Oh.my.gosh!!!! Lunch was SOOOO good!!!!!! We went to The Grass Root, like I said previously, and it was the most amazing vegan/raw food I’ve ever had
To start, Kate and I split the edamame with sea salt and cayenne pepper. Then, for my lunch I had “Sabrina’s Favorite Sandwich”, which was 100% raw and tasted amazing!! It was a huge “raw” onion bread/pita (yes, Kath, I know! haha) stuffed with creamy raw hummus, live sprouts, avocado slices and cashew cheese. I ate every crumb—it was sooo good and flavorful! I am in love with cashew cheese. It might be my new obsession…I might try to make a cashew mac & cheese sometime soon..it was so good and cheesy and “zesty” in a way. Love it! Kate and I also split a smoothie to drink made from mango, strawberries, fresh apple juice and agave nectar. Delicious as well! Kate ordered the sunshine burger with a vegan whole wheat bun and it tasted really yummy, as well. I’ll have to make my own next week since I have sunshine burgers in my freezer!
So, all in all it was a truly wonderful experience and we can’t wait to go back for dinner! I want to try everything on the menu!!
I’m off to read my new cookbook and lay by the pool with Ryan 🙂
Another view…
Here’s Kate’s lunch!
I think the best thing is that I ate all that wonderfully fresh and tasty food and do not feel weighed down AT ALL! I feel light, energetic and full of life and about to go lay around the pool! 🙂
Lindsey
February 16, 2008 at 7:44 pmLOL that pita looks too funny! I’ve never seen one so big!
I don’t know if you saw my question the other day (please don’t worry about answering though until you are back home- enjoy sunbathing with Ryan!) Here’s what I wrote:
I know snacking is supposed to be healthy, but the French I heard don’t snack and eat a lot of saturated fats (cheese!). How do they not snack and how is this then healthy for their metabolisms?
Also, Jenna, do you ever eat candies (the candies you suck on, such as life savers). I find if I am bored I can literally put a pack away and constantly want something in my mouth. Any suggestions. I figure since you love food- you would relate to always thinking about it- as a result I think thats why I like something in my mouth.
Erica
February 16, 2008 at 7:44 pmWOW, both lunches look spectacular, but I must say I’m partial to yours Jenna! What a great choice! YUMMM!
For lunch today, I had your meatless sloppy joes which i made last night, and let me tell you, it was absolutely delicious! Every one of your recipes that i’ve made has been fabulous! Thanks so much for everything you do Jenna! 🙂
Susan
February 16, 2008 at 8:03 pmhi Jenna!
did you decide to become a vegetarian again, or did you take the plunge to a vegan lifestyle?
i was just wondering — and either way, if how you’re eating now makes you feel your best, congrats!
Kath
February 16, 2008 at 8:07 pmWOW!! If I didn’t know that pita was onion-scented, I would say “THAT LOOKS SO GOOD!” – because it does 🙂
Wish I could join you for lunch!
Annie
February 16, 2008 at 8:12 pmIm so jealous! It all looks so good, wish Boston had a place like that.
VeggieGirl
February 16, 2008 at 8:28 pmOh my goodness gracious, I am SO excited that you ordered a raw lunch!! It looks and sounds absolutely MAGNIFICENT!!! And how funny that your friend ordered a Sunshine burger – I just had one for lunch, as the “cooked component” of my meal! :0)
Enjoy reading your new cookbooks!! “See” you for dinner!!
Serena
February 16, 2008 at 9:02 pmAnnie, you should check out Grezzo in Boston – http://www.grezzorestaurant.com/index.html it’s a raw/vegan restaurant.
I finally bought hemp milk at whole foods today – it’s the vanilla flavor that everyone likes, right? i was surprised there were so many brands! I love how this blog has inspired everyone to try new healthy foods!
Jenna, I was wondering what your latest thoughts are on pastry school. Are you less looking forward to it now that you’re trying to stay away from dairy?
Alyssa
February 16, 2008 at 9:10 pmI’m going to start a facebook group called “Eat, Live, Run”, without the quotation marks and will post the link on a couple of these posts. More people should be officers too so we can all help keep up the group website!
jenna
February 16, 2008 at 9:17 pmSerena,
I’m actually really excited!!!! I want to learn all the baking principle so I can modify on my own accord. You have to really “know” and understand the subject before you can modify and make changes…especially in baking because its so precise! I’m excited to learn everything I can! Another great thing about the pastry program is that there is a LOT less pressure to eat everything you make. Most pastry chefs dont even eat dessert or what they bake just because they are around it soo much and are burned out! The reason I love to bake so much is because its like an art/form of expression to me. I can’t wait to learn how make yummy cruelty-free desserts!!
Anne
February 16, 2008 at 9:18 pmYay I’m all over the facebook group!
I bought vanilla hemp milk today to try, too 🙂 Tasty! Sweeter and thicker than skim milk, so I think it will be best with oatmeal rather than cereal 🙂 Yum!
Anne
February 16, 2008 at 9:19 pmAlso, Jenna, why did you give up dairy! Just curious 🙂
AshleyP
February 16, 2008 at 9:19 pmcaitlin- I work for the State at the Department of Community Affairs as a Planner II. I review large scale Comp Plan amendments, some permits and DRIs. It’s ok, but I plan on moving back to my hometown of Tampa, or my fiance’s hometown of Jacksonville within the next year or so and go into the private sector. I interned at a firm in tampa this past summer and I miss it! But the timing and all just didn’t work for me to move down there right away.
How cool is that that you work remotely in Cali!!?? Did you go to planning school? I did my undergrad at UF and I have some good friends in the program there even tho I went to FSU for grad school. Anyway so nice to meet you! If you’re on facebook I’m ashley porter in the UF network…there’s one at fsu but that’s not me 🙂 Speaking of, has anyone made a group yet?
Alyssa
February 16, 2008 at 9:20 pmHere is the link. It’s reallllyyyy basic, and I didn’t add a pic because I did not know which one Jenna wants or would want up. People should sign up to be officers and make the group much better than it is right now! Yay!!!!
http://minnesota.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9967717108
AshleyP
February 16, 2008 at 9:20 pmoops just saw the grp, never mind!
jenna
February 16, 2008 at 9:25 pmHow fun! I joined!!! 🙂
jenna
February 16, 2008 at 9:25 pmHi Anne! I actually answered that question in the FAQ section last week so check there 🙂
Serena
February 16, 2008 at 9:28 pmThat’s great about the no pressure to eat the foods you make – I guess I was wondering how you would make all that yummy food and not even try it – I need more will power!! 🙂 I am really looking forward to hearing about the great substitutions you create!
jenna
February 16, 2008 at 9:30 pmLindsey,
The french eat less because the meals that they DO eat are often quite large and very fattening. They are able to go through the day without snacking just because thats the way they have their body trained. When I first got to Paris I was hungry all the time but then my body sort of adjusted to the “french way” and I started eating like them…very rich and fattening meals. Granted, I did not gain any weight eating this way but that is because I walked EVERYWHERE!!!! AND did hot yoga 3 times a week at the Bikram Paris studio. French women seriously walk everywhere…they must walk at least a couple miles every day. And they don’t really eat processed food as we do here in America. People will say there is a “right” and a “wrong” way but really, its just a cultural thing!! You wont see French women slamming down a big mac and large fries….ever!
About the candy…I really don’t do that. I end each meal (lunch and dinner) with a tiny piece of extra dark chocolate and my body has learned thats all it needs. Its really a matter of “training” your body. I drink a ton of herbal teas throughout the afternoon and snack frequently, as my meals are not large. My taste buds have changed dramatically from high school and college…I just dont find lifesavers and other sugary candies appealing at all anymore! I would much rather have a slice of perfect juicy melon!!!
Molly
February 16, 2008 at 9:36 pmHelp! I’m making some muffins for my sisters bday and it says “with a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resenbles large coarse crumbs” what does that mean? How do I do that?? I don’t have a pastry blender. Thx.
Annie
February 16, 2008 at 10:17 pmThanks for the link Serena, It looks good, now I just have to find someone who will go with me!
Malloru
February 16, 2008 at 10:27 pmHappy Saturday to all!
As I have posted on the blog a couple of times, I wanted to introduce myself as well. I am 21 (22 in May) and am a senior Finance major at TCU in Fort Worth, TX. I’m originally from Dallas and will be moving back in May to start work at Grant Thornton, a public accounting firm. I will not be an accountant though, and will be working in their consulting department instead!! I am going to be traveling all over the US, which I am so excited about!
I started becoming really serious about eating right and working out when I started college. I recently became a little too obsessed with it and have been diagnosed with “exercise bulimia/restrictive eating”. This blog and all of you have helped me so much. I am slowly learning to eat what I want, when I want it, even if it isn’t always good for me. I am learning to listen to what my body craves and am trying to no longer force it to eat only vegetables for dinner when all it wants is pasta!! Because of the strain I have put on my body through my workouts and I am now also suffering hip problems and can’t run or really walk for exercise! I have been doing a lot of yoga lately and trying to stretch really well, so hopefully I will start feeling better soon.
I have a wonderful family and friends and love to read, watch movies, and try new recipes. I’ve noticed so many people on this blog who are from up North! If anyone is from around the DFW metroplex speak up!!
I’ve loved “meeting” all of you. I feel like I now have a supportive group of friends who understands my love of good, wholesome foods!
Mallory
February 16, 2008 at 10:27 pmHaha typo! My name is Mallory!
Anne
February 16, 2008 at 10:55 pmK I’ll check in the FAQ about the dairy, Jenna 🙂 Thanks!
I just joined the facebook group, hehe. Also Jenna I friended you 🙂 Just so you aren’t like… who the eff is this??
Also, wanted to introduce myself! I was out of the office yesterday so I missed it and missed the first round as well! My name is Anne (I don’t think there are any other Anne’s on here??), I’m 25, and I love this blog! I’ve been reading it for a few months now and it’s so great, such a nice, supportive community and great to get fun ideas and tips from! I graduated from college in 2004 and have been living in the Washington, D.C. area (anyone else from here?) since. Right now I’m working at a government contractor that helps states to provide mental health services for survivors of disasters. Pretty interesting, although recently I’ve been thinking more about getting into the nutrition field! We’ll see. I was also thinking about maybe going overseas to Asia in the fall to teach English… still have the wanderlust after studying abroad in Australia during college! Ah, the wonders of trying to figure out what you want to do when you “grow up.”
If I had to eat one food (well, technically it’s a few combined) for the rest of my life, it’d probably be Kashi Heart to Heart cereal… with milk and bananas and some berries 🙂 Love it! Kashi everything is pretty amazing, actually.
Anyway, see you all on Facebook 😉
Anne P.
TimeofButterflies
February 16, 2008 at 10:55 pmHi everyone! Thanks for the support that one poster gave in the previous entry…I appreciate it. Unfortunately my ex-fiance is now harassing me AND my family (he has my parent’s # since they babysat his children a couple of times). 🙁
Anyway, I joined the Facebook group. I’m the one in the green shirt and red hair — “Amanda B” 🙂 Please feel free to stop by and say hi!!
Jenna, your lunch sounds awesome. I wish I had friends who were interested in healthy eating.
Krista
February 16, 2008 at 10:59 pmMolly I thought I would answer your question because I learned about this is culinary school….basically you just want the dough to look and feel like cornmeal in the size of peas..pastry chefs use a block called a benchscraper to do this but you can easily put it in the food processor and pulse until fine crummy consistency or take a knife or a flat edge and break through the dough constantly until you get that consistency…hope this helps!!
Anne
February 16, 2008 at 11:14 pmOne more thing! (apparently I’m posting 500 times today, ha) Something that isn’t in the FAQ and that I haven’t ever seen answered… Jenna, how did you and Ryan meet? 🙂
KM
February 16, 2008 at 11:16 pmso…advice time (i hope)! i am currently the sickest i can ever remember being — bad fever (goes and comes), headache, swollen throat, cough, and cold for the past 2 days. i know i need to eat to help my body get better, but so far all i’ve been able to keep down is oatmeal (watered down), broth-based soup, and some baked ramen noodles (also in broth). i tried to eat a tangerine to get some vit. c in, but i couldn’t keep much of it down 🙁
any suggestions for how to get some fruits and veggies in that will stick with me and not make me sick(er)? the catch is that i can’t swallow anything bigger than or the size of a pill (so i can’t take any swallow-able medicines, or vit. c pills, or my daily vitamin in general).
oh, but at least i can (and am) drink TONS of water/tea.
Ellie
February 16, 2008 at 11:26 pmThat lunch looks unbearably delicious. I wish I had a restaurant like that close by.
Enjoy relaxing in the pool…
Nadia
February 16, 2008 at 11:26 pmI bought hemp milk the other day and to be quite honest, wasn’t that happy with it…I’m going to try to finish it though so it doesn’t go to waste. BUT I also tried almond milk today in oatmeal and it was SO delicious. I’m def. hooked…it will be a regular for sure. I bought the light vanilla kind because that’s all whole foods had in stock and I’m so glad I did. The best part about it is that I like it plain also…I normally hate cold milk (I always warm it up ofcourse in oatmeal but in cereal too!) so I’m surprised I like it by itself too. Also, Jenna thanks for the suggestion about buying the smaller cartons…so portable and convenient.
Mary Beth
February 16, 2008 at 11:30 pmHi all! I’ve been reading this blog since december but I’m a little blog-shy and never posted!! I just joined the facebook group – so fun! I’m an undergrad Bio major with a concentration in Nutrition here in upstate New York (so jealous of Fl weather right now!). I love all of the tips I’ve gathered from this site, jenna and commneters alike!
Nicole
February 16, 2008 at 11:42 pmwhoever posted the link to Grezzo: THANK YOU!! I really want to go there!! All of my friends are terrified by the word “vegetarian,” and “vegan” makes them want to run and hide…I’ll have to coerce them somehow because that looks delicious.
Annie
February 16, 2008 at 11:49 pmNicole Im in the same boat as you. I have no idea who I could possibly EVER drag to Grezzo, my BF is an avid meat eater, and my family compltely avoid anything with the name vegetarian or vegan in it. If you go, let me know how it is though!
Grace
February 16, 2008 at 11:50 pmThat meal looks delicious. I love raw food dishes…they are so creative and tasty. Now I just need to stock my pantry to make dishes like that.
Jenna or anyone else, what is your take on coconut oil? Use, don’t use, or use something else? I just got Skinny Bitch in the Kitch and see it’s called for a lot. When I look it up on the internet, I see some conflicting thoughts on it. Thanks.
linds
February 17, 2008 at 12:03 amHey Grace, I’m taking a class called Chemistry of Food and we’re talking about all the oils and my Prof was telling us how he is completely baffled about why people are using coconut oil.. It has a higher percentage of saturated fat (the bad kind that contributes to bad cholesterol) than ANY other fat. Popcorn used to be cooked in coconut oil but the government made theatres stop this practice because of how unhealthy coconut oil is! He said there is apparently a “coconut oil diet” being popularized now and he thinks it’s insane. Anyway, that’s just my 2 cents there 🙂
Nicole
February 17, 2008 at 12:08 amAnnie–
Liklihood is low haha, my friends make fun of me all the time for my vegetarian ways….hopefully it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!!
Susan
February 17, 2008 at 12:12 amopps……posted my question on last night convo
Jenna, I was reading your faq. That’s so interesting about the purelogy product. Do you use a natural brand of make up as well? Although I am guessing it’s more pricey than the drugstore -lol!
Katie Mc
February 17, 2008 at 12:46 amHi! My name is Katie and I am a sophomore at Virginia Tech! I started a food blog a little while ago…but decided the world of blogging is not for me. I like to read them and not write them, which is strange because I plan on becoming a journalist! lol. Anyway, just thought I would introduce myself. I just friended jenna and am about to join the facebook group 🙂 I wish Blacksburg had vegan places to eat like this place!!! There is NOTHING of that nature here!
Ruby Red Vegan
February 17, 2008 at 12:48 amYour raw lunch looks delicious!!! Hopefully i can try Grass Roots when I go to Disney World!
Nadia
February 17, 2008 at 12:50 amHey just joined the facebook group…My name is Sana…Nadia is my middle name 🙂
Lily
February 17, 2008 at 12:56 amPARIS!
I just found out that my boyfriend and I will spending the last week of March in Paris. Jenna, you seem to be the go-to-girl for French advice (for which I apologize I’m adding yet another question), but I must ask your (and anyone else’s) advice on this: my boyfriend is an exceedingly picky eater. He is a classic veggie-hater. Fruit is generally fine, but veggies are off limits and animal protein is limited to chicken, turkey, and the occasional cut of ham. Unidentified sauces covering food are definitely out, too. Any suggestions? I’m thinking that at least we’ll be able to eat yummy pastries and bread (his fave food groups 🙂 ), but does anyone have tips on how to navigate eating out? Some simple food on the plain side? Thanks to everyone!
Annie
February 17, 2008 at 12:58 amLily, Ive never been to Paris, but my boyfriend is the exact same way, except he wont even eat fruit! It is the hardest thing to spend more then a day at a time with him, because I NEVER get my fruits or vegis. Guys are so frustrating.
Have an awsome time in Paris though, Im beyond jealous!
Sara M
February 17, 2008 at 12:59 amThat veggie pattie looks so delicious and soft, I wish they would make a microwavable version of it. Kind of like Praeger’s, but not exactly. “Sunshine” patty, did you say? Is that a brand? Recently, I’ve gotten Morningstar Farms veggie burgers, which are great if you like a lot of whole veggies (sometimes I do), but the one in the pic looks a lot more smooth and dense. Recommendations welcomed!
Melissa
February 17, 2008 at 2:36 amHi Jenna,
I am so excited you found raw food so enjoyable. I ate dinner at a raw restaurant in NYC last night, so I’ll probably post pictures on my blog tomorrow.
Since you said you were interested in making raw cheese, I’ll thought I’d give you some great websites.
http://www.goneraw.com/
1879 recipes added by raw foodies
welikeitraw.com
The definite raw blog bible
vhttp://rawfoodrightnow.blogspot.com/2007/07/ultimate-list-of-raw-food-blogs.html
a list of over 225 raw blogs
Of these thedailyraw.com and rawdorable.blogspot.com are kind of like yours, but raw.
Oh and next time you are in the bookstore, see if you find Raw Food, Real World in the cookbook section. Great recipes!
I hope you don’t mind so much info. I got really carried away.
Natalie
February 17, 2008 at 2:42 amHey i’m Natalie im 17 and I just wanted to say I love this blog!
I also just joined the group on facebook.
Is their anyone else here still in high school?
In the Raw | Eat, Live, Run
March 12, 2009 at 3:44 pm[…] time I go I usually order my favorite sandwich, which is just called “Sabrina’s Favorite Sandwich”, and is a combo of raw cashew […]