uncle eddie's vegan cookies

these cookies are awesome. as i've mentioned before, i have a fairly aggressive sweet tooth, and it takes a lot to quell my sugar cravings. these cookies are fresh, soft, and they are 100% vegan. all of the ingredients are organic and fairly-traded and come from vendors involved in sustainable agriculture. although i'd like to say that's why i buy them, the truth is, they're just really good cookies (and they have a chocolate peanut butter combination).

uncle eddie's cookies come in seven amazing flavors: chocolate chip with walnuts, oatmeal chocolate chip, trail mix, oatmeal raisin, cocoa spice and everything nice, peanut butter chocolate chip, and molasses. and what's even more exciting is that they have brownies, cookie dough, and candy (all vegan) "coming soon."  can't wait to try them!

if you don't feel like baking, use uncle eddie's cookies to make the cookie sandwiches i posted about here. yum!

vardo cafe

vardo cafe is a quaint little restaurant located on main street in santa monica/venice. it's fairly hidden (somewhere in between the scary clown above the pharmacy and chaya venice), but it is definitely worth finding. i sort of stumbled upon vardo one day on my way home from work (my office is on abbot kinney) and was intrigued by their eclectic decorations and vegan-friendly menu.

i love indian food so i was pleasantly surprised when i first looked at the menu: hummus, tabouli, channa masala, falafel. yum. everything they serve is vegan and organic and they even have some raw options. i tried the raw falafel last time i was there (see below) and it was incredible!

they also have a plethora of desserts that i didn't get to try, but i've heard nothing but good things about them: baklava with almond vanilla gelato, carob date shake, chai latte with homemade macadamia milk. i can't wait to go back for the channa masala and their fresh baklava! exhale yoga is right nextdoor. i suppose i'll have to try a yoga class there and then grab dinner at vardo. not bad.

vardo cafe
235 main street
(310) 664-9696
 *metered parking on main

yoga co with alex

third street promenade is definitely not my idea of relaxation.  with all the tourists and street performers, i often find myself ducking into stores not because i want to browse for a new pair of shoes, but simply because i need to get away from the endless commotion.  that's why when i saw yoga co right next to anthropologie on the promenade a few weeks ago, i was immediately skeptical.  how could it possibly be the calming safe haven it claimed to be when it is in the middle of all of this chaos!? well, although i am the worst offender of this rule of thumb, never judge a book by its cover.  i went to a class at yoga co the very same day that i discovered it and boy was i wrong.  not only is the studio immaculate, but it is also very cozy and relaxing (you can't hear a peep from the promenade). yoga co survives off of donations alone ($14 recommended per class) and they charge $2 for mat rentals (so bring your own mat if you have one!)

[earth room]

they have three rooms in the studio - the water room, the earth room and the sky room.  i've only been in the earth room and i loved it.  they have tons of "all levels" classes and also some beginner and advanced classes.  they are located on the third floor at 1408 3rd street promenade and you can park in the parking structure on santa monica and 2nd street. here is a link to their schedule.

tortilla shmortilla

i don't really like to follow recipes unless i'm baking (and even then you'll often find me straying from the directions). most of the time i'm throwing together whatever i have in the fridge, and, surprisingly, i do a pretty good job of coming up with delicious new creations. i bought some fresh collard greens at whole foods yesterday and i decided to use them to make some healthy wraps for dinner tonight.

[the leaves are huge which makes them perfect for wraps]

the first ting i did was spread raw hummus on the leaves. despite what you might think when you hear the word "raw," raw hummus is actually incredible. i only buy raw hummus now that i've tried it.

the next thing i added was some whole garbanzo beans. although that might seem like chickpea overkill, i wanted to add some texture and bulk to the wraps.

next i added some brown rice and fresh tofu that i mixed with curry sauce. my favorite curry sauce right now is "mike's organic curry love."  it's organic, vegan, and magically delicious. i recommend the one pictured below or the medium one with the yellow label. both of them can be found at whole foods (or any other health food store).

 

the last thing i added was fresh spinach (to make it even greener than it already was). then i wrapped the whole thing up in a nice little burrito, and, voila!

speaking of burritos, my next iteration will be mexican-themed with black beans, daiya cheese, brown rice, and avocado.  yum!

the [vegan] bar

since i've been training for the marathon, i've become much more in-tune with my body. i can tell which foods give me energy, and which foods make me feel like someone secretly attached cinder blocks to the bottom of my shoes in the middle of the night [please tell me you know what i'm talking about]. i've figured out that it is pasta two nights before (not the night before) that really gives you endurance and that hydrating the day before is probably more important than what you eat the day before.  i've also learned that what i choose to eat the morning before a long run can make or break my stride. when i first started training i'd make a bowl of steel cut oatmeal with bananas and then wait an hour or two before taking off. i soon realized that a) that was much too heavy for a pre-run meal and b) i was not patient enough to wait for all of that food to digest. so, like most runners, i turned to bars.

[mmmm]

i never thought i'd find a vegan bar with a good balance of carbs and protein that also tastes good. above are three of the best vegan bars i've tried so far.

1. marcronutrient bar - this bar is the most "granola-y" of them all (not literally). it is organic, vegan, macrobiotic, and features organic flax sprouts and organic spriulina.
calories: 240
protein: 9g
carbs: 25g
sugars: 15g

2. pure fit - have you ever had halva? this bar has that same chalky taste. don't get me wrong - it's good! it actually might be my favorite.
calories: 210
protein: 18g
carbs: 25g
sugars: 13g

3. nugo dark - this one tastes the most like candy. they have a mint chocolate flavor that tastes exactly like a thin mint girl scout cookie. who says you have to be training to eat bars? try this one for dessert!
calories: 190
protein: 10g
carbs: 30g
sugars: 14g

[pure fit is my favorite]

[tastes exactly like a thin mint cookie!]

having one of these bars in the morning and then refueling with gatorade and clif shot bloks throughout the run is sort of the perfect combination. now, which one of these lucky bars will be breakfast on november 7th?

pilates plus, venice

i've always been good at fitting running or spinning into my daily routine, but when it comes to strength training, i have a bit of a commitment issue. unless i'm panting and sweating, i don't consider it a workout. this has actually worked to my disadvantage. the more i read about strength training, the more i realize that, if i want to look toned, burn more calories (and actually burn more fat) i have to build muscle. so i started going to pilates plus in venice (there are other locations, too). not only is pilates plus an incredible strength workout, but it is extremely high intensity, and i leave drenched in sweat every single time (which i love). the class is done entirely on the proformer (pictured below) and is focused mainly on upper body and core strength. 

[your new best friend]

classes are one hour long and cost $30 each (your first one is free). i don't like to play favorites, but if you want to know who my favorite teacher is, it's ky. he's fun, energetic, and he'll work you so hard you can't walk the next day. if you want someone a little more low key, try rendel's class. oh, and don't forget to bring your toe sox!

[toe sox]

*mention hill and third and get 15% off of a monthly unlimited (normally $199)!!

pilates plus:
1653A abbot kinney blvd.
venice, ca 90291
pilates plus
(park on the street)

new york city marathon

it is exactly eighteen days until the marathon, and, aside from a giant blister on my big toe, i'm feeling great!  i've been following hal higdon's training program and i  have not missed one run during the 18 week program (hello, ocd).

[not daunting at all]

training for a marathon is an incredible experience. when i first looked at the training schedule and saw an 11 mile run at the end of only 4 weeks of training, i knew i was in trouble. but now, that distance is cake (mmm, cake). your perspective of a "long" run changes quite quickly when all you're doing is running. here are a ten things i learned while training for the marathon:

1. leave early (i'm talking 7am). nine o'clock sounds early until you realize you have to run for three and a half hours and you'll be done at 12:30. not ideal.
2. body glide anti-chafe balm is a necessity.
3. gatorade is the best thing ever!!
4. music is key. make sure your ipod is charged and that you have enough songs to last you the entire run.
5. stretching (specifically, yoga) is soooo important. i should take my own advice!
6. pasta really does work, but it's not the night before a long run that counts, it's two nights before.
7. there are vegan energy bars our there. i really like purefit. there are many others at whole foods, too.
8. always bring $5-$10 with you on a run to buy water and/or gatorade.
9. naps are necessary on long run days.
10. anyone can run a marathon.

[leave early]

i have some favorite things i discovered while training (shoes, sports bras, shorts, etc), but i'll share those things in another post.

after i have new york under my belt, i want to start looking at international marathons. what a great excuse to travel, right!? in case you're interested in running with me in auckland or frankfurt, here is a schedule of international marathons. i hope i've inspired you! xx