They have many other original smoothies with cacoa, cocconut water, and avocado which also look delicious!! The staff is very friendly and seem to live the raw food lifestyle. The place is pretty small so you might have a short wait, but it’s definitely worth it!!

I found some great lavender recipes for the summer

Lavender: ( botanical name, Lavandula angustifiola) is a lovely floral smelling herb closely related to rosemary, sage and thyme. Lavender is a strong herb and should be used sparingly. The potency of the flower increases with drying. In cooking use 1/3 the quantity of dried flowers for every 3 teaspoons fresh. In France, lavender and the other Mediterranean herbs are used together to create a blend called Herbs de Provence.

Lavender and Honey Salad Dressing:

1. 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2. 2 tbsp balasmic vinegar
3. 1 tbsp lemon juice
4. 1 tsp coarse grain mustard
5. 2 tbsp honey
6. 1 tsp dried lavender flowers
7. 1/4 tsp salt

Lavender Lemonade: ( serves 6)

1. 5 Cups water
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1/4 cup fresh dried lavender flowers
4. 1 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
5. ice cubes
6. lavender sprigs for garnish

We decided to take a break from gardening to make a smoothie. 

This is what we put into the smoothie

2 champagne magoes

1 cup coconut water

1 cup ice

1 cup pineapple

Serve in a glass either alone or you can add my favorite liqueur St. Germain

1 bunch of dinosaur kale

1 cup currants

1/2 cup olive oil

2-3 lemons 

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Chop kale into tiny pieces and put into large bowl. Add olive oil lemon juice, cheese and currants and toss all together. 

Serve. You can add a little bragg’s amino acids for a litte bit of salt. Delish:)

I took a class with Dharma Mittra a 70 year old small Indian man who exudes the happiness of the Dalai Lama, always smiling and at any moment might flip upside down into an arm balance. His class was pretty advanced and while it was my first experience with him as a teacher, many of the other men and women seemed to know exactly what was going to happen next. Dharma taught a flow class . At the end we all chanted hare krisna, which I am assuming is a part of all Dharma’s classes. It was very spiritual for me and since I love to sing, I enjoyed myself!

A favorite teacher of mine that I have taken many times is Shiva Rea. She taught another inspiring and energetic trance dance class. Her music is one of the best parts of her classes. She plays everything from krishna das to the dum dum project to bollywood music. You can purchase her music on amazon.com. My new favorite albums are Naturaja and Yoga Sol. We danced and moved for two long hrs and I loved every minute! Everyone if they get a chance should experience a Shiva Rea trance dance yoga class. 

Yesterday was one the of the best parts of the weekend attending the Urban Zen day with Donna Karan as the main funder of the organization. Donna Karan, Jaimie Nauright, Christiane Northrup, Robert Thurman, Tracy from Young Living Oils, Jill Pettijohn,Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee were all there and presented heaps of information on various topics including western vs. eastern pregnancy, therpaeutic grade oils and how they can help the patient heal in a more palatbale environment, juicing and the importance of greens in our diet and yoga poses whether you are lying in bed, sitting in a chair or on your mat. We meditated with Robert Thurman and Rodney and Colleen and had the opportunity to be in the presence of such accomplished individuals in their fields.

Thanks to everyone for an amazing weekend!!

There are many benefits of drinking green juice. First, greens have enzymes that we need to cleanse, detoxify and renew at a cellular level. Enzymes are also needed to digest food. We cannot have amazing health without enzymes. Cooking and processing of any type destroys all enzymes, so raw food, especially greens, is absolutely essential to maintain healthy enzyme levels. A daily green juice is a sure way to maintain enzyme levels. Greens are high in vitamin K, which is a fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin K is very important for adhering calcium into your bone matrix to help you build stronger bones.

Juicing can make greens more palatable. This is because you can add an apple, carrot or kiwi. It is essential not to overdo it though  because they can raise blood sugar levels, but adding an apple, carrot or kiwi to a green juice transforms it into a delicious juice that you will enjoy!!

When you juice, you are probably drinking more vegetables than you can eat in a day. Juicing also allows you to consume a wide variety of greens all at once. You most likely wouldn’t have kale, cucumber, celery and parsley for breakfast, but you will enjoy it as a juice.

OKay so here is my daily morning green juice:

• 2 stalks of celery
• 3 leaves of kale or chard
• 1/2 cucumber (english)
• bunch of parsley
• 1 apple
• piece of ginger
• 1/2 lemon- squeezed in after juicing

Enjoy!!!

Cheers! Elissa