Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Under the Weather
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Inked Up...with henna


My lovely lotus flower henna tattoo (and glitter) on my inner forearm. The top picture was taken right after it was painted on and the bottom one is after it dried overnight and the paint was chipped off. The lotus flower is symbolic of new beginnings, rebirth and awakenings in Asian cultures. The lotus flower itself grows in the mud and muck at the bottom of a pond and grows up towards the light of the water's surface into a beautiful flower.
Sugar Fast is OVER
Funny quote
Monday, November 30, 2009
Vegan Thanksgiving 2009







My nutritious, vegan Thanksgiving dinner was a huge success. Some of the toughest, non-veggie loving critics paid me kudos for days afterwards and even took home doggie bags. I was in complete shock and of course, pleased to pieces! Eveything was made from scratch, from fresh, organic ingredients except the pie shell, which was store-bought from Wegman's but was organic, vegan and made from spelt (never fear). It's all about quality ingredients and loving preparation. The proof is in the pictures (and the fact that three of my smoke detectors went off while I was cooking)...
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Inspiring Quote
Monday, October 19, 2009
Inspirational Quote
"I am in the process of positive change. I am unfolding in fulfilling ways. Only good can come to me. I now express health, happiness, prosperity, and peace of mind." - Louise L. Hay
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Michael Pollan's 12 Commandments of Food
Friday, July 17, 2009
Quirky Quote
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Medjool dates - recipes anyone?
Homeopathic cold relief - Nature's Way Umcka ColdCare
Sunday, June 28, 2009
55th Annual Fancy Food Show (Javit's Center, NY) June 27th-29th
Sunday, June 7, 2009
MIA
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Candle 79 (Upper East Side, NYC) VGN





Candle 79 is considered to be one of the best vegan restaurants in NYC and so it's been on my "must visit" list for some time now. I finally dined here last Saturday with my friend Jessica and it did not disappoint my high expectations. The ambience is elegant and formal where we dined upstairs, with red and plum accents and a velvet ceiling and a contemporary-look bar scene downstairs. We had a nice window seat upstairs though on a lovely night, the prime tables in the house would be downstairs near the open double doors. The restaurant was bustling at 6 p.m. on Saturday with a nice hum of comfortable energy, and not too loud.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Costa Rica - the official Pura Vida food review
At last (took me awhile, I admit)...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Natural dog shampoo?

Next product search...natural dog shampoo. After I bathed my dog last night, I happened to check the ingredients of the Oatmeal & Aloe Vera shampoo and saw the dreaded "SLS" listed- sodium laurel sulfate AND sodium laureth sulfate duo among other ingredients I cannot pronounce. Yikes! Maybe that's why Snoozy hates bath time. He's also not a fan of getting wet so that could explain it, too.
Natural ant remedy
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Vegan Chocolate Truffles (take 2)
Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)
Natural nail polish remover - the search is over
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Cafe Blossom (Upper West Side, NYC) VEG


This will be more of a "mini review", as I have already fully reviewed this organic, vegan restaurant's other NYC location (see Sept. 25, 2008 post) plus I did not take copious notes as I usually do when reviewing. I dined here for vegan Saturday bunch, a first among my Blossom experiences, with my friend, Jessica. Prior to this, I've been to the Chelsea/9th Ave. location for lunch and dinner. I do believe the prices are slightly cheaper in the uptown location, so that was a nice surprise.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Sahara Cafe (New Brunswick, NJ) VF


Ah, the lovely smell of aromatic Mediterranean spices, even from outside this BYOB restaurant, invites me inside for more. I should note, there are tables outside on a stone patio for warm weather dining. Once inside, the warm decor was welcoming -- beautiful painted landscapes, some floor-to-ceiling, and relaxing music easily transported me to another land. As I surveyed the interior, I noticed all the decor details that have been carefully considered - the chandeliers were crafted from a brassy metal to look like hot air balloons. Huge windows, with a view of bustling Easton Ave. (one of the main streets around the Rutgers University New Brunswick campus) and skylights add lots of natural light and there is additional seating upstairs. It was nicely crowded when I dined with Emilio, a former co-worker of mine.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Veg Out in...Costa Rica!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Natural Gourmet Institute Friday Night Vegetarian Dinner (Chelsea, NYC)



Monday, March 9, 2009
Institute of Integrative Nutrition (NYC)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Famous Vegetarians
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Crazy for coconuts
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Superfoods and chocolate for breakfast!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Quick, easy and healthy pizza
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentine's Day "Truffles"
Maybe I've stumbled on the next big trend - chocolate pancakes. Watch out Vosges! Wouldn't that be serendipitous?
Makes about 12-16 truffles (I halved the recipe, just FYI. You didn't think I ate 16 of these things, did you?)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup good quality cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 ¼ cup agave nectar
pinch of salt
Preparation:
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, mixing until well combined. Place the bowl, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (maybe longer, unless you, too, want pancakes).
2. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and, using your hands, roll the mixture into small balls, placing them on the sheet as you work. Place the sheet in the freezer for 1 hour (I froze them overnight).
3. Remove the sheet from the freezer and dredge each of the balls well in cocoa powder (cayenne pepper, sea salt, cinnamon). Place back in the freezer for an additional 10 minutes to overnight, and enjoy. Truffles will keep for one week in an airtight container (or a few hours, if you are like me)
Just for the record, I will be going on a chocolate walking tour in the Village tomorrow. Yes, more chocolate for me. I am sure that none of what I will taste will resemble my confections.
Nutrition Tip of the Week
Goji Berries Trail Mix
Pumpkin seeds (raw and then roasted at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes)
Goji Berries (it looks like a 4:1 ratio) 4 parts pumpkin seeds to 1 part Goji berries.
Sprinkling of dried coconut (to taste)
Currents (experiment with the amount--it looks like about 1/4 cup to 1.5 cups of pumpkin seeds).
For those not familiar with Goji Berries (also called Wolf Berries) the following is useful information:
Goji berries have been used for 6,000 years by herbalists in China, Tibet and India to: protect the liver, help eyesight, improve fertility, strengthen the legs, boost the immune system, improve circulation, promote longevity. Wow, they are in fact a "superfood". They are also rich in antioxidants.
2/14/09: I officially like kombucha, well, certain flavors or flavor: the mango madness is the best, in my opinion. Guava is my least favorite. I now buy one bottle and that lasts me a week or just about, drinking a little each day. I must admit, I do feel more energized after having some.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Korean Restaurant inside Olympus Spa (Lynnwood, WA) VF
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Pan Africa Market (Seattle, WA) VF

What a great location, just around the block from the famous Pike Market, an amazing culinary delight in itself. This African restaurant has an eclectic look with a hipster meets industrial vibe, exposed piping in the high ceilings and Bob Marley playing in the background. I was here with my aunt, who lives in the Seattle area, whom I was visiting last week.
Sunlight Cafe (Seattle, WA) VEG

Monday, January 5, 2009
Su's Restaurant (Edgewater, NJ) VEG
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Seattle, WA here I come!
Counter NY (Lower East Side, NYC) VEG

Stop #3 of my Lower East Side eating extravaganza
Truth be told, I really wasn’t that hungry by this point, but I was on a mission.
What a cool, organic wine and martini bar and vegetarian restaurant combo. Interesting techno music vibe that turned decidedly more mellow, with cool, rustic atmosphere with wood floors and neat low slung chairs, and retro diner bar stools.
The menu was really a unique combination of flavors and it, as usual, took some time for me to figure out what I wanted. The waitress was patient and explained all the dishes I inquired about. I started off with a very nice glass of Chilean pinot noir for $12/glass (so nice that I opted for two, by the end of the meal). The cocktails menu was really, interesting, you need to check it out on the website…very descriptive and inventive, some of which could make you blush. Note the world’s most expensive organic martini for $665. There is no decimal point missing and they donate the proceeds. They offered lots of organic wines and beers and homemade red and white sangria, too.
I really could not decide what to get for an appetizer since I wasn’t that hungry due to my prior stops and a few of the selections were deep fried in their preparation, such as the mushroom medley and the winter squash wontons, and I tend to shy away from deep fried foods. I only discovered this by asking questions, it wasn’t clear from the menu. I ended up ordering the vegetable tasting mosaic ($19), which included braised fennel, brussel sprouts, chard, whipped maple sweet potatoes, sauteedcarrots, portabella mushroom roulade, escarole and more. It was a healthful, tasty and satisfying concoction. It came with a side of steamed, spiced quinoa, which was not very spicy. Unfortunately for me, I had no room for dessert, even though I had my eye on a few, it was a toss-up between the chocolate fondue ($14) and chocolate tart ($8). Yes, I will be back and I plan to come hungry next time around.
Counter NY
105 First Ave (bet. 6th and 7th)
212-982-5870
Babycakes NYC (Lower East Side, NYC) VGN
Stop #2 of my Lower East Side eating extravaganza
A vegan, gluten-free bakery (and also wheat-, soy-, casein- and refined sugar-free) –it was vegan heaven! They sold frosting shots (yes, little mini cups of frosting – what a novel idea) for $1.50 , cupcake tops, regular sized cupcakes, some of which were made with spelt flour, sweet breads, brownie cupcakes, cookies and the list goes on…
The place is adorable, tiny with a little kitchen in the back of the store and a few stools for those of us who can’t wait to indulge, like myself.
The chocolate cupcake was good with tasty chocolate frosting (they did not have a spelt chocolate-chocolate cupcake that day), the brownie cupcake made with agave was disappointing, just so-so and the chocolate chip cookie was just the right crispiness. Those three items came to about $7. Next time I will buy a frosting shot and hope to try a spelt cupcake, either a regular cupcake or maybe just a top.
248 Broome St
New York, NY 10002
212-677-5047
il Laboratorio del Gelato (Lower East Side, NYC) VF
Stop #1 of my Lower East Side eating extravaganza (all three places are in close proximity, especially the first two which are only one or two short blocks apart, and it’s about a ten-fifteen minute walk to the third stop).
Holy flavors of gelato and sorbet! Flavors change every day as they make the flavors fresh daily inside and when I went, they offered olive oil, chocolate mint, which was white rather than green for purists with hunks of chocolate, chocolate kahlua, espresso, toasted almond, toasted coconut, egg nog (it was Christmas Eve, after all), and dark chocolate to name a few. I didn’t really notice the sorbet flavors, I was fixated on the gelato I must admit. I tasted the toasted almond, which was excellent and unlike any other flavor I’ve had before. I was unable to purchase a scoop of it, however, because it was almost all gone. So, I ended up buying a small cup with two scoops, one scoop of chocolate kahlua and the other scoop of espresso, both great choices. The chocolate kahlua was rich and creamy and the espresso popped with intense coffee flavor.
The shop is really just a window displaying all the flavors ready to be scooped, customers are not allowed inside the store so be ready to eat outside in the cold, like I did. But, I did not mind, even though it was a chilly 30-something degrees outside – that’s how good this place is. Oh, and there was a line when I arrived there – yes, in the middle of winter, there was a line at the gelato place. That says it all. People are passionate about good gelato and sorbet and this shop does not disappoint.
The gelato is not vegan unfortunately, but vegetarians will most definitely enjoy.
il Laboratorio del Gelato
95 Orchard St.
(between Broome & Delancey Sts)
New York, New York
212-343-9922