Modern Hippie Mag » Stuff

In the Kitchen with Natalia – Chocolate Cherry Truffles

Natalia KW — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:00:24 +0000

Cherries are one of my favorite summer fruits. I can eat them non-stop! Chocolate and cherries are a classic combo, but at first glance, there’s no way to tell there’s a sweet, fresh cherry wrapped up inside these little bites. I love surprises! The truffle base is so simple, you can play around with your favorite fruits, nuts and spices to create your own masterpiece. Have fun!

Makes one dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw cacao powder
seeds of one vanilla bean
pinch of salt
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
1/4 cup raw honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil
12 pitted cherries
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Instructions:
Place the cacao powder, vanilla bean and salt in a food processor. Pulse gently to combine. Add the dates, honey and coconut oil and process until sticky and smooth. To make each truffle, roll about one tablespoon of chocolate into a 1″ ball with your hands. Flatten into a circle and wrap around the cherry. Roll again to make a smooth, round ball. Place the 2 tablespoons of cacao powder on a plate. Roll the cherry filled truffle in the cacao powder and give it one last roll with your hands for an even coating. Set in the refrigerator for one hour to firm. Consume within 2 days since you’re using fresh cherries, or freeze for longer storage.

Natalia

Natalia is the chef/owner of Glowing Temple, a raw and living foods inspiration, creation and education service based in Sarasota, Florida. She strives to create recipes focusing on local and seasonal ingredients and never compromises when it comes to organics. Natalia wishes to share the joy she has discovered through a clean, green diet. Recently, she created an organic live & vegan menu for Mi Pueblo’s University location. Find her on Twitter @NataliaKW and Facebook.

In the Kitchen with Natalia – Chocolate Cherry Truffles is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Podcast Movers and Shakers!

Steve McAllister — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:00:46 +0000

We are so pleased to announce that Podomatic, our podcast host, has named Modern Hippie Mag one of their Movers and Shakers! This means our show was among 50 podcasts in the top 500 that climbed the most number spots overall on Jul 23, 2010. We are now ranked number 398 overall and number 10 in our category! Thank you all so much for listening in and supporting us.

Of course, we also want to thank our guests, without whom we wouldn’t have nearly as much to talk about. In case you missed any of them, these are some of the most recent interviews…

Rock Meets Soul – Nice & Rough with Sheila Hardy

Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

Source4Style.com – Connecting Designers with Sustainable Fabrics with Summer Rayne Oakes

Urthbags.com, Eco-chic Handbags with Monica Ralli

Working for Good with Jeff Klein

Possum Living – How to Live Well Without a Job and With (Almost) No Money with Dolly Freed

and, of course, our own Jaszy McAllister gave us our first video podcast with What Shade of Green Are You?

If you haven’t heard these already, you’re really missing out on some very enlightening talks. And if that’s not enough, just wait to see who we’ve got coming up next.

Podcast Movers and Shakers! is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

The Good, the Bad and the Not So Pretty

Jaszy McAllister — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:00:07 +0000

Well eco-peeps we have some news for ya. The good news is that tomorrow is ‘Food’ day and as you’ve come to expect, we have a super yummy raw food dessert from Natalia in our video series In the Kitchen with Natalia of Glowing Temple. I won’t spoil it, but it’s really easy to make and very chocolate-y!

The bad news is that next week Modern Hippie Mag will be offline for a few days, but for a very good reason. We’re going green, people!! We are making the transition to iPage, a Green Certified Hosting Company. iPage reduces its carbon footprint by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) generated by wind power. That means that their servers, offices and data centers are powered by 100% wind energy. iPage’s energy efficiency is equivalent to planting 2,390 acres of trees or removing 510 cars from the road! We’re pretty excited about it!

But that brings me to the “Not So Pretty”.

Although I have complete confidence in the folks over at iPage, I’m gonna be freakin’ out just a tad as we get it all sorted out. Your patience and words of soothing comfort would be greatly appreciated.

I hope that you will still connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Also, be sure to catch up on our videos on YouTube and our podcast interviews while we make the transition.

Thanks so much for continuing to support Modern Hippie Mag and for being a part of our community of eco-peeps!!

The Good, the Bad and the Not So Pretty is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Tips to Eco-Style Your Life this Summer

Julie Urlaub — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:00:39 +0000

Summer is here! Spice it up eco style to add the eco sizzle in your summer activities. Individuals aiming to become more sustainable in their own personal life have a variety of eco actions at their disposal. As mentioned in our eco friendly consulting, start with the sustainability concepts are you most familiar. Areas of energy efficiency, waste management, or local and fair trade are familiar topics. You may want to apply sustainability concepts more specific to the summer months. Looking for ideas? Try these on!

Photo by Christa Richert

Organic garden – Organic gardening leads to better health in three main ways:

When you garden organically, you greatly reduce your exposure to pesticides, which have been linked to many severe health problems.
Organically-grown food is more nutritious than food grown using conventional methods.
Organic gardeners tend to use “muscle-power” rather than “machine-power” for gardening tasks.

Green Home Makeover – Transform your home into an eco haven. Express your unique style and with eco awareness. Following are resources offered in our eco friendly consulting classes to help you on your way:

Eco friendly car washing – wash your car the eco friendly way:

Consider switching to a waterless car wash.
Wash on gravel, grass, or another permeable surface.
Use a water-saving hose nozzle. Select a nozzle with an automatic shut-off valve so that water is not continuing to flow as you wash.
Select the right soap. Choose a biodegradable soap that is chlorine- and phosphate-free. Phosphates encourage algae bloom when they enter water and reduce oxygen levels for other aquatic species.
Opt for reusable towels. Swap paper towels for re-usable microfiber towels.

Happy eco summer to you!

Tips to Eco-Style Your Life this Summer by Julie Urlaub originally appeared in the Taiga Company blog.

Julie

Julie Urlaub is Founder & Managing Partner of Taiga Company, a sustainability consulting firm located in Houston, Texas dedicated to accelerating the integration of sustainability concepts in business. Today, Julie speaks, writes, and advises clients on a variety of issues related to the intersection between environmental stewardship, and sustainable business practices. Her writing has been featured in SocialYell’s Corporate Advice, the GreenEcomonyPost, the Business Exchange and, the ThinkGreenAlliance. Connect with Taiga Company on Facebook and Twitter. Also Find Julie on LinkedIn.

Tips to Eco-Style Your Life this Summer is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Your Daily Groove – The Spirit of the Sixties

Steve McAllister — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:00:35 +0000

“For me, the lame part of the Sixties was the political part, the social part. The real part was the spiritual part.” – Jerry Garcia

It may very well be that the attempt to control forces outside of themselves led to the downfall of the first Hippie movement. As noble as their intentions may have been, the fight against the war and the political powers that pushed it forth may have played a big part in diverting their energies from the inner journeys which guided them toward the ideals of peace, hope, and community in the first place.

All these years later, wars are still being mounted and political powers are still pushing them forth for personal gain. And yet there is also a renaissance of those ideals of peace, hope, and community burning in the hearts of people all over the world. As we see the same mistakes being made by the political powers, trading only jungle for desert, let us not fall into the same routine and make the same mistakes, but realize the magnitude of the inner journey. For the changes we long to see in our society and our world will not be made by the force of brutes, but by the power of the spirit.

This is not to say that we should not be against war, pollution, and political corruptness, but that we should be all the more so for peace, natural living, and integrity. For these are not political aspects, and trying to force them to be so will only end in disillusionment, as we have already seen. The fight we must wage is for our independence from the folly they engage in, seeking a revolution of spirit and a solidarity of purpose which will guide us toward the future we envision.

Steve McAllister begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting

In addition to serving as Managing Editor and contributor to Modern Hippie Mag, Steve McAllister is an actor, musician, accomplished author, filmmaker, and the man behind Your Daily Groove. His most recent novel, The McAllister Code is available as an e-book at www.themcallistercode.com. Find Steve on Twitter, @InkenSoul. Read his reviews and articles here.

Your Daily Groove – The Spirit of the Sixties is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

A world of beauty care products from Nature’s Basin

Guest Contributor — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:00:19 +0000

Nature’s Basin is a US based online retail store specializing in organic beauty product and natural makeup from around the world that are safe but also effective. Nature’s Basin analyzes every ingredient in the products they sell to ensure that the product is safe and there are no harmful chemicals in these products.

Our natural and organic beauty care products are formulated with ingredients from natural sources, such as plants, flowers, fruit, vegetables, etc. We select products that do not contain any synthetic chemicals, including parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, fragrances, or dyes.

Nature’s Basin not only selects beauty care brands that are committed to your health, but also a healthier environment through their production and packaging. We also make it easier for you to shop for products that are organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and hand-made based on your needs. We carry many excellent brands such as Erbaviva, NVEY Eco, Suki, Living Nature, Soleo Sunscreens, Pangea Organics, Sophyto, Suzanne aux bains, from around the world.

Nature’s Basin offers free shipping on all orders over $65 in the Continental USA and free shipping on all orders over $95 to Hawaii and Alaska. Additionally, Nature’s Basin offers a 30 day lowest price guarantee. If you find a lower price online for a product within 30-days of its purchase, we will refund the difference to you. Nature’s Basin also offers a 90-day no questions asked full refund policy or store credit. And not to be missed is their My Rewards Program.

To stay up to date with news and specials, please sign-up for the newsletter and receive a 10% off coupon offer from their home page. Become their Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/naturesbasin and follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/naturesbasin.

A world of beauty care products from Nature’s Basin is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

{Giveaway} Soaptopia – Bath Certified, Junk Free!

Jaszy McAllister — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:00:47 +0000

We had a great time getting to know Soaptopia and well, it’s time to share the love! Blessed Soaptopia, makers of some pretty awesome natural & handmade soaps, have generously offered to gift one pretty cool gift set to one very lucky Modern Hippie Mag reader! Best of all, you get to pick one of these below if you’re fortunate enough be to chosen as the winner!

Sir Follicle Whisker III

Sir Follicle Whisker III Shaving Kit ($36 value) comes with Badger Shaving Brush, Two All Natural Shaving Soaps, Wooden Shaving Soap Dish & Travel Bag. Choose any two Eucalyptus, Rosewood or Sweet Almond Shaving Soaps. It is all natural, eco-friendly and old school.

Eco Luscious Green Gift Box

Eco Luscious Green Gift Box ($27.50 value) contains 1 Yummy Handmade Soap, 1 50/50 Body Balm & 1 Salt Soak Scrub. All natural, handmade and delicious.

Five Soap Bubble Box ($30 value) contains five Soaps to a box in a variety of flavors -

Five Soap Bubble Box

choose from Moist-O-Rama, Scrub-A-Go-Go, High Five, Shower of Love, Lavender Schmavendar, or Green (visit site for scent details).

Note: To be eligible you must be a Modern Hippie Mag subscriber receiving our updates via email, or RSS, Facebook fan, and/or Twitter follower (tell us your Twitter name in your comment below).

(Complete the following in separate comments below for more chances to win!)

In a comment below tell us which gift set you’d love to own and why.
Follow Soaptopia on Twitter, @Soaptopia.
Show that you like Soaptopia on Facebook.
Tweet this: {Giveaway} Soaptopia, Bath Certified, Junk Free! http://ow.ly/2ehcS @Soaptopia #soaprcks
(Tweet often but don’t forget to add #soaprcks to your tweet so that we can keep track!)

For additional entries, chat us up!

Blog about this giveaway and link to this post.
Share this giveaway on your Facebook wall.
Add Modern Hippie Mag to your Blog Roll or Featured Blogs list.

(Remember to leave a separate comment for each requirement for more chances to win!)

More details:

Open to U.S. entrants only.
Recipients chosen at random using Random.org.
Won something in the last thirty days? Last month’s winners are ineligible for this giveaway.
Giveaway ends 12 midnight EST, on Tuesday, August 3, 2010. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, August 4, 2010.
Winner will be contacted via email and/or Twitter. You will have 48 hours to respond at which time another winner will be randomly chosen.

Big thank you to Marc G. over there at Soaptopia for sponsoring this giveaway!

{Giveaway} Soaptopia – Bath Certified, Junk Free! is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Source4Style.com – Connecting Designers with Sustainable Fabrics

Jaszy McAllister — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:00:42 +0000

Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes is certainly no stranger to the world of eco-fashion. As a world renowned model, fashionista, and environmental activist, she is once again making waves with her newest venture – Source4Style.com. Presently in the beta stage, the intention is for Source4Style to become a hub where designers can search and source sustainable fabrics and textiles as well as engage in educational workshops on sustainable design and responsible sourcing techniques. Additionally, Source4Style.com may become the destination site where designers and vendors can network – an added feature Summer and her team hope to include in the final site release this fall.

Listen to my interview with Summer to learn more about Source4Style and this awesome lady on the eco-scene!

Jaszy

Jaszy McAllister is the woman behind the curtain of Modern Hippie Mag. She is also the host for ModernHippieMag.com video and podcast interview profiles and a Green Guru for TheGreenGirls.com. Find her on Twitter, @msjaszy or connect with her on LinkedIn. Read more articles by Jaszy.

Want to have your company, product or service featured in a video or podcast? Contact us! Watch our video profiles and listen to our podcast interviews.

Source4Style.com – Connecting Designers with Sustainable Fabrics is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Summer Trends – the Eco-fashion Report from Magnifeco.com

Guest Contributor — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:00:58 +0000

Ah, summer! This is the perfect season to add a piece of eco-fashion to your wardrobe with everyone from H&M to Target offering organic cotton t-shirt options. Dressing with ethics doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice aesthetics. Eco-fashion means you can be fashionable while supporting fair and sustainable practices. Want to figure out how to combine the current summer trends with ethics? We bring you our Eco-fashion Report:

Trend#1 – Rompers

L to R – ecoSkin, Elroy, Prairie Underground

Worn everywhere from the red carpet to the market, the romper is back! Following this trend and staying ethical is no problem with these designers. ecoSkin is a California-based apparel company offering chic, contemporary designs for the eco-conscious, fashion-savvy woman by using only environmentally sustainable luxury fabrics (woven, dyed and sewn in the USA.) Canadian designer Leanne McEroy believes it is more than possible to live in abundance without polluting, consuming natural resources excessively or abusing labor practices, and uses only organic or sustainable fabrics: tencel chambray denim, organic cotton, or vegan-friendly raw silk. Seattle-based Prairie Underground ensures that their collection includes organic cotton and remnant/salvaged fabrics and is ethically made in Seattle.

Trend#2 – Grape

L to R – deux fm, Sust, Stewart+Brown

This hot summer shade looks fabulous on everyone regardless of your skin tone or eye colour. Adding a piece of grape to your wardrobe will complement your complexion and keep you on trend. Canadian designer Anna Gilkerson studied in both New York (FIT) and Florence (Polimoda) before she created deux fm. Pronounced deux femmes, the line is for the woman who broadcasts both fashion and ethics. SUST is taking sustainable style to another level with a line of essential pieces in classic styles that are meant to stand the test of time. Each piece of clothing has social and ecological responsibility woven into its very fabric with organic fibers that are produced with fair labor practices in California. Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, partners in life and work, launched their ethical fashion brand Stewart+Brown in 2002 from Los Angeles, California. Inspired by their love and respect for nature and a passion for design they are determined to pioneer the sustainable fashion movement.

Trend #3 – African Prints

L to R - ASOS Africa, Sika Designs, Lalesso

Bold prints are synonymous with summer and this year is no exception, get on trend with these African Prints. UK fashion retailer ASOS has launched ASOS Africa, a clothing and accessories collection that has been designed, sourced and produced fairly by community groups in Africa. Sika Designs are inspired by the rich and diverse culture of Ghana, West Africa. Every fabric has been carefully selected in local Ghanaian markets and hand-made using natural methods, creating exclusive limited prints. Lalesso was launched in Cape Town. Inspired by the beautiful “khanga” or “lesso” which is actually a spotted handkerchief brought to the East African Coast in the 19th century from India, they produce organic cotton summerwear: bikinis, dresses, skirts, etc.

This content was produced exclusively for ModernHippieMag.com by www.magnifeco.com – the daily eco-fashion blog featuring gorgeous products that are fair-trade, recycled, reusable, sustainable, organic, and/or vegan. Every day the amount of information is growing about the Magnifeco options for fashion: from earth friendly fabrics, to sustainable manufacturing processes to fairtrade practices. We feature conscientious designers and products for you the conscientious consumer.

Summer Trends – the Eco-fashion Report from Magnifeco.com is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Urthbags.com, Eco-chic Handbags

Jaszy McAllister — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:00:21 +0000

UrthBags are hand-crafted from recycled materials by Fair Trade Women’s Organizations & Artisans – Purses Made with a Purpose!

"Bridgette" Magazine Bag

By owning an UrthBag, you are not only helping to protect our planet, but also to provide jobs to underprivileged women world-wide. UrthBags are durable, ultra-stylish & can be used for almost any occasion as they come in many different styles and are all handmade from recycled & salvaged materials so you can feel good about owning one while making a bold eco-fashion statement.

Monica Ralli, founded Urthbags to help inspire people to develop a stronger sense of eco-consciousness while making a stylish, green fashion statement. I had the pleasure of speaking with Monica recently to learn more about her vision and what’s in store for Urthbags.

"Jenna" Magazine Bag

One very fortunate Modern Hippie Mag reader will have a chance to own a “Jenna” Magazine Urthbag made from recycled plastic and features popular fashion magazine images, a $76 value!

(Complete the following in separate comments below for more chances to win!)

Follow Urthbags on Twitter, @Urthbags.
Show that you like Urthbags on Facebook.
Tweet this: {Giveaway} Urthbags, Eco-Chic Handbags http://ow.ly/2d9qE @Urthbags #earthbgs
(Tweet often but don’t forget to add #earthbgs to your tweet so that we can keep track!)

For additional entries, chat us up!

Blog about this giveaway and link to this post.
Share this giveaway on your Facebook wall.
Add Modern Hippie Mag to your Blog Roll or Featured Blogs list.

(Remember to leave a separate comment for each requirement for more chances to win!)

More details:

Open to U.S. entrants only.
Recipients chosen at random using Random.org.
Won something in the last thirty days? Last month’s winners are ineligible for this giveaway.
Giveaway ends 12 midnight EST, on Monday, August 2, 2010. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.
Winner will be contacted via email and/or Twitter. You will have 48 hours to respond at which time another winner will be randomly chosen.

Big thank you to Monica Ralli for sponsoring this giveaway!

Urthbags.com, Eco-chic Handbags is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.