Here’s an odd development that I feel like sharing…
I seem to have developed an aversion to coffee. This is frightening to me and I keep waiting for the phase to pass, but it’s been a week and I still can’t finish off my morning cuppa joe.
Tea’s been doing the trick.
It’s pretty bizarre that I could go from a caffeine worshiper to, well, whatever I am now. Hmmm.
I’ve been alternating creamer types (soy, coconut, etc.) but I recently fell in love with Almond Breeze’s Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk.
Love! Thanks to everyone who rec’d this brand. It’s barely sweet, but just enough to give it a little somethin’ somethin’. And it’s thicker than the WF brand, which is great for coffee tea. Since Kyle is fine without dairy, this is our new house choice.
I have plans to do a full review of all the non-dairy creamers btw – so stay tuned for that.
Hi camera reflection!
What else is going on? Well, I’ve been working of course. But even more than that I’ve been planning some upcoming trips. I wish travel was my full time occupation. Guess where we are going in December?
BUENOS AIRES!!!! I’m so excited 🙂
All recommendations/suggestions on things to do and see are welcome. We are still in the early phases on planning, but we already know of a few day trips we want to do, including some travel through Uruguay.
Any readers out there in Argentina? If anyone has been to Buenos Aires before, please leave a comment with any must-see sites.
We are also heading back to NYC in a few weeks. Obviously, having lived in Manhattan before, less research is necessary, but I want to be sure I pack the visit with as much good fun, food, and friends as possible. So I’ve been creating lists upon lists to stay organized (which are, of course, mostly restaurants). I currently have 25 places I want to go to…in 3 1/2 days…hmmmm. My goal is to go to ONLY new places with one exception (Pure F&W / One Lucky Duck).
Vacation planning aside, I’ve been maintaining a steady diet of desserts (with the occasional salad).
I wish I had written down the recipe for this one because even though the cookies didn’t hold together very well, they are still mouth watering. Salty chocolate with chewy raisins sounds weird, but damn, it works. It’s hard to stop eating them. Having so many sweets at the apartment is really dangerous (I have no self control once I open the tupperware and get one whiff of the cookie aroma).
Just writing this post makes me want to go get them. It doesn’t help that they are being kept on the dining table…and thus the central point of the living room apartment. Maybe I shouldn’t store them out in the open?
There was almost as much hummus and avocado in this salad as there was kale.
And more kale. Kale kale kale.
So yeah. That’s what’s going on with me lately. :)
You’re visiting to NYC??? Yay! Let me know if you have any time to grab a vegan bite:)
Have you tried mimic creme? It’s good. You can find it in the non-refrigerated alternative dairy section at whole foods. I dislike coconut or soy milk dreamers but like mimic creme. Of course, there’s always almond milk but I have a hard time finishing off so much before it expires.
Coffee aversion? Yikes that doesn’t sound like you at all! I hope it goes away soon!! That almond milk is also great in smoothies! 🙂 Buenos Aires sounds like a really neat place to visit!
If you haven’t already figured out a place to stay in BA, I HIGHLY recommend renting an apartment. On our honeymoon, we rented from Angela at San Telmo Loft and had an amazing, amazing time. (http://santelmoloft.com/) They have a few apartments in the building, and she actually lives there too. I was worried about not having hotel staff but this was way better. She showed us around the neighborhood, invited us to a party at her place, etc, etc. Wonderful experience.
I also highly recommend taking a day trip to Tigre. I wrote about it here: http://abackyardwedding.blogspot.com/2009/03/honeymoon-recap-tigre.html
M backpacked through South America and LOVED Buenos Aires! You are going to have the best time!
Elise – Have you tried the Trader Joe’s brand of unsweetened vanilla almond milk? In the refrigerator section? It blows Almond Breeze out of the water. So good.
And, Buenos Aires in December! So fun. I went a few years ago at the end of August and it was so much fun. It’s a great walking city with so many cool neighborhoods and places to eat. Check out the modern museum of art, the cemetery in Recoleta and the Palermo neighborhoods. If you are there on a Sunday, you need to go to the San Telmo flea market. Awesome people watching and tango in the streets as well as lots of cool things to buy.
thank you so much!!!! great to know.
hmmm…interesting you say that bc ive actually heard the opposite. ive heard its clumpy and texture wise is similar to milk gone bad. i guess ill have to try it for myself?!?
i just emailed you about friday lunch. lemme know. [same for any other nyc peeps]
thank you katie!! other people said the same about apartments, so we have a couple we are deciding between. ill have to give that site a look though. cant wait to read about tigre too. feel free to pass on any other restaurants, bars, or cool places you liked.
you NEED to hit up townhouse when you’re in town. my brother & his gf went there and said it was the meal of a lifetime! <3333
are you gonna be around the sep 9/10th weekend? imma email you.
have fun! cannot wait to read about your adventures!
Oooh Buenos Aires! SO jealous of all your travels.
I swore off coffee last fall, I like tea better anyway. That way I figure if I ever actually need the caffeine I could drink coffee and it would do the trick!
No coffee?! You’re probably pregnant. 😉 That was one of my first aversions. I hope so…that way, we can just swap pictures of our adorable babies. And also, maybe you’ll have to stay home from Buenos Aires, and be forced to give your ticket to me. I’ve got this all worked out…
I have no self control when it comes to cashews, which I just proved to myself a few minutes ago…
I love when the dressing seems to be more present than the salad. I had so much salsa today, it was like eating salsa with a side of lettuce!
i literally just laughed out loud. a lot. not preggo. for certain 😉
So speaking of non-dairy…is there such a thing as non-dairy (non-lactose?) yogurt?
I don’t even know where to begin with the BA recommendations! My sister lived there and I had the pleasure of visiting her twice. Some of the places you must see are the San Telmo market, the cemetery (its not morbid but actually beautiful) in Recoleta, shopping in Palermo soho, La Faena hotel for a drink and if you can a tango show, and if you can go to the falls in Iguazu, they are incredible. If you have any questions email me! Have so much fun I am so jealous!
thank you brooke! im so so excited. i will definitely email you as we get more things lined up and do more research. for now, these tips are perfect. THANKS!!!
theres soy yogurt. its so-so. i think stonyfield makes the best kind (its called o’soy or something). i dont like wholesoy or silk at all. nancys is ok, but hard to find and usually more $$
Isn’t UVAB great? By the way, LOVE your pictures! What kind of camera do you use?
O Buenos Aires! We went there over Christmas and New Year in 2009 and it was fantastic. My one recommendation is to go and see as many tango shows. They are all amazing – the cheap, the expensive, all of them!
We also travelled to Uruguay for a couple of days – we took the ferry and I highly recommend it. Don’t go to Punta del Este in Uruguay. It is supposedly the best of the best when it comes to beach vacations but in reality it just looks like Florida. It is much better to hit the beach at a smaller town – much more authentic.
Now you’ve expired me to finally do a trip recap for our time there. I will send you the links when I do the posts:)
Buenos Aires sounds amazing!
I wonder if the temporary coffee aversion is IBS related? Sometimes coffee + IBS = no fun. Maybe your system is trying to tell you something? In any case, enjoy the tea. I’ve become a huge fan of loose leaf teas lately.
Ahh Elise! One of my older bros studied abroad in bueno aries while he was in college…let me know if you want to know about anything in particular! SO SO JEALOUS! I would love to hit up South America as a post-grad trip! we’ll see 🙂
YAY! I would LOVE to get in on a blogger meet-up if you’re available? I know it’s a short trip, though, so I’d understand if you have too much to fit in. And I haven’t tried it yet, but the fruit soft serve place near union square that’s been blowing up the blog world sounds amazing. I’m sure you know of it–and it may already be on your list. It’s definitely on mine. 🙂
Also–so exciting you’re going to Buenos Aires!
I totally understand the coffee thing! Last semester I was drinking multiple cups a day and still falling asleep without a problem. I stopped drinking it and haven’t turned back except for a cup here or there. Now I drink two or three cups of tea a day and love it. Less caffeine and less harsh on my digestive system.
So jealous of your trip to BsAs! You might like Bio restaurant in Palermo (http://www.biorestaurant.com.ar/restaurant/bio_restaurant.html). And here’s a longer list to peruse (http://www.saltshaker.net/restaurant-reviews/vegetarian-resources). Just remember to be very specific about what you don’t eat–lots of servers don’t consider ham to be meat, for example. And Uruguay is great–Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo are both worth a short trip (take the Buquebus ferry from Puerto Madero).
Have you tried Silk’s Almond Milk? I think it’s better than Almond Breeze. Really smooth and a bit thicker. It comes in unsweetened, too.
yes! id love to have lunch with you! ill email you. i think i just saw gena’s post on the fruit soft serve. i have my eyes on stogo and lulus sweet apothecary as well.
I feel ya on the coffee aversion thing. I used to LOVE iced coffee, but then I stopped drinking it for a while and now every time I drink it I have to sit in the bathroom all day (TMI?) so sad 🙁
Um, excuse me…wth, Elise?! You are SUPPOSED to be my fellow medical professional coffee addict! What am I going to do with you now that you prefer TEA?! Ugh, I can’t handle this…I’m getting the shakes…I think I need a cup of coffee! 😉
Congrats on the Argentina getaway…you suck!
I wish I could quit my coffee habit to. I started drinking it after I graduated and began work full time. If I don’t drink it for awhile and have a cup or two I can actually smell it on my skin. No one else can but I do.
I had a friend from Argentina in high school. Watch out for those smooth talking South Americans. They are charming!!!
Hi Elise! Long time reader here, but I haven’t commented often. I’m in NYC and would love to meet up with you too! Let me know if you have time!
fun fact: i order bulk unsweetened vanilla almond breeze through the subscribe and save program on amazon.com. (: it’s economical.
xo.
Hi there. I’m also a regular reader but not a commenter 🙂
My husband and I just went to BA in January and I wanted to second Libby’s recommendation of Bio. It’s not super easy to be vegan in the land of free-range cattle but there are some options. The Italian places along the river in Puerto Madero (which is sort of similar to the Meatpacking District in NYC) might work, too. By the way, if you have time to go south into Patagonia, do it! It was absolutely amazing.
I also second Tamar’s recommendation of Trader Joe’s unsweetened vanilla almond milk–it sort of tastes like cake batter but has a nutritional profile quite similar to Almond Breeze.
thank you for all the recommendations!! i really appreciate it.
did you fly, bus, or train to patagonia? how long did it take you to get there?
i need to get to TJs for some cake batter milk assap!
well done! we just got a case from costco. but not having to lug it home is a real perk. thanks for the tip!
awesome! ill email you!
haha. smooth takers – noted. ill be sure to pass on the warning to kyle too… 😉
dont worry i am SURE its just a phase…
to be honest, i wouldnt mind if it had that effect to some degree…although not all day 🙁 however, im immune to that side effect of caffeine at this point.
ps youll rarely go over the line with TMI for me…nursing and IBS have warped me.
i havent tried theres yet. thanks for the rec.
*theirs* doh!
thank you libby!!! these are great recs! and i appreciate the tip about being specific. how weird that ham wouldnt be considered meat!
about how near to your trip to colonia del sacramento did you get your buquebus tickets? days? weeks? months?
so true! i think my body is happy. semi droopy eyelids at times though 🙁
i have a canon rebel XS
There’s usually 2-3 ferries each day, so I’d recommend just showing up at their terminal about an hour or hour and a half prior to departure. That way you’ll be on the safe side and have plenty of time to go through the ticket line and the customs line. You can check departure times on their website: http://www.buquebus.com.
And Uruguay’s a fairly small country, so no need to spend more than 1-2 days per city. You could even do a day trip to Colonia if you just want a chill change of pace.
Of course! I definitely owe you since I’ve taken so many of your recommendations (including a visit Real Food Daily during a recent trip to Santa Monica–so, so good!).
We flew to Patagonia, it’s pretty far. I believe the flight was about three hours and given the terrain, the drive would likely be at least eight, if not more. We stayed in El Calafate, which was amazing; Bariloche and Ushuaia are supposed to be great as well. So worth it if you have the time though!
thanks so much. we looked into the times last week, but they werent posted yet so i figured it was a more low key kind of ferry. from what ive heard, punctuality and schedules arent argentinas strong suit.
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