I live, I eat

So breakfast can actually be a hard thing to seemingly find in downtown Anchorage, but after scouring the downtown area and trying some places out, I've come up with a small alternative list. 1.  Snow City Cafe - 1034 W. 4th Ave   Snow City Cafe Website Snow City can make a great breakfast.  They have two soups that change out and are available for early lunch, so if you are having a late breakfast it gives you some more options.  They also have a specials menu that you can preview on their site.  (For lunch the salad special is usually yummy.)  The service is generally slow but usually nice.  The drip coffee is actually drinkable here.  The food is tasty and well prepared.  The portions are big. This place gets PACKED!!!!!  You have the five million tourists during the hot season and then all of the local business people that come in for breakfast/lunch/coffee year round.  They have somewhat recently added the ability to put in a reservation on their website.  I wholly recomm

I have fallen in love.  I've been on the lookout for things to do with Chinese healthy eating and medicinal food.  Mostly this is for my stomach, which is almost always in turmoil and for weight loss.  I know, I know... I need to go get a full allergy testing done.  But for some reason I can't make myself.  Maybe I am happy in my ignorance.  I do hate the thought that I would not, in good conscience, be able to eat all the foods that I love if I know what they do to me. I came across a recipe for congee on one of my searches.  It also goes by the name of jook, depending on where you are in China.  You would actually find this recipe all over Asia, and it is the go to meal for when you are not feeling well.  It is also a great breakfast food. I had recently purchased my new Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.  OMG!! This machine is awesome.  It's a 6 in 1 pot that is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, soup and chili maker, its got a saute feature, and wait for it

I used to get shipments from Full Circle a long time ago.  They used to only do a couple of states and now they do many more.  When I was first getting shipments, I was impressed.  Their customer service was excellent, and the food, though a bit pricey for me at the time, was the best way to get good fresh organic produce in Alaska during the winter months.  They also had a grocery that you could order extra items from.  I would pick my box up at a local store by my work before heading home and then store everything appropriately so it could last until my next box. I cancelled my subscription back then because I just couldn't spare the money anymore.  But my thoughts of the produce and the service were still excellent. Now, if you check, they serve many states and you can order different size boxes.  I did not think that the descriptions for each size really gave me an idea of how much I would really get, so when I restarted my subscription I went with a medium box.  It seemed

Let's just say that I have been going to the original I Love Sushi since they opened.  Brandon, the chef/owner is very dedicated and imaginative.  It was always easy to have something made to my specifications for whatever crazy diet I was on.  I always have my favorites too.  They had expanded the original restaurant a while back and it was very upscale looking.  Recently Brandon and his wife, Min, bought the old Tempura Kitchen.  It has the same upscale flair.  It looks beautiful. It's clean and bright, and I love the updated menu. Brandon and crew pretty much had to gut the old restaurant when they got it, which it definitely needed.  The restaurant is somewhat split up.  To the left is regular seating, with a large area for large parties or private functions.  To the right are tables with hot plates with vents above, and the sushi bar is across from that. It is located on Spenard right after you turn off of Minnesota if you are coming from downtown.  They are open Mon -

I have way too many cleansers for my face, but I switch everything out depending on what my skin is doing.  It's also how I justify having more foundation to choose from than most make up artists. I was searching for a cleansing balm.  They have been around for ages and I had tried a couple of samples.  Yes, the Eve Lom is absolutely yummy.  It's just a bit high priced for a face cleanser for me.  Normally my switchout is from the following:  Shiseido Perfect Whip, Kose Softymo Cleansing Oil, Ponds Cold Cream, Oil of Olay ProX, Erno Lazlo.  Truth be told.... I am kind of tired digging through all this crap for the cleanser of the day.  I want products that I can do blindfolded and are routine for me.  They also must work overtime. I saw the Clinique cleansing balm on Amazon.  I didn't even know that Clinique made a cleansing balm.  There were a couple of cheaper options there, but there were also some cray (crazier than Eve Lom) high prices.  I ended up getting the clea

I saw this product on a review YouTube posting.  I thought I would try it, what the heck.  It took forever to get to me from Thailand.  It was the post, not the seller.  I only complain because I hate waiting to try new things. Once I got this package, I took it out of the box and saw this tiny little pot, and a measuring tape.  The product states that you can use it as your moisturizer, so that is what I did for the first try though I was skeptical with my dry skin.  A little bit of this product goes a long way.  I wish it came with a little scoop because I hate putting my fingers in product containers.  I waited a bit after the application and sure enough it did what it said.  I thought to myself "so this is why its such a hot product in Singapore."  I went off to work.  No one mentioned anything being noticeable.  I went home for lunch and checked the mirror.  Low and behold, it looked like I forgot to add moisturizer to my face.  The effects had worn off and I needed to

I just finished my Jackie Warner FitOrbit online training subscription.  When I started, I filled out the questionnaire and it recommended 6 mos to reach my goal.  I signed up.  It cost $299.00 for 26 weeks.  When you fill out your survey, which is how they "customize" it for you, you can choose things like gluten free, vegetarian, etc.  You are assigned a trainer, which you get to choose from a short list, and whether you need a hard core person or a best friend type. I went with the best friend type because I thought it might be a bit more engaging.  I also started out on the regular diet, but ended up with the gluten free simply for the food choices. The trainer you are assigned to will send you messages.  You can respond to them through your email or the site.  I mostly went to the site.  Through this person you can also ask for specific things done to your diet and exercise plan.  Like I do not like boiled eggs, so I asked that it was removed.  I no longer had that f

Here I am again at Yamaya.  One of my favorite japanese restaurants in Alaska. This place is run by Sam and Kay, and sometimes their grand daughter Jada is working there.  This is some really great food in a very small restaurant.  If you have a party of 3 or more people, I suggest you call ahead and reserve a table.  Otherwise, when it's busy, you may be turned away.  When it's slow, there are sometimes only one or two people in here.  If you are by yourself, you can sit up at the bar (not drinking bar) which is quite popular.  They open at 5 pm and close around 9, Monday through Saturday.  Closed Sunday. When you walk in you may not think much of the place.  In fact I see a lot of people open the door, look in really quick, and go back out.  98% of those people are off of the cruise ships.  Which is fine by me that they do not find this hidden gem.   When you come here, the menu is on two walls.  There's is also a drink list on the cabinets by the sushi bar.  

I've never been able to give up my coffee.  I like it strong, black, and sweet.  I grew up using sugar, then under my moms influence, I switched to Equal.  When Splenda came out, we both switched.  I had been using Splenda ever since. As I became a bit more health oriented, I looked into how healthy Splenda was for you.  Granted if you are counting calories, awesome, but it is still a form of sugar and sugar spikes insulin.  Insulin makes you fat.  So it really seemed like a shot in the foot. I fooled around with different sweeteners.  I really didn't care for Xylitol, not to mention it could kill my counter surfing dog.  Truvia and Stevia in the Raw came out.  I really like Truvia.  I did not care for the price.  I would wait until they came out with their 2 dollar coupons and then order a bunch from Coupons Clipped Cheap.  Also, Truvia has Erythritol.  It states on it web site: Erythritol Erythritol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in various fruits such as grapes

I have seen the Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask everywhere and saw all the rave reviews on it, so I decided to go ahead and splurge.  I tried it every other day in the morning. This mask is super easy to use.  It says to use a generous layer.  I used four pumps.  I tried five once and felt it was too much.  The mask fizzes up immediately and you can feel it tingle.  Not a bad tingle, but just a bunch of bubbles.  The fizz disappeared fairly quickly, and a couple of times I was completely dried out before the five minutes was up, and my face was not thrilled.  It was much better after I took a wet washcloth to it.  Generally I would put this on and iron my clothes for the day to pass the time. My face felt a bit firmer, but it was the same hydration look that I get after I wash my face in the morning.  By the afternoon, it looked like I needed another mask.  I would really prefer to see some long lasting results. This is also a bit on the pricey side for a mask with so

UPDATE:  I have been using this product for about a month and a half.  I have noticed beyond what I initially put below that my face seems firmer now, and my fine lines are not as noticeable.  I still use this on my hands as well as my face and neck, and of all things my husband mentioned to me how youthful my hands looked.  He is usually not a very observant person, so when he remarked on that, I thought it was worth the update.  I will also say that I believe this product has been helping my moisturizer work, as my usual dry skin has been looking fresher longer. My original review is as follows: Another beauty product! Can a person have too many?  It seemed for a while that every time I was at Nordstrom or Sephora I was getting a sample or two of this product. It's a two step micro peel system.  There are premoistened towelettes in each side.  The first side you swipe over you face, neck, and decollete in circular motions until the pad goes dry on you.  I have been adding t

My husband and I took our camper down to Soldotna and Homer for fourth of July weekend.  We noticed that a lot of campsites were not taking reservations, and it can be kind of hard to get a spot on the holiday weekends.  We got to Homer and my husband wanted to stay at one of the sites on the spit.  Not really my idea of a great spot.  They are close to all the boardwalk shops, and have great views, but its all rock and windy.  Not to mention how cold it gets next to the water.  The weather was extremely warm during this time of July, and unlike Soldotna and Kenai, the mosquitoes were barely noticeable. All of the lots on the spit were taken (and crammed in), so we took a look in town.  I recently review the Seaside Inn, and they have a small RV park there, but they were full.  I was looking on the Homer website and saw the Ocean View RV Park on there.  I made a call and they had two spots left.  It was $50/night with full hookup.  A bit pricey, but options were limited.  We showed u

Okay, its been a while since I've been here, but I had promised a review of this place.  The  Historic Driftwood Inn  has a variety of room options, and is very reasonable in rates (I think it was 80 bucks).  We were a group of three and we go a room with a double and bunk beds.  The beds were comfortable and the rooms were clean.  The bathrooms were a good size, and we didn't feel cramped.  We got the room on the first floor, as recommended to me when I made the reservation and we could walk out on the deck and take in the waves.    The accommodations itself were modest and not fancy, but I wasn't looking for a hotel like that.  The picture on the site are pretty true to what you get. Did I mention this hotel was right by the beach?  Very cool.  It is also pretty well located in general.  It has AJ's across the street which I've already reviewed.  You can go a block away and do a mead tasting  at Ring of Fire Meadery  (very good) and take a couple bottles back

So it's been about 6 months since I've started using these eye patches.  It's definitely gotten easier taking the pads off the plastic to apply.  I also no longer have to look at the picture to remember that the longer end goes on the bottom.  It's the small things. Things I do note are: If you have any kind of moisturizer on your eye area, clean it off.  Generally before I apply the pads I wipe the area with witch hazel.  If you do have something on your eye area and apply the patches, they will not stick very well.  You do however want to apply your eye cream right after use.  I swab the area down after I take the pads off and then apply one of my eye creams. If you do not put the sticker back on one of the snap pieces when you are done, your unit battery will die quickly.  Of course they are not replaceable, so you have to get a new unit.  I know, cause I had to. So beyond that: I still notice a difference when I use these pads.  I make sure to use them bef

Somewhat recently I made an order with Secrets of Eden.  I got the Dermatis Eczema Formula ($16.95) and the Refresh Spray ($10.99).  I wash my hands constantly and was in need of something pretty hardcore to make sure that I didn't end up cracked and bleeding again.  I saw this on YouTube and decided to give it a chance.  I like that its made with a bunch of natural ingredients and essential oils.  The refresh spray was just something for that added pick me up for my face as its pretty dry up here and moisture is a constant must. The formula is pretty thick and somewhat solid.  It's like coconut oil when its cold.  I saw in the video that it has a medicine type smell which usually doesn't bother me.  I took this to work, where I wash my hands the most and thought I could apply this formula while I was doing other things. This formula has a VERY strong scent.  I hadn't thought it would travel very far outside of my office, but shortly after applying it, I had a BUNCH

I am setting up a girl trip with one of my best friends to Seattle in May.  I'm very much looking forward to it, but it will be interesting to see how this turns out.  My friend is generally in party mode when we take trips.  Last vacation I took with her, I needed an extra week for sleep, recovery, and detox. I'm not sure how much she plans on packing into this trip, but she is already sending me ideas for late night activities. We are looking at Jetblue to get us down.  I normally fly Alaska Air, but Jetblue has tickets for 300/rt!!!!!!!  That's about half the cost of Alaska Air.  I haven't flown with Jetblue before, but I have been looking it up online, and it seems pretty good.  There were a couple of unhappy reviews about delays or rescheduling, and I found a good note about seating.  I know there are seats that you can pay extra for the leg room and that gives you early seating and what not.  Apparently, if you don't state a preference about seating, they

I'm back from Puerto Vallarta.  We stayed at the Secrets resort there.  It's a newer one towards the north end of the hotel strip.  It's a really great resort and I ate and drank way too much.  We had a preferred king jr. suite, and it was worth it.  We first reserved a king swimout, and we are so glad we didn't.  The pool is shared by four suites, so that's not private.  And everyone walking by pretty much is watching you.  I constantly caught myself looking over at them when walking to our preferred lobby. We ate at almost all of the restaurants. They were very good about making things the way that I needed them, and lots of vegetarian options.  Alcohol was abundant, and I drank quite a bit.  So, not a trip that I maintained my weight.  On the other hand, pretty much all the ladies were about my size (some vary), and it made me a lot less conscious of myself. We made it down to the pedestrian area a couple times to buy some art and take in the sight.  I found

I am going to Mexico in a week.  It looks like its time for a Almased fast to make sure that I am swimsuit ready. I have strategically placed blender ball mixers at the house and at work.  I also made sure to have a brand new canister, almond milk, and some stevia.  I'm not too sure about loading up on other flavors to add.  I really do enjoy the taste.  I think the only downside to Almased is the bit of chalky texture that it can get.  But its not nearly as bad as another name brand vegan protein shake mix I have, so blessings counted. I'm going to start with the three shakes a day.  I start my mornings with a glass of water.  I have a pitcher that I put some sliced cucumber and orange in to up the flavor. Definitely makes it easy to get your water in.  Then I have my cup of coffee.  (I've cut way down on coffee, and after my trip to Europe, I've found American coffee severely lacking.  Perhaps I can get a coffee maker shipped to me from Germany or France.)  Then aft

Good (early) morning, I woke to the dog getting into something in the kitchen.  Man, that dog has reach! Anyways, that put away and dog scolded, I tried to go back to bed.  My allergies have been bad, and, by the way, I'm allergic to dogs.  I have an afghan and a lab mix, and the lab mix is the one that really gets me with his type of coat that sheds so much.  I never knew my allergy was as bad as it was until we got him.  Giving him up is not an option.  You don't do that to family.  So it was up to me to deal with the allergy. On occasion, if its really bad, I will use a stronger OTC (over the counter) medicine to help out.  Otherwise, I try to stick to natural solutions as much as possible. Tonight's attack on my system included a nasty cough that would not go away.  So here I am at 2 in the morning.  I put a breathing mix of therapeutic grade essential oils on my chest (vicks would work as well), I have a breathing/night tea to help calm the symptoms and get me bac

It's been a rough start to the week.  Work is stressful as always, but I am starting to get the hang of it.  My judge that I work with is high maintenance, and high stress himself.  So part of MY stress is learning to work with him.  This is also a guy that talks S*&T about almost everyone there, and I hate that.  He got very smirky when I told him I was trying to eat a predominately raw diet, so I can only imagine what he says behind my back. Current issues I will need to work on....... Hmmm let's see what I've noticed.... Coffee.  I've always enjoyed coffee.  I love the smell and the taste.  I like mine black with a bit of stevia in it. I have not had the wanting to get rid of it.  I see on youtube that pretty much all raw foodies are not down with coffee, and I understand why.  Coffee is dehydrating and stresses the adrenals.  But that knowledge does not alleviate my craving for the taste and warmth of my cup.  So I will do my best to decrease my intake drama

So it's been a long weekend and the neighborhood streets are like ice.  There has been rain and it is making all the ice on the road an ice rink.  I actually got stuck trying to leave my girlfriends house.  Everytime I went forward I would keep sliding or slide to the left.  I almost hit their cars twice.  Finally, we gave up and looked for the kitty litter.  That worked. I actually woke up at 4am.  Apparently the power had just gone out.  So I got out my LED lamp and some strategically placed candles.  Pretty cozy.  They went on a couple hours later. So no juice this morning, but I had some water and took it easy this morning.  About the time the lights came on I had a watermelon.  I also had 1/2 a cantaloupe after that, cause I was still hungry.  I had a  couple dates as a snack, and made sure to eat a small fruit before I left the house to curb any cravings I might get.  Tonight I am making a lasagna for dinner.  I know I should probably just have a salad, but this sounded s

I've been loving eating raw foods.  There are some things that can be difficult when starting.  One thing is that I've been conditioned to think that all sugar is the devil.  So, even high sugar fruits were out and rarely ate the lower sugar fruits like berries. My goodness you should have seen me with my bag of oranges the other day.  I juiced half of the bad and had it in the morning and cut up the rest for snack and lunch.  So glorious.  Also, to sit with a melon and mow away as much as I want!! Second thing, is that I need to make sure that I have some fruit before I leave work, because by the time I get home I don't want to do much and make my excuses and eat "filler food".  You know that food... It's the crap that tastes like cardboard and has tons of fat and sodium.  Let's not forget how processed or even fake it can be.  Generally, I would just throw all of this crap out, but I live with my husband.  And though, he will eat vegan meals or smoot

I know, I know.  I keep going back and forth on this, but recent events have changed my mind.  I've blown up. Weight wise that is.  And for those who do not know, I used to be very over weight, and it is what makes me so conscious of my body and weight now. As I decided to do something about my weight, I went back to the 6 week body makeover (6WBMO).  I pre-made a lot of food, portioned it, and was on it for a short while.  I was on plan, and trying my best.  Unfortunately, I ended up feeling completely toxic.  I felt heavy, nauseous, and tired.  The 6WBMO has 5 meals with a small amount of lean animal protein, a portion of selected slow burning carbs, and 100 oz. of water a day.  Drinking that much water is a pain in the tuckas!!  It's a very hard diet to be on, but I knew it worked from the first time that I tried it.  I went from a size 16 to a size 4.  This was before I found raw foods. I also will note that I had a lot of food intolerances, horrible allergies, loose st