Raw Vagabonding : Los Angeles in the Raw

Started the next morning off right, by going to the Santa Monica Farmers Market and getting a bite to eat from the Juliano's Planet Raw stand. I got a fresh coconut and the pizza, which was covered in artichokes, olives and a ton of other delicious things and sat in the grass with my host, Raquel to enjoy it. It was pretty good, but to me, not too many things top fresh coconut, so I had them go back and chop the top off so I could munch on the meat inside. When I told them about my trip, they asked which city had the best raw food...I'm not sure, but even though I'm having a great time, I miss SF something fierce already.




Then Raquel and I picked up 3 huge bunches of green for only $5 and walked back to her house to make this delicious salad to bring to the CS potluck. It wasn't raw, but I figured we could try to be a good influence.




Tri-green Salad

1 bunch Kale, finely chopped
1 bunch Dandelion Greens, finely chopped
1 bunch Spinach, finely chopped
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Cold pressed olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl, toss with hands and let marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

My old friends from Brooklyn, Sam and Daina, both came to the CS potluck to hang out for a bit before we went out to play. Sam is a painter and street artist who has been living in LA for a few years now. Daina still lives in NYC, but was in town because she had an exhibit at a gallery in LA. She paints in a photo-realist style, but often with spray paint, retaining some of her urban street style. Her work is pretty intricate, and if anyone is in New York, she's in the Queens International exhibit at the Queens Museum of Art. I knew she'd make it into a museum one day - she's been living, breathing and eating art as long as I've known her and has always hustled to make it. It was so great to see them both and run around town for the night. We had a lot of fun, and I think maybe Daina had a little too much fun in the sticker store:



Here's a few other random shots from my days in LA...

Mini-Juice Feast 2008

I did a mini-juice feast for about 3 days. I initially was planning 10 days, but I had to cut it short and postpone doing it long-term until I have steady income again. It was pretty easy to stick to because I already juice almost daily, and I felt more alert, energetic and ultra connected. The only drawback was that it was really costly for me to juice enough to not be hungry all day, and even with shopping at the Farmers' Market, I just couldn't afford to do it longer.

Everything was absolutely delicious! My favorite juice combination that I was sure to make daily:

Spinach + Apple + Celery + Mint + Parsley + Ginger + Lime + Chlorella

It's delicious, and made me feel like I had just injected myself with serotonin. Colors became more vibrant, and I just felt so energetic and focused afterwards.