Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Green Monster

A friend of mine from Canada gave me 2 packs of  Raw Greens Meal Saeng-Shik. After sitting in my pantry for over 1 year, I decided it was time to try it. The package recommends mixing with water and drinking a 1-2 times a day. If you’d like to substitute this for a meal, you can mix it with a banana.  

Product description:
Raw Greens were developed from the simple belief that we should consume wholesome foods in their natural states without cooking or artificially modifying them. This way, we can be sure that we are getting the best source of nutrients in a way that our bodies can use them. GMF (God-Made Food) uses a freeze-drying method to conserve the original raw natural state of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, fibrin and all other nutritious ingredients.
god made food? okay.... lol
 Ingredients:
Rice (Brown rice, White rice), Barley, Freeze-ried soy milk, Xylitol, Fructooligosaccharide, Glutinous brown rice, Kale, White sesame, Potato, Rice bran, Angelicus utilis, Pumpkin, Carrot, Millet, Shiitake mushroom, Sea tangle, Japanese chlorella (cracked cell), Spirulina, Indian millet, Glutinous millet, Job's tears, Black sesame, Brown seaweed, Barley grass, Wild parsley, Radish, Cabbage, Laver, Pine needles, Sedum, Radish leaves, Lotus root, Burdock, Cordyceps, Ganoderma mushroom, Malt, Carrot leaves, Sweet potato, Plum, Garlic, Yam, Mugwort, Lactic ferments, Citron.
 
That’s a lot of stuff in one little package!
lots of ingredients - note seaweed, radish leaves and what the heck is burdock?
Not much to it
 My opinion – it tasted like grassy chalk on ice. It smelled like dirt, almost like a barn but not quite as bad. I'm getting the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.

At first I tried mixing it with water & ice in my magic bullet. Nasty. How could my Magic Bullet betray me like this?



Next I tried fixing it by adding some frozen berries. Ewwwww. Still nasty.

Then I tried adding more water and some plain Greek yogurt. Yup, still nasty. So, so bad. 
 This was still gross, powdery and bland, but I drank it anyways.I was hungry again in about an hour. #failure lol.
I don’t know if I’m cut out for this kind of drink but, hey, at least I finally tried it.
 I have had real green juice and I actually like it a lot. I think I"ll just stick to the fresh stuff!
 
 Do you own a juicer? Can you recommend any very healthy breakfast mixes that will keep me full and do not taste like abso*f-ing*lutely terrible??

Monday, December 12, 2011

Hello Brooklyn! How you doin?


Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday. I hope you had a lovely weekend. It was pretty cold here in the city, but that didn’t stop BF & I from going for a nice 1 year anniversary walk around Brooklyn. We took the subway across to Brooklyn Heights, got coffees, stopped at a diner and then walked back over the Brooklyn Bridge. 
fruity streets!
Brooklyn Heights was surprisingly lovely & felt like the ritzy part of Toronto called Rosedale. It was really nice to get out of Manhattan and check out something new. I’m so lucky to have had this past year with BF. Hopefully the next year will be even better.
sorry for the blurry pics - i just had my blackberry :)
check out the new freedom tower - it's going to be BIG!
 

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan  and Brooklyn  by spanning the East River. With a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m), it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.
In 2006, a Cold War era bunker was found by city workers near the East River shoreline of Manhattan's Lower East Side. The bunker, hidden within the masonry anchorage, still contained the emergency supplies that were being stored for a potential nuclear attack by the Soviet Union (thanks wikipedia)

Even though I’ve lived in the city for over a year & a half, I’ve never actually walked across this very old bridge. (to be honest I kept thinking about Sex & the City when Miranda and Steve meet half way, geek à I know) Walking back towards Manhattan, I kept thinking that I can’t believe how HUGE the city is.

Buildings, buildings, buildings. It’s crazy – no wonder I feel so overwhelmed sometimes.
I’ll share more pics later! 

How was your weekend? 

Listen to this:

Friday, December 9, 2011

Mo money mo problems?


I recently read Bringing Home the Birkin. A story about a man who moves to Barcelona and makes it big reselling Hermes items on eBay. It is a wonderful read & I highly recommend it. 


This book inspired me to make more money in a new and exciting way: EBAY! I need more cash for a few reasons, particularly my upcoming trip to Europe and Christmas presents!
 
After reading this article http://www.catchtheniche.com/make-easy-money-on-ebay-is-this-even-possible , I realized money isn’t just going to fall into my hands. -

“Now I realize everything and see how people who have money can be separated into three main categories:

1. If you have rich parents that have money and power
2. If you are doing something illegal, like selling drugs
3. If you are a hard worker and everything you have in your life is the result of your efforts”

This past week I sold my first item ever on ebay.com and I think it’s going to be my new thing. I’m not sure what my approach will be but I definitely have some stuff I could get rid of like clothing, beauty products, blackberry chargers, shoes, perfume etc etc etc. Check out a few things I put up today.

Marc Jacobs 

Vero Moda

Have you ever bought or sold anything on eBay? What are some tips for success?

This weekend is my 1 year anniversary with BF and I couldn’t be happier. Yay, go us!
 
Have a great weekend!
 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Restaurant Review: Flowers Cafe

Hi Everyone!

I hope you’re having a nice week so far. It has been rainy and humid here in New York. Today the temperature was 65 degrees (or about 15 for all of you Canadians out there!). I’m not complaining – I prefer winter to stay away as long as possible.

Today I’d like to share a very special spot that BF and I found. It is located at Essex & Grand St, and is a great find for anyone who is looking to have a homey, healthy and adorable lunch. The food is affordable, fresh and overall worth checking out if you’re in the area. We have gone here twice now, both times I have left as happy as a little kid on a field trip.

When we went, I had a soup + half wrap combo featuring their homemade lentil soup (delish) and a half boardwalk wrap. BF made his own sandwich with turkey, he seemed pretty happy. They also have an extensive tea collection & the staff is very friendly! For such a small space (there are only a few tables) quite a few people come in and out picking up salads, bagels, coffee and ice cream. Overall, this made place made me feel like I was over at a friends place for lunch in high school (in the 70s) & their mom made me something special. I can't wait to go back.

Check out their menu in NyMag (funky item names) - http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/flowers-cafe/menus/main.html

The Boardwalk avocado, red onion, diced carrots, tomato, lettuce, & hummus or mayo. cold vegetables on toasted bread.
Bread Choices Include Our Fresh Daily 9 Inch Hero Breads: French, Semolina, Or Seven Grain, Wraps, Marble Rye, Whole Wheat, White.

Combo pick 2: including 1/2 of any sandwich, 1/2 groovy salad or cup of soup - $6.95 (amazing deal!)
cute!
a whole vegetarian section (vegan options too!)
amazing Mighty Leaf tea, I had tropical green tea. Anyone know where i can get this
fresh lentil soup
my boardwalk - amazing!
BF's turkey. He said it was yummy :)

Monday, December 5, 2011

DIY Gift: Chocolate Covered Strawberries


Hi Everyone!

Need a cute & personal gift for someone special? Nothing says friendship or appreciation like a gift that you took the time to make yourself. 

Need an idea? I made chocolate covered strawberries for my friend’s birthday recently.

What you need:
Chocolate
Strawberries
Double boiler (I improvised & used an oven proof bowl over a pot of boiling water – ghetto what)
A pretty bag / box to put them in

Basically, melt the chocolate & dip your strawberries in them. Then put them in the fridge to harden. Done.




#failure
But somehow it all worked out :)
 You can get creative. Here are some cool ideas I found online.


 
Have you ever given someone a gift that was homemade? I need ideas!

I hope you had a good weekend!

-Caitlin