Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: 3-Ingredient Soft Serve Ice Cream Ⓥ

This recipe is super duper simple and super duper delicious. You can play around with it too to get different flavours (I'll include some favourites below). 

It is important that the bananas are frozen--unless you add more ice, but I prefer the texture you get from frozen bananas, it's like soft serve ice cream! Yum! 

Vegan, gluten and common allergen-free!  

3-Ingredient Ice Cream

2 Frozen Bananas

2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

touch of sweetener

Throw the frozen bananas into your food processor (you can use some blenders but it might not work the same — you could also use certain juicers. I make this in my Blendtec and it works great too but I usually have to add a little liquid). Then turn the processor on and let it run for about five minutes, stopping every now and then to scrape it down. The bananas should get increasingly light, fluffy, and smooth. Towards the end, add the peanut butter and sweetener if desired and continue to process. By the time you’re done, it’ll resemble a creamy bowl of soft serve! 

Eat immediately (or it will loose its texture). 

Voila! Soft serve ice cream!!! 

Makes 2 delicious servings. 

Now, for some extras for different Flavours…

Add 1 Tbsp Vanilla extract for, well vanilla. 

Add 1-2 Tbsp Cocoa for a chocolatey flavour. 

Add a scoop of Choc-a-lot Vega for a protein and chocolatey boost! 

Sub Peanut Butter for Almond Butter or Hazelnut Butter for different flavours. (you can also make this without any nut butter altogether for simple soft serve)

After you've made the ice cream, add a peanut butter larabar and pulse to get yummy chewy chunks. 

You can also pulse in any other handy desserts, like cheesecake, brownie pieces, oreo-type cookies, and so forth! Yum!

You'll never miss blizzards again! ;)  

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Chocolate Mousse #2 Ⓥ

I love avocado pudding. It's amazing. It's bliss. Oh, and it's healthy! *gasp*

This is my second avocado pudding, this one is a little thicker with an almost cheesecake-like texture to it. It's simply divine! 

As always, vegan and gluten-free! Also sugar free and free of most common allergens. 

Avocado Pudding

6 pitted Dates (soaked at least 10 minutes)

1 Avocado

1/4 cup Cocoa or Cacao powder

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Stevia (I use Now brand)

2 heaped Tbsp Coconut Oil

1/2 cup water (soak the dates in it and use the water)

Pit your avocado and scoop out the "meat" (if this wasn't obvious ;p) 

Place all the ingredients in a Food Processor or Blender and blend until smooth.

Add more water or vegan milk to get desired consistency. You want it to be thick and creamy. Place in fridge for an hour or so where it will solidify a bit to give it a lovely texture. 

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings. Enjoy!

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{life reflections}

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{life reflections}

 Weekly thoughts and rambles. A glimpse into my mind and world. 

These are entries that I might jot down in my Happy Diary; what happens when we put our fingers to the keyboard and allow our thoughts to flow uninhibited. Reflections from the soul. 

Reflections of life.  

I hope to leave you inspired. 

If you want to share your own reflections of the week please leave a link to your "life reflections" entry in the comments for all to find and see.

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Dreams are strange things. Sometimes I try to understand them. Sometimes they make sense, sometimes they don't. Sometimes you can figure out where they came from, like a collection of things you saw or events from your day replaying and reappearing sporadically into your dreams. Other times it's like you can see the future, see things before they happen, and can totally blow your mind. Like this one time I had a dream about boxing (and I was wearing boxing gloves), very random and out of nowhere, and then the next day when we were checking out some thrift stores I saw a pair of boxing gloves--what??!!! And then there was the time in elementary school that I had a dream about a girl in the class getting her hair cut and the next day she'd had a hair cut. Very strange and a little creepy? 

Then there are the dreams that are trying to tell us something. Maybe? Honestly, I don't really know where I stand with the dreamworld. It's such a strange and fascinating place. 

Where am I going with this? I suppose family has been on my mind a lot lately, of ordeals of the past, of things perhaps I am afraid of repeating. The truth is my family life has been chaotic and the source of a lot of joy and a lot of stress and pain in my life. The last couple years I feel as if a calm began and has been getting better ever since. But life can be surprising and it all depends what we're manifesting. I'm a little afraid of manifesting more drama. Fear is such an annoying and silly thing in our lives that is best to be put aside, especially when our thoughts can manifest our fears into reality. Still, sometimes it nags at us and sometimes certain things take extra work to get through. My family fears are one of those. Apparently. 

A year ago I never would have imagined my family to be where it is today. It's inspiring. It's a bloody miracle is what it is. I spent a lot of time focussing on the positive, visualizing what I wanted my family life to be like, and being grateful for what I had. Considering how things are now, it feels as if it's worked. But life can be surprising and repeat ordeals as soon as we stop focussing on the positive, complain, or become fearful. 

Last night I had a very vivid dream. I'm still trying to decide whether it was a warning sign, a premonition, a realization and reflection of what I've been feeling lately, or a lesson to teach me to let go. I want my relationship with both my mother and my father to be better. With my mother, I love her to death, she's one of my best friends, a constant source of inspiration and love in my life. But lately I haven't seen her enough. I've also realized that I'm afraid of disappointing her, or of her feeling I'm not on her side. Mom, if you're reading this I'm sorry for feeling this way and I love you. 

I guess I'm sharing this here today because I know so many people have problems with their families. Family is love, it's life, it's joy. But family involves a lot of different people, a lot of different people's problems, perspectives, and emotions. So things, naturally, can get messy and people don't always see eye to eye. I don't think any family is perfect, but certainly appreciating what you have helps and will bring about more joy within it. That and remembering that you don't all have to always agree to get along. ;)

As for my father… I mentioned recently that things have gotten a lot better with us, after years of estrangement and ordeals. I want to work on that. I am happy of where things are at right now. But my dream last night was about him. It was a repeat of the past few years, of our usual circle together that ends with me in tears and disappointed. 

So, I'm trying to decide if the dream was a warning, or if it was simply a nudge for me to let go of outcome, enjoy the moment, and to stop being afraid. You can't be afraid or disappointed if you're not attached to the outcome, if you're not setting yourself up for disappointment with expectations. Life's too short to not take risks or to not be bold because you're afraid. Fear holds us back, courage and taking risks propels us forward. 

I do believe the dream last night was merely showing me my own thoughts, how I was feeling that I hadn't really acknowledged. I want a better relationship with my father, but I am still afraid of being hurt again. But that's something I can work on now that I've acknowledged it. Love is letting for of fear. Life is being who you are and not being afraid or ashamed. Life is following your heart and your passions, and pursuing your hopes and dreams. Ultimately, life is about being positive. It's all about attitude, right?! Right! 

Personally, I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of being afraid of hurting people by simply following my heart. It's my life and I'm going to live it the way I want, and have the relationships that I choose, and be the person that I want to be. I want to be free to speak my mind, to do what I want, and to wear my heart on my sleeve. I want to be bold and courageous. I want to let go of fear. Because fear is the only thing holding me back. Fear is that silly nagging voice that tells you things are impossible. Fear is the little devil on your shoulder that makes you doubt, that makes you manifest the things you don't want into your life. So letting go of fear will bring about the positive, will bring forth the things you Do want. 

I always always come from a place of love. Always. It's just difficult when people don't always realize that. It's difficult when you feel misunderstood. It's hard because you are you and they are they. We're all different, we all see things differently, we all experience things differently. 

I do believe though, if you live through your heart, if you always come from a place of love, then, eventually or immediately, things will always fall into place. Perhaps that's all I need to take away from this and any other experience in life; to live with love and to let go of fear. Because the last thing you should be afraid of is love.    

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{this moment}

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"There are no ordinary moments." ~Way of the Peaceful Warrior

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A photo (few) capturing moments from the week. Simple, special, extraordinary moments. Moments I want to pause, savor and remember. 

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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[first hike of the year!]

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☺ Rejection Propels Us Forward ☺

Rejection is a part of life, no matter who you are. I've been through my fair share of rejection in various situations, within family, friends, work, and so forth. It can feel just plain awful, especially when you don't see it coming. However, as with anything, rejection can be viewed positively, we just have to seek it out, right? Right!

So why is rejection positive? 

First and foremost, we need to remember that life is trying to help us, whether we can see it that way or not. Rejection is simply life's way of nudging you along, like waving a warning sign to tell you that whatever it is you are being rejected from isn't right for you anyway. It might not be the thing itself that is not right for you, it may just be the approach or manner in which such a thing is in our lives. For instance, when we try to make friends and the other person doesn't want to be our friend in return, this doesn't mean you don't deserve friends. On the contrary, life is giving you a blessing because if that person doesn't want you in their lives then you shouldn't want them in your life either. Why? Because you're awesome, and because maybe the two of you just aren't a good fit. The same thing can be said for any relationship or any endeavour. Maybe you've gone after a certain job and been rejected, that doesn't necessarily mean the type of job was wrong for you, it simply means that that particular job place or environment wasn't good for you. 

Get where I'm going with this? 

The truth is that life Knows what we Need, and that is not always what we Want. We can't always see the big picture, but low and behold, Life does. This is why it is good to let go and not become too attached to one particular outcome, if we do that then we close ourselves off from the potential awesomeness that could be trying to get into our lives. 

Trust life, have faith in life, know that no matter how many ups and downs you may experience you are heading in the right direction. The other thing to remember is that you Do need to be open to what life may be trying to give you, you must stay positive and you must choose to see the positive in order to move forward. Again, you may not always see the big picture, in fact you usually won't, but have faith and go with the flow. Trust life. 

Rejection removes the negatives from our lives. Yes, it may hurt, no one enjoys being rejected after all, but really everything works out in the end and everything happens for a reason. In any instance, rejection is removing the negative from our lives, whether it be a temporary removal or permanent. Just know that it is Right for You. Trust it. Learn to take rejection as a sign from the universe and not to take it personally. Getting discouraged and getting down about things does not serve you or move you into a positive place of receiving good into your life. But you can learn a lot from rejection. I, myself, still have rejection issues from my past that I must still work through, but through a friendship falling apart last year I came to learn this lesson that I am sharing with you today. Rejection happens. Don't take it personally. Know that life is simply removing the unneeded inhibiting pieces from your life. It's not you, it's them. 

Lastly, when it comes to relationships, if someone doesn't want you in their lives then why should you want that type of person in your life either? You are far too amazing and wonderful for that. You Deserve better. You deserve all the amazingness that life has to offer. You deserve loving, caring, mutually respectful relationships where the other person appreciates you. Accept and know that you are deserving, because this too will help bring the right relationships and things into your life. If you constantly think you don't deserve better then you will never receive better. You must love yourself first, remember? 

So don't get discouraged by rejection, be inspired by it. Don't waste your time worrying and being upset over things that aren't right for you, because you do deserve better. 

Don't allow fear of rejection to hold you back either or you'll never move forward. If we gave up after every rejection then we wouldn't ever get anywhere or receive anything in life. When life is tough that's not when we give up, that's when we try harder. But trying should also feel effortless when we are on the right track, so pay attention to this to know if you're heading for the right things. Ease up and let life pull you along, it Will guide you where you need to be. If you haven't found those amazing friends, that perfect partner, that fulfilling job, don't give up, because it's just around the corner. Keep trying, keep smiling, keep being positive. Put yourself out there and instead of fearing rejection let it be your compass. 

Allow rejection to propel you forward instead of allowing it to hold you back.  

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☆ The Strongest Full Moon of 2013 ☆

The strongest, most intense full moon of 2013 is tonight!

We all know how full moons can make us restless and crazy, right? Well this one will be a big one. We watched it last night and it was enormous! Full moons are transitional phases, especially in this lovely spring energy. So what does this moon mean? Well, it's time to clean up your life! 

The Libra Full Moon brings forth powerful life-changes and awareness, and a reminder to practice conscious awareness in our lives. It is a time when we need to surrender and keep in mind that change is our friend so not to resist it. 

Expect some emotional power struggles, and an awareness to the people around you. You may have noticed a lot of relationships falling apart and/or rebuilding recently (I know I have), it's all part of this spring cleaning, of moving into a better space in your life. Again, it's important not to resist and to be honest and open with yourself and your heart. Remember that the mind can complicate things. Chances are life is giving you a nudge, removing people from your life that are not serving you in a positive way or are restricting your personal growth. Trust life, know that everything happens for a reason and that, if you let it, it will help you out and guide you in the right direction. Pay attention so that you can cleanse and remove these negative people from your life, and so that it can make room for new relationships to emerge. We are moving from breakdown to breakthrough in this moon phase. 

“Remember that, these planets only take that which is obsolete. They will not take what you need for your personal evolution.  In fact, the main purpose of the Libra Full Moon and the Sun/Pluto transit is to empower you. So that you are ready to receive the positive creative changes that can take place now.”

Full moons are wonderful, enlightening experiences, so treat them as such. Since the full moons are active for four days before and after, make this a full moon week to work on yourself. Take some time to prepare yourself, to work on yourself and your life, and to do some personal spring cleaning. 

Work through any of those situations or areas of your life that need healing, things that still have not been addressed and have been left open. Get into a good creative "Self" space as well. Take some time to do yoga (under the moonlight would be even better!), rest lots and get some good sleep, pamper yourself with a bubble bath, meditate in a sacred space, finish up that spring cleaning in your home by clearing out any unused junk, and spend some time being creative with art or music. Dance around and enjoy being You. Be creative, be relaxed, and find your inner peace. Take care of your mind, body, and soul. 

And if you can, find an outdoor space, away from city lights, where you can truly enjoy the light and beauty of the full moon--it will do you good. 

This is a good time for self-reflection, to release self-limiting beliefs, negative thought patterns and attitudes, and to get yourself back on track to a happy life. Remember that your attitude shapes everything else around you. Come from a place of love and not fear. Release and let go. 

So, what do you want to create? Take charge of your mind and life.

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❀ The Good News ❀

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Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

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10 year old boy saves Jackson the cat from bullies.

Wendell Overton, a ten-year-old boy of Manteo, made the world a better place on March 12. Jackson the cat was being tortured by a group of boys. Courageous Wendell rescued Jackson and took him home to his mother, who called the Outer Banks SPCA. Jackson is doing great and will be available for adoption soon! Thank you, Wendell, for being so brave and doing the right thing!

(full story here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/wendell-overton-saves-cat-bullies_n_2936222.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news)

739 Miles of U.S. Coastline Protected for Loggerhead Sea Turtles

After five years of delay, the federal government finally proposed to protect more than 739 miles of critical habitat for threatened loggerhead sea turtles on their nesting beaches along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts. These sea turtles face serious threats to their long-term survival from drowning in fishing nets, loss of nesting beaches due to coastal development and sea-level rise. The proposal spans from North Carolina to Mississippi and encompasses 84 percent of all known nesting areas.

Circus Animals Get A Break In Slovenia

Slovenia recently banned the use of wild animals in circuses, making it the fourth European Union nation to impose such a ban!

In the United States, at least 55 communities have some ban or restriction in place on the use of animals in circuses or for elephant rides. In December, the City Commission of Hallandale Beach, Florida voted to ban bullhooks, bucking straps and other cruel devices used to train and dominate animals to perform tricks for entertainment.

European Union Halts Cosmetics Testing On Animals

As of this week, the European Union now bans the sale of cosmetics that were tested on animals, even if the testing happened outside the EU. This is a hugely exciting development in worldwide efforts to stop cruel experiments on animals!  

Hainan Airlines maintains its ban on shipping primates to laboratories. 

More good news on the animal testing front! Because no China-based airline is willing to get involved in this cruel practice, primate experimenters have no easy or feasible route to import primates to the United States from China. So less monkeys in laboratories for testing! Hoorah! 

Good News for Sharks!

Delegates at this month's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) voted to regulate trade in several threatened species, including the oceanic whitetip shark, porbeagle shark, and three species of hammerheads. This is a step in the right direction for conservation and protecting the plummeting numbers of shark populations over the last two decades. 

Earth Hour success

Once again this year's Earth Hour, hosted by WWF, was a huge success, with hundreds of millions of people in 7000 cities and 150 countries contributing to this global movement and showing that we care and are banding together to protect the planet. 

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Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

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☆ Support Marriage Equality! ☆

Today and tomorrow are big days for LGBT rights in the Supreme Court! 

I don't know about you, but I can't believe we still have to argue about this subject at all. Marriage equality should be for everyone, it's ridiculous that any religion or narrow-minded idiots' opinions should stand in the way of two people being able to get married. 

Regardless, we're on the positive train here are ReLove Plan.et, and I have to say it's been awesome today seeing all the pro equal marriage messages being spread. If you want to stand up for LGBT rights then join in, by spreading messages all over your social networking sites and getting out there at any events if you can.

You can also follow @HRC on Twitter and at www.hrc.org/blog for live-updates from the first day of at the Supreme Court hearings. 

Make sure you wear red to show your support for marriage equality. And make your Facebook profile red too! (Also here's a link to some fun equal rights symbols to post to your Facebook) 

And, for your entertainment, and to further how ridiculous any of the arguments are against marriage equality... ;)

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☼ Grow your own damn Food! ☼

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These weekly posts are to share the progress of our garden; sharing photos and our gardening experiments and will hopefully inspire you to grow your own garden too! :) 

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Our starts are coming up! The broccoli are doing really well and so are the collards. A couple tomatoes are starting to peek out of the soil as well. No peppers yet.  

This week we planted our kale starts; 3 types, lacinato (black), red russian, and siberian husk. We also planted our swiss chard and pok choi stars. Again I'm going to say how much I love our planter pots this year for all our starts! I mean, we get to plant the pots right into the garden beds without disturbing the roots and the pots will compost instead of using yucky plastic that will never ever degrade. Glad these were introduced to us!

What else this week?

The radishes in our outdoor greenhouse have popped up! The swiss chard we planted out there hasn't, likely due to the cold snaps we've been having at night. There are also mice that have decided to build their homes in the straw of the garden beds so we have to try and nudge them along to somewhere else. The other bump we've ran into with the straw is that there are seeds in it. Cory spent some time trying to pick some out but I guess we're going to have to figure that one out still as picking them out one by one would be rather tedious.  

[Radishes]

I believe that's all for this week. The indoor greenhouse is doing so awesome, very happy that it gets so much natural sunlight and that we barely even have to use the grow lights with all the sunshine we've been getting this week. 

The weather is supposed to warm up this week, so very exciting. Spring is in the air! How is your garden doing?  

[Lyla supervising her daddy in the greenhouse]

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☺ Motivational Mondays! ☺

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We're taking back Mondays!!!

"Motivational Mondays" are fabulous tips to get you excited and pumped for the week! 

Feeling low? Moody? Down on life? Well, that's what these posts are for! Time to feel awesome again and get some Positivity rolling! Just because it's Monday doesn't mean you can't have fun, smile, and enjoy Today! Apply these tips to your week and try to tell me that you don't start to see an improvement in your life! ;)

It's all about You! Change your perception, change your attitude, love your life! xo

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☺ Be Nice! I rambled about this topic in my last "life reflections" post and I think it's an appropriate reminder. Always choose to be nice to others. Being nice is your best friend. You don't have to agree with someone, you don't even have to like someone, but you can still be nice to that person. So choose to do so. It's what you and those around you need most. 

☺ Spring Clean! Spring is in the air, and you know what else is? Spring cleaning! Time to clear out the closet, clean your home, and take out the trash from your soul and life. Extend your spring cleaning to all aspects of your life. If there are people in it that are causing you harm, clean them out. If you have some bad habits that don't benefit you, clear them out. Clean out and start fresh! It's the most wonderful thing about spring!               

☺ You can't have the sun without a little rain… Life is a roller coaster, even if you are on top of the world and the happiest person around, there are still bumps. This is important to remember, so that the bumps past quickly and so that you aren't hard on yourself when those bumps do occur and you feel as if you've done something wrong. The bumps are the lessons and the contrast. Without the lows we wouldn't appreciate the highs. 

☺ Start Composting!  Come on now, it's 2013, and it's the year for positive change and innovation. It's time to do one of the best things you can do for the planet in your kitchen. Compost! We cut down our waste to one black garbage bag a year by starting our compost (and buying in bulk and being more conscious of packing, and recycling of course). Don't worry, there are stink-free options, indoor options, outdoor options, options for everyone anywhere. So no more excuses! Click here to find the right composting system for you! :)  

☺ Speak from your heart. The next time you have a conversation, or just speaking, with someone, focus on your words coming from your heart. As you speak each word imagine that the words are coming right out from your heart. This practice places you in the moment and puts you in a space of love. The more love you can welcome into your life the more beautiful it will be.     

☺ Get Outside and turn off the Wifi! It's crazy how dependent we are on electronics, on our little devices, computers, and cell phones. What happened to the days of being outside in nature, and of leaving your phone at home? It wasn't that long ago that we didn't all have cell phones. Learn to become less attached to it. Instead of carrying it around with you all week, learn to leave it in one spot and only check it on occasion. If you're leaving your house, try leaving the cell phone at home. Try only checking your Facebook or going on your computer once per day (and for a minimum amount of time). And on the weekends, ditch the electronics and get outside! That is your goal for the week!   

☺ "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." ~John Wooden. We care far too often what others think of us when we shouldn't. If you feel judged, know that the person is merely judging themselves. So stop belittling yourself to the views of others. Be yourself, be the best version of yourself and don't let anyone else get in the way of that. 

Don't forget to get out there and Create a Nice Day!! 

Much Love from me to you! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Easy "Cheesy" Potatoes! Ⓥ

This is a delicious, creamy, easy and quick recipe to whip up. It's the perfect comfort food and/or side dish to any meal and will leave any cheesy cravings satisfied. 

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free (and vegan of course), free of nuts, and free of soy--for those with lots of allergies like myself. ;)  

Easy "Cheesy" Potatoes

1 Large Sweet Potato (or regular potatoes)

1 Tbsp Earth Balance, or vegan margarine

1 Tbsp Rice flour (or other flour)

1/4 cup vegetable broth

4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

3/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Mustard, ground

1/2 tsp Garlic salt

1/2 tsp Turmeric 

about 1/2 cup "Milk" (I like to use coconut because it's a little creamier)

Chop up your potatoes and in a medium pot, boil them until almost cooked. Don't overcook them though, you want to be able to be firm but able to poke them with a fork but for them not to be mushy.  

Drain the water. 

In the same pot, add the earth balance, stock, and spices and stir for a moment. Add the flour, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice, and then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. The flour will thicken up the sauce so you can add more or less milk depending on how creamy you want it to be. Cook for a few minutes until your sauce has thickened up. 

Serve and enjoy! Super easy cheesy potatoes! 

Makes 2 servings. If you want larger portions just double up the recipe. 

This recipe has been shared at: Fat Tuesday

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☆ Earth Hour 2013 ☆

Hello Loves! 

So today is Earth Hour 2013! I decided I needed to do a quick post to remind everyone to turn off your lights and electronics at 8:30pm for an hour. This may seem like a small act, but every small act accounts for something bigger. In reality this is a huge movement and stands for so much more than just switching the lights off, it stands for our environment's protection and to show the world that we care and we are acting to protect it. 

So switch your lights off for at least an hour! Take the pledge at World WildlifeFund: http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/PageServer?pagename=EarthHourPledge_2013_Individual

And to find out more: http://worldwildlife.org/pages/earth-hour

What are you going to do for Earth Hour? Our plans aren't set in stone, but will most likely include some boardgames in the candlelight, or stargazing under the moonlight outside (if it's not too cold), or whatever else we may feel like. Get creative! Get some friends together and have fun with it! Share your photos and experiences! Let me know how you plan to (or have already) spent your Earth Hour! :) 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

{life reflections}

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{life reflections}

 Weekly thoughts and rambles. A glimpse into my mind and world. 

These are entries that I might jot down in my Happy Diary; what happens when we put our fingers to the keyboard and allow our thoughts to flow uninhibited. Reflections from the soul. 

Reflections of life.  

I hope to leave you inspired. 

If you want to share your own reflections of the week please leave a link to your "life reflections" entry in the comments for all to find and see.

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The sun is shining, the weather is warming up, and I've had a rather social week. Life feels good. 

It's interesting though, the ups and downs, the struggles, the rush of emotions, and the releases and surprises. Life is unpredictable, that is for sure. But it's a good thing. 

I'm trying to remind myself (and others) that life is a constant wave, but, no matter where you are, you can benefit from your position. Life puts you where you need to be in order to learn something, to increase your personal growth. It's just that we don't always see that, and when we fail to see that we tend to fall into negative habits and emotions and miss the lessons altogether. Then the spiral can happen which we get stuck in until we finally stand up and say "no!" But we can't walk away from what life is trying to teach us until we learn the lesson, otherwise we may feel as if we're getting ahead only to end up back in that same situation or place in life over and over again. It repeats until we can learn what we were meant to learn. Sometimes the lessons are concealed, sometimes they're subtle, and sometimes we really have to dig deep to get there, but the lesson is always there, one way or another. Or multiple ways. We can learn so much from a single experience or a single ordeal in our lives. Again, we just have to choose to see this. Life is all about attitude, or at least the state and condition of your Self within that life is all about attitude. It's a lesson that I still practice, that still takes work, and that can still be improved upon, but it is one solid message I remind myself of and carry with me at all times. It's the light switch that tells me everything is going to be alright, that I have a Choice in the way my life is going to be (in the future and, more importantly, in this very moment). It's all about my own attitude. I can choose to be Happy or I can choose to be sad. My choice. No one else's. Not life's circumstances or troubles can change that, attitude is up to me alone. And our lives then reflect whatever attitude we choose to pick up. That is why attitude is so important, why staying positive is so important, why reminding yourself to see the lessons and to smile in the face of troubles is so important. Why "I can't" or "that's impossible" are not words that should be in your vocabulary. Attitude will shape your life. 

I get it though, it's easy to get discouraged, especially if you feel stuck in one spot, in one lesson that you just can't get past. But discouragement and feeling frustrated are not beneficial emotions. It's important to remember that life is beautiful at all times when our eyes are open to it, and it's also important to remember that nothing is permanent. We can't get too attached to feeling down, but it's just as important not to get too attached to feeling too high either. Happiness is a state of being. We may experience extreme highs, but if we get attached to that high then we feel disappointed at the downward swings. Hold everything with passing release. Go with the flow. Everything in life changes, nothing is permanent. And there's beauty and comfort in that, again, if we so choose to see it. 

What am I trying to say? Life is beautiful! Your Attitude will make it so. Don't get discouraged ever ever. Stay Positive. And remember that life is a journey not a destination, so learn to enjoy the ride, to go with the flow, and to laugh and smile all day long. 

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{this moment}

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"There are no ordinary moments." ~Way of the Peaceful Warrior

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A photo (or two) capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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Making my niece laugh hysterically

Making silly faces with my little siblings

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☺ Buddha and the Angry Man ☺

“One day Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him.

“You have no right teaching others,” he shouted. “You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake.”

Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?”

The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.

“If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy. But when you love others, everyone is happy.”

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♥ Permaset Aqua: Eco-friendly textile printing ♥

Today I thought I would share the inks I use for all my silkscreening. :)

When I first started silkscreening over a year ago I was determined to find eco-friendly inks. I mean, I use eco-friendly fabrics and try to do everything as eco-friendly as possible so it didn't make sense to me to use toxic inks that would wash down the drain and pollute the world as well as be toxic for people to wear. So in my search I found Permaset, an amazing environmentally-friendly, non-toxic, water-based textile ink. Put simply, I love them. 

Permaset inks are a revolution in textile screen printing inks. Based on carefully selected pigments and the latest advances in polymer technology, Permaset delivers pure colour, a superior soft handle and excellent durability in an easy to use ink that is environmentally friendly.

Why water-based inks?

Most textile inks are just plain terrible, and most are plastisol inks. Plastisol inks contain PVC and phthalates that are harmful to the environment and have been linked to numerous medical disorders. Plastisol inks also require the use of harmful solvents in the cleaning process. 

Water based inks do not contain PVC or phthalates and you don't need solvents to clean the screens down after they've been used - you can clean them with water, hoorah! 

Permaset Aqua inks do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFC's and HCFC's, aromatic hydrocarbons or any volatile solvents. In fact, Permaset Aqua inks do not contain any toxic chemicals at all. It is formulated free from Lead and other heavy metals and passed the Oekotex Class 1 standard with 60% to spare. Plus, it's safe to use on underwear, swimwear, and even baby clothes.

So, simply? I feel comfortable using them and selling my customers products that aren't going to poison their skin! 

Permaset also has an amazing selection of colours and options. The inks are really nice to work with, and since I have used other brands of ink when I very first started I do have something to compare them to. The inks glide on smoothly and are easy to work with, they also dry quickly and are just plain beautiful and vibrant. Best of all? They are non-toxic and are the most eco-friendly in the industry. 

They also have printing ink for paper, cardboard, glass, and plastics, which I have not yet tried but hope to soon. And they have specifically made inks for bright and dark toned fabrics for unmatched results.

I have a few new projects in the works, that I'm not going to reveal too much about yet… it has something to do with leggings and bright colours ;)… but I am very excited to be trying out some new colours and to share new experiments and projects with you very soon. 

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