The Basketball Diaries (Part II)

Hello Hello! 

C here again...apologizes, J has been busay!  But stay tuned and he will be posting again soon :) 

This is Part II of Basketball Diaries...did you miss the first one?  Catch it here: Part I

Anyhow, we were terrible food bloggers yesterday night.  We made it to LA around 4 or so in the afternoon.  The game wasn't going to start until 7 so J drove us to this place called Space 15 Twenty, the place is owned by the Urban Outfitters brand.  It has trendy and pricey "Thrift Stores" such as What Goes Around Comes Around, Free People, Hennessey + Ingalls, LAXART ANNEX, and a the famous burger joint Umami Burger. 

We went into all the stores, I tried on a $300 vintage skirt at What Goes Around...it was absolutely gorgeous, but my bank account isn't in the business of $300 skirts if you know what I mean ;) 

I did find an amazing pair of pants at Free People though...on sale and fit me perfectly!  J bought them for me to wear for an upcoming exciting interview I'm going to (details to come when more happens).  Thank you J!!!  

After our little shopping escapade our tummies were hungry, but it was about 6.  We put our names down at Umami, but the wait was going to be an hour long!  They are THAT popular, so sadly it was a no go for us.  

Instead, we hit up our "ush" LA burger spot, The Veggie Grill in West Hollywood.   J ordered the "All Hail Kale" on Kale and I ordered their famous "Grillin' Chickin," one of their most famous burgers.  Our burgers came in a jiffy and we took them on the road...eating in the car on the way to the Staples Center.  We are classy like that ;) When we got in the parking structure, I spotted a fitness dvd on a pole and joked to J that he should pick it up (since he's real fitness-y).  Turns out it was a brand new copy of LA Lakers Andrew Bynum's Fitness DVD.  Who would just randomly leave a brand new dvd in a parking structure?  Is this a promotion?  Who knows, it is West Hollywood and those people be banking.  So we swooped up the dvd and heading on our way! 

The pictures weren't very good, seeing as it was pitch dark outside and we were in a moving car.  This was my sammy, J's was too dark to photograph.  It was sooooo good, it tasted exactly like Chicken.  Even better than chicken, I am amazed by what people can do with Seitan.  J thoroughly enjoyed his sammy too! 

Then we go to the game and met up with J's coworker and his buds.

The game was pretty great!  The Clippers lost, but we just wanted to see Blake Griffin!  And did we, he dunked on dunked the competitors.  J spent the majority of the time booing the Celtics, who he hates with a passion!

I hope you guys enjoyed our basketball adventures!  There will be more to come ;)

Hope you guys are enjoying the day!  Hopefully, J will be posting next.  Until then!

Cheers,
C

The Basketball Diaries (Part I)

Hey-O! 

Wassup?  Did you guys enjoy reading J's super super long blog post?  Did you even finish reading it?  If you didn't read Part 1 & Part 2.   What a great time.  Basketball & Food our two favorite things!  And much to your delight the basketball + food adventure continues!  We just attended the SDSU vs.  BYU game!  What a blast - even if we lost :( - the school spirit was insane in the stadium!  

The line of people waiting to get in, I had to campout for tickets.  It was THAT serious of a game! 

School spirit at it's best...J and I didn't like the offensive costumes though.  Kill them with kindness, not meanness :( boooo!

The game was fun!  The final score was 80-67 :(  They killed us, but hey it's about the experience...right?  Right?!

Afterwards, we stopped by THE DOGHOUSE, the doghouse is a little stand that opened up right by my dorms.  They sell organic coffees (from Calabria), hot dogs, vegan hotdogs, and snacky snacks!  Really cute and they have a great staff too!  They gave J a free coffee because they ran out of their Vegan hotdogs.   J got the Louisiana Hot Link and I got the Tofurky Bratwurst.  They gave J a packet of cream cheese too because apparently it's amazaballs with the hot dog.  And he agreed, it was!  They also had a plethora of sauces.  So good, I also put some ramen flakes in my hotdog.  Yum yum yum!



A perfect lunch for after the game!  We are now off to LA for the Clippers vs. Boston game!  GOOOOO CLIPPERS!!!!  We hate the Boston Celtics.  We're more of LA Lakers game but hey, gotta do you're best with with you're given.  

Hope you guys are having a lovely Saturday!

Cheers,
C

A Tribe Called West (Part 2)

A continuation of our most recent trip to LA.  Read Part 1 first.  

C and I actually planned on attending the NBA All-Star Game itself but a certain someone was an hour late after the tickets were released and it was sold-out before tickets could be purchased.  I'm sure that certain someone was very sorry and just very busy.  :-|

Nevertheless, we still hit up the NBA Jam Session!  C saw Dirk........'s jersey.........painted on a wall.  So close to the real thing!  The NBA.  It's PHAN-tastic! 

 Jordan still rules.  

 Me and Pau Gasol are boys.  Here's me putting my arm on Pau.  It's ok...we're boys.  C is somewhere here too...I think...

Just chilling at Pau's locker.  We're boys, it's ok. 

 Rubbing Pau's belly.  We're boys, it's ok.  

This kid won an epic shootout.  He was definitely the crowd-favorite and the announcer's favorite as well.  "I'm not saying you're my favorite.  I'm just saying I like you best."  

 After the NBA Jam Session, C and I drove to watch the game.  We were denied at the Wing Stop since they only serve ages 21+, but with quick thinking, we remembered there was a sports bar & grill next to the Veggie Grill in El Segundo.  I remembered it looking family-friendly...

...BINGO!  The Counter in El Segundo is an incredible place.  Aside from being well-staffed, there wasn't many people there.  C and I made our way to the counter (of The Counter, hehe) and made ourselves at home  

 The Counter specializes in custom-built burgers.  Such a fun concept!  Great topping options and a wide variety of specials.  After we placed our burger orders, we started with the fried pickles.  C was pumped they were on the menu but they came out not as good as expected.  A bit too soggy says the Southern girl.  

 The burgers on the other hand.  Oh. Em. Gee.  Amazing.  Here's C's turkey burger with a dollop of goat cheese.  Whole wheat bun, toasted perfectly.  

I opted for a 1/2 patty and went sans bun.  Topped it with pineapples for some digestive support.  The meal was incredible. 

As was the game, since the West won and hometown player Kobe Bryant earned the game's Most Valuable Player award.  The perfect cap to the most valuable day!  

-j

A Tribe Called West (Part 1)

Last week, I got an email from Chef Tanya telling us about the her upcoming cooking classes!  We first heard about the awesomeness of Chef Tanya and Native Foods from Quarry Girl's blog and have been meaning to try it out whenever we were in Los Angeles.  The last time we were in LA, our gastrocnemius was were preoccupied by The Veggie Grill and various protein drinks (PROTEIN!) so Native Foods would have to wait.  Well, we'd have to wait not much longer since we'd been planning on attending the NBA All-Star Game in LA!  Quite serendipitous that Chef Tanya's class would be held that same day.  So C and I woke up early from SD and made the 2 hour trek to Culver City!  

We arrived earlier than the 11am start time, so we dropped by a nearby Trader Joe's.  This had to be the biggest Trader Joe's ever!  And much more luxurious than the ones in San Diego.  The lanes were much wider and even the sample table had large portions - almost a meal in and of itself!  C sampled the hash browns and eggs (very good, she said) and I had a mean cup of Joe.  It was delicious.  

With our bellies warmed up in the foodie form of dynamic stretching and calisthenics, we headed back across the street and were welcomed by a line forming outside Native Foods.  We were surprised since we didn't figure for this many people to have been there on a Sunday morning.  Needless to say, we were even more surprised when we turned around in a few minutes to see the line wrap around the block!  Yikes!  Glad we got there early for seating...

 We got pretty sweet seats way up front and at around 11:15am, the star had arrived!

 Chef Tanya is such a natural in front of a crowd.  I found myself transfixed by her ability to relate and communicate with the audience.  For such a food celebrity, she's so down to earth and a wonderful educator.  And generous too!  Native Foods passed out samples to every attendee.  Here's the first dish, Tomato Garlic  Bread Soup!

 Washed it down with some chai tea made with agave.  Delectable!

 Washed the chai down with lavender lemonade-also made with agave.  This was particularly great - it was C's favorite and she typically doesn't like beverages outside of water and green tea.

 Chili verde vegan was incredible, though we like things a tad more spicy.  I suppose you can't be making really spicy dishes for the general public though.

 Choco-banana baked pudding was great, though I am a traditionalist with puddings.  Pudding should stay in pudding form, that's what I say.  *nods authoritatively*  Love the serving side...such a great touch of Chef Tanya's personality.

 Watermelon fresca, made with agave!  This was a bit too sweet for C, but just perfect for me.  :)

 After the cooking demo, Chef Tanya took the time to sign copies of her book and chop it up with patrons.  She makes everyone feel at home, with an infectious personality.

 Chef Tanya's cookbook is a steal at the price she sells it for.  Other vegetarian/vegan cookbooks by chefs of her esteem are easily priced 2-3x more than what she sells it for.  But that's a reflection of Chef Tanya - she wants to make the lifestyle accessible and within reason for everyone.  It's woven into the fabric of the restaurant from the table tops to the personnel.  Everything and everybody is super relatable.  ...and FUN!

 By this time, it was lunch time and C and I made the decision (it wasn't a tough one) to stay there and mow down on the chow.  I got the Gandhi Bowl and a side of chili!  Yes, I sided a meal with another meal.  We all have our quirks, let's not judge me.

 C rocked the Wild Buffalo Wrap.  The tempeh tasted exactly like chicken - we were floored!

 After snagging one last pic of the recipe of the week, C and I headed west to our next destination...Staples Center - the site of the NBA All-Star Game!

To be continued tomorrow... 

In the meantime, sign up for Chef Tanya's cooking demos here: Cooking Demos at Native Foods. And drop by the Native Foods blog for amazing vegan recipes.  :)

-j

Greens that be Tender

What is the perfect meal after pilates?  Something light and airy of course...Tender Greens is the place to go after a good light workout.  J and I hit this place up after our Groupon Pilates sesh on Friday.  It reminds me of Veggie Grill.  You stand in line and wait for your order after it's placed, they make it right away.  

I ordered a simple salad with tuna and mashed potatoes.

J ordered a tomato soup side and the "Salad in the Raw."

Every dish was light, prepared nicely and it hit the spot.  Absolutely perfect for an after workout meal.

They also had a lovely selection of desserts.  We were going to see Gnomeo & Juliet afterwards, so we bought a Chocolate Chip cookie for J and a Blondie for me to sneak in ;)  

It was a great night; healthy, light, and fun!  What more can you ask of a Friday?  Instead of alcohol and partying we choose health and company :) 

Hope yours was as lovely!

Until next time! 

Cheers,

C