Where to go Apple-Picking Near Boston

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I love apples! I love fun outdoor activities in fall! Add one and one together and clearly I'm a big fan of apple picking.

For the past few years, however, I've been a city girl. Getting to an apple orchard was easy in high school, when I lived in (practically) rural New Hampshire, but now farms are fewer and further in between.

But never fear! There are still many great places to go apple picking in Boston. Here are a list of the top five!

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*New* Detour Smart Bar Flavor Review - Chocolate Peanut Butter

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(Wo)man can't live on Christmas cookies and candy canes alone! There's no need to try, it would be an existence filled with stomachaches and lagging energy.

Luckily, there's no need! Though most fruits and vegetables are (sadly) no longer in season, there are still frozen options and (though this is less environmentally friendly) fresh produce that's flown in from warmer parts of the globe.

There are also lots of yummy snack foods to keep on hand to fuel holiday gift shopping, holiday party throwing (and party hopping!), and general seasonal shenanigans.

Can there pretty please be unreasonable amounts of blizzards in NYC and (this one's really unlikely) Greensboro, NC this December? Just pack in all the precipitation of the year in frozen form and in this month and I'll be pleased.

It needs to be tall enough for me to hide behind, build fortresses in, and sneak attack innocent passerby (read: my poor family and friends) with snowballs. That's all!

Anyway, there are many healthy snack options to fuel all that fun. I recently tried a new one!

Remember when I reviewed Detour Smart bars when they first came on the market? They're Detour's gluten-free, all-natural protein bar option and previously were available in three flavors - apple cinnamon, blueberry, and cranberry flax.

There's a new fourth flavor in time to make your holidays a little healthier (and more delicious) - Chocolate Peanut Butter Smart Bars!

Like the other Detour Smart Bars, they're gluten-free and made with whole grain oatmeal.

They're also wonderfully low in sugar, so they won't add to your eventual chocolate and cookies sugar crash! That's what I call balance.

When you hear how low in sugar they are (only 4 grams, the equivalent of one teaspoon, in a whole bar) you might be skeptical. After all, there's more sugar than that a cup of unsweetened plain yogurt!

There's no reason to be skeptical. The bars are sweetened naturally with stevia, which won't affect your blood sugar levels, but is also a natural plant extract and not a cancer-causing chemical or, like aspartame, known to induce migraines (ick). Stevia is pretty solid!

These bars are solid, too. They're definitely better for handling a peanut butter than a chocolate craving, as that's the main flavor in the bar (I would probably rename them Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, as I feel that's more accurate, if I were running things).

There are mini chocolate chips throughout the bar, but the base is definitely peanut butter. It's delicious, satisfying, sweet enough (but not cloyingly so), healthy, packed with 11g of vegetarian protein to sustain your energy levels until your next meal, and drizzled with Greek Yogurt icing for (a) prettiness and (b) a more treat-like experience.

I give them a thumbs up! They're definitely worth having on hand while you rush around this month.

What are your favorite on-the-go snacks during the holidays?

What's your favorite holiday treat?

Do you have a gift shopping strategy?

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Fall Reset with JuiceRx

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I love fall and winter and all the wonderful things that come with the seasons - the return of layering, the magical appearance of heavenly scented candles all over my home, CHRISTMAS, snow, and a wonderful abundance of apples and kabocha.

Like with most things in life, however, there's a trade off with the shifting seasons. A lot of people find themselves feeling a little out of sorts when the weather shifts for the winter. 

While a lot of that is due to difficult-to-avoid biological things (like vitamin D deficiency from reduced exposure to high quality direct sunlight) I think part of it could be due to the seasonal dietary shift.

In summer, we're eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables day in and day out. In winter, they're less readily available. But our bodies just feel better when they're well nourished and how we feel physically definitely affects our moods! 

Enjoy every beautiful day and feel your best by making a conscious effort to continue to find healthy foods that taste great and make you feel great! I like JuiceRx juices and the yummy raw vegan meals from their new FoodRx venture!

The gingerade is spicy and refreshing, a perfect alternative to ginger ale. Because of the fun lemon twist, it doesn't get boringly sweet after a sip or two, like ginger ale can. It's also great if your stomach feels a little off, because ginger is soothing and helps with nausea. Perfect for flu season!

Pumpkin lovers are also covered. The pumpkin Spice a Milk is a rich, creamy drink that's substantial enough for a meal or a hearty snack and is as decadent as pumpkin pie, but much more energizing. 

The dates make it sweet, the carrots and pumpkin make it pretty, the spices make it festive, and the pumpkin seeds make it filling, rich, and great for your skin and hair! Once the heating comes on in the winter, it can really dry out your skin. Taking extra care to keep your skin beautiful from the inside out is so much more effective and lasting than buying lots of expensive creams and lotions.

People always comment on my skin, but I don't use any sort of washes or potions or scrubs - just a standard daily moisturizer when I remember it. Sure, it's definitely partly genetic. But I also think it probably doesn't hurt that I love healthy foods that are great for my skin! Nuts, guys, go for the nuts.

For the green juice lovers (to the ranks of which I definitely count) there are several great green juices. 

They're all fairly mild and have a great fruit: vegetable ratio for sweetness. Of the three that I tried, the Green Glow was my favorite!

On to the food.

Love chili in the winter? Their raw vegan chili is so delicious that you won't care in the least that it's not hot. It's filled with almonds, making it hearty and satisfying, as well as great spices and veggies! 

I'm generally not a huge sour cream fan, but I actually enjoyed the raw vegan sour cream that came with this dish. 

Unfortunately the packaging could use some adjustments for shipping (as you can see, it spilled a bit during shipping and made a mess), but the sauce itself was great. It's not thick like a dairy sour cream (definitely more of a sauce) but still creamy.

The Angel Hair With Hemp Seed Pasta dish was delicious and one of the best dishes I've ever had with kelp noodles. Yum!

Never forgo dessert! The great think about FoodRx chocolate mousse is that you don't have to worry about saving space for it after your meal. 

It's healthy enough that you can incorporate it into your meal! And you can even have it for breakfast.

In fact, I recommend eating it off breakfast. I used it to make a delicious layered parfait with crunchy edamame, granola, apples, and blueberries. 

Yummy!

From now until November 20, 2014 you can also get 10% off any order with the coupon code LLE10! Head into the holidays feeling healthier than ever with JuiceRx!

Do you notice any mood changes with the seasons?

Have you tried any raw vegan cuisine? What's you're favorite dish?

What's your favorite dessert for breakfast option?

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Mix Up Your Breakfast, Cali Style

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California is known for a lot of great things - beaches, entertainment, and absolutely delectable health food of every variety.

I recently got to try some Californian nut butters from the Central Coast Nut Butters!

Nut butter is not only delicious, but also really good for you! It's chockfull of healthy fats, as well as minerals and even protein. It's great for your skin, your hair, your overall health, and your mood!

Central Coast Mexican Chocolate Almond Butter is particularly good for your mood. It's so delicious, with the right kick of spice, the perfect amount of sweet chocolate (but it's sweetened with stevia, so this isn't a Nutella-like sugar bomb!) and just a little bit of Himalayan pink sea salt to bring out the sweetness. 

It's easily my favorite in their line of nut butters, though I really enjoyed everything.

My second favorite was also definitely the Sweet Spice Walnut Butter. I love walnut butters in general, but the delectable fall spices gave it that extra something for this gorgeous time of year!

Continuing on the fall flavors theme, there's the Maple Pecan Butter. It's like a healthy spoonful (or sandwich slathering) of pecan pie!

But this one you can feel good about having for breakfast everyday, not just on Black Friday.

If you're a fan of icing, but want a healthy alternative (this is also sweetened with stevia and made with heart-healthy nuts), definitely try the Lemon Coconut Cashew Butter.

Cashews are a very mild nut, to start with, and make for a mild nut butter. This allows the flavors of the lemon and the coconut to shine through and the sweetness from the stevia turns the spread into something that tastes like an indulgent cupcake icing. But it's healthy!

As the holidays approach, keep an eye out for the seasonally-available Dark Chocolate Mint Almond Butter. It's a real treat!

The rich chocolate flavor paired with almonds and just the right amount of mint would delight even the Grinch before his heart grew three sizes!

The company is also a woman-owned small business, so that's another great reason to try one of these delicious nut butters!

What's your favorite kind of nut butter?

Do you prefer plain or flavored nut butters?

What do you like to pair nut butters with best?

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Guest Post: Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Hi guys! Today I have a special post for you guys - a guest recipe post from mom and baker Kristine!

Hello everyone, I'm Kristine Williams, a mom who loves to bake and has a strong passion for writing, and fortunately for me, Sabrina has been kind enough to let me share my writing on her wonderful blog. So today, I'd like to share with you a Thanksgiving dessert my family has every year, my Pumpkin Cheesecake! 

I absolutely love fall, and that is in no small part because of the Holidays. Thanksgiving has always been a favorite of mine. It’s wonderful to get the whole family together under one roof and share a delicious meal. 

While there is certainly no shortage of delicious recipes for Thanksgiving dinner, today I’m going to share my personal favorite, my Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake. 

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 

* 1/2 cup white sugar 

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

* 2 eggs 

* 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust 

* 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 

* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

* 1 pinch ground cloves 

* 1 pinch ground nutmeg 

* 1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed 

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2) In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

3) Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

4) Bake in preheated oven for 40 minute to 45 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. 

Optional: Cover with whipped topping, or ice cream before serving (I usually like to keep these on the side so people can decide for themselves).

After all is said and done the whole project should only take you a little over an hour including prep-time. 

No one in our family can resist a good cheesecake, and nothing beats a special Pumpkin treat once the Holidays roll around.  

Who's in charge of holiday baking at your house?

What are your favorite holiday treats?

What treats have you been enjoying the most this holiday season?

If you would like to guest post on Living, Learning, Eating, email me at livinglearningeating AT gmail DOT com!

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3 Good Reasons not to Day-Drink

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As a college student, even at an Ivy League (where studying severely limits partying relative to some other places), I'm aware of how much drinking happens.

I'm also aware of how great an excuse  the holidays seem to be to extend that drinking from Saturday to Friday night to Thursday night to Wednesday afternoon...

Courtesy of images from the internet (yay, internet!), here are three good reasons not to day drink.

Your reputation.

The holidays are a really social season for most of us and drinking tends not to make you sound any smarter. You will form impressions, and a reputation, now that will last all year!

Drinking doesn't bode well for decision-making.

That might be a bit extreme, but you get the idea.

The Hangover.

The whole movie (including the conception of the movie) was just a bad idea.

This one isn't a GIF, but it's almost better - have you heard of the Drinking Mirror App? It shows you what drinking does to your looks. Since the holiday season is also a prime to take photos, you definitely don't want to go down in history looking like the 'after' you on the Drinking Mirror App.

Just don't day-drink! Or, if you do, you've been warned.

Whatever you're drinking this holiday season, drink responsibly.

And DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE. That's a personal pet peeve of mine (I've heard people brag about it - it's not something to brag about, it's shameful and endangers the lives of innocent people).

Okay, lecture hat is off.

What's one your pet peeves?

What's your favorite holiday beverage? Alcoholic or nonalcoholic!

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Worst Christmas Presents

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It's the thought that counts, right? I guess so, but I am inclined to believe that there's a connection between quality of gift (not necessarily thought) and the price put into it.

While any gift at all is a gesture of goodwill and a nice thing to give/receive, there are some gifts that you might really want to rethink. Or they'll be regifted (or regifted to the store where you bought them).

Underwear or socks.

Both can be a good gift if there's something special about them - like they're sparkly or super adorable or they're striped colorful knee-highs for a friend who loves wacky socks. But no one wants to find something as utilitarian as a pack of Hanes plain granny panties under the tree.

I will make that face. No joke.

I wouldn't even want something that utilitarian ever, never mind on as fun a day as Christmas.

A star.

This one is even worse than the charitable donation gift (I know, I know - it's a nice thing to do, blah, blah, blah. I'm all for being charitable in general, but donating to an organization and calling that a gift to someone else seems like a real cop out to me. Some people might like it, but...really?).

Unlike the charitable donation gift, a star or a mile on the moon don't even do good for someone else. and they're lame gifts that are essentially non-gifts. If I wanted to name a star after myself, I could do it myself without the questionable paperwork from whatever scam.com website prints those certificates.

The battery-powered thing without batteries.

Here, the gift itself isn't the problem. It's the lack of thought! If you're gifting a camera, a battery-powered toy, or anything else that won't function without batteries, make sure that you include at least enough batteries to power the thing through the obligatory Christmas morning test run.

Otherwise it ends up getting shoved into a drawer until someone finally remembers to pick up batters well into the New Year. Around our house, you can usually count on that not being before mid-March!

Gimmicky Sky Mall gifts.

Gimmicky gifts can be good for a laugh when you open them, but just about no one actually wants that stuff.

Thank goodness for the internet, where you can laugh about this stuff without actually being the sucker stuck with the gift or the awful gifter stuck with the reputation for gifting that stuff.

Any sort of underhanded compliment-type gift.

Basically, don't give anyone something that suggests there's a fault you would like to work on.

Example: if your roommate isn't very good about cleaning, you can't give her a Swiffer or a broom for Christmas.

Well, you could. But that's a gift that could leave more hostile giver-recipient relations than no gift at all.

What's the worst gift you've ever received?

Have you ever given a truly awful gift?

What percentage of your holiday shopping do you have left to do?

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Holiday Mistakes NOT To Make

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Holidays are great and the Christmas is season is my ABSOLUTEHANDSDOWNFAVORITE time of the year. But holidays, with all the increased social activity, can also provide prime opportunity to social suicide. 

Especially when you combine high spirits with spiked eggnog and then throw your boss/dean/professor/research advisor into the mix. 

Here are some (all too common) holiday bloopers to avoid. Just say no to embarrassment and practice safe merrymaking!

DON'T serve red wine if you have a new white carpet/couch and invited your klutzy friends.

We all know who those are. I'm one of them (but I'm 20 and don't underage-drink, so it's more like don't serve me grape juice). 

DON'T regift carelessly.

Make sure you remember who your gift was from if you're regifting, so that you don't regift it to the same person or to their best friend/sister/boyfriend/mother. AWKWARD.

Also, try to make sure that you're regifting something because you think the recipient will actually be pleased by the gift, not just because you weren't and want to get rid of it. You don't want it to be regifted year after year after year - it will probably find its way back to you if it is!

DON'T give all your guests food poisoning by improperly thawing a bird and serving it still half frozen.

The bigger the bird, the longer it takes to cook through. Not that I know much about cooking meat, as a vegetarian, but I know enough to know that un- or under-cooked poultry is a big no-no-no-no-NO.

DON'T wait until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping.

Christmas shopping should be fun! I think it's the most fun sort of shopping, period. But last minute Christmas shopping isn't fun for anyone, so don't do it! 

Start early and enjoy the Christmas cheer longer. 

DON'T throw your fashion sense out the window, just because there's red and green involved.

I'm sorry, but no. If you love Christmas sweaters, go for it. By all means, you do you. 

But do know that we're all judging. Hard.

DON'T forget to have fun!

It's Christmas, after all! There's no time for scrooges and grouches!

What are your Christmas plans?

Do you have any funny holiday disaster stories to share?

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Dating During Finals: College Edition

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There are endless articles and blog posts about staying healthy during the holidays, but my favorite way is to de-stress with laughter!

So, for the sake of entertaining, I've decided to sum up what I, from my observations around campus, understand the experience non-students attempting to date students during finals.

Boy meets girl. Boy attempts to break the ice.

Or vice-versa, if you prefer. Since it's the holidays, what better way to break the ice than an absurdly corny pickup line? 'I must be a snowflake, because I've fallen for you' is a nice change from the usual introduction.

Boy gets girl's phone number. Boy makes use of said phone number with witty textversation later.

Boy tries again. This time, girl remembers boy.

Clearly girls have very high standards for who to hang out with these days.

Boy tries to set up a date. Girl is busy.

Boy settles for more realistic expectations.


But I've been so unfair to the poor boys in this post! Sometimes it goes the other way around:

Dating fails don't discriminate based on gender.

Do you know any good Christmas pick-up lines?

What's your favorite pick-up line?

When are your final exams over?

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Friday Foodie Finds 19

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Every Friday makes me just a little bit happier, because it means we're one week closer to December 1.

Once December 1 happens, I'm officially allowed to unleash my Christmas craziness. Which has kind of already been started with my Tookies Smores Cookie-in-a-Jar Gift giveaway and my international chocolate Advent Calendar giveaway...

BWAHAHAHAAHAHA!

But December 1 is still three weeks away, so I need to calm the fishniblits down.

In the meantime, let's look at some cool recipes. And since Friday also means weekend and weekend = sleeping in = yummy breakfast, this week's theme is breakfast food!

Yum.

Oh, and all of these recipes are either already vegan or easily made vegan by using non-dairy milk in place of the cow's milk!

Nikki's Coffee Date Pancakes with Chocolate Date Butter (V)

Kelsey's Apple Pie Granola (V)

Monica's 

Overnight Slow-Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal (V)

Kevin's Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries and Pecans (V)

Jamie Oliver's Sourdough Bread

I always make my sourdough bread with just plain all-purpose flour and everyone loves it - but this one, made with rye flour, sounds interesting, too.

Okay, so you know how I said (oh, about two minutes ago) that I need to hold off on the Christmas crazy for a bit? These holiday scents from Sam's Soy Candles definitely aren't helping!

Christine started making natural soy candles because she loves candles and wants to provide people with good-smelling, clean-burning, high-quality candles that are safe for kids (like her son, Sam)!

She has a bunch of different flavors out, including Coconut Lime, Vanilla Cake, Fig Tree, and Pecan Pie. She sent me her Gingerbread and Pumpkin Spice candles to review!

These candles make great gifts, because they're packaged super adorably.



I love the little twine (?) bow around the shallow mason jar. It's adorably rustic and perfect for making any place feel homey instantly!

And they're so fragrant that as soon as I opened the box (not even the jar!) I could smell the delicious scent of gingerbread!

It's just soooooo yummy.

Spicy and rich, it's a bold flavor that smells like you've walked into a holiday home. I had to put on my Christmas Pandora station when I burnt the candle, it was simply appropriate.

Oh my goodness, heaven in a jar. I haven't used candles much in the past few years, since dorms don't allow them and this is my first year living in my own apartment, but I'm definitely bringing them back into my life.

Did you know that studies show smelling pleasant scents can relieve stress and improve your mood?

Lighting this definitely made me smile!

Same goes for the Pumpkin Spice. While the Gingerbread candle was my favorite, since I'm Christmas-obsessed and the delightful Gingerbread smell (it smells even better than gingerbread actually tastes!) made my apartment smell/feel like home at Christmastime, the Pumpkin Spice candle also smells really good!

This one is more seasonally appropriate, since it's a fall/Thanksgiving scent and it is early November (anyone else psyched for Sam's Soy Candles's Limited Edition scents in Peppermint Bark, Merry Mistletoe, Cypress and Berries, and Harvest Apple?). Imagine what your house smelled like as a kid on Thanksgiving Day, when your mom pulled the pumpkin pie hot out of the oven.

Now make it just a little bit better. Yup, better. I don't know how Christine makes them smell so good, but I guess all those years of experimenting really paid off!

Did you know that there are certain things you can do with any candle to make it burn better? Here are some handy tips to keep in mind the next time you light a candle!

1) Trim the wick every time that you re-light the candle, to get it to just about 1/4 to 1/8 inch.

2) Never burn a candle in any type of draft. When there's a flame and there's a breeze, the flame will flicker like crazy and there will be smoke!

3) To get your candle to burn evenly and smell best, burn each candle for only about an hour per inch of diameter at a time. This allows the candle to achieve a full burn pool for optimal burning!

Aren't those cool? Except for #2, I never knew that doing that stuff helps!

What's your favorite candle scent?

What's your favorite breakfast?

When does the holiday season start for you?

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