Trend Report: Laser-cut Clothing and Accessories

I am loving the laser-cut trend. It adds a new dimension to any clothing item, accessory, and even food (weird but see below...)!

Laser-cutting adds a new style element to anything. Get creative with laser-cut invites... 

or this amazing clutch...

or if your taste buds need a style boost, laser-cut nori!

If you are a bit edgier, you will love this laser-cut skull design on the back of this:

I love these layered laser-cut dresses

A quick look at Forever 21 (I searched the term "laser" just for you!) or H&M and you will see this trend popping up everywhere!

Photo Credits: I found my inspiration on Pinterest

Helloooo Blog!

And buh-bye Tumblr! I can't even handle this excitement right now, I'm using Blogger finally after a year on Tumblr. Check out my old blog here! I will transfer the posts over later this week but right now I'm focused on my layout, planning future posts, learning everything about the Blogger platform, and juggling real life.

I'm happy to be here, so far I love this new design. It expresses my style so much more since I got to customize the colors (everything should always be pink and green, everything.) and the different gadgets let me organize my blog more efficiently!

Refreshing green juice (refer back to "everything should be pink and green"). Cheers to life! 

Original Recipe: Peanut Cashew Pie Crust

I’ve made Chocolate Covered Katie’s (CCK) Chocolate Fudge Pie twice now. The first time I had a graham cracker crust that I needed to put to use but the second time I craved this chocolaty treat I improvised and made my own crust. I’m glad I did because the ingredients in the pre-made crust scared me a little, there were a few octo-syllabic ones that were probably chemicals. It was an experiment that definitely paid off; my mom has been talking about the pie ever since! CCK does not like pie crust, her recipe is really for chocolate mousse but she put it in a pie filling for her pictures. I, on the other hand, LOVE pie crust, it’s always such a nice crunchy/salty addition to smoother/sweeter fillings of most pies. I got to work thinking of ratios for the ingredients and what I wanted the crust to taste like, resulting in my Peanut Cashew Pie crust, the perfect combo for chocolate. I would recommend this crust with sweet pies that require a precooked crust because I only baked the crust for a few minutes and I cannot vouch for the outcome if it were baked longer with a filling (also peanuts take on a burnt smell so quickly, even when they aren’t burnt). The crust might work a little better without the peanut butter for other recipes, that addition was really just to accompany the chocolate mousse. 

Debbie’s Peanut Cashew Pie Crust

Tools: oven, food processor, spatula, pie tin

1/2 C Flour of Choice (I use unbleached)

2/3 C Raw Cashews

1 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal

1 Tbsp Sugar

4 Tbsp Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance)

2 Tbsp Peanut Butter (I use chunky)

1 Tbsp Nondairy Milk (I use almond milk)

Preheat oven to 350º F. Combine flour, cashews, flaxseed meal, and sugar in food processor. Blend until ingredients are fine with no chunks. Add vegan butter and peanut butter to dry mix and pulse until incorporated. I turned the processor off a few times and used a spatula to help things along since the goal is to creates a solid mass. Finally, add the nondairy milk since ingredients will be dry. Turn off the processor and use spatula to ensure the mass of dough is balled up. With clean hands, take the dough mass and press and spread it into the pie tin so that it is in an even layer and covers the entire tin, including the sides . You could probably use a rolling pin and roll out the dough on a clean surface (or plastic wrap), then carefully flip it onto the pie tin, but seriously… that’s a lot of nonsense that can be avoided. Put the crust in the oven for 5-8 minutes, remove and let cool for ten minutes before adding your delicious filling. My crust continued cooling in the fridge in order for the chocolate filling to set so the cooling time can vary based on your needs!

Chocolate Protein Pudding for Breakfast!

Haha soooo this was supposed to be a pancake recipe but when I poured the batter into the skillet, the gooey-ness prevented the middle from cooking, while the outside got a thin crust that stuck to the pan. Oh well, I decided to just try the batter alone and realized it was pretty delicious!

Debbie’s Chocolate Protein Pudding

Tools: food processer

1 banana (sliced)

1 pack silken tofu (mine was 12 oz)

1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (or unflavored/vanilla powder +2 tbsp cocoa powder)

3 tbsp flaxseed meal

1/4 cup almond milk

1 packet stevia (you could add more of your sweetener of choice, like agave, because my protein powder was lightly sweetened)

Put all ingredients in food processor and go! This makes several servings, I eat mine in a small bowl so it will last me 4 days maybe. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator. 

Optional toppings: a few chocolate chips, slivered almonds, whatever floats your boat!

Other variations: add some melted chocolate chips into the mixture for an extra chocolate kick.

Enjoy!

Health and Vanity

I want to highlight this great article from Choosing Raw regarding two images floating around the internet juxtaposing Jillian McKeith (a nutritionist that promotes a healthy, mostly plant based, but not specifically vegan diets) with Nigella Lawson (a chef with a passion for all types of food, including some very rich-looking desserts). I searched some images of Lawson and she does not always look as young as the aformentioned images indicate. Choosing Raw makes a great point in noting that the contrasting image of the two women “is not making claims about how healthy these women are, but rather making statements about who is better and younger looking.” Though incredibly beautiful, make up and “perks” (cosmetic procedures) of the entertainment industry might have been on the Chef Lawson’s side. Additionally, all looks aside, I love the gusto and energy Jillian McKeith puts forward when helping her clients reclaim their lives and health. The fact that some people believe the propaganda put forth in this image demonstrates how much we still hold vanity higher than the importance of internal health.

New Favorites

Yesterday at Shoppers I scanned the aisles looking for new vegan options next to the regular versions of products such as cheese and dairy. This is always my tactic when I’m not in a natural food store. I go through the aisles thinking about what I need and what foods I consider a staple in my diet. This gives me the opportunity to learn what options I have when I am in a new store, and even though it iist never as exciting as walking into a MOM’s or Whole Foods, each store carries different options and I found some new products to take on a test drive. 

The first product I want to highlight is Galaxy Vegan American Slices. I have seen this brand around but every product so far had casein in it and therefore was not vegan, just lactose free. So I was very happy to find their line of vegan cheese slices. I made a grilled cheese with onion and tomato on Ezekiel bread. I thought it was pretty delicious and mimicked the taste and characteristics of cheese well, including its melting abilities. To be honest I still prefer Daiya cheese since it is soy free and there is endless debate surrounding soy’s effects on the endocrine system. Because of the controversy, I save my soy intake for meals where soy dominates the market, i.e. anything with tofu or fake meats, especially when I go out.

On the subject of avoiding soy, one action I took to reduce my soy intake months ago was switching to almond milk. I enjoy the taste so much, I will never go back to soy milk as the staple for my fridge. But yesterday as I went to the dairy aisle I was presented with a case full of different Almond Breeze varieties includingUnsweetened Breeze Almondmilk Coconutmilk Blend. That combination sounded too novel to ignore and after comparing the nutrition labels to regular Unsweetened Breeze Almondmilk I was excited to try it! It is so delicious and creamy and only 45 calories a cup, five more than regular Almond Breeze, plus calcium and Vitamins E and D. I think the coconut really adds another component and make everything seem so luscious, even if it is just milk and not some sort of decadent dessert. I love making it just that decadent by warming a cup of the milk then adding a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and a stevia packet or teaspoon of sugar. This morning I put it in my oatmeal but that will take a little getting used to because the coconut flavor overpowered the meal. I think if I was eating a cereal that was not as mild as oatmeal, such as plain shredded wheat or anything flavored, it would be a suitable accompaniment. I also think it will be the perfect non-dairy milk for baking since it has such a rich taste.

I wonder what my next dessert will be considering that the only sweet I desire is banana slices with a tablespoon of chunky peanut butter, a few chocolate chips, and a handful of blueberries on the side. Have my taste buds completely changed on me and conquered my sweet tooth perhaps? I almost made a single serving cupcake or cookie but the fruit really hit the spot. Nonetheless tomorrow my goal is to experiment a little and make a homemade cashew crust so I can complete thischocolate mousse pie. Results to follow soon!

Happy Eating!

EatPastry Vegan Cookie Dough

Warm gooey cookies have become a quick and easy treat thanks to break away dough or quick scopes from premixed jars onto a cookie sheet. But an egg and dairy free lifestyle means no more convenient cookie extravaganzas until I discovered THIS: EatPastry cookie dough! And for those of you who aren’t egg free but just love cookie dough, now you have a great alternative that does not have the danger of raw eggs. I actually don’t like raw dough (or at least I thought) until the sales associate at Root’s Market told me I had to try the dough itself. It was delish and now I love both. The dough comes in 5 all natural flavors, including a gluten free. They use mostly certified organic and fair trade ingredients and are working on getting the their full products certified organic but right now are still a small company working towards that top standard. Their story is REALLY sweet (both literally and figuratively), read it here.