Passion Vit Ici : 31 Days of Yoga Challenge (Day 14)

"Forevers sont composées des maintenant."
-Emily Dickinson

"I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my passions."
-Elizabeth Taylor

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."
-Mae West

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the word and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day."
-E.B. White

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
-Mahatma Gandhi

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." -Eleanor Roosevelt

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt

I'm in love with cities I've never been to and people I've never met.

"There's nothing wrong with you. There's a lot wrong with the world you live in." -Chris Colfer

Thursday, August 14, 2014

31 Days of Yoga Challenge (Day 14)

Today is the 14th day into my 31 days of yoga challenge and I am thankful for one thing well five to be exact... my five senses. I am thankful that I was gifted with all five senses and especially my sight. I thank God every day that I am able to see because the world can be such a beautiful place and even though their are some things in life that just break your heart or things that you don't want to see I'm still grateful that I can. There's always something in life that is beautiful if you look hard enough at times. Me being a photographer and an absolute photo junkie, I am thankful that I am able to see through my lens and take beautiful pictures. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't able to see art and beautiful memories that the world has to offer. I know some people in life aren't fortunate enough to be able to see and that makes me even more thankful. Our eyes are so important and many people don't even realize how important they are. Our eyes allow each and every one of us to be able to read, learn, work, and even play. Our eyes allow us to see beautiful people in the world and allow us to make connections with one another. Sometimes our eyes talk more to one another more than if we were to even say just one word. A person's eyes are the pathway to their soul in my opinion. If you stare into them long enough you can almost feel what they are feeling. That was one of the exercises in my yoga three-week immersion. We would each grab a partner, stand face to face, and stare into each others eyes. It's a very personal exercise, but you'd be surprised how connected you feel to that person in such a short amount of time.

No one ever injured their eyesight by looking on the bright side of things.

The most beautiful eyes are loving eyes.

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Pennsylvania

A wonderful Italian restaraunt in Pittsburgh, PA called Il Pizzaiolo Ristorante. {Prosciutto and arugula pizza} Literally the best pizza I have ever eaten in my entire life. The crust was perfect. It wasn't too chewy and it had he perfect amount of crunch. The chef didn't cook the proscuitto which was good. As you can see by the picture the proscuitto was added at the very end of the preparation. They make their own pizza sauce which is a little sweeter than most sauces, but it pairs wonderfully with the bitterness/peppery taste of the arugula. Perfection all the way.

Maryland

Baltimore Farmers Market {Mini old fashion doughnuts. This station is right next to Zeke's Coffee station which is also very popular. If you are in the Baltimore area definitely go to the Baltimore Farmers Market Sunday morning} I'm not a big doughnut fan unless their is chocolate involved, but these were quite wonderful. They had a perfect slightly sweet taste. The doughnuts were slightly crispy on the outside and spongy/soft on the inside and when I bit into one the steam came rising out after I took a bite. Couldn't be more freshly made.

Maryland

BOPS Pizzeria in Fells Point {White clam pizza} I definitely recommend this place. My mother and I ate here because famous people ate here in the past. That caught our attention. Kevin Bacon ate here and loved it. This was an exceptionally good pizza. The outside of the crush was extremley crispy but the pizza itself was floppy just like a traditional New York pizza. If you like floppy pizza like I do than this is the pizza for you. There were three types of cheeses - fontina, parmesan, and mozzerella and they paired wonderfully witht the clams. Also, if you're one of these people that doesn't like red sauce on your pizza then this is a great pick for you. Very simple and it was a very light pizza... which I like.

Maryland

Pitango Gelato down by Fells Point in Maryland. {Chocolate noir and chocolate with chips} I have only had gelato three times in my whole life but I will say this gelato is exceptionally tasty. None of the flavors that I tried were too strong or over powering; not even the chocolate noir. Pitango was a fun experience because the employees let their customers pair different flavors together if they weren't able to choose just one... so of course I chose two chocolate flavors. The chocolate noir would have been too bitter for a sweet treat so I paired it with a slightly less chocolatey chocolate flavor. I ate every last bit of it... which I have never done before when it comes to gelato.

Maryland

Cafe Gia in Little Italy {Grilled octopus salad with arugula and garbanzo beans} This salad was delicious. Ever since I had my first octopus salad in Aruba with my family I have been obsessed with finding another perfect octopus salad. First of all, this salad is a cold salad if anybody was wondering. The octopus was so tender and perfectly prepared. Most of the time you will eat octopus or squid and it will taste really yummy but it just seems to take you way too long to actually chew it and swallow it. Well, not this salad. Like I said, it was incredibly tender and easy to eat which obviously made it more enjoyable. It was prepared exactly the way octopus is supposed to be prepared. The arugula was light and just added a little something to the salad. The red onions hidden somewhere in there gave the salad a little bit of a sweet tast and added crunch to it as well. The dressing was not too over powering - quite simple actually. It was a lemon and olive oil mixture. The salad was perfect and frankly not quite big enough.

Maryland

Hunan Manor located in Columbia, MD {Mushi chicken, Hunan combination, steamed rice, and steamed dumplings. The best Chinese food one will ever eat} My mother and I have been coming here ever since I was a child and we lived in Maryland. We have so many wonderful memories here with my mom and her mom (my grandmother) so everytime we get to visit Maryland we always have to make a trip here. It's kind of like our little way of honoring my grandmother in a simple and happy way. We always order the dumplings but this time we actually ordered completely different entree dishes. Before I get to the main course I'll talk about the dumplings. They only have one type of dumpling but you can choose fried or steamed. We chose steamed of course. The meat inside is a mixture of pork, beef, and chicken. The dough on these dumplings is a litte thicker than other dumplings I have tasted which can be a pro or a con for some people. Luckily for me it's a pro. These dumplings are quite small so they are only about two and a half bites for me, but the chefs are very generous with how much the dumplings are filled. These are no scrawny dumplings. The sauce that comes with them is a brown sauce. It is thin like soy sauce but not too strong. The dumplings have incredible flavor so the sauce is quite mild. I am guessing has hints of soy sauce and is mixed wth scallions - very simple. The combination dish that my mom ordered had pork, chicken, beef, and shrimp in it. The meat was perfectly tender and not chewy at all like most Chinese food you eat is. Everything was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. Most of the time I need soy sauce to eat with my Chinese food, but never at this restaraunt. Lastly, I ordered mushi chicken which came with a side of Chinese pancakes. The dish itself is quite dry which is why it comes with a sticky brown sauce. I don't care for the sauce because it is a little bit too spicy/sweet and strong for me so I just used soy sauce. Everything about this meal was perfect though and I would definitely order it a second time.

Aruba

Gelatissimo in Aruba {Chocolat noir and pistachio gelato} My mother and I were so excited to go here when we saw the sign. We thought it was so adorable. The gelato however was not over the top great. My mom had pistachio and said she liked it pretty well. I got the dark chocolate ganache which was entirely way too rich and the texture was slightly gritty. I didn't care for it. If I had to compare it to Pitango in Maryland, well then I would have to say that Gelatissimo is a 2 and Pitango is a 9.

Aruba

Madame Janette {Filet Mignon with lobster medallions topped with hollandaise} I would not recommend this dish to anyone. It was basically a has been dish. The atomosphere of the restaraunt was quite nice but the food was nothing special. The filet mignon was quite tender and delicious but the lobster medallions were very tough and chewy. If I were to go back to this specific restaraunt I would most definitely order something different. The crab meat was entirely too salty as well. There really wasn't anything special about my dish.

Aruba

Gianni's Ristorante {Brocolli Rabe orecchiette and free range chicken risotto} This is at my favorite restaraunt in Aruba again. My mother obviously chose right... again. My dish was not the greatest. The sausage and the brocolli rabe was quite delicious but my pasta was really oily and greasy. It wasn't the most appetizing dish. My mothers dish on the other hand was out of this world. Everything about this dish was cooked to perfection. If you haven't noticed, I like to describe certain things as "perfect, perfectly, or perfection." Well, the risotto was prepared just right and the chicken was tender and seasoned perfectly. When you cut the chicken it just slid off the bone. There was nothing I would have added or taken away from this dish. I wish I could eat it every day.

Aruba

Amore Mio Pizzeria {Brocolli Rabe Pizza, Avocado Shrimp Salad, and Baked Polenta} The polenta we ordered as an appetizer was underseasoned and the pablano dipping sauce was entirely way too spicy for my taste. The salad was delicious, light, and beautifully prepared. The pizza was out of this world. The crust reminded me a lot of Lombardi's Pizzeria in New York City (Little Italy) The sauce was really light, slightly sweet, and not too heavy. There was a perfect amount of cheese and other toppings as well. I definitely recommend this place. One of my favorites.

Downton Lousiville, Kentucky

Asheville, North Carolina

Doc Chey's {Ginger Salad and Veggie Spring Rolls} The salad was really yummy but probably could have been served in a slightly bigger bowl because when I was eating it, cucumbers and other yummy things were just falling right out and I wasn't able to mix up the salad very well. The dressing was very gingery but perfect. The spring rolls were very crispy on the outside but the vegetables were cut julienne on the inside and it was delicious. The textures were just so satisfying. The dipping sauce to go with the spring rolls was perfection. It was a simple sauce, very thin and slightly spicy/hot. It had scallions, lemon juice, soy sauce, carrots, and red pepper flakes. The sauce paired perfectly with the spring rolls.

Asheville, North Carolina

In the mood for some chocolate? Head over to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. {I got the flourless chocolate cake with blackberry compote} The flourless chocolate cake is not pictured because I was craving it so much my mother and I inhaled it without even taking a picture first. It was perfect and most of the time restaraunts pair chocolate with raspberry which I dislike, but they paired their cake with a blackberry compote which was amazing. I preferred the blackberry much better than raspberry compote. It was a very thin slice, but that's all anybody needs. The cake was creamy but dense and the compote had texture because the seeds from the blackberries were mixed in with the compote. It was so delicous and satisfying - of course it left us wanting more.

Asheville, North Carolina

Jerusalem Garden Cafe (Mediterranean Cuisine) {Lamb with Shrimp Cucumber Salad, hummus, and pita bread} The pita bread tasted like it was made fresh. It was so soft and spongy, the meat was incredibly tender and very flavorful. The cucumber salad was diced very finely and paired well witht the meat because it was very cool and refreshing. The hummus was creamy and tasted so fresh. It was very mild which paired well with the dish because the meat was so strong. Everything was perfect even the atmosphere.

Asheville, North Carolina

Posana Cafe (Vegan Restaurant) {Veggie Benedict with Tofu Bacon} Everything about my dish was delicious. My eggs were prepared just right and the hollaindaise was perfect. The tofu bacon which I had never had in my life was not crispy at all but it wasn't soggy/soft like you would imagine either. It was flimsy but it still had texture. It was a fairly large dish and I probably could have shared it with someone else. The only thing that was probably unnecessary were the biscuits on the very bottom. I could have done without the biscuits but they were still very yummy. The dish was perfect already that it didn't even need the biscuit.

Asheville, North Carolina

Karen Donatelli's Cake Designs {Chocolate Eclair} My mother stated that this was one of the best chocolate eclairs that she has ever eaten and that is saying something considering she is a pastry chef herself. But I pretty much knew it was one of the best by just looking at the picture... look at that thing - it's beautiful. The eclair was very firm from being in the dessert case so the chocolate was hard as well. The bottom of the eclair was slightly spongy but had a slight crispy texture when you first bite into it. There was a perfect amount of custard as well as chocolate.

New York City

Francois Payard Bakery {Quiche Lorraine for me and french onion soup and sweet pulled pork bbq sandwich for Michael} My quiche was delicous. A typical quiche lorraine of course, nothing wrong with it but the hot chocolate was like hot chocolate ganache. It was entirely way too rich and thick and that's not how I want my hot chocolate to be. They probably want their hot chocolate to taste like that but in my opinion it was a complete waste of $5.50 and I would never order it again. I took two sips and simply was unable to drink anymore.

Little Italy, New York

Ceci-Cela Cafe {Financier and skinny hot chocolate} The interesting thing about this dessert is that it is called The Financier which is French. It is a small French cake. It was light and moist, similar to sponge cake. In terms of texture it is springy with a crisp, eggshell-like exterior. This was a chocolate dessert of course so if you are a chocolate lover this is a simple and lovable dessert. The name financier is said to derive from the traditional rectangular mold, which resembles a bar of gold. This specific cake became popular in the financial district of Paris surrounding the Paris stock exchange. At the time and to this day I am obsessed with anything French so when the owner in the cafe was telling me the history behind the Financier I couldn't help but be intrigued. Interesting facts like that really do make memories and experiences that much more special.

New York City

Vive la Crepe {Smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato, and caper crepe} Best chain crepe place I have ever been too. Their crepes were soft and not crispy which I love and they served them in crepe cones which is so authentic. They had the perfect amount of smoked salmon, cream cheese, as well as capers. The only that kind of sucked was the fact that all of the capers were at the very bottom of the crepe and whenever I was eating it I wasn't able to have bites of capers witht the rest of my crepe until I got to the very bottom... and when I got to the bottom it was all capers and nothing else. It may not be a big deal to most people but when you are serving food in a restaurant you need to think of the little things like that because it may turn some of your customers completely off.

Chinatown, New York

The Golden Unicorn {Chicken and seafood rice Fukrian style} This dish was enormous... probably not the best dish to order just for yourself. It would serve at least four other people. It is a very mild dish but still has a lot of flavors going on because of the combinations in the dish itself. Lovely experience. The employees do not speak English so you have to be very careful with how much you are ordering and what you are ordering. It is a very classy Chinese restaraunt as well. They come around to each table with carts with specific dishes to purchase individually. I loved every minute of it.

Newport Beach, California

Cucina Alessa {Chocolate Cake with Fondant} This is by far the best piece of chocolate cake I have ever tasted... and that's saying something considering that my mother is a pastry chef. The slice had multiple thin layers of cake and ganache. It was very creamy and dense. It was a very rich piece of cake but it was sliced very thin. The cake was room temperature as well. Whenever you pressed your fork into it the cake did not crumble which I love. Everything stayed together. Two thumbs up!

San Francisco (Little Italy), California

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tartes {Flourless Chocolate Cake with Almonds} This little place is very adorable and screams personality. It is located right across the street from the Betsy Ross House. It is very tiny so you cannot go inside. It is a very simple but elegant to-go pastry shop. My mother and I were very pleased with the tiny flourless chocolate cake that we ordered. The cake itself was soft/spongy but slightly crumbly. The almonds garnishing the cake were a perfect touch as well. However, I do not know if the owner of the place was just have an off day or what but she was not the least bit nice or polite to my mother and I. I however, do not care if someone says "good afternoon" or "have a nice day," I just simply want my food to taste good and it certainly was.

Pipestem, West Virginia

Mountain Creek Restaraunt {Prime rib with vegetables and risotto cake} Everything was seasoned perfectly. It was a pleasant experience and considering how long I have lived in West Virginia I have only been to this restaurant one time. It is definitely a must if you are ever in West Virginia. The interesting thing about this restaraunt is that you have to take a tram all the way downt to the restaraunt. There is no other way to actually get to the restaraunt. It is an exciting and relaxing experience. I definitely recommend it.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

31 Days of Yoga Challenge (Day 14)

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