Oh yes, this is my heaven. (Taken with instagram)
George Bernard Shaw
-Happy New Year!!!
xoxo”
Fast food. How there is a debate about the actual nutritional value of fast food, I don’t understand. Here’s the thing, I rarely eat fast food because it doesn’t make me feel all that great. I like my food to nourish my body and help me feel energized! But I’ll still have fast food every once in a while if I’m seriously craving an In’N’Out cheeseburger and chocolate shake. YUMMM!!!! What I mean is everything in moderation. Know what you eat and don’t blindly chow down on empty, fatty calories. They’re not good for you now and definitely not good for you as you age. (-; So, have that cheeseburger, just be sure to balance out your other meals with steamed veggies, quinoa, whole grains, a colorful salad, etc. (And a ton of water!!) You get the idea. Be creative with it!
For more reading on what we eat, click the title of this post. I’ve attached a link to an article from the LA Times on a new study that shows the relationship of fast food restaurants to the high rates of obesity. Enjoy and happy, healthful eating!!
The fantastic, community-oriented cafe has more than exceeded its mission statement! I adore it here and always stop by when I’m feeling the need for a calm, welcoming, and delicious experience.
I have yet to try the entire menu, but everything I have sampled so far is scrumptious! Order the soup of the day (vegetarian or non-vegetarian varieties) which is served with the best toasted-yet-super-soft focaccia bread or the red pepper hummus to start. Try their chicken and pesto baguette or their tuna and cheddar toasty bite. You feel like you have re-fueled your body with their natural and fresh ingredients that will invigorate your day!
Oh, and did I mention their vanilla latte is completely addictive and that their fresh veggie and fruit juices and smoothies are like heaven? (Favs: Jazzy Ginger Smoothie and Raggin’ Rabbit Juice.)
Everyone who works here makes you feel like you’re part of the family, cares about what you’re eating (kind of like Mom! (-; ) and creates such an inviting environment and thus, experience.
Thank you, Fresh Bites!!
I am a coffee addict. (It’s been well documented!) At almost every restaurant I go to, I have to try their coffee. But here’s the thing … I AM HORRIBLE AT MAKING COFFEE ON MY OWN!! It’s so embarrassing, I can make great food, but I can’t make coffee!?!
Really??
Yup.
It will taste like gravely, burnt, sludge. Don’t judge! (-;
Soooo, to fix my abhorrent coffee making skills and make sure I didn’t go into caffeine withdrawals, I was introduced to the Tassimo coffee maker. And with that discovery my world changed! The angels sang and the heavens parted and I made my first cup of perfect coffee!
Here’s what makes Tassimo amazing: you make an individual cup of whatever kind of coffee you’ve got a hankering for-latte, skinny cappuccino, French roast, caffe crema, hot chocolate, chai tea latte, peppermint mocha, you get the idea. The genius of it is the Tassimo T-Disc (the ideal amount of the drink varieties I list above) that has a unique bar code that the brewer reads and then prepares the flawless ratio of espresso (or tea) to water, temperature, and brewing time. The brilliance of the T-Disc is that it is in the accurate shape of an espresso puck, like what a barista uses to make your high-end coffee house coffee, and not like those other home brewers with the lil’ individual cuppies of flavored coffee. (Those, by the way, tastes like slightly coffee-enhanced water.) So, in my humble, coffee-lovin’ opinion, I’m in love with my Tassimo coffee maker. Every morning is a happy one! Sweet, sweet joy for impossible coffee makes like me!
Come Taste my Favorite Hollywood Deli!
It truly is the BEST deli in all of Los Angeles, maybe all of California, quite possibly reaching all the way to NYC!!! It is THAT GOOD!!!
GREENBLATTS WINE & DELI
Go. Now. I know you want to. You can just smell the mouth-watering aromas of slow-cooked roast beef, fresh bread, tasty veggies, roasted chicken, and apple pie, can’t you? Get a glass of wine from their top-notch list, sit back, get aquatinted with the fantastic staff (trust me, one visit to Greenblatts and you have to become friends with everyone who works there because you’ll be back so often), and try every menu item you can! You can choose from dinner plates that rival Grandma’s Thanksgiving feast, or select a sampling of sides like fruit salad, macaroni salad, latkas, koogle, coles slaw, and only the best broccoli stuffed baked potate ever! My personal favorite item to order is definitely the triple decker turkey club on egg bread with light pesto mayo instead of regular mayo. I’m getting hungry just writing about it! Oh my … I might just be right back … hmm … wait! Before I go, one of the coolest things about Greenblatts is that it’s been here since 1927!! That’s an eternity in LA years. Everyone who’s anyone in the Hollywood scene past and present has frequented Greenblatts and noshed. Or bought a ton of French red wines as Chevy Chase just did. Or came through to get their Moonshine fix, like Daniel Craig. But no matter your reason, go eat at Greenblatts immediately! And if I’m there, snacking on something yummy upstairs, say hi!!
Well, I’m off to “the ‘blatts” as I call it. I’m hungry now, darn it. I guess I’m just going to HAVE to go eat at Greenblatts, huh? Look what you made me do! ;-P (hehe!!!)
8017 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90046
How the Funnel Mill Rare Coffee & Tea in Santa Monica makes iced coffee!! I chose the unsweetened Iced Chocolate Truffle Coffee. I am now in trufflation (not a word, I know! (: ) high heaven!! If you are dining in, your beverages are brought to you by the kindest, most helpful staff on a silver platter complete with silver coasters, sugar options in cute, labeled ceramic dishes with the cream on the side. I was informed that instead of using traditional ice cubes, at the Funnel Mill, they use frozen cubes of whatever your drink is to avoid any watering down of your beverage. This is a HUGE plus for me!
Jazz notes fill the zen-like industrial space, local artist’s work adorn the walls & cozy furniture make for an inviting world. Customers are in a peaceful, relaxed, happy working state. There is even an old piano tucked away if anyone has the inclination to plunk out a few notes. The only downside to the Funnel Mill is that I wish I lived closer!!
P.S. The Funnel Mill also gets major bonus points for their continued help with animal rescues in the community. YES!!
Join me on my jaunt to The National Products Expo West 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center as I taste the delightful Kristian Regale sparkling juice beverage! Kristian Regale is made from a Swedish recipe that really gives it an extra happy punch of effervescence. Try it for the holidays, a baby or bridal shower, birthday, or just a lazy afternoon on the porch! ‘It’s time to sparkle!”
P.S. Moms, just FYI: kids love it!
