A Little Yoga & Some Smoothies
This Saturday I went with my friends Katy and Heather to Exhale Spa for some Yoga 1/2, which we followed with delicious smoothies at the nearby Candle Cafe. The yoga session was nothing but tranquil thanks to our instructor Jerry's calm and friendly demeanor. His class is welcoming and far from intimidating for the first time yogi, or "yoga virgin" as he put it when he learned that this was Heather's first yoga class. He taught slowly and his direction was clear, making for a great environment to learn the beginnings of yoga.
Exhale Spa has a few locations in NYC and we went to the Upper East Side spot at 980 Madison Avenue. The facilities are beautiful and the atmosphere is nothing but intimate and cozy. Individual classes cost $23.00, but packages are available for multiple sessions.
Onto the yumminess that was the smoothies at Candle Cafe.... Sweet Potato Pie (Katy), Vanilla Protein (Me) and Chocolate Protein (Heather). There were lots of other interesting concoctions that Heather and I passed on for the simple and delicious Vanilla and Chocolate, while Katy definitely earned points for being the most adventurous with the Sweet Potato Pie.
The Supreme Protein Shake consisted of soymilk, banana, vanilla/chocolate and protein powder that contained a supplement of bee pollen and Katy's Sweet Potato Pie had sweet potato, hemp milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and maple syrup. Some of the other delectable smoothies on the menu included PB & J, Berries & Cream, Mocha Latte, Amazon Mania and Apple Betty. There is also a full juice bar at Candle Cafe where you can get any veggie juice of your pleasing and a little wheatgrass if you wish. Check out the full menu here. Oh, and just a side note, the food is delicious! The menu is vegetarian; all the food is seasonal and grown free of pesticides and chemicals.
Just a couple pics :)
Exhale Spa has a few locations in NYC and we went to the Upper East Side spot at 980 Madison Avenue. The facilities are beautiful and the atmosphere is nothing but intimate and cozy. Individual classes cost $23.00, but packages are available for multiple sessions.
Onto the yumminess that was the smoothies at Candle Cafe.... Sweet Potato Pie (Katy), Vanilla Protein (Me) and Chocolate Protein (Heather). There were lots of other interesting concoctions that Heather and I passed on for the simple and delicious Vanilla and Chocolate, while Katy definitely earned points for being the most adventurous with the Sweet Potato Pie.
The Supreme Protein Shake consisted of soymilk, banana, vanilla/chocolate and protein powder that contained a supplement of bee pollen and Katy's Sweet Potato Pie had sweet potato, hemp milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and maple syrup. Some of the other delectable smoothies on the menu included PB & J, Berries & Cream, Mocha Latte, Amazon Mania and Apple Betty. There is also a full juice bar at Candle Cafe where you can get any veggie juice of your pleasing and a little wheatgrass if you wish. Check out the full menu here. Oh, and just a side note, the food is delicious! The menu is vegetarian; all the food is seasonal and grown free of pesticides and chemicals.
Just a couple pics :)
Yummy looking Wheat-Free Oatmeal
Chocolate Chip Cookies
The counter was piled high with
plates of "better for you" cookies.
The Candle Cafe store front at 1307 3rd Avenue.
Folic Acid Tastes Better In A Wine Glass
My sister introduced me to an easy and delicious green drink this summer and oddly enough this week, in the dead of winter, we both were craving the same green smoothie. I hit the grocery store, stocked up on the supplies and we went to town with the blender. If your kitchen is well stocked with healthy staples you probably can whip this up without a trip to the g-store. This drink is as easy to make as 1-2-3...
1) Hand full of Spinach
2) 1 Banana
3) Almond Milk
It's good to go, plus anything else you want to add...
My sister, Jenny, likes to add a squirt of flaxseed oil (which you can't taste - thankfully). This morning, I made the smoothie with a little OJ (vitamin C helps you to absorb the iron in the spinach). I know a lot of people out there like to add ground chia seeds, which I have never tried. Chia seeds would totally elevate this drink to SUPERFOOD status. But the taste, I wonder, is it goooood?
And then of course, the glass you choose can totally enhance the experience of drinking a green drink -- or any beverage for that matter :)
Check out this Women's Health link for some great info on Folic Acid and how to get it.
What do you add to your smoothies? I notice a lot of bloggers have fun names for their smoothies, do you have one?
Jumbo Banana Muffins - Vegan & Delicious!
I am a muffin lover that is constantly on the hunt for a good muffin, and as always, the healthier the better. I thought how perfect would it be to find a recipe that is soo delicious and soo healthy that I wouldn't mind eating it everyday for breakfast? Well friends, last night I made Veg Webs Best Banana Muffins Ever, and so far, at least in my mind, they are the best VEGAN banana muffins ever! And they only take about 10 minutes to prepare.
I made these muffins with my new jumbo muffin tin and when the batter was done, there ended up being just enough for 3 muffins. The recipe is supposed to be good for 24 mini or 10 regular size muffins. I calculated the nutritional info and for one jumbo muffin, it boiled down to this:
Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Calories: 372
Protein: 6g
Fiber: 6g
I tweaked the recipe only slightly by using spelt flour instead of white flour-for the added fiber and protein, and passed on the carob and walnut additions. The muffins came out moist and chunky and I imagine next time I will try them with the walnuts for even more of a chunk-factor.
* These muffins blow past attempts at healthy muffins (Mineral Packed Molasses Muffins & Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins) OUT OF THE WATER. In fact, I would not recommend either of those muffins, but these Bananas, you've got to try!
Fast & Frenzied Eating
Typical Lunch: Greek Inspired Salad
w/ olives, feta, peppers & maybe some chicken or beans w/ balsamic and olive oil.
I would imagine that a lot of "nine to fivers" eat in a similar manner to the one described above. Tisk! Tisk! Today Americans eat their food on the go -- in their cars, at their desks, over the sink, even on the subway platform and in trains. To eat is to multi-task and it is sad that the experience of eating has become less of a priority and more of an afterthought. Where are the days when people would gather around the table to enjoy good food, company and conversation??
When I find myself slipping into a tailspin of hurried eating (like my lunch of most recent), I step back, breath and slooooow down. Here are some tips on how to recover from the fast and frenzied eating patterns and slip back into a relaxed and healthy routine.
1) Eat when you are hungry. Easy...Need I say more?
2) Get rid of distractions. Turn off the tv, computer, cell phone and focus on the food (if you are alone) and also your company (if you are with company).
3) Eat in good company. If you are eating with people enjoy the situation and the conversation. Try your hardest to make the experience a pleasurable one.
4) Chew slowly, eat slowly. The more you chew your food, the easier it will be for your body to digest it. It will also force you to eat more slowly. The slower you eat, the more time your tummy will have to recognize when it is full, which means in all likelyhood you will eat less. One trick you may have heard is to put your fork down in between bites. Once you are done chewing and swallowing, grab your fork and have another bite. This will help you to eat slowly.
5) Savor the taste. Relish the first few bites of your food. These early bites are going to taste the best so you might as well enjoy them while you can. After several forkfuls the food will lose some taste as our taste buds adjust. Begin to notice when you are no longer eating for enjoyment and satiation, but rather just for the sake of eating -- this is when you want to put your fork down.
6) Relax. The state of your emotions when you eat a meal will affect how it is digested. If you are angry/agitated, food will move through your stomach quickly and vice versa if you are sad/depressed.
7) Eat until 80% full. It is better for your digestive tract when you leave some room for the enzymes to do their job. It allows for efficient digestion and reduces negative side effects like heart burn, indigestion and gas. Start to practice by not eating everything in front of you. Leave some food on your plate.
8) Save room....for dessert that is. If you know you will be eating dessert, save room! It will be more enjoyable and you won't be a stuffed muffin when you leave the table.
Today's dessert!
Carob Mint Creme Cup
Ohhh....Averie of Love Veggies and Yoga, if you are listening do you think it's possible to create a yummy homemade chocolate cup like this?? That would be awesome!!
What are your dining habits and at what pace do you eat your food? What eating habits do you want to change?
Restaurant Review: Angelica Kitchen
Last night Jimmy and I dined at Angelica Kitchen, a vegan restaurant that has resided on the lower east side for a solid 34 years. It is warm and cozy (except for when the door opened, which was quite frequently) and it smelled heavenly. The food at Angelica Kitchen is organic and does not contain any refined sugar or preservatives, plus the owners are committed to supporting locally owned family farms and food artisans. It seems this is a spot that every "in the know" healthy (and environmentally conscious) NYC eater already knows about and if not...they should!
The menu even has a glossary, full of ambiguous terms the average diner has probably never heard about. So say you want to know what seitan is....
Seitan
Made from whole wheat flour, seitan is a concentrated wheat protein. Succulent and chewy, it takes on the flavor of other ingredients with which it is cooked.
**Angelica's Kitchen makes their seitan fresh on the premises.
Some other foods worth checking out in the glossary are amaranth, teff, sea palm, grain coffee, mirin and kanten. Click here for the online menu.
For starters, Jimmy and I shared the Walnut-Lentil Pate with brown rice crackers.
Walnut-Lentil Pate
YUM. I should probably say now that Jimmy is not vegan or vegetarian (nor am I) and he really enjoyed our meal! He ordered the Vegetable Lasagna from the daily specials menu; it was made with whole wheat pasta and tofu cheese! He was pretty pleased and I remember him saying that it was "good" and that the tofu "tastes like ricotta."
Vegetable Lasagna
I ordered the Ole Man Seitan, which was homemade seitan and roasted vegetable mix folded into a warm whole wheat tortilla; dressed with a spicy traditional mole sauce (peanuts & chocolate), and lime-jalapeno sour cream; garnished with pimento. It was a tasty and good way to do a healthy Mexican meal!
Ole Man Seitan
And for dessert - the Pear Sundae! Vanilla ice-cream (non-dairy of course) w/ roasted pears and hazelnuts. It was a perfectly delicious (and guiltless) way to end the meal.
Pear Sundae
Jimmy plans to write a review of Angelica's Kitchen on his blog Goldeneats and title it Ignorance Is Bliss. By this he means, if you are vegan this is going to be the best food you will ever eat. We both agreed that if we were vegan this food would be to die for delicious. We are not vegan, but we enjoyed our meal, the friendly service and we definitely plan to go back!
Roast Me An Apple
Wow, I have really been spending more time in the kitchen since I ended the cleanse. It is time well spent though!!! I need to be experimenting and whipping stuff up -- not only is it fun, but cooking, and especially baking relaxes me. And relaxation is much needed after a not so enjoyable day at work.
So last night after I finished the leftover Steamed Veggies & Tahini Sauce , I sought out something sweet. I still haven't hit the grocery store, so again, I worked with what I had to get some dessert into my stomach. Source of inspiration: A lonely apple!
Roasting is my favorite ways to prepare veggies and apparently, now fruit! This apple, which I roasted with some canola oil, agave nectar, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar really hit the spot!! It is a great treat for anyone, especially someone on a dairy and gluten-free diet. Healthy and delicious... it's the way I like to roll!
Ingredients:
1 TBSP Canola Oil
1 1/2" TBSP Agave Nectar
Cinnamon (amount your heart desires)
A small dash of vanilla (it is just one apple!)
Brown Sugar (a sprinkling if you will)
Roast at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Check and stir. Roast for 5 more minutes!
Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with more brown sugar baby!!
Oh, and I believe I used a Gala apple, but use whatever you have in the kitchen. It will work :)
Roasted & Ready
What are some of your quick go-to dishes when there is little left in the kitch?
What are some of your quick go-to dishes when there is little left in the kitch?
36 Hours Later, A Delicious Dish Is Born
Delicious Dish: Steamed Veggies w/ Sweet Tahini Sauce
Thirty-six hours -- the amount of time I lasted on The Master Cleanse. It was supposed to be 240 hours or 10 days, but a mere day-and-a-half after I started, I stopped. I am a little disappointed but very happy to be eating solid food again. As much as I would like to beat myself up over not lasting very long, we all know that self-rejection is not the way to go. I am very proud of myself for committing to this "exercise" and trying it out. And because I took it seriously and prepared myself properly, I ended up achieving some of my other health goals.
1) I no longer crave caffiene or need coffee in the morning.
2) I went solid vegitarian for a week and I honestly felt "clean" on the inside. Now, I plan to eat more vegetarian down the road.
3) I learned a lot about the Master Cleanse and I can forsee recommending it to clients one day -- if it is something they can truly benefit from.
So after 2 days and lack of a decent meal, I had an overwhelming desire to cook. But with a limited amount of food in the kitchen and without a solid idea in my mind, I was left to choose from what could be found. My source of inspiration: Tahini! A little internet research (like less than 3 minutes) on what could possibly work with tahini and not congeal and I was on my way. The result was rather tasty and sister approved! I am calling it Steamed Veggies w/ Sweet Tahini Sauce. It really is the easiest thing in the world, perhaps the trickiest part might be having the ingredients in your house.
Steam your favorite veggies. I steamed broccoli, carrots and spinach. Make sure you have at least one color contrast with your veggies and there must be some greens amongst them.
Cook up a favorite whole grain. I suggest brown rice with this dish.
Make the Sweet Tahini Sauce.
-1/2 C Tahini
- 2 TBSP Tamari Sauce
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil (Extra-Virgin, always)
-2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
-1/4-1/2 C leftover water used from the steamed veggies- pour enough to get the consistency you like
**(contains extra flavor & vitamins/minerals from veggies)
- 2 TSP Agave Nectar (more if you like it a little sweeter)
- Salt to taste (sea salt, if you have it)
My advice is to stir each ingredient in as you go along. This way you can taste it and adjust as you like.
Put your veggies on a bed of the brown rice and drizzle with the desired amount of Sweet Tahini Sauce. Enjoy :)
Oh and by the way, Jimmy is still on the cleanse. Yes, he lasted longer than me. He is awesome, and he is trying to make it until Friday!!
*Contemplating switching to a smaller font...thoughts/concerns/comments? :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Blog Roll
-
-
-
Happy Birthday Mom- from Baby Pantry11 months ago
-
-
-
-
Food Porn: Lincoln15 years ago
-
Drain Cleaning Techniques10 years ago
-
-
-
-
Tuesday Things.11 hours ago
-
LIL RUNNER IS MOVING!14 years ago
-
-
I hurt myself laughing13 years ago
-
Hello world!1 month ago
-
All Good Things13 years ago
-
-
-
-
Visitors
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
