Despite its namesake, mince pies are not a savory, meat-based dish. Instead, they’re sweet, light, and full of delicious comforting holiday flavors.

Mince pies originated in the UK, where they are traditionally served during the Christmas season. The pastry dessert gets its moniker from its ingredients, which are a mixture of dried fruit and spices, or “mincemeat”.

A traditional mince pie recipe includes brown and white sugars, white flour, butter, and eggs – not exactly the recipe to get your started on your best going-into-the-new-year figure. Since we all tend to veer off the track of our otherwise more conscious (or nah?) diets once we venture into the holiday season, it helps to have a few dishes that balance our excessiveness with a touch of healthy! And for vegans everywhere: you don’t have to miss out! Here’s a vegan, wheat and refined sugar-free revamp of the traditional mince pies recipe! It packs incredible flavor without weighing you down.

Nosh on them during Christmas, and even all-year round, as a fragrant, filling, animal-friendly dessert. Enjoy!

Vegan Mince Pies Recipe

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the crust

• 2 cups desiccated coconut
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup raw maple syrup
• Juice of two lemons
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Water, as needed

For the filling

• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1/2 cup dried figs
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pine of salt

For the icing

• 1 cup cashews
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon coconut butter
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Directions

For the crust, add all of the ingredients, except the water to a food processor and blend until the mixture begins to clump together in a ball. Add one tablespoon of water at a time to help the process. Store the dough in the refrigerator for an hour to become firm. About 10 minutes before the hour is up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use coconut oil to lightly grease a muffin tin.

Press the dough into the muffin tins, lining the bottom and up the sides of each mold, creating a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is ever so lightly brown.

For the filling, add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until the mixture forms a paste. Set aside.

For the icing, add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.

To assemble, delicately remove the crusts from the muffin tin and fill each with an equal amount of the paste and finish each mince pie with a dollop of the icing.

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The post Vegan Mince Pies are a Sweet Reminder of What the Season Is Really All About: Dessert appeared first on EcoSalon.

There’s nothing more satisfying than giving someone the perfect gift, the kind that you are just as, if not more, excited about giving than the receiver is about, well, receiving. But what if that gift had a life beyond the confinement of its wrapping paper? What if the gift gave more than just an object, but an experience or repetitive value? The following 11 gift ideas attempt to do just that. They don’t just make great gifts—they make great stories!

11 Holiday Gifts That Keep on Giving

1. Yoga Membership

We all have that friend who wants to engage in more self-love activities, particularly yoga. Make it easier for your friend to get started by gifting her a month’s membership at the nearest yoga studio. Join her as much as you can to help her new habit stick!

2. Juicer or Blender

Nothing keeps on giving quite like a juicer or blender. Motivate someone in your life to start drinking healthier and more creatively with one (or both!) of these machines.

3. Books…Forever!

For your bibliophile friends, consider signing them up for a GiftLit subscription. Each month, the service sends age and content-appropriate books to them.

4. Drybar Membership

I can’t imagine a better gift. When blowouts became a thing, the world became a better place because of it. Gift a Drybar membership to a lucky friend or family member and she’ll always have her locks on point.

5. Skydiving

Okay, this is admittedly an aggressive gift that not everyone will enjoy receiving (raises hand), but if you have a daredevil friend who may have dropped a hint that she’d like to take the (literal) plunge, then gift her the experience of a lifetime. Just make sure she is a good friend, because skydiving can run for about $250 a pop.

6. Three-day Detox

Gift your friend a seamless escape from holiday indulgence with a foolproof re-set button: a three-day cleanse. Almost every major city has cold-press juice and raw/vegan food cleanses available. Find one fit for your friend and sign her up! This will not only make for a thoughtful gift but also motivate your friend to transform her diet for the better. My favorite service: Sakara.

7. Cooking Class

Join a local cooking class and bring your friend along for the perfect bonding (and eating) experience.

8. Singing Lessons

Okay, bear with me here. I am a strong believer that we should all practice our singing skills, even if we are admittedly terrible at it. It’s a form of expression and even if your friend is not naturally talented at it, she can at least have a lot of fun pretending for an hour. And if she’s good at it, your gift only cultivates a talent!

9. Endless Stream of Flowers

The Bouqs Co. is an e-florist that delivers “farm to table” flowers from sustainable sources on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. Starting at $32 per month, your friend can enjoy bouquet after bouquet after bouquet. Every time she admires her flowers, she’ll think of you!

10. Language Learning Software

It’s never too late to pick up a new language, but it requires commitment. Help your friend or family member get started with a language learning software.

11. Grooming Essentials

This one is for the men in your life. Bevel sells high quality razors, shaving cream, and other grooming products. You can order a Shave System Starter Kit or sign up for a $29.95 subscription for quarterly shipping of grooming products.

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These stocking stuffers are geared toward the yogi, the vegan, the meditator, and the soul-searcher. You know who I am talking about – the person who actually looks at ingredient lists and actually gives a shit about what they put on their skin and in their bodies. The one who typically eschews gifts for that very reason — because it’s not always easy to buy gifts for such friends or family members. But if done right, it can be a lot more fulfilling. These seven stocking stuffer ideas will help you make the right choice for your loved one.

7 Stocking Stuffers for the Eco-Conscious Soul

1. Crash Jewelry Teal Porsche Bundle

Jewelry is a common gift, but it’s not always meaningful beyond the act of giving itself. CRASH Jewelry adds a little more thought to their beautiful jewelry designs, like this Teal Porsche bundle, which includes a bangle, a necklace, rings, and earrings. CRASH make sustainable accessories from the metal of luxury automobiles that have had minor accidents. Each order arrives with a certificate of authenticity that lists the name of the car that the jewelry came from. Bundle price: $230.

2. SoulMakes Chloe Quartz Keychain

Be engaged in the healing process at all times with this quartz keychain. Clip it onto a set of keys or a favorite purse and let it spread the good vibes wherever it goes. Price: $23.

3. Aura Cacia Grounding Root Organic Chakra Balancing Roll On

Give the gift of groundedness with this simple chakra-balancing roll on. Apply its essences onto the crown of your head, behind the ears, just under the neck, and to the temples. It’s made with water and pure essential oils, including vetiver, patchouli, bergamot, and nutmeg. Use daily! Price: $15.

4. 100% PURE Sheer Cherry Lip Gloss

Make-up is a common stocking stuffer gift for any queen in your life, but don’t just gift  any ol’ lip gloss – gift a lip gloss made with natural, recognizable ingredients that will enhance not only beauty but also nourish the skin. This sheer cherry lip gloss is made with grapeseed oil, shea butter, beeswax, and vitamin E and the pigmented extracts of pomegranate, wine, cherry, cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, peach, coca bean, plum, vitamin C, and strawberry. Price: $20.

5. Simply Divine Get Acquainted Kit

You may not want to splurge on a full set of natural organic skincare for a friend or family member, because that can become quite expensive, but samples will do just fine. Cult-favorite Simply Divine Botanicals is an old school natural skincare player whose longevity speaks volumes about its quality. In this pack of more than a dozen samples, you get the full-body experience, head to toe. Price: $39.

6. Fine & Raw Coconut Chunky Chocolate

Fine & Raw produces perhaps the most delicious raw chocolate out there. The holidays are certainly about indulgence, and Fine & Raw’s coconut chunky bar is in good company. The difference it has with regular milk or dark chocolate varieties is that it is made with raw cacao, coconut butter, blue agave, coconut sugar, cacao butter and is completely unprocessed and not heated in a way that destroys its inherent nutrition. Try it once and you’ll be hooked. Price: $7.

7. 52 Lists for Happiness

If you’ve got a list lover in your life, this is the perfect gift. This book makes journaling a matter of inspiring positivity, balance, and joy. Author Moorea Seal draws from happiness research and her own personal philosophy to create a tool for list lovers so that they can unveil their own unique happiness. The 52 listing prompts encourage readers to reflect, acknowledge, and invest in themselves. Price: $13.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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The post These 7 Stocking Stuffers are Cool Enough for the Person Who Has Everything appeared first on EcoSalon.

Get into the holiday spirit with these easy peasy DIY holiday decorating ideas that you can put together in less than an afternoon. All that’s needed are some household items destined to be repurposed and little creativity.

10 Repurposed Holiday Decorating Ideas

1. Origami Wrapping Paper Ornaments – Leftover wrapping paper from holidays from years past is perfect to repurpose into origami ornaments.

2. Yoga Mat Door Mat – Have an extra yoga mat? Turn a yoga mat into a holiday-themed doormat with a box cutter, some spray paint, and letter stencils to spell out a holiday welcome.

3. Jar Light Displays – Repurpose glass jars into a festive light display with battery-powered mini LED string lights. Group a collection of jars for a seasonal light display centerpiece for your holiday gathering.

4. Mobile Tree – Using a large round embroidery hoop, tie strands of textiles and festive sewing notions like rickrack, glitter yarn and more for a low-maintenance “tree”. Add metallic holiday bulb ornaments for extra points.

5. Cardboard Tree – Anyone with pets will tell you that a Christmas tree can be tricky. Instead of worrying about the tree getting brought down by the cats, repurpose cardboard into a festive tree with a little creative spirit.

6. Fabric Advent Calendar – Repurpose textiles headed for the scrap bin into a DIY advent calendar with a little sewing know-how. Cut out shapes (star, circle, diamond) using a cardboard stencil. Sew two pieces of fabric together and stuff with batting. Add numbers with glitter paint. Use clothespins to hang from some Bakers’ twine for a homemade holiday countdown.

7. DIY Snow Globes – Mason jars that have seen one too many canning seasons (the jars do weaken from repeated use) can be repurposed into snow globes. Super Glue a holiday tchotchke on the bottom of the jar and fill it with a little glycerin, water, and glitter (the glycerin should keep the glitter from clumping).

8. Sheet Christmas Tree – Not into the whole bringing a live tree in the house or putting up a fake tree? Instead make a tree from a sheet (or tablecloth, bedspread, or another textile) that has gotten a little dingy. Use fabric dye to color the fabric green and then cut out a tree shape. Hang the tree from a curtain and use spray starch if needed.

9. Tiered Glassware and Plate Centerpiece – Repurpose glassware and plates that you might be giving to the thrift store into a tiered display centerpiece. Use Super Glue or epoxy to affix the glass to the plates. Add pine boughs, succulents, or votive with tealights to create a lovely DIY holiday centerpiece.

10. Cookie Cutter Ornaments – Don’t toss out those old cookie cutters! Instead, add a little spray paint and twine to create super easy DIY holiday ornaments.

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The post 10 Super Easy Repurposed DIY Holiday Decorating Ideas to Pull Off in an Afternoon appeared first on EcoSalon.

Get into the holiday spirit and use your super-crafty abilities with these simple DIY tree ideas that are so easy they are almost like magic! 

For those of us with tree allergies (or just an aversion to pine needles everywhere), the idea of bringing a tree into the home at the holidays can be a nightmare. While the tradition may seem quaint to some, to others the practice is pretty close to torturous, requiring the use of allergy medication and eye drops. That’s not to mention the potential disaster when pets and small children are added into the mix.

And lest you think that getting one of those artificial trees is a good idea, think again. Not only does an artificial tree take the joy out of the season (in my opinion), but most are also made from a smorgasbord of petrochemicals, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE). Just what you need, a fake tree off-gassing in your home?! Not!

Consider making a DIY tree alternative. And while you are getting crafty, why not make homemade ornaments as well?

Here are some easy DIY tree ideas to give you some inspiration to create your own DIY tree this season.

DIY Tree Ideas

1. Blackboard Tree – One of the simplest ways to be tree-free this year is to go 2D by decorating a blackboard wall with a hand chalked tree.

2. Pallet Tree – Turn a pallet into a kitschy repurposed tree. Simply, cut, paint and arrange the slats in an inverted “V” shape for a reusable tree.

3. Tomato Cage Tree – Another easy DIY tree idea is to wrap tomato cages (used for holding up tomato plants) with strands of lights for some illuminated Christmas spirit.

4. Hanging Branches Wall Hanging – Get super crafty by tying salvaged wood twigs and branches together with twine and to create a wall hanging. Bonus points for making and hanging homemade decorations from your creation.

5. Wrapped Packages – Stack wrapped brown-paper-packages in a tree shape for a super easy and pet-friendly tree alternative this season. This is one tree you might not mind the cats playing on!

6. Plywood Tree – If you have some tools, and some skills to use them, use a saw to cut out a tree shape from a piece of plywood. Leave it bare for rustic charm, or cover it with felt, linen, or some other festive fabric and decorate it with Christmas cards.

7. Cardboard Tree – Use this PDF template to reuse cardboard destined for the recycle bin into a repurposed tree this season. The decorating possibilities are endless.

8. Vintage Cookie Tin Tree – Have a collection of vintage cookie tins? Stack them up from largest to smallest for some vintage Christmas charm.

9. DIY Wall Decal Tree – Turn painters’ tape or electrical tape into a geometric wall decal tree using this simple tutorial. Easy. Peasy. Christmas. Done.

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Wall Hanging Christmas Tree Image via KucoDesign

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