Living the Sweetgreen Life
Last month, I took my daughter to Washington, DC for college visits and we discovered Sweetgreen: a restaurant known for sourcing local and organic ingredients from farmers they know to create wholesome made to order salads and wraps. With 17 current locations (10 in DC, 2 in Maryland, 3 in Virginia, and 2 in Pennsylvania) and 3 to open soon (1 in Boston at 659 Boylston Street this summer and 2 in New York City at 413 Greenwich Street in Tribeca and 1170 Broadway at 28th Street adjacent to the NoMad Hotel), there is no better place to go for a casual, healthy lunch when visiting these cities. Read more 
“The Buddha in the Attic”
In the United States, we commemorate December 7, 1941 as the day Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese but we don’t recognize April 2, 1942 – the day nearly 120,000 US citizens and residents of Japanese ancestry were forced to leave their homes, property, businesses, and communities to live an internment camp – most of which were called Assembly Centers or Relocation Centers created by the US government. Read more
Weck Jars
Weck glass jars have become an obsession in our home where we use them for drinks (juices, smoothies, iced teas) and foods (parfait, pudding, granola, salad, gazpacho) because they display content so beautifully. What can be more eye-catching than the lovely hue of fresh squeezed juice with floating slices of lemon….. or layers of colorful berries between yogurt or ice cream and crunchy bits of granola….or a wide mouth glass jar filled with sliced sweet red and yellow grape tomatoes, chopped avocados, diced cucumber, sweet champagne mangos and cilantro? Read more
Mom’s Organic Munchies
Mom’s Organic Munchies – Krunch Bars, Choco Fit Bars, On The Go Bars, and the Cookies – will make you stop in your tracks, pause, and grin with delight because Mom’s Organic Munchies are the best tasting new snack bars on the market – not an easy award to achieve in a society where everyone seems to be packing a bar. I don’t just like these bars; I love them. And, I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I hide them in the refrigerator so no one else finds them. Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and refined sugar-free, Mom’s Organic Munchies are a healthy but decadent snack bar. Read more
How To Make Cupcakes Meri Meri
Most cupcake bakers have two goals: to use the freshest and finest ingredients available to make the most delicious treats but there are also the bakers that have a third goal: to make their cupcakes especially pleasing to the eye by using liners and decorations. Presentation and packaging are very important and for the novice home baker, there is a company that provides a variety of unique baking products designed to add a touch of whimsy and beauty to your next cupcake project whether it be for a traditional birthday party or to celebrate the first day of summer. Read more
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”
No matter their age or station in life, Billy can’t help but regard his fellow Americans as children. They are bold and proud and certain in the way of clever children blessed with too much self-esteem, and no amount of lecturing will enlighten them as to the state of pure sin toward which war inclines. He pities them, scorns them, loves them, hates them, these children. These boys and girls. These toddlers, these infants. Americans are children who must go somewhere else to grow up , and sometimes die.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is a book whose title so perfectly resonates reality that most readers will come to think they are reading a work of non-fiction. Written by Ben Fountain, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is both the story of Billy Lynn and a reflection of American culture. Read more
Torie and Howard Organic Hard Candy
Torie & Howard Organic Hard Candies are sophisticated sweets that taste of fresh fruit picked from an orchard so it’s not surprising to learn these candies are crafted from all natural ingredients with no additives, artificial flavors or colors. Certified organic by the USDA, Torie & Howard Organic Hard Candy comes in four luscious flavors – Blood Orange and Honey, Pomegranate and Nectarine, Pink Grapefruit and Tupelo Honey, and D’anjou Pear and Cinnamon. Read more
Zucchini Noodles with Olive Oil, Pine Nuts and Basil
With summer fast approaching, zucchini will be overflowing in the garden and at the grocery store. My family doesn’t normally get too excited about sautéed zucchini because this green vegetable gets soggy very quickly. So, instead of slicing or dicing the zucchini, consider using a Turning Slicer (which is sometimes called a Spiralizer because it spirals the vegetable) to turn zucchini (and almost every other firm vegetable or fruit) into noodles in seconds. Light, refreshing and full of flavor – with the fresh basil and toasted pine nuts – Zucchini Noodles with Olive Oil, Pine Nuts and Basil is a summer salad that should delight even the most reluctant. We devour this salad by the bowl full in our home. Read more
The Happy Herbivore
When my daughter set upon being a vegan, I was often perplexed at how to make flavorful, healthy meals that the whole family – carnivore man, vegetarian me, and vegan daughter – would enjoy. I initially consulted Forks Over Knives – both the original book and the cookbook – but often found the recipes time-consuming. I wanted quick, easy recipes with a lot of flavor which I found in The Happy Herbivore Abroad followed by The Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon. Nixon, a lawyer by education who switched careers to follow her passion for food and her love for animals. When someone asks her why she is a vegan, she replies “for my health, the animals, the environment, my pocketbook…and for you.” Read more
Two Moms In The Raw
Two Moms in the Raw is a Boulder-based company that produces granola bars full of seeds, nuts, fruits, and spices and not much else. Slightly sweet, chewy and crunchy, Two Moms in the Raw Granola Bars have all the attributes the health conscious consumer is looking for: 100% organic, wheat free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher, raw, and handmade. I would add delicious, nutritious, and convenient. Each 2-ounce bar is individually wrapped making Two Moms in the Raw Granola Bars easy to tote along for that late morning or mid-afternoon snack. Read more
Paddock Post 