Top of the Veggie to ya!!

My last meal as a meat eater was corned beef and cabbage.  My Dad's birthday is two days before St. Patrick's Day and my stepmother usually makes a big traditional Irish dinner for him.  When I was 15, I decided to give up meat…the week of my Dad's birthday dinner.  I felt bad breaking the news on his big day, so I made his dinner my last meat meal.  It actually has turned out to be a nice little anniversary.  Every year as I wish my Dad a Happy Birthday, I say Happy Birthday to my Veggie self as well.  I also breathe a quiet sigh of relief that I never have to eat corned beef and cabbage again.  I hate corned beef and cabbage.  

In honor of St. Patty's Day and my Veggie anniversary, please enjoy this festive, healthy Very Veggie Shamrock Shake smoothie recipe.  Or just have a Guinness.  No judgements here. 

-♥ J :)

Very Veggie Shamrock Shake
You will need:

•  juice of: 1 apple, 1 lemon, 1 cucumber, 1 bunch of kale
• 1cup frozen pineapple

Directions:

• Blend juice mixture with 1 cup frozen pineapple.
• Drink and enjoy!!

Guinness
You will need:

• a store that sells Guinness
• a can opener
• the day off tomorrow

Directions:

1. Open with can opener.
2. Drink and enjoy!! (responsibly please...)

Salad Sundays: Bethenny Frankel Tofu Salad

I love the videos that Bethenny Frankel, Real Housewife turned Forbes cover girl, made before she was the multi-millionaire Skinny Girl mogul that we've come to know and love.  Back then she was just a girl with a kitchen, a dream and some really great, easy to make recipes.  This recipe for tofu salad (which begins at 1:40) is delicious on sprouted grain bread but, since this is Salad Sunday, I would eat it over mixed greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette (like THIS ONE) and garnished with chopped tomato.  Yum!!!

-♥ J :)

P.S. THIS is my other favorite Bethenny Frankel video.

Travelin' Veg Part 1: Why you should CareHere

We were in the Houston airport for what felt like an eternity.  Our connecting flight to Nashville was delayed…again…and the healthy provisions* I had packed for the trip were running low. We wandered over to a restaurant near our gate.  "They have salad," I offered weakly.  Even I couldn't make a case for the tiny, depressed salad imprisoned in the refrigerator case.  Even the salad couldn't make a case for the salad.  It just lay there broken and defeated as if to say, "Yeah, I know.  Just keep moving.  The Doritos are on your left."  "Screw it.  I'm getting pizza," John announced.

So John got pizza…and then proceeded to choke on it for 45 minutes.  He swallowed a piece wrong and, because who knows how long it takes for the manufactured, science experiment ingredients to break down into something digestible (THIS VIDEO suggests never), John wandered the airport coughing like a TB victim for nearly and hour.  He never finished the pizza.  I remember thinking, "There has got to be a better way."

Turns out there is!!  When we were flying home from Nashville, we stumbled upon a new addition to the Nashville airport.  It's a tiny little wellness center called CareHere BNA.  I might have walked right past it except that I have hawk eyes when it comes to healthy snacks.  I whipped back around and shouted, "Hey!  Did that say hummus?!?"

The 1,100-square-foot facility offers basic medical care as well as fun snacks, beauty products and over the counter medications.  As I raced around clearing out their shelves, a voice in the back of my head cautioned,"Uh, hey Big Spender.  Why don't you ease up?  You are in an airport.  This stuff is going to be ridiculously overpriced."  But it wasn't!  It was regular "Whole Foods prices" over priced!  Which is to say, just the amount of overpriced I am used to paying.  I left the store very happy and very hydrated. Check out some of the bounty I picked up:

There is talk of CareHere BNA going nationwide, so keep your fingers crossed on that one.  Meanwhile, this is just one more great reason to visit Nashville.

-♥ J :)

*Healthy provisions you can pack from home and more travel tips in Part 2.

Salad Sundays: The Baja Fiesta Salad from Veggie Grill

I was in Nashville this past weekend for my cousin-in-law Michelle's wedding.  She married a wonderful man named Sean in an adorable rustic barn.  There was fresh brewed ice tea in mason jars, mini cups of gazpacho and made to order tacos from a local taco place.  There was singing and fiddle playing and homemade cake.  (In addition to the gazpacho, my very talented sister-in-law Cara made the pristine vanilla wedding cake and the banjo shaped(!!!) chocolate groom's cake.)  In a fantastic turn of events, Michelle even got talked into singing a number with her new husband.  This was great because I really feel like every party is better when Michelle sings.  The whole weekend was just delightful!  Hmmm…why was I telling you all this???  Oh, yeah.  I'm telling you all this to explain why Salad Sundays is late this week.  Salad lost out to tacos and cake.  

This week's salad is from the super fun vegan restaurant Veggie Grill.  If you live LA or Oregon, I highly recommend that you run, don't walk, to your nearest location.  Veggie Grill is cheap, fast, nutritious and delicious!!  You can check out their varied menu right HERE.  (A tip for you beginners, you are definitely going to want to get the nachos.  Definitely.)  For the rest of you Veggies, here is how you can make you very own Baja Fiesta at home:

The Baja Fiesta Salad from Veggie Grill

Ingredients:

• romaine lettuce
• papaya
• avocado
• roasted corn salsa
• quinoa
• cucumber
• cilantro
• tortilla strips
• portobello mushroom (added extra)

Directions:

1. Toss ingredients with ginger papaya vinaigrette (like THIS ONE).
2. Eat and enjoy!!

-♥J :)

P.S. If you want to hear why I think every party could use some Michelle singing click HERE.
P.P.S.  For a Veggie Grill location near you click HERE.
P.P.P.S  Check back in for some tips on how to eat healthy while traveling.  I'll try to have them up by the end of the week.

Hungry For Change

"The whole dieting paradigm is flawed."  True dat.

-♥ J :)

For more info on Hungry For Change the documentary click HERE.

Zero waste. Lots of style.

photos via The Zero Waste Home

I've told you before that I am obsessed with The Zero Waste Home.  Well, as if all the fantastic tips about how to reduce your yearly waste to almost nothing (!!) were not enough, now Bea has started a series on the blog where she let's you peek into her wardrobe.  Her super french, super chic, eco-friendly wardrobe. Click HERE to see how she styles this gorgeous red dress for every occasion. Le sigh.

-♥ J :)

*How Bea styles a STRIPED SHIRT.

**More Zero Waste Home TIPS.

Perfect Pina

"Dance, dance...otherwise we are lost."

-Pina Bausch

I saw the Oscar nominated  Wim Wenders documentary Pina last night.  It was so exquisite that I'm not even mad at it for costing me the extra point I needed to win the Oscar pool.  Man, I could have used that point!!  Okay, that's the last time I mention the Oscar pool.  Promise.

-♥ J :)

**More dancing.