the blog.
Vegan Mousse Recipe
I'm not a big dessert person. Don't get me wrong, a well placed truffle is great. But I'm not going to be baking constantly or buying sweets every day. It's just not my thing! That being said, when a special date came up for me and my fiancé I decided I wanted to make him a sweet vegan treat as a surprise! I didn't want to spend a huge amount of time making it, but I wanted it to be delicious. I had been doing research for my 10 Yummy Vegan Cake Recipes post and was getting inspired. I tweaked a couple different recipes based on what I had available and my preferences, and what came out was SO GOOD. Ridiculously good. Not just the taste, but the textured was so divinely mousse-y. Lets just say, I was pretty happy. And since I know you're all waiting with baited breath, I'll tell you. Yes, my fiancé loved it. Jason requested that I make it "All the time!", if that's any indication!
I'm not a big dessert person. Don't get me wrong, a well placed truffle is great. But I'm not going to be baking constantly or buying sweets every day. It's just not my thing! That being said, when a special date came up for me and my fiancé I decided I wanted to make him a sweet vegan treat as a surprise! I didn't want to spend a huge amount of time making it, but I wanted it to be delicious. I had been doing research for my 10 Yummy Vegan Cake Recipes post and was getting inspired. I tweaked a couple different recipes based on what I had available and my preferences, and what came out was SO GOOD. Ridiculously good. Not just the taste, but the texture was so divinely mousse-y! Lets just say, I was pretty happy. And since I know you're all waiting with baited breath, I'll tell you. Yes, my fiancé loved it. Jason requested that I make it "all the time!", if that's any indication!
Doesn't it look pretty?
So, without any further ado, here's the recipe!
Vegan Mousse Recipe by Plant Based Bride
Serves two hungry vegans :)
Ingredients
3 bananas, fresh
half cup cocoa nibs
half cup pecans
half cup walnuts
half a teaspoon sugar (optional!)
a couple dashes of cinnamon, to taste
2 tbsp coconut oil
- Combine all ingredients in a high sped blender,
- Blend until smooth,
- Garnish with cocoa nibs and nuts,
- Devour!
Ta da! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Until next time,
Don't forget to subscribe to the Plant Based Bride newsletter to receive your FREE goal setting printable pack and never miss a blog post!
Should I post more recipes? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on my social media (@elizabethturn on instagram and twitter and Plant Based Bride on Facebook)!
5 Steps for Setting Great Goals
I've always thought that goal setting on January 1st was a bit funny. I don't mean the goal setting, of course, but the specific date. I'm not the only one, right? While I understand the appeal (I am incredibly organized and that part of me loves the simplicity and symmetry) I always wondered what the point was of waiting as many as 11 months just to start a new habit. And yet, despite knowing better, I tend to wait for special dates to review and reiterate my goals. So sue me! Entering a new year of life seems like as good a time to remind myself of what I'm striving for as any, and since I recently had a birthday, I've had goals on the brain. Here are my 5 steps to setting great goals (and a fun freebie)!
I've always thought that goal setting on January 1st was a bit funny. I don't mean the goal setting, of course, but the specific date. I'm not the only one, right? While I understand the appeal (I am incredibly organized and that part of me loves the simplicity and symmetry) I always wondered what the point was of waiting as many as 11 months just to start a new habit. And yet, despite knowing better, I tend to wait for special dates to review and reiterate my goals. So sue me! Entering a new year of life seems like as good a time to remind myself of what I'm striving for as any, and since I recently had a birthday, I've had goals on the brain. Here are my 5 steps to setting great goals (and a fun freebie)!
STEP ONE: Don't Make Too Many
Too many goals can make it far too easy to get overwhelmed and give up on everything. We don't want that to happen! Five seems to be the perfect number according to studies on productivity, with seven as the maximum you want to focus on at one time. Start by brainstorming all of the things you'd like to improve on or achieve and then narrow it down to the few that REALLY get you excited. The more passionate about something you are, the harder you'll work to make it happen. If a goal doesn't light a fire in you, it's not the right thing to spend your time and effort on. Think about it and tweak it until it really gets you going!
STEP TWO: Remember to be SMART
The SMART method of goal setting has become well known, for good reason. Following these guidelines will help you make effective goals that you can actually accomplish!
- S - SPECIFIC. The more general a goal, the less likely you are to achieve it. Spend some time thinking about your goal and determining what it is in particular that is the most important part of it to you, and focus on that. You want to be really clear about what you want! Bad: "Start a blog." vs Better: "Start a blog called Plant Based Bride about veganism, wedding planning, and living a plant based lifestyle."
- M - MEASURABLE. You don't want to be left wondering whether or not your goal was achieved. Quantify what success means to you for this particular goal so that you know what you're striving for, exactly! Bad: "Lose weight." vs Better: "Lose 10 pounds."
- A - ATTAINABLE. Do you have control over what you're trying to do? If the goal isn't in your power don't waste your time and energy on it. Is it doable and reasonable? Don't make it too hard to achieve, this will make you feel defeated from the beginning, but remember that it's also not a good idea to make it so easy that you aren't motivated by the idea of achieving it. Bad: "Make Stan fall in love with me." vs Better: "Ask Stan out on a date."
- R - RELEVANT. Relevance can be hard to determine. Ask yourself these questions to help: Is your goal applicable to where you are in your life right now? Is it worthwhile? Will it meet your needs? Does it bring you closer to your long term plans and is it consistent with the person you want to be and your other goals? Bad: "Memorize all of the presidents of the United States in chronological order." (for me, as a Canadian with no particular interest in American political history, this is an irrelevant goal.) vs Better: "Spend 15 minutes reading about the upcoming Canadian federal election every day."
- T - TIMELY. Deadlines are so important. Without one, a goal is just a dream. Make sure to pick the day by which your goal must be completed. It will establish a sense of urgency, causing you to manage your time better and work on your goal daily! Bad: "Learn to do a backflip." vs Better: "Learn to do a backflip by February 1st, 2016."
STEP THREE: Write Them Down
Make sure to write down your goals and put them somewhere where you'll see them every day. Reviewing your goals often is so important to keep you on track and focused! When you write down your goal be sure to break it down into at least 3 small, actionable steps you can take towards achieving it. Each time you see your goal, ask yourself what the next step is that you can take to get that little bit closer!
STEP FOUR: Get Support
New research implies that telling people about your goals may make you less likely to achieve them, as your mind associates the pleasure it gets from recognition from others with being closer to reaching your goal than you actually are. With that in mind, if you need support, don't hesitate to ask for it. Whether it's your spouse, your best friend, or someone you meet on the internet, asking for help isn't failure. Getting advice and learning from others' experiences when you need to is simply the smart thing to do!
STEP FIVE: Take Small Steps Every Day
Don't just write down actionable steps, take those steps! Spend at least 5 minutes a day on working towards your goal. It's not the big things we do infrequently but the small things we do consistently that make the biggest impact!
Related Blog Post: How To Use A Bullet Journal To Stay Organized!
Use these 5 steps to set your goals and then get to work on achieving them! I created a couple printables to make your goal setting even easier. Get them for free when you sign up to the Plant Based Bride newsletter!
I purposefully made the printables unisex so that everyone can enjoy the power of smart goals without too much glitter or pink getting involved. (You're welcome, Jason.) I will try to get the link to your inbox as soon as possible, and within 24 hours at the most! Be patient with me as I am a one woman operation :)
Until next time...
What's your number one goal right now? Is there anything you do differently when goal setting that works for you? I'd love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments or on social media (@elizabethturn on instagram and twitter and Plant Based Bride on Facebook)!
Don't forget to subscribe to the Plant Based Bride newsletter so that you never miss a post and get your FREE goal setting printable pack made by yours truly!
10 Yummy Vegan Cake Recipes To Try!
What birthday is complete without cake? You are correct, no birthday is complete without cake. I'm not much of a baker, but on one day every year it seems utterly appropriate to try (and fail) to make a delicious birthday cake. Check out some awesome vegan cake recipes from around the web for your birthday baking pleasure!
What birthday is complete without cake? You are correct, no birthday is complete without cake. I'm not much of a baker, but on one day every year it seems utterly appropriate to try (and fail) to make a delicious birthday cake. Check out some awesome vegan cake recipes from around the web for your birthday baking pleasure!
1. Vegan Toasted Coconut Cake from Vegan Baking
Photo credit: Vegan Baking
Layers of toasted coconut and coconut cream? Sign me up!
2. Epic Vegan Chocolate Cake from Jamie Oliver
Photo credit: Jamie Oliver
Not only does this cake look incredibly decadent, but it's gluten free!
3. Vegan Healthy Walnut Pumpkin Cake from Oh She Glows
Photo credit: Oh She Glows
I love everything pumpkin. Add in walnuts? I'm in heaven.
4. Vegan Cocoa Apple Cake by Eggless Cooking
Photo credit: Eggless Cooking
Cocoa and apple in one cake? Yes please!
5. Vegan Pineapple Upside-Down Dump Cake by Jolinda Hackett
Photo credit: flickr via About.com
Super easy, super yummy. A win win in my books!
6. Vegan Amaretto Chocolate Cream Cake (Gluten Free) from One Green Planet
Photo credit: One Green Planet
I. Can't. Even. I'm drooling.
7. Vanilla Pound Cake from Vegan Richa
Who doesn't love a classic vanilla pound cake?
8. Vegan Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Cake with PB Banana Glaze from Oh She Glows
Photo credit: Oh She Glows
My fiancé's mouth dropped open when I read him the description of this cake. He would like to eat it everyday.
9. Vegan and Gluten-Free Carrot Cake from Vegan Richa
I'm a BIG fan of carrot cake. It's sweet but not too sweet, and so comforting!
10. Vegan Chocolate Chai Marbled Cake from One Green Planet
Photo credit: One Green Planet
Related Blog Post: Vegan Mousse Recipe
Is your mouth watering as much as mine is? Yum! Let me know in the comments which recipe you'd try first. I'm going for #6!
Until next time,
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Birthday Wishlist: Vegan Edition
In my family we have a tradition. Five times a year, a month or so before each of our birthdays and before christmas, an email will come in listing everything on our wishlist. We're a very practical family, and like to know exactly what the others need or want when those times of year come around. I can actually go back and see my birthday wishlist from 2002 if I go deep enough on my hard rive... All of this to say, I have a bit of experience making wish lists. Well, every kind of list, really. But that's a topic for another day.
In my family we have a tradition. Five times a year, a month or so before each of our birthdays and before christmas, an email will come in listing everything on our wishlist. We're a very practical family, and like to know exactly what the others need or want when those times of year come around. I can actually go back and see my birthday wishlist from 2002 if I dig deep enough on my hard drive... All of this to say, I have a bit of experience making wish lists. Well, every kind of list, really. But that's a topic for another day.
Now that I'm vegan, making a list is a bit more complicated. I can't just see something I like on instagram or pinterest and pop it on. I have to do research into the company and item to ensure no animal products were used and that the product wasn't tested on animals. It would be laborious, expect that I love shopping and don't mind the excuse to do more of it to find the PERFECT vegan items to lust after! The two big ones on my list this year were the Matt & Nat Parabole bag and Chubby wallet, which my parents graciously picked up for me (thank you, again!) and for which I wrote a whole dedicated post, here. But what else is on my list? Take a look! (This post contains some affiliate links.)
1 In the Oceanic of Time Dress 2 I Tank I Can Black Tank Top 3 Strike the Match White and Navy Stripe Two Piece 4 Beneath the Garden Arbor Grey Lace Maxi Dress 5 Aim'n Wave Logo Tights 6 All in Good Cheer Grey Tulle Skirt 7 Night Drive Blush Trench Coat 8 Scenic Drive Black Wrap Maxi Skirt 9 Share My Lair Ivory Crop Top 10 I'm Into You Black High-Low Wrap Dress 11 Photo Opportunist Black Bodycon Midi Dress 12 Meridian Arc Ivory and Blue Print Halter Maxi Dress 13 LULUS Exclusive Gracefully Yours Black Dress 14 Sun Sign Black Maxi Dress 15 Take a Ladylike-ing To Dress 16 Radiant Gradients Dress 17 Space is the Place Black Crop Top
1 Two-Piece Suits Me Natural Beige D'Orsay Flats 2 Ahimsa Dress Boot in Black 3 Romance Cosmetic "I Do" 4 Boyd Sunglasses 5 Up All Night Flats 6 Plant Based Memory Foam Mattress 7 City Classified Sadler Black Suede Pointed Flats 8 Melissa Petal Flats 9 Roller Coast to Coast Black Clutch 10 Ellison Sunglasses
Related Blog Post: Should You Get Rid Of All Your Leather Now That You're Vegan?
And there you have it! As a former shopaholic, this blogging-about-the-things-I-want-to-buy-but-not-buying-them thing is kind of fantastic... I hope you liked my list and maybe found a new item or two to add to yours (if you have, remember to use Ebates to get cash back on your online purchases. I've been using them for years and recommend the site 100%!)
Until next time...
Where do you like to shop for vegan goods? Let me know in the comments below!
Don't forget to sign up for the Plant Based Bride newsletter (form at the bottom of this page) to never miss a post!
Go check out my post on my new Matt & Nat bag and wallet here, if you haven't already!
