TRAVEL
I am still new to the area, so everything -- new, or new new or old news new, is new to me. I went with my sister to <enter correct type of new here> Right Proper Brewing Company last weekend and was pleasantly surprised that a bustling place four blocks from my house could be well priced, have great food, a fun atmosphere, beautiful art walls and delicious beers. We were also seated in about 10 minutes on a Friday night, which is amazing. A favorite that won't get old anytime soon.
The hardest part of eating more consciously is eating the way you would eat at home--without your kitchen--when traveling. Eating is also such a big part of travel that it really means altering your experience when you alter your food choices. Most big cities have options for a variety of diets, but not all cities have excellent options that also add to the fun of trying new places to eat. Sometimes though, you strike gold! Like in Chelsea, NY, where you can get both: location + the local eating experience.
Not surprisingly, it can be expensive, but all food is generally expensive in big cities, and New York is certainly no exception. Instead of paying top dollar for a less-than-ideal meal, why not just pick a great one that will be full of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sustainable meat and keep you exploring a great neighborhood?
Yes, it is painful to pass up the buttery croissant or palate-pleasing cocktail--and you may notice a wine stem in one of these photos--because let's face it, you have to live a little. I'm a big believer in doing the best you can. If you want to try that local delicious thing, try it. Moderation and happiness is always better than strict rule following and blind restraint. In my opinion, learning how to pepper your diet with the things you love, and still be conscious of what you put in you body, is the only real way to sustain any kind of long term healthy eating plan.
And, if you are on a mission to follow a slightly crazy food challenge, like the #wfpst21days my sister and I are currently on, then try these places:
1. Foragers City Grocer 233 8th Avenue at 22nd Street
Their original location is in Brooklyn and they are all about local + organic. This is a great place to get yummy snacks, like this amazing breakfast bar (no sugar, no flour, no oil), fresh fruit, salads and tea. And then you can always go in for the buttery breakfast bacon and egg sandwich when you feel like rewarding yourself. You can also eat dinner Tuesday - Saturday and brunch on the weekends.
2. Blossom 187 9th Avenue between 21st and 22nd Street
I literally just walked in off the street after seeing a sign with the words 'vegan' and 'vegetarian'. I was seated immediately and they did not care that I was eating solo. Nor did they bat an eye when I asked my annoying questions. The rigatoni in porcini cream is vegan, uses whole wheat pasta with shallots, leeks, broccoli rabe, pistachio gremolata, truffle oil (oops), caramelized fennel & onion jam crostini and tahini. It is absolutely delicious! I was so happy I had a glass of wine. Beware--you may make vegan friends! Or be vegan-ized. I sat next to some vegans from Echo Park (crazy, I know, I used to live literally a few doors down from them) and they were super fun to talk to about LA vegan vs. the rest of the world. Basically, LA has the best vegan restaurants. Maybe it's my rosy memory, but I think it makes sense. They loved Blossom, too. And they worked in public radio, which just made me happy. KPCC + Echo Park + Vegan love win!
4. Organic Avenue 216 8th Ave at 21st Street
Great for fresh live juices (which aren't so great for a hotel room sans-fridge, but they did offer to give me a cooler bag with an ice pack), yummy snacks and meals. Eclectic recipes and easy-to-read ingredients.
3. Argo Tea 275 7th Avenue at 26th Street
Great place to find some caffeine-free herbal teas! And yes, they have almond milk.
How do you manage a healthy eating lifestyle + travel? Do you just give up? Where are your favorite places to eat when on a trip?
Ok, I know you are thinking that is impossible. Or, they must taste gross. But in fact, these are super amazing granola bars that you will love. I altered the recipe a bit from the original I found on tree hugger.com. I am not vegan, so I use honey instead of their suggested agave (and I suggest you do too because honey is less processed). This recipe is super flexible -- try out new dried fruits, nuts, or other fun stuff like pumpkin seeds. Preheat oven 325 degrees F
2 cups oats Chia seeds if you have them 1/2 cup slivered almonds (or any nut) 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (or any seed) 1/2 cup currants (or any dried fruit) a quarter of an unsweetened cocoa bar, chopped into small pieces 2 tbsp flax seed (ground or whole--ground is easier to digest but I like eating whole in a bar better) 3/4 cup peanut butter (or almond butter) 1/2 cup honey (or agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup)
> mix all the dry ingredients together > heat the peanut butter and honey over the stove until it's a bit runny > mix all together- a spoon works, but clean hands are really the best thing for this job!
The mix should be sticking together fairly well on its own in the bowl. If not, add more peanut butter & honey until it does!
> Line a pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil (no oil remember?).
> Spread the mix into the pan and FIRMLY squish the mix in. (The original recipe mentioned something about covering with another layer of parchment paper and placing heavy books on it.. but firmly pressing in it has managed to work for me!)
> Put in the oven for 15-18 minutes -- I would check it because I just almost burnt mine. You want it to be noticeably toasty, but you know, not burnt.
> Let granola bars fully cool (patience is key! you'll have better results if you cut them once fully cooled!).
> Then cut into bars! I've had both success and less success making them into bars and changed ratio of dry to wet ingredients to get this ratio here, so it should work well, but sometimes the ends crumble out. I actually like this because then I have granola I can eat with almond milk. So if you crumble the whole thing, it's fine. You just have more granola.
Have fun!
We've been doing this Whole Foods Challenge with the P Street Whole Foods and it's been really great. While I miss alcohol and coffee, I don't really miss oil or dairy or sugar at all. It's a great way to refocus on where food comes from and which foods provide the nutrients we really need. While it may seem crazy to cook without oil, it's definitely not hard. The program includes cooking classes that instruct on everything from cooking fish with water, stocking a healthy pantry, and how to cook a variety of grains. We made this the other day for lunch. Super easy and filling.
Carrots Black-eye peas (canned) Kale Forbidden rice Chicken breast Tahini Sesame seeds
First, I tossed some kale with tahini sauce and sauteed it in a pan and set it aside. I had already pre-cooked the forbidden rice and chicken, so I heated up the pan medium high and threw in some chopped up carrots until they were cooked. Then I added the black-eyed peas, pre-cooked forbidden rice and chicken, until it was all nice and warm. I put it in a bowl and topped it with a big serving of the roasted kale with tahini. I topped it off with sesame seeds and ta-dah. Lunch.
Our group leader Ebeth from Whole Foods share this recipe. I tried it today and it was super fast and yummy.
Ebeth's Dead Simple Banana-Oat
Ingredients: 2 ½ large VERY ripe bananas 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) sea salt 2 cups rolled oats ½ cup slivered almonds
Pick another add in if you'd like, just don't add more than than ½ cup total.
½ cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries etc) ½ cup dark chocolate chips ½ cup shredded coconut (I choose coconut!)
Prep: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix: In a medium bowl, using a fork or spoon mash the banana with vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt until thick and pasty. In a food processor, pulse oats and almonds (or whatever nut) together until they resemble a course flour. Add the banana to the oats flour, stir in any add-ins.
Scoop batter by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheet. Press down slightly with a fork. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Thanks Ebeth for the great recipe!
What combinations have you tried?
It was gorgeous today in DC. We actually ate lunch outside (gasp) and I spotted a bizillion dogs soaking up the sun. I did not even have to carry a coat. At nearly 70 degrees people had shorts on and did not look crazy! Well, remember that day it snowed? I think it's gonna happen again next week...I took these photos last week and figured I should post them as a reminder that it's not quite spring yet. When you don't have to get through it, snow is pretty beautiful.
But we still can't wait for spring!
