How To Eat In Half Moon Bay

Of all the small towns we visited, Half Moon Bay was the smallest by far. However, it was beautiful being by the sea and did not disappoint in the healthy food arena. Half Moon Bay is a farming town and most of the restaurants support their local organic farmers and that was music to my ears ; )

Italian is usually a good choice where I can gorge as well as Dan and his buddies so we sauntered into Pasta Moon. I had a lovely artichoke pizza sans cheese along with a hot cup of their minestrone. Seaside in Norcal is quite chilly for this native Floridian so soup and pizza was a hit ; )

The next morning we had a late start so we had lunch at the Mainstreet Grill. It was a simple local diner and I was perfectly happy with my garden burger and a salad. They are a cute breakfast joint and seem to be quite a staple in their community. Look them up online at Mainstreet Grill.

Dinner with our friends was a special one at Cetrella Bistro. This was quite the elegant Northen Cali seaside town establishment! I had an extraordinary seasonal veggie plate with cous cous on flatbread, yummmmm, as well as a ridiculous artichoke appetizer. If you are even passing through Half Moon Bay, Cetrella Bistro is a must!!

Plating it up in Petaluma

On our NorCal trip we spent some time in Petaluma. It had some cute architecture and had a quaint small town feel. And with the small town feel came the small town hospitality and with small town hospitality comes food!!

McNear's Saloon is where I'm standing under the marquis in the photo. It seems to be the town staple for fun bar atmosphere and live music. And with it's big theatre it had a big menu to go with it. Nothing goes with a good band and a beer like a garden burger or their California sandwich (hold the cheese and mayo. To bad we missed the Billy Bob show but I bet it would have been fun while I dug into a veggie burrito with a side of fried zucchini! Check out the menu and the upcoming entertainment at McNears.

We walked along the river and spotted a cute spot called Dempsey's. I was thoroughly impressed with the knowledgeable and helpful staff that we stayed for dinner. The chef was more then happy to veganize anything I wanted and whipped up his Chef Selection veggie plate. They had beautiful salads and Dan was happy with his meaty mcmeat dish so we waddled out of their happily after our tummy filling evening. Make sure you let them know of your dietary restrictions as they will bend over backwards to feed you well at Dempsey's.

The next day on our way out of town we had a refreshing lunch at Cafe Zazzle! With a name like that you just expect fun!! I wanted to keep it light as I knew we would be eating our way south so I grabbed the Mediterranean wrap with no cheese but I added tofu. I was torn but because of the heat I chose not to order the noodle dish but it looked great as it was chock full o'veggies and tofu. This was a great and healthy find and comes highly recommended by yours truly!Cafe Zazzle is at 121 Kentucky St, Petaluma, CA 94952,(707) 762-1700.

Once again the small town delivers and there is even more in the weeks ahead!!

Knowing Where To Go in Novato

Muir Woods is quite the Redwood wonderland in Marin County. We stopped and explored it while we popped up to Northern Cali for a little getaway. We were visiting some friends who lived in Novato and I have to say that I was impressed with the options I had in this little NorCal town!

Our first afternoon there we had a lot to see and do so we needed to grab a quick bite. I got that in a very satisfying way at Hi-Tech Burrito. They had a whole healthy burrito menu that included healthy tortilla options, great veggies and tofu for any of their custom Mexican wraps. Located in the Novato Fair Center, find at more about this chain at Hi-Tech Burrito.

On the main drag there were a number of places to dine and I dug the fun bar atmosphere at Finnegan's. They had a good sized menu that included a veggie burger and a nice veggie sandwich, big salads and a ton of different beers if you are so inclined to imbibe with your healthy meal ; ) For a bar menu I was excited that I didn't get crappy iceberg lettuce and gross fries ; ) Pop in for a pint and a meal at Finnegan's!

Another place in the cute little downtown area was Portelli Rossi. Italian cuisine in the heart of anytown USA ; ) It was super cute with a nice patio (we opted out on that particular day as it was 106 degrees outside!!). They had a great tomato and fennel soup that I enjoyed alongside my artichoke salad. They were very accommodating and I look forward to eating there again when we go back to visit our friends and their new baby. They are at 868 Grant Ave in Novato, CA, (415)892-6100.

Outside of Novato we had dinner at E&O Trading Co in Larkspur. A short drive away we had dinner and it was delish! I ordered a bunch of sides like portobella skewars, jasmine rice and this yummy and spicy naan. This place is a fusion of all Asian cuisine and I dug it as my finicky fiance ; ) Try it out if you find yourself in Norcal, E&O !

I'll be back next week reporting on more tasty treats in Northern Cali!

Veggie Friendly Virgin

I recently had the pleasure of flying Virgin Atlantic and working with many wonderful people that work for them. I can't express enough what a great experience I had with the lot of them as well as on their flights and upper class lounge. The service was extraordinary and the accommodations and food were like no other airline I've ever had the good fortune to fly. Not to mention the great endeavors they are involved in worldwide!

I had the honor of filming a documentary on their Sekenani School Project that fell under their Virgin Unite umbrella. Virgin takes a very proactive stance on world issues and looks to partner with the best people and companies to accomplish the biggest benefit to the communities Unite touches. They are a wonderful group of people with an extraordinary work and social ethic.

On the flights I was able to order a special vegan meal that was absolutely scrumptious. They offered up healthy beverage options throughout the flights as well as yummy veggie snacks. Be sure to order your meal on the super user friendly website before you travel. And no need to worry about packing your sleeping accessories as they give you a cute little souvenir bag complete with comfy socks and eye mask as well as comfy pillows and blankets for your on flight slumber ; ) If you fly upper class you get your own sleeping pod, comforter and pj's!

As for their upper class lounges, that's a whole other story! The Heathrow lounge was a hoot! Complimentary gourmet meals, drinks, wi fi, a pool table, library and more. I ordered a delectable pasta with veggies and then helped myself to a salad and some fruit from the self serve area. They also offer up massages, haircuts and more at the the spa and are very reasonably priced!

I really was blown away by their focus on health and hospitality and I so look forward to flying Virgin Atlantic or Virgin America again very soon!!

JG8D69D

1 More Shout Out for London!

I have only scratched the surface here in the city across the pond and I hope to come back soon so that I can cover some more ground. I could be here for quite some time and never eat at the same place twice, although I would love to ; ) From veggie burgers to veggie sushi, London has been quite the friend to this healthy voyager!

Having to take the tube and trains to many of my destinations, I had to pass through some of the major stations such as St. Pancras. In all of these major stations, it feels as though you are waking through a mall and it it you find a veritable gourmet food court. From Le Pain Quotidien (one of my favorite LA haunts),the Chop'd cafe and the local Mark & Spencer markets, there is no shortage of healthy choices to make before a long trip into or out of town. See a list or eateries and retailers on the St. Pancras Int'l Station website as well as info on the national rail stations.

Another health minded fast food locale is the ever growing Pret a Manger. Having now landed in New York, my first taste of the convenience based grubbery was in good old London. We were in a rush so this place was just the ticket with fresh, pre-packed sandwiches (like my yummalicious falafel, spinach and tomato sandwich on wheat) and alternatives to the regular empty calorie sides. I grabbed a fresh juice and parsnip crisps to go with my portable lunch. They print health tips and their healthy mission statement on all of their packaging, pretty cool; ) Hit Pret up in the UK and now in NYC!

Yo! Sushi was hands down one of the most conceptually fun places I have ever eaten. It's part sushi bar, part Jetsons and all lip smackingly good. There is a conveyor belt that goes around the entire perimeter of the sushi bar where they make their fresh food and set it on for you to grab as you wish. The colors of the bowls tell you the price point so you can eat as much or as little as you want and keep score ; ) They have an extensive menu with even more tantalizing treats and with that, they have calculated every possible bit of information on each of their dishes from calories to gluten content. This way the pickiest of eaters can eat without dealing with that new server that doesn't know which way is up let alone the ingredients in a a given dish. I hope to see one of these sprout up in LA soon but until then, check them out at Yo! Sushi.

On my last evening in town, my pals were in search of a Thai place that once we found it, the location was no longer there. So after quite some time of walking around aimlessly I was distracted by a cute character in neon. It was Topo Gigio, my favorite childhood European mouse! I then realized it was an Italian restaurant of the same name and despite my friends' protests, we got a table inside. I was tickled that the whole place was full of Topo Gigio dolls and drawings. And the menu surprised as well as my veggie counterpart and I each had a healthy serving of gnocchi and shared a pretty darn good artichoke appetizer. Needless to say, Topo Giggio pleased the kid and the grown up in me all at once ; )

Sadly, I had to head back home but I am more then stoked to get back to see good friends, perhaps catch a race or 2 and eat my way through the island once again!

A Foodie 4th!

Besides the fireworks, the grilled veggie burgers and hanging out with friends by the pool, celebrating the 4th without red , white and blue themed snacks is a no no! When else do you get to eat and drink that most glorious combo of patriotic colors? I've complied a few tips to add a little "green" to your 4th as well as some recipes that will complement the boatloads of bbq and beer you may be consuming throughout this festive weekend:

• Plan ahead on where you will be spending the 4th and see if you can carpool with friends. Check online for the nearest fireworks site and either take a romantic stroll or bike there to save gas, parking frustration and to burn off the days grub!
• Make smarter drinking choices like juices with organic liquor, organic wines and beers and most of all, drink responsibly.
• Opt to make a healthy dish to bring to the festivities. Pre-packaged sides and snacks are full of preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients. If you can't cook, bring organic bagged lettuce, organic dressing, a big bowl and you've brought a healthy side everyone will appreciate ; )
• And try one of these vegan friendly treats:

Herbed Couscous with Tomatoes
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium veggie broth or water
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or infused oil
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon, parsley or thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan; add couscous, olive oil (or infused oil), tomatoes and tarragon (or parsley or thyme). Stir, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper.

From eatingwell.com

Red, White, and Blueberry Freezee

1 c Vegan Whipping cream
1/2 c Frozen blueberries
1 ds Lemon juice
1 x Sugar to taste
Small Strawberries for garnish

Mix together the whipping cream, blueberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a blender.
Top with a few strawberries. If you would like to spike it, a little rum should do the trick!

Flag Cake

• Soy butter, soy margarine or vegan baker's spray
• Flour
• One package (2 layer size) of vegan white cake mix (plus ingredients to make the cake --- listed on the box)
• One package (4 serving size) red vegan jello
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 3 1/2 cups (8 ounce container) vegan Hip Whip or other vegan whipped topping, thawed
• 1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1 cup blueberries, washed
• 1 cup vegan miniature marshmallows

Grease 13 x 9 pan with margarine and dust lightly with flour. Prepare and cook cake mix according to package directions. Cool cake for fifteen minutes. Use large fork to make holes in the cake about every 1/2 inch. Pour jello into mixing bowl. Add the cup of boiling water and use scraper to thoroughly mix it until the jello is completely dissolved. Use the measuring cup to scoop out the jello and pour it over the cake. (It will run down into the holes, making the cake have pretty red stripes.) Put the cake into the refrigerator and let it chill for 3 to 4 hours. Use this time to cover your tray with aluminum foil if you wish. Once the cake is on the tray, you can decorate the sides of tray with star stickers. Put about one inch of warm water in the kitchen sink. Take pan out of refrigerator and dip just the bottom (don't let the water come up over the sides) into the water for about ten seconds. Put the large tray on top of the cake and hold on tightly! Turn the cake over so that the tray is on bottom and the pan is on top. Take the pan off. The cake should be resting on the tray. Frost the sides and top with whipped topping. Arrange the strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows on the cake so that it looks like a flag. (You should have rows of red and white stripes and the blue "background" of blueberries in the upper left hand corner. Put your flag cake into the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it!

Have a very happy and safe 4th!!