Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 176
March 21, 2011
cute vegan pumps I wore in vamps
March 18, 2011
my new hummus recipe
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Hummus is sooo good and rich in protein! I know you can buy it almost anywhere but it's just so good homemade. Plus it keeps for a while and it's great for trips. And it's cheap! I love hummus because I can keep it in the fridge for the better part of a week. It's just great to throw on a salad in a nori wrap or on the side of your plate.
I really tweaked this recipe until I felt it was the yummiest combo for my taste. I hope you love it! It's light and refreshing – and very superhero!
Alicia's Hummus
Ingredients
2 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
3 T tahini roasted or raw whatever you have in home or use more liquid saved from cooked beans ½ to ¾ a cup
3 t ume paste
Juice ½ a lemon
Garlic little optional
½ t salt
Variation for a summer-y zesty taste
Add juice from one more ¼ lemon
Add 1 T scallion chopped fine optional
Use far less paste: 2 t umeboshi paste
Omit garlic
Add 2 t mellow barley or sweet white miso - you can just scoop out the miso without diluting it. Diluting is more macro just because it makes the salt cook down but if you're going to do that I'd say don't add the raw salt either! If you're not worried about being strictly superhero just toss the miso in!
This is also delicious using 1/2 garbanzo beans and 1/2 black beans!
Steps
Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth
Make sure you taste it while it's in the blender to see if it meets your needs! Add more lemon or ume or whichever ingredient you want more of if you feel like it!
Add a little bean liquid as needed
Chill
Serve with pita bread or sprouted Chapatti lettuce and sprouts or as dip with chips.
What's your favorite way to eat hummus?
March 16, 2011
Love Animals Eat Vegetables Wear Minerals Sponsored Post
What if the kindest safest and most natural makeup also made you look the best? Would you want to try it and learn a little more about how to use it?
We hope so!
Alima Pure is announcing our "I'm Naturally Gorgeous" Photo Contest and the prize is a 250 Alima Pure personaliized gift package! The prize includes everything you see pictured above: Satin Matte Foundation Finishing Powder Blush Bronzer 5 Eye Colors and 7 Luxury cruelty-free Brushes.
Plus the winner will receive a priceless consultation with our Makeup Artist to select the perfect foundation and most flattering shades for the looks you want to achieve. Read on to find out how to get started!
How To Be Ready in 5!
For our first challenge we want you to create a naturally gorgeous look using 5 products or fewer! Here is an example of a 5-product look using only four Alima Pure items plus a vegan lip balm.
On the left – Sara is ready for the "Ready in Five" challenge. On the right - Sara is wearing Satin Matte Foundation Beige 2 Satin Matte Blush in Pink Pearluster Shadow in Silk and Luminous Shimmer Shadow in Tigereye. For her lips she mixed her blush with some vegan lip balm.
Here are some tips for achieving your own naturally gorgeous look with fewer than 5 products!
To start apply your Satin Matte Foundation with our 25 Foundation Brush. Remember that for the most natural look it is best to apply several sheer layers so start out with less than you think you need. If your skin is in good shape just apply a sheer layer in the center part of your face. Most discolorations are in the nose and cheek area so extending foundation to the edges of the face is often not necessary if the foundation is a good match.
For a five minute look you definitely want a pop of color on the cheeks but not too bright. Go with something that will bring life to your cheeks but not overwhelm you. For fair skin try Luminous Shimmer Blush in Freja or Satin Matte Blush in Mimosa. On medium skin Luminous Shimmer Blush in Leigh or Satin Matte Blush in Honey Rose will give a natural flush; and for darker skin Luminous Shimmer Blush in Cerise or Satin Matte Blush in Antique Rose will give you a healthy glow.
To open up your eyes a soft shimmer shadow in a light shade can do wonders. If when you look straight into the mirror your eyelid is not very visible you want to only apply the shimmer from the crease to the brow. If you have quite a bit of visible lid apply the shimmer all the way from the lashes to the brow. Depending on how much shimmer you like you could try something quite sparkly like Luminous Shimmer Shadow in Venus or Paris; or something with a moderate amount of shimmer like Gazelle or Chai. If you are shimmer-shy try our Pearluster Shadow in Champagne or Silk.
Finish your eye look with a deeper shade. If you applied your lighter color from the crease to the brow then you will want to apply the darker shade all over your lid. If you applied from lashes to brows put the darker shade in your crease concentrating on the outer corner and extending up beyond the crease at the outer 1/3 of the eye. For this darker shade you can go with something neutral like Satin Matte Shadow in Cocoa or Luminous Shimmer Shadow in Tigereye; or you can get more adventurous with jewel tones. Pearluster Shadow in Amethyst will enhance green eyes; Luminous Shimmer Shadow in Azure will draw attention to brown eyes; or a warm golden-toned shadow like Pearluster Shadow in Camel will bring a vivid contrast to blue eyes. Use a bit of your darker shade with a damp brush to line the upper lash line for extra emphasis.
Combine your blush with a touch of your favorite vegan lip balm to complete the look. Now you're ready for your close-up! You look fresh and awake polished and professional but you've only used four or five products and no harmful chemicals!
Create Your Own Naturally Goregous "Be Ready in 5" Look!
Now it's your turn!
To enter our "Be Ready in 5" contest create a look inspired by the description above. You can use any 5 makeup products that you have at home they don't have to be Alima products! Then take a picture of yourself or get a friend to and send an email to alimapurecontestgmail.com with the following:
Photo of your look
Your name
Your city
The five products you used
A few sentences about how you created your look
We'll select a winner from all entries received by midnight on March 30th 2011 PST. Entries will be judged on skill and creativity.
Remember the winner receives a 250 Alima Pure gift package personalized so the colors are perfect for you along with a consultation with a Makeup Artist. Plus we'll announce the winner and feature the winning picture on the homepage of The Kind Life! So get to work on your look!
For complete contest rules and details go here!
BONUS: enjoy 10 off any purchase at Alima Pure through March 23rd! All you have to do is use coupon code kind5 when you check out!
this dog can say i love you!
I recently came across this video of a dog whose howl sounds just like the words "I love you!" It's too cute! It will make you smile and chuckle!
Does your dog know any people words?
March 15, 2011
my appearance today on the doctors!
Check out this quick video I shot for "The Doctors"! I'm also on today's episode of the show so be sure to check it out! You can find out what time it airs in your area right here .
I can't wait to hear what you think!
cute bags from namaste inc.!
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Namaste Inc. is a Los Angeles-based family owned company that makes a wide variety of bags and accessories using PVC-free animal free textiles. They come in a ton of different colors and sizes!
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As always if you've got a great purse already don't go out and buy a new one! But if you really need a new bag these could be a great option. For more information about Namaste Inc. visit their website or check them out on Facebook.
What are you using to tote your stuff these days?
March 14, 2011
"the kind diet" paperback edition is here!
I know many of you are here because you read my book first. But you'd be surprised how many questions I see in the forums and in my private messages that are already covered in great detail in my book. So I'm guessing there are quite a few of you out there who haven't had a chance to read it yet. Well now's your chance! The Kind Diet is now available in paperback it officially goes on sale tomorrow but you can pre-order it today. Yippee!
The paperback edition is made from soy ink and the highest grade recycled paper that can be found. It's less expensive than ever and more portable too meaning you can take it with you wherever you go. So to all you newbies: If you don't have a copy already no more excuses. Get it read it and start living it!
The book covers so many of the most commonly asked questions about everything from dairy to protein and all sorts of other nutritional topics that it will actually end up saving you time and energy by giving you answers you'd otherwise be trying to get from the site. Plus you'll have great recipes and all the info you need on the superhero diet and weight loss if that's a goal of yours.
I'm thrilled that The Kind Diet will be even more accessible now. To pre-order today or buy starting tomorrow a copy of the paperback edition for yourself or a friend just go to Amazon Barnes & Noble or IndieBound! If the paperback is still out of your budget range you can always find used copies on Amazon or Ebay – or check out a copy from your local library. It doesn't matter how you get your hands on it as long as you dive in and find out what your fellow Kind Lifers have been talking about all this time. It can change your life!
March 13, 2011
my upcoming book tour!
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I'm really excited about doing a mini-book tour this month for the release of the paperback edition of The Kind Diet on March 15!
Because of the book's release I'll be on the March 15 episode of the show "The Doctors" - so set your DVRs! The doctors were so nice!
I'll also be doing book signings at various bookstores around LA. I'd love to meet you Los Angeles Kind Lifers if you can make it out to any of these events! Bring friends that you think would benefit from the book! Here is my schedule:
Tuesday March 15 – 7:15 PM
Barnes & Noble at The Grove
189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles CA
Wednesday March 16 – 6:45 PM
Vroman's Bookstore
695 East Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena CA
Tuesday March 22 – 6:45 PM
Santa Monica Public Library
601 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica CA
At each book signing I will be giving a brief 20-minute talk followed by a 10-minute Q&A. I would love to see you!
March 11, 2011
babycakes is now being served at disney world!
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PETA recently reported the exciting news that Disney World has closed its McDonald's and replaced it with Babycakes vegan cupcakes!
Just imagine all the people from all over the globe who come through Disney World every year! All of them will have a chance to discover how great vegan treats are and that much fewer people will be buying the nasty food McDonald's makes.
What other vegan treats have you found at Disney theme parks?
March 10, 2011
agar agar kuzu and arrowroot oh my! plus secrets for constipation
If you've ever cooked a sauce or gravy from scratch you've likely used a thickener. Perhaps the best-known and most easily accessible thickening agent is cornstarch. Derived from the endosperm of corn and then fermented cornstarch is highly processed and not particularly nutritious. Arrowroot agar agar or kanten and kuzu are all more natural thickening agents that you can substitute for cornstarch. Which one you choose depends on what you'd like to make! Read on for a breakdown of where each of these starches comes from what they're best used for and what health benefits they offer:
Arrowroot is a perennial herb found in rain forest habitats. It thickens at a lower temperature than cornstarch and is ideal for delicate dishes like soufflés or clear sauces like sweet and sour sauce. It also freezes well so you can use it in dishes that you plan to reheat later. Relatively flavorless and low in fiber and calories arrowroot is known for being easy on the stomach. Once considered to be powerfully medicinal arrowroot is now thought to have few nutritional properties although there is some evidence that it may help to lower cholesterol.
You can buy arrowroot starch here.
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Agar agar known in Japanese as Kanten is derived from red algae and is most commonly used as a thickener in Asian desserts it sets like jello as well as a clarifying agent in brewing beer. Because Of it's high fiber content 80 agar agar provides a feeling of fullness and actually expands after being ingested. It has been part of a fad diet in Asia and has recently received some press coverage in the U.S. as an antidote to obesity. Agar Agar is a dietary source of iron phosphorus calcium and vitamins A B1 B6 biotin C and D and contains fewer calories than animal gelatin. The Chinese view agar agar as a "cooling" food ideal for treating headaches fever or even acne. It's also used in Chinese medicine to treat constipation by cooking it with Apple juice and drinking it before it sets. You would make it just as you would make Kanten but drink it while it's hot. It's important to note that the b-12 in agar is not useable in the human body. It's called b-12 analog and our bodies can't break it down for use... So even though it has b-12 in it it's not really a source.
Kuzu Root is derived from the Japanese plant that is also now common in the American South it's called Kudzu in the South. Kuzu is a starch that is commonly used as a food ingredient and in Vietnam is dissolved as a beverage drunk with pomelo oil. Like arrowroot kuzu adds shine and produces translucent sauces and gravies. Kuzu powder comes in white chunks that you have to crush or dissolve in cool liquid before cooking. It looks like crack! Not that I have any idea what that looks like but it comes in big white chunks. You can see a picture of it in my book.
It's traditionally used to relieve digestive problems by creating an alkaline condition in the digestive tract and is also believed to suppress a desire for alcohol.
You can buy kuzu root here.
Have you tried arrowroot agar agar or kuzu? Start your adventures with these delicious kuzu recipes from The Kind Diet:
Candied Gingered Pears p. 278
Peach Crumble p. 194
Plum Soup p. 280
Vegetable Tempura p. 274
Lemon-Poppy Seed Pound Cake p. 188
If you'd like to try agar agar you can try the strawberry kanten recipe on page 288 of my book. If you want to go the medicinal route agar agar mixed with apple juice helps with constipation. Kuzu drinks are used for many other digestive issues from acidic stomach to indigestion to diarrhea. Digestive issues are all different but most of them are the result of an acidic condition.
Constipation is totally different - it's not caused by acid but by stagnated energy which could be acid but not always. So the starch base of kuzu would make constipation worse. Starch is binding and it's the fiber and manganese in the agar agar that opens the constipation.
To relieve constipation you can try this recipe:
Take 1 cup of apple juice and cook it with 1 tablespoon of agar flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook stirring over low heat til the flakes dissolve about 10-12 minutes. Stir constantly and drink it hot. You can squeeze a wee bit of lemon juice in it if you feel like it but it isn't needed.
Thank you Christina Pirello for helping me put together this info!
Do you cook with agar agar kuzu or arrowroot?
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