Project Juice's Raw Food, Smoothies, & Juices

Kimberly and I attended a tasting of Project Juice's food, juice, and smoothie menu in Laguna Beach last Thursday. We had the greatest time tasting the menu offerings, and as I can be a juice fanatic, I was excited to not only taste Project Juice's cold pressed juices (for the first time), but also a few raw food plates. Kimberly and I first started with the Watermelon Berry Juice with a splash of champagne, and we were immediately hooked; the juice is the perfect summer thirst quencher and loaded with antioxidants. While sipping on our watermelon berry juice, we tasted the:

Kelp Noodle Pad Thai - Marinated kelp noodles, purple cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, lime, green onions, and Thai almond sauce. (Contains Soy, Coconut, & Tree Nuts)

I really liked this dish because the kelp noodles almost had a glass noodle consistency which I'm used to eating in various Vietnamese soups. The sauce and other ingredients attributed to the flavors of a pad thai dish, which was all very delicious. I definitely licked my plate clean.

Spiced Lentil Wrap - Raw sprouted wrap, spiced lentils, cashew-turmeric aioli, spinach, green cabbage, carrot, and ume pickled onion. (Contains Cashews) 

I liked how the wrap itself was made from a selection of veggie sprouts and it served alright as a tortilla wrap, the veggies mostly stayed in the wrap. Collectively, all of the ingredients tasted more like separate vegetables instead of the flavors working together; maybe the ingredients just needed to be mixed together a bit more? It also came with a side of the Superfood Falafel Salad - Romaine, kale, cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumber, chickpeas, red onions, parsley, hemp seed, sesame seed falafel, and lemon tahini dressing. (Contains Tree Nuts, Sesame Seeds, & Coconut).

Coconut Cashew Cr�pe Dehydrated coconut wrap, cashew cream, and fresh seasonal fruit. (Contains Coconut & Cashew) 

I was pleasantly surprised at the consistency of the crepes and how it tasted. Although I couldn't eat this crepe with whipped cream, I think that the cashew cream served as a comparable substitute. You won't get the light, fluffy creamy texture like cream, but you do get a creamy texture; it almost reminded me of an applesauce if it was more of a paste consistency. It worked well with the dehydrated coconut wrap and fresh fruit.

I also got to taste two smoothies, the:

AB&J - House-Made Almond Mylk, Raw Coconut Meat, Banana, Raw Almond Butter, Dates and Layered with House-Made Super Berry Chia Jam. 

This smoothie straight up blew my booties off. I loved the almond butter mixed with the sweet jam taste; it was just so dang good! And it didn't taste too thick; all the flavors worked together quite well.

Sunset Beach - Cold-Pressed Orange Juice, House-Made Almond Mylk, Cold-Pressed Carrot Juice, Cold-Pressed Carrot Juice, Cold-Pressed Turmeric Juice, Cold-Pressed Ginger Juice, Mangoes, Pineapples, Strawberries. 

This is the perfect summer day smoothie(or any day), it's like a tropical oasis was blended together and this is what you got. It's very refreshing and has all my favorite fruits and juices. 

Read more about Project Juice's story here, and check out the other in-store offerings and cold pressed juices!

Slapfish Now OPEN in Irvine, CA

When I thought it couldn't get any better with the Slapfish Laguna Beach location, they opened a spot in Irvine at the town center across from my alma mater, UC Irvine. I attended a media tasting before their grand opening and tasted menu staples as well as items specific to the location. This location has the 'Anteater Burger', an Angus beef patty, fried sweet shrimp, and a chunky lobster sauce; as well as the 'Hot Pop Fish Bites', fried fish nuggets with a sweet and sour kind of sauce. Check it out for yourself:

Slapfish
4249 Campus Drive Irvine, CA 92612
Phone: 949.737.2090
Hours: Monday - Sunday 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Brunch at Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach

I got to enjoy a heavenly Sunday brunch at Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach last weekend. Curated by Chris, the general manager, I was taken through a journey of indulgent breakfast dishes, Napoli-style pizzas, and desserts. The mozzarella is made daily, all the pizzas are wood-fired and made of the freshest and tastiest ingredients that are either made in-house or at the Working Class Kitchen with no artificial coloring or flavoring. What stood out for me during the tasting was the quality taste of all the ingredients used in each dish. Read more about each dish that I tasted by scrolling through, and visit Michael's Pizzeria in Downtown Long Beach for weekend brunch on Saturday 11:30a-2:30p or Sunday 10:30a-2:30p; enjoy $3 mimosas, delicious food that not only feeds your tummy but your soul (at a great price point), and live music.

Michael's Pizzeria - Downtown Promenade in Long Beach
210 E 3rd St
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-491-2100

Regular Hours (Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays)
Mon-Thu: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Sun: 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
Parking: Metered Street Parking, Public Parking Lots and Structures. The Public Structure across from Michael's Pizzeria on 3rd St next to the Harvey Milk Park provides 2 hours of free parking.

French Brioche Toast - Served with strawberries and cream or Nutella

This was the best French Brioche Toast I ever tasted. I usually don't eat french toast because it is dense, but this french toast was very moist on the inside with the perfect amount of egg; and with the brioche bread created an almost bread pudding consistency. The homemade strawberry jam was on another level and perfectly complemented the cream and french brioche toast. It wasn't messy to eat, and can easily be shared amongst 2-4 people. A MUST when visiting Michael's Pizzeria.

Guanciale Pizza - Working Class Kitchen guanciale (pork cheek), mozzarella, goat cheese, stone fruit, and honey

I've had sweet, savory pizzas before, but this has to take the cake on balancing the goat cheese and meat flavors with the sweetness of the peach and apricot slices. With the variety of fruit, the sweet flavors don't become redundant while eating, and along with honey drizzle, are also not overly sweet. If you are feeling adventurous and want to try a pizza other than margherita or all meat pizza, this one is for you. 

Porchetta Pizza - Pesto, smoked mozzarella, roasted peppers, and Working Class Kitchen porchetta

The porchetta pizza was very hearty (but not overwhelming) with the melted, smoked mozzarella, peppers and porchetta and I enjoyed the flavors combined with the pesto (I've never had a pesto pizza before). The cheese is concentrated in specific places on the pizza, so if you like more cheese distribution, this one isn't for you.

Margherita Pizza - Tomato, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil

This has to be one of the best Margherita pizzas I've ever eaten. All the ingredients are cooked just right and proportionate to each other, so I'm not eating too much sauce or too much cheese.  A classic, and done very well.

Lasagna Napoletana - White pasta layered with mozzarella, meat sauce, and Parmesan

Holy cow, now this is a Lasagna. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to eat it all, but had to save some room for dessert. It just tastes homemade, but the presentation, especially in the cast iron, is impeccable. All the ingredients and flavors don't get lost, you taste each pasta layer perfectly balanced by the mozzarella and meat sauce. Aside from the French Brioche Toast, this is a favorite dish!

Fiori Di Zucca - Ricotta stuffed squash blossoms with basil honey pesto

A seasonal dish, these crispy squash blossoms were surprisingly delightful. I was thinking the Ricotta might be a mouth full, but the creaminess of the cheese is balanced by the basil honey pesto, and the outside shell adds the perfect crunch.

Dessert - Tiramisu, Salted Caramel and Mint Chocolate Gelato

I don't know how I made it to dessert, but I'm glad I did. The tiramisu is light in texture and taste, but also has more coffee flavors than the overwhelming rum flavors. The Salted Caramel gelato perfectly encapsulated the salty and caramel flavors, but the Mint Chocolate gelato is the winner. It tasted exactly as if the mint had been plucked from a garden and was complementary to the ribbons of chocolate within the creaminess of the gelato.

Infused Water with Square by Clean Bottle

I just started getting into drinking infused waters because my Square by Clean Water makes it easy to infuse fruits and leafy greens in the water bottle itself and take it on the go. I originally received my Square bottle as apart of a #Blogchella Survival kit to keep hydrated during the festival weekend; the bottle came with the infuser and a purifier module in case I needed to filter water.

I really enjoy using this bottle because of it's versatility and functionality, as well as it's bright pink color, you can see the other colors available here. Infused waters not only make your water look pretty and taste delicious, it's has many health benefits and cleansing and detoxifying properties.

I tried a few different infused waters which you can see below. If you drink the water immediately after adding the fruit or greens, the flavors won't be very prominent. I left most of my infused waters in the fridge overnight and the next morning the waters were so infused with the contents that it almost tasted like I was drinking fruit juice; it also tasted very fresh. Read about the benefits of the fruits and leafy greens that I used:

• Oranges- aid in blood circulation, lowers cholesterol, boosts heart health and can provide a burst of energy
• Strawberries- is a superfood, packed with antioxidants that promote eye health, reduce joint inflammation, and boosts immunity
• Lemons-decreases wrinkles and blemishes, blood purifier, balances pH, and relieves respiratory problems
• Cucumbers- good source of B vitamins and electrolytes, has anti-inflammatory properties (which is why people put cucumber slices on their eyes), and re-hydrates the body
• Mint- promotes digestion and alleviates stomach issues by activating salivary glands and digestive enzymes
• Pineapple- aid in lowering blood pressure, promotes regularity in digestive tract, filled with potassium, fiber and Vitamin C which promote heart health

Have you made or tried infused waters? If so, what were your fave combos or what do you want to try next?