(Aaron digging into temptation island. Can you blame me for giving in!?)
My vegan diet came to a screeching halt on Sunday. You see, in the Walker-Jones residence it’s tradition to eat veggie pizza every Sunday night, and after spending the previous Sunday watching Aaron shamelessly devour one half of my favorite pizza while I settled for my half sans cheese, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I cheated that night, and then I cheated again the next morning with a creamy addition to my Tim Horton’s coffee. What can I say? Once a cheater, always a cheater. I’m just not ready for such a committed relationship. I may be a faithful vegetarian, but I think veganism and I might have to take things slow. Perhaps it will lead to a fabulous romance or perhaps just a fleeting fling. But I do believe that not every great love story has to start with love at first bite.
Yesterday marked the midway point of my 21 day vegan challenge. Celebratory cupcakes seemed appropriate. Although, when aren’t cupcakes appropriate?
I’ve been craving chocolate for the past few days thanks to the Cadbury Mini Eggs my Mom brought over for Aaron, so I decided to bake Alicia Silverstone’s favorite cupcakes from The Kind Diet. One look at the cocoa frosting in the picture and I was sold.
I feel like I say this every time, but these have got to be the best vegan cupcakes I have ever made. I didn’t have any soy milk powder for the frosting so it was a bit runny, but still delicious. And thanks to my new favorite cupcakes, the chocolate mini eggs are still safely tucked away in the darkest corner of my deepest cupboard. Better luck next time Easter Rabbit!
Ingredients (makes 12):
2/3 cups soy milk ( I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup safflower oil ( I used canola)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3cup whole wheat pastry flour ( I just added another 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch fine sea salt
Frosting:
1/2 cup (4 oz) Earth Balance ( I used becel vegan margarine)
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup soy milk powder (I didn’t have any and the frosting was still great without it!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin.
Combine the milk and vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes or until mixture starts to bubble. Add in the remaining wet ingredients.
In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and then mix in the wet ingredients until no lumps remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and then let completely cool on a baking rack before frosting.
Directions for Frosting:
Use a mixer to cream together the butter and agave nectar until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and half of the cocoa powder. Mix on low and then combine the rest of the cocoa powder. Add in the soy milk powder if you have it and mix on medium-high until fluffy. If your frosting is a tad on the runny side you might want to refrigerate it for awhile before frosting your cupcakes.
* this recipe was adapted from The Kind Diet. Check out www.thekindlife.com for more great recipes and tips on healthy and eco-friendly living.
As a woman who has experienced the power of yoga firsthand, the topic of YOGAWOMAN is incredibly close to my heart. Although it has not yet been released, the importance of its empowering and inspiring message is already more than evident in the trailer.
Introducing yoga back into my life and making it a priority was the best thing I ever could have done. I feel like yoga gives me perspective. It allows me to openly and freely accept myself and love the world around me. It gives me patience and allows me to focus on what’s really important in life. Yoga has completely changed the way I feel about what it means to be a woman. It has opened my heart, uncovered my true desires, and changed my life forever. I believe that everyone has something to gain from yoga and that it makes the world a more beautiful place.
I’ve heard a few different perspectives from people who have watched the trailer. Some people believe this film to be sexist and misinformed. Obviously it’s difficult to touch on the subject before watching the entire film, but I will say that I don’t believe the intent of YOGAWOMAN is to empower women through the discrimination of men and to make men feel unwelcome. I know that I love seeing men in the yoga classes I attend, and would love to see even more. Yoga is about connection and community. It’s for everyone no matter age, gender or race. While yoga might be different for men and women, we still have the same benefits to gain. Yoga doesn’t discriminate against anyone, and I certainly don’t believe this film is trying to project the idea that it does or should. I think the intent of the film is to simply share the positive effects yoga can have on women through the lives of women who are already finding empowerment and inner peace through yoga. It’s like uncovering a really special secret and wanting to share it with your Mom, your Grandma, your best friend, and your colleagues.
In a demanding society that puts so much pressure on women, yoga has become a welcome retreat. It provides a place where people can come together, find themselves, love themselves, love each other, and then take that mentality back into the world with them. In a world where we are so hard on ourselves and so quick to judge others, yoga is a refuge from societal stereotypes and cultural brainwashing. It can completely change the way we define ourselves and the way we feel about other women, and everyone for that matter.
Now, I’m not saying yoga is void of the same demands, insecurities and pressures that we find in society. I know that a yoga class can be incredibly intimidating at first. On the flip side I also know of some women who treat yoga class like a competition, and spend more time judging what everyone else is doing than tuning into their own inner self. I think they’re simply missing the point and aren’t yet using yoga for the purpose it was intended. Yoga is not about who’s more flexible, or who can hold the longest pose or who can do the most advanced poses. Yoga is a personal, internal journey that’s different for everyone. There is no way to compare experiences. But that’s a topic for a different post!
Basically, isn’t a film that uses the example of strong, powerful women to empower and unite women all around the world, a good thing?
