Tog and Porter

Posted on May 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

On any given day, I can usually be seen wearing the same outfit: black leggings (usually from forever 21), a theory tank top, and some kind of long sleeved shirt. The reason for this is NOT because I don’t have other clothes.

I actually have tons of clothes, and most of them still have tags on them! The reason I don’t wear them is because it’s too stressful for me to think of what to wear when I’m trying to get out the door before work or meeting up with friends. It’s time consuming and sort of overwhelming–not how I want to spend my down time.

It doesn’t help that I usually make impulse buys with no vision in mind as to what to wear the item with. Hence the two closets full of clothes, yet still nothing to wear.

When I heard about Tog and Porter , I was intrigued. Personal styling service that delivers clothes right to your door. Sounds perfect right!? I was excited to try it out.

I skyped with Ashley, my stylist for awhile–we discussed my personal style, my lifestyle and then dove right into my closet. I showed her pieces in my closet that I wanted to wear but didn’t not know what to wear as well as some of my favorite pieces. Then I then filled out a sheet with my measurements and we were on our way.

Two weeks after my box showed up. Inside the box were several outfits, along with a style guide showing me how to wear each piece. I met with Ashley again on Skype to review how to wear each of the pieces, and to give her feedback on the items she sent.

(Before opening the package)

As it turned out, almost everything fit me perfectly! The only piece that did not, was sent back hassle free with a return label right in the box. I really loved the entire experience and would totally do it again.  Needless to say, my forever 21 leggings have taken a back seat :-)

Here is an example of one of my style guides as well as some photos of me in my new gear.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Rachel



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4 Hour Body

Posted on April 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hi everyone,

Recently G and I have decided to try the 4 Hour Body Diet by Tim Ferris. I am giving myself 1 month to see if the diet works for me. There a few basic rules of the diet:

1) No grains including rice, wheat, oats, quinoa etc. You also can not have starchy vegetables like potato.

2) No fruit

3) Beans with every meal- Beans are whats considered a “slow carb”, and helps to keep you full on this diet

4) Lots of protein- protein with every meal

5) unlimited portions – only 3 or 4 meals a day allowed and a small snack before bed if needed

6) One cheat day a week- during this day you can eat whatever you want in what ever quantities. Tim gives some strategies for keeping blood sugar down during your cheat.

Its only been one week. G has seen results and lost 4 lbs. However, I am not sure if it works as well for women, especially if you don’t have much to lose. My weight stayed exactly the same. I find that the diet is pretty easy to stick to, although it’s hard for me to have beans with every meal.

Yesterday we had our first cheat day, which was awesome. See below for details.

Breakfast: as usual (protein drink)

Lunch- Source restaurant in SOMA. Great gluten free splurge options. Lunch was: 3 giant gluten free pancakes, gluten free/dairy free truffle mac and cheese (amazing!), and a gluten free “snowball”, which was more like a cupcake.

Snack- Gluten free bread with almond butter -I was craving it!

Dinner- Sushi at LIVE sushi, which has quickly become my go-to for good sushi in SF

G’s cheat day was much more fun- he had everything I had, plus pizza, frozen yogurt with brownie chunks, and a huge sandwich from the cheese shop on polk street. My allergies sort of limit how “crazy” I can go on cheat day.

We started Sunday morning back on the 4-hr body diet track with some black bean and protein powder pancakes (this recipe to come).

Thanks for reading!

Rachel

 

 

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Cocktails

Posted on March 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hi all,

I may not have mentioned this, but I love good cocktails. I am not talking about vodka tonics, rather the cocktails that require artistic ability and creativity. My husband and I are not big on nights out on a the town, but hanging out a cool bar with really good drinks is totally up our alley.

In NYC, we used to love Milk and Honey and Apothéke. We actually has the head mixologist at Apothéke bar tend at our wedding! When it comes to fresh and creative cocktails, SF does not fail to provide ample options to get your drink on. I am slowly but surely making my way down this list. Anyone care to join?

Castro / Upper Market

Blackbird
Location: 2124 Market St.

Churchill
Location: 198 Church St.

Embarcadero / Financial District

Rickhouse
Location: 246 Kearny St.

Haight-Ashbury

The Alembic
Location: 1725 Haight St.

Mission District

Elixir
Location: 3200 16th St.

Royal Cuckoo
Location: 3202 Mission St.

North Beach

15 Romolo
Location: 15 Romolo Place

Comstock Saloon
Location: 155 Columbus Ave.

SOMA/Yerba Buena

AQ Restaurant & Bar
Location: 1085 Mission St.

Bar 888 at the InterContinental San Francisco
Location:  888 Howard Street

House of Shields
Location: 39 New Montgomery St.

Mr. Smith’s
Location: 34 Seventh St.

Union Square

Bourbon & Branch
Location:  501 Jones St


Burritt Room
Location: 417 Stockton St.

Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen
Location: 401 Taylor St.

Rye
Location: 688 Geary St


Wilson and Wilson
Location: 505 Jones St.


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Farm Fresh 2 U

Posted on March 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

 

Sourcing farm fresh fruits and vegetables comes easy to bay area folks. As a NYC native, I can really appreciate how accessible it is to buy produce directly from local farms here in San Francisco.

 There are the farmers markets, which are my absolute favorite. Not only can you buy great produce, but you have a chance to speak to the farm owners and workers them selves about the products they sell and about the process. Not to mention getting tips on how to cook it. The next best option is the community-supported agriculture (CSA). CSA’s are also known as “subscription farming”. Technically you buy a “subscription” from a farm (just as you would a magazine), and in exchange you receive a “share: of fresh local produce and/or eggs and meat. CSA’s are great in that by paying for your “share” in advance, you are helping farmers to cover some of their upfront costs. CSA’s will generally deliver to your door or provide a local pick up spot. The last way to purchase produce directly from small farms is through grocery stores (usually smaller ones) that carry produce from specific farms. Some groceries such as Bi-rite, will indicate next to the produce which farm the produce came from.

Each method has pros and cons. You will need to do research to find which method works best for you.  The one thing that remains the name from all of them is that buying produce from small farms is much better for you then buying produce that has not been locally sourced. Some of the benefits are:

  • More nutrients in the produce
  • Produce will last longer
  • Produced is usually grown without pesticides even though it may not be marked as “organic”. The “organic” seal is very expensive for small farmers to obtain so although their produce may actually be grown the same way as “organic” produce is, it does not have the “organic” title
  • More money spent in local economy
  • Produce is generally less $$ then in the stores
  • Good for the community
  • Can talk with the local farmers and best ways to cook and preserve the produce
  • You will try produce you never knew existed! Who knew that there were limequats, stinging nettles, and so many varieties of squash.

 

One more great reason to eat produce from local farms is that it ensures that you are only eating what is in season. Eating with the seasons is great, as you end up getting a wide range of nutrients from varying your produce intake.

 Here is a list of local farmers markets in the area:

Alemany Farmers’ Market (Mission/Bernal Heights) Saturdays: 6 a.m –3 p.m. 100 Alemany Blvd. 415-647-2043

Bayview Hunters Point Farmers’ Market (SOMA/Potrero Hill) Wednesdays: 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Bayview Opera House/Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre 4705 Third St. 415-824-0386

Castro Farmers’ Market (Castro) April 7-October 27, 2010 Wednesdays: 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Noe St. at Market St. 4705 Third St.

Crocker Galleria Farmers’ Market (Union Square/Financial District) Thursdays: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Crocker Galleria 50 Post St. 415-393-1505

Divisadero Farmers’ Market (Alamo Square) Sundays: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Grove St. at Divisadero

Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market (Embarcadero) Year-round Tuesdays: 10 a.m-2 p.m. Thursdays: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Ferry Building 1 Ferry Plaza 415-291-3276

Fillmore Farmers’ Market (Fillmore) Saturdays: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. O’Farrell at Fillmore, and Fillmore Center Plaza

Heart of the City Farmers’ Market (Civic Center) Year-round Wednesdays: 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sundays: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Market St. (between Seventh and Eighth streets) 415-558-9455

Inner Sunset Farmers’ Market (Inner Sunset) Year-round Sundays: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. In the parking lot between 8th and 9th Avenues, south of Irving St.

Kaiser Permanente Farmers’ Market (Richmond) Wednesdays: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 2425 Geary Blvd. Parking is available at the Kaiser Hospital Garage at 2190 O’Farrell St. 800-949-3276

Mission Community Market / Mercado Comunitario De La Mission (Mission) Thursdays: 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Bartlett St. at 22nd St.

Noe Valley Farmers’ Market (Noe Valley) Year-round Saturdays: 8 a.m -1 p.m., live music at 10 a.m. 3861 24th St. between Vicksburg and Sanchez streets 415-248-1332

Stonestown Farmers’ Market (Sunset) Year-round Sundays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. West side parking lot near Macy’s off Buckingham Way 415-564-8848

UCSF Farmers’ Market (Sunset) January 13-December 8, 2010 Wednesdays, 10 a.m-3 p.m. 505 Parnassus Ave.

Upper Haight Farmers’ Market (Upper Haight) April 28-October 27 , 2010 Wednesdays, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Waller St. at Stanyan St.

Fort Mason Farmers Market Sundays 9:30-1 38 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 561-4323

 Some CSA’s to look into

www.greenheartsfamilyfarm.com – I currently use this one and have love it!

www.mariquita.com/

www.eatwiththeseasons.com/

www.eatwell.com

 

I will be posting some great recipes made from food from my CSA boxes in weeks to come!

Rachel

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V-Day In Healdsburg

Posted on February 13, 2012 | 1 Comment
Ridge

Healdsburg is easily one of my favorite places to visit. I don’t know what it is about it, but every time I’m there, it makes me so happy.

This time around, G and I, along with two other couples, planned a V-Day getaway. We stayed in that Healdsburg Hotel on the square which we were very happy with (maybe because of the great brunch on the house :-) )

Friday night we ate at Spoon Bar in the H2 hotel. Spoon Bar is awesome. Its very casual and laid back, yet they have amazing food. I opted for the Chicory Salad and the grass fed burger with a size of dehydrated pepper chips.

Of course, I did not eat the bun since it’s not gluten free. Although its times like this, I wish I could eat it!

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday morning we headed over to J Bubly winery for a 6 course wine and food pairing. I couldn’t believe how accommodating they were about my GF and DF allergies. They custom-made me each dish, to make sure they were “Rachel friendly”.

After J, we went to the following wineries: Ridge, Dry Creel, Garage and Bella. Bella also had a wine and food pairing special for Valentines day.Let’s just say I wasn’t feeling too hot by the time I got home :-) . My poor husband had to take care of me.

For dinner that night we dined at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg hotel. Dry Creek Kitchen is a Michelin star restaurant owned by chef Charlie Palmer. Again, the food was amazing. I had a salad to start, and G and I shared the chicken and steak for our entrees. For dessert, the waiter bought me out this:

A selection of dairy free sorbet including chocolate, cucumber and carrot flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

As if we didn’t have enough good eats, we ended our food fest with brunch at Bovolo on Sunday.

cute little puppy I found on the street

And that’s my weekend recap!

Happy V-day!

Rachel

 

 

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Cycle for Survival

Posted on February 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hey everyone!

G and I just got back from an amazing event at equinox fitness, in downtown San Francisco called Cycle for Survival.

A young woman named Jennifer Goodman Linn, living in NYC, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Jennifer soon realized that her type of cancer, along with other rare forms of cancer, were ignored in the world of cancer research. Jennifer decided to change that one cycle class as a time. Jennifer started the organization, Cycle for Survival, with her supportive husband Dave in 2007. It became an official Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center event in 2009. The event quickly caught on, and continued to double in size each year. When it first started in 2007, the organization raised $250,00. This year they raised an incredible 6.1 million! This past summer, Jennifer passed away.

G and I participated this year in a team of 6 people, along with 200 others at the event. For 4 hours, the 6 of us alternated riding on 2 different bikes. Total, I rode for about 2 hours. The instructors were amazing and the energy in the room really kept you going. It felt so good to be riding for such a good cause. Along side us riding, were survivors of  rare cancers, people who lost family and friends due to rare cancer, and friends and family of Jennifer who started the event.

When the ride was over, videos of Jennifer were being played on large screens throughout the gym. I was heartbroken and couldn’t help but cry. Jens doctor spoke about the diseases, as well as cancer survivors who shared their stories.

I was so honored to have participated in this event and felt so close to the cause. This is a great organization, and how better to help support the cause than getting your butt kicked!

If you want to donate to team Piper, click here!

Thanks for reading!

Rachel

 

 

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Juice to You SF

Posted on February 5, 2012 | 1 Comment

Any one who knows me, knows all to well about my love affair with juicing.

I used to make juices religiously with either my Breville juicer, or my newer shiner Omega 8006. That is until I heard of the Norwalk Press. The Norwalk press, unlike other more conventional juicers, is a slow process and preserves much more of the nutrients due to less oxidation. In addition, the juices can be stored for up to 3-4 days and still retain all the good stuff. Most people are not aware, but most juices you buy from deli’s or even juice bars, are made with centrifugal juicers. During the process of making juice in a centrifugal juicer, the juice loses nutrients through exposure to air, electricity, heat and light. These juices are meant to be consumed immediately. This makes it difficult to make juices ahead of time for juice fasts and what not.

New York City had a plethora of options for Norwalk pressed juices such as: The Juice Press, Liquiteria, Organic Avenue, etc. Unfortunately, San Francisco just has not caught on yet.

This past week I was hoping to do a 3 day juice fast. I called up four different juice bars/ juice cleanse delivery services in San Francisco, and all of them reported that they used centrifugal juicers. Finally I got in touch with Juice to You, who does in fact use a juice press! Yay.

I ordered the advanced juice cleanse  (mostly greens) on Tuesday for a Wed-Fri cleanse. A nice guy named Ben came by Wednesday morning to drop them off. Here is what came:

 

The juices were as amazing as I remember from my NYC spots. They were cold and fresh. In addition to the juices came 2 elixirs and an almond milk. Yum!

Truth be told, I didn’t actually stick to the cleanse. I had a hard week at work and needed some fuel to help me out. None the less, I got my greens for the month and I’m feeling good. I can’t wait to order again for when I can actually stick to it.

If your thinking about doing a juice cleanse, I would totally recommend Juice To You.

 

Rachel

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Samovar Tea Lounge

Posted on February 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Samovar Tea Lounge has quickly become one of my favorite spots to eat in San Francisco for a relaxing lunch, a casual dinner, or even just to do some work while drinking tea. They have 3 locations- one downtown on Howard Street, one close by to the Castro, and one on Paige Street near Hayes Valley. Lucky for me, on any given day, I am usually within 10 blocks of a Samovar. Needless to say, I have tried almost everything I am not allergic to on the menu (which by the way is marked with GF or V so I know exactly what is safe to eat!).

The first time I went to Samovar I was told I had to order the Paleo Tea Service, which if you are familiar with the Paleo Diet (aka caveman diet)  you would know has protein (in this case a choice of smoked duck or smoked wild salmon), vegetables (carrots, beats, and kale) and no grains. It also comes with a choice of fresh brewed teas. The second time I went I tried the Japanese Tea Service (lentil soup, brown rice, smoked salmon, seaweed salad and green tea), which is still my favorite thing on the menu.

 Today when I went, I tried something new…the tea soup. Sounds weird I know. The soup consists of a choice of duck, tofu or salmon, with rice veggies, wakame and shiitake mushrooms and a broth made of tea. It was yummmmmm…

From what I am told, the best thing on the menu is the rose infused greek yogurt. Fine..you got me…I  have tried a baby bite at the risk of having stomach issues and it was totally worth it!

In summary..Samovar is totally my cup of tea :-)

Good night!

Rachel

 

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Running/Biking Watch Review- Garmin FR 610

Posted on January 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was not a runner before beginning training for my triathlon . Things like running pace or or distance did not mean much to me.

When I first started running, one of my team members taught me about the “walk/run” method. Just like it sounds, you alternate walking and running. For example, I would run for 5 minutes and then walk for 2. As it turns out, for some people, they actually end up with better times this way. I immediately fell in love with the method, as I did not feel the pressure of needing to run the entire distance without stopping. Also, by keeping track of how long I was able to run for before needing to walk, I knew if I was improving. I went from running for 5 minutes and walking for 2, to running for 10 minutes and walking for 1. I began looking for watches that could notify me at set intervals so I knew when to walk and run.

The Garmin FR610 had this feature, along with many other cool ones. The watch has GPS, a heart rate monitor option, a cycling option, and is highly customizable. As you scroll through all the display options on the watch, you can chose which ones you want flashing across the screen. For example, I always wanted lap pace, distance, and a timer (you can chose up to 4 things to be displayed at a time. Sometimes I would only pick 3 per screen).

More serious athletes would probably chose different things to be displayed. I also loved the “virtual partner” option, where you are essential “racing” against a partner, and are informed by a vibration every time your partner is beating you.

 

One of my favorite specs of the watch, is the wireless auto sync capabilities. I would come home and upon walking through the door, all my data from my ride or run (distance, altitude, pace etc) would automatically upload to the computer with a map of my course. That would always make me really proud. Plus I can always easily access my courses for future workouts.

The only negative things about the watch are the battery life and that it is not completely waterproof. Other then that, I really love this watch and can’t wait to use it again come training season! It really helped motivate me to get through my runs! Ironically, I grew out of the walk/run by the time of the triathlon :-) .

Like always, leave a comment with any questions!

Click here for more information about the watch!

RM

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Stacey’s Scrumptious Delights- San Francisco Organic/Vegan Food Delivery Service

Posted on January 26, 2012 | Leave a comment


Back in December I traveled to Palm Springs, CA, for my annual juice fasting retreat at the We Care Spa. The one thing I love about We Care, is the people I meet. We Care attracts people from all over the world, with all different cultures, but all with same common goal of wanting to be healthy and feel good.

This time around I met some pretty fabulous people including Stacey. Lucky for me, Stacey is from Oakland, a mere 20 minute drive from San Francisco. One night, while getting “drunk” off some juice, Stacey and I began talking about food. Go figure..what else is there to do while your fasting! Stacey told me about her love for cooking and her dream to have her own business one day. Upon hearing this news, the first thought that came to my head was “I would totally be a customer if Stacey was selling her home cooked food!”.

You see, Stacey like me, values organic ingredients and makes most of her food Vegan, which for me translates to dairy free. I immediately asked Stacey if she would consider allowing me to buy some of her home made food and if so, could she make things gluten free. All of a sudden, a big smile spread across her face and she said “of course”. I went back to my room that night hungrier then ever and couldn’t wait to get back to San Francisco to start my meal delivery service. As Stacey and I continued plotting the next day, another Bay Area local and her husband overheard the conversation and wanted in on Stacry’s new venture. Within 2 weeks of Stacey’s decision to move forward with her organic, vegan, food delivery service, another 3 people had already signed up through word of mouth.

Clearly there is a need for this kind of service. I was surprised when I made the move from NYC to SF, to find that there are many more options for vegan, organic and raw food in NYC then there are in San Francisco. Since moving here, I have only found a few places that offer healthy vegan food and juices that you can take on the go (cafe gratitude, the plant, and power source juice bar). While those are all great options, they are not within walking distance from me, and the times I’ve attempted a quick stop over to pick stuff up, I have not found parking. In contrast, New York has places like Carvan of areas, Gingersnap Cafe, The juice press, Organic Avenue, Liquiteria, Angelica Kitchen, and the list goes on and on.

This has only been my second week of receiving Stacey’s food. She is using me as one of her “guinea pigs” (which I’m happy to be!) to work out any kinks in operation. The first two weeks have been a total success. Stacey has received amazing feedback from all her little “pigs” around the Bay Area. Even my husband, who has no dietary restrictions, gobbled down her food and requested seconds both weeks. Below is the sample menu from last week and some pictures.

Curried Red Lentil Soup with sweet potatoes and Swiss chard. 8 oz. – $5 16 oz. – $8

Potato leek soup 8oz. – $5

Southwest Salad with black/pinto beans, red peppers, jicama, green onion, cucumber & cilantro. Served with the We Care Green Goddess dressing. $10 per serving

Sautéed Spinach, onion & sun dried tomato tart with almond flour crust. 1/2 tart (4 pieces) – $10 Full tart (8 pieces) – $18

Moroccan chick pea & butternut squash tagine with brown rice. $10 per serving

Raw Moroccan carrot salad with honey, garlic, spices. (this salad is so flavorful and delicious!) $6 per serving

Hummus/carrots – $6

Pineapple ginger elixir -$5 Home made hemp/almond milk – 16oz. – $3

Coconut raw balls – $1 Oatmeal cookies – $1

Another great thing about Stacey’s food delivery service is that all food is packaged in BPA free materials, meaning that she uses mostly all glass and paper for packaging.

view from my apartment while eating Stacey's food

If you are interested in signing up for Stacey’s Scrumptious Delights, leave a comment below with your email address, and you will be added to her mailing list with weekly menu options!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

Rachel Lauren

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