Traveling Foodies

Posted on November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 by Amanda

Friday night my fiance and I arrived at Sun in Blossom in the neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn. It was delightfully charming and quaint. It had a handful of tables, all wooden with yellow daisies and dim candlelight. I instantly fell in love with its grace. The menu was full of live raw vegan macrobiotic dishes, which was what really drew me to visit Sun in Bloom! It is a conscious company dedicated to providing healthy and nutritious food, just what I am always seeking happy uplifting food from the sun and earth.

We started with the Raw Alkalizing Green Soup. Alkalizing is essential to a healthy diet. It is the opposite of acidic, which means the foods have the some of the highest pH levels. It’s really essential to eat alkalizing food rather than acidic, for acidic foods leave a lot of residue behind when they are digested, and also have been linked to diseases and stress, research suggests. Alkalizing foods consist of fruits and vegetables, while acidic food is primarily meat, eggs, diary, and sugar. So, we opted for something healthy and satisfying! The Raw Alkalizing Green Soup was just that! Mind you, this soup is served cold rather than hot. This through us for a loop, yet it was still very good-tasting. Sweet and cucumbery!

Next, we ordered smoothies. I ordered the high protein selection, while my fiance requested the goji berry antioxidant option. They were both rich, creamy, thick, and absolutely delicious! The most divine smoothies my taste buds have grabbed a hold of EVER! It is safe to say the smoothies were in our top favorites. I recommend any of their smoothie options.

Moving forward, our entrees were served. I went with the Miso Ginger Tofu Scramble w/ black beans, tomatoes, quinoa, avocado, and a side of hot sauce! It was a plateful of color and heaven! Nutritious, tasty, and savory.

Chase ordered the Shiitake Bacon BLT in a sprouted wheat wrap. I needed a bite! The shiitake bacon was flavorful and zesty, and at the suggestion of our waitress Madison, he ordered a side of their well-known home-made ginger dressing. It really accented well with the shiitake bacon. (In my previous post, Festival of Living Vegan, I have a recipe for shiitake bacon, check it out!)

We couldn’t leave Sun in Bloom without trying their dessert menu! We ordered one of their home-made pumpkin cupcakes! The first bite I couldn’t believe it was vegan! It was thick and moist. It had roasted pumpkin seeds hidden under the frosting. Just absolute delish! Additionally, we tried their chocolate chip cookie sandwich; two cookies with vanilla frosting in the middle! I could eat one of those everyday; just the perfect amount of chocolate and light brown sugar!

All in all, we left the restaurant full of nutrition. The presentation was clean and marvelous. The staff was wonderful, especially our waitress Madison who toke the time to explain the menu and was delightful to converse with. If anyone is ever in the Brooklyn area seeking a flavorsome, energizing, little hole in the wall restaurant to eat at, Sun in Bloom has everything you desire!

Namaste!

Raw

Posted on October 23, 2014October 23, 2014 by Amanda

I’m not a saleswoman. I’m not here to manipulate you into buying some fancy lifestyle. I’m not here to try to convince you that your way of life is wrong. I am not here to save you, but to teach you how you can save yourself. Consuming animal products is a socially learned behavior- I acknowledge that. And honestly, I have less than handful of individuals who I have inspired to stray from the meat and dairy industry besides from my fiancé (who has grown to be just as passionate as myself on the topic).

Heck, my entire family sees my improvement both mentally, physically, and spiritually. They still fail to acknowledge it. Not even a meatless Monday. A fridge full of vegan eats. Butter, with no cholesterol. No thanks. Soy based meat with no fat, hormones, GMOs, or fear. No thanks. Milk from nuts. Ice cream from nuts. No thank you! You could say I may be wasting my breathe, my brother shouts across the kitchen table.

I still stand. I fear not. He will hear me soon enough. I know one day, you will hear me too. And if not, well, I will remind you of it. And I shall keep reminding you. If you do not hear their screams, I will lead you to them. If you don’t not feel their suffering, I will show you. If you do not understand them, I will translate. You may silence them, but you will never silence me.

Autumn Apples

Posted on October 19, 2014October 19, 2014 by Amanda

It is a chilly autumn day in Connecticut. I went for a brisk walk in the park with my lovely God Daughter. We noticed how magnificent the fall foliage is. Every corner and every tree is bursting with color. A transformation at its finest, as each leaf blossoms entirely and then whistle downs at our feet, shedding its light and love with each one of us. We are one. I acknowledged and am grateful for that change. Grateful for those in and out my life. I am grateful for the sun rising and the cycle of life it brings. Change in incredible! The only thing missing from this perfect October day was Apple Pie. Luckily I went apple picking yesterday! I headed straight to the kitchen later in the afternoon to experiment!

I found this recipe on my favorite food blog. The recipes provided are typical one bowl recipes using minimal ingredients and minimal equipment. It is the best! Each dish is clean and light! I love that in a meal. You can check out the recipe here via Minimalist Baker.

My Beautiful Labrador Retriever, Aston, in the right hand corner! He likes apple pie too!

Yummy!

Festival of Living Vegan

Posted on October 13, 2014October 13, 2014 by Amanda

This past weekend my fiancé Chase and I attended Catskill Animal Sanctuarys annual Festival of Living Vegan in the small country side town of Saugerties, New York. I know I can speak for the both of us when I say we were so enthusiastic for this trip as we are both ethical vegans living in a community that is predominately made up of carnivores, so the anticipation of being surrounded by like minded individuals who share our same beliefs and goals was purely indescribable. Up until this weekend, we have been feeling rather lonely in our community, yet we are so thankful for this past experience and all the ones to follow. It was such a relief to meet others similar to us. We made so many connections from both our human and animal friends! I am incredibly thankful for this experience and shed gratitude as I reflect on the memories. I would like to give a special thank you to Kathy Stevens, a good friend of ours and founder of Catskill Animal Farm for inviting us and showing us such compassion.

We parked about 10 minutes away in a corporate parking lot, and toke a shuttle bus to the farm. It was packed with people all ages, from young to old. Upon arrival we stopped by Kathy’s house for a warm welcome. Her house is quaint and cozy with a beautiful flower garden surrounding the outside. Inside it was filled with animal paintings and books.

Next, we checked ourselves in at the welcome booth, and headed to the cooking demo performed by vegan Chief Linda at the sanctuary. Check out her blog, called Compassion Cuisine, which is an extension of the animal sanctuary. There are a ton of great vegan recipes! Linda demonstrated to a crowd how to make vegan mac and cheese, something Chase and I haven’t experimented with yet. The recipe can be viewed on her webpage via this link. We were fond of her technique, using nutritional yeast, cauliflower, and butternut squash as the main ingredients in the recipe! A great way for vegans to get their B12. She was kind and patient at answering our many questions. We got great insight on vegan cheese. We are particularly interested in trying Treeline vegan cheese thanks to her advice and sampling!

Another great idea we got from her demonstration was how to make your own vegan “bacon”. She cut a bunch of shiitake mushrooms, sprinkled salt and drizzled a little oil, baked them at a high temperature until *almost* burnt (very very crispy), then letting them dry out for 20 minutes, and well-ah! Vegan “bacon”. The recipe can be viewed via this link.

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What’s lurking in your food?

Posted on February 5, 2014February 5, 2014 by Amanda

The FDA has allowed food preservatives to be used in our food for centuries. Yet it has only been within the last few years, a mass awareness has been spread nationally on the truth behind these added ingredients.

I have created a list of the top 10 food preservatives that should be avoided:

Monosodium Glutamate or MSG information can be found by clicking on this link MSG Truth

Artificial sweeteners including but not limited to Aspartame.

Titanium dioxide can be found in milk, salad dressing, frosting, and coffee creamer to name a few. Titanium dioxide is also found in sunscreen as it can absorb UV rays.

Butylated hydroxytoluene or BHT can be found in cosmetics, jet fuel, rubber, and embalming fluid. More so, it can be found in your shortening, cereals, and other foods containing fats and oils. It is used to preserve food odor, color, and flavor. Many packaging materials incorporate BHT.

Butylated hydroxyanisole or BHA can be found in butter, meats, cereals, chewing gum, baked goods, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, and beer. You can click this link to learn more on studies done with both BHT and BHA at Truth about BHA and BHT

Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are commonly used to preserve meat products. It prevents bacteria growth and helps meat retain its red color.

Sodium benzoate is a preservative used in acidic liquids such as vinegar, juices or soft drinks. It is also found in food products such as margarine and fast food hamburgers. Sodium benzoate is also used in fireworks and makes a great rocket fuel.

Potassium bromate is most often found in bread as it improves the quality of flour. A small amount is very harmful and has even been banned in Canada, Europe and China.

Castoreum is a natural flavor enhancer that is often used in fruit-flavored products to make them taste extra fruity. Believe it or not but this comes from a beaver.

According to the FDA, preservative and additives are perfectly safe. Yet, if you are anything like myself, you don’t believe everything you’re told without doing your own research. Scientist have performed studies that lead to the belief preservatives and additives pose a major health risk. It can give us small allergic reactions such as migraines. It can alter moods, growth, and learning. It can cause deadly diseases like cancer. Regardless that the majority of these preservatives are banned in other countries, our country still supports the use of them in our food products. Our labels do not contain this information, so be mindful, for our own sake and those of our future generations, as they will be the ones to spark the revolution.

Listed below are more articles to begin your independent research:

CNN In-Depth article with more information on preservatives and additives: Preservatives

This website is an easy reader with a check list of safe, cut back, and avoidable preservatives and ingredients with as an easy reader with a check list: Preservatives Checklist

On a lighter note, this past week had me occupied. I am still seeking balance and clarity in my busy days. I am proud of myself endlessly and remind myself daily that my hard work will pay off. I was able to hit the studio two times this week for my regular hot yoga classes as well have a few home practices, one in which I was able to snap a few pictures!