Love vegan recipes and winning? We’ve got just the contest for you!

It’s an honor to have our  Vegan Tiramisu Recipe selected for the Ethical Ocean and Vegan Cuts Vegan Recipe Challenge.

The Ethical Ocean and Vegan Cuts Vegan Recipe Challenge is looking for the most mouth-watering and delicious original vegan recipes, and ours has been picked as one of 25 of the top selections. But we need your help to win.

You can vote daily–and for as many recipes as you want. And if a recipe that you vote for wins, you’ll be entered into the Grand Prize draw for a chance to win a $250 shopping spree on Ethical Ocean OR a one-year subscription to a Vegan Cuts’ Snack Pack. The more times you vote, the more chances to win you have!

The contest ends at 11:59pm EST on May 17^th, so start voting! All you have to do is sign up to Ethical Ocean in order to vote and you’re free to unsubscribe any time.

Below is the original recipe, but please vote for us here.

Oh, and make the recipe. It is amazing!

Vegan Tiramisu by Aylin Ermin

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Makes 4-6 slices

Ingredients

For the Ladyfingers:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 3/4 cup water
• Spray oil

For the Cream:

• 15 oz can coconut milk, chilled
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Assembly:

• 1 cup coffee, cooled
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
• Fresh mint and cinnamon  or cocoa powder for garnish

Directions

For the ladyfingers, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all the dry ingredients together and add the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth. Spray oil on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch baking dish. Pour the mixture into the dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until the center has firmed and toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the entire ladyfinger “pie” from the baking dish in one piece. Slice ladyfinger-sized pieces, place them on parchment paper and return them to the 375-degree oven for 15 more minutes, or until browned and more hardened, but not burnt. Let the ladyfingers cool to room temperature before use. They will feel firm, but will soften later when soaked in the coffee mixture.

While the ladyfingers cool, prepare the cream filling. Open the canned coconut, which has been stored in the refrigerator at least one hour before preparation, and scoop out the hardened part, leaving the watery bottom behind. In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk the coconut milk with the agave and vanilla.

For assembly, in a low-rise dish, pour up to one cup of the coffee (bourbon addition option) until it rises about 1/2-inch. Place the lady fingers in the coffee for 30 seconds on both sides. Let them sit for longer or shorter depending on how quickly the ladyfingers soften. You don’t want them soggy to the point they are breaking apart, but you want them soft enough so that they are delicate to touch.

In a separate dish, layer half the lady fingers on the bottom, topped with a layer of the coconut cream, another layer of the rest of the lady fingers and then finished off with the cream. Garnish with mint and cocoa powder or cinnamon powder and serve.

The post Vegan Tiramisu Recipe and a Chance to Win $250! appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now. 

Yoga is becoming part of corporate culture, and that is good for the bottom line. [Via LearnVest]

Where you live affects your health. A new study shows that rural living could be an obesity risk factor. [Via Los Angeles Times]

What do you do when you have a day off? According to this poll, most of us sleep. [Via NPR]

Spice up your coffee with these five seasonal ingredients. [Via Organic Authority]

If you can rent out your apartment, why not your bike? Enter the Airbnb of the cycling world. Just make sure it’s tuned up. [Via Ethical Ocean]

Call Me Maybe vs. Gangnam Style = immediate internet sensation. Doesn’t mean it’s good. [Via Soundcloud]

What is the number one thing you couldn’t live without in the kitchen? Probably the refrigerator. This and 19 other significant inventions in the history of food and drink. [Via The Atlantic]

What do “clean” and “dirty” sound like? Take city pollution, map it with sound and you get a musical landscape. [Via PSFK]

The murder of an environmental journalist in Cambodia reminds us that we are all connected. [Via Dot Earth]

We live in an era of creativity; here is a compilation of the 25 most iconic artworks over the last five years. [Via ArtInfo]

Image: mmarcotte51

The post Link Love: Rural Living Affects Obesity, Airbnb for Bikes and the Murder of an Environmental Journalist appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now. 

What is the best endorsement Obama could have? Snoop Dogg of course. [Via Mother Jones]

In what could be the worst news of the week, Pat Robertson tells a man to move to Saudi Arabia so he can beat his wife (legally). [Via Gawker]

11 years later: take a moment today to remember September 11. Here is a photo gallery of the current construction for the memorial. [Via The Atlantic]

Are sea otters the solution to climate change? No, but they sure are helping. [Via National Geographic]

American Diplomacy has a new strategy, and it involves food. [Via TakePart]

The angst, the unease, and the trepidation of the difficulties of a post-9/11 world is making for a talented new group of young artists. [Via NPR]

PETA takes a stand and buys stock in Revlon in the organization’s ongoing attempt to get answers on the nail polish company’s involvement in animal testing. [Via Ethical Ocean]

Are you better off than you were four years ago? Signs point to yes and there’s someone to thank. [Via LearnVest]

A British trade union is proposing more regulations to make sure that models are well fed and paid. [Via High Low]

Image: mikebaird

The post Link Love: Snoop Dogg Loves Obama, Move to Saudia Arabia if You Have a ‘Problem’ Wife, and Sea Otters That Solve Climate Change appeared first on EcoSalon.

This week, we celebrate the USA by highlighting some of the great design that is also made here on our home turf.

This week is all about celebrating the United States of America, and we do that by highlighting some of the great design that is done here on our home turf. Manufacturing in the U.S. creates jobs and cuts carbon emissions from shipping, so be a patriot and support your local designers. Here are a few of our favorites, on the neutral color scale.

Modaspia Gia Knit
We all need a cozy knit to keep us warm through the summer. This one is made to order on a vintage knitting machine in Modaspia’s studio – a charming 19th Century masonic temple in Placerville, CA – from bunny soft Peruvian baby alpaca. The rolled neck and hem and crocheted seams give is a bit of a bohemian touch – perfect for summer.
$210, Modaspia

Kirsten Muenster Small Box Chain Bracelet
This bracelet is made from oxidized brass or bronze and made in California. Kirsten Muenster starts with a raw spool of wire, which is hand spun into a coil that is then hand cut into individual links. These are then woven into chain, one by one. It’s an old school technique, but this piece is decidedly modern and will give any look that slight edge that we like.
$280, Kirsten Muenster Jewelry

Form & Fauna Havana Open-toe Pump
Form & Fauna creates beautiful eco footwear made from sustainable materials that are vegan, chic, and green. The Havana open-toe pump is made in the U.S., from hemp, second generation alder wood, water-based glue, open cell rubber lining for comfort, and a rubber outsole. The slight curve in the heel is a great unexpected detail that sets these apart from the crowd.
$289.90, Ethical Ocean

Stewart + Brown Xcellent Tank Maxi
This easy-breezy piece is inspired by casual chic California lifestyle around Ventura, California, where the company is based. A maxi dress is a great piece to have in your summer wardrobe and this one is made (in the U.S., of course) from 100% organic pima cotton. It has a raw edge hemline and criss-cross detailing in the front.
$148, Stewart + Brown

CurleeBikini Twist Halter One Piece Swimsuit
A good swimsuit is a must-have for summer and can also double as a top. This slight retro-inspired one-piece has a flattering fit with adjustable peek-a-boo side seams. CurleeBikini suits are made to order in the company’s studio – located in suburban Las Vegas – and you can choose the combinations of fabrics and trimmings to suit your style.
From $270, CurleeBikini

The post Made in the USA: Neutrals appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now.

Nothing says summer travel like a good glamping tent. Or 16 of them. [Via CasaSugar]

Think global, drink local. [Via Ethical Ocean]

The average American is spending over 20% of their grocery budget on processed foods. [Via Mother Jones]

No one said summer cookouts couldn’t be healthy. [Via Small Kitchen College]

Get thee to an outdoor theatre immediately. [Via Flavorwire]

The latest in internet time-waster… no wait… inspiration: Pinstagram. [Via Mashable]

Nothing goes hand in hand like farming and new media. [Via GOOD]

If you’re simply getting up, eating breakfast and leaving for work, you just might want to rethink things. The mornings are primetime for, well, everything. [Via Fast Company]

The post Link Love: What Americans Are Eating, Tents for Glamping and the Value of Getting Up Early appeared first on EcoSalon.

A round-up of what we’re reading right now.

Too busy for chores? Don’t worry, there’s Rent-a-Wife for that. [Via: Ethical Ocean]

How much water do we really use? You might be surprised. And not in a good way. [Via: TakePart]

If you’re into enjoying the sun, you might want to consider making one of these DIY summer hammocks. [Via: Gardenista]

Get hip and throw a Scandinavian sandwich party, your friends will thank you. [Via: Bon Appetit]

Inspire your own creativity; take time to be bored. [Via: The 99 Percent]

A simple video guide to what Rio+20 is all about. [Via: The Nation]

Celebrate in the fact that the younger generation knows a thing or too about being good people. At least some of them. [Via: The Frisky]

The beginning of summer means the beginning of travel season. Make sure you’re a good traveler. No wait, a really good one. [Via: National Geographic]

Image: x-ray delta one

The post Link Love: Rent-a-Wife, A Real Look at Water Use and The Importance of Being Bored appeared first on EcoSalon.