Love Made Visible

2010-04-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Girl By The Bay's hand silkscreened reproductions of the vintage WWII era poster shown here in juicy orange. LOVE. Visit the etsy shop here

2010-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

From Hijirik Studios:: Letterpress Prints and Cards with Love visit the etsy shop here

Natural 'Beauty'

2010-04-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Not only have I become super conscious about what I eat, but I have also become slightly obsessed about my exposure to everyday toxins and chemicals. From cleaning aids to beauty products - I am all about weaning myself off of the few remaining chemical laden products I use in my home and on my body! The way I see it - there are so many things (environmental factors) that are beyond our control - but what we choose to eat or clean our homes with or use on our skin are things we absolutely can control - so why shouldn't we be conscientious about the choices we make there? Aside from being better for the environment (reason alone to switch from chemical to natural) - products free of harmful additives are also better for us and aren't we worth it?

Because skin care products in particular (as all girls know) are generally quite an expensive investment... I decided to do a little research and product testing - and would encourage any of you to do the same before making a purchase (or switching brands). You can do this quite easily (as I did) simply by writing an email to any of the companies whose products you are interested in and requesting tiny samples.
I'm sorry, but in my (not so humble) opinion, any company worth their weight... any company who stands behind their product 100% that is not just feeding you some bullshit marketing scheme, should be more than happy to not only take the time to respond to your inquiry, but being a potential customer, they should also be more than willing to share a few samples with you as well. Some of you may have beauty regimens that are tried and true and which you don't wish to change. If it's working for you, stick with it! I happen to be a bit of a product whore and I love to try new things, so any excuse... : ) But I am also just appalled at the amount of harsh chemicals and other bad-for-you ingredients typically found in most skin care products and have become increasingly interested in making sure the products I use fall into the more natural and holistic categories - and I definitely seek out products that are not derived from or tested on animals.
I contacted 14 companies who to my knowledge fit this description - ranging from small, lesser known companies, to larger companies with a huge and well known presence within the beauty industry. It's been almost a week and so far I have heard back from 6 of these companies - and as I suspected would be the case - it was all of the smaller companies who responded immediately!

Over the course of the next couple of weeks - as the samples arrive, I'll be posting my reviews here. If any of you have had your own personal experiences with any of the companies mentioned - I'd love to hear about it! Or.. if there is another company whose products you've used and either loved or hated - I want to hear those stories as well.
Here is a list of the companies I contacted:

Dr. Hauschka
Juara Skin Care
Jurlique
Red Flower Organics
Origins
Pur~lisse
Fresh Skin Care
Sundari
Caudalie
REN Skin Care
Skyn Iceland
Sk-II
Amore Pacific
Korner Skin Care

I've already recieved some of the samples in the mail which is enough to make me smile in and of itself - it's like xmas in April! I am so excited to try these products that it just may result in some fun giveaways ladies...
Tomorrow I'll be posting about Dr. Hauschka so stay tuned!!!

New Beginnings

2010-04-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

For anyone who has visited this tiny blog more than once (anyone? Bueller?) you'll notice I have changed the format and the intention somewhat. I am no longer doing the numbered days journal entry thing - primarily because I am no longer embarked on the 100 day manifest challenge - which was the thing that propelled me into creating this blog in the first place. What can I say? I have a short attention span... and that grew dull after about two weeks of religiously updating my posts on a daily basis. Blah...

I have also put the whole vegan baking business on the shelf... for the time being. One of the things I've discovered since becoming all health-conscious and particularly since going vegan, is that I am super passionate about sharing all of the information I have and continue to learn along the way. Keeping this blog kind of brought that to light... I have always been really interested in health and nutrition and in particular, I have a soft spot for preventative medicine, holistic healthcare and 'natural' alternative treatments for illnesses.

Anyway... so as not to bore you all to tears... to make a very long story short, and to not give too much of my long term plan away (just yet) - I've decided to actively pursue going back to school this coming Fall. I'm not going to talk too much about that just yet, as I have a tendency to get all hopped up on an idea, tell everyone I know, and then let those ideas fall by the way side as soon as I become interested in something else... (some of you are totally rolling your eyes right now!) I'm not saying that will happen this time around as well... in fact I feel more sure about this than I have about anything else (even baking!) in a long time. But time will tell how this all pans out. When things start to really progress I'll keep you posted! In the meantime I will bake vegan cupcakes for free for any friend who wants to come over and share one with me sometime :)

Instead this blog will be more of a scrap book and catch all for all of the people, projects, places and ideas which inspire me on a regular basis. It will be a place where I can share information with you all - including information about products that I have used and loved (or hated) and which some of you may or may not have heard of. I'll share links to other blogs and websites that interest me and that I hope may interest you as well. I'd also love for it to be a place that creates an open forum for discussion about really any and everything - but primarily about health and happiness and creativity - all issues close to my heart - so if any of you have something you'd like to share or want to discuss, I'd like to encourage you to bring it to my attention. You can do so by posting a comment or sending me an email. I would love to hear from you!

So... until next time :)

Dairy Schmairy

2010-04-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Going vegan was pretty easy for me - I have never been a big meat eater. Eggs, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream on the other hand were a little harder to part with... but giving them up has seriously been the best thing I have ever done for my body - and I am thoroughly convinced that I am at least mildly lactose intolerant. It took some research and a little trial and error finding products to replace the dairy products I used most frequently - but here are a few exceptional products that I now cannot live without.

Veganaise. This is truly a must-have in a vegan pantry or for anyone looking for a cholesterol free alternative to regular mayonnaise. Veganaise is an eggless, soy-based, expeller-pressed canola oil, mayonnaise substitute and is by far the best tasting faux-mayo on the market. Canola oil has the lowest saturated fat of all the widely-used salad oils and this product delivers all of the rich taste of real mayonnaise without the usual cholesterol and preservatives. It's awesome on sandwiches - I have added fresh herbs, garlic, fresh chopped jalapeno etc to great affect - but it's also really good plain. I've made delicious salad dressings with veganaise - it's especially excellent for creamy potato salad... I go through this stuff like crazy. Look for the high Omega-3 version for an extra healthy, good for you boost.

I used to cook with and eat a lot of butter (Mmmm butter...) These days I cook exclusively with cold-pressed coconut and extra virgin olive oils. Since I am no longer a big consumer of bread or bagels or other things that require a spread of something... I don't find much need for a regular butter replacement. In those rare bread instances I prefer a nut butter... BUT I do love to bake (hellooo... cupcake obsession!) and so I do occasionally need a good butter substitute. The best I have found is Earth Balance non-hydrogenated vegetable oil spread - which comes in tubs and the more-convenient-for-baking sticks. Some hard core activists may take issue with this product given the company's use of palm oil and their supposedly unethical harvesting practices. I am not going to go into all of that here... if you're interested in learning more about that you can google it. What can I say? I am not that hardcore an activist and at the risk of sounding smug - I hope my being vegan in general and the positive affect that has on the environment offsets some of the negative practices using this product may support. I use it rather infrequently and alas... am not perfect. Unless someone can suggest a comparable product of the same high quality as Earth Balance that does not use palm oil, I am sticking with this brand. Incidentally... I do have several cake recipes that call for plain canola oil instead of butter - so this may be a good alternative as well. (just be sure to use the correct conversions) Oil in cake recipes usually makes for a very moist cake :)

Now that I've been doing the vegan thing for a while and my body has gone all 'pure' - I really don't even crave dairy anymore... I used to love yogurt - but I miss it so little that I've not even gotten around to trying some of the yummy sounding soy and coconut yogurt alternatives out there. (if any of you have tried them, I'd love to hear what you think!) I even successfully gave up ice cream - and I used to consider myself something of an ice cream connoisseur! These days when I want something sinfully sweet, I grab one of Turtle Mountain's Coconut Mini 'Ice Cream' Sandwiches or a Tofutti Cutie ... which are so yummy-licious that I can't even imagine ever wanting to eat the 'real thing' instead ever again. For reals! If you've never tried them you should... healthier on the heart and better for your kiddos too if you have 'em...
Tofutti (the company) makes lots of other dairy substitutes as well - but the only other one I have tried is Tofutti 'Better Than Cream Cheese ' which frankly, I think is not better than cream cheese at all... and pretty icky tasting if you ask me. Some of you might like it though - so don't let me discourage you from trying it.

As far as eggs go... again, I really don't miss them very much. I do enjoy a good tofu scram as an occasional breakfast alternative :) In baking I always replace eggs in recipes with applesauce or other fruit purees with great success - and that usually has the added benefit of making baked goods extra moist as well. I've never tried the 'flax seed mixed with water' trick as an egg replacer in baking - has anyone else?
Milk? In all honesty I was never much of a plain milk drinker before I went all vegan, but I am now a big proponent of almost all of the milk alternatives on the market including soy milk - especially chocolate soy milk, which does a very good job of satisfying my pesky sweet tooth and which I am somewhat addicted to... Love the EdenSoy brand. Rice milk (my personal favorite for drinking plain, smoothie-making, or having in cereal - Rice Dream is the Best!) and nut milks such as almond milk. I have yet to try hemp milk - but I've heard good things about it as far as taste and nutrition goes so I look forward to giving it a try soon.

I know there are also a lot of faux cheese products on the market (such as Daiya ) I probably shouldn't knock something I've never tried, but I feel the same way about these products as I do about faux meat products - no thank you. But that is just my own strange food preference... if you don't have an issue with them - by all means give them a try. I tend to lump them into the same category as non food-stuffs... overly-processed junk - and so I don't eat them for that reason as well.

That's it. That's my list of non-dairy must haves for the vegan kitchen - or for anyone looking for healthy dairy substitutes. If you have something to add to this list - or would like to share a dairy-free product or experience with the rest of us, I'd love to hear from you! I hope this post was informative to those of you who may have been unfamiliar with the products that were mentioned... even if you are not a vegan and have no interest in becoming one - perhaps you are just health-conscious - I would definitely encourage you to give these products a try some time.

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Vegan Bake Sales For Haiti

2010-01-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

Many of us have been deeply moved by the recent devastation in Haiti and are looking for ways to do our small part to contribute to the relief efforts that are underway. Like many of you, responsibilities here at home keep me from hopping on the next plane to Haiti to help first hand, but it doesn't mean my heart does not ache for the people who are now displaced and suffering - or that I cannot find a way to help from afar. On a recent visit to The Post Punk Kitchen's blog, I discovered an informative article concerning benefit bake sales and how to throw one together FAST. Of course, this site promotes vegan bake sales (which I am all about) but the same principles can be applied to 'regular' bake sales as well for all of you non-veg heads out there. Bake sales have been around forever and are a very effective way to build community and raise awareness for different causes. And who doesn't love to bake - or at least EAT baked goods?? I'm hoping to organize one that involves my daughter's entire 7th grade class... the proceeds of which will go directly to Doctors Without Borders. More information to follow soon...

Post Punk Kitchen has also compiled a comprehensive list of vegan bake sales that have been organized and are happening all across the country to benefit Haiti - so if you cannot organize one yourself, perhaps you can support one near you! Check it out - every little bit counts...

So what's the REAL deal with Agave Nectar??

2010-01-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

Day 15

2010-01-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

Some very disheartening evidence have come to light concerning agave nectar - and it's relative health and safety. I happen to love the taste, and the fact that it's so heavily promoted as a low-glycemic choice for diabetics has a certain appeal. However, I've uncovered several disturbing articles recently from seemingly reputable sources which actually reveal that agave is far from 'natural' and is, in fact, a HIGHLY processed manmade sweetener that may even be as harmful as high-fructose corn syrup when consumed in large doses. YIKES!
This is so sad... and potentially bad news for bakeries like BabyCakes in NYC - who use agave generously in their cupcake recipes. I'm not too scientifically minded and will spare you all my trying to explain the specifics of what I found out... but I will include a link to one of the articles I read so that you can decide for yourself how you feel about it. There is certainly more information out there to back this claim - and if you have any interest you can peruse google to learn some more...

Is anyone else as bummed about this as I am? What alternatives to refined white sugar does this now leave, besides perhaps maple syrup and honey - which some vegans object to. Fruit purees? Brown rice syrup? I'm inclined at this point to use evaporated cane juice (basically sugar that's not been so highly processed) in my recipes and just be mindful of how much I personally consume - given my relative sensitivity to all things sugar. Arrg...

Anyway - here is the article. Not so happy reading...

PS... if anyone has any convincing evidence to the contrary - I'd love to hear from you as well :)

2010-01-25T19:22:00.003-08:00

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Day 14

2010-01-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends...

I feel like I've been away a long time... and I suppose anyone following this tiny blog regularly has already realized that I've not exactly stuck to the (100) consecutive days thing. Much as I enjoy writing, I sometimes find it difficult to be inspired enough to want to write every day. I think I'm also coming out of a slight spell of mid-winter blues... nothing too debilitating, but I've just not felt the urge to sit down at the computer in a while - with the sole purpose of writing something interesting.

As I often do when I'm needing a little inspiration, I began searching online this evening for cupcakes and cupcake companies to get my creative juices flowing. I located a tiny cake company based in London called Violet cakes... and this may be my favorite discovery yet! I'm going to include some pics after the post which I borrowed from their GORGEOUS website. I'm crazy in Love with their aesthetic and was even more excited to learn that while their ingredients are most certainly not vegan (tiny bummer)... they ARE all organic (hooray!) - something I'd like to strive for in my own cupcake recipes as well. The cakes themselves are very basic - chocolate and white sponge cake - it's the BUTTERCREAM that truly distinguishes these little jewels - lending them not only their delicate essence of flavor, but also their stunning hues.

"The icings that top the moist little sponge cakes, are made by whipping up butter and sugar then gently folding in fresh fruit purees, melted Valrhona dark chocolate, freshly brewed espresso, home-made flower cordials or dark caramel made with sea salt."

The seasons dictate the limited edition flavors - Elderflower, rhubarb and mango in Spring, fresh berry flavors in Summer, quince, apple, Fragola grapes from Italy and pureed figs in Fall, clementines. lemon and grapefruit in Winter. In addition, there are coconut, passion fruit, honey and lavender infused buttercreams for when fruit is sparse. YUM!

Owner Claire Ptak is a food developer, food stylist and former pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley - which may partially explain her preference for using all-natural, organic ingredients. In any case, I of course cannot vouche personally for these tiny cakes, but they sure do sound delicious and look OH! soooo beautiful! Sigh...

Day 13

2010-01-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Wow.

I've been neglectful. So much on my mind... not sure where to begin. We have been blessed with the most glorious weather in my neck of the woods over the past week - unusual for this time of year in upstate NY. Blue skies... sunshine, warmish temps. A welcome respite from the cabin fever I've been suffering from as of late and I've been trying to get outside to enjoy it as much as possible. In logging on just now, I realize it's been over a week since my last entry! Where does the time go?

I am planning to devote some serious time to catching up on my reading and writing this evening. In the meantime... I just ventured over to one of the blogs I follow called Vegan Joy. I noticed an informative post regarding relief efforts in Haiti - including some vegan friendly aid options - many of which I had not heard of before. If anyone is interested in learning more and/or making a donation, I'd encourage you to follow the link and check it out.

More later!

The Kind Life...

2010-01-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

Just another little aside... Alicia Silverstone (who most of you know from the movie Clueless ) is a longtime vegan and environmental activist who recently published a book called The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight and Saving the Planet. She also created a great website, aptly named The Kind Life which is an extension of the book and a super fun resource for any veg-heads out there. It's also a nice place to drop by if you are just interested in gathering yummy recipes and information about living more green or if you want to make a new friend - as it's a social networking site as well, with open forums and the chance to meet and chat with other like-minded folks. I encourage any of you to check it out. Alicia is adorable and her mission is a worthwhile one!

2010-01-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Day 12

2010-01-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading a wonderfully inspiring book and thought I'd share the title with you all. The book is called My Beautiful Life by Mina Dobic and it recounts the author's personal story of how she cured herself of stage IV ovarian cancer - primarily by adopting a macrobiotic diet. Mina's world came crashing down when at 45, the mother of two young children, a former school teacher and successful journalist, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer affecting her reproductive organs and lymph system, and given just two months to live. After being roughly pushed through the harsh medical system of her native country Yugoslavia and being told by countless doctors that her only course of action was aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Mina made the bold decision to try an alternative (and at the time, highly unconventional) holistic treatment instead - macrobiotics.
Twenty amazing years later, Mina is a healthy and vibrant cancer survivor - a world renowned macrobiotic counselor and a living testament to the healing power of food and how a positive attitude can mean the difference between life or death.

For those of you who don't know - macrobiotics basically promotes the simple philosophy (yin &yang) of living in balance and harmony with nature. The diet itself is centered around grains - short grain brown rice being the staple - organic vegetables, fermented soy products, broths, legumes and sea vegetables - such as seaweed. The earliest recorded use of the term macrobiotics was found in the writings of Hippocrates (considered the father of western medicine) who coined the term to describe a lifestyle that included a simple well-balanced diet and promoted health and longevity. {source wikepedia} Later macrobiotics gained popularity in Japan and in traditional Chinese medicine and it has long been advocated by some alternative healthcare professionals as a preventative cure for cancer - though many western practitioners are still wary of embracing this approach.

With cancer inflicting more and more people everyday (let's face it... we ALL know someone who has been diagnosed or have lost a loved one to this wretched disease) it's so inspiring to read about someone who has fought the battle and won. Of course, while reading this book it's also easy to see that Mina is a strong woman - a force to be reckoned with herself. A woman with an infectious spirit, an open and loving heart, and a positive (some would say poetic) view of life - Mina's enthusiasm for macrobiotics and for LIVING is often contagious. One cannot help but come away thinking that it was not just macrobiotics alone - but all of these factors combined which ultimately contributed to her health and well-being.

I have always been very open to alternative and preventative medicine. My mother lost her battle with cancer 16 years ago after undergoing aggressive chemo and radiation therapy. I wish my family had known more about alternative treatments back then. Obviously Mina's story really touched me on a deep and personal level. To me the traditional methods of 'treatment' seem kind of barbaric - almost as awful or worse than the cancer itself! Yet unfortunately, in addition to surgery, that is what is most often prescribed to people who fall victim to some form of cancer - and generally at the stage when it's considered hopeless and the patient is handed a death sentence. Many cancer patients spend their last days suffering not just from their disease, but also from having to endure the horrendous side effects of their treatments - where is the dignity in that? It's maddening... In the 16 years since my mother passed away - there have sadly, not been many advancements made in the treatment of cancer.

I long for a day when Western medicine embraces a more holistic approach to health and healing. It's so sad to me that in this country especially (the US) we're more apt to pump ourselves up with drugs to fix our every ailment than consider the effects our diets may be having on our health. Drugs may temporarily mask our symptoms - but often we suffer horrible side effects and consequences from those same drugs that are supposed to help us. It seems like not a day goes by that I don't hear about the FDA recalling another drug due to deadly side effects - or worse because people actually HAVE died from taking medications - the long term effects of which have not been properly studied. With so many diseases linked to our diets - why haven't more people (and doctors!) made the connection that perhaps we can HEAL ourselves with food as well?!? We can! Ask Mina... and hundreds of others like her who have been open to trying a dietary approach like macrobiotics to cure their illnesses. We just need to empower ourselves - read, arm ourselves with information, become skeptics when it comes to chemical treatments and synthetic drugs that we don't know enough about, ask questions... open our minds and explore the realm of other natural and less invasive possibilities.

This book spoke to me on so many levels. I enjoyed learning more about macrobiotics of course, but Mina's positive attitude throughout also linked this book back to the law of attraction for me... it's yet more proof of the many ways in which our thoughts can affect our reality. My Beautiful Life would be a wonderful read for anyone who is presently suffering from a chronic or even terminal illness and is open to alternative methods of healing. But it's also a 'feel good' story that anyone would appreciate.

Have you or someone you know ever been diagnosed with a potentially life threatening disease for which you took an alternative approach to healing - and was it successful?? I believe as humans we are all capable of so much more than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. Healing stories are my favorite - I'd love to hear yours! Post a comment or drop me an email...

Warm wishes and happy thoughts

2010-01-09T17:39:00.001-08:00

These little vegan vanilla cupcakes are just so sweet... I love how creamy, rich and delicious the frosting looks! ;~}

2010-01-09T17:38:00.001-08:00

C'est la V!

2010-01-09T17:27:00.001-08:00

Mmmmmm......

Day 11

2010-01-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

So I guess the thing foremost on my mind as of late (aside from the law of attraction, of course...) has been my 'diet' - though I really hate that word. What I have been putting into my body has been consuming my thoughts (I tend to get a little obsessed - not healthy?) and I've been more interested in reading about food than writing or baking or anything else these last few days. I can't help it - few things make me happier than soaking up information and learning something new. But I also know the benefit of DOing and so I'm trying to ease myself into 'production mode' instead of sticking my nose in a book for 12 hours a day. (Oh, that's nothing - I can go longer!!) Not as easy as it sounds...

As most of you know, I adopted a vegan diet several months ago and lately I have been getting more and more into raw foods. After an initial detox my body has become noticeably more pure and cleansed. While this is a good thing, it's admittedly curbed my cravings for all things sweet. In fact, my body literally rejects refined sugar at this point (among other things). This is causing a bit of a problem, as I am so not used to NOT wanting to indulge in life's sweet pleasures (giant recovering sweet tooth over here!) AND I am trying to launch a cupcake business for goodness sake! I honestly can't even imagine eating a cupcake right now (I know... gasp!!) I sure hope this is just a phase I am in and that it will pass!!!

I don't plan on using any refined sugar in my cupcakes, and while my version will actually be healthier than the traditional egg, butter, and sugar rich cupcakes most people are used to... I am still having a hard time psyching myself up to bake a dozen or so tasty treats - which my body is simply not craving at the moment. Friends - I'm going to need you so plan on dropping by for a taste test! After all - I cannot bake just ONE cupcake... and I certainly cannot eat them all myself. Sigh...

(Ok... this is the point where I tell myself to snap out of it.)

Have any of you ever made specific changes to your diets which have noticeably and significantly changed your lives? For me, going vegan was a lifestyle choice - which I chose primarily for health reasons, but I also have ethical and environmental reasons for wanting to adopt this way of eating. I definitely can't deny the optimal health benefits I've been experiencing lately, so I am happy with my choice and have no desire to go back.

I'd so love to chat with other vegans or raw foodies. Frankly, I don't know too many people who eat this way - which seems a little weird... and a little lonely too. Time to get mingling...

I'll end here and will post a few more pics of some delicious looking vegan cupcakes to inspire me and get my creative juices flowing!

Be well :)

Day 10

2010-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

This just makes me smile and I've got writer's block so....

Day 9

2010-01-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my sister sent me an article that she thought I might be interested in. Bettie's Cakes - a retro cupcakery in Saratoga Springs, NY (not far from where I grew up) is going to start selling gluten-free cupcakes (made by another bakery) to appease the demand of several customers who have been requesting them since owner Lorraine Murphy opened her shop up for business back in November. This is encouraging news! Everyday I hear more and more stories about people with celiacs and wheat or dairy sensitivities. This is exactly the sort of thing that motivates me to move forward with this business - as the need and the demand is definitely there! I'm smiling - just thought I'd share...

Day 8

2010-01-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

Oops, technically yesterday was Day 8 - I'm a little behind...

I am compiling a list of people's favorite cupcakes/cakes/desserts - do you have a favorite you'd like to share? I'll be taste testing and developing recipes soon and if I can "veganize" one of your traditional favorites, I'd love to try! These last few days I've been doing a lot of reading, stockpiling and organizing of recipes - I've created a specific notebook as a catch all for these ideas - and I'm also getting to work on my vision board. Have any of you ever made a vision board? It's supposedly a very powerful and effective visualization tool for manifesting your dreams and desires. The idea is to create a board with images that depict the things you want in life - be it happiness, good health, prosperity, or material items. Since I keep sketchbooks in which I make little lists and collages, I suppose I regularly create my own version of this - but I like the idea of making something that I can hang on a wall and look at everyday...

A friend of mine just turned me onto Christine Kane's fabulous blog and she wrote a great piece about vision boards and how to create them for specific areas of your life - such as relationships, career, money matters etc. If you have any interest in reading it you can visit that page here. If you have a story to share about how your vision board worked for you - I'd also love to hear it! Post a comment or drop me an email.

Cheers!

PS - any Raw foodies out there? This is quickly becoming my newest obsession...

The stuff Dreams are made of

2010-01-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

Twice in one month two of my facebook friends (who incidentally, do not know one another) posted a link to Albert Lamorisse's 1956 french film Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon) about a boy in Paris, Pascal, who befriends a big red balloon with a mind of it's own. How many of you remember watching this movie when you were small - perhaps in elementary school? I was probably 6 or 7 when I first saw this film - the first movie to leave a huge impression on me as a child. For years and years images from the film stuck with me, until not long ago I had the pleasure of watching it again as an adult. In the final scenes of the film Pascal and his balloon encounter a gang of bullies who destroy his new friend... soon all the balloons in Paris come to Pascal's aid and take him on a cluster balloon ride over the city - this scene moves me to tears every time I see it! One NY Times critic called the film "a tender, humorous drama of the ingenuousness of a child and, indeed, a poignant symbolization of dreams and the cruelty of those who puncture them." I love this film. If you have never seen it - or if it left an impression on you as a child but you have not seen it since, I encourage you to click on Le Ballon Rouge above - it will take you directly to google videos where you can watch it online. I promise it will make you smile :) What do YOU dream of?

2010-01-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

Today's Inspiration - feast your eyes on the deliciously sinful shop window of the infamous Laduree in Paris. I have never been... but one can dream! These delectable sweets are, of course, not vegan - but their beauty inspires!

Day 7

2010-01-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

I'm an optimist. I don't generally need a whole lot of help embracing the power of positive thinking or promoting it's benefits - I've seen first hand what a positive mindset can accomplish and the power each of us inherently has to affect change in our lives never ceases to astound me. I'm not suggesting that negative thoughts never slip in or affect me once in a while, but I usually know better than to indulge those thoughts too much when they do.

Recently I began implementing the law of attraction as a means to help me realize a small dream of mine. The law of attraction is a lot like taking positive thinking to it's highest level but it's also much more than that - it's about accepting 100% responsibility for your life and understanding that you play a crucial role in determining how things manifest for you - the good and the bad. It's early on in my journey, but I have already felt myself expanding... creating a space for some truly amazing people and experiences to enter my life.

As most of you know, I am trying to launch a small business. I've attempted to do this many times over the last 5 years or so, writing numerous business plans, and even embarking on a rigorous fundraising campaign for one of my more serious ventures. In the past most of these projects have painfully fizzled out - not because the research and vision was not there - but because ultimately something was blocking me - keeping me from achieving success. It's very empowering when you realize that YOU are your own biggest obstacle... that you are the block that keeps you from moving forward and reaching your true potential. When something doesn't work out it's most often because our thoughts and actions have affected a negative outcome. It's so liberating to learn that we can easily create a more positive outcome simply by shifting our thoughts and perceptions and acting accordingly. If you become too focused on your lack of money or resources to see a project through - if you let those thoughts persist - they will hold you back. Your thoughts become your reality...

Today is day 7 of my '100 day challenge'. I'm using the structure of 100 days simply as a launching pad - a place to start and grow from there. I'm not thinking of it so much in terms of giving myself a deadline - it's more of a guideline. It's a reasonable length of time for accomplishing some short term goals... setting the stage for bigger goals... ultimately laying the framework for long term success.

I wanted to talk a bit about a few things that have already happened in the span of this past week that have lead me to believe I am on the right path. It's not just luck... I truly believe that things begin to fall into place when you harness a certain energy and get into a positive mindset. You start to attract people who inspire you... you attract resources you previously did not have access to... you start to see small goals actualized... these are not coincidences - it's YOU affecting positive change.

When I started this blog, I selectively handed out the link to just a few friends at first - people I thought would be open to the content and be supportive. When you choose to expose your inner self to a potential audience, it can be terrifying - even if the people you share it with are close to you. Often it's your natural inclination to want to wrap a shield around you to protect yourself. But I think as humans we're also pack like and crave interaction with others. While on the one hand I wanted to keep this journal to myself - close to my heart where it would be safe, on the other hand I wanted to share it and open up the potential for discussion and dialogue and for ideas to flow.

By opening up further and sharing this blog with more and more people - some amazing things have started to happen. I want to launch a baking business - but not just any old baking business. I want to bake for people who have food sensitivities, allergies, or lifestyle choices which prevent them from indulging in traditional baked goods. At least three people who I've shared this idea with have enthusiastically written me - letting me know that they or someone they know suffers from a food allergy themselves and that they love the concept for the business. This is the kind of thing that offers so much encouragement and gives me the will and motivation to keep going forward. It may seem like a small thing, but it's HUGE! When you are open to receiving - information and support will find their way to you. Another friend who found the link to my blog on twitter shared her own story with me - about how she has been implementing the law of attraction in her own life for quite some time (unbeknownst to me) and has incidentally manifested a great deal of success for herself over the past year in particular - including fulfilling her dream of publishing a book! She shared with me a couple of links to some sites which offer online seminars for people who dream big. I checked them out and got so inspired that I am now working on 'attracting' the money to take one course in particular that really excites me. Wish me luck.. I'll keep you posted! (I will list these links at the bottom of this post). Finally, I shared this blog with another facebook friend, who coincidentally just started her own blog recently as practice for her bigger venture - writing a cookbook using seasonal ingredients harvested from her year round garden! When you're open, when you get past your pride and ego, when you step outside of your comfort zone and put yourself out there, things begin to unfold...

If you're into this sort of thing - here are some resources that may get your creative juices flowing too! I've spent the better part of a chilly, snowy Saturday afternoon pouring over these delightfully inspiring sites. Just click on the link and it will take you there...

Mondo Beyondo - an online class about DREAMING BIG

Christine Kane's Blog - "Be Creative. Be Conscious. Be Courageous."

Superhero Journal - Andrea Scher's (co-creater of Mondo Beyondo) SUPER inspiring blog

Jen Lemen - Mondo Beyondo's (other) co-creator. Jen Lemen is also an artist - her website is so beautiful... check it out!

Have any of you implemented these practices to achieve success in your life? I'd love to hear your stories... post a comment or send me an email - I WILL respond.

Cheers!

Day 6

2010-01-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

I'm nearing the end of the first week of my 100 day manifest challenge, and already I can count at least four small yet significant things that have happened to me - all of which lead me to believe I am firmly on the right track. I'm very excited, but It's late now and I am falling asleep... I want to write about these four little things, but my body craves rest...
SOoooo more tomorrow!

Be Happy, sleep well :)

2010-01-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, I needed some inspiration... and I'm a tad obsessed with Babycakes! It's been too long... I'm planning a trip to NYC in the next couple of months for me and my daughter and it's going to involve 3 things - seeing the Broadway musical Wicked, visiting friends in Brooklyn, and hitting up Babycakes Bakery! Can't wait!! In the meantime, this pic makes me smile :)

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are. On the brink of a new year and also a new decade! So much has happened in our world in the span of the last 10 years that it's almost hard to wrap my head around it all. For me personally, I moved four times, lived through a divorce, changed many jobs, turned 30... then 35 (gulp) lost and a gained a few friendships, lost and gained a few pounds, fell in and out of love - twice, said goodbye to two beloved pets and hello to one frisky kitten, welcomed a new nephew, my daughter became a preteen and started middle school...

As for 2009, I suppose if there has been one constant that has seen me through all of the peaks and valleys this year - it would have to be a strong feeling of 'connectedness' - with myself and with others. Be it a deepened connection with an existing friend, a reconnection made with an old friend who, for whatever reason, happily found their way back into my life, an instant connection established with someone new or just feeling a stronger connection with my inner self - 2009 has been all about being connected.

All years hold a special significance, but some we will remember more than others, and as I look back on 2009, I know with certainty that it will pass as one of my most memorable years. It hasn't been all smooth sailing, in fact in many ways it's been quite a difficult year, but also a hopeful one. Something big has been building and changes are on the horizon as this year comes to a close. I definitely sense a shift in me - maybe it's a desire to live life more intentionally rather than just continuing to drift along. While I think it's important to let life shape itself sometimes, I find myself wanting to step into a more active role in the year ahead - play a greater part in affecting certain changes. I'm a big fan of the 'no plan' plan - so this is quite a new approach for me... but I've decided to embrace it. I feel a surge of motivation and a rush of inspiration that I have not felt in a long time and I'm liking it!

As we all wind down or gear up for celebrations this evening with friends and loved ones, I want to wish you all a fantastic New Year - along with warm thoughts and happy hopes for a healthy and productive new decade. I hope all of you know how much you add to my life... perhaps my resolution will be to tell you more often. I'm so excited to see what 2010 has in store for us! What are your dreams, goals, and plans for the coming weeks, months, and years? Aside from World Peace... what do you want? I hope you get it... I know you will!

Here is a nice quote posted by one of my facebook friends this morning...

"We will open the book. It's pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." -Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Happy, happy 2010 :)
<3

2009-12-30T19:56:00.000-08:00

Today's Inspiration - Lilou Mace's 30-Day stream-of-consciousness diary is the inspiration behind my own online daily journal. I would enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who may be going through a difficult time due to the loss of a job - or to someone who is actively pursuing their dream job and needs the encouragement of a positive voice. We all possess the power to push past our limiting beliefs and live the life of our dreams - sometimes we just need a little help unleashing that power! I Lost My Job And I Liked It: 30-Day Law Of Attraction Diary Of A Dream Job Seeker

Day 5

2009-12-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

I started this blog as a motivational tool - something to inspire me to stay on track as I work toward achieving a specific goal. I figured if I gave myself one small task to accomplish everyday, like a journal entry, it would keep me focussed on the bigger picture and help me visualize a positive outcome. So far it seems to be working, but an added bonus is that it has reminded me how much I like to write. I'm not suggesting I'm any good at it, but I definitely enjoy the process. I spend a lot of time inside my head and writing seems to offer me some relief from that - as too much time spent inside the head can start to feel like a pressure cooker needing to burst it's lid... It's good to let stuff out once in a while!

For some reason a computer screen inspires me to write more than a blank page in a book journal, which I usually just wind up doodling in or making lists in and putting little scraps of this or that into. Not to say that a book journal is not a useful tool as well - it's still an outlet for creative expression - I just tend to use those more for making little collages etc. That can be a very powerful visualization exercise in it's own right, so I enjoy book journalling on that level. I think I'm drawn to the concept of a blog because of it's potential to reach an audience and therefore illicit some feedback. I'm happiest when I'm learning, sharing, connecting and communicating with others and I like that a blog can create an open forum for discussion. While social networking sites are great for that too, a blog gives you a much larger platform to stand on and the hope is that you'll attract a group of readers with similar interests - people who are drawn to your blog because they're interested in the content as much as they are in establishing a connection. Of course, with an estimated 50 million bloggers out there, it's hard to imagine too many people stumbling upon my tiny blog unless I or someone I know tells them about it. That's ok. There is something about feeling like I'm writing for an audience that makes me aspire to write something interesting and worthwhile.

So... what's interesting today? Aside from the myriad of cookbooks taking over my home at the moment. I've also been reading a few other books. I'm a voracious reader and I read it all - fiction, nonfiction, history, biographies, news - BLOGS! Right now I seem to be in a 'self-improvement' phase. The most recent book to grace my bookshelf is called I Lost My Job And I LIked It: 30-Day Law of Attraction Diary of a Dream Job Seeker by Lilou Mace. I've already mentioned Lilou in a previous post, so I won't go on and on about her here, but her book is what inspired me to create this blog in the first place - as I embark on my own journey towards 'dream job' fulfillment.

I did not lose my job, but there were circumstances that made me decide to leave my job by choice. That can be a scary thing to do even when the economy is not such a mess, let alone when it is, but it was what I needed to do at the time. I've spent the better part of the past year determined to find, or ideally CREATE a job I am passionate about. Shouldn't it be everyone's goal in life to find the thing they love and go after it with all their heart? I hope it's your goal... or at least one of them.

It's so easy to get stuck in the doldrums of a job you don't like - I know, I've been there... going through the motions, physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. I know a lot of people are probably just grateful to have a job right now given the current state of the economy, so it can seem frivolous to some to stubbornly pursue work related happiness in the wake of so much financial hardship. But I'm a dreamer and I suppose an idealist as well. I can't help it - I believe in the pursuit of passion against all odds - be it work, play or romantic in nature.

Lilou's little book fell into my lap quite by chance. I'm an avid reader of a few other people's blogs and often I'll read something somewhere that takes me to another site or leads me to look up something else, and then another something else and on and on until I've literally wracked up hours on the computer and bookmarked 30 other blogs or pages that I would have never otherwise discovered had there not been something in that original post that peaked my interest. Such was the case with finding this book - I'd been searching for something entirely unrelated when I happily stumbled upon Lilou's website and subsequently found her book advertisement. The fact that Lilou's book heavily promotes the concept of 'law of attraction' makes me think this was no coincidence!

The book is short - just a little over 200 pages and if the reader is motivated, it can be read in a day. It spans the course of 30-days beginning on the very day Lilou loses her job as an Internet Marketing Director for a London based company. We then follow her over for the next several weeks as she utilizes the law of attraction to passionately pursue her dream of writing a book she hopes will empower millions - from conception to fruition. All the while her words convey her enthusiasm and offer encouragement to the reader to follow his/her dreams. The writing style is very 'stream-of-consciousness' -like, which can take a little getting used to for some. I happen to like it for that reason - it makes it feel very down to earth and relatable since that's the way most of our own minds work - trying to make sense out of rambling strains of thought. It feels a little like having a conversation with a friend (or maybe with your higher self?) In any case, the tone is very upbeat and positive. It's so much easier to fall into a negative state or slip into depression when you're in an unhappy place. If you're afraid, or anxious and spinning your wheels trying to get to the next step, what you need is a positive voice to talk you up, and Lilou's voice is just that - fresh, creative and inspiring. If you or someone you know is in a similar situation - either unemployed and seeking a job that's fulfilling or contemplating leaving a current job that's not satisfying, I would highly recommend Lilou's book.

Here's a tiny excerpt from the Introduction...

My mission is to help you have a juicy life - not just any old life, but a life you feel passionate about, one that is on purpose, one that feels great! I want you to wake up in the morning and say: I cannot wait to see what Life will bring me today!

What are YOU passionate about? What speaks to you and gets your juices flowing? What spells fulfillment, joy and success for you? These are the kinds of questions I've been asking myself a lot lately.. and will continue to ask myself over the course of the next several months as I move toward fulfilling at least one of my dreams - launching a small business. Maybe you've happened upon my little blog by chance, or because you're my friend in real life and are kind enough to show your support - in either case I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. As we look forward to a New Year and a new DECADE I wish you all the very best wishes, hopes, and chances for success in all that you do. We all deserve happiness... good health and good fortune. So go grab life by the horns! Use the power of positive thinking to harness the law of attraction for yourself, start a journal, create a blog - whatever it takes to make your life juicy too :)

2009-12-29T22:03:00.000-08:00

Today's Inspiration - Hannah Kaminsky's My Sweet Vegan is loaded with delightfully sinful (but good for you) deserts. Check out Hannah's blog here for more information, recipes and beautiful photographs!

Day 4

2009-12-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

So I have been driving my local library crazy. Ok, maybe not crazy - but I hope they're not too sick of seeing me yet. In the real world vegan cookbooks are not that difficult to find (I've been reading a LOT of cookbooks lately!) but I live in a tiny town and my library only carries so many. I've had to rely extensively on their inter-library loan system to track down a few of the more obscure titles. And the Babycakes Cookbook - which incidentally I am DYING to get my hands on - has a waiting list a mile long. A WAITING list! Hmmm....

Luckily in the meantime I have Hannah Kaminsky's FABulous book My Sweet Vegan to keep me occupied. This book has me almost insane with excitement... The first remarkable thing that struck me about this book is it's author who - are you sitting down? - was a TEENAGER about to begin her fist year of college when she published this book 3 years ago. No joke!! If that's not inspiration I don't know what is. She also beautifully photographed every single recipe in this book herself. I don't know about you, but I so prefer cookbooks with color photos - and this book is truly stunning, so BRAVO Hannah Kaminsky!

I'm hoping to attempt at least one of the recipes in this book in the coming week. I am on such a tight budget that I have been slooowly stocking my pantry with all of the necessary ingredients - some easy to find, and some not so much - but I am anxious to get baking and get inspired! Anyway, bear with me :)

Here are just a few of the delectably sweet treats My Sweet Vegan has to offer...

Mocha Devastation Cake - a dense chocolate cake filled with a coffee flavored "buttercream"

Black Bottom Blondies - like a traditional blondie but with a brownie bottom - I'm thinking of my friend Alison :)

Bananas Foster Cake - banana cake layers are soaked in rum before being topped with a caramel frosting and caramelized bananas... Mmmm

Pomegranate Ginger Cupcakes - Yum! Like a slightly more sophisticated "grown-up flavor" cupcake...

Triple Threat Chocolate "Cheese" Cake - a cocoa crust topped with 3 layers of rich chocolate "cheese" cake drizzled with chocolate ganache - Oh... Ohmygod... Ommmm...

Cashew Creme Pear Tart - a dense almond meal crust, filled with cashew creme and topped with caramelized pears and toasted almonds - and it's gluten free!

Green Tea Tiramisu - green tea and sake soaked lady fingers instead of the traditional amaretto... sooo good

And it goes on and on and on... are any of you dessert addicts salivating yet?

Oh my agave!

2009-12-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

A few words about alternative sweeteners...

I've become quite the hyper-conscious label reader as of late. I've all but given up processed white sugar entirely - in fact, I'd say I am about 99.9% sugar free at this point - and definitely no high-fructose corn syrup! These days when I want something sweet I grab a piece of fruit - which I won't lie, has become a little like crack for me! Alternatively, I'll reach for a natural sweetener like agave nectar or maple syrup if I want an extra special treat. Vegan and allergen-free baking I'm discovering is truly a lesson in ingenuity and it never ceases to amaze me that you can achieve such tasty results by swapping out the unhealthier irritant-causing ingredients in traditional baked goods and replacing them with healthier more tolerable ones. Here are a some natural, alternative sweeteners that can be used in place of processed, granulated white sugar, along with a brief description of each and some suggestions for how to use them. Some will be more expensive and harder to find than white sugar - but isn't your body worth it?

Agave Nectar - Pronounced uh-gah-vay, this sweet syrup is derived from the same plant as tequila. Need I say more? It is found in the core of the blue agave plant - a succulent which grows primarily in the semi-arid soils of Mexico. Without getting too technical, agave nectar is known for it's low glycemic index, which basically means it won't cause blood sugar levels to spike and then crash the way refined white sugar does. This makes agave nectar a wonderful substitute for diabetics when consumed in moderation. Agave nectar is available in light and dark varieties - the dark is more intense while the lighter variety imparts a more delicate flavor - more like honey, but has a thinner consistency. Agave will not crystalize and dissolves easily in cold or hot liquids - so try adding it to hot or iced tea instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners - which by the way are so bad for you! While agave is excellent for baking, I also love it drizzled on bread or sliced up fruit - and I've even been known to sneak a plain 'shot' of it every now and then! If you haven't tried it - do so. It's delicious, healthier than white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup and is becoming more readily available in health food stores and conscientious super markets alike.

Maple Syrup - Ok, you all know what maple syrup is and where is comes from, so no lengthy description is needed here - but did you also know that maple syrup has nutritional benefits? It's actually high in calcium and potassium and also contains magnesium and certain amino acids. It's still about 88% sucrose (or sugar) so it should also be consumed in moderation, but again - the fact that it is much less refined than processed white sugar means it holds onto more of it's nutritional content and is therefore, in my opinion, a healthier choice. Like agave nectar, maple syrup is excellent for baking. I once substituted the sugar in a carrot cake recipe with maple syrup and achieved super-moist, amazing results! I don't think I have to tell you all of the other many fine uses for maple syrup... but when buying always look for PURE maple syrup, and in general it's best to look for organic (and local!) varieties whenever possible.

Brown Rice Syrup - Essentially this is brown rice which has been fermented in special enzymes used to rid the grain of it's natural starch content. From there the fermented liquid is strained off and what's left is heated until the desired consistency of a syrup is attained. This syrup takes a little getting used to, but has a nice nutty flavor and a thickish consistency. I've had it on pancakes (though I prefer maple syrup) and apparently it adds a nice complexity to baked goods - I have yet to try baking with it, so I will update when I do! It is supposedly rich in rice proteins, is easy to digest and may even have a healthy effect on cholesterol levels. It also has a long shelf life! You can find brown rice syrup in most health food stores.

Evaporated Cane Juice - This is indeed derived from sugar cane and is basically sugar, but many health conscious folks consider it a better alternative to regular refined sugar since it doesn't undergo the same degree of processing, and so the theory is it retains more of it's nutritional value. To me, anything is better than the refined white stuff most of us are used to putting in our bodies, so I consider this a worthwhile substitute used sparingly. Many of the vegan baking books I've been using as guidelines and reference call for evaporated cane juice in several recipes. Evaporated cane juice comes in many forms including a granulated variety which can be used exactly as sugar (it is a slightly darker color than regular white sugar) The brand I hear mentioned over and over again is Florida Crystals - which seems to be pretty widely available. This is another ingredient I have yet to experiment with, so I'll be reviewing it again in the weeks and months to come as I try out recipes. Stay tuned!

2009-12-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today's Inspiration - Some delectable (and adorable) looking cupcake treats from C'est La V vegan bakeshop in sunny LA. Smile!

Day 3

2009-12-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

I love to bake, and I have a special weakness for cakes and cupcakes. Because cake making is such an exact science - few things offer a careful cook greater pleasure than turning out a perfect cake - a truly beautiful thing to behold! Then comes the even better part - literally the icing on the cake. I am a total sucker for all that whipped, sweet, pastel, piped buttercream - and I love admiring the beauty of a cake or cupcake as much as I enjoy eating one...

For whatever reason, I am fortunate enough to be quite good at turning out a perfect cake. Not always, but as luck would have it the odds end up in my favor more often than not. I don't think I can attribute this to any kind of natural talent so much as to a lot of trial and error and an obsession to get it right. Over the years I've collected many cookbooks, poured over countless recipes and baked several duds in a concerted effort to find what works. So, needless to say, I've had a lot of practice and have even uncovered a few 'secrets' along the way.
I've long enjoyed baking for special occasions, birthdays being my favorite, and have even been asked by a few very brave friends to bake their wedding cake - the ultimate compliment! So naturally there have been several times when I have considered turning this passion of mine into a business. I usually manage to talk myself out of it...
It's one thing after all to bake for a friend you know and love and who will likely forgive you should something go terribly wrong, and quite another to bake for a paying customer whose satisfaction your business depends on. I start envisioning all kinds of nightmare scenarios with crazy clients (bridezillas) or other things like sunken cake layers, melty buttercream and the many cake catastrophes that are bound to occur under the pressure of a deadline... No thanks.
But it's funny how life works, and sometimes a change in one or two areas of your life can open up a world of possibilities in other seemingly unrelated areas of your life - and can even bring back up to the surface ideas you've long since put to rest. Such was the case for me recently when I a) stopped working a 'real' job and b) made several drastic changes in my diet.

I have a wicked sweet tooth - combine that with a ridiculous amount of free time (sans job) and that can spell disaster for someone like me. On the other hand, having a ridiculous amount of free time (minus the sweets) has also given me lots of time to think. Mostly about my life - my health, my happiness, my work... it has been a blessing that's afforded me the opportunity to make some of the changes that I've been contemplating for a long time, but never got around to when I was so 'busy'.

The most important change for me over the last several months has been my diet. Much as I enjoy a sweet treat, I also know the evils of refined sugar - and the threat of type 2 diabetes in my family is staggering. Not only does my father suffer from it, but so do nearly all of his 7 brothers and sisters. His mother - my grandmother, died from complications due to type 2 diabetes. If you pay attention to the news at all you're probably also aware that more and more children are suffering from this terrible disease - which in the past has generally only affected adults. That's pretty scary! In addition to type 2 diabetes, cancer has also claimed a few unlucky members of my family. My mother died of cancer at the ripe young age of 43... I am 36 and that can really put things into perspective. If all of that wasn't enough, the prevalence of food allergies and sensitivities - my own and that of several friends who suffer is also astounding to me.

Since I believe I suffer from an addiction to sugar (it's not just an occasional indulgence or intolerance) I knew that simply cutting back was not really an option. I needed to make some drastic changes. As often happens, making one change in my diet usually creates a ripple effect and I start to really look at everything I am putting into my body. And as more and more research links diseases like cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure to diet, it becomes easier to make healthier choices. Needless to say I've been making a lot of changes.
But what about cakes? Cupcakes? Where does that leave them after all of these changes and efforts to become more healthy? Poor, sad sugar laden, butter-rich deliciousness wanting to be eaten...

Because I could be called an obsessive person, and because when I get interested in a topic (like health or cupcakes) I tend to research the heck out of it, I've been doing a lot of reading and searching for yes - a healthier version of my beloved sweets. To my surprise - they DO exist and a few people are, in my opinion, performing miracles in their home kitchens and commercial bakeries alike. Allergen-free (sweets made without dairy, wheat, nuts etc) and vegan bakeshops are cropping up in cities all across the country as people who suffer from food sensitivities or because of their lifestyle choices cannot eat traditional baked goods. This is very exciting to me - for as health conscious as I've become, I also like to live life and indulge in it's little pleasures every now and again, and if I can do so without all of the empty calories from refined sugar, the fat and cavity inducing frosting of traditional cakes and cupcakes - so much the better! But what about taste?? I have had the pleasure of trying a few of these tasty treats without all the so-called 'good stuff' and have been more than pleasantly surprised. You can indeed make VERY yummy cakes and other sweets by creatively substituting several of the traditional ingredients.

So what does all of this mean? It means I've been thinking an awful lot about my passion for baking, and my newfound healthier lifestyle and how to combine the two and turn it into a potentially profitable business. Most importantly, it means the possibility of finding a worthwhile niche and being able to do something I love for a living. This blog is a tool for sorting all of this out and I'm hoping it will help keep me motivated and inspire me to keep moving forward with the idea this time instead of talking myself out of it!

Since the success of others is a huge source of inspiration for me, I plan to highlight the success stories of a couple of businesses and people on this blog from time to time as motivation. Some will be related to baking - and specifically this 'new' kind of baking that I'll be exploring as I taste test and develop recipes etc... and others will be of unrelated topics - just people who inspire me. I hope you'll enjoy hearing their stories as well. Perhaps one of them will even spark an interest in you and motivate you to discover your true passion. That would be awesome!

I'll end here with a little blurb about C'est La V - a vegan bakery located in LA. Owner Kim Garr seems like a vegan force to be reckoned with! I've just read about the bakeshop and bookmarked their uber cute website and blog for future reference. Maybe I'll do a bigger spread on them in the future... but for now I'll post a pic of some of their yummy looking cupcakes. Mmmmmm... I want one!

2009-12-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

Today's Inspiration - By now most of you have seen the movie Julie & Julia (based on the popular blog by Julie Powell) If you haven't - go rent it! (It's worth it for Meryl Streep's performance alone). Who wasn't inspired by that movie? Or more importantly - who is not inspired by Julia Child? A woman who became a professional chef at a time when female chefs were unheard of, and who did not seriously begin cooking until she was in her mid-thirties! Julia went after her dream with such passion and gusto as to shame most of us mortals - then went on to became the icon we all remember her as today... "The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a 'What the Hell?' attitude." -Julia Child

I'd add that in LIFE a 'What the Hell?' attitude is often quite useful as well! Love her!

Day 2

2009-12-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

Why 100 days?

I recently discovered Lilou Mace - a you tube sensation and self-improvement/motivational guru who co-founded an online social networking site called Co-Creating Our Reality. I love Lilou's spirit and find her energy and enthusiasm so inspiring... contagious even. The site is a Law of Attraction based internet community with thousands of users from around the globe that has become something of a worldwide phenomenon and movement.

While I wholeheartedly believe in the "universal laws" and the power of positive thinking as an effective means of turning one's dreams into reality, I also believe that every now and then we all could use a little help when it comes to putting these ideas and thoughts into practice. So for me, a community of like-minded individuals all embarking on their own journeys toward self-improvement and dream fulfillment is something to get excited about - as it offers such a nice feeling of comaraderie and support.

The 100 day reality challenge (or manifest challenge) is the structure built into the website - which also offers resources, guidelines and techniques to help move you along in the process... tools such as guided visualization, mini-meditations, and daily affirmation exercises.

I believe in setting attainable goals and 100 days seems doable to me. It offers a fairly substantial length of time to accomplish something and actually see results. Giving myself a structured time line, setting several short term goals and wrapping a strong support system around me seems like a recipe for success.

I am a person who thrives on my connections with others. While generally speaking I am an optimist capable of getting things done, I find that without being able to consistently bounce ideas and thoughts off of other people it can become all too easy to talk myself down or worse - completely out of a situation or idea. My interests are so widespread and varied and my attention span so short that in the past I've often been rather non-committal and have lost interest in projects before they can gain any real momentum and become a true success. I am very curious and eager to see how giving myself the time span of 100 days and a strong support network will influence me and affect the outcome of my project (launching a small baked goods company) Time to start visualizing... oh - and baking!

2009-12-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today's Inspiration - A (gluten-free) vanilla cupcake from BabyCakes vegan bakery in NYC with chocolate-fig ganache filling and cinnamon-nutmeg frosting. Sounds SO YUMMY!!! Owner Erin McKenna is my hero!

Think on it

2009-12-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

Understanding the Law of Attraction; a brief history...

According to Wikepedia the Law of Attraction is a concept dating back to the late 19th century. (Who knew??) It gained momentum shortly thereafter with the founding of the New Thought Movement - a spiritual movement which developed in the US and consists of individuals (philosophers, writers, artists, spiritual leaders) who share a set of metaphysical beliefs concerning the effects of positive thinking, creative visualization, and personal power. The Law of Attraction hit it's peak with the release (in 2006) of the bestselling book/movie The Secret. The phrase Law of Attraction refers to the idea that thoughts influence chance and argues that thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) can affect things outside the head, not just through motivation, but by other means as well. Essentially, if you really want something and truly believe it's possible - you'll get it. However, putting a lot of attention and thought onto something you don't want means you'll probably get that too.

The Secret outlines these 3 steps as the essence of the Law of Attraction:

Ask - Know what you want and ask the Universe for it

Believe - Feel and behave as if the object of your desire is on it's way

Receive - Be open to receiving it

More about the New Thought Movement...

Proponents of this movement promote the idea that divinity dwells within each person and that all people are spiritual beings - that the highest spiritual principle is loving one another unconditionally and teaching and healing one another. Adherents of New Thought believe our mental states are carried forward into manifestation and become our experience in daily living. (source: wikepedia)

Today's Inspiration - "Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth. And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to acheive it." -Paulo Coelho

2009-12-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

Day 1

2009-12-26T19:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Universe...
Can you hear me now?

This is the beginning of a journey... a 100 day reality challenge
A commitment to transform my life. To manifest my destiny and live out my true bliss - through sweat, determination and by implementing the Law of Attraction. Today I open up my heart and soul to the Universe and all it has to offer...

Intention - To change the world one cupcake at a time! I intend to launch a small vegan/allergen-free/people and animal friendly baked goods biz in the next 100 days!

Today's Inspiration - "You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired of doing nothing. Get interested in something! Get absolutely enthralled in something! Get out of yourself! Be somebody! Do something! The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have." -Norman Vincent Peale