So much to Share so Little Time!

I feel like I'm always bursting at the seems to tell someone something that I think is important. That's probably why I adore twitter so much. But before I kick off memorial day weekend with a trail run with Jessica, and then head to Maine for computer-free camping with Jesse & crew, there are a fun things I need to share with you!

• Why Calorie Restriction might not be the best thing Calorie Restriction for longevity is getting a lot of buzz lately and I really like this post RD Corinne Dobbas wrote. Personally I feel that once you start restricting calories to that level it is very very easy to become obsessive over food. Look at Ancel Keys starvation experiments during WWII Men with no prior disposition to disordered eating starting exhibiting behavior very similar to those seen in anorexic patients. Now give this restricted calorie program to a woman who has “dieted” or been body conscious for most of her life and that’s basically a recipe to disaster. Even beyond that-would it be worth living a year or two longer if you could barely enjoy the food presented in the next 5, 10, 20, 50 years???????????? Not in my world!!!!!!!
• E is for Eggplant and J is for Jello and I am obsessed with this food alphabet
• My two new summer beers are delightfully fruity. I highly recommend Abita's Strawberry Lager & 21st Amendment's Come Hell or High Watermelon Ale

• The science behind Chocolate and Health by my two favorite food scientists Naveen & Kevin
• In case you didn't know: A plant-based diet offers a bounty of benefits
• Think Thin? I think not. Read my post about why these bars are anything BUT "Delicously natural weight management." (Sneak preview: the ingredients label on this “Chocolate Covered Strawberries” bar has 38 ingredients, 4 different types of soy, malitol (a sugar alcohol that cases gastrointestinal distress for most people) and not a single mention of strawberries. It must be hidden in that “natural flavor” part…..
• Two inspirational speeches by two inspirational women. Katie Couric at BU and Amy Poehler at Harvard. Both witty, amusing and oh so wise. Oh and Katie tweeted at me, nbd.

• Sugar Guilt? Truvia may not be all it claims and why you should never feel guilty about any kind of food-even sugar. read it and comment!
• Mix a high-calorie dessert with melatonin-to help you relax? Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me! read what I have to say about Lazy Cakes brownies here
  

And lastly, I leave you with my song. Like my song, my song. Like "Don't forget to play this at my wedding song." cause I'm fly like that.

A Celebratory Meal at Pure Food and Wine

I've had my diploma since January, but it didn't seem official til I participated in Boston University's Commencement yesterday.
I was already celebrating thought. My trips to New York are not complete without a trip to Pure Food and Wine. Unbelievable raw food, which happens to be the perfect middle ground when vegans and Atkins aficionados join for a meal.

cheers to that!

In celebration of my graduation, my aunt Karen treated me to the 5-course chef's tasting, which was worth every penny.
Starting with fresh fruit sangria to welcome the warming weather. Salad of frisee and radicchino w medjool dates, saffron meyer lemon confit, curry vinaigrette shaved onion and chestnut honey.Baby turnip carpaccio w morel mushrooms, english pea cream, spring herbs and pickled ramps.
Pumpkin Soup (yes still raw)
amazing pad thai with seaweed noodles!
Tomato w cauliflower masala filling. It also had a coconut curry sauce and a cucumber mint raita.
lemon cheesecake with strawberry rhubarb sorbet Trio of dark chocolate coated Indian spiced ice cream treats. First a chocolate cardamom coconut ice cream cone which was a million times better than any 'drumstick cones' I've ever had. My mind is stil boggled by how they made a raw ice cream cone! A pistachio ice cream sandwich-soft pistachio gelato sadwiched between two soft cakes. And a chai tea creamsicle. This trio blew any raw dessert, scratch that-ANY dessert I have ever eaten right outta the water.
absolutely amazing.

It was a delicious celebratory meal, and I may come back just for a lunch of Indian desserts next time

Pure Food and Wine
54 Irving Place
New York, NY 10003

Be Mine BabyCakes?

Sometimes you gotta go all out
Especially if your feet lead you there after wandering all over the lower east side, and you vaguely remember finding this gem in ChinaTown 3 years ago. And your map-tastic memory serves you very well.
Especially if you're waiting on a 5 person line in one of the smallest bakery-fronts ever seen. But you can read signs like this while you wait
Especially if it's the one and only BabyCakes NYC renowned for their Gluten Free Vegan pastries
Especially if it's a bakery that focuses on no white sugar, ever, and uses gluten free products as often as possible.
Especially if the kind woman in front of you mentions she is a vegan in Houston and quickly writes down a list of her favorite veg-head friendly restaurants.
Especially if it's a "coffee cake donut"
Why not??

It was beyonnnndddd worth it. and downright heavenly
Thank you, I agree

BabyCakes NYC
248 Broome Street (Btwn Orchard & Ludlow)
New York City, NY 10002 (Google map)

A New Day

Today marks some new beginnings:
I have a new ride
and a new internship
and I enter the world of 9-5 (more like 8-6 but who's really counting...) I couldn't be more thrilled! Lots to learn, do and see in my last few month in Boston! I hope to still have time to be social and write, even if it's just lists of things I love, like this:

• Time to Celebrate! Today marks the start of American Craft Beer Week so grab a local microbeer and give me a big round of cheers!

My newest favorites are: Beer Morke Pumperknickel Porter , Apricot IPAs (either DogFish Head or Melissa's Homebrew), and anything/everything Shorts Brewery and Berkshire Brewing Company makes. And if you can find the Samual Adams Category 23 Longshot American Homebrew Contest mix pack in your local liquor store, the "Honey B's Lavender Ale" is not to be missed!

• Growing up is hard enough without toning shoes, pushup bras, and botox marketed to the under-10 year old set. I try to avoid both crying and vomiting while I write about it on Guiltless today.
  
• "A Day in the Life of a Vegan Athlete" by Matt of True Love Health Truly inspirational!

• I also came across this awesome Infographic about buying Local Food

(Click to enlarge)

Source: eLocal.com

with Farmer's Markets about to open I can't wait to make my food a little bit more sustainable! Want even more convincing about buying local food? Check out this adorable kids choir's song!

What's new in your life??

Try New Things

It's good to try new things.
Like spending an entire day with a French Bulldog

World, meet Criquet, my one true love.

Like trying Gluten Free Pasta for dinner with two of my favorite people.
Gluten free pasta has come very far, and is actually a fantastic replacement for regular pasta if you're feeling like a little switch-up. DeBoles Multigrain Penne is made with rice quinoa and amaranth, and is same color and texture as whole wheat pasta. I love multi-colored pasta so Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta Vegetables Spirals hit the spot. and I swear that's not just the wine talking.
Like trying a new food truck- Bon Me
Government center is HOPPING these days with Food Trucks. It's a tough call between Clover, Momogoose and Bon Me, but we opted to go for the one we'd never tried before.

It was a good decision. And though I failed as a blogger, and didn't take a picture of my meal, I HIGHLY recommend their rice noodle salad with tofu and mushrooms. mmmmmm. want some right now It also helps when you have lovely company, like Rori and Chloe.

Like checking out these fantastic finds on the internet:

• The amazing Jessica Leibowitz & Kenji Alt break down how to take the best photographs of food
• I'm Obsessed with Beyonce's "Get up and Move" video for letsmove "a little sweat ain't never hurt nobody"
• Read part II of 4020vision 's interview on Guiltless Food, your body, & how yur relationship changes as you grow older
• Katherine Brooks is amazing, spectacular and oh so creative. Check out this food magazine she created: Matters-the Food Issue

What will you try this week??

Good Cacao

Ah Chocolate
Delicious, divine, sensual. The science is behind it, but whoever wrote"Benefits outweigh risks" was definitely written by someone who agrees with what my boyfriend said : "women have a higher tolerance for chocolate than men." yes, the words tolerance and chocolate were used in the same sentence...
tell that to Naveen Sinha-chocolate scientist extraordinaire. Or my friend Gina who NEEDS to open a wine and chocolate shop asap.
After a day of work at Beacon Hill Chocolates Gina brought over a bar of Good Cacao to a wine + talk night, and we devoured it up.
not only was it a delicious bar, but as an "organic superfood" what's there to be hating on?
this Lemon Ginger bar is vegan, gluten free, non gmo, fair trade conscious, with no preservativies, no additives, all in biodradable packaging-whew I need to take a breath! It also has probiotics, "antioxidant oils" and phytoplankton. Who knew you needed that, but why the heck not, right?? And i'm so glad this is not your run-of-the-mill salt, but instead "170 million year old Jurassic Sea Salt." yup, this salt was chillin with mad dinosaurs.

yea that's a lot of extra words and fluff. But hey-it tasted delicious, and couldn't be bad for you, so why not??

and while we're on the subject, next time you're in New York City, swing by CocoaV on 9th Ave and 15th street, and try one of their vegan truffles.
One taste of their peanutbutter cup and you'll swear off Reese's for life.
I know it's getting warm out, but be sure to get their vegan hot chocolate too.
I like mine spicy, extra dark, and with a shot of espresso. I like most things that way.

So Happy Friday, and I hope you get to enjoy a good piece of chocolate today!

What's your favorite type or brand of chocolate?