name is Steph, and I am a writer, paralegal, eclectic Pagan, and vegetarian foodie and connoisseur.
I started off as a vegetarian when I was 13, not really paying too much attention to what I ate but, for the most part, sticking with “If it ain’t made from animals, don’t eat it.” I wasn’t into vegetarian “culture” at that point, and neglected animal byproducts and other hidden animal products. As I’ve grown older (and following a two-year omni diet influence by my husband, who I’ll talk about in a moment), I’ve become more aware of the vegetarian lifestyle, and have been trying ever since to adopt a truly meat- and byproduct-free lifestyle. It’s been an adventure, that’s for sure!
My husband Matt and I have been together since mid-2005 and married since 31 October 2010. He’s been a great inspiration to me, both for this blog and in all my endeavors, vegetarian-wise and non-food-related alike. An aerospace engineer by trade, he’s methodical, skeptical, and scientific (basically, totally opposite of me), though you’d never know that by tasting his baking, uh… creations! He’s a full-fledged omnivore, though throughout the years — you know, cohabitating and coexisting and all that — he’s adopted a pretty veggie-friendly lifestyle at home. We have the benefit of making things easier on me by doing this, and of keeping things interesting by having to adapt recipes to suit his palate as well!
As an interfaith couple as well (Matt is Jewish, I’m Pagan) , we explore the differences that come up during the holidays, how we plan to raise future children, our ideas of Divinity, and how our lives are affected by our spirituality. You gotta admit, we’re a pretty busy household considering everything we have to work with! It all helps keep the coexisting experience alive and well.
Oh yeah, did I mention I love the ever-loving snot out of this guy? 
In case there’s any confusion, I’m the main writer for this blog. Matt does help, not with the sit-your-ass-down-and-blog part, but by being so different from me and for loving me despite (or perhaps because of) these differences! He’s a wonderful inspiration to this blog.
The Coexist Cafe was designed to foster a community of vegetarians, omnivores, and anyone in between who is interested in recipes, intelligent discussions, and exploring religiosity that goes beyond simple “What are you?” and reflects on “How can I make this work with someone different?” Yup, that’s you guys! And boy, am I glad to have you here! I hope you find the food, the talk, and the company to be enjoyable!
Any questions? Shoot me an e-mail at . We look forward to hearing from you!
