'Treat-Myself' French Toast from Bliss Cafe~Watermelon Frosty/Watermelon Basil Smoothie

When you're feeling down, what do you do? There was a particular day earlier, in the summer, when I was feeling sad. So I did what I could to take care of myself. I talked with close friends who were there for me, and I treated myself to foods I liked. That meant I allowed myself to indulge a bit in the sweet stuff!

I walked over to Bliss Cafe on Bedford Ave. for their Vegan French Toast. Now, Bliss is, as friends of mine have called it, a bit old school with their vegan fare- but I can rely on them for healthy eats, and the place is cozy. And their french toast is awesome.

Bliss generally serves whole wheat bread, but if you ask, they can alternatively give you spelt bread. That's what I went for. They also give you the option of having some maple whip with your toast. Since I was in the mood for some decadence, when they asked if I wanted some I replied, "Yes, please!"

Their maple syrup and maple whip

 

 

Back at home, I made myself a watermelon frosty and enjoyed it on my fire escape.

 

I followed this video's recipe, posted on one of my favorite blogs: Watermelon Frosty Video

 

 

The ingredients are very simple. Just some banana, lemon/lime, frozen watermelon, and maple syrup. Watermelon is currently still in the farmer's markets, so grab them while you can! And enjoy them on a lingering warm day while we transition into fall. My friend Bud and I actually made

our own version of this recipe recently, a Watermelon Basil Smoothie-with basil from his garden, and it came out fantastic!! I highly recommend making one of these for yourself. It's a real treat.

 

Here are the ingredients we used:

 

Watermelon

Handful of Basil

Banana

Lemon Juice

Ice

 

No agave/maple syrup/sugar necessary. A bit of banana (not too much) adds a nice sweetness, and it's all you need. I hope you will try the smoothie. I guarantee you wouldn't regret it!

 

xoxo,

Ellie

 

 

Weekend with Friends-Dosas-Sacred Chow-Organic Grill

Wow. I'm so behind on my posts! To be frank, spending time with friends has been taking priority. They've been a source of nourishment for me and my life, and I so appreciate them! So today's post is going to be about some of that-how I spent my time with friends last weekend.

Last Friday, I started off the weekend by meeting with Kate in Washington Square Park, and I finally got to try food from the Dosa Truck!

You can usually find the Dosa Guy on Sullivan Street outside the park until about 4:30. What are dosas? It's a southern Indian version of a crepe. The "crepe" is fermented and made from rice and lentils. The inside is filled with..whatever! The Dosa Guy fills his dosas with all sorts of vegan goodies.

Kate and I shared a curry special he was offering, and a dosa masala.

Here's the curry special, with veggies and soy protein.

The dosas. Kate and I ended up spending only 6 bucks each!



After talking and laying out in the park for a while, we headed to Sacred Chow for dessert. We decided to go with chocolate. When do you ever go wrong with that decision, right?

We shared their Chocolate Truffle Cake (filled with raspberry ganache), topped with vanilla soy ice cream. We devoured it in, oh, five minutes?

In the evening, I did a show with my band Koshka at the Way Station in Brooklyn. I also did an unexpected solo set, which was exciting! My friends were there to support, and they were a wonderful audience. So grateful.

On Saturday, I met with Kneel for brunch at Organic Grill. What I love about Organic Grill's brunch is that they offer decent versions of vegan frittatas and omelettes. It's a great way to get your fix-without eating eggs! Kneel ordered their Tofu Rancheros with home fries on the side, and I ordered their Tofu Frittata....

Tofu Rancheros-seasoned tofu on a grilled corn tortilla, topped with daiya cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and cashew chipotle sour cream.

Tofu Frittata-with soy sausage, yukon gold potatoes, daiya cheese, onions, roasted peppers and herbs de provence, topped with cashew sour cream and tomato.


After brunch, Kneel and I wandered the East Village and stopped in Lula's Sweet Apothecary for their usual decadence fix. We got their Peanut Butter Fudge ice cream, as well as a Sundae Cone-vanilla ice cream with bits of waffle cone mixed in. Good times, good food, good weekend.

Speaking of weekend, I'm heading off to the Hamptons in a bit to celebrate my best friend Sophia's birthday! There will be lots of cooking going on, so you can be sure there will be a post very soon about that! I hope that you all are enjoying the last weekends of summer. Be well.

xo,
Ellie

First Post:Easter Weekend~Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

Hello all! Here's my first post in an attempt to launch this creative outlet that shall be my blog about veganism and the vegan lifestyle, food (to answer the question:what do vegans eat?) and wellness.

 I'll probably be posting more about eating out in NYC than about cooking, since that seems to be more of what I do lately-but who knows? Maybe that will change. Actually, I hope that will change! As far as the vegan lifestyle, specifically I will be writing about my vegan life here in NY, as an example of what it's like.



Okay, so here goes!

This fine Easter weekend, I kicked things off by meeting with Edgar at Pure Food and Wine for drinks, appetizers, and a chat. Edgar is a friend of mine who shares a love of French language and culture with me, as well as artistic endeavors. He is a writer who is opening up a French cafe soon in the East Village. He's aware that the East Village is basically a vegan mecca, and being that I'm the only vegan friend he has, he picked my brain for ways to add vegan choices to his menu. So. excited! Vegan French food?! Yes, please!

Sooo..what did we have at Pure Food and Wine, you ask? Or wait, maybe you're asking: "What is 'Pure Food and Wine' "? Well, it happens to be my personal fave restaurant in NY-and yes, it's a raw place! I had their Green Mango shake, made with mango, cucumber, coconut water (hello hydration!), lime and cilantro. Soooo good! We shared some oyster mushroom scallop appetizer that was also just great. Edgar was really impressed. Love this place. Wish I took pics! Drats.



On Saturday some of my girlfriends and I went to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary to celebrate one of the girls' birthdays. Okay, so let's get into specifics here-what exactly is a "farm animal sanctuary"?  Well, it's a place run by a non-profit org that rescues and takes care of abused farm animals; ensuring that they lead happier, healthier lives. WFAS is a wonderful haven for animals, founded by Jenny Brown and Doug Abel. It was apparent to me the first time I visited the sanctuary that Jenny is so dedicated, passionate, and cares so much about these animals. Watching her interact with them was an inspiration.


 It seemed serendipitous to me that we ended up visiting this place right on Easter weekend. What a wonderful way to celebrate life!

After cuddling the animals, we headed into the cute town of Woodstock and ate at The Garden Cafe. Love this place! It's a wonderful vegan restaurant with a beautiful backyard, cozy interior and delicious food! We had their special, which was a "Garden Bowl" of red rice, greens, and tempeh with a tahini, scallion dressing on top.

Today ( Easter Sunday), I met with my good friend Michelle for brunch at one of my favorite spots: Sacred Chow. We had their Better than Biscuits & Gravy, composed of a tofu scramble, gravy, and steamed collard greens piled on top of a biscuit, served with salad. Yum! It was hard to tell where the tofu scramble ended and the biscuit began, and in a good way. We had that and mimosas. =)

After brunch, we stopped in Hamlet's Vintage and I bought a 1960's era dress to wear to a friend's upcoming 60's themed 30th birthday party. More details on that later!  We then took a stroll through Washington Square Park and the West Village to take in the beautiful spring day.



So that's it for today, folks! Hope you had a great Easter/Passover! My friend Carrie posted a status update on facebook that was something to meditate on for this occasion. She said, "Easter reminds us that every day is an opportunity to begin again.." How lovely.

 Have a great week, everyone! Be well.  =)
xo,
Ellie