Ashley and I had a grand ‘ol time today!
After the volcano erupted inside, we headed outside for a scenic hike.
It was US vs. Nature. Nature won. More on that in a minute.
It was gorgeous outside…finally!
Ashley wore her Vibrams!
I must admit, I am tempted to try these out- at least for walking anyways. Anyone use these bad boys?
Awesome views…!
I put on a brave face…
but was shakin in my boots…
We are both blessed with a sublime sense of direction, so naturally we somehow got off the beaten track!
Ashley was in front and consumed massive quantities of cobwebs. Never a good sign.
We channeled our inner Ralph…. ‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.’ :lol:
It was nothing short of a miracle, but we made it out of the cobwebs and back onto the trail.
All in all we hiked about 1/4 of a mile in 1 hour and 43 minutes.
hahaha…I’m joking, but that would be funny!!! We did 2 miles in about 40 minutes. :biggrin:
I re-fueled with a Liberate Glo Bar…and Ash with an Empower Glo Bar!
For a late lunch we headed to a new vegetarian restaurant that recently opened up in Burlington called Kindfood.
Lots of curb appeal!!!
From their website: “At Kindfood, we are committed to the belief that food is an essential source of our energy, health, longevity and happiness. Our food choices are an indication of our respect for ourselves and for all living things. We prepare and provide fresh plant-based foods made without any animal products, dairy, eggs, refined sugars, additives or preservatives.”
I have been so excited to try this place out ever since I heard about it. The cafe has a juice bar, fresh baked goods, and a natural food store all in one. The menu is very small so we hoped that the limited selection equaled the best of the best & the cream of the crop! It was just oozing with potential.
I cheated on my beet juice with a new friend…
When I cracked it open, I was instantly taken aback by the strong vinegar smell and I was shakin’ in my boots…but once I got past that, I really enjoyed it! It was slightly sweet, slightly tart, and not too fizzy. I’m not sure about all of the health claims it makes (the can said fountain of youth!?), but it was pretty tasty.
For the juice I got the Beets Me– Carrot, beet, apple, lemon and ginger.
We both ordered the Happy Buddha Bowl –> Steamed brown rice, roasted sweet potato, chopped onion, tomato, almonds, sunflower seeds, cilantro, basil, olive oil, sprouts and tamari.
It sounded like a bowl from Fresh, so I wanted to try it out to compare!
This bowl was a bit disappointing. It was very low on veggies and the rice was drenched in olive oil, resulting in a very bland dish. I’m hoping that our bowl was just a dud and the other items are delicious! I will have to give it another chance sometime.
However the company was absolutely lovely and Ash and I chatted away for a couple hours. We have so much in common, it is a bit crazy.
Crazy Blogger Lady in action.
We left hungry (never a good sign!) and got home and made a snack of Dr. Kracker’s spread with Ash’s homemade nut butters and a side of carrots and hummus. Did the trick!
Note to self, make Ashley’s Cinnamon Maple Almond Better ASAP!
Hunger demolished.
And Sencha green tea for an afternoon pick-me-up!
Not long after that, Eric got home and it was time to eat again!
Eric fired up the BBQ and impressed Ash with his mad skillz.
I have never made KALE CHIPS before and Ashley insisted that we must make them tonight! I have been meaning to make them for ages now, so I was game.
Basic Krispy Kale Chips
[Courtesy of Ashley]
Ingredients:
- 1 head of kale
- Sea salt
- Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350F. Take several kale leaves (I think we used 8), wash, and rip off the leaves and place on baking sheet. Toss the stems. Rip into small pieces about 3 inches in length. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over top and then sprinkle kosher sea salt and ground black pepper over top. Bake for 10-15 minutes and then remove from the oven and flip, and then bake for another 10-15 minutes until very crispy.
Massaging the kale!
I topped mine with salsa…
Kale chips rocked my world!!!!!!
I cannot believe that I haven’t had these before. Addicted after 1 bite. Can you believe that ERIC loved Kale Chips? Blown away. I can’t wait to top them with cheeze sauce!
Eric BBQ’d veggie burgers and some red peppers…
It was such a satisfying and easy dinner!
We gabbed and gabbed and by the time we left the table it was after 10pm!
We cuddled on the couch and did our blog thang while watching a movie with Eric.
I am sad Ashley has to leave tomorrow. I feel like the fun has just begun!
The cafe has loads of curb appeal. I would have gone too. Too bad it was a disappointment : ( Your sencha pic reminded me I forgot my 1 cup for the day – oh well, too late now!
what a fun day, minus buddha bowl :(
I bet you are a super fun hostess! I would love to come spend the day with you! :)
Ohh… it looks like you girls are having an amazing time! I love the restaurant colors! Darling!
I’ve never wanted to try kale, I just dont quite get it but to be honest. i might after this post
Love love love my Vibrams! I use them for boxing and Crossfit, but I stick to my Nike Free sneaks for treadmill running (Vibrams + treadmill = numb feet!). What a fun and comfy shoe though!
My husband is a hardcore fan of the Vibram Five Fingers. He researched them for a good long while and visited the store to check them out and try them on several times before finally buying a pair. He takes these things very seriously. He’s a CrossFitter so full body fitness is very important to him. He’s loved his VFF and they have even helped with his plantar fasciitis which is great because he’s able to jog for small distances again. Soon his whole CrossFit gym had them after seeing his and I they will be the next pair of trainers that I buy for myself. I highly recommend them.
On a side note- your meeting with Ashley looks like so much fun! I’ve been following your blog for a little while now and it’s super informative! Thanks and keep it coming!
Reading your response reminds me of my bf! The VFF has helped tremendously with his plantar fasciitis and other injuries! He too did ample research before buying a pair and is now on his second pair!
meant to ask you if you have tried them yet!?
Uh oh, kale chips might just become a new addiction…actually uh oh is not the appropriate phrase since they are so good and healthy too. It sounds like a fun hike but bummer about the not so tasty meal…at leat you were with Ashley, so jealous!
Fun day!!! You MUST try kale chips with a cheezy or tahini based sauce!!! Just massage the sauce in before you bake it and it comes out all crispy and crunchy and amazing.
i knew you guys would have a blast…and i’m so glad you guys tried out so many new and awesome things today! i adore kale chips…the second they melted in my mouth i was HOOKED!
I recommend the Vibram Fivefingers as highly or more highly than the other commenters. They changed my life and made running & hiking a true soul joy for the first time! Durable, easy to clean, and affordable (compared to other high-end running shoes). I’ve always had flat feet and an injured knee, but after a few months of these- nice healthy arches and no sign of that aching knee! Do yourself a favor and pick up a pair!
What a freakin’ awesome day! Great hike, great food + great company :) You girls rock!
What a beautiful day you had! Hiking is always so invigorating
I have also recently tried kale chips after hearing all the fuss about them. They are AMAZING huh? I was skeptical at first, but they are truly delicious!
Hi Angie! Can you tell me which kind of veggie burger you buy? I am a Amy’s brand regular… actually only tried one other brand which happened to be discusting (I cooked one patty ate half, give the other half to my dog and threw the rest in the garbage…)… I am hesistant to buy non organic since those are highly processed usually… What is your though, any brand to suggest? (beside making them myself… I need to buy a food processor… just no room to store it!)
They are Amy’s Texas burgers! They are my fav kind by far aside from homemade.
Hike looks really fun! It’s great seeing the wilderness, isn’t it? I’m sorry about your disappointing meal, though. :( Ashley’s nut butters look so smoooooooth… :S Mine are always so gritty!
KALE CHIPS. I need to try them. Strange, because I have yet to see KALE in China yet… O_O but I heard that you can do it with spinach, too!
Looks like you two are having lots of fun together! :D
Wei-Wei
I’ve been running in my Vibrams for about a month now and I LOVE them. It’s actually uncomfortable to wear my running shoes running! I write about them on my blog sometimes. Hit Vibrams on my tags thingy and check it out!
Sounds like a great day! All the food looks yummy. Shame about the hefty price at the restaurant :(
That place is so cute! Too bad the Buddha Bowl wasn’t a quality meal for the price! That is so disappointing!
I have yet to try kale chips!! I need to find some kale first!!! Ack, the wait is unbearable! :)
Looks like so much fun! Bummer about that lunch :-( I need to start making my own nut butters too…. such a $$ saver!
Awwww it sounds like you’re having such a great time! I can’t believe you’ve never had kale chips before, they seem SO YOU! I absolutely looooove them.. a fun way to eat your greens!
im pretty sure I will be making them once a week from now on! mmmmm