Eat. Travel. Eat!

Having enjoyed vegan/vegetarian focused restaurants in the past ( Cafe Gratitude , Real Food Daily ), we started off a visit to Santa Barbara by visiting Mesa Verde for lunch. It had been positively reviewed on multiple websites, and its own website showcased beautifully crafted vegetarian cuisine. Housed in its own quaint grey and green building, parking is a tight, only having a few dedicated spots in the parking lot.  Although we arrived relatively late for lunch (around 2pm), we still had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table. The restaurant was near capacity, and employees were busy in the kitchen and serving customers seated indoors and outdoors. The environment was still relaxed, with locals enjoying a wide number of items from the menu. The owner happened to serve us that day, and apologized for the wait. After ordering and asking for his input on recommended lunch items-- the Patatas Bravas Tacos and Picadillo Empanadas came highly recommended--he provided u...

"What is that in your water?" has probably been the most common statement I've heard about my usual water beverage (water + chia seeds) in the past two years. These seeds have been called a variety of names, including "tadpoles," "frog eyes," and "sesame boba." When they learn that the seeds are actually chia seeds, they say, "oh, so like the chia pet?" or "ch-ch-ch chia!" Yes, these are those seeds that form a chia pet.  Chia seeds mixed with water and organic honey Besides being cute or unusual, chia seeds are quite nutritious and are a good source of Omega 3's. They are also a convenient and cheap (a pound of organic chia seeds go for around 10 USD) option for energy in beverages; now, you can even see chia seed beverages in markets! Chia seeds also keep the body hydrated, with each seed able to absorb 9-12 times its weight in water. The taste? In water, hydrated chia seeds provides a slightly sweet ta...