by CHLOE: A Review

by Chloe is a fast food vegan restaurant out of New York, but they recently opened a branch in the Seaport.  It was founded in 2014 by ESquared Hospitality and Chloe Coscarelli, with the goal of bringing healthy food “to the masses.”  I kept hearing good things, so I wanted to try it!  Now I know that just because a restaurant is vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy.  But the chances are greater because it indicates there’s at least some kind of attention put into the ingredients.  They say they use local ingredients, but I think that’s a new, undefined, term when it comes to food.

First off, let me tell you it’s slightly off the beaten path.  The address is 107 Seaport Blvd., but it’s actually on the side of the 101 Seaport Blvd development.  So after parking and walking around for 10 minutes, my friend Taylor and I walk in.  It looks nice, pretty trendy.  The place was probably 1/3 full, but thankfully there was no line.

I went with a pretty simple order, the guac burger and fries and a cookie.  I normally wouldn’t get a cookie, but I was starving and wanted to eat it right then.  You wouldn’t know it was vegan!  Was way better than when I’ve tried to make vegan cookies with flax or chia gel.  It was good, albeit sweet.  Anyway, the fries were good, they were air-fried.  Could’ve been crispier, but still not bad.  The burger was very good.  Black bean, quinoa and sweet potato burger with the fixings.  The beet ketchup and aioli were both great.  You wouldn’t know there wasn’t mayo in the aioli!

The girl that took our order was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.  They took my phone number and texted me when my burger was ready, to be picked up at the counter.  That was easy.  I felt good after eating there, which is usually a good indicator.

All in all, it was a positive experience.  I don’t know if it’s something I’d really seek out, but I know it’s a good fail-safe if I find myself hungry and in the area.  It was priced well too.  I want to say the burger was $11, the fries were $4.  I think the cookie was $2.  

Breguet: Keeping Us On Time Since 1775

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  I think that must be Breguet’s motto.  People say all the time, “all you need for success is consistency.”  Well, Breguet has been consistent since 1775, when it was founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet.  It’s one of the oldest watchmakers still around, and also happens to the first company to make a wristwatch!  It’s currently a Swatch company.

You know how they say behind every great man is a great woman?  Well, Abraham owes his business to his wife.  He funded it through her dowery!  The story goes, that it was an instant success.  Next think you know, Marie Antoinette and Lots XIV are placing orders.

Case in 18k white gold with delicately fluted caseband. Sapphire-crystal caseback. 40mm diameter. Welded lugs with screw bars. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30m).
Dial in “Grand Feu” enamel. Signed Breguet. Hours chapter with Arabic Breguet numerals. Small seconds offset at 5 o’clock. Breguet open-tipped hands in blued steel.
Self-winding movement, Cal. 502.3SD. Numbered and signed Breguet. Extra-thin (2.4mm). 12 lignes. 35 jewels. 45-hour power reserve. Inverted in-line lever escapement with silicon pallets. Balance spring in silicon. Balance frequency 3Hz. Adjusted in 6 positions.
Alligator leather strap with gold pin buckle.

BioBiscotti or, Biodynamic Biscotti

This is the first and only time I’ve ever made biscotti.  Naturally, I wanted to use the highest quality ingredients.  At the time, I was able to find Isis Biodynamic Stone Ground Wheat Flour at Whole Foods, but no more.  I also used biodynamic can sugar.  The ghee isn’t certified, but I believe that it comes from a farm that follows most of the practices.  

I didn’t know this, the trick to biscotti is the double baking.  That’s what makes it super crunchy.  I’m not usually a biscotti fan, in fact before having this one I was never a biscotti fan.  But my boss at the time wanted biscotti, so he got it.  And so did I.  And it was good.  Happy baking!

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups biodynamic wheat flour

1 1/2 cups pistachios

1 cup biodynamic sugar

1/2 cup biodynamic ghee

3 eggs (Apricot Lane Farms) 

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Turn pistachios into pistachios bits.  I was joking with the mandolin, I just chopped.
3. In a stand mixer, cream butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
4. Mix in dry ingredients to form a thick dough, then fold in pistachios.  Split in half and form to flattish loaves on the baking sheet.
5. Bake fro 25-30 minutes.
6. Remove the biscotti and let it cool to the touch.  Cut into strips, separate and place the biscotti back in the oven for 10 more minutes.
7. Voila!

ATCQ - Excursions

I always attributed the Tribe with coining the term "Fake News" but apparently what they're really saying is "fake moves"

I think it makes just as much sense:

If you fake moves (Fake News), don't fix your mouth to word it
Get in the zone of positivity, not negativity
Cos we gotta strive for longevity

Why I'm DuckDuckGone

To put it simply, I don’t have problems.  My biggest “problems” right now are:

1. I don’t have my own plane.
2. I have to mail-order many of the health-food products I want
3. I’m using DuckDuckGo instead of Google.

Here, I will tackle number 3, right in front of your very eyes.  If you’re not familiar with DuckDuckGo, it’s a search engine.  The advantage is, that they don’t track you.  But as a search engine, it sucks.  I thought I’d try something new, and set DuckDuckGo as my default search engine.  I was even going to write a post recommending it.  But I didn’t give it enough time.  I find myself now typing in google.com and then searching and comparing the results.  No more.  I’m switching back to Google.

I don’t like the idea that Google has so much information about me.  Probably more than I’m consciously aware of.  But boy do they know how to bring me that for which I’m searching.  Trying not to end my sentences in prepositions.  Run-ons, I don’t care.  I don’t really believe in privacy though, with remote viewing and all.  There’s no reason not to be yourself or be afraid of being yourself.  Although, I will not even begin to tell you the lengths I go to, to protect my privacy.  I try as hard as I can, but I know that if I’m putting myself out there, there’s no guarantee.  Plus I post mad shit on the internet anyway.  As much as I believe in being myself, I wouldn’t do anything on the internet that I wouldn’t want everyone to know.

Anyway, if you’ve got a search engine recommendation, drop it in the comments!

Range Rover Sentinel "Beauty. Even when things get ugly"

Maybe you saw my previous post about the MacNeillie Discreetly Armoured Range Rover.  The short of it is, it's a Classic Range Rover, and it's armored.  Best of both worlds.  But where there's give, there's take.  While it's probably not too hackable, it probably won't protect you from much modern weaponry.  They should've made the whole thing into a faraday cage, but 20/20 hindsight.

If you find yourself wanting protection from more advanced threats, don't worry.  There's the Range Rover Sentinel, produced by the Special Vehicle Operations division of Land Rover.  This baby can hold its own against armor piercing incendiary targets and grenade explosions from all sides.  The gas tank is sealed, the tires are run-flat and it has a secret exit incase the doors are blocked.  It's loaded with 2 batteries, but that's really not a big deal.  There's also a fire suppression system in the cabin and engine compartment.

But to the unsuspecting eye, this looks like your basic Autobiography.  It'll run you a little more at $450,000.  But you get more than just a car.  The price also includes a driving course.  Land Rover says it's not offered in the United States, but I'll bet you there are a couple around.

What's Going On This Weekend

Some Cool things to do this weekend.  Maybe I'll see you there!  I don't know what I'm doing yet.

Broga-Yoga for Brewery Bros. Sunday, April 2, 10:45-12:00pm

It’s just want it sounds like, yoga for dudes at a brewery followed by a beer and some socializing.  Must be 21, must preregister, $30, includes beer.

Grand Wine Tasting at the Boston Public Market Sunday, April 2, 12:00-1:30pm or 1:30-3:00pm

A collaboration between the Trustees, Boston Public Market, The Kitchen and The Massachusetts Wine Shop, offer 10+ wines from Massachusetts vineyards.  $10 general entree, $5 for Trustee members.

15th Annual Taste of South Boston Sunday, April 2, 6:00-9:00pm

A sampling of local restaurants and cocktails supporting The South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation.  $70 per person in advance, limited tickets available at the door for $75.  Located in the Plaza Ballroom at the Seaport Hotel

Shaolin Warriors, Kung Fu Kings Saturday, April 1, 8:00pm

Maybe it’s cool, maybe it’s a joke.  I want to go and find out.

Girls Who Code Club Saturday, April 1, 10:00am

Open to girls in 6-12th grade who are interested in computer science.  Registration required, but it’s free.

Starting your own seeds for a pollinator garden Saturday, April 1, 2017, 10:30-12:00pm

Michelle de Lima of the Trustees of Reservations will conduct a workshop on starting your own seeds for a pollinator garden. Attract bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators to your garden. Come a bit early for some light refreshments. Space is limited. Please RSVP at 617-782-6705 or at the Circulation Desk or by emailing dkeller@bpl.org.

Where

Faneuil Branch of the Boston Public Library

419 Faneuil Street

Brighton, MA 02135

and it’s free!

Mike and Patty's: A Review

Mike and Patty’s is a little hidden gem in Bay Village.  You really have to know about it to find it.  It’s not really the kind of place you’d just walk by.  But thanks to me, you have no excuse not to try it now.  Mike and Patty’s can be found at 12 Church St in Bay Village.

The place is small, the menu is slightly bigger.  What I like, is there use of good ingredients.  Now I’m not saying you should make it a daily habit, but it could be worse.  They use local ingredients for the most part.  Iggy’s bread for all their sandwiches, which is all they serve.  Pictured below is The Fancy, without bacon.  Very good.  Two fried eggs, cheddar, avocado, onions and mayo on toasted Iggy’s.  

I’ve also had the classic, which is not as filling but also good.  The Breakfast Torta is the only other sandwich I’ve ordered.  It was also great.  But I’ve been eating a lot of potatoes recently, and we all know what Rudolf Steiner says about white potatoes.  They contribute to materialism!  So The Fancy, it was.

Now this place is small, there are only 4-5 seats at the window-counter.  You can take a chance for a seat there, I’ve never had to wait too long.  Or you can order ahead online or by phone and take your sandwich to go!

Long story short, place is dope.  Try it!

A Quick Note on Breathing

It seems like everyone’s trying to speed up.  Do more faster for longer.  Sounds tiring.  I’m trying to do the opposite.  Slow down.  Do less things at once.  I find that there’s a paradox in doing so; results are faster and better.  Essentially, it’s just focusing on whatever you’re doing.  When you do that, you have less energy to focus on other stuff.  And the more you do it, the easier it gets, the better you get at whatever you're focusing on.

The first step in slowing down, is noticing when your’e speeding up.  When I notice that I’m rushing, or thinking too far ahead, I stop and just focus on breathing.  I find there’s a direct correlation between the cadence of my breath and my experience of time.  Sometimes I’ll notice I’m not fully exhaling.  I think that would associate with not letting go, which I can, at times, relate to my own thought patterns.  Makes sense to me.  When I notice I'm rushing, I find I'm not taking diaphragmatic breaths.  They're short and fast instead of long and low.  Taking a slow, deep inhale and relaxing my shoulders can do wonders.  Unless I'm overly caffeinated, deep breaths are like Jackson's Honest Heirloom Purple Potato Chips.  You can't eat just one.  It’s like slowing down buys you time.

I know it sounds counterproductive, but just try it.  When you’re rushing and panicking and breathing poorly minutes before a deadline.  Just drop whatever you’re doing, take a few breaths and focus on what’s right in front of you.  Easy to talk about, right?

Sean Connery in a Baby Blue Romper

I never met anyone that didn’t like James Bond.  Then again, I don’t know any feminists either.  Anyway, 007 is a class act.  He’s always calm, knows everything works out; he’s totally chill.  And because of that, he always looks good.  Which brings me to the point of this article.  Sean Connery in a baby blue terrycloth romper.  In Goldfinger, we find James Bond, posted up pool side in such a thing.  I want one.

It just makes sense!  It’ll dry you off and add a layer of protection when you’re at the pool or ocean.  Considering there’s so much product placement in the James Bond franchise, I assumed it would be noted somewhere the make.  But it’s not!  After some searching though, I found a “costume” version on etsy.  $89, not bad either!

The Optimus of Desk Sets

I don’t know about you, but I like working from home.  I can totally do my own thing.  Lounge, play music, not waste time traveling.  Some of my friends enjoy going out to different cafes or libraries to get work done.  That’s cool too, and can be fun.  But on the whole, there’s nothing like a home office.

In doing my regular browser-window shopping, I came across this cool desk set.  They call it Equilibre and it's by Hermes.  You'll see the theme in the magnifying glass.  That's what really caught my eye initially.  But if I had to settle for just one piece, I'd go for the desk pad.  It’s a little bit pricey, but I think it looks great and could definitely be a generational piece, as could be the whole set.  Ok, it’s extremely expensive.  But it’s stylish.  Very nice looking and not over the top.  It's definitely timeless.

I like that you can sort of close it.  It's a nice way to hide a mess quickly or create some privacy.

If they're going to offer a matching vase, why not?  Another excuse to keep flowers around.  I love that magazine rack.  I have the perfect place for it.  I think it would really clean up the papers on my desk.  The trash can looks a little retro to me.  I think that design would also make a nice lamp.  

Boxes are interesting.  They're another way to keep the desk clean.  I also threw in the paperweight because in the spring/summer/fall I use my fan a lot.  I prefer it to air conditioning.

So you can see how cool this would be on my desk.  But brace yourself.  I'm going to break it down for you.  While I do admire this very much, I cannot understand why it's so expensive.  

Magnifying Glass $1975

Desk Pad $6900

Magazine Rack $23400

Vase $3825

Waste Basket $8200

Box $2350

Paperweight $5850

Total: $52,500.00

Why?  Is someone trying to launder money or something?

Sweet Potato Hash Browns

I love browned vegetables.  A few weeks ago, I did a spaghetti squash hash.  I had the same problem this time.  It didn't brown that much!  But I am getting better.  And I learned a few things in doing this recipe.

As I've said before, I love the shredded hash browns like Waffle House or ihop.  I was all gung-ho to do this, and then thought that shredding the sweet potato is going to be a bitch.  I quickly googled and found 2 good options, so I tried them both.  Two potatoes, two ways.  The first way, was using a Microplane.  Microplane is a branded grater.  It worked so well, that I used it for "mincing" and "dicing" the garlic and onions.  

The second way was to chop the sweet potato into smaller pieces, and then pulse it in the Cuisinart.  It worked, but was more riced than shredded.

2 shredded sweet potatoes

1/4 cup sprouted spelt flour

1 egg

1 diced onion

4 cloves minced garlic

4 tbsp ghee

big pinch of sea salt

black pepper

Shred the potatoes however you want.  Rinse them until the water is clear, and then squeeze out all the water. 

Combine all the vegetables, spices, half the ghee and flour.

Beat and mix in the egg.

Fry in the rest of the ghee on high medium high heat.  I didn't do so well at this part. I wanted it browner and crispier.  But it was still very good.  I also tried to make 1/4 cup serving cakes.  They didn't stay together, if you hadn't noticed.

Steve Martin - King Tut

Does this count as Ancient Knowledge? It is from 1979.

Disneyland - Mars and Beyond, 1957

Here's the third part in the Disneyland series I mentioned here.

25 Years of Disco

We're a little past that now, but I thought this video was great.  Another perfect example of Land Rover's amazing ability to relate to and build a relationship with their customers.  Interesting that it's made by Tavistock Productions.

Chocolatree: A Review

As I've said in a previous post, this was my first trip to Sedona.  And it was pretty cool.  Sima and I had been at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, scoping out the scene.  We knew we had to be in Las Vegas for Super Bowl Sunday (LOL), so we thought we'd make an overnight stop in Sedona.

On Friday night we bought moonshine and herbs out of the back of a truck by the train tracks.  Then we went to a guided meditation led by Dr. Dream at the Center.  At like 11:30pm, we ended up at Gem and Jam, which was a music festival I guess.

Long story short, we pulled an all-nighter and left for Sedona at 4:00 in the morning.  By the time we got there, we were both tired and hungry.

We checked into our Bed and Breakfast, the Cozy Cactus, which I highly recommend, freshened up and hit the town.

I insisted we eat first.  Sima took me to Chocolatree and I could not have been happier.  We ordered so much food and it was all so so good.  I wish I wrote this review sooner to my indulging.

We each got a golden latte, which was great.  It was one of the best I've had outside of the house.

Pictured here is our meal.  From the left, goat cheese quiche with an almond-pulp crust, vegan chili, aloo gobi, mashed potatoes, some kind of grain-free wrapper and and a fermented cream.  I don't remember the details.  Those were part of Sima's order.

I got a bunch of chocolates to go, but ate them all before I took photographs!  They were so good.  The Raspberry and Bee Pollen truffles were my favorites.  I wish I got more.  Sima had a bunch of the Raspberry ones, but she wouldn't share!

This restaurant was amazing.  The entire experience was hugely positive.  Oh and how could I forget, the whole place is SPRING WATER FED!  I even filled up my bottle before we left.  They have spigots outside for the public.  The quality of the food was phenomenal.  There's definitely an awareness around food that you won't find anywhere else.  I can't wait to go back and order everything else on the menu.

On Headphones

While I wouldn’t call myself an audiophile, I do like a good sound system.  I love listening to music, and I want to hear it just as it was created. Comfortably, with a good range and clarity.  Something that doesn’t muddle when you turn it up.  There are probably technical terms that I’m missing.

My first set of headphones that weren’t provided by apple, were the Bang and Olufsen Earphones in middle school.  That’s just what they’re called.  Earphones.  And this was like the first step in a Rube Goldberg.  Then my dad got a pair.  Then he got my mom a pair.  Then my mom got my aunt a pair.  Then one year for Christmas we got my uncle a pair.

In the meantime, mine broke twice, and Bang and Olufsen replaced them for free both times!  The second time, I went to the Greenwich store and they only had orange, which I was more than happy with.  Eventually those broke too.  In all of them, the left earphone stopped working!  I keep their newest version, the i3 in my backpack for emergencies and unexpected long phone calls.

Anyway, for the size, they sounds impeccable and aren't terribly uncomfortable for sticking inside your head.  Which I don’t think that’s a good idea.  Sticking headphones in your ear like that.  I don’t think it’s good electrically or acoustically.  There should be distance between where the sound originates and your ear.  I also think it’s not a good idea to have a wire going form your phone into your head.  Air tube headsets are shown to reduce EMF exposure from wired headphones by 98%, but they sound so shitty!

So here’s what I’m on now.  They sound even better than the Earphones, they are more comfortable and put distance between the speaker and your ears.  I’m talking about the Beoplay H6.  They’re over the ear, not bluetooth, not noise cancelling.  Bluetooth is handy and all, but I don’t need it on my head.  Noise cancelling headphones work by generating a frequency that cancels out the ambient noise.  I have a few problems with that.  It’s still something electronic on your head, and it’s just creating more noise.  These headphones block out enough noise on their own.

The H6, in my opinion are the perfect headphones.  You won’t find anything more comfortable.

Fashion Murder on the Orient Express

So like, trains are pretty cool, right?  I used to know a lot more about trains, but it’s not something I’ve really focused on since I had a set-up in my basement.  All of my trains were replicas of real life historical trains, like……

Trains are a classic way to travel.  The first locomotive ran in 1804!  But the Orient Express is what really turned travel by train into a luxury.  The first train ran from Paris to Istanbul in 1883.  Over the years, it had varying routes and was discontinued in 2009.  There are, however, Orient Express inspired trains and routes currently running today.  There’s a reason everyone’s heard of The Orient Express and why it’s featured in so many movies and novels.  It’s an icon!

And my grandparents got to take a ride on it!  In the late 60s, they took the Direct Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul.  And I’m pretty sure the luggage I have from them went with them too.

I wish I had pictures!  I don’t recall seeing too many, and not any at all recently.  But hearing the stories was good enough.  Although, I do have more than just the stories my grandparents used to tell.  I have a lamp and overalls!

The lamp isn’t a big deal.  They bought it as a souvenir.  You can still buy them.  I mean don’t get me wrong it’s a really cool lamp and still has a story.  But the overalls are a little more unique.  My grandmother bought them off of an engineer!  She managed to talk him into selling two pairs. She gave my mom a pair, and my aunt a pair.  I have my mom’s.  I’ve searched for anything similar, but have come up dry.  

These haven’t gotten that much use.  For a while, they were too big.  I wore them to the Gunnery once, and was told they were out of dress code.  How anyone knew I was wearing overalls is beyond me.  I covered the straps up with a sweater!

So maybe we can bring overalls back into style!  I'm afraid not too many people will get behind it.  You know what they say, overalls are the oldest form of contraceptive.  And it might be tough as we head into spring and summer.  But at least now I’m ready for next year.

Almond Butter Cookies

The other night I got a craving for something sweet, it was late and I wasn't going anywhere.  I'd already eaten a bunch of chocolate bars.  I wanted either ice cream or pastry.  So I looked around and figured I could whip together some almond butter cookies.  They were not bad!  In fact, they were good.  Here are the details.

So I used sugar, sue me.

You'll need:

1 cup almond butter

1 tbsp almond flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1 egg

1 tbsp ghee

1/2 cap of vanilla extract

big pinch of sea salt (or smaller if almond butter is salted)

You’ll need to:

preheat the oven to 350F

combine butter, flour, ghee vanilla and salt.  

cream the sugar and egg.  

combine.  

fold in chocolate chips

I made 4 large cookies, but it would probably make sense to make more, smaller

bake for 13 minutes.

The edges were slightly burnt, but just the edges, as pictured.  The bottoms were fine.  My error was having the rack too low in the oven.  I also actually had them at 375F for 11 minutes.  But I think 350F at 13 minutes would be better.

Tucson Gem Show-Better Late Than Never!

The Tucson Gem show was in February, and I'm just getting around to posting about it.  There were so many photos, I just kept putting off editing them!

The Tucson Gem and Mineral show is an annual pop up market place in Tucson.  From what I could tell, it takes over the entire city and lasts for several weeks.  I had no idea what to expect.  But it was very cool.  The convention center was set up with an official show with tickets required for entry.  The majority of the vendors took over local hotels.  These hotels became shopping malls.  And I met a new friend, Sunshine.

This guy hand makes each knife at his shop.  He was a pretty chill dude.  I think he was carrying.  (he was)

I got the impression it was mostly for retailers.  Everything was cheap and vendors were constantly asking for Tax ID numbers.  But there were all different sorts of vendors from all over the world.  Some vendors had little dyed carved chachkis.  Others had meteorites, and diamonds. It was a great mix of gem dealers/traders and jewelry makers, with more spiritually and energetically sensitive people.  

I don't worry, but when I do, it's about food.  I brought so much to the Gem Show.  We drove down from LA.  But there was this amazing food stand that supplied me with too much jun, and amazing brownies and empanadas.  Nice Food really came to the rescue.  The girl in the picture's name is Natafreak, like Natalie.  I think.  She was like "you gotta try the kava, it'll make your mouth go numb." So we tried the kava.

These were some high end pieces.  Guys come up from Brazil for this show.

The moon rock in my hand was found in Morocco, the larger one on the plate is from Mali.

I thought that would be a cool tile.  And see all that pyrite?  It was half off listed prices.  I bought the smaller of the spine/skull handles.  Gave it to my mom for her birthday.  I hope she uses it.  If not, I'm going to take it back.  That selenite looking bottle on the bottom is hand blown glass made in Massachusetts!