Have a Safe and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

5 Things you Will Need for a Successful Memorial Day Weekend!

1. Something Refreshing to drink:

You might want to use a juicer for this, its probably the easiest way to juice the cucumbers. Just peel the cucumber and juice them! Combine cucumber juice, lemon juice, sugar water, cold water and muddled mint and mix it up! Add some ice (and vodka) and serve! 

2. A festive dessert:

Wash your strawberries and then let them dry completely. Melt your white chocolate and dip about 2/3 of the strawberries. Before the chocolate is completely dried, either sprinkle on or dip the bottom 1/3 into blue sprinkles. Let them harden on wax paper, then enjoy!

3. Light Healthy Salad:

Cook your 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. In a separate pan toast  almonds with 2 tsp olive oil until they are golden brown. Slice up your strawberries and then start to make your dressing. For the dressing add 1/4 cup of olive oil and orange juice. Mix the dressing into the spinach then add cooked quinoa to the spinach. After it is all mixed up and the quinoa is cool, add the strawberries, almonds and some goat cheese! 

4. An adorable outfit to break out that summer white!


We are loving everything Francesca's these days! So fun and really easy to put together! Also, Its officially summer in our opinion so break out that white!

We have picked out this fun and flirty outfit! The dress is a gorgeous high-low and its simple enough to let you rock a statement necklace! We picked some cute simple sandals because, its just easier for BBQs and parties with yard games. You don't want to be that girl at the BBQ walking around in heels that sink into the grass, thats no fun!

Palm Beach Dress, Beaumont Floral Necklace, Sweet Life Sandal

5. A super awesome friend to be your Designated Driver!

Be safe friends! If you plan to be adding any of that vodka to the cucumber  mint lemonade, you are gonna want a DD. We recommend finding a friend who is "like really focused on being healthy right now," "never drinking again," or a pregnant friend, if you have one. If you don't have any of those friends right now, no big deal, just man up and be the DD this time. (Seriously, the lemonade is so good it doesn't even need the vodka!

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WundaBar Pilates

WundaBar is an amazing new Pilates workout studio. What makes it so special? The WundaReformer - it is unlike any other Pilates reformer I've used. It has all the classics of the Pilates reformer, but includes the Pilates chair, jump board, and a ballet barre.

The WundaReformer, small class sizes (only up to 10), and incredible trainers makes for one heck of a workout. Muscles you did not even know you had will be so sore.

I cannot recommend this place enough, and I hope they branch out beyond the Los Angeles area so everyone can benefit from WundaBar.

If you are in the LA area, your first class is FREE! Sign up and get ready for some butt kicking. They have packages and special deals all the time, which definitely makes it more affordable. This workout is worth every penny.

All photos courtesy of www.wundabar.com

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Doggie's Dental Hygiene

Coco's oral hygiene is extremely important to me, and the link between a dog's oral hygiene and their overall health is undeniable. I started brushing her teeth several times a week a few years ago, with just a toothbrush and doggie toothpaste. Almost immediately, I noticed her teeth become whiter, with less plague, and better breath.

A huge doggie lover friend of mine just introduced me to Nylabone's Dental Spray. It's such a nice alternative, not only for dog parents who aren't able to brush their dog's teeth, but for those who just don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to brush. It's such a steal too - $4.99 off of Amazon.

Dental Spray

I am always looking for supplemental ways to clean her teeth, in addition to brushing them every day and using Nylabone Dental Spray. Pedigree's Dentastix are one of Coco's favorite treats. And her mom loves them too, because they're more than just treats! They clean her teeth while she is gobbling them up.

They run on the more expensive side (about $0.50 a pop) compared to some other dental care options, but I have no doubt your dog will love these. They are a great option regardless, but especially if you have trouble brushing your dog's teeth. I usually get them off of Amazon, since I have Amazon Prime and they are a few dollars cheaper, but you can find them in almost any pet store.

Dentastix!

We still haven't learned to love brushing our teeth...

Deciding if she likes it...

Sold!!! Nylabone Dental Spray is a keeper!! 

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Meet Sarah!

I would like to introduce you to Harley's new foster sister! Sarah will be living with us for a little bit while we are looking for her new family.

Sarah is a 6 or 7 year old pit bull who has a pretty amazing story and she is a pretty amazing girl. Her story is a happy story thanks to Bullies and Buddies Rescue! 

Look at this Happy girl!

Sarah is one special girl. Unfortunately, as a result of her severe malnutrition and neglect, she is diabetic and blind. But, the good news is, as soon as Bullies and Buddies Rescue got their hands on her she was immediately given the medical care she needed. Now, her eyes have cleared up and even though she can not see, they are no longer infected or uncomfortable. Also, after multiple glucose test, her diabetes is under control so she can start to gain that weight! Just in the short time she has been living with us, her energy is skyrocketing and you would't know what she had been through!

Here she is at  the vets, so happy to be feeling better!

Now, I'm not going to give you a sad sob story about Sarah, because Sarah is a happy girl! There is nothing more I hate than those Sarah McLachlan commercials because I feel like they are so negative. And yes, there are some horrible people who do some horrible things to animals and it is not fair. But, There are even more amazing people who do incredible things to save, rehabilitate and love animals. Lets focus on those people and focus on ourselves! Focus on the good feeling you get when helping someone instead of doing something because of the guilt you feel over an unfortunate situation.

Because of that, I would like you to think about this... Sarah was not treated very well for a long time, but since she has been staying with us she has been the happiest, sweetest dog that just wants to be around people and play! Someone saw her playing and said, "How can a dog that has been through what she has be so happy and loving?" Well, my response was 1. dogs are awesome and 2. Sarah is awesome. Simple as that in my opinion. She is clearly appreciating the help she has been given, and looking forward, what was behind her is over now!

Bullies and Buddies Rescue is continually taking dogs who need love and support out of horrible situations and finding the best homes and families! They work so hard to help these dogs and need a lot of support financially, but also from people to just get the word out.

Help us find Sarah a home!

If you or someone you know would be interested in adopting Sarah please contact Bullies and Buddies Rescue to fill out an application. Also, please share this with your friends, the more people who see her the faster she will find a happy family!

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Introducing Makeena!

“I want to eat healthier food, but it’s so expensive!”

That’s something we’ve all heard…and probably said. Then there’s the conundrum of trying to figure out what to do with weird foods like fennel or mustard greens.

Well, something very exciting is on the horizon that will help with both of these problems. And it wouldn’t be exciting without also being in true 21^st century app form of course!

Introducing Makeena®!! I cannot wait for this app to be available. Basically, here is what it does. It provides you with all kinds of coupons (NON-paper form, thank god) for healthy foods—including produce!—that you’ll get access to right in the store as you’re shopping. All you have to do is scan the bar code on those delicious Amy’s brand vegan burritos and your coupon is right there for you.  It doesn’t matter what store you’re in, either. You can be shopping at Ralph’s or at Whole Foods. Either way, you’ve got your coupons. At the register Makeena tallies all your coupons up for you and the register scans them. It will be so easy! Finally these expensive brands will be more affordable so that we can all be healthier without breaking the bank!

Makeena also gives you recipes (remember that fennel?), nutritional information, shopping lists, and more.

The trick is how to get this awesome app into our phones NOW! It takes time and money, people. So be patient, keep your eyes peeled for updates and if you’re feeling generous then help them out with their fundraising.

To follow Makeena and be one of the first to get the free app when it’s ready to launch, go like the Makeenaco Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

Most importantly, check out their video and give a few bucks to help them on their Crowdfunder page!

Here’s to more delicious, healthy food and money left in our pockets!

We would like to give a special thanks to Simone from Life As a Wave for being our first  guest blogger and introducing us to such a great new app! We are so excited about this! We also want it to happen NOW! :) Thanks again, Simone!

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Sugarfish

If there's one thing I love and know, it's sushi. I have tried over half of the "best" sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, and always  make it a point to try sushi in every new city I visit. It is, without a doubt, my favorite food, and the sole reason I cannot call myself a full vegetarian.

Yesterday, my boyfriend decided to treat us to a date night, and told me to pick the restaurant. I debated between our few normal sushi places, but then I remembered that I had heard from a few friends about Sugarfish in Studio City. I took a look at their website, and was immediately intrigued, but skeptical.

Their sushi menu is very simple, more so than any other restaurant I've ever seen. They have a few kinds of sushi, and a few types of rolls, plus your basic drinks and edamame. The point is that the quality of the sushi is highlighted, instead of pouring sauces all over the sushi and rolls. Here is a little excerpt from the menu:

Great sushi highlights the quality of the ingredients instead of “fancy” sauces and rolls.

Great sushi needs great rice– rice that is warm and loosely packed to create a melt-in-your- mouth sensation beneath the cool fish.

Seaweed needs to be of the highest quality:

hand rolls should be eaten right away

to enjoy the seaweed at its very best.

Each plate is served as soon as it is prepared to give our guests the freshest food possible, so please enjoy your sushi as soon as it arrives. 

I am here to tell you that if you live in Los Angeles, or come for a visit, a trip to Sugarfish is an absolute must. My boyfriend and I both said we will never eat sushi anywhere else, and I probably never will. Each piece of sushi melts in your mouth, and is the highest quality fish I have ever tasted. The rice is warm and loosely packed, and is unlike any sushi rice I have ever seen served.

There are three pre-fixed menus - "trust me," "trust me lite," and "the nozawa." I was expecting the prices to be astronomical for the quality of the sushi, but they were not at all. In fact, they were much cheaper than the upscale sushi restaurants in LA, and about the same cost as the mid level sushi restaurants I used to go to for a typical dinner or lunch out.

We got "The Nozawa" and split it. It was plenty of food for us, and is only $39. That's 20 per person, for a filling meal of the highest quality sushi, I believe, you can find in Los Angeles. If you are by yourself, I would recommend the "trust me lite" for $19.75.

With "The Nozawa" you get organic edamame, tuna sashimi, albacore sushi, salmon sushi, snapper sushi, yellowtail sushi, hallibut sushi, the daily special (which was scallop sushi), the toro hand roll (yellowtail), and a blue crab hand roll.

I must also mention that for a place of this calibre, sometimes the staff can leave a lot to be desired. Sugarfish is the exact opposite. Our waiter and the manager were incredibly attentive, and with every dish they brought, they explained how best enjoy it, and seemed so humbled by our compliments. Additionally, we ordered 2 pc's of "uni" or "sea urchin," because we wanted to be a little bit adventurous. We knew that if we were ever going to try sea urchin, it would have to be at Sugarfish. Unfortunately, we did not care for it, but hey - at least we tried! Without us even asking, the waiter took it off of our bill, which I found very thoughtful. At a restaurant like this, they do not have to treat their customers this well. But, they do.

Thank you Sugarfish for changing the way I look at sushi. I could never imagine going anywhere else.

www.sugarfishsushi.com

Yellowtail, Halibut, Scallop

(Oops, sorry I didn't take too many pictures of my own food. I was too wrapped up in the sushi to remember to take photos!)

Fennel and Radish Quinoa Salad

My most recent farm fresh box has both radishes and fennel inside. The farm fresh company also provides a delivery newsletter that gives some information about the products, what's going on at the farm and sometimes recipes!

I took the recipe for the Fennel and Radish salad and got to work!

Farm Fresh Recipe                                                                      

Ingredients:
1 cup red quinoa
1/2 cup pecans
1 orange
1 small shallot, sliced
1 1/2-inch piece of ginger, grated
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, sliced
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and sliced
salt/pepper, to taste

1. Cook quinoa until tender, cover and let stand for 10 minutes
2. Toast  pecans in rimmed baking sheet in oven until they begin to brown.
3. Peel and remove white pith from orange and cut out orange segments into a bowl. (Do this over a bowl to catch all the juices). Then squeeze the rest of the juice out  of the orange membrane.
4. Add sliced shallots and grated ginger to the bowl with the orange juice. Whisk in the olive oil.
5. Add quinoa, pecans, orange segments fennel and radishes and toss to coat.

**  I did mine slightly different... I just used trader joe's dry roasted chopped pecans to make it easier, plus I had them laying around.

If you have ever been to Tender Greens (we will need a post on that ASAP) they have a salad called "The Happy Vegan." I probably order the happy vegan at least 90% of the time that I go to Tender Greens. It is basically some greens with small servings of different salads. One of them tastes VERY similar to this salad! I was so excited! So, now I'm on a mission to recreate the Happy Vegan!

Peek-a-boo Harley!


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