NYC - Driving through Tmes Square and other Manhattan pics

Fun pics out the taxi windows going through Time Square..






Soo many taxis everywhere!

This is the one spot where we stopped for at least 10 minutes.. besides in the restaurants! Just put our feet up and watched the little fountain in this park.


Our hotel - The Lucerne, at Amsterdam and 79th

Loved the mosaic entrance to this restaurant.. You could tell a lot of heart went into this! Some really great art and soul can be seen in the design of (& on) buildings here.

Cartier - Huge!!!

walking back to the hotel at night..


I am ready to get back into posting my life here in Toronto - just have Brooklyn left, coming right up! (loved Brooklyn!)

NYC - Caravan of Dreams

Saturday morning, in between our trips to High Vibe and Live Live we stopped at Caravan of Dreams for breakfast. This place has awesome atmosphere! I am sure I must be part gypsy!! Love this type of surroundings, deep rich colors, things hanging all over the place, colored lights and stars. The menu is half raw- half cooked.
I felt in need of some serious nutrition and ordered the Kombucha Green - Green Juice with Aloe Vera, Spirulina and Kombucha! Tom ordered Coconut water, one of his very favorite things. They had 2 live soups so each had one of those.

Then we had The Ecuador - angelhair pasta from squash or yams, guac and flaz chips, daikon, jicama with salsa, grapefruit and a salad. This had been recommended to us and was delicious.

We also ordered some sides to try: some of their Flax Chips, Almond Hummus, Sour Cream and Mango Chutney. I loved the Almond Hummus, it was so ceamy and delicious, one of the best hummus's I have had!

Desserts! We ordered 3!

The Peach Cobbler..

The Chocolate Banana Pie came highly recommended..

and Strawberry Cheesecake..

..and they had almond milk so I enjoyed one of my fav things, an indulgence from my past which I have gotten back into again this past year.. and something we didnt come across very often on this trip - a cup of tea. ..It's the little things ; )

NYC - Raw Shops: High Vibe and Live Live

The plan on Saturday morning was to go down to places in the lower parts of NY: to go to High Vibe, which has been around for a long time, on 3rd, have breakfast-lunch at Caravan of Dreams on 6th (next post) and make our way up to the store which recently opened up on 10th- Live Live (short i on the 1st Live, long i on the 2nd Live - but I'm sure you got that!)

High Vibe was great. they had so many products, lots of snacks and packaged foods.. all of the products for highest vibe and well-being. I didn't take pictures inside but you can browse the catalog of all their products.

But I took lots at Live Live! Live Live is located right next to Quintessence. & we just happened to find it on Thurs eve, the waiter from Quintessence mentioned it to us. & it was closed..but we knew we had to come back & check it out.

Now I have an interesting story, & probably the reason why I have so many pictures on my camera of this place. I love these kinds of stories, so I will tell you.

ok, so we walk in & glance around.. great store - everything for your superhuman needs!
But then I spot a display of makeup which I have been really wanting to try! This makeup is extremely special - & I know the background of it from my friend in Toronto, Monica (who is a phenomenal raw chef! & the sister of Rosemary Swift, the creator of RMS Beauty.

Rosemary is a professional make-up artist in NYC.. one of the top artists in the country! and years ago she put up a website Beauty Truth - which was quite controversial about beauty products and the toxins and heavy metals which they are loaded with.. it was a risky thing to do given her profession. (I will post another article on the makeup later (esp. cause I am loving it!!)

..so I point & tell Tom that this is Monicas sister's line and the guy a the counter overhears me and introduces me to Rosemary who happens to be sitting there eating her lunch. It was so exciting to meet her, beacause of the makeup but esp. love meeting relatives of freinds anyway. they talk so much alike, things like that.. and we get an invite to go to her loft, around the corner from Pure (she's best friends with Sarma) and buy makeup at cost from her. She put my makeup on for me.. showed me how to do it. awesome! so fun!!
but anyway, thats why we stayed for quite awhile at the store chatting.. and why I decided to go around and take all these pics.

This is a store where true empowered superbeings shop! Check it out..

The cooler is filled with so many delicious treats - I even took close-ups! Check out all the raw chocolate bars.. they had so many! Jars of truffles on the top and more desserts below. I was a little overwhelmed at how many great raw super products are coming out - really beautiful!

more treats and desserts on this side.. and Dr Cow Cheeses. I was able to try a few at Pure.. they are amazing!

They have special little tubs of ice cream in the cooler.. We tried a chocolate one. It was delicious!

I took a walk around and clicked pics of all their display racks. All of their products are amazing!



In the center is the RMS Beauty display. Read the website - Check out the ingredients - Amazing cosmetics! I am Loving them!!

NYC - A Walk Around Harlem and John Dowe's House

Almost next door to Raw Soul is this grocery store-fruiteria. I loved how they had so much fruit cut up and ready to eat. Pineapple strips on sticks, mango, cantaloupe, oranges, cherries and berries all packaged fesh and ready to eat. Fruit is so accessible here in NYC - it would be so easy to be a fruitarian here!

Around the corner and down a couple blocks I saw this patio..

..and the whole house. We met John Dowe and he invited us in to see his house close up. The whole thing was made from 4 types of sticks: matchsticks, toothpicks, popsicle sticks and umm, I'm forgetting one. ..maybe bamboo skewers. I also lost his contact info, so if you happen to read this John, you can send it. John had arthritis in his hands and he was recommended by his physician to do something using is fingers so he started making small furniture. I told him about Raw Soul around the corner! : ) Maybe Eddie & Lillian should hire me to walk around and tell people how amazing their place is. ; ) !!!

So, yes, the house is very cool. It has electricity running through it - lights that work..

..and the ceiling fan in the bottom middle room works also. A lot of detail is put into this. In the top right hand corner is the bathroom, the toilet lid flips up and down. Drawers come out, little pictures are framed.

I'm obviously just a little girl at heart - I love this kind of stuff. John has a few daughters.. but they don't get to play with the house. John has actually sold it to a man in France for a large amount, forget exactly but at least 10,000$ - & the trip to France to bring it there!

Even the foundation is cool! Hmm.. I am thinking a rooftop garden might be nice! : )

a few more pics taken here & there.. love the stone work all over New York, lots of buildings with faces and sculpture. So much beautiful detail is put into the buildings!

Schools.. housing..

Loved the detailed stained glass windows in this church..

A lot of churches around here.. and I also love how the buildings all butt up against each other. All through the city you see this.. and some very different architectural styles hooked up, with just an inch or two between them. Very beautiful city!

NYC - Raw Soul

Here is it - Raw Soul. It's taken awhile - & I've been excited to post these pics. I LOVE this place! Raw Soul is uptown, in Harlem. I have seen Lillian and Eddie on the internet for many years and remember when they were having people over to their home and just starting the restaurant. So it was really exciting to go there and they were both there, meet them, connect. They were so great & they bring this really high vibe, amazing energy here!

This is Lillian above, and the cooler with lots of great desserts! (Mmm Strawberry Shortcake!)

& Eddie and I below

..me & Eddie and Lillian

so, First we ordered the Jicama Leek Soup. It was amazing.. one of the best raw soups I have had! & while I love Jicama in some things, I have never used it in a soup.. and never imagined it would be this good! ..but the energy in this place is so high, you can taste it - everything tastes good, and you just know it's all about vibration-intention-something real, but unseen!

We really wanted to try the Rejuvelac and they didn't sell it by the glass, only the gallon - so, 2 gallons please & 2 glasses. We ordered one regular and one with Mint and Lime.

..and we shared the mint & lime with other people there.. and brought the regular back to drink in the hotel. It was really quite delicious, we both really enjoyed it.

ok, Eddie has something new going on. He has discovered how to make muffins. I mean really good muffins, not exactly like cooked muffins.. but even better in a way, a bit denser but so delicious. His Banana Oat Muffins are the first dehydrated raw muffin-type thing that I have really liked. He's onto something big! We can really use this in the raw food world. & I have to admit he has me really inspired. : ) Also pictured and also good Corn Muffins and Flax Bread.

& these were totally heavenly. I would be snacking on these every day if I lived close-by or knew how to make them! Apricot Drop Biscuits - sooo goood! The topping is complete sweet lusciousness on top of an amazing biscuit (muffin-like) base. ..and yes, I am a little obsessed.

The Enchilada... delicious. & I especially enjoyed the very spicy topping. It's so nice to enjoy spice and amazing flavours with raw foods.. This is something the raw food world needs - and is getting!

The Lasagna. I was thinking Tom may not like this as much because he's not into heavy foods, esp heavy nut-based and this looked heavy. but he loved it & of course, I did also. But I also knew there was something powerful going on with this food - the energy. Most raw food creations have a great energy because there is the time and love and energy put into it. & this food is extra special!


At this point we went for a walk around Harlem. This was Day 2. I had blisters ..so we were cabbing more today but we went for a walk around Harlem for awhile ..met some interesting people and put in a bit of time to try to get hungry again , so we could go back and enjoy more food!!

1-2 hours later.. and maybe not quite as hungry as we would like to be. But still we ordered 4 of their side dishes: Marinated Greens, Pilaf, Chile and Sauerkraut. (I hope I got that right) Great flavours and spices!

I got to take a peek in their kitchen, and a couple behind the scenes pics. Lots of knives!

Great kitchen. Thanks Eddie & Lillian! xo

& we left with 2 bottles of their Sorrel Punch and Ginger Beer. Both great.. I especially loved the Ginger Beer!
Oh, and I also left with a tooth powder, Uncle Harrys (which have been wanting to try) It is as good as I've heard - makes my teeth really shiny! ..and a sisal bath glove which is truly amazing. They only carry a few products, Lillian told me they are ones she uses herself and loves. & now I am loving too - they are wonderful!! xo, Much Love to you both for creating such a wonderful space and such healing and empowering foods. Peace & Big Hugs!