Like most accomplishments, success does not occur overnight. The Best of Silver Hills cookbook actually began taking shape over 25 years ago. When Eileen and I met in 1971, it may have been a case of love at first sight, but it was definitely not a case of compatibility in the kitchen. Eileen was eating a traditional North American mixed diet of meat, chicken, eggs and dairy products while I was eating vegetarian meals occasionally supplemented with cheese, eggs, butter and meat analogs (prepared soy products). In a manner typical to true love, we each tried to convert to the other's lifestyle. I sampled some bacon and a few hamburgers, but soon discovered that I was not destined to be a meat eater. Likewise, Eileen tried eating my fake meat and found it equally hard to swallow. We finally compromised on a lacto-ova vegetarian diet, which included grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy products such as sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs and butter. With these foods Eileen could quickly and easily prepare delicious main meals and desserts that satisfied us both.

Our dietary compromise continued happily until our daughter Debbie was born lactose intolerant. Her condition meant that a large portion of our diet would create serious health problems for her. Eileen believed that she could simply eliminate the dairy products in her recipes and use sunflower oil instead. And so for the next while we ate sunflower oil in patties, cookies, sauces and desserts. Although these foods tasted similar, the exchange results were undesirable. Like other refined oils, sunflower oil is a highly processed food that lacks essential vitamins, minerals and fiber.

A year later, we eliminated the eggs, butter, cheeses and most of the polyunsaturated fats from our table and embarked on a total vegetarian or vegan diet. The results were dry-dry bread without butter, dry potatoes without gravy and dry desserts without sauces or toppings. Thus began Silver Hills' five lean years. In an effort to return some of the variety and excitement to our meals, Eileen began experimenting with various egg, sugar and butter substitutes in hundreds of recipes and then sampling the results. Bite by bite, she developed a collection of wonderful non-dairy, vegetarian recipes that we all could enjoy. Her new recipes produced foods that looked, smelled and tasted delicious. The results of Eileen and Debbie's hard work are contained here in The Best of Silver Hills cookbook and we hope you and your family will enjoy them too.