Outside rA Organic Spa

While I was unpacking my stuff from our vacation, I came across a very odd shaped rock.  It was a rock given to us by Chris, the owner of rA Organic Spa in Burbank, California.  He told us it was was for good energy – and all I can say is that the whole spa radiates with positive vibes.

When travelling to a new city, the first thing I do is book spa treatments (I promise you I’m not as high maintenance as I sound…its research!).  I was especially looking forward to doing this in L.A because, as a Canadian, I view L.A in the far off way most tourists do: through the lense of Fresh Prince of Bellair reruns (maybe its only me).  But to my dismay most of the spas I called gave booking service that I would consider sous par.  So much for my idea of high society pampering?  rA Organic spa was a pleasant exception.  Not only did they recieve my multiple calls and answer all of my nick-picky treatment questions, but also gave me time estimates and directions from Santa Barbara in which we were driving to L.A from (this included time estimates during rush hour and not).

What struck me when we settled into teh spa is how it reminded me of Pure + Simple.  Not in interior, but in its overall feeling.  Modest, natural and well..Pure and Simple.  The spa does not have extravagant fountains or luxurious changerooms, but they make up for it with attentive customer service (a staff member greeted us with ice cube laden cold towels when we left the dry sauna!) and comfort.  I’m serious on the point about comfort.  The relaxation room had lazy boy arm chairs – and while it seems odd, you get pretty cozy to the idea when you’re sitting pretty with your feet up and a cup of tea.

Now, we booked a massage and milk bath for two – and while I am not really one for soaking in baths laden with fresh flower petals (makes me feel like an intruder in someone else’s life of luxury), I must say the massages were fantastic.  And I am picky.  Super picky.  No, uber picky.  But my practitioner had me taking mental notes on moves I want to use on my own clients. 

a very dark milk and flower bath in a very dark spa

It was funny because when she introduced herself to me she shook my hand gently.  When both of our prospective massage therapists left the room for us to undress – I whispered to Ben “That little girl isn’t gonna be able to give me the pressure I need”.  I was wrong.  She did  abit of thai massage getting right up on the bed with me to put pressure on my back, she stretched me using a wet towel she used to cleanse my face as a rope, and she threw in a few hot stones (my fav).  What I also appreciated from the point of view of a spa owner (and therefore service analyst) – is that she did these little extras for me.  I know they were extras because Ben did not get these things (though still raved about this treatment) – what this indicates to me is that she cares.  And this is a quality that I look for when hiring estheticians at Pure + Simple – someone who wants to go the extra mile to make you look and feel great, that takes pride in getting you to relax and rejuvenate.  Its not something you can teach – and is the most important attribute (being maternal?).   Because this doesn’t just make you receive a better treatment but also effects you through a thransfer of energy.  If you ever don’t feel like this is how your esthetician services you – feel free to contact me personally.

The whole experience ended off with Chris offering to recommend us some great restos in the area – but we were to comotose to listen.  It may seem odd that I am recommeding a spa that isn’t my own, but being as scrutenizing as I am about spa experiences as we are at Pure + Simple (I take the managers to other spas bi-annually and make them reflect on the pros and cons of their service), I say credit given where credit is due.  If you are going to be in the L.A Area (Burbank was about 20mins from West Hollywood where we stayed- not during rush hour), I say stop in at rA Organic Spa.  Its was the perfect way to loosen up after spending so many days on the road.

Efficient as NASA

As an esthetician who has worked at home and abroad, I have noted that North Americans are obsessed with exfoliating.  I think its related to our preoccupied with cleanliness and hygiene (we do come from the land of travel-sized hand sanitizer).  So I’m about to blame my cultural tendencies for the fact I have an ever-expanding collection of exfoliating products.  From pastes and powders to hand-held gadgets and abrasive mitts, I have taken this love of shedding my skin to an embarrassing level.  I think the fact I have both a hard dry brush for my body, and a soft dry brush for my underarms and bikini says it all.  But while it may sounds like I have no more skin to scrub, or that I walk around as one big red patch of skin – alas I must admit that many of these exfoliators go unused…mostly out of laziness.

Now – again drawing from my professional background, this is unfortunate.  Because while I think that we North Americans love the idea of being skweeky clean and smooth a bit too much, exfoliation is excellent for both your skin, body and internal health.  Scrubbing away dead skin not only forces new fresh skin cells to the surface giving us a more youthful glow, but it also helps prevent our pores from congestion and break outs.  Exfoliation also enables those of us from dry skin to absorb more moisture as our dry skin cells create a crusty barrier which disallow products and humidity to penetrate (dry skin begets more dry skin!).  But possibly the biggest reason I am a sucker for exfoliants is because the act itself promotes more circulation and therefore combats both water-retention and cellulite.  “Anti-cellulite” is one of those key phrases which makes me automatically hand over my credit card.   

So, strolling down the main strip in Laguna Beach after spying on a beachwear photo shoot by the water – I was more than susceptible to buying a Spa Cells Supracor Sponge.  Actually I lied…I bought two (one for face and one for body).  These sponges look suspiciously similar to bubble wrap – and still I was intrigued.  The labels said they were recyclable and mold-resistant.  The sales girl cheerfully informed me that she had no idea what they were made out of only that they were developed from a technology originally designed for space travel.  I’m putting my money on plastic.

Well, let me tell you – I love it!  Yes, its just an exfoliating mitt but it has one thing that my other products don’t: convenience.  I don’t dry brush because it tales too much time – You’re talking to a girl who used to do her make up in the reflection of the TTC train windows on her way to school.  And I don’t like my exfoliating mitt because if it doesn’t dry well it starts to mold and smell (not helping my preoccupation with cleanliness).  These face and body sponges are done in the shower or bath and can be easily kept hanging in your shower without the fear of breeding bacteria.

Lets hope that this is the exfoliator to end all exfoliators…because I don’t think I can fit anymore products into my bathroom.

* Note:  The link to the official Website of Supracor seemed to be broken, so if you can’t find one near you – you can call Athena Day Spa where I bought mine and they do phone and email orders.

Congratulations Alicia, Shannon and Moreen!

You must have good karma because you three were the picked winners (out of a mixing bowl) of a copy of “Love Struck” by Chantel Simmons.

I will email you, but just in case – I thought I would post this!

Crispy dried pineapple

Whole wheat peanut butter filled pretzels

Cactus Pears

chilied dried mango

So we were set to do the drive through Big Sur which was so beautiful – it really cleansed the soul.

On the road side

Big Sur

Elephant Seals!

Happy and stuffed as clams

I have only just realized the beauty of baking soda.  Now I know baking soda isn’t glamourous.  Its not an extract from the trees of the Amazon and its not derived from a sacred African red bush.  No, Arm and Hammer does not conjure up sexy images or will ever be showcased as an active on the labels of designer skincare brands – but it saved my vacation and is one of the best make shift, most readily available beauty 911 solutions. 

The day before we left for our California road trip I got very ill.  It was right after a very late lunch that I started to feel mild stomach pain, and by evening I was so sick that I couldn’t stand or sit up straight.  The next morning wasn’t much better.  Neither was when we flew out.  By day three I started to get worried. 

“I think I have an ulcer,” I said to Ben gravely as we went up the Trolley in San Francisco.  That afternoon it got even worse.  I was both hungry yet unable to eat because it felt like the pit of my stomach was burning and bloated. 

“Darling, I’m scared.  I scared I may have stomach cancer,” I announced while walking along the wharf.  But too my dismay, Ben just giggled.
“Petal, I don’t think you have cancer.  I just think we shouldn’t eat at the Korean place near the office anymore.” 
“I’m serious!” I cried with a pout. 

Before I left my mother had told me to take Pepto Bismol – and with a conga line singing “nausea, heart burn, upset stomach, diarrhea – hey!” in my mind, I flatly refused.  “It looks like chemicals in a bottle.  Its pink.”
“Well at least drink some baking soda in water. Its almost the same thing.” 
So, on day three – when all my tinctures and enzymes had done nothing – I gave it a bash and bought a bottle of water and a box of baking soda at Walgreens.  My mother had recommended a teaspoon of it in a cup of water, but instead  I dunked about four times that amount into my evian (go big or go home right?).

It was a miracle!  I almost immediately felt better – and after two more doses of this concoction that day I felt like I could eat a hearty meal (thank God – have you seen all my holiday photos of food?). 

This started me on a major baking soda kick.  I found myself recommending brushing your teeth with baking soda to magazine editors, I found out how to make a deodorant out of the stuff, and I began to carry a small sandwich bag of it in case my tummy flared up again which Ben called my “baggie of drugs”.

The beauty of baking soda is that is a natural antacid.  We sometimes use a bit of baking soda in our water during facials when skin is inflamed and acidic.  A compress with baking soda helps red, irritated skin immensely as it cools high Pitta and brings down acid heat.  And because of this basic quality, it also takes the acid out of water making it excellent for putting in the bath for a bit of skin softening. 

The other reason it helped my stomach is because baking soda also releases carbon dioxide which eats up gaseousness.  And beyond the fact I love it for whitening teeth, soothing sensitivity or pampering my skin – nothing makes you feel more beautiful than not having a pain in your gut.

So, despite it sounding painfully pedestrian – I recommend trying out some of the fantastic properties of baking soda.  It may not be exotic, but sometimes the best solutions are the most simple.

If you are like me, one of the best ways to escape the stressors of daily life is by diving into a good book.

And no one knows this better than Chantel Simmons, best-selling authour of “Love Struck”,  who announced to me that this book was about her two favourite things: love and beauty.  

So we are giving away three copies of “Love Struck” in the spirit of relaxation and nourishment for the soul (I imagine this is the perfect book to savour during a long bath). 

All you have to do is post a comment on this blog post that says what your favourite beauty must-have is.  I’m talkin’ ’bout the good stuff: the products you would want with you if you were stranded on a desert island.  Mine would either by my Lakshmi Cream Eyeliner (a love I share with Rachel Mc Adams says our front desk staff) or my P+S Organic Rosehip Face Oil (I’d also need it to combat sun damage!).  Don’t forget to fill out the email field when leaving your comment so we can contact you if you win!

Jacket description of “Love Struck”:

A funny, heartfelt story about losing the perfect life–and finding a real one.

When twenty-seven-year-old image consultant Poppy Ross discovers that her handsome and seemingly devoted husband Parker is having an affair, she is dumbfounded. Before she has chance to confront him, however, he is struck by lightning. When he regains consciousness, he has lost his short-term memory—including that of the affair. Given a chance to erase history and possibly save her marriage, Poppy decides to remake herself in the mistress’s image, so that Parker might never be tempted to stray again. Her quest to become his perfect woman has disastrous and hilarious results—and just might turn out to be the worst thing possible for their relationship.

I love San Francisco.

I would say that its largely due the fantastic healthy and heaute-veggie restos there.  And like when we were in Paris, Ben and I have found that we take more photos of food than of ourselves or the sites.

Ipso facto, I am posting a food montage – because while we’re on vacation – I simply view our itnerary as time between meals.  Saying this, I had booked us up for reservations before we went away.  And stuffing my face almost took my mind off the fact that wordpress and our hotel connection was acting up disallowing me to post.

So, If any of you are going to San Francisco, I recommend the following four restaurants

1. Greens – a wonderful vegetarian restaurant right on Fort Mason.  This industrial warehouse turned herbivore haven is both huge and packed which just highlights the city’s fantastic culture of alterna-lifestyles.  I wasn’t that hungry so just opted for a simple choice of red quinoa and tofu veggie skewers garnished with chopped almonds and dried cherries.  But OMG this modest dish was so tasty as its lime cilantro curry had me wanting to lick the plate.

2. Alive – Ben I went to this raw food restaurant on Valentines day.  And while I have been to raw foodist joints in Toronto and NYC, this one was closest to fine dining that I have ever had with delicacies like savoury cheesecake and fennel salad appetizers as well as an avocado torte topped with mushroom nut whip.  Don’t even talk to me about dessert it was so divine…

3. The Slanted Door - Another place on the water, this place was recommended to me by a  client of mine.  It serves Asian fusion small plates and is so busy that I recommend reservig in advance.  We shared crispy mint and lettuce wrapped imperial rolls, duck confit asian slaw and a steaming plate of soft rice noodles with chicken and vegetables.  My tummy wasn’t feeling well that day or I would have dived into their raw bar, slurping down oysters on the half shell and ocean-fresh sashimi.

4. Farmer Brown - We were lucky that this farm fresh soul food restaurant was steps away from our hotel.  I had read about it in a vegan soul food cook book I recently bought.  Everything from beers being served in mason jars to the served warm corn bread, Farmer Brown feel like good old fashioned home cooking (maybe not my home… you’d have found Quinoa and steamed greens – but someone’s). I had cornmeal encrusted cat fish with candied yams and string beans while Ben ordered crispy southern fried chicken sided with stewed greens and macaroni and cheese.  The portions are huge, so go hungry!

At Greens: Marinated Eggplant and Spinach on a bun

At Greens: Yummy yummy red quinoa and tofu veggie skewers

At Alive: Raw food Avocado Torte

At Alive: Salad mound

At Alive: Raw food vegan chocolate banana cake- already half eaten

They are lightly crisp on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.

I made these goodies to snack on during our flight to California today – unfortunately they were so good that they are all gone by now.  These cookies have no flour, no dairy and no sugar.  I actually used coconut sap sugar for the first time and it turned out great!  Coconut sap sugar is has a low glycemic index and comes in a sugar-like granular form making it the perfect sweetener for me.  I have made this recipe in the past before with peanut butter and used brown sugar, but I found them too sweet (just my own opinion).  I have also used agave nectar during another trial with this recipe and they came out like blobs (you need the dry/ firmness of a crystallized sweetener).  This time around they turned out perfect – and I added unsweetened dark chocolate I had left over from the black bean brownies I made which gave it a decadent touch.  If you want these cookies a bit sweeter, you can also use semi-sweet chocolate.  Though I brought these to the office and it was unaymous that they were a hit and that the level of sweetness was just right.  The best part is that they take no time and I actually made them while making baked tofu.  One oven was going making dinner and dessert – and saving me precious time.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted almond butter (I looked carefully for one without evaporated cane juice)
3/4 cup coconut sap sugar (found easily at any health food store)
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder (the recipe called for baking soda)
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 oz dark chocolate roughly chopped

Instructions:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Dropped heaped teaspoons formed into balls onto a lightly greased pan (about an inch and a half in diameter). 
3. The will melt down a bit but not a lot so then push them lightly down with a fork.
4. Put into a preheated oven at 350 Fahrenheit for approx 12 minutes (when they begin to brown).

Delicious with no dairy, no sugar. Its modest look doesn't live up to its tastiness

This recipe is the kind of healthy dessert dreams are made of.  I would go as far to say that its better than the real thing – and I promise that I am not clouded by my own crunchy granola alter-ego.  My proof is that Ben (the most skeptical health dessert reviewer) can’t get enough of it.  He is my royal taste tester because doesn’t care if its made with the purest ingredients, it just has to taste great (usually I refuse to tell him what he’s eating until he has given me the verdict).  And him loving this healthy treat is even better because when we go back to England, Ben dreams of nothing more than a Sunday roast dinner ended off with his mum’s famous Lemon Crunch Pie (lemon cheesecake) – so I was determined to give him this experience in Canadia with a Holistic Vanity twist.  Its just a perk that its super easy.  His sister is a gluten-free veggie (we’re gonna be a happy picky family!) so I am planning on just making the filling and serve it as a custard when she comes to visit.

Filling Ingredients:
3 packs silken tofu (349 grams each)
1 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
4 tblsps fresh lemon juice
2 tblsps grated lemon rind
2 tblsps canola oil
2 tsps pure vanilla extract

Base Ingredients (you can half this but I like a lot of crust):
3 cups cookies (I admit I used regular graham crackers in the photo above bc Jean had extras left from when she was making a cheesecake.  But you can use gluten-free cookie crumbs.  I’m going to try blending spelt ginger cookies by Sha Sha in my food processor)
3 tblsps lemon juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup organic vegetable-based margarine – unhydrogenated source of cours! (You can use a plethora of other types of oils and fats.  Coconut oil would be interesting to try out but could make it taste too coconuty – and lemon and coconut don’t sit right with me.  I have also used ghee as it gives a buttery taste but without lactose and less fat).

Method:

1. Mix all “Base Ingredients” together.  Take this crusty paste-like mixture and press it into a lightly greased spring foam pan (I used a 9 inch) with a fork.
2. Put all filling ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth.  Taste (this is good to do as you may want more lemon juice or more sweetener.  Orig recipe called for less lemon and more sweetener…well actually it used plain sugar (eew!).  You can also use 1/2 cup agave and 1/2 coconut sugar or regular sugar.  I like to use total agave but it the cake does start to slightly weep so you should keep it on a plate with a lip.  When you use half dry sweetener and half syrupy sweetener this does not happen) 
3. Put in the oven at 200 degrees Farhenheit for 1 hour.  * Depending on the dish shape it can take up to 1 hour and 45 mins* - You’ll know its ready when the cake is firm but has a bit of wobble.  Don’t worry, its hard to overcook this cake.
4. Refrigerate overnight, then serve.

I have experienced my share of dessert disappointments. Growing up with my health nut of a mother, I remember getting sugar-free whole wheat apple pies instead of birthday cakes.  One year she iced the bottom of a plate to say “Happy Birthday Kristen” and placed it on the pie yet wouldn’t let me lick the icing.

But now as an adult I am free to eat as many birthday cakes as I like – and while I have adopted the ideals of clean eating I grew up with, I refuse to choke down some of the icky “substitutes” I used to have to.  Now, anyone who knows me I am a picky eater – I do not consume dairy products or red meat and I hard-core avoid gluten and sugar.  So as I have been on a baking kick, I thought I would do a few posts about delicious but healthy desserts.  But while you may think I that on my diet that my recipes involve faux-eating, spooning mouthfuls of air into my gob (an emperors new clothes for food) — you will see that my recipes are both healthy and decadent.  This weekend I brought these brownies to a dinner party and my friends demanded I post this recipe first thing this week!  They are divine – AND dairy-free, flour-free and sugar free!  I think its success is two fold: one – the flavour of cocoa blankets everything, and two – black beans make this cakelet creamy (which most dairy-free desserts lack).  I made some changes to the original recipe which I found in Clean Eating Magazine - you know you’re picky when you modify modified desserts.

Ingredients:

2 oz dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa – and sugar-free.  I used the Baker’s brand – all the fancy Whole foods one had cane juice in them.  The original recipe had 1 oz – I doubled it for more fudginess)
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 tbsp canola oil + whatever you need to lightly grease the pan.  The orig recipe called for olive oil, but I have ruined enough desserts with this oil.  Its too olivey.  Coconut oil would also be excellent – its the best oil to cook with and lower cholesterol.
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce ( you can easily make yours from scratch – I didn’t.  You have to preplan to do this, but if you make it for breakfast – bake these that night)
1/2 Agave nectar (the orig recipe called for honey, but in Ayurveda cooked honey is toxic.  Maple syrup is another option – I wonder how molasses would work)
1/4-1/2 Chopped Walnuts (optional – but delicious)
1 1/2 cups of soft cooked black beans rinsed and drained (if you are like me and try not to use canned goods, you can make a black bean dinner than pull some out for this recipe.  Again, you have to be uber organized)

1. Melt the dark chocolate on a low heat.  I added a few tablespoons of water to help the pot from staining.
2. Add this to a food processor with all the other ingredients and blend.  Pour this into a lightly greased cake pan.  I used the only cake pan I own which is a 10 inch round.  I don’t think it matters – just check the brownies to make sure they don’t burn or get too hard. 
3. Cook at 350 Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes.  Its ready when the edges begin to pull away from the sides.  I also pressed the top with the spoon and made sure it didn’t leave an imprint.

4. (optional) – melt some more dark chocolate and add a dollop of agave – and ice the top.  I was trying to sell this brownie to Ben so I brought out all the marketing tricks.  My brushed on icing defintely gave some value-add.

Store them in the fridge (making them fudge texture).  I put some in the freezer and they were hard as a rock but were fine when I put them back in the fridge to thaw them out.  I cook intuitively and sometimes my experimentation ruins a good thing.  

Another view. Mmmm.