Life Alive

This weekend I found my new favorite place to eat! Life Alive in Lowell, MA!

Ive been meaning to try it for awhile, and yes Lowell isn't that far from Nashua, but for whatever reason it took me a year or so of saying I wanted to try it, to actually get down there. And of course I'm kicking myself now, wondering what the hell took me so long.

The food is unbelievably amazing, fresh, organic, and wholesome - All of my favorite things in food! The best thing is that when you leave, you are full and satisfied but also deeply nourished.

Their menu is unreal, and the whole vibe of the cafe is very warming and relaxing. In addition to the great food they have their own teas and snacks that they sell at the shop - they even make their own kombucha- which I have yet to try, but since I know how close it is now, and how delicious everything is, something tells me Ill be trying it in short order.

When I went I tried the Swami - everything on the menu was making me drool- it literally took me about a half hour to decide what I wanted. I wasn't disappointed. "Matty's Miso Curried Sauce sweetening a masterfully-tasty mix of tamari roasted almonds, flame raisins, pearl onions, dark greens, broccoli flowers, and shredded carrots, served over brown rice with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast." Amazing! Annnd- I had plenty for a little leftover the lunch the next day. I also tried the carrot cake smoothie- again after much deliberation :)

Couldn't speak more highly of this place, portions are great, atmosphere is uplifting and the food is a perfect marriage between tasty and healthy.

Check them out!

First (hopefully of many) Apple Picking of the Season

Last Sunday was my first apple picking excursion of the season with a couple of my closest friends. Ahhh have I mentioned this is one of my favorite favorite times of year?!

The best part about this trip? Not only is the location an apple orchard, its also a vineyard and winery. Talk about perfect day.

Yay fall and better yet, Yay Nashoba Valley in the fall!!

The Seedling Cafe

Soo I have to say I think I make some pretty effing good sandwiches. But .. when I don't feel like making one ( or I don't have the time) there's a place down the street from me that makes my favorite take out sandwich of all time. Yes ... all time.


The Seedling Cafe in Nashua, NH is my favorite place for wraps. They have a ton of vegetarian options, most can be made vegan if you ask. ANNND they support local farmers and use organic and locally grown ingredients whenever possible. How can you beat it?!

I was just there the other day. My favorite sandwich is my own creation....

Spinach wrap, olives, onions, pickles, lettuce and sprouts with hummus and honey mustard .. yummmm.

I want one now!

PS -I have to get better with this whole taking pictures of food before you eat it. It's just so hard for me!

Weekends=Heaven

Womp Womp to Mondays, but on a lighter note I had a fantastic weekend! It was filled with the all the things I love best.

Saturday was possibly one of the most beautiful days yet this year. Bright sunny skies, 70 degrees... it doesn't get much better! Sunshine always puts me in a great mood. In light of the stellar weather, Jay and I, along with our two dogs Bailey and Grady, decided to make a trip to Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis, NH and pick up some fresh veggies to grill for lunch. We got an onion, a red and green pepper, and a zucchini for our lunch endeavor. (Also picked up a blood orange, to tie me over, that was out of this world). The man checking us out asked us if we had our own bags, and then proceeded to tell us that we looked like the type that would have their own bags. Not sure if that is a good thing or not, but I was complemented :)

Once we were back home, we cut up our veggies and turned them into kabobs. I also cubed some baked tofu I had leftover in the fridge and made a couple kabobs out of that as well. We put some chipotle BBQ sauce on the vegetable kabobs, and we were ready to grill. After a half an hour or so and a couple of serious hunger pains they were done! They came out, awesome as usual. It's definitely one of my favorite summertime vegan meals. All the veggies tasted SOOO unbelievably fresh. I love buying from local farms. Its nice to add different veggies to suit your tastes too, summer squash and mushrooms are also great on these! Serve the kabobs over your favorite rice, its sure to please any guest, vegan or not!

I also made a delicious cocktail to enjoy in the sun.

3 parts vodka

7 parts limeade

Splash of Cran (just enough to turn it pinkish)

Mix all together and serve in a tall glass with plenty of ice and enjoy! Repeat as desired :)

Yay for warm spring Saturdays......Boo to cold rainy Mondays

http://brookdalefarms.com .... If you're in the southern NH area, defiantly check out Brookdale, it's one of my favorite places to visit.

The LAND of the PORT

Made my first trip to good 'ole Portland, ME last night. What a fun Town!

I really had no idea what to expect, being from very southern NH I don't make it up past Ogunquit very often, but it was so worth the two hour drive. I headed up there to see my favorite band Third Eye Blind, (side note- amazing show and venue) and ended up making a little evening out of it with my boyfriend, Jay. I spent pretty much the entire day yesterday looking up different restaurants, and shops. I was inundated, there was so much to check out. We settled on Shay's, the BF's not a vegan, (sniffle) but he tries to eat as healthy as possible. I had an amazing eggplant salad, and the icing on the cake..... $3.00 wine :) I was a happy girl !!

I didn't have much time this trip, but, next time I head up, there are a couple of places id really like to check out...

Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro http://greenelephantmaine.com/ They have so many amazing sounding dishes, and all the vegan options are marked, so it takes out the guess work !

Gro Cafe http://grofoods.com/ Completely vegan and even some macrobiotic items on their menu too. They're even a chocolatier! They use locally grown ingredients whenever possible and always fair -trade organic! Sounds like a great way to enjoy a nice bite and still stay healthy.

And it seemed like everywhere I turned there where health foods markets and vendors selling fair-traded goods. I love visiting Towns where there are a lot of socially and environmentally conscious people. Portland had a very laid-back atmosphere and I dig that!

Can't wait till my next visit when I can do more exploring!