Photography Giveaway!

http://greerphotography.blogspot.com/

The Best Breakfast

Lately, I have been totally addicted to low-fat cottage cheese and berries for breakfast. This is so light, so filling, and so nutritious! You have to try it. I recommend fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all mixed together. Don't OD it on the berries, just use a medium size handful per 1/2 cup cottage cheese (one serving).

Some Words of Wisdom from Nick Kristof

From his latest Editorial A Scare, a Scar, a Silver Lining Nicholas Kristof shares his close call with cancer and some really good advice everyone should follow

"Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Slather on sunscreen and avoid tanning salons. Avoid charred meats. Check yourself over for lumps, changes or irregularities, whether in breasts or testicles or skin, and consult a doctor if you have doubts. Try to microwave food in glass or ceramic containers rather than plastic. Toss out plastic food containers that are marked 3, 6 or 7 at the bottom (unless they say “BPA-free”). Buy a radon detector to check radon levels around your house."

Beckhams Enjoying Whole Foods

This time the whole fam. got in on the shopping action. Wishing we could join in the fun.

Sputtering Back in Time

Woke up this morning to find my block lined with Ford Model Ts. They are filming Boardwalk Empire the new HBO series with Steve Buscemi, but unfortunately I didn't get to see him. Crazy how much these cars leak oil, it was flowing down the block and they were sputtering and bumping around, the brakes didn't seem to work all that well either, but still pretty good for 90 years old.

Sleigh Bells drops debut album TREATS

Sleigh Bells played last night in Bushwick Brooklyn and the show was so insanely good even if MIA didn't show up like we thought they would. The band from Brooklyn is Alexis Krauss (vocals) and Derek Miller (guitars/production). Their album TREATS is out today on itunes. Look out for Ring Ring my favorite song!

http://www.myspace.com/sleighbellsmusic

Big Bambú @ the Met

Took a tour of Big Bambu yesterday on the roof of the met. This work by Doug+Mike Starn is so completely organic--a rooftop bamboo jungle gym made only out of bamboo and held together by special rock-climbing string. Walking up in the sky on these narrow wave-like pathways felt so free and ethereal and so ancient-day yet forward thinking. This installation is really really fun and the experience is a must. I plan to revisit it a couple more times this summer as it expands further across the roof of the met and up to 40ft into the air.

Afterward hit up the cafeteria for the AMAZING salad bar and some beers.

RUBBLEBUCKET AT HIGHLINE BALLROOM

Really cool band, they played a great show last night. Check out their MySpace

http://www.myspace.com/rubblebucket

Victoria Beckham Loves Whole Foods

Look who was snapped shopping at Whole Foods in Manhattan today! She probably didn't buy very much. Wonder where David was.

Latest Disappointments

I recently bought both of these products and was not at all impressed. I tried the bunny fruit snacks because I love a lot of the other Annie's products. The cheese crackers, chocolate crackers, and mac and cheese are all amazing. The fruit snacks on the other hand, not so much. They are way too sweet and a totally weird texture. There is nothing gummy about them, they are just kind of limp and mushy fruity sugar blobs.

The Late July mini cookies looked really good but the taste is just totally unremarkable. They are not bad, but not really good either. They just taste overwhelmingly like chocolate liquor. The icing is really sweet and not creamy or delicious and the cookie just leaves you wanting to munch on something better. The Whole Foods Brand sandwich cookies on the other hand are really amazing cookies and you should go for these instead.

Avoid these products, they are not worth the calories.

Check it. Medicinal only, of course.

Yak Edibles.

The Greenie looks enticing :)

Made with organic sativa and indica extracts and natural ingredients.

I predict branding of edibles is going to be the new gold rush not to mention goldmine!

http://www.yakedibles.org/

Best Burgers EVER

Here's the Beef...

Use organic local ground beef (I like 80% sirloin 20% fat).

Or, for an even healthier option use ground bison (very low in fat, and lower in cholesterol and calories yet higher in iron and protein than beef. Buffalo has less cholesterol than chicken with the skin removed and even most fish!)

Mix with Stonewall Kitchen Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce and a little salt and pepper to taste.

Don't manhandle the patties too much, the more air in them the better so handle as little as possible. Put a thumbprint in the middle to make more room for toppings and to make sure your patties don't turn into a ball (they get rounder as they cook).

Cook to medium with melted pepperjack (for a kick) or cheddar cheese and serve on a whole-wheat pita with avocado, sprouts, tomato slices, and fresh baby mesclun leaves for the best burger quite possibly ever tasted.

P.S. Maple Chipotle sauce is NOT organic but there isn't anything to iffy in it so don't be scared :)

Sauce is about $6 at Whole Foods

or buy at http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/default.aspx

Shopping Excursion

Pics of Me and my cart



Checking out some smoked salmon at Whole Foods. Really delicious on sourdough crisps on top of a dollop of creme fraiche, with a bit of cavier and a sprig of watercress on top. Yummm :)

Lollipop Lollipop

YummyEarth Organic Lollipops are quite the yummy treat, and at 22 calories a pop and only 5.5 grams of sugar you can afford to pucker up.

Pops come in unique yummy flavors like Strawberry Smash (the best), Sour Apple Tart, and Wet-Face Watermelon. They are made from 100% natural flavors and include real fruit extract. The pops have no artificial colors and instead use organic beet juice and organic pumpkin. They also have no corn syrup and are vegan approved.

These are the pops reality star mommy Kate Gosselin feeds her kiddies on TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. And, if your not a kiddie you will still look pretty hot (or cool for my guy readers) sucking on one :)

Available at Whole Foods of course!
And Amazon.com

About $4 a pack

http://www.yummyearth.com/

Smell Like an Island Paradise

Pacifica Solid Perfume is my new addiction. These tiny solid perfumes are made from a organic soy and coconut wax base with essential and natural oil scents. The perfumes have no parabens, are not tested on animals, have no animal ingredients or artificial colors, and are 100% vegan.

The flavors, like, such as, Lotus Garden, Tunisian Jasmine, and Bali Lime Papaya, have the most intoxicating, seductive scents which leave you absolutely craving another whiff. Solid perfumes come in tiny, beautifully designed tins perfect for on-the-go touch-ups.

My absolute favorite is the Lotus Garden solid perfume which leaves a perfectly subtle yet delicious hint of exotic garden paradise. I also have the Tahitian Gardenia scent which I have to say I am not so crazy about because the smell is just a bit too complex.

Definitely try before you buy to see which scent compliments you the best.

I am also drooling over the company's new line of body washes and lotions, as well as their soaps and soy candles which smell AMAZING.

http://www.pacificaperfume.com/

http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=5937&searchString=pacifica

Also available at Whole Foods

Perfumes are only $9 so buy a bunch guilt free!
Body wash $18
Soy Candles $22

DIET SODA AIN'T SO SWEET

Sweet, bubbly, delicious, guilt free...Not!

Surprisingly, diet soda can make you gain wait. Here's how it works: the fake sugar used to sweeten diet sodas is much much sweeter than real sugar. This artificial sweetness prepares our bodies for incoming calories and energy like that we get from real sugary food. Once our bodies realize that we are not really getting any calories or energy, we get hungry which leads to cravings and a desire to eat more. Soo, in fact, drinking diet sodas may actually lead us to ingest more calories that we would drinking real soda.

You heard it, diet sodas lead to increased appetite and therefore cause us to gain weight.

If you do need that sweet fix, I suggest San Pellegrino's Aranciata. This fizzy, crisp orange soda is delicious! Not too sweet, extra fizzy, it makes you feel oh so sophisticated and Euro chic. You can even add a shot of Grey Goose for a lazy afternoon buzz.

SUSHI REMIX

My new favorite thing is Whole Foods Sushi + Salad Bar toppings. For a healthy dinner I take the brown rice tuna rolls and then load them up with salad bar toppings--cucumbers, shredded carrots, and edamame.

You can also add shredded raw beets, arugula, and seaweed salad for an extra crunch. Now, I am sure sushi purists everywhere are going to think I'm destroying the perfectly simple sushi roll, but honestly sushi + toppings leads to a much more filling meal and gives you way more nutrients and flavor in a different way then just saturating your sushi with soy sauce.

Try it once and I promise, I will turn you into a convert. Also simply delicioso with shrimp, salmon, and yellow tail rolls. Mmmm I think I might have to go get my fix right now :)

About $10 with salad bar toppings

Free Starbucks Coffee Today In Your Travel Mug

Today only--bring a travel mug to Starbucks and get a free brewed coffee.

Starbucks is hoping to switch everyone over from paper cups to reusable travel mugs and is using today as an example. While you drink your free coffee think about saving the trees, the forests, and our planet!

NYT Renewable Dorm Slideshow

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/09/27/magazine/20090927-ecodorm-slideshow_index.html

Death by Chocolate

Green & Black's Organic

http://www.greenandblacks.com/us/home.html

About $3-4

Hands down the best chocolate you will ever taste. After eying these grown-up looking chocolate bars at Whole Foods for a long time I finally caved in and bought a couple. I regretted it the next week when I spotted them for over a dollar less at Target. Let me just say Oh. My. God. Chocolate. The peanut bar is by far the best. With creamy milk chocolate, crisply caramelized organic peanuts, and a surprising hint of sea salt, "every layer is more indulgent than the next." It was so good in fact I didn't share any of it nor did I save any of it for later.

As for the other flavors, all amazing but none as good as peanut. Espresso is very strong really full bodied and rich, Cherry is totally surprising and sour with actual chunks of dried cherries, Toffee is a delicious buttery crunchy milk chocolate bar, definitely the second best. I am intrigued by Mayan Gold and will probably buy that next, oh and Almond is nutty and oh so yummy.

Indulge and splurge on a couple of these bad boys. you won't regret it.