Lush-ious Beauty!

Since I buy everything I possibly can in bulk, it is a long and winding process for me to get rid of the last of my harmful, chemically-filled beauty products. I'm not one to waste so I decided to use everything I had and just replace needed items with more natural and eco-chic options.

Last week, the time finally came for me to purchase new shampoo. I'm weird about my hair products because my hair is so....what is the word....not-awesome! I have the blessing of true combination...oily roots and dry ends...thanks genetics! I stopped dying my hair about a year and a half ago...so at least it isn't completely damaged anymore...baby steps!  Anyway...my search brought me to Lush (in the Mall of Louisiana) and I was immediately hit by the wonderful scents of the hand-made, completely natural products!

Trying not to get distracted, I went straight to the shampoo products and was dumb-founded by what I found...solid shampoo! Maybe I'm behind the times...but this baffled me! No packaging, what a wonderful thought!

I purchased the Seanick Shampoo Bar which is made of fine sea salt for volume, Nori seaweed to soften and nourish, lemon oil to cleanse and help with shine and then fragrance of mimosa and orange blossom absolutes. WOW! The scent is to die for and, after one use, I was sold on the volume and shine aspects as well! My hair feels great and, at the risk of sounding vain, looks pretty good too!

Since I can't leave with only one purchase, I picked up some solid perfume as well. I was running dangerously low and wanted to pick a scent that was more natural and appropriate for me.

I went with Karma Solid Perfume which is a blend of patchouli, orange oil and lemongrass essential oils. I'm obsessed with it and put it one multiple times a day...sad, I know!

And because I was such an excellent customer...despite all my nagging questions...they gave me a sample of Lemslip Soap which is a conditioning body cleanser with lemon, lime, cocoa and coconut butters...yummy! My skin feels clean and silky...love it!

I'm now utterly in love with Lush and cannot wait to get more of their wonderfully natural and hand-made products!

Chelsea's Cafe

Chelsea's Cafe  has been and remains one of my favorite places to eat in Baton Rouge. From the atmosphere to the yummy food to the fun beer selection, I'm sold! So many memories...I won't and can't share them all but I'll share these few tid bits...

The first time I tried hummus was at Chelsea's and I've been addicted ever since! This is my favorite thing to start with here because it is just enough to share and keep you occupied but not enough to spoil your dinner! I've yet to meet anyone who ordered this appetizer and didn't love it! Another starter that really gets the taste buds ready for fun is their Fried Green Tomatoes served with a remoulade sauce...yum, yum, yum!

Before the journey of being a vegetarian with vegan tendencies began, I hardly ventured from my go-to menu item...the grilled cheese! Holy Cow...this is without question the best grilled cheese sandwich I've ever had! It is six cheeses melted on homemade focaccia bread and served alongside their tomato basil soup. Professional Chelsea's Grilled Cheese Lovers (and now you...) know that you can spice this favorite item up a bit by asking them to add veggies to the sandwich. I'm a big fan of onions, so I always add those but sometimes I'll add tomatoes, mushrooms or spinach. All are excellent choices! I also get them to mix their tomato basil soup with their mushroom and artichoke soup...such an excellent result! Trust me!

Now that I've ventured to some of their other excellent options, I can also vouch for the Grilled Veggies on Focaccia, Pasta Primavera, and the Grilled Vegetables with Mediterranean Couscous-which is now my second fav menu item! If you are feeling a salad, they also have really great (and huge!) salad options!

I also have to brag a bit on their private parties. Chris and I held our rehearsal dinner here and it was a success on all accounts! We had about 60 people in their side room for a buffet-style dinner. There was homemade bread, hummus, stuffed mushrooms, crawfish pasta, chicken pasta and more (including vegan items for the bride and groom)! We also topped the night off with their bread pudding...too tasty for words!

The atmosphere is definitely unique. It is a very casual and laid-back place with live music often. It can fill up fast during lunch and happy hour so plan accordingly! Veggie Friends and Meat-Lovers alike with love this place!

Grocery Store Surprises!

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently posted a list of items that are vegan that would surprise you! The list is huge, so I'm only going to post the ones that really blew me out of the water!

Rice Krispies
Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate
Famous Amos Sandwich Cookies
Fritos (Barbecue and Original)
Wheat Thins (Original, Multi-Grain, and Reduced Fat)
Betty Crocker Bac-o's Bacon Flavor Bits (SERIOUSLY!!!)
Hunt's Manwich Sauce
McCormick Bac'n Pieces (Again, SERIOUSLY!)
Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
Edy's No-Sugar Bars and Whole Fruit Bars (sooo tasty!)
Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish Pie Crust
Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix
Betty Crocker Bisquick
Jello-O Instant Pudding (Banana Creme, Chocolate, Lemon and Vanilla)
Thai Kitchen Noodle Bowls (Thai Peanut, Roasted Garlic, and Pad Thai)
Campbell's Tomato Soup
Hormel Chili
Kraft Taco Bell Taco Dinner
Lipton Beefy Onion Soup
Progresso Soups (Lentil, Hearty Tomato, and Tomato Basil)
Top Ramen (Oriental)
Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice, Black Beans & Rice, Black-Eyed Peas & Rice, Jambalaya, Gumbo Mix With Rice, and Dirty Rice Mix (This is great news!)

OK...just because we now know it is vegan....doesn't mean we should eat it all the time! I hope this helps you next time you are rummaging around the grocery store!

Volunteer Opportunity

One of our local elementary schools, Lanier Charter Elementary School, was chosen to be featured on School Pride, a new NBC show. The premise of the show is to remodel schools with the help of the local community to provide an educational environment that the kiddos deserve!

NBC selected Lanier because the producers were struck by how much incredible academic growth was happening despite the facility that was falling apart and hadn't been updated in nearly 60 years! Some of the issues that these elementary students face daily are mold, leaky roofs, out-of-date classrooms and a dysfunctional playground.

The remodel will take place July 12th-18th and they are in need of volunteers! Please sign up for a 6 hour work period during that week here! It doesn't matter if you aren't a remodeling pro...they need every one from skilled workers to painters to welcome tent workers! I signed up for the 12-6pm shift on that Saturday, July 17th and YOU SHOULD TOO!

Make a difference and sign up today!

Roman's Cafe

As we were heading back from, yet another, Craig's List purchase, we got a bit peckish and decided to have an early dinner. Being on Government Street, we had tons of options but wanted to try something really different. We spotted Roman's Cafe and pulled right on in for some Greek take-out.

We went at an odd time, a little after 5:00pm, so it was pretty dead. I was immediately impressed with the decor of the restaurant. It seems to me that Greek restaurants are, typically, a bit cluttered and dated. Roman's Cafe, however, had a simplistic approach to design and displayed some great paintings.

The menu had two vegetarian options on it, the Vegetable Plate and the Vegetable Musaka. We both ended up going with Vegetable Plates. As we waited on our to-go order, we decided to enjoy a nice, giant piece of fresh Baklava.

Seriously, best baklava I've ever had! Not only was it beautiful it was so tasty! The mixture of the flaky crust, sweet syrup and the chopped nuts...unbelievable! It never had a chance with us...it was merely minutes before that gorgeous baklava became a happy plate!

It was only about 15 minutes before our take-out was ready!

As you can see, the Vegetable Plate was full of goodies...tabouli, spinach pie, hummus, falafel and grape leaves. The only thing I didn't eat was the grape leaves...in general, I'm just not a fan. Everything else was AMAZING! The spinach pie was my favorite...well, tied with the tabouli!

Great take-out experience! We agreed that this was a little Government Street Gem and that we will be visiting again soon!

Urbanspoon Rocks!

I am a big fatty! I love to eat and I love to eat out even more! Urbanspoon really helps me explore new options...especially the iPhone app! When I can't make a decision about where to go, I love to give the slot machine a good spin!

A Tasty Snack!

I'm tired of being tempted by the office candy jar! When 3:00pm hits, the hunger monster hits me hard! So, in an attempt to fight that monster in a healthy way...I decided to be pro-active and I purchased a box of Lara Bars to hide in my desk.

These tasty little treats are about 100 calories and are gluten, dairy and soy-free! They are also non-GMO, Vegan and Kosher! This box is filled with Cherry Pie, Cashew Cookie and Apple Pie. Since I missed breakfast, I enjoyed a little Apple Pie a few moments ago...and YUM!

My only complaint is that I bought the mini-bars so it was gone in two bites. Surprisingly, it curved the ol' hunger monster...but the true test will be 3:00pm! So far though, I'm a fan so it was a good purchase!

Chips + Salsa = My Obsession

To thank them for taking care of our precious kitties while we were gone, we took my sister and her boyfriend  to dinner last night. Still inspired by Urbanspoon's Best of Baton Rouge list, we ventured to Coyote Blues for some fresh Mexican cuisine.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was not my favorite. It was really crowded so it was very loud. I think if we were seated in a booth, it would have been a different story but we were seated in the middle of the restaurant, very close to our neighbors. I couldn't really hear the waitstaff when they visited our table, but they were very nice and accommodating.

To my surprise, there was more than one vegetarian entree option! Normally, I have to get creative, so this was refreshing!

As I sipped on my tasty frozen house margarita and enjoyed the chips and salsa starter, I weighed my options and debated between the Portobello Veggie Fajitas and the Vegetarian Especial Enchiladas. I went with the latter and YUMMY!

The picture is horrible so don't judge it based on that! It was a marinated Portobello mushroom sautéed with organic spinach in a green corn tortilla topped with Poblano cream sauce. It was served with Mexican rice and the best corn succotash I've ever had!

It was a little pricey but the food was worth it! All in all, great dinner! We will definitely go back!

I think Sarah and Ladd enjoyed themselves too, what do yo think?

Coyote Blues on Urbanspoon

Sending Out an SOS!

Next month you can make a difference while enjoying a beer! Abita will donate $0.75 from the sale of every bottle of Abita SOS- A Charitable Pilsner to help the businesses and individuals impacted by the disaster in the Gulf.

Yet another reason to love Abita Beer!

The Busy-Girl Book and Wine Club

So check another one off the summer to-do list! The Busy-Girl Book Club has selected it's first book and the first discussion party will be July 14th! The first book is "The Happiness Project". I'm excited to read it and waiting patiently for my copy to arrive!

If you are interested in joining, let me know!

Yum Sushi Yum!

After moving some furniture for us, Chris and I took our two friends out for dinner to thank them. We headed to Koi Japanese Cuisine for one of my favorite things...sushi! Koi Japanese Cuisine is located on State Street near the LSU campus.

The restaurant is actually quite small so it produces a nice, intimate atmosphere. I was excited to see that they had more than one vegetarian roll because that means I had more than one option to enjoy! I started with the miso soup and ginger-house salad. Both were delicious! The miso didn't have as many chunks of tofu or seaweed as I typically like, but it was still great. I then enjoyed the Avocado Roll and the Cucumber Roll...both, again, were delicious! Others at the table enjoyed the California Roll and Snow Crab Roll, both with great reviews. We also ordered from their Chinese Menu, which I believe to be new. It had a ton of options on it! The fried eggplant with steamed rice...right on! The sauce has a bit of a kick to it but really compliments the eggplant! I will definitely order again!

Clearly, we were starving so we all ordered tons of food! The four of us ate for under $50...so great deal! All in all...great experience!

Koi Japanese Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Craig's List Adventures!

Yard sales might be one of my favorite things! So, when I discovered that Craig's List was essentially an online yard sale, I about died! Over the weekend, I had two very different Craig's List adventures....one with a happy ending and, unfortunately, one that did not end well.

I found a set of four living room tables that I was super excited about...but unfortunately, when we were on our way to the designated meeting and purchase point, we received the call that they had just sold. Needless to say, I was not thrilled! But from this experience, I've learned to ask "how many other interested buyers are there?" Live and learn!

Luckily, I had also found a dining room set for super, super cheap! And the sale was a success! WOO HOO! It is a china cabinet, serving hutch, dining table with two inserts and six chairs! Our living room is painted green and this set just happened to be a yellow color with green accents. Sounds scary but it really fits perfectly! Here are the photos that were online:

All I need to do really is reupholster the chairs with a more modern fabric.  Don't worry, I'll post pictures of that DIY project and the finished room!

Great Read!

Just finished this book and WOW, Lisa See really knows how to keep readers hooked! I had a difficult time putting it down! From one obstacle to the next, I was memorized by the journey of these two sisters! If you enjoy historical fiction, as I do, than add this one to your summer must-read list!

Re-Purposing Wine Bottles!

As I was doing another cleaning sweep of my closet yesterday, I noticed that my boots are suffering! They are hanging out in the back of my closet all slouched over! Well, that just can't do! So I went on the look for a way to get them standing straight again and I didn't have to look past my own kitchen!

Wine bottles are the perfect fit for your knee high stems!

Now they can be stored and ready to hit the town this Fall!

I love projects or quick fixes that incorporate reusing or re-purposing something you would typically toss out!

Enjoy!

Eggplant Sandwiches...YUM!

As I was walking into my house last night after work, I dug into my mailbox and what did I find?

My new Real Simple magazine! Yay!

I started flipping through it as I was trying to think of what to cook for dinner when I spotted the most delicious picture! I wasted no time...I showed it to Chris and off we went to make "Eggplant Sandwiches"!

We didn't follow the Real Simple recipe but we used the basics...enjoy!

First, we cut the eggplant into slices, dipped into soy milk and then covered with bread crumbs before frying in vegetable oil.

As those cooled, we cut up some tomatoes and sprinkled with sea salt, cracked pepper and basil. (so yum!)

We also had some avocado slices and romaine lettuce.

We put one eggplant slice down first, then topped with the tomatoes, lettuce and avocado and then finished it off with another eggplant slice. What a yummy sandwich! Knife and Fork optional!

Date Night!

Last night Chris and I decided to go out for dinner. We recently read Urbanspoon's list of "100 Best Restaurants in Baton Rouge" and noticed that there are tons of places here that we haven't enjoyed yet! Being vegetarians with vegan tendencies, we know better than to go to some on the list, so last night we decided to check out Rama Thai Cuisine on Perkins, near the overpass.

This Thai restaurant has a bit of a sketchy appearance but the food is worth it! When we walked in we were a little confused. Do we wait to be seated? Do we go ahead a take a table? Ah! So we just stood there and eventually we were greeted by one of the servers who seated us. As we opened the menu, my heart leaped! An entire sleeve of the menu was dedicated to vegetarian options! YAY!

We started with fried veggie spring rolls...yum! When it arrived there were two giant rolls served with sweet and sour sauce. The sauce had a bit of a kick to it and was the perfect compliment to the tasty rolls! I ordered the Veggie Pad Thai and Chris got the Fried Tofu and Veggie Fried Rice (fatty!). The Pad Thai wasn't overwhelmingly spicy, which I loved! It was just spicy enough that after two or three bites I was grabbing my water! Yummy! The fried tofu was really excellent! Being a "texture person", I'm not the biggest fan of chunks of tofu but fried tofu is OK with me! It was a little chewy but with the steamed rice, amazing sauce and veggies, it all worked out. The Veggie Fried Rice was really good as well...had tons of veggies in it (obviously)! My favorite part of the ordering process was when she asked me "egg or no egg"! You can tell they serve those with "restrictions" and care about them too!

Clearly, we ordered way too much food! The portions are giant so we have plenty for lunch today...which is how we like to roll! I love family-style restaurants because it isn't considered weird to share! I like to taste everything on the table...sue me! The service did take a little time but that just gave us an opportunity to hang out and talk...so we were fine with it! I guess if you don't like the person you are with or you are in a hurry, think about going somewhere different!

This fun date night filled with tasty, tasty food put us back around $35. What a deal! We recommend to all our veggie or non-veggie friends out there! For our non-veggie friends, check out this Bite and Booze review!

Rama on Urbanspoon

Do It Gorgeously!

Sophie Uliano has done it again! I have read her books Gorgeously Green and The Gorgeously Green Diet. Both are amazing! She has just written another book Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive and More Beautiful Products. I haven't read it yet, but I'm ordering it ASAP! From what I have seen online:

Do It Gorgeously shows you how to make nearly everything you would otherwise purchase - you'll be astounded by how easy & inexpensive it is to make eco- friendly products for your family

Win some prizes by checking out the quiz below:

Do It Gorgeously: Clueless or Crafty Quiz

Save the Date!

Well, I'm getting started on one of the things on my to-do list before I thought I would! Don't you love it when that happens! =)

Our multi-family garage sale will be Saturday, July 10th so SAVE THE DATE! As of right now, get excited about kitchen essentials, home decor, tons of clothes/shoes/bags, DVDs, books and MORE! Woo! Everything MUST go!

I'll keep you updated as it approaches but GET EXCITED!

Cookin' Green!

One of our big ticket items on our registry was new cookware. We had been using a little of this and a little of that for our collection so we were beyond thrilled when we opened our new set...the Cuisinart GreenGournet line!

Not only is this 12-piece collection eco-friendly but they are also really attractive! We have them hanging on a rack above the stove for easy access and I don't even mind seeing them everyday! I thought I would get overwhelmed by the "clutter" of them showing but not at all!

The nonstick technology is ceramic based instead of petroleum based, helping to conserve existing oil supplies and the coating is applied at a temperature one half that of conventional nonsticks! They require less energy to reach cooking temperatures because the hard anodized construction provides high heat conductivity and they are COMPLETELY free of PTFE and PFOA! The stainless handles are also 70% recycled stainless!

To make me mo'happy the packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and is printed with soy ink!

We have been using them for a few weeks now and so far so good! I love the way they cook and the way they look! In my opinion...good purchase!

2010 FIFA World Cup

WOO HOO WORLD CUP!!! Most people do not know that I was pretty excited about soccer when I was in high school. I was one of the captains of the LHS Lady Cat Soccer Team back in my day and even helped start that team my freshman year. Yeah...I was pretty cool. Too bad I stunk it up on the field! Despite my lack of talent, I still loved the game and that fuels my excitement for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that kicks off tomorrow!

The good ol' USA team starts their play this Saturday against England. Being a citizen of both of those countries, I have to say I'm pretty excited about this match...but obviously my heart belongs to the USA! Don't miss this match 2:30pm ET on Saturday! I'll be watching with some close friends in Florida this weekend as we gather for a wedding! We lucked out on the timings of both so we will be able to enjoy both!

Throughout the World Cup two of my friends, Jay with Bite and Booze and Boo with The BR Beer Scene will be featuring dishes and beers from all of the participating counties, respectively. Those are both really exciting and well-written blogs, so I encourage you to check both of them out. I know I will be following closely! Thanks guys for being so spirited and awesome!

Are you excited about the World Cup? If so, how are you celebrating and who are you cheering on?

Please share your thoughts!

I'm addicted to to-do lists!

So my beautiful friend Colleen recently posted her "Summer To-Do List" on her blog Mommy Amour and it got me thinking! Her blog is so cute and fun! I love reading about her adventures with her husband and kiddos and about her fabulous and creative parties! Anyway, I've decided to "borrow" her idea of the summer checklist and I'm posting my own! Thanks friend!

1. Finally make our house a home! The day we bought the house was the day we got engaged and being me...you know what my priority was...plan a fab wedding! Now that I have checked that off my list, it is time to focus on our home! We bought a little bit of a fixer-upper in the Hundred Oaks area of Baton Rouge. I have tons of ideas but haven't had the time to start and (here's the key) finish those projects! So this summer, I hope to finish painting the rooms, especially the nasty, tedious task of the trim! I also want to tackle the task of organizing our office and guest room...right now they are both a collection of junk with no consistency of theme...that needs to change big time! We also have to discover the purpose of our front room. Right now it is just an awkward space but I'm hoping to turn it into a lovely and comfortable sitting and entertaining room. So basically, we have a lot to do with even more fun DIY projects! I'm so excited! I'll be sure to post our progress with tons of photos!

2. Discover a love for cooking! When I first started this blog, my intentions were to report my progress on becoming a vegan. Those intentions blossomed into a blog about all things Rachel! (Sorry for the tangent!)This summer I hope to try tons of new recipes and create more of a foundation of our new and exciting diets! Again, I'll make sure to report everything!

3. Purchase a Cricut! This machine looks amazing and the project results are even more stunning! I spend a fortune on little gifts and cutesy items when, with just a little time and effort, I could make my own!

4. Create more of a foundation for Bliss Events by Rachel! I adore weddings and events and started planning them a couple of years ago. Recently, I started my own business but it is such a new thing that I really need to do some business research and have a better understanding of what owning a small business entails. Planning the weddings is the fun part and I've got that covered...but first I need to cover my business bases! I think my business plan is relatively solid...but it never hurts to delve deeper into research! The four brides I have for their upcoming weddings are all gorgeous and amazing and I want to offer them nothing but my absolute best!

5. Go to yoga at least twice a week. Ok, this might be a lofty goal but a girls gotta try! I pay for classes every month and never go! This ends NOW! This week is out of the question because I've had fun plans every night but next week, I'm going to step it up!

6. Start a "girls only" book and wine club! I love, love, love to read and so does Chris...the problem is that he doesn't want to read and discuss the "girly" books I love to dive into. So,  I want to get a bunch of girlfriends together to take this journey with me! Plus...wine makes everything mo'better so adding that aspect into the "club" just makes sense! Now I just have to convince some girls to join me...

7. Have a garage sale! As Chris and I detox our home, we are creating a pretty huge pile of clutter! So, save the date, because this July or August everything must go!

8. Weekend trip to New Orleans! When Chris and I got back from our honeymoon, we were baffled about how little traveling and exploring we do...especially in our own beautiful state! New Orleans is only an hour away and we go so rarely! So sometime this summer, we hope to make a trip to New Orleans for a fun time exploring, shopping and (OF COURSE) eating!

9. Volunteer more! This is something I have such a inner drive to do and I do it so little. When I was in college volunteer opportunities were everywhere but now they are really difficult to find due to my limited availability. I've contacted the Friends of the Animals in Baton Rouge about opportunities and I'm anxiously awaiting information to get involved! Plus, with my new membership in the Baton Rouge Junior League, I'm looking at getting really involved with local projects like Habitat for Humanity!

10.  Be a better friend! One thing I learned from our wedding was how truly blessed we are with our with great family and friends! I have gotten in such the bad habit of turning down lunch dates, happy hours and other fun invitations blaming it on "not having the time". Who is so fulfilled that they don't have time for friends?? Not this girl! So watch out friends, bonding time is coming your way!

11. Improve on written correspondence! We live in a world of simple and easy technology that, in my opinion, is robing us and a younger generation of important etiquette lessons...like written correspondence! I love stationery and I love getting nice notes from friends...so this summer, I plan to start sending it a lot more! Who doesn't like that warm and fuzzy feeling of opening a well-crafted thank you note???

12.  Create an oasis of zen and beauty in the back yard! One thing we left St. Lucia with was a deeper appreciation for landscape! Our back yard is a huge blank canvas and I'm ready to take it to that next level so we can relax and enjoy the outdoors a lot more! I'm not extremely handy in the yard, but thankfully Chris is so I'm thinking this can be a fun project for the two of us!

13. Ace the GRE! Working at LSU I'm given the amazing opportunity of taking graduate classes. I started a few semesters ago but had to take a break because my non-matriculating ride was over! It is time to take the GRE and get accepted into a real graduate degree program!

14. Take my LSU office up a notch! Right now my office is a chaos of productivity and that isn't working for me anymore! Since this summer is (slightly) less crazy than most of the year, I want to take this opportunity to create a warm and welcoming, yet spirited environment!

15. Update the wardrobe! As I look down right now, I'm not even impressed with my appearance! Granted, I don't look like a homeless child but I definitely am not stopping the work place traffic! I want to get some great pieces that can really tell the world that I am a young professional on the move! What better time than this summer to make that transition permanent!

Hopefully, I won't get too distracted over the summer and I will be able to check all of this right off! I'll keep you all updated!

FINALLY!

The new TOMS wedges are available for purchase!!! Look how stinkin' adorable they are! I'm so excited...but which color to purchase! Ahhh decisions!