Blog – Page 44

Killer summer abs!

May 21, 2013

3 amazing exercises for bikini bod abs

I’ve been big into yoga for the past five years, but only a little over a year ago did I find out about what amazing results you can get from personal training! Diana Szekely is my trainer and the owner and founder of The D Method. Literally in the first 3 months of working with her and paying strict attention to her diet instructions (yes, she even modified for my vegan lifestyle) I lost 10 pounds and completely toned up. What’s even more amazing is that I’ve kept the same figure for even over a year later. Since it’s always sunny and basically perfect weather in LA, we do all training sessions outside, specifically by the ocean in Santa Monica. Not a bad office, right? Continue reading…

I ♥ the 90’s Part 1

May 18, 2013

90’s rock band Dinosaur Jr. rocks Coachella and Cali

As a teen growing up in the 90’s, my first introduction to pop and rock came from bands such as Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains…all those 90’s alternative grunge bands. Trained as a classical violist from the age of nine, you’d think I’d be into Bach, Beethoven or Brahms but that was totally the opposite. I never listened to classical music unless I was specifically told by my teacher that I had to, and then it was still a chore. This is absolutely why my career as a violist is rock, pop and jazz based…I literally cannot imagine performing professionally in an orchestra–not my thing!Continue reading…

DIY – Create your own vanilla extract

May 16, 2013

A preview into the process of homemade vanilla extract

So, why just a preview? Well, the whole process isn’t finished yet (it takes a few months to age) but I’m so excited about this simple DIY project that I had to share! It all started with the making of the almond milk a few weeks ago and a realization that we could even make our own vanilla extract to put into our homemade almond milk. What’s next…grow an almond farm? Ha! We found that too, but that’s for a later post:) As you might know vanilla beans run on the pricey to the extremely pricey side. We found a company that online, Beanilla, that sells airtight sealed beans for a SUPER reasonable price!Continue reading…

Ever thought about becoming a redhead?

May 13, 2013

A trip to Cristophe Salon, Beverly Hills

Fanesia Vienna is the guru of turning fine, limp, dry hair into brilliant, glossy, bouncy, vibrant locks. She’s been working as a stylist in Beverly Hills for some time but just recently relocated to Cristophe Salon in Beverly Hills.Continue reading…

Summer drink: Adam Carolla’s White Mangria!

May 9, 2013

Adam Carolla podcast at Amalfi in WeHo

Adam Carolla is a household name in our home. He claims he’s not an ‘A’ list celebrity, and we’re glad because we can easily get tickets to a podcast, and even meet and greet afterwards. Most Wednesdays Adam holds his podcasts at his restaurant, Amalfi, in WeHo. $15 for the show (includes a free glass of Mangria) and great prices on the food menu!

If you’ve never listened to any of Adam Carolla‘s podcasts, this book is a great introduction. I actually don’t really sit down an read too often (who am I kidding–I never read books anymore) so I opted for the audio version—which I think is even better because he goes into crazy rants that aren’t in the book. The book includes his Tijauna adventures in high school and trying to find the “donkey show,” to his crazy friend Ray who would randomly piss on anyone at any given time (even while driving), to not being “qualified” enough to work at Taco Bell. Lots of laugh-out-loud moments for sure!

So the Adam’s story behind the Mangria…“As a nightly consumer of red wine, I was shocked one evening to find I had just half a glass left in the bottle. So I did what any decent alcoholic, ex-con, American would do… I went to the fridge and the liquor cabinet, then poured, mixed and measured. Thus Mangria was born.” Lucky for us, the white Mangria was just released on Cinco de Mayo (at an awesome party at Adam’s house in Malibu which I am now kicking myself for not going), so we got to try it at the podcast! It’s a serious summer drink…at 19% ABV it’s not messin’ around. I was also stoked to find an awesome vegan option on the menu…grilled veggies sans goat cheese. Delish!

The podcast set-up: comedian Marc Maron, Adam Carolla, Alison Rosen, Bald Bryan and Dawson.

Me and Justin at a meet and greet (this one was at the Icehouse in Pasadena because our picture from Amalfi turned out blurry), and the front bar area of the restaurant. The restaurant has a very cozy vibe with awesome mood lighting.

Ready to get my summer drink on with some peach and pear infused white Mangria! Infact, we’re even getting a keg of Mangria for a party we’re throwing in June. Brilliant!

DIY Cacao-Chai Almond Milk

May 6, 2013

Justin’s been threatening to make almond milk for the past month. (Just like he’s been saying he’s going to join my yoga class for the past 3 years:) He’s much more interested in DIY projects and cooking so it was only expected that the almond milk came first. The end product turned out really amazing, even better than the artisan cold pressed juices we find at Whole Foods or the farmer’s market.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 lb. raw almonds
4 cups of filtered water per 1 cup of almonds
3 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
1/2 TBSP nutmeg
4 TBSP vanilla extract
4 TBSP raw cacao nibs
4 TBSP raw honey
16-20 pitted dates

Tupperware container (large enough to hold all raw almonds and some water), Vitamix—or food processor, cheese cloth, fine mesh strainer, mason jars or other container to store almond milk.

Soak almonds in a tupperware container using filtered water for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 2 days. Strain the almonds and measure the almonds one cup at a time before putting it into your Vitamix or food processor. Add 4 cups of filtered water to the processor per cup of almonds.

We can’t go much further in the process without having a little beverage! Tonight Justin drinks some “sipping rum” out of a glass from his favorite brewery. This rum will soon be used to make our own vanilla extract! Recipe to come soon.

Add nutmeg, vanilla, cacao nibs, dates, and honey to the mix (everything except cloves and cinnamon). You’ll have to make multiple batches in your food processor/mixer so add portions of these ingredients at a time. You’ll be putting all the processed almond milk in a large bowl at the end, so don’t worry about splitting everything up exactly.

After all the almonds are blended with the water, nutmeg, vanilla, dates, and honey, put it all into a large bowl and add the whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Whisk around and let sit for 30 min. Using a cheese cloth and a fine strainer over a large bowl, filter the almond milk mixture.

This is what you’ll have leftover! These leftovers will make AMMMAZING almond-coconut macaroon balls! I need to get on that. Depending on how “smooth” you like your almond milk, you may want to strain the milk twice through the cheese cloth.

And the finished product! It was so good that Justin woke up with an almond milk hangover. The cloves and cacao give it a chocolate-chai taste–a little bit of a root beer float flavor too! Enjoy!!

A Day in the Life of a Rockstar (…well, almost)!

May 2, 2013

A glimpse into the life of an LA musician

As a musician, I work for myself. I make my own schedule, give myself goals to reach and act as my own boss. Basically the best thing ever! (Besides the fact that sometimes the work is slightly uncertain and I have to pay for my own health insurance–yuck). As far as my main gigs as a performer, I currently play in 3 bands. My main job is performing with Shania Twain, and in my off time I play with my rock band Jayar (we’ve been together for like 5 years!) and a progressive rock band I joined not too long ago–Lobate Scarp.Continue reading…

Vegan grub and craft beer!

April 30, 2013

I’ve heard the hype and now I’ve finally experienced it…Golden Road Brewery. The perfect combination of my favorite things: vegan fare and craft beer. While not everything on the menu is vegan, the options for us herbivores is pretty awesome. They offer 20 different craft beers on tap, many of which are Golden Road’s own beers, and are brewed on the premises.

With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, I had to give the El Hefe Anejo a try. As one of Golden Road’s seasonal beers, it’s aged in anejo tequila barrels. El Hefe is highly recommended and with an 8.7% ABV, it has a little kick to it too!

Tequila barrel aged beer goes perfectly with tacos of course! But not just any tacos—jackfruit tacos. I am determined to make a jackfruit dish one of these days. They’re unfortunately only really found in specialty markets like Asian or Indian shops, so they’re a little hard to get your hands on. The julienned coconut and veggie salad was an excellent dish as well. Served with spicy peanuts and spicy peanut sauce…such great flavors!

I love the chalkboard style bar menu on the wall, complete with hanging edison lights. You can never go wrong with edison lights:) Golden Road sells their beer ALL over LA. Most LA bars even have it on tap! It’s definitely the up-and-coming craft beer.

Their outdoor patio is killer! It easily accommodates MANY large parties and has outdoor games you’d find in your backyard…in fact, it even looks like your backyard. Complete with picnic tables and astro turf. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to dine at Golden Road, it’s one of my new LA faves.

Viva Vegan Mexican Casserole

April 25, 2013

Justin and I have a great thing going…he cooks, I clean. It works out amazingly because I HATE cooking and he would prefer not to clean. Over the past couple years he’s really been honing in on his vegan cooking skills specifically to cater to me:) I’m so lucky! He’ll research recipes then add his own twist. What started off as his signature vegan black bean and sweet potato burritos, has now turned into a casserole because I try to watch my carb and gluten intake. There’s so many vegan restaurants in LA, but I always prefer Justin’s vegan fare that he prepares at home!

Here’s what you’ll need for your Viva Vegan Mexican Casserole:

1 package veggie taco soy meat
2 cans black beans rinsed (I use unsalted)
1/2 can of corn rinsed
3-4 sweet potatoes
1 white onion – cut small
1 yellow bell pepper – cut small
1 Anaheim or yellow chili pepper – cut small (I use about 4 inches of pepper)
2 stems green onions
1 package of spinach rinsed (or 1 bushel)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 Avocado
1 small can sliced black olives
1-2 Tortillas
2 Tbsp chili powder (less if very spicy)
2 tsp cumin
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup water
Coconut oil (or healthy oil) for cooking
Daiya Vegan Cheese
1 Avacado

PREP:
SWEET POTATOES: Peel & Cut Potatoes into 1 inch slices, boil in water for 15-20 mins. You can easily pierce with fork. Drain, mash and set aside.
BLACK BEAN MIX: Take half the peppers & onions and cook in a little coconut oil in a medium saucepan until onion is almost clear. Add spices & smashed garlic and cook for 1 min to open up spice flavor. Add ¼ cup water, 2 cans Beans and Corn (half can of corn). Let this simmer, stirring often for about 10 mins. until beans are cooked.
SOY MEAT MIX: Take other half of peppers & onions and cook in frying pan with a little coconut oil until onions are almost clear. Add Soy meat and brown for about 5 mins.

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Grease 13×9 glass dish with coconut oil.

1)   Spread Sweet potatoes out on bottom of dish.
2)   Spread ½ spinach on top.
3)   Add all of Soy Meat Mix with peppers and onions over spinach.
4)   Spread ½ package of Daiya vegan cheese over this.

5)   Cut tortillas into strips and add over cheese.
6)   Spread Black Bean Mix out on top.
7)   Add rest of spinach on top.
8)   Add the rest of cheese. Top with olives & sliced green onions.

Bake in oven for about 25-35 mins.

Garnish with sliced avocado. ¡Olé!

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