Vegan Shop up!

Posted on November 16, 2014November 16, 2014 by Amanda

Imagine this, you’re walking into a bar, and not only are there magnificent hand crafted looking Bloody Mary’s in every ones hand, but a monster wave of aromatic flavors are inhaled and instantly adored. It’s macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, pizza, lasagna, empanadas, pies, brownies, donuts, and more possibilities teasing you at the tip of your tongue. Hello food heaven. You scurry around, trying one of everything. Maybe even having two of the same! You just want more. And the best part is- you can have more! No calorie counting. No fats. No additives. No GMOs. And absolutely no cruelty! It’s all vegan (plant based). You can eat a hot dog, an empanada, and three donuts while wash it down with a Bloody Mary and still feel light as a feather!

Welcome to my world- more importantly, my exciting weekend at the one and only Vegan Shop Up at the Pine Box Rock Bar in Brooklyn. It was filled with yummy new and familiar vendors offering food and beverages, and a great group of lovely individuals.

Yeah Dawg, offering vegan soy free hot dogs was present with whom I met at Catskill Animal Sanctuary featured in a previous post. I couldn’t resist a Yeah Dawg even in 30-degree weather! It was even more satisfying than the first time! Yeah Dawg is beyond wonderful and always impresses me. It is certainty my number 1 recommended vegan food vendor on the East Coast (BIG NEWS: I will be traveling out West in December to check out a few vegan restaurants and food trucks). The women are friendly at Yeah Dawg which makes it all even more worthwhile.

Proceeding, we grabbed a treat from Gone Pie, another vendor whom I met at CAS. It was great to chat and catch up! They teased me the night before with posting a picture on their Instagram of a rocky road chocolate pumpkin brownie! You better believe it was what I got! I loved every bite of it- which was followed by a nice stroll around the neighborhood. It was time for a walk to burn off the first round of food! We saw some great street art and were surprised by the glorious view of the Freedom Tour below!

I was really excited about going to the Vegan Shop up as I got wind Cinnamon Snail, a food truck out of Manhattan would be there. I have been hearing others rave about their Korean and Asian inspired dishes, which range from pancakes, to burgers, to bahn mi sandwiches, to an array of donuts! (I haven’t tasted a donuts in over two years!)

After looking through their menu the night before in preparation, I decided to go with the Gouchujang Burger Deluxe with sautéed kimchi, arugula, pickled red onions, black sesame gomasio and sriracha mayonnaise on spelt bread as they ran out of the herb grilled focaccia it normally would come on. The crowd was large and Cinnamon Snail was definitely the number one attraction so this was expected. (Picture was shot in my car as no seating available at the Pine Box Rock shop)

The burger was scrumptiously good. The flavors were infused with Korean excellence, which was the best part. I really enjoyed it as it’s not something I usually cook or eat regularly especially in the area I live in. It quickly evaporated from my hands.

Although, the serving size was small for the price, and didn’t come with any sides. The toppings were light and not as creative as I have had in the past. Literally the best innovative part was the sauce and as you can see most of it ended up on my wrapper. Would I go back and order that burger again? I wouldn’t. Yet, I would be willing to try a sandwich, as they have a big selection, yet the hoopla over Cinnamon Snail compared to my experience disappointed me.

And the donuts- how was I to pick 1 donut out of the handful they had available? I haven’t had a donut in years! I was so excited! I went with my gut (no pun intended) and I picked grand total of 6! And I regret to inform you they were all just.. Okay. The selection ranged from coffee cake twist, glazed with coconut flakes, peanut butter, peanut butter pumpkin with cookie dough, crème brulee (not enough crème in the middle), and apple cinnamon spice. I must have saved the best for last, which was the peanut butter pumpkin with cookie dough. That was a resurrection from all the others as it was moist, fluffy, and the cookie dough center was finger licking good!

Other NYC vendors were present, such as Monks Meat and She’s Got Balls. A few vendors were not present that were on the vendors list in which I was looking forward to seeing.

The atmosphere of the venue, The Pine Box Rock Shop was cozy, casual, and comfortable. The con of the venue was it became crowded very quickly due to the event. It really couldn’t handle the crowd. I ate my Yeah Dawg standing up, my burger in the car, as well as a few donuts.

All in all, I had such a wonderful time! It was great to co-create with like-minded conscious individuals and businesses. I came hungry and I left stuffed while making some great connections and relationships along the way. I look forward to the next Vegan Shop Up event in December and would definitely recommend visiting Pine Box Rock Shop bar if you are in the neighborhood! Toodles!

Namaste! Stay warm.

Be Mindful

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

I had a few really great yoga sessions this weekend. I was able to squeeze in a home practice along with studio days. I went to the studio for my regular scheduled 75 minute hot power yoga class: The following day I toke the same class in 90 minutes. Proceeding, I toke my first ever yin class! Yin is a slow yoga practice that focuses on the holding of each pose. We maybe did a total of 7 poses, all which were held between 5-10 minutes. The focus of the yoga sequence was a kidney and bladder cleanse. We did a lot of crunching of the upper body to the lower body. The poses were diverse as they focused on opening other parts of the body.

For instance, child’s pose massages all the major organs over the stomach. It also works the thighs and hips depending on how far your knees are separated. The closer your knees are together the more it becomes a resting pose; as to having the knees separated making it an active pose. I am a lover of child’s pose- but holding this posture without adjustments for 5 minutes was very uncomfortable. Mentally I was time traveling. Which isn’t always a good thing as it is often recapturing old emotional attachments I have yet to release, my to do list. Sometimes, I will find tears.

How do I cope when these feelings arise? How do I find the strength to continue my yoga practice? Simple, I take one more breath, the only thing I can control, the only thing I can do, and I just begin again. I never give up; I just restart. And with that, I let it go. I am present and I am mindful.

Which brings me to the discussion of todays post. What does being mindful mean?

Being mindful is being attentive at any given moment, allowing you to be in the present moment. When I first heard the word mindful and began to make sense of the meaning, I thought it was very strange. I was surely already in the present moment, wasn’t I? I started to talk to myself, “am I in the present moment?” A few moments go by… “OK, am I in the present moment now?” I would always answer yes. But with each passing moment I had a feeling I hadn’t been in the present.

Many of us believe we are fully aware of each moment, but to be truly in the present is a very tough discipline. I mean, mindfulness is a terrifying practice. It means not thinking about the next moment. It means not dwelling on the one you just had. It means not thinking about what you could have done, or said.

In respect, I invite you to take baby steps to mindfulness. Begin with mindful eating. Next time you sit down for a meal, use these skills. Take a deep breathe in; a long exhale out. Continue breathing like this for only a short minute. Thank the universe silently in your mind. Mindful eaters sit down and appreciate their food. They eat slow and deliberately. They chew thoroughly. This can all be done silently to ourselves.

Make it a priority to implement this once daily. Comment below by simply clicking the “comment” button, and share your thoughts or experiences behind mindful eating.

Yoga fashion alert! Check out my galaxy leggings! You can find this trend on BlackMilk Clothing. My Black Surf Pro mat is from Manduka. It is the Black Surf Pro series in vibrant oceanic blue. I fell in love with the ocean blue it comes in. It is inspiring. It is also very supportive and easy on my spine, hips, elbows, and knees!

Vibes From A Yoga Goddess

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

…It is almost too easy to get stuck in the tedious day to day routine of life; but life moves too fast, and time doesn’t stop. Riddle me this.. we are repeatedly running red lights to get to our next destination. We juggle multiple tasks simultaneously and lose sight of our intentions. We forget to say, “I love you” to the ones we admire. Our jobs absorb us and we lose sight of our dreams. I can’t help but fight back… there has to be more to life.

I want to let that thought immerse in your mind for a moment. Moving forward, to the million-dollar question. Who is the mastermind behind the screen? My name is Amanda, and I am a yogi. A yogi, what’s that? A yogi is someone who practices yoga! Duhhh!

I have been practicing yoga for roughly 5 years. Throughout this last year, my yoga practice has really progressed. I am currently studying yoga through a local studio as well as working towards obtaining my teaching certification. My yoga practice has been a journey, and through this I have blossomed. I have grown tremendously in such a small time. Many around see the changes in me. It is like a light has emerged from my soul. It has often been described as “magical.”

Enough about me! I want to talk about you. We all agreed that being inspired is a delighted sensation, correct? It boosts your moods, brightens your soul, calms your mind, and allows you to do more with your life.

Speaking of, I have created this lifestyle blog for that purpose! (Plus I need a creative outlet). I have an eye for health, yoga, style, DIY, food, travel, entertaining and more. Look around; I have links and photos in the right hand column. Stay tuned for positive postings every Monday! I dare you to catch.. Vibes From a Yoga Goddess!