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Gigi

MYILK DOES A BODY GOOD…

Posted on by Gigi in Recipes, Well-Being 2 Comments
love my MYILK

love my MYILK

I love homemade Almond milk! I use it to make tea “lattes”, as a creamy base for fruit smoothies, and for making decadent “raw” ice cream. It is so easy to make and is full of vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, good for your heart, protein, low in calories, calcium and a perfect alternative to cows milk. Here is my simple recipe. I’m not a fan of commercial almond milk and once you make it from scratch you will see the difference.

2 cups of raw almonds

6 cups of filtered water

2 teaspoons of lecithin (good for brain function) I need this

1/4 cup of agave, or coconut nectar, or maple syrup, or 3-4 dates or whatever sweetener you desire

1 vanilla bean or vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Soak almonds overnight in water.

soaked almonds

soaked almonds

Drain and measure out half of the almonds about 1 cup. I learned the hard way about putting all the almonds and water in the vitamix at once–a big mess!

Put half of the almonds in vitamix with 3 cups of water, vanilla bean, lecithin, sweetener and salt.

drain almonds

drain almonds

vitamix with almonds

vitamix with almonds

vanilla bean

vanilla bean

Blend on high speed until creamy and smooth. Strain in nut bag or cheesecloth, and that’s it…

blend mixture

blend mixture

nut bag

nut bag

Strain myilk

Strain myilk

Repeat with the other half of almonds. Refrigerate. Almond myilk should last about 3 days…not really sure because mine never lasts that long…Enjoy!

XOXO,

Gigi

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FEED BODY & SOUL

Posted on by Gigi in Dining Comments Off on FEED BODY & SOUL

 

FEED BODY & SOUL

FEED BODY & SOUL

I’m always on the lookout for a vegan/vegan friendly restaurants. So I was happy to venture over to Venice and check out Feed Body & Soul which opened in Jaunuary. 7 for All Mankind founder, Dee Anna Staats opened the restaurant with executive chef Matthew Dickson (Malo, Rockenwagner & Grace). The concept is to provide “sustainable, organic, locally sourced product that promotes the health and well being of our guests.” The space is really nice, you can tell someone put some thought in the design. Valet parking is available or you may get lucky and find a spot on the street.

FEED BODY & SOUL

FEED BODY & SOUL

The hours are 7AM to 11PM, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. We went Saturday for an early dinner, the menu is a combination of vegan items and rotisserie entrees. We started with a few items off the small plates section, a variety of the handmade pickled farmer market vegetables, of which the carrots were the stand out, the cauliflower, turnips, and beets were just okay. We also opted for a selection of daily spreads, sweet potato, cauliflower and artichoke, although very fresh something seemed as if it was missing.

SPREADS

SPREADS

Next we had the Raw Kale and Cucumber salad, it was nice but I have had better kale salads. The soup of the day was a spicy butternut squash, it was very smoky and spicy which was perfect for a chilly afternoon. My son did not like it at all, he said it tasted like bar be que sauce. My husband ordered the roasted cauliflower sandwich, which was weird.  The description did not appeal to me-bread and cauliflower in a sandwich…He ate half of it, but would not order it again. The drink menu consists of seasonal juice blends, seasonal smoothies, shots, teas, coffees, and a bar with crafted cocktails, beer and wine. We did not order dessert, which was a selection of vegan cookies.

SQUASH SOUP

SQUASH SOUP

I would certainly go back again in a few months when some of the kinks are worked out. There are so many interesting shops on Abbot Kinney that I would like to check out so I would take an afternoon and allow time to stroll the Blvd..

XOXO,

GIGI

GIGI FEED BODY & SOUL

GIGI FEED BODY & SOUL

SIGN

SIGN

FEED BODY & SOUL 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice CA 90291 310 450 5550  feedbodyandsoul.com

 

 

 

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SPRING CLEANING MOI

Posted on by Gigi in Well-Being 2 Comments

 

Green Goddess Juice

Green Goddess Juice

Now that our days our longer and the first day of spring is upon us, I like to think about “spring cleaning” moi. Starting from the inside, detoxing and getting rid of all the junk that has accumulated, like dust that settles in hidden corners, I want everything to be fresh and pass my white glove test. Juicing is a part of my regular diet, but I like to throw in a juice fast here and there to really eliminate. I’m going to start my “spring cleaning fast” on Monday, and continue it through Wednesday breaking my fast Thursday morning. You may want to join me, I’ll post my juice blends here, each day.

For my fast to be successful I will have my produce clean and ready to juice. So this weekend I will hit a farmers market and/or Whole Foods for organic in season veggies and fruits. When I first started juicing I was obsessed with having a recipe, until I realized that it is difficult to make a really “bad” juice, especially if you are starting with good produce, granted some may be more palatable than others, but all and all they are all good.

juice prep

juice prep

My plan for Monday, morning -32 0z room temperature water with lemon, yerbe mate sweetened with stevia, and a large green juice.

mid morning- apple/ginger/mint 8 oz

lunch-large  green juice

mid afternoon -pineapple/ginger

dinner- carrot “soup” juice (I will juice carrots, and some green veggies, maybe add a pear for sweetness, and some spices) and blend in my vitamix until it is warm like soup.

post dinner-mint tea with fresh mint

throughout the day lots of water.

 

Chop Chop

Chop Chop

Have a beautiful weekend and think about your “Spring Cleaning” and getting your body nice and clean. Do you have a “spring cleaning regimen for your body?

Xoxo,

Gigi

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Housewives Of ASPEN

Posted on by Gigi in Travel 2 Comments
Housewives of ASPEN

Housewives of ASPEN

For the past 10 years or so I have been going on an annual “girls” ski trip. A few of us are “wives” not necessarily “house”, a few of us are single ladies, all brought together for one week away from our crazy busy lives. We have gone to Vail, Whistler, Steamboat, Park City, Sun Valley, Mammoth, Breckenridge, Snow Mass, and Beaver Creek. Some of us are expert skiers, some of us don’t ski at all. We are a combination of good friends, new friends and old friends, we hail from the east, midwest and the fabulous west.

At times our trip could easily be a primetime reality show-8 strong personalities mixed together equals lots of explosive laughter, deep conversations, and lots of stories. On this trip, it started off with a laugh, one of our girls who flew into Denver and rented a car and was driving up to Aspen called us to say she was 5 minutes away. We were waiting for her to knock, when before we knew it 45 minutes had past. Greta, Molly and I could not imagine where she could be, so we  finally called her and she answered and said “I’m at the house, where are you all?” We realized she went to another townhouse and unpacked her groceries and was chatting with her “housemates”! We busted up laughing. Each year our trip is always a little different, we start planning our trip in August, figuring out who is going, and midway some the the ladies will invite a new friend to come along, which always keeps our group interesting and fresh.

The camaraderie that comes from spending time together is priceless. As far as skiing I am a solid intermediate almost advanced skier, I can do all blue runs and a few easy groomed blacks. Each year I take a clinic and improve on my skills. Here are a few more pics from our week in Aspen. We are already thinking about Sun Valley 2014!

Xoxo,

Gigi

IMG_5316

Aspen St. Regis Spa

Aspen St. Regis Spa

Dinner

Dinner

The Ladies

The Ladies                                                                                        

Dinner Casa Tua

Dinner Casa Tua

 

 

ASPEN

ASPEN

 

 

 

 

 

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Where Does the Mind Go, When it Decides to Leave?

Posted on by Gigi in Aging, friendship 2 Comments

I have been incredibly busy these past weeks. Between traveling and shotty internet, my blog has suffered-but I’m back. I’ve missed coming to this “place” sharing my thoughts.

You don’t need to be a neurologist to recognize when someone’s “brightness” is slipping away. What I find interesting is the moment it happens cannot be identified. Was it Christmas 2012? Was it the first time keys were misplaced? Was that the beginning? hmmmmm… I’m in trouble!

I’m a girlie girl who loves being pampered, and the older I get the more pampering I need to keep this body running smoothly. My “beauty services” are necessary indulgences, that help maintain my sanity. For the past 18 or so years I have been trekking across town to the Westside once a week to partake in various appointments. Once I find a person I like I am a lifer, a dream client that  will be there “rain or shine”.

I remember the first time I went to Jessica Nail Clinic, a friend of mine treated be to a manicure for my birthday. I loved my nails and was happy to find a shop that  was into healthy nails and did not do acrylic nails, which were all the rage back then. Leni, my manicurist  and I hit it off and I quickly snagged a “standing” appointment and have been going ever since. I developed a unique friendship with Leni, so much more than a client/service provider relationship. We watched our children grow up, shared our proud moments, our daughters graduations, medical school, marriage, grandchildren and our mutual love for Michelle watches. You would be amazed of how well you get to know someone spending an hour a week together year after year. As soon as I sat down she knew if something was wrong with me. We had a secret “eye” language that we would use when snotty rude clients walked in the shop.  Leni shared my tears when I lost my brother, went through a pregnancy with me, and my significant birthdays, there were a few sprinkled in during that period. We became each others confidants, even though our worlds outside of the shop did not intersect.

Endure

 

I can’t pinpoint the moment I noticed something different, but slowly I observed this sharp proud Romanian lady slowly start to slip away to some strange space. At first it was little things like “do you want coffee?” I stopped drinking coffee years ago, but every week she would ask. Picking out a color became an ordeal, changing an appointment was almost impossible, thankfully someone would  always come to the rescue. The ladies at the shop are like family, most of them came to this country from Romania. I had to pay attention to my manicure and help her keep on task with the various steps. Sometimes I felt as if I could feel her embarrasment for asking me questions over and over. I thought about leaving, and going somewhere else, but I couldn’t, deep inside I knew it was only a matter of time. My manicures suffered, but I could not abandon her at this point, even though I noticed some of her regulars disappeared.

So last week I cruised up to Sunset Plaza, stepped inside and did not see Leni. I was told that she got the “flu” and retired and would not be back. I was overcome with sadness, that quickly deteriated to a waterfall of tears. Leni was only in her early 60’s and just like that gone. Of course I pressed for an explanation and I got it. I was told that her last day at the shop she got so disoriented that she could not find her car, and they had to call her husband. She had been at the shop for over 20 years, all I could think about was no good bye, no farewell celebration, just gone.

My favorite Jessica color is “endure”.  I will always remember Leni when I wear this color…

Do you have a special relationship with your hair stylist? Manicurist? Massage therapist?

Xoxo,

Gigi

Manicure

Nails

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SCENES FROM THE WEEKEND

Posted on by Gigi in Travel, Weekend 4 Comments

This past weekend we visited Reggie’s parents in Northern in California. They live in Lakeport, a community two and a half hours north of San Francisco. My in-laws will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary the weekend of June 13-15 and I along with the family will be planning a destination weekend for 200 guests. I love planning parties and I love weddings, so much so that I buy wedding magazines just to browse and fantasize. The trip this weekend was primarily to  fine tune our location and investigate the area for accommodations. Both tasks were accomplished, of course I will be sharing all the details as they unfold. Here are a few scenes from the weekend.

Kimeko

Kimeko

Kimeko, a Shiba Inu puppy was a delight to photograph, she was  full of energy but I captured her from afar and zoomed in tight.

Weekend

DSC_5809 DSC_5823Fresh picked tangerines. It is so peaceful here…I was awakened by the sun rise, I quickly got up and grabbed my camera and with outside.

Persimmons

Persimmons

Read more


ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET

Posted on by Gigi in Well-Being 1 Comment

I hate to admit it, but sometimes my left knee bothers me, not enough to go to the “doctor” but just enough to be annoying at times. For example I notice when I am wearing heels, which is quite often, and I am going down stairs sometimes I have a little discomfort. Ski season is in full effect, and my annual “girls” trip is right around the corner, so of course I am concerned about my knee. I talked with Dr. Daoshing, my acupuncture doctor about this and he recommended an “anti-inflammatory” diet, and to drop a few pounds, he said that five pounds can make a difference. I will also get acupuncture for my knee as well, so hopefully this will be my cure all.

Dr. Dao

Dr. Dao

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Spices, Seasonings and Herbs

Turmeric, Basil, Cayenne Pepper, Mint, Cinnamon, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, Cilantro, Cloves, Ginger, Garlic and Green Tea

Spices

Spices

Fruit

Apple, Papaya, Pineapple,Kiwi, Guava, Kumquat, Pomegranate, Cherries, Grapes, Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Mulberries, Black Currants, Avocado

Fruit

Fruit

Vegetables

Onion, Fennel Bulb, Leeks, Yams, Sweet Potato, Rhubarb, Japanese Pumpkin, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Collards, Green beans, spinach, Chard, Broccoli, Cauliflower

Vegetables

Vegetables

Nuts, Seeds and Beans

Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Soy beans, Mung beans, lentils, Split peas

Nuts

Nuts

Oils

Olive oil, Walnut oil, Fish oil, Rice bran oil, Grape seed oil

oils

oils

Fish

Salmon, Cod, Herring, Bass, Snapper, Sardines and most cold water fish

being vegan no fish for me…

FOODS TO AVOID

Dairy, Alcohol, Coffee, Sugar, Deep-fried fatty foods, Processed, refined foods, Red meat, Junk food with trans fat

Night Shade Vegetables

Eggplant, tomato, bell pepper & potato

Tao of Wellness

List of anti-inflammatory diet-courtesy of Tao of Wellness

Acupuncture

Acupuncture

Have you tried Eastern Medicine? Acupuncture?

I will keep you posted on my results.

Xoxo,

Gigi

 

 

 

 

 

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10 THINGS

Posted on by Gigi in Well-Being 1 Comment

Came across this powerful quote on the web today. So timely and so so true. Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Gigi

 

Ten Things

Ten Things


IN THE RED and BROWN WATER

Posted on by Gigi in theater Comments Off on IN THE RED and BROWN WATER
In the Red and Brown Water

In the Red and Brown Water

 

I have always loved theatre. Growing up my mother and I would have secret outings where we would go to dinner and the theater.  I remember reading the Calendar section of the Sunday, LA Times looking for plays for us to go to. Our evening would start at the Hungry Tiger, a seafood restaurant in Culver City, to a 12 year-old this was living.

“In the Red and Brown Water” by Tarell Alvin McCrany  now playing at The Fountain theater, is sensational. I am so glad I ran into a fellow theater goer friend who told me about it. “Red and Brown Water”, is part of the brother/sister trilogy, which hopefully will be staged at the Fountain theater as well. The story is about Oya a young track star with a promising future. She has been scouted by the university with a scholarship offer to run track, a ticket out of the projects. Unfortunately her mother gets ill and Oya postpones college to be with her dying mother with hopes of going to college the following year, but of course there is no second chance. Faced with the hopelessness of her situation, she juggles two relationships, Ogun, a nice simple guy with a stammer who loves her, and Shago a womanizer that she falls real hard for.

Oya & Shango

Oya & Shango

 

Oya & Ogun

Oya & Ogun

The setting is a housing project in the Louisiana Bayou. I loved the device of the characters announcing stage directions before performing them. The names are all Yoruba and have meanings, Oya- goddess of the Niger River, wind and storms. The playwright explores mixing stories from two different cultures, Lorca’s Yerma and Oba in Yoruba mythology. The space is so intimate you feel as if you are eavesdropping on your neighbors. Now playing at the Fountain theater 5060 Fountain Avenue, LA through Feb. 24. Thursday-Saturday 8PM Sunday 2PM tickets 30-34 323 663-1525.

Gigi & Theodore

Gigi & Theodore

Theodore played Elegba, Oya’s play brother. We have had the pleasure of seeing Theodore in a few other productions around town.

Gigi & Dorian

Gigi & Dorian

Dorian Played Ogun, Oya’s “nice” boyfriend.

Gigi highly recommends you go see “In the Red and Brown Water”. I may go see it again, it was that good. All of the cast is phenomenal.

Afterwards we wanted to have a hot tea and my friend Blaine suggested we go to Tom n Toms in Korean town, a 24 hour coffee/tea spot. It was packed! We got our teas and sat outside, fortunately under a heater. This is a nice place if you find yourself in LA late and want a hot drink it is open 24 hours.

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Happy Monday,

Xoxo,

Gigi


ROUTINES

Posted on by Gigi in Well-Being Comments Off on ROUTINES

I find that the older I get the more I need a routine for certain things, like stretching my body daily. I don’t always make it to yoga class so I was delighted when I stumbled upon this “good morning” yoga sequence via pin interest. I now keep a yoga mat under my bed, so all I have to do is greet my mat and do this little routine, after which I can start my day. It has helped tremendously with little aches and pains I was starting to have, especially in my shoulders and knees. It’s like a teeth brushing for my body.

WS12A0119-544x524

My other routine is juicing, the benefits of adding fresh juice to your diet, are great. I love my juice, it is my feel good serum. I have been juicing for almost four years, a friend introduced me to “green” juice, and initially it was an adjustment, an acquired taste, but now I crave it daily. I prefer to make my own, I find that sometimes when I purchase from juice bars, the “green” juice is not green enough for my taste, and it is so expensive. I also like to vary my recipes based on how I feel and what I am in the mood for. If you prep your veggies, and have them ready like the juice bars do, you can make your juice in minutes, and the combinations are unlimited. Check out these recipes.

images-32

Journaling daily is my therapy. I always have some sort of journal with me, to jot down ideas for my blog, observations on life, dreams, and sometimes odd thoughts and feelings that I can record privately. Even in our electronic device age, and yes I do have most of the gadgets, there is something special about a nice pen and a pretty journal. I keep a pad on my night stand, for those moments when I wake up in the middle of the night.

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And lastly, taking pictures has become a part of my daily routine. I have always liked taking pics, but now that I am studying photography  I am constantly searching for interesting highlights and shadows. Sometimes it is the formation of the clouds, or the way a shadow has formed on a wall, or maybe an expression on someones face. I am always ready, whether it is with my i phone, my little point and shoot or my nikon.

Do you have any routines? I’d love to hear about them…

Xoxo,

Gigi

 

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