What makes me happy

Oh wow.  This is a great topic.  What exactly makes me happy.  First of all, I have to say FOOD!  Food makes me very happy.  Gotta give shout-outs to Gardein, Spork Foods, Cafe Gratitude, and so many other cruelty-free products and restaurants.  It's funny because before I went vegan, I think that I took food for granted.  I didn't really taste anything or understand my relationship with food.  However, now I am practically orgasmic for certain foods.  It's fabulous, made all the more better by being compassionate as well!

Animal Acres makes me extremely happy.  My good friend Kelly planned my bridal shower there and it was more than I could ask for.  Not only did it get many people that otherwise would not step foot on a farm there, but I think some of my friends finally made the connection between the animals out there to the ones on their plate.  Yes, there were a few jokesters who made bacon comments in front of the pigs (which enraged me but I kept my cool) but for the the most part everyone was on their best behavior.  Animal Acres is just so lovely.  It's apparent that the staff truly loves and cares for the animals. They couldn't ask for better homes than Acton.

My girlfriend/fiancee/wife-to-be makes me happy.  She's my best friend and the only person I've ever been able to spend so much time with without being driven crazy.  Sure we fight sometimes and I get mad at her, but she's helped me become a better person.  She's unlocked a loving part of myself that I had hidden away.  Becca really is the best.

Brand new babies (including but not limited to human) make me happy.  Our friends just had their first son two days ago and I'm very excited to meet the little guy!  I will also be attending my first bris which makes me nervous I'm not going to lie.  However, I love how newborns look, smell and feel.  I love anything that just sleeps and looks cute all the time!

Traveling to new places makes me happy as well.  Perhaps not the travel part since I dislike airports and get bored in cars but nevertheless, I love being somewhere new.

And finally yoga makes me happy!  I am a new convert and still don't get to practice as often as I'd like due to my hours but I love every second that I do attend.  I am getting back into the habit of going at 6:15 am just to round out my 6 am bootcamps haha.  I am getting more into the idea of liking exercise so yoga is my transition.

What Are You Grateful For?

Today's word for me is gratitude.  I feel immensely blessed to be where I am in my life.  Not everything is perfect by any means, I could gripe about plenty but in this moment, I am truly grateful.  For what you may ask?  Well, Becca, my friends, my amazing family, kale, Animal Acres, sunshine and my easy-going boss that lets me take off for interviews when I need to.  Thank you from the bottom of my soul today.

Oh what else am I grateful for?  Cafe Gratitude! Becca and I went there last night and decided to try to keep our meals mostly raw as that is my new attempt in life.  Let me just say YUM.  We did order a cooked appetizer but hey we made strides :)  So here is my review of yum.

First we started with the I Am Vibrant which is sauteed greens and pumpkin seeds.  This was seriously so delicious.  The sourness of the vinegary sauce, the crunch of the seeds and the straight-up delishness of the greens made this a stand out dish.


Next up we ordered entrees.  I went with the I Am Complete, which was almond hummus, olive tapenade, live falafel, a buckwheat cracker and a side salad with a creamy mint dressing.  I was skeptical about all of this since it's raw but it all turned really well.  The buckwheat cracker especially was fantastic, which surprised me because I thought it would be dry and gross.  My only issue was with the amount of dressing on my side salad.  It was a little much.




 Becca chose the I Am Hearty.  It's a live onion crust with cashew cheese, marinara, pesto,  and tapenade.  They top it with brazil nut parmesan and basil.  This was very much the winner for the evening, although it was a bit small.  We wished there were two on the plate!  Nevertheless, this is definitely something to try, especially if you're a newbie to eating raw.



Cafe Gratitude rocks my socks.  For serious.  I can't wait to go back there!

Cafe Gratitude

As always, I am supremely late on my blog.  So last Tuesday Cafe Gratitude opened in Larchmont.  Of course I had to rush right over since I loved Gracias Madre, their sister restaurant in San Francisco.  Becca and I met on a very rainy night and raced straight inside.  Our server (Lizzy?) was fantastic and on point all night long.  We each got a glass of wine and started with the I Am Grounded, which are garlic and olive oil roasted potatoes topped with spicy cashew nacho cheese and pink sea salt.  Let me say, it was amazing.  There could have bit a little more bite to the nacho cheese but they were stellar.

Then I asked our server what I should get. I was going to compare two options but the second I said I Am Magical, she was like "Absolutely yes!"  Her enthusiasm totally sold me on their veggie burger, for which they just altered the recipe. First of all, the bread that they use to make the bun is awesome.  Seriously I probably could have eaten a ton of that.  On top, there was lettuce, pickle, onion and a mustard sauce.  The burger has a bean base so it's a bit squishy, which can be disconcerting to some omnivores but I thought it was great.  There was a robust garlic flavor inside and since garlic is my fave, I loved it.

Becca ordered the I Am Transformed taco plate.  I didn't get a picture because I can't eat the corn but she enjoyed it very much. It was two corn tacos with brown rice, black beans, salsa roja, guacamole and the cashew nacho cheese.  It smelled really good.

So of course we couldn't leave without sampling their raw deserts.  I was sold immediately on the tiramisu while Becca opted for the chocolate cream pie.  Let me just say that they were both decadent and delicious.  We practically licked our plates clean!

Another great touch that I love about my new favorite restaurant is the adorable plates.  They each say: What are you grateful for?  This sense of positivity rings true through the entire restaurant.  In fact, when you sit down, they also ask you a question designed to get a conversation flowing.  Our question was: What do you love about new beginnings?   This prompted Becca and me to think about our beginning as a couple and our soon-to-be beginning as a married couple!

Finally, they have a I Am Grateful bowl that offers organic food to anyone in need.  The recommended price is $7 but for $14 you can pay it forward and make sure someone in need gets yummy, organic food.  The bowl consists of quinoa, shredded kale and black beans with a tahini-garlic sauce.  How freaking great is that?  I hope Cafe Gratitude prospers in the Los Angeles!

Cafe Gratitude Los Angeles

Phone (323) 580-6383
639 N. Larchmont BlvdLos Angeles, CA