Two Restaurants

Update

Dinner with Dr Neil Barnard, MD

I wanted to bring to your attention a dinner hosted by Great Sage restaurant in Clarksville, MD.  Dr. Neil Barnard, the founding president of PCRM (Physician's Committee Of Responsible Medicine) will be the guest speaker at this event.  This dinner will take place Monday, March 10 at 7 pm.   The cost of the meal will be 100 dollars per person with a portion of this amount donated to PCRM.  For more information, go here.

Two Restaurants

I love finding good restaurants.  To be more specific, I like finding restaurants that cater to my dietary needs.  When I do find one, well, I just have to share!  My family and I went out to eat recently and of all places we went to find a healthful meal, we ended up at Silver Diner in Laurel, MD.  Diners in general are synonymous with greasy spoons to me and selections that are vegan friendly seem to always be few and far between.  But the same cannot be said about Silver Diner!  I was so pleasantly surprised!  I had a gluten free, vegan meal and my family also found options to their liking.  My kids even had incredibly delicious vegan milk shakes!  Kudos to Silver Diner for having a broad inclusive selection!  Check out their site here.

 We enjoy heading down to the parks in Orlando from time to time and whenever we do, we're always on the lookout for a good place to eat.  We recently ate at a restaurant called Ethos.  So yum!  Usually when we go out to eat we look for the vegetarian section of the menu.  Looking at the Ethos menu my son said, "Wow, how do the meat eaters do it?  Too many choices!"

Check it out next time you take the kiddos to Orlando.

I plan to do a series on grains, seeds and superfoods.  I never seem to get through my series quickly.   Just know that it will intermingle with other info that crosses my path.

Have a great day!

Vegan Treats and Delicious Non-Dairy Ice Creams

One of the things I love about summer is how things slow down and are more relaxed.  I enjoy day trips to quaint towns, strolls in the cool of the evening after a scorching hot day, wearing flip flops and cheating on my diet with some ice cream twirls.  Yes, I do cheat!  When I first started on my journey towards vegan foods, I would cheat with real ice cream.  I think if I were to cheat with dairy ice cream today, it would probably hit my gut like a ton of bricks.  I can't cheat with dairy anymore.  The cleaner your body gets, the more it reacts to foods that aren't healthful.  So now I cheat with non-dairy ice cream.  To those of you who think that non-dairy ice cream has got to be gross, I must beg to differ!  You probably have not tried the good stuff yet!  There is a great vegan dessert shop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, called Vegan Treats.  If you ever head to Bethlehem for Musikfest or what have you, you must stop by and pay this little shop a visit!  They have wonderful ice cream as well as a slew of other kinds of desserts.  Pure vegan decadence!  (Sugar is never healthful, but hey, I believe in a little room for treats every now and then.)

 

 

Their wall of fame

Me and my kids

I recently attended a dinner and the cook was so gracious in preparing dishes I could eat.  The gluten free, vegan combination can be a bear to deal with when I go out.  It can get a little depressing for me when everyone else is eating all this great food that I cannot indulge in. (It's the gluten foods I miss.  I had to choose between arthritis or gluten free diet.  I chose a gluten free diet.) The cook, understanding my plight, prepared foods just for me.  One of the things he set out was vegan ice cream.  I absolutely raved about it and all the people at our table had to try my ice cream.  I should have kept my mouth shut!  They ate their dairy ice cream and then they cleaned up on all the non-dairy ice cream.  Smart move, Missy!  Anyhow the company that makes it is called Wayfare.  It's so creamy and delicious!  I'll be driving out to Hagerstown, MD.  which is a good fifty minutes from where I live, to pick up mine.  (I noticed MOM's organic market in Frederick and Rockville carry some of their products, but not their ice cream)  This company is fairly new and not available in many places.  I'm going to ask my health food store to carry it.  Check here for their store locator.

Vermont Maple is incredibly delicious!

Other brands that I like are Trader Joe's Soy Creamy "Cherry Chocolate Chip."  I also like Tofutti brand ice creams.

Kimberly Snyder recently posted on great non-dairy easy to make sorbets.  I printed out the recipes and my daughter made a couple of them.  Really good, easy to-prepare healthful alternatives!

Here is a blog post on 29 non dairy ice cream recipes.

Lastly, a friend of mine, Nancy Meissner, made some vegan ice cream for me and my family.  So delicious and creamy.  Here's the recipe:

3 cups cooked brown jasmine rice

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt (I use pink Himalayan)

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/3  to 1/2 cup honey

2 cans coconut milk

1/2 cup silk soy milk

5 cups blueberries or fruit of choice

* All ingredients should be at room temperature before preparing.

* Nancy said she reduced rice content to 2 1/2 cups and liked it. 

Blend rice to soy milk in a high powered blender.  Add honey, maple syrup, coconut milk and salt.  Fold in berries or fruit.  Place in ice cream maker and follow machine directives.  She used an electric White Mountain ice cream maker.  Gotta get me one of those!

Here's a carob or chocolate variation on the same recipe:

3 cups cooked jasmine rice (completely cooled to room temp.)

1/2  to 2/3 cup carob or chocolate chips, melted

1 Tbsp raw carob or cacao-cocoa powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 Tbsp almond butter

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 - 1/2 cup honey

2 cans coconut milk 

1/2 - 3/4 Tbsp Roma (coffee alternative, grain beverage)

1/2 cup silk milk blend

Blend and add to ice cream maker.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!

Have a great day!

Cafe 118

I'm writing from Orlando, Florida, and last evening I had the opportunity to eat at a great cafe in nearby Winter Park.  Cafe 118 is a restaurant which serves organic raw vegan food - or as they call it, "living cuisine."  Food prepared at 118 degrees Fahrenheit or below is considered raw, thereby retaining all the living enzymes.  So what's the big deal about living enzymes, anyway?  Our bodies need live enzymes to digest food properly, as well as for other metabolic processes.  Continually eating food that is depleted of live enzymes by having had the life cooked out of it forces our bodies to draw enzymes from our organs.  Energy stolen from our bodies in this manner slows us down and our organs won't function as well as they should.  Eating copious amounts of live enzymes from vegetables, fruits, sprouted grains, seeds and nuts, frees our bodies to function at optimal performance. Here is an article with more information about the importance of eating live enzymes.

Be sure to stop by Cafe118 if you are ever in this area.  It is a trendy little cafe located in a quaint area of Winter Park with a historic feel to it.  It was so enjoyable to just window shop and stroll on nearby cobblestone streets after a very satisfying meal.  I absolutely love this restaurant!  I loved the food, the artwork and the ambiance.  Cafe 118 has wonderful lunch and dinner options, scrumptious desserts, fresh juices, smoothies, "milk" shakes and raw dairy-free ice cream.  Here are some of their dishes.  I broke all etiquette rules at our table and sampled every dish you see here.  Yum! 

Taco Salad

Basil Wrappers

Chile Rellenos

Pad Thai

Smores

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Berry Parfait

The very talented and efficient crew at Cafe 118

I won't be able to get to the green smoothie recipes post until I get home.  Hang tight, it's coming soon!

Enjoy the Journey!

The Amazing Health Benefits of Coconuts/ Restaurants in Puerto Rico

 I just flew in a couple of days ago from Puerto Rico where my sister lives.  We had a wonderful family reunion with my other sister and parents who also joined us.  So sad to say bye to everyone.  Here we are gathered at the table on Christmas Eve.

Alas, I am back in Maryland.  It was also hard to leave the wonderful tropical climate.  I wish we could just pack up and move to some warm location.  I couldn't have such an experience and not do a post on one of my favorite foods.  Coconuts!  I told my sister that all I wanted in Puerto Rico was "coco-frio".  On one occasion we were driving down one of their main thoroughfares which ran by a coconut tree lined beach.  My husband spotted the sign first.  My sister swerved from the busy road to park in front of a line of food vendors.  We passed by all of the popular food vendors to a pick-up truck loaded with coconuts.  The vendor gave the coconut a few chops with his machete, put in a straw and handed me my most coveted tropical elixir, coconut water!

Our stash of coconuts

The benefits of this abundant tropical fruit are astounding and endless.  I will site a few just to give you an idea of the caliber of this amazing fruit.  Coconut water is hydrating, alkalizing, filled with antioxidants and electrolytes.  It has anti-aging properties and makes some nutrients more absorbable.  It boosts the immune system, it's antimicrobial, anti-fungal and antibacterial.  It aids in digestion and increases one's metabolism.  It is naturally sterile and has been used to save the lives of people in developing countries where blood banks are not readily available.  It is almost identical to human blood plasma.  Imagine a patient hooked up to an I.V. line and bag filled with coconut water.  Yes, it has been done.  It is also excellent for athletes.  Blend some up with a tablespoon or more of chia seed and you have an amazing sports drink.  Much better for you than the neon colored synthetic drinks available on the market.

My kids enjoying coco-frio

Apparently the craze for coconut water has caught on giving birth to multi-million dollar businesses.  Some popular brands are Zico and Madonna's Vita-coco.  I do have a problem with them, however.  They are pasteurized.  I will not say the they are void of all nutrients, but pasteurization renders much of the beneficial properties useless.  Raw will always be best.  Body Ecology is a company that packages the water and freezes it.  You can find it on  amazon.  Exotic Superfoods is another company  that sells truly raw coconut water.  Another option would be to buy fresh young coconuts in Indian and Asian markets and cut them open yourself.  Here's a youtube how-to video.  (If having trouble with the link, right click on link and open in new window)  Please be careful with your digits!

Coconut oil has gotten a bad rap for far too long.  After research and observing people groups that have a high consumption of coconut oil, it turns out that coconut oil is the best oil to use.  It is stable and does not become carcinogenic when heated like most other oils.  It turns liquid at approximately 70 degrees and solid below that temperature.  It will not coat your arteries, as a matter of fact, it promotes heart health.  Coconut oil is about 50% lauric acid.  (Lauric acid helps to fight infection.)  The only other source that is similar in quantity is mother's milk, which explains why breast fed babies suffer far fewer infections than formula fed babies.  Like coconut water, the oil also helps to increase one's metabolism and  improves digestion.  Used topically it is fantastic!  My husband tells me that I often smell like a coconut.  It is wonderful to slather it on as a moisturizer.  It helps the skin ward off infection, psoriasis and eczema, especially if dairy is cut out of one's diet.  It also helps to strengthen and repair hair when damaged. About once a week, I just coat my hair with it and let it sit for a half hour before I wash my hair.  I purchase organic virgin raw coconut oil by the gallon from Mountain Rose Herbs.  It really is reasonably priced at this site.  (Coconut oil has a shelf life of up to two years.)

Raw foodists use all food forms of the coconut for their smoothies, sauces and raw confections.  The young meat of the coconut and its gelatinous composition is perfect to create custard like desserts.  The mature meat when grated and pressed produces the milk.  Have you ever tasted it? Yum!! Of course, I'm always using the grated dehydrated coconut flakes for raw pie crust or freezer fudge. Look up Jennifer Cornbleet and Ani Phyo raw prep books for simple dessert recipes on Amazon.com

If you are so inclined to hack at a few coconuts, try this recipe that I found on another blog: Raw Vegan Pina Colada

Vegetarian Friendly Restaurants of Puerto Rico:

If you happen to be traveling to Puerto Rico, may I suggest a few vegetarian friendly restaurants?  I do not stay on a raw diet when I travel.  It is too difficult.  Maybe someday I'll figure it out.  I'm just not there yet.  I do stay mostly vegan.  We ate at some restaurants that catered to our dietary needs.  One Restaurant was "El Ladrillo" in Dorado.  You will not find vegan options on the menu, but if you call ahead 24 hours, they will make special accommodations.  The owner herself prepared the most amazing "vegan mofongo" for us.  It is a dish made of mashed plaintain shaped into a bowl.  It was topped with a tomato based sauce and mixed vegetables.  Killer good!  Another excellent restaurant is located at a mountain retreat in Utuado, "La Casa Grande". They have a phenomenal chef, Mike Mahon, who is completely undaunted by the task of preparing delicious vegetarian or vegan entrees. ( I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed by other chefs who are totally clueless.)  He delivers mouth-watering delectable dishes every time!  For quick, reasonably priced sandwiches, consider El Meson.  Another good sandwich restaurant and juice bar with a more gourmet edge is Pure and Natural in Condado.  They are a little slow on service, but the food was scrumptious.  Cafe Berlin in Old San Juan is a good option for brunch.  

As always, all good things must come to an end.  Sigh.

And now, back to the grind in cold, gray Maryland!  Happy New Year to you all.  Many blessings in 2012!

Enjoy the Journey!