Juice Crafters

So everyone's been talking about this so called "Acai Bowl" from Juice Crafters. I decided I needed to check it out for myself and decide i it was worth all this talk and Instagram posts. When you walk up to this small and organic storefront, you assume its just a place for healthnuts.. I dare you to check it out.

Pictured, is their famous "Acai Bowl". The bowl is made as so: freeze the pulp of the acai berry, blend it with various other fruits into a seriously thick smoothie. Put that blend in a bowl, top it with granola, fresh fruits, and a drizzle of honey. This could be the perfect meal!

Juice Crafters also has delicious smoothies. My favorite is the the "U Like Um", featuring strawberries, dates and almond milk! 

Another favorite smoothie is "divine start"- a mixture of apples, greens, coconut and dates. Don't shy away from it's color, because this smoothie is packed with nutrients! The employee at juice crafters even said that it was the healthiest smoothie they had! Added bonus? It tastes great, too.

Alongside their famous smoothies and acai bowls, Juicecrafters has great cold-pressed juices as well. Favorites are greens #3, and roots #8 (pictured above)!

Hope my healthy friends liked this post! 

xx Emma and Alena

Sugarfish

I had the pleasure of quite the exciting workout today at Soulcycle in Brentwood with a close friend of mine, and after sweating the most I think all of humanity has ever seen, I was hungry. As always.

Conveniently (you say pre-planned, I say coincidental), my favorite sushi bar was literally fifty feet away: Sugarfish. Now, if by any means you're a "sushi person" living in LA county, there's no way this place has slipped by you. However, if it has managed to do so, I highly suggest you get to your nearest location with an empty stomach.

by Kate Schrage

However, I'll need to slow down a bit with my speed-gun in hand and make sure you're at the proper sushi level to experience Sugarfish. If you classify teriyaki chicken, spicy tuna on crispy rice, Rainbow and or California rolls as sushi, I'm afraid this isn't the place for you. Sugarfish is a strictly traditional dining experience featuring simple sushi, sashimi, and occasionally the hand-roll. That's all.

 
Whoever is still with me here, I don't mean to criticize this place. Sushi is totally my favorite food. Sugarfish is totally my favorite place. It's just not for everyone. I truly think that if you're willing to sit down and eat fish, and only fish, for a nicely presented meal, it's a really great place.

In course order of the Trust Me meal, they serve a plate of sashimi, two plates (eight total pieces) of straight up sushi, and two hand rolls. The quality of the fish which is, yes, bought fresh every morning at the fish market, is absolutely incredible. Also, another issue which the sushi world is rice. If it's too sticky, it can be the grossest addition to a meal, tooth-residue and all. If it's not sticky enough, you suddenly have a lap full of rice. Sugarfish has just about figured out the whole darn game because let me tell you, they are on point. 

Anyway, I could continue to ramble on and on about my love for sushi and appreciation for a restaurant that finally serves it in a way that doesn't scream "American", but I will leave you with the advice to make your way to one of their locations and leave just as satisfied as I.


xx Kate

Travel Diary: San Diego

Just for a weekend escape (and because of this city's insane capacity of fun things to do), my family and I all drove down to San Diego. And let me tell you, it was an absolute pleasure.

We stayed at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa, and because my cousins from Korea were with us, we shared a three bedroom connected villa. The kitchenette was extraordinarily stocked, the couches in the living area were bizarrely plush, and the buildings made me reminisce of binge watching Mamma Mia under my covers at two in the morning. They were just so freaking Grecian!

When you drive up to the resort (by the way, what differentiates a hotel and a resort? I've always wanted to know. Let me know in the comments!), you're greeted by a rainbow assortment of hibiscus flowers, ranging from a blush pink with an intense pomegranate red center, to a vibrant crimson. Terra cotta pots that match the Spanish roofs of the buildings hold white, bubblegum pink, and fuchsia blooms. And I'm a big artist, so I go nuts for color shades.

The first day was spent exploring the many pools and repetitively racing down water slides. Well, that was before I got tired, and when the effects of the increased UV radiation (thanks Integrated Science II!) really started to beat down on me (we were in San Diego, give me a break) I slathered on tanning oil on my god awful field hockey tanlines and laid down. And thanks to the trusty we-sell-them-everywhere trashy tabloids, it was a really nice just doing nothing.

We got breakfast at a continental breakfast buffet at Bistro 65, a restaurant within the hotel. Our table was outside, sunlight streaming in through the minuscule pockets of the linen umbrellas. And get this- a man walks around with a hawk (a hawk!) to keep little birds from coming in and eating our food.

The next day, we headed to Aquatica, a brand new water park that opened up in the San Diego area. I'm sorry, no matter how many childhood memories were forged there, I just cannot go back to Soak City. That place is seems increasingly horrific every time I go back.

But this water park, it was different. I liked this tropical, Caribbean theme they had going. They had flamingos -NO LIE!- in this little sectioned off terrarium, and sea turtles in a rocky tank. The slides were in an array of bright colors and the plant compositions went with the theme perfectly.

After six hours of sliding and sliding and sliding, it was time to go. Each slide was unique and was geared toward a different sensation (the thrill of a drop, the fear of almost slipping out of the tube, a gentle, swaying feeling), and I have to say I liked them all. Fine, gun to my head, the race was my favorite. It is six joint slides, that take you down sharp turns in an enclosed tube, before spewing you out onto similar tracks. They provide sled like devices with grips that leave you racing down the slides like penguins. It's incredible!

We had Brazilian food that night at Sabor de Vida, a small an intimate restaurant that exudes charm. I had piranha, top sirloin, with some rice, salsa, and grilled vegetables. And for dessert… Brazilian white chocolate!

The weekend was relaxing, exhilarating, and exciting. And Carlsbad, San Diego, was the perfect host city. It's like the La Cañada of San Diego. And if you are ever looking for a beautiful city with an ocean view, drive down now. Traffic free, it's only a short hour and a half of south of LA.


xx Carolyn

Sweet Lady Jane

Wedged between the sandwich bar, Inksack, and many chic little boutiques on Melrose, Sweet Lady Jane brings a well-needed sweetness to a quickly modernizing street. Sorry Diane von Furstenburg, we think your costumers might get some sourdough crumbs on your couture! :)

Antique wooden tables, oatmeal colored lace curtains, and crimson leather benches line the walls, but Sweet Lady Jane isn't old vintage granny- it's familiar and inviting. Little accents of floral print and the paper doilies in place of napkins add to Sweet Lady Jane's sweet little atmosphere.

While they rarely take a leap of faith, whether in presentation or in taste, their classic flavors and impeccable execution are just as enticing, if not more. They offer freshly baked breads, ranging from whole wheat baguette to a crusty loaf of sourdough, and a display case full of various goodies (cream cheese puffs and nutty brownies? Swoon.) are always fully stocked and leave a hungry line down Melrose Street.

But their cakes, oh, those cakes, are legendary. The combination of fluffy vanilla sponge sandwiched together by fresh, homemade whipped cream and sliced raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries never gets old. It seems to get better every. single. time.

They offer a standard collection of cakes, like German chocolate and cheesecakes, but they can customize it with lettering and frosted flowers to fit every occasion.
I for one, and a bit of a pie lady more so than I love cake, but I am impartial to both. I mean, if somebody handed me a slice of red velvet cake slathered in a thick coat of cream cheese frosting, I wouldn't turn away. I would just have a slice of pecan pie to go with it!

The pies are absolute perfection. The buttery crust that shells the sweet and crunchy pecan filling. Gosh, every time I have a slice of that pie, my taste buds die and go to heaven.

We've been going to Sweet Lady Jane since we were in Kindergarten, and it's been tradition for us to get a sweet treat after a day at school ever since. But going to a separate school, we haven't had time to stop by as often, but I we still love it just as much. Besides, we still get nostalgic every time we have a bite of whatever from Sweet Lady Jane. We like to reminisce back to my days in elementary school, stuffing my face with profiteroles. But the great thing about tradition is that there's always room for more.

I hope you make some of your own traditions at Sweet Lady Jane. They'll be ones you won't want to break.

xx Alexa and Carolyn

Tideside: Martha's Vineyard, Moshup Beach and Lighthouse

 I had the opportunity to travel to Martha's for a day trip- one of my favorites so far! Just seven miles off the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts (where I have been living with a friend), Martha's vineyard awaits bustling tourists of July and August. Moshup Beach was our last destination in Martha's, and a beautiful and relaxing way to end our activity-packed day.

The beach is truly endless- we walked at least a couple miles along the cliffs.

JOOZ: The Most Basic Green Juice

Hey guys! So, Julia's going to be heading off to Washington D.C., so I'll be covering today's post for her. Just letting you know.

This green juice I'm sipping here tastes... phenomenal! Exquisite, delectable, pleasurable, scrumptious... I can't really think of any more synonyms that would accurately describe the absolute gold I'm tasting now.

So I'm thinking JOOZ should be a thing. Just say it a couple times and it really does start to sound like juice. Right? This can be the first of our many inside jokes together. I'm thinking JOOZ should be a new series... I mean I just got a brand spanking new juicer as a gift from my aunt and I'm thinking that I'll be doing a lot (l-o-t) of juicing this summer.

You might be thinking, "Why is it so important for Carolyn to have this new series?" Well friends, I, being the humanitarian person I am, really don't want to give you the trouble of spending 8 dollars on a teensy bottle of liquified vegetables from some hip new juicery. Okay, so fine. Maybe part of the experience is jogging up to a juicery in workout clothes you never really work out in and whipping out your ten dollar bill to pay for that snazzy glass bottle of pretty green juice. Presentation is a killer.

But it's both difficult and simply a burden to scarf up the approximate 200 dollars to pay for said juicer. That's why you beg and beg until a relative will get one for you! Totally kidding. In all seriousness, it is kind of an investment. If you're going to buy your juicer with your own money, I would really consider the cost to use ratio. Having a juicer just to have one isn't nearly as nice as the color iPod you could get that Apple just released with the money. But I'm going to tell you a secret. I still haven't opened up the juicer, but I still made this recipe. How, you ask? Let me show you.

Ingredients:
1 large celery stalk
3 leaves of romaine lettuce
Grapes (I'm not going to dictate how much you'll need. Whatever fits you. Diabetics need less, Carolyn's of the world need more...)
A small bunch of cilantro
Optional: A small spoonful of chia seeds

It's really that simple! There are the ingredients, in a nutshell. So this is what you'll do, no juicer necessary!

Method:
Wash all of your ingredients thoroughly. You don't want little specks of dirt floating around in your juice. Contrary to what many raw vegans and soil enthusiasts say, I don't care if dirt is health. It's just plain gross. So please wash your ingredients!

Put all your ingredients in a blender. Break up the celery so it fits, but the beauty of blending is the blender does the job for you. No prep, no mess. It's a nice relationship.

Once you blend so the whole thing is a smooth consistency, strain your mixture through a strainer into a measuring cup. My strainer fits snugly into the pitcher so it don't need to baby sit it as much. Your going to get a lot of pulp! Celery is super fibrous, so that is the majority of the good stuff. But don't toss it! I put it aside in a tupperwear and incorporate it (more like sneak it) into brownie mix, and you don't even taste it! 

Double strain. Triple strain, if you want to be super dedicated, but at that point its a bit redundant. You basically get 99% of the pulp out the first time but it's always good to be safe. Pour into a glass with a stalk of celery to garnish, and sprinkle on chia seeds.

And voila! Jooz. It tastes really good, I promise. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Drink it! Please?


xx Carolyn

Malibu Farm Café

Sitting on the glistening shores of Malibu, Malibu Farm Cafe is a new café quickly gaining popularity- and with good reason. The restaurant's culture prides itself on being fresh, organic, and local.

Malibu Farm Cafe is nestled at the very end of a Malibu pier. If seated inside, you will be greeted with  rustic wooden tables and rusted metal benches. The table settings are all clean white porcelain and clean white and blue linen napkins sit in a bucket. Fresh thyme grows in a pot on each table, adding a fragrant, lemony aroma.

The schedule is actually quite strange. The Cafe is open from Wednesday-Monday, and the Cafe is closed on Tuesdays. Everyday, the Cafe is open twelve hours from 9am-9pm, with the exceptions of Wednesday, Thursday, and Monday, when the Cafe closes at 3pm.

The breakfast and lunch menu is constant, but the dinner menu rotates constantly based of seasonal ingredients or fresh meats. The breakfast menu features a fried egg sandwich with bacon and arugula, quinoa oatmeal with maple syrup and coconut milk, swedish mini pancakes with strawberry maple syrup and farm scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and ricotta.

Their juices and beverages have lines leading down the pier. They offer all juices, a spectrum of coffee ranging from cappuccino to macchiato and so many teas. Their sweets are delicious- we always have one to conclude our meals.

For a farm-to-table beach experience you won't forgot, right off of PCH, head to the Malibu Pier because once you feel the ocean breeze, you won't help but settle down for a dining experience.


xx Emma and Carolyn