Browsing Tag

fruit

Domestic

Nekter Juice Bar – Mountain View

November 10, 2014

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After discovering acai bowls on this trip, I was very excited to be invited to try out a local Nekter Juice Bar in my neck of the woods.  With the help of my favorite juice loving gal pal – Erin, we were able to indulge in a crash course of Nekter’s bestsellers… and now we want to share them with you!

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First up on our tasting menu – Acai Bowls.  Erin and I tried (and LOVED) the Pitaya Bowl and the PB Bowl.  The Pitaya is made with dragon fruit, pineapple, coconut butter, banana, coconut water, hempseed granola, and raw coconut flakes, and while super delicious and refreshing, it was the gorgeous color that made this my favorite.  The PB Bowl made with acai, peanut butter, strawberries, dates, housemade vanilla cashew milk, granola and fresh berries was equally delicious but a little more on the indulgent side (definitely share worthy).

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This place could survive on their acai bowls alone (as proved by the throngs of people leaving with them), but I am so happy they don’t!  Next up – juice.  Griffin, our all-star Nekter guru, educated us on their processing methods (HPP), and that their juice needs to be consumed within 15 minutes (the nutrients deteriorates by 70% after that window).  They also offer cold pressed juices (depicted below) that have a longer shelf life and are great for on-the-go.  Another perk? You can pick up a 1, 2, 3 or 5 day cleanse at their stores or online (classic or advanced)!

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Erin and I enjoyed the Greenie (with light parsley) and The Glow.  Griffin let us know The Glow was going to help our skin look great, so naturally we ordered that immediately.  The carrot based juice was yummy but we didn’t love it as much as the Greenie – a green juice with a hint of apple and lemon, that was super refreshing and light.  I also loved that you can customize your orders (add ginger, carrot, etc.) – so everyone is bound to find something they love!

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We also enjoyed one of their ginger shots – mixed with lemon, strawberries and a dash of cayenne pepper.  It definitely cleared the senses, but (supposedly) gives you an energy boost… Between the great space, green juice, amazing customer service and overall great zibe, the energy level was already off to a great start!

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We were able to finish with a couple of their smoothies.  We went with the Tropical Cooler and the Date Nut.  The Tropical Cooler  is like a pina colada meets green juice (pineapple, coconut butter, banana, kale, spinach and coconut water) and is equal parts refreshing and fulfilling.  The Date Nut (vanilla cashew milk with dates and bananas) was like a “healthy milkshake” – super tasty and perfect way to treat yo self.

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I couldn’t find enough nice things to say about this place – super clean, attentive staff, amazing food, great selection… such a great way to start your day!   And come on… tell me Griffin isn’t cuter than your Starbucks barista!?

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So be sure to click here to find a Nekter nearest you… and if you are in Northern California be sure to check out their newest location in Mill Valley (right in the Strawberry Village Shopping Center)!

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Tasty

Tequila Soaked Watermelon with Lime & Agave

July 2, 2014

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J and I enjoyed these amazing alcohol infused fruits on our last trip to Vegas and I knew this would be the perfect thing to try out for myself for our next BBQ… it was super easy to make and quite the hit!  Can’t wait to give it a go with different variations this summer…

 Tequila Soaked Watermelon

  • 1 watermelon
  • tequila
  • 1 lime
  • Agave
  • Salt
  1. Slice watermelon (I prefer triangles for this)
  2. Place watermelon slices on a rimmed baking sheet (they can be pretty snug… no need to space them out)
  3. Squeeze 1/2 lime juice over watermelon slices
  4. Pour tequila overtop (not sure the amount but about 1/2 inch worth in the pan)
  5. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then turn over all slices, so that the other side is exposed to the tequila
  6. Wrap sheets in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours
  7. Once ready to serve, drizzle with agave and sprinkle with freshly grated lime zest
  8. Serve with a small bowl of salt for guests to dip watermelon in if they prefer.

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Domestic

El Mercado

June 25, 2014

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I recently was introduced to a website – Quirky, which provides products designed by real people (like you and me)!  When I was asked to do some product reviews, I was excited to see the impressive list of items they have available for purchase  – like Tether, Mocubo and Silo!

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Due to my obsession with farmer’s markets, I thought it best to test drive the Mercado.  This multi-compartment farmers market tote, was an answer to all my farmer’s market haul troubles.

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Thanks to various pockets, loops and transparent compartments I was able to get my loot home undamaged and was also able to keep tabs on what I had purchased so far… Usually I bring a giant Costco worthy shopping bag to a farmers market and between delicate peaches, lettuce leaves and that watermelon I just HAD to have, something is bound to get smashed, bruised or just buried alive in there… plus I constantly am having to sort through my bag to see what I still need!  With the Mercado, the sheer compartments allow you to see inside the bag, and there were enough sections to hold lettuce, herbs, stone fruit, packages of raspberries, freshly squeezed juice and all of my gear from my Barre3 class I had just come from!

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Between the adjustable strap (you can go shorter for over the shoulder or longer for a cross-body bag) and the assortment of compartments (4 small, 2 medium and 1 large, plus 2 outside pockets) make this for the perfect bag for weekend activities, or to store in you car for grocery store runs.

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My only issue was that, I probably could have used some more room (I’m a chronic over buyer), so hopefully one day this will be available in various sizes… maybe even different colors/fabrics?  Long story short – this bag held A LOT of stuff, and did not feel that heavy, plus all of my groceries made it home in their original condition… yay!

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To get your own Mercado bag click here – and shop their entire line-up of amazing products click here!

Walking Away

Tasty

Blood Orange Granita

May 28, 2014

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One of my family’s favorite restaurants is Evvia in Palo Alto (or their sister restaurant Kokkari in the city).  While we always over indulge with each course, we somehow always have room for dessert (don’t you hate how that happens!?)… and this is the PERFECT, most refreshing (and guilt free) dessert of them all.

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Blood Orange Granita

  • 4 cups juice of your choice (we used blood orange juice… watermelon and strawberry are other great options)
  • 1/4 cup simple syrup
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  1. Combine mixture and pour into a metal rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Freeze for 3 hours.
  3. Once set, use a fork to scrape dessert into a slushie consistency.
  4. Top with frozen Greek Yogurt (I literally mean freeze a tub of full fat Greek yogurt and use an ice cream scoop to serve it atop your granita).

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Tasty

Valentine’s Day Breakfast

February 10, 2014

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Trying to celebrate a holiday while running out the door for work can be a little counterproductive, so I wanted to put together a quick and easy menu for starting Valentine’s day off right!
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Menu

Hazelnut Latte

Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice

Sun Dried Tomato Frittata

Cinnamon Roll Hearts

Red Fruit Salad with Mint Syrup

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If you aren’t pressed for time, I’d recommend checkout out these other fun V-Day themed breakfast options:

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