Toto, we’re not in Ontario anymore.
We’re visiting the Phoenix area with my mom and John this week. It’s our first time in Arizona and we’re pumped to be here!
and a bit scared…
We booked an evening flight, since it was our only option. It’s really strange waiting until almost 5pm to leave the house on the day of a flight! I actually started to go stir crazy waiting to leave.
The flight was only 4.5 hours, but felt incredibly long due to some nasty turbulence. The plane kept dropping and dipping like crazy and I actually started to feel nauseous which never happens to me. At one point, I just closed my eyes, gripped Eric’s arm, and prayed I didn’t lose my dinner. The last 30 minutes ticked by in slow motion.
We arrived around 12:30am…sleepy, dazed, and hungry! Mom brought us some homemade vegan blueberry muffins and walnuts to save the day. I got my appetite back, miraculously.
When we finally got to bed around 2:30am Toronto time I was so tired I couldn’t sleep for the life of me! Does that ever happen to you? If I get too tired, it’s actually harder for me to sleep. I passed the point of no return, so my body did the logical thing and stared at the ceiling for most of the night. Awesome.
A sunny, green breakfast helped with the 4 hour power nap.
I opened the fridge, saw some gorgeous raspberries and dark chocolate almond butter, and knew I had to make a chocolate raspberry Green Monster to save the day.
With fresh raspberries, banana, dark chocolate almond butter, almond milk, ice, and wait for it….Dinosaur kale! Yes, come to me my little kale.
Note: I just found out this dark chocolate almond butter is NOT vegan. I blame the sleep deprivation for that error! For a vegan version, try my homemade Dark Chocolate Almond Butter recipe!
Cover your ears, my mom said, this thing is small but loud!
As I sipped my Green Monster, I could feel my tired, lifeless body revive itself almost instantly as kale pumped through my veins. I swear a GM is worth at least an extra hour of sleep!
I also had a whole wheat blueberry muffin with Earth Balance.
and a herbal tea…because breakfast wouldn’t be the same without a hot drink.
Ok, make that two!
My mom and I had a lovely chat over tea while the boys waited for the rental car.
Later on in the day, Eric and I stopped into Whole Foods to pick up some groceries. I picked up some brussels sprouts, red pepper, spaghetti, kale, blueberries, corn chips, salsa, asparagus, and some nori sheets, kombu and kelp granules that I’ve been looking for forever!
and a fun salad!
Layered up for lunch.
This will be the first thing I make when I’m on Canadian soil, mark my words.
Poured into a bowl.
and topped with orange ginger dressing and hummus. Blew. my. taste. buds. off.
I said I wouldn’t be able to eat the entire thing, but I was wrong.
Plump blueberries for dessert in this fun strainer/bowl duo.
For dinner, we all pitched in and whipped up a yummy spread.
…featuring 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta!
and a tomato-basil salad, sautéed asparagus, and roasted fingerling potatoes.
Oh, it was lovely.
I had seconds of pasta and potatoes! My body just yearns for carbs when I’m tired.
Now we’re watching American Idol, eating chocolate, and I’m trying to stay awake while typing this. I hope I’ve kept you up!
So jealous, looks like lots of fun! The potatoes in particular look delicious. I would have had seconds, too!
http://hannahalehandra.blogspot.com/
the whole foods salad looks so good! and so easy to make on your own, i’m sure yours will turn out even better! :)
Enjoy your time in Phoenix!! Sounds like it’s been quite relaxing and fun already!
Your food looks delicious! I will definitely look for your salad recipe. I hope you enjoy your trip!
Hope you have a great time!
Small question though: I wasn’t aware that the dark chocolate almond was vegan :/ Did they change the ingredients?! I’d love to try it!!
Crap, I just checked and it’s not :( I thought it was!
Don’t worry, I was tricked by it too once!!!
I thought they had changed the ingredients.. Which they should!! :)
Enjoy your trip! I can’t wait to read about your adventures! Sneak in a nap when you can. ;)
Agh I can’t stand turbulence either! Over the Christmas holidays our flight from London to Milan was really turbulent and I felt so so sick. On the bright side though, it looks like you’ve got tons of ridiculously tasty food now! Let me know when you run out of kelp granules – I can get you plenty from the health food store by my house! :)
What a trek…and a lovely time to be with your family!
I laughed at the brussel sprouts! I can hear Dad already with that one. Have fun.
heh I bought them just for him!
Welcome to Arizona. It’s supposed to be a lovely except maybe tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it though coming from the cold. Definitely hike Cameback if you get the chance. Obviously the grand canyon if you have the time to go all the way up there, if not maybe just take in a shorter drive to Sedona. Beautiful. Enjoy our city!
how cool! Hmm that GM sounds great :)
Well you must be enjoying that warm weather compared to home! Glad you’re having a fun time with family, enjoy your stay!
I totally hear you on waiting for a flight. I get the same way!
All the food looks amazing…and how sweet of your mom to greet you with healthy food. Doesn’t that make a trip so much better?
Great post! I have been making the green monster smoothie for 2 months now every morning since I came across your blog. We have a condo in Puerto Vallarta and were there over Christmas. I promptly picked up all ingredients at a local market and made green smoothies for my partner, our friend and myself every morning. It’s nice to see others keep their routine going strong too, even when traveling. Thanks for the great recipes and posts!
Nice work! :) I love having access to a kitchen while traveling…makes things so much easier.
Oooo! Visit me, visit me! I’m in AZ too :)
If you go to the grand canyon I can’t wait for the post about it. Although I live in AZ I have never gone :(
Hope you have a great time and hopefully your flight is better on the way home
PS: if you go to the Scottsdale mall, lululemon is there! ;)
Enjoy Arizona! I’ve never been there. All that food looked delicious!!! Yum!
Welcome to a little place we call home, good old Phoenix :) Hope you have a fantastic stay!
If youre near Tempe/Scottsdale or Phoenix, I HIGHLY suggest checking out “Green” and “Nami” – 100% vegan comfort food, and Nami is their bakery which offers things like chocolate cake, cookies, brownies, and even doughnuts! At the very least, try a “tSoynami” – a vegan version of a DQ Blizzard (soft serve with various mix-ins). Offered at both of their locations and they are absolutely to die for!
Thanks I will look it up!
Green is awesome, and so is Nourish in Scottsdale. And if you happen to go to Biltmore Fashion Park, definitely stop at True Foods Kitchen! Enjoy your visit to AZ :)
I completely second this, best stuff known to man. My favorite is the PB and Chocolate tsoynami, oh my I might be drooling right now.
Whole Foods must be all over Pinterest – those salads in a jar are everywhere!
I know..they are always on the trends heh
Do you know what model that blender is? I’ve been looking for a reasonably-priced blender that is capable of making green smoothies without leaving little kale or spinach shreds, haha.
hehe it’s a Black & Decker I think…I wouldn’t say that it pulverized the kale completely though. I’ve heard Oster brand for $40 is rated really well so you might want to check that out!
Crazy! I’ll be there next month joining my husband after he wraps up with a work meeting. Looking forward to any recommendations there. Shaker salads from WF rock! Try the one with quinoa (tomato salsa dressing). They are so good I made my own last night. Must try the one you had. Seen it but haven’t tried yet:-)
Enjoy Arizona!
Try Dr Weil’s True Food restaurant. Organic, local, anti inflammatory and yummy. It is in Scotsdale.