Hey, I'm Tali. 🌿

If you had told me years ago that I'd have a website where I share vegetarian recipes, cozy illustrations, gardening adventures, and the occasional life lesson... I probably would've laughed. But here we are.

I've been a vegetarian since I was 23, thanks in large part to my mom. She had been vegetarian since the '90s and somehow managed to make vegetables taste like something worth getting excited about. She tried convincing me for years, but I wasn't exactly ready to give up char-grilled hot dogs or anything involving chicken. Looking back... I was a lot more stubborn than I care to admit. 😂

In 2022, my mom passed away unexpectedly, and my world changed overnight.

The months that followed were some of the hardest of my life. Along with losing her came job loss, car troubles, and what felt like one setback after another. For a long time, it felt like I was just trying to make it through the day.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, I found myself back in the kitchen.

Cooking became one of the few places where my mind could finally be quiet. Chopping vegetables, trying new recipes, and making something with my hands gave me a sense of peace when everything else felt uncertain.

As I started healing, I realized grief wasn't the only thing I needed to work through. Therapy, nutrition, movement, and learning to be kinder to myself became just as important as what I was putting on my plate. My wellness journey wasn't about becoming a different person—it was about taking care of the person I already was.

Somewhere along the way, the boyfriend who patiently listened to me, encouraged me, and occasionally rescued me from stress-eating an entire pint of ice cream became my husband. Life still isn't perfect, but I'm grateful we get to figure it out together.

These days, you'll usually find me trying a new vegetarian recipe, harvesting herbs from my indoor Gardyn, doodling Lili and Col, or convincing myself that adding vegetables to pasta counts as balance. (I'm sticking with that logic.)

TooYummyToBeleaf has become more than a recipe website.

It's a cozy little corner of the internet where we can slow down for a minute.

A place for comforting food, gentle encouragement, gardening, creativity, and honest conversations about life. Sometimes that means sharing a new recipe. Other times it means talking about grief, faith, or learning how to set healthier boundaries.

If you leave here with a recipe you love, that's wonderful.

If you leave feeling a little more encouraged than when you arrived, that's even better.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm really glad you're here.

Now come on... let's make something delicious. 💚

— Tali