Alicia Silverstone’s Vegan Treats

.:.Chocolate Peanut Butter Goodies.:.

There is something about eating with a conscious—it always brightens my day. Since October, I have gone vegetarian and love it. I especially love when I come across recipes that are so delicious, that even my non-veg friends can’t get enough. Enter: Alicia Silverstone’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Taken from her new book The Kind Diet, these treats are not only delicious, they are vegan. No Animal Products whatsoever. I finally made my first batch this week and they are as delcious as she makes them out to be. Here’s the scrumptious recipe, please check out The Kind Diet for more tummy happy treats.

1/2 cup Earth Balance butter (can be found at most grocery stores-vegan butter)
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (Alicia prefers unsweetened and unsalted)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares
1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener (can find at most organic grocers)
1 cup grain-sweetened nondairy chocolate or carob chips
1/4 cup soy, rice or nut milk (I used regular almond milk)
1/4 cup chopped pecans, almonds or peanuts

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Melt the Bitter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Top with chopped nuts. Place in refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

The Andean Collection

.:.Prepare to Fall in Love.:.

Chic. Green. Fair Trade. Natural. Original.

I stumbled across the Andean Collection today and fell in love. As I have re-infused myself with “green” lately, this jewelry could not have come at a more perfect time. Not only are the earrings, bracelets, and necklaces beautiful, but they are made of natural materials and through fair trade practices. Added bonus: they would go perfectly with my fast-approaching volunteer trip to Costa Rica (hint hint). Check out the Andean Collection and let me know if you love it just as much as I do.

Help Haiti

.:.Rachel Roy and Wyclef Jean.:.

Check out College Fashion‘s lovely post on two ways to help Haiti.

John Lennon’s Wall

.:.Imagine.:.

Upon first glance, this wall may seem like any other graffiti-filled masterpiece. But, look a little closer and you will see something more. Found in Prague, near Mala Strana, near the French Embassy is “John Lennon’s Wall.” A wall, covered with Lennon inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from various Beatles songs— beautiful. As I am feeling very peaceful and artsy this seemed to be today’s perfect work of art. Enjoy. [Look below pictures for video of Lennon singing "Give Peace a Chance."]

(500) Days of Summer

.:.Love This Scene.:.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s dance sequence from (500) Days of Summer makes me oh so happy.

Holiday in Color

.:. Love Love Love .:.

Two months ago I was introduced to the world of RGB nail polish and I am in love
(I am currently wearing the above left color: steel).
Picture this: no harsh chemicals, flawless and unique colors, and quick dry time. The only down-side is that I have to order on-line since it’s not sold in my state.

The newest addition to the RGB family has confirmed my love. Again flawless and unique color.

An Ode to Lady Gaga

Wow. She’s Crazy.

This seems to be the consensus on Lady Gaga. I, on the other hand, love love love this Lady.

Don’t get me wrong, when I first saw the woman behind the locamotive-igniting “Just Dance” I was part of that consensus. And with each new crazy outfit and shocking performance I became more convinced of that first impression.

This all changed in October, when I decided to be Lady Gaga for Halloween.

To truly play the part, I started to research her. As I watched her performances and listened intently to her interviews, I fell more and more in love with this Lady. Not only is she insanely talented, but she is extremely down-to-earth and VERY intelligent.

Coincidentally, at the same time that I was researching Gaga, I was trying to really understand what I wanted my blog/twitter account to be about. “Stylish Authenticity” is my slogan, but what does that even mean? As I started to really dig into my slogan, I realized that Stylish Authenticity is a rare find. Which makes Lady Gaga so spectacular. She is an icon of Stylish Authenticity.

Akon touches on Lady Gaga’s greatness 40sec in

This is just a good example of her personality

International Federation of Red Cross New Print Campaign

Awareness. Compassion. Tolerance

I am in love with the new International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) print campaign. It has got to be one of the most consciously aware and creative campaigns I have seen in awhile.

Definitely TEXTure worthy.

IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian organization.  Since it’s founding in 1919, IFRC’s mission has been to create a world of empowered communities, better able to address human suffering and crisis with hope, respect for dignity, and concern for equity.

This new campaign perfectly illustrates IFRC’s mission.

Love it.

 

TEXTure Mascot: Boy Won’t Pledge Allegiance

I am determined to have this kid as a spokesman for my blog. 10-year-old Will Phillips, has refused to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance because of the last line “…with liberty and justice for all.”  He states that until we allow gays to marry and refrain from racism and sexism will he stand. This is a perfect example of how one little action can have a huge impact. Thanks for being so awesome Will!

Check out his interview on CNN

Giving Thanks to Kid’s Health

Not only is this free, it’s a fun and unique way to celebrate the holiday season. Inspired by changing the way we think about our health, the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition (CCIC) created the Healthy Kids Thank-A-Thon 2009. Too often we focus on our health when something is “wrong.” CCIC is reshaping the way we think about health, kid’s health in particular, by asking us to share why we are GRATEFUL for kid’s health.

I think this is a fantastically simple way to not only ring-in the holiday season, but also start re-wiring the way we think about health.

It’s easy to participate. Tweet with the hashtag #HealthyKids, get creative with a photo or video, or write your own blog post. Visit the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition website for official rules and more information.