Local Love: Harlow Restaurant

I’m not going to sugarcoat it people – being a vegan in Portland is exactly like being a kid in a candy store. The possibilities are endless and there are very few restaurants that don’t want to cater to you.  This city has spoiled me rotten.

If I could, I would eat out 5 times a week and share all of my delicious food experiences with you. Maybe in the future I’ll make restaurant reviews more of a regular thing, but cost and time kind of get in the way of that at the moment. Oh, real life…

The good news is that I had an absolutely delicious meal at Harlow this weekend and I wanted to share my experience.

Harlow is located at 3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Rustic tables, mason jars and shiny chandeliers give the space a welcoming yet chic ambience that I just loved. With a completely vegetarian and vegan menu, their focus is on clean and nutritious food for every meal. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and everything sounds amazing!

That’s the one thing about being a vegan who is so used to having just one or two options when going into most restaurants – indecisiveness rears its ugly head when I’m overwhelmed with choices. One of everything, please!

I started off with their Super Green Lemonade. Harlow starts off with fresh, house-made lemonade and adds in a healthy twist: cucumbers, spinach, kale and chlorophyll, giving this beauty its vibrant green color.

Look at that ombre effect! This was so refreshing and delicious and it gave me a great energy boost. This was so much better than a plain ol’ cup of joe.

For my main course, I decided to go raw and try out The Lone Star salad: shredded collards and spinach topped with dehydrated tomatoes, chili lime walnuts, guacamole, house-made jalapeno cashew cheese, almond  parmesan and chipotle hot sauce.

Oh. My. Yes. This was of one of the best salads I’ve ever had. Like ever. Filled with so much flavor and texture, I could have devoured two of these entrees. Even though I’m not a raw vegan by any stretch, I absolutely love trying raw dishes at home as well as when they’re offered at restaurants. As a foodie, nothing is more exciting than realizing how much you can do with bare bones, all-natural ingredients. This salad was a great testament that raw food is anything but boring.

Keeping it classy, as always.

I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Vegan/vegetarian or not, I guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself. I can’t wait to go back to try one of their breakfast entrees!

Would you like to see more restaurant/food reviews? I love trying new places and products and sharing them with everyone – let me know what you think!

When Sugar Isn’t So Sweet (and a smoothie bowl to make it better)

I have a confession.

My name’s Vanessa and I’m a sugar addict.

It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve finally decided to own up to my sugar-obsessing ways. Even though sugar can be a totally wonderful treat for those of you out there without food issues, it just leads to a path of overeating and obsession with me. And frankly I’m sick of it.

For the month of April, I’ve decided to cut out all added sugar from my diet with the exception of whole foods. I mean…who wants to live without fruit? Not this lady.

For this first month, I’ve decided to limit myself to very little dried fruit simply because it can be a trigger for me. Because dried fruit is so concentrated in sweetness, it often comes off as candy-like and can give me that same sugar rush that other sweets do. So for now, I’m keeping it simple.

When your mood and personality is altered negatively by what you’re putting in your body, it’s time to make a change. I’m kind of sick of counting on the wrong foods to pick me up…because I always come crashing down.

I’m sure I will be all kinds of angry, moody and crazy for the first week or two but I’m excited to see how I feel after that! Stick around and I’ll let you in on my madness.

And to kick this experiment off right, I made myself a delicious green smoothie bowl this morning full of nutrients, veggies and the right amount of fruit. It was so delicious and clean, I thought I’d share it with you guys.

Clean & Green Smoothie Bowl:

Base:
1 cup spinach and collards mix
1/2 cup baby kale
1 tbsp MacroGreens
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tbsp Maca Powder
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
2 ice cubes (and a little added water for consistency)

Blend all ingredients until smooth

Toppings:
1/4 cup raw granola with spirulina via Whole Foods
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp goji berries
1/4 cup blue berries

Decorate and enjoy!

Have you ever given up sugar for an extended period of time? Forever? I love hearing about the experiences others have gone through when giving up a habit or vice.

The Good Bowl.

Thanks to an early wakeup call during the work week, it’s super important for me to start my day off right. This usually means giving myself extra time to get ready, check blogs and make a breakfast that not only satisfies me but also makes me really freaking happy. Oh, and I can’t forget my daily cup of French press coffee. So perfect.

I am currently obsessed with the following concoction.

This isn’t so much of a recipe as it is a loose guideline. Interpret it however you please.

Base: 

1-2 cups greens (I usually use spinach or kale)

1/2 frozen banana

1/2-1 tbsp nut butter

1/2 – 1 cup almond milk

1/2 tbsp maca powder

1 tbsp flax meal

1 tbsp macro greens (this stuff is magic)

1 scoop protein powder of choice

ice cubes

Blend!

Toppings:

Berries

granola

muesli

toasted coconut

hemp seeds

nuts

dried fruit

more nut butter

and on and on and on….

It’s an extremely simple recipe. If you know how to make a smoothie, you’re all set. I like to make this extra thick by cutting the milk in half and adding more banana or ice cubes so that it feels extra decadent. I love that it’s chock full of good ingredients but really does remind me of dessert at the same time. With this on the menu, 4:30am doesn’t feel so bad.