Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 147

kind classics: candied ginger pears

During the holidays it can be hard to get away from cream and butter-laden desserts. But this superhero Candied Ginger Pears dessert from my book p. 279 is delicious and sophisticated and is a great option to serve to your guests!

Ingredients

1 cups of ground almonds
2 tbsp. of brown rice syrup
3 large or 4 small pears halved and core scooped out
1 1/2 cups of pear or apple juice
1 tsp. of ginger juice grate 1" fresh ginger and use your fingers to squeeze out the juice
1 Pinch of fine sea salt
1 tbsp. of kuzu mixed with 1 T cold pear juice
1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. of lemon zest
4 tsp. of maple syrup optional

Steps

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat
Add the almonds and toast for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly until fragrant and golden brown
Transfer to a small bowl to cool
When cool buzz the almonds in a food processor or blender until very finely ground
Heat the rice syrup in a small saucepan
Add the ground almonds and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens
Set aside
Arrange the pears in a deep skillet cut sides up
Add the pear or apple juice to the pan along with the ginger juice and salt
Cover the pan bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the pear halves are soft
Using a slotted spoon transfer the pears to a serving platter reserving the cooking liquid
Fill the hollow of each pear with some of the ground almond mixture
Stir the diluted kuzu into the reserved cooking liquid and heat for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly until the sauce thickens
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest
Pour the sauce over the pears and serve
For extra sweetness and some color drizzle each pear with 1 teaspoon maple syrup

What are some of your favorite kind holiday desserts?

Related Stories:

Mixed Winter Squash Soup
Superhero Recipe: Golden Hijiki Tarts
Dreamy Pear Trifle
Pumpkin Bread

more great deals on kind gifts

I'm featuring some super cute gifts at a great discount for all you kind ladies today and next week in my Open Sky store. I wanted to share in case you're on the hunt for kind stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts for the groovy girls in your life.
 
Today on Open Sky

 

Hibiskiss Tinted Lip Balm from Crazy Rumors

Remember when you were a kid and you'd get fun little pots of flavored lipgloss in your Christmas stocking? Well think of this as the adult and all-natural version of that childhood treat.

These flavored Hibikiss lip balms smell like candy! They come in a rainbow of pretty pretty hues—from botanical extracts not artificial colors. Made from natural ingredients like soy wax jojoba oil olive oil and sheabutter they're cruelty-free and great for keeping your lips moisturized all winter.

Next Friday on Open Sky

Non-toxic Nail Polish by PRITI NYC

I'm not a huge nail polish wearer - I like to keep my nails looking clean and natural. When I do wear polish I only use non-toxic brands and try to stick with natural colors.

PRITI NYC is super nontoxic and eco-friendly. Their pretty polishes are all completely non-toxic and made without toluene dibutyl phthalate DHB and formaldehyde - all known carcinogenic ingredients. They're also fast drying chip resistant and are extremely durable and glossy. Plus they're completely safe for use on children and moms-to-be the founder Kim D'Amato came up with the idea for a nontoxic nail polish line when she was pregnant and wanted a great manicure!.

I picked out a few colors I hope you'll like. I think this set will make a groovy gift for girlfriends--or for yourself!
 
For more awesome gift ideas and great deals on kind products be sure to follow me on Open Sky – it's free! What kind of gifts are you giving this year? And what else would like to see featured in my Open Sky store? Let me know in the comments below!

PS – Open Sky is offering free gift wrapping from 12/12-12/14 – be sure to choose their eco-friendly gift wrapping option!

Related Stories:

My Kind Gift Guide
Holiday Classics: Eco-Friendly Gift-Wrapping Tips!

holiday classics: eco-friendly gift-wrapping tips!

Once you've chosen thoughtful eco-friendly gifts for your loved ones the challenge is to wrap them without contributing to the extra 5 million tons of garbage generated in the US each holiday season that's about 25 more garbage than we generate at other times of year!. Girlie Girl Army has a couple of great ideas for cutting down on waste:

Wrap gifts in old newspaper or thrift store fabrics and ribbons
Use brown paper bags although hopefully you don't have a tone of these because you are using your resusable canvas bags or get creative with magazines and even junk mail hopefully you have stopped your junk mail. If you haven't go here to learn how.

For any gifts we give we save ribbon boxes and paper all year round from gifts we have received. And we just use all of that to make our gift wrap.

What other gift-wrapping ideas do you have?

My Kind Gift Guide
Adopt a Christmas Tree
Simple Ways to Reduce Waste
The Battle Against Plastic Bags Continues

kind book club: this months selection is

Shantaram! This pick is our first piece of fiction. I hope you all eat it up as much as I did! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about it!

You can find used copies here or you can always check your local library. Be sure to post any thoughts or questions you have along the way in the comments below.

As always I'll be posting a compilation of your thoughts and feelings about Shantaram. Enjoy the read as you travel to your holiday destinations or enjoy a cozy staycation this season.

Related Stories:

Kind Book Club: This Month's Selection Is...
Kind Lifers Debate The Continuum Concept...
What Did You Think of Meat Is For Pussies?

be a kind starlett this holiday with kaia house

If you're a Kind Lifer you're no stranger to Kaia House. You might have seen or heard about our incredible selection of vegan non-toxic nail colors or our Soy Polish Remover but we also have a loyal following for our natural and organic skin care and mineral makeup products that are based on ancient beauty remedies with a modern day twist.

One must have for the holidays is our best-selling Bright Eyed Starlett Eye Serum that helps de-puff minimize fine lines and wrinkles and lighten up those pesky dark circles. How does it do it? With the magic of Japanese Honeysuckle and Nature's most nourishing ingredients like Linden Blossom Rose and Ylang Ylang and Shea. By providing super hydration in a light serum the delicate skin around the eyes is nurtured relieving puffiness dark circles and the look of fine lines - all the consequences of dehydration from lack of sleep and moisture.

What's the best thing about Kaia House's Bright Eyed Starlett? You can get it for FREE!

Order over 25 on KaiaHouse.com and get the Bright Eyed Starlett a 32 value free. To claim all you have to do is put "Starlett" in the comments section of your order when you check out. No need to add to basket the serum will automatically be added to your order when it is processed. 

While you are "kinding" your eyes this holiday check out other best sellers like Kaia House's Charcoal Detoxifying Cleanser for combination skin or our Chemically Naked Rosewater Toner. Plus give the gift of Green by "kinding" your gifts with 30 off! Head on over to Kaia House Gifts for vegan body scrubs lotions and other goodies and use code: kind30 to save on already reduced items.  

Both offers expire December 20 2011.

Want a chance to win 10 non-toxic nail colors from Kaia House? Click on over to our Facebook page and submit a picture of your town or city to our Pretty City contest. Five lucky fans will have a chance to win 10 Kaia House nail colors by uploading a pic of your town/city and writing a little about why you love it.

A vegan beauty lover's dream Kaia House is a great place to find something kind for loved ones this holiday.

Today's post is proudly sponsored by

thank you for joining my live chat!

Here's the transcript of today's live chat in case you missed it!

 

I had so much fun chatting with you all!
 
Love
Alicia

my kind gift guide

Whatever the occasion I always try to give gifts that people need. Some of my favorites are toiletries natural products a copy of my book or pieces from my EcoTools collection along with some fun stuff too. It's important to me that the gifts I give are always vegan eco and thoughtful.

From recycled cards to crafty gifts and do-it-yourself wrapping paper here's a guide to kind gift giving this season:

Cards You Can Plant


The crafting blog MakesandTakes.com has instructions for making your own seed paper out of flower seeds and paper scraps you have lying around the house. You can also buy pre-made seed paper here. Embellish your cards with dried and pressed flowers from your garden a collage cut out from old magazines buttons beads or scraps of fabric – be creative and use what you have!

Recycled Cards

Most importantly if you buy new cards make sure they are made from 100 recycled paper – or don't buy new cards at all and do what I do. I save cards as I'm given them and cut the side off that has no writing. It's quick and easy especially since I don't usually have time for crafty projects. I just reuse the cards I've been given!

Get Twiggy

There are a bunch of great crafts you can do with twigs or branches you may find in your yard at this time of year. These are really beautiful.

DIY picture frame from EatDrinkChic.com.


Branch photo holder from CarolynsHomework.


Twig basket from FluorishDesignandStyle.

For Your Favorite Foodie


Try making this Herb Planter from the blog NotJustAHousewife.com made with reclaimed wood and mason jars. How great would this be in your and your friends' kitchens?


A popular way to say Happy Holidays to distant loved ones is to send homemade cookies. The Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies on page 187 of The Kind Diet would be a pretty holiday cookie to mail to your loved ones. Last year I baked assorted desserts from my book and gifted them in boxes decorated with pieces of ribbon or wrapping paper I've been given in the past. I also included the recipes printed on recycled paper of course so my friends could recreate their kind treats. To see how I did this last year check out the blog I wrote about dessert gifts here.

If you're shipping your baked goods Martha Stewart has fool-proof cookie-packing instructions here. Get creative by using boxes tins or packing materials you may already have. Old newspapers work really well for insulating delicate shipments – try to avoid buying packing peanuts or bubble wrap.


If you don't feel like baking you can still send cookie mix. Post Punk Kitchen has a  pecan chocolate chip mix that you can put in a mason jar decorate and send along with a hand written recipe card.

Kid-Friendly Craft
 
This all-natural vegan homemade play dough from Organic Authority is a perfect gift to make with your kids to give to their friends or other kids in the family.

For the Ladies

This salt scrub from ChicandGreenDaily.com would be a great gift for your girlfriends or any groovy lady in your life! You can customize by adding any essential oil you like. Put it in a mason jar and add a handwritten tag tied with ribbon or twine.

If Crafting Isn't In the Cards…

If this year is crazy madness for you you can find great eco-friendly gifts on etsy.com. Below are a few cute options:

Hand-painted ceramic travel mug

100 vegan lilac rose soap


100 vegan baby beanie with earflaps

For ideas about wrapping your gifts using stuff you already have check out the blog I posted on this topic last year. Of course all of these ideas can be customized and tweaked to fit your loved ones.

What kind of gifts do you plan to give this year?

Related Stories:

Eco-Friendly Gift-Wrapping Tips
Adopt a Christmas Tree
My Warm Spicy Wine
Holiday Hors D'oeuvres

its cake week on made just right

Last week we announced the 2nd Annual Made Just Right™ Holiday Bake-Off brought to you by Earth Balance®. We've just wrapped up the pie portion of the competition and now we are moving on to vegan cake recipes… delicious fluffy glorious cakes!
Submit your original vegan recipes for a chance to win great prizes including:

1400 Whole Foods Market gift card
A year's supply of Earth Balance® products
Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board & kitchen supplies
'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition' by Julieanna Hever! 

Do you have a yummy vegan cake recipe? Submit it to the contest here! Cake recipes must be submitted by 11:59 EST on December 11th so start baking! The following week we will be accepting cupcake recipes and then the final week of the competition will be all about cookies. You can submit as many vegan recipes as you like and we are giving out a special prize for 'Most Recipes Submitted'!
 
To get you inspired check out this celebratory birthday cake recipe created by two of the fabulous judges in this year's Holiday Bake-Off recipe contest Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg of Spork Foods.

VEGAN BIRTHDAY CAKE

Ingredients

1 cup spelt flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons egg replacer dry
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups unsweetened Earth Balance® Soymilk plus 11⁄2 teaspoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar set aside to curdle
1/3 cup neutral tasting oil
1 cup evaporated cane sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons naturally dyed sprinkles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl combine flours baking powder baking soda egg replacer and sea salt. Whisk until uniform.

In a separate bowl whisk curdled soymilk oil sugar and vanilla extract and slowly incorporate into dry ingredients. Mix batter until uniform but do not over mix.

Pour batter into two greased 9-inch- round baking dishes. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into middle of cake.

Find out how to make the frosting and assemble the cake by heading on over to Made Just Right™! And don't forget to submit your own vegan recipe while you're there!

Photo Credit: Patrick M. Gookin II

Today's post is proudly sponsored by

join my holiday live chat tomorrow

Hey everyone! I just wanted to remind you about my live chat tomorrow at 4PM PST / 7PM EST here on The Kind Life. I'll be answering your questions about how to celebrate a kind holiday season and sharing how I'll be celebrating as well. Mark your calendars and have your questions ready! Just log on to The Kind Life when the chat begins and you'll see instructions for participating.
 
I can't wait to chat with all of you tomorrow. What are you looking forward to discussing? Tell me in the comments below!

superhero recipe: golden hijiki tarts

Here is a recipe for an exotic sea veggie tart from LA-based author and macrobiotic chef Aine McAteer. It was featured on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" so even though I haven't tried it I'll bet it's good!
 
Golden Hijiki Tarts

Chef's Note: These delicious little pies make a great picnic or lunch box item. Since they're a little labor intensive I like to make a big batch and freeze some to pull out and re-heat when I don't feel like cooking.

Ingredients

    1 pkg. Hijiki
    1 Tbsp light sesame oil
    1 small onion diced
    Pinch sea salt
    1 medium carrot julienned
    1 ear corn kernels removed from cob
    1/2 cup apple juice
    1 Tbsp tamari or to taste
    1 tsp fresh ginger juice
    2 green onions thin diagonal slices
    2 carrots diced
    8 oz tofu
    2 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
    1 Tbsp white miso
    1 tsp umeboshi plum vinegar
    1 whole wheat pie crust

Steps

Rinse Hijiki thoroughly and soak in spring or filtered water for about 20 minutes
Heat sesame oil in a pan and sauté onions for 1 minute adding a pinch of sea salt
Add carrot and corn kernels and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes
Drain Hijiki and chop it into small pieces
Add Hijiki to pan along with half a cup of its soaking liquid and half a cup of apple juice
Bring to a boil cover pan and allow to simmer on a low heat for about 15 minutes
If not all liquid has been absorbed remove lid from pan turn up the heat and boil it off
Add tamari ginger and green onions and mix well

While veggies are cooking you can prepare the topping.

Steam carrot until soft and puree in a blender or food processor drizzling a little water in gradually to get a thick creamy consistency
Taste test and add a little more miso or plum vinegar if you require a stronger taste
Divide piecrust into 6 or 8 pieces
Roll each piece into a circle about 1/8" thick between two sheets of waxed paper or clear plastic wrap

You have two options at this stage. For both you will need to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
 
Option one: For this you need two mini tart trays - each tray will probably have four pie compartments. Line the bases of the tart trays with rolled out pastry and trim and crimp the edges. Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the veggie mixture into the pie base and spread some of the tofu mixture on top. For a prettier look you can use a piping bag and pipe mixture decoratively on top. drizzle a little olive oil on top of each pie and bake for about 25 minutes.
 
Option two: Put about 2 Tbsp of the veggie mixture onto the center of the rolled out pastry. Dampen the edges of the pastry and fold over to form a half moon. Trim and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. Can be served hot or cold with a dollop of the tofu cream. If serving hot you can warm the cream. If you prefer you can add more water to thin it out a bit so you can pour it as a sauce over the pie.
 
Have you tried hijiki? If not does this recipe seem like a good way to get introduced?

More Kind Recipes:

Pumpkin Bread
Dreamy Pear Trifle
Hot Apple Cider
Chef Chloe's Vegan Mac 'N Cheese