Veg Patrol: Community Food and Juice

Somewhat lame name, decidedly good food - for veggies and meatheads alike. Community Food and Juice, on Broadway between 112th and 113th, recently reopened (after a fire, I think) and inspired throngs of joyful Morningsiders to line up outside and recommence the exciting-yet-boring NYC weekend ritual known as Waiting For Brunch.

But never fear: the folks at Community know how to make the wait worthwhile - not only is there a 7-grain waffle (with rum roasted apples and pears and cinnamon creme fraiche) and a Barnard Bear (hot lemon, mint, apple cider and honey) waiting for you at the other end of that brunch line, but if you're lucky the servers/foodfairies will bring you some free tasty treats while you're waiting. And no matter what, the wait won't be as long as at Sarabeth's.

The Quest for Free Yoga Continues: Lululemon

I found another one! And it may be the best deal yet. Although my standby studios (Laughing Lotus and Yoga to the People) both offer donation-based classes, AND I recently discovered the amazingly free yoga open house day at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, so far Lululemon is the ONLY place in New York that offers weekly yoga classes, 100% free. Correct me if I'm wrong (which I hope I am, because more free yoga = happier and healthier me. And perhaps you, too.)

Anyway, every Saturday at 9AM at Lululemon's Union Square branch, you can pop in for a not-too-crowded class that features a different guest teacher every week, moonlighting from various studios across NYC. So if you don't like the style, just wait a week. And after class you can step straight out into the Union Square Farmer's Market for lavender-mint tea and a delicious pumpkin muffin. Or, hell, buy a whole pumpkin pie. The yoga class was free, so you're allowed.

Because its Halloween, and this is better than candy.

Just a quick post to say Happy Halloween (when brainstorming costumes, my boyfriend idiotically suggested we dress as hippies, to which I responded "Um, how would that be different from any other day of the year??") and to rave about a newly discovered sweet treat. At first glance, Raw Ice Cream Company's yummy stuff seems to be made out of nothing: it boasts that it is dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, gluten-free, rice-free...the list goes on. Given the remaining ingredient possibilities (I dunno, seaweed?!?) this could turn out to be pretty disgusting. OH but it is not. It's actually fabulous (and seaweed-free): made from cashews, coconut, agave nectar and magic, this stuff is even better than Haagen-Dazs. So skip the candy and cancer sticks tonight (Twix, duh. They're worse than cigarettes) and enjoy some raw vegan ice cream goodness.

One more thing...

Along the lines of simple living (see today's other post) I came across this hilarious and frightening photo / blurb today. I don't know if it's an ad for a book or a movie or a new cult, but let's all pay off our debts quick or these pink briefs will start popping up everywhere from here to the L train. Shudder.

"The Simple Living Guide" by Janet Luhrs. It's better than the Bible.

Forget the bible and its centuries of devoted readership. Read this instead! And then base a religion around it! Go.

I know, it looks cheesy. But don't judge its hokey self-helpish cover: from yoga to quinoa to getting rid of debt, this Janet lady has the remarkably simple, can't-believe-I-never-thought-of-that answers to all the big questions. (Question: How do I live with a job that drives me crazy?Answer: Quit. Question: How do I do get out of debt?

Answer: Stop buying crap. Amazing!)

All in all, an extremely inspiring and reassuring pat on the back for a poor-yet-happy peasant like myself. Way to go, self. Janet believes in you.

Sivananda Yoga Open House: because nothing beats free food and eye exercises.

Since I fled my cubicle and my big-ass salary last June, I have made MANY many important discoveries, possibly the most important being that poverty has its benefits. Duh, I know that Gandhi figured this out WAY before me, but I am speaking from the point of view of a cupcake-eating, sleep-loving, apartment-dwelling Westerner, so I like to think I'm more accessible than Gandhi. Anyway, aside from its usual happy effects - living simply, helping the planet, spending more time on friends and art etc - being poor has made me MUCH more creative in the entertainment department. Instead of tossing some $20s (not to mention many hours of my day) toward yet another pair of shoes or three (or seven) mojitos, I end up keeping an eye out for things that are just as exciting yet much less expensive. Usually they turn out to be better for my health, too. Case in point: for two years, on my weekly walk home from the Chelssea Whole Foods, I have passed the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center on West 24th Street. Back when I had cash, I never gave this place a second glance - I was perfectly happy spending $100 a month on yoga elsewhere. Last week, however, as I strutted past with my Whole Foods bags full of exciting food stamp purchases, I picked up a flyer, hoping to scope out a possible free introductory class. What did I find instead, you ask?? Get this: a full-day yoga open house, conveniently happening the very next day, completely free of charge. Turns out the Sivananda Center opens its doors once a month for a free lecture, free demonstration, free yoga class, free vegetarian meal, and free guided meditation. (Did I mention it's free?) I only made it to the class and lunch (the important parts, right?) and although it wasn't my usual style of yoga (eye exercises were indeed involved) it was simple, relaxing and rejuvenating. And then there was food. Needless to say, I will be back next month.

Grounded Coffee: home of the lucky unemployed

On a dark and stormy Thursday, around 11:30 AM (neither lunchtime nor first-cup-o-joe time, mind you) I collapsed into a seat at Grounded coffee shop at 28 Jane Street and was shocked to find the place completely packed. Who are these people? I wondered. The coffeeshop was full to the brim of warm, comfy, lounging, reading, chatting, crossword-doing and java-sipping folks. They weren't tourists, students, or wealthy housewives - at least, they showed none of the obvious signs (maps, textbooks, mountain-sized diamond engagement rings). Then how, I asked myself, were they lucky enough to while away this rainy New York workday in a happy land far from cubicles and construction sites, within the cozy confines a delightfully well-furnished coffee hole with my lovely friend Brenna as barista, brandishing the Worlds Best Vegan Cookies?!? The answer is simple, of course. Because these people are the few, the proud: the unemployed. And, as a quite half-assedly employed person myself (I was, after all, there myself at 11:30 AM on a Thursday) I paid for my cookie in nickels and joined the party.