What I Ate: 8.19.14

I haven’t done one of these “Food Diary” posts in awhile, so I thought I’d share a day in the life of my mouth…wait, is that creepy? That sounds totally creepy, doesn’t it?

In other news, here’s what I ate:

Breakfast

For breakfast, I warmed up some quinoa with almond milk, chopped apples, 2 dates and cinnamon. Topped with hemp seeds,shredded coconut and sliced almonds.

Lunch

Lunch was leftovers from yesterday’s dinner – Lentil-a-roni from Isa Does It. I used a quinoa-based pasta and added kale. This is total comfort food with a healthier twist. Yum!

Snack

Pixie Retreat is a local company that specializes in making raw to-go food. This L’il Puddin’ Cup is in their Vanilla Kreem Salted Karmal version and it’s ridiculously good. Creamy, sweet, salty perfection.Pixie just opened up a storefront and I’m so excited to check it out asap!

Dinner

These nachos are kind of ruling my life right now. The ground beef is made from sauteed quinoa and a ton of spices – genius! Topped with green onions, olives, salsa, homemade nacho cheese and a side of sliced avocado. Recipe via VegNews.

Not Pictured: I also snacked on some blueberries and a small smoothie (raspberries, coconut water, Amazing Grass powder) mid-morning as well as some lightly salted, non-gmo popcorn in the afternoon. 

I think that about covers it. Do you enjoy these posts? I know I’ve always enjoyed similar food diaries by other bloggers. Let me know in the comments and/or share your own “What I Ate” photos and let me know where to find them!

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!

Watermelon Mango Refresher

As the weather heats up, I have been craving nothing but fresh fruit in every form. Smoothies, thrown in my salads, on top of overnight oats, drinks and juices, you name it. Specifically, I can’t get enough melon and mango. They have totally stolen my heart…or belly I suppose is more accurate.

Throw in some mint and a little citrus and you have a delicious summer drink perfect for unwinding at the end of a long day. If you’re feel extra saucy, feel free to add some tequila or vodka if that’s you’re thing. I bet it’d be pretty delicious.

 

2 cups chilled watermelon

1 cup frozen mango

1/4 cup lime juice

3-4 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

1 cup ice cubes

Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

*Note: If you have the time, make this a day ahead of serving. Blend together and throw it in the fridge or freezer overnight. If you choose to freeze it, run it through the blender one more time before serving to break up the ice. This drink taste so much better once the ingredients have some time to meld together – the mint especially comes out the longer it sits! 

 

 

 

Here’s to summer nights!

 

<a href=”http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12379403/?claim=bvbbsrwnrhg”>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>