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Sage Organic Vegan Bistro and KindKreme Review



Sage Organic Vegan Bistro and KindKreme





“At Sage Vegan Bistro, we are proud to say that we truly are all things to all people.  A comfortable neighborhood restaurant for the residents of Echo Park, a safe place with lots of options for people with food allergies, a cruelty-free plant based restaurant that meat eaters AND vegans and vegetarians adore - a place to be decadently healthy and feel good doing it.  We work with several organic farms including Tutti Frutti and South Central that supply us with local, in season produce.  The farm to table model is part of our commitment always is to provide you with the highest quality, most delicious food available that is both good for your body and for the environment.

At Sage Vegan Bistro, everyone wins!  KindKreme is hand crafted in small batches using organic, local, and sustainable ingredients.  Our commitment to the environment extends beyond our products into our packaging, our energy consumption, our waste management, and our company culture.  Our icekreme emerged from a vision of our founder Mollie, who was born and raised vegan.  She wanted to create desserts that all children could enjoy with their friends and family.  The result is a delicious healthy alternative that people of all ages and diets can indulge in.  We hope that you delight in our icekreme, and that it leaves you inspired about the benefits of plant-based foods!”

Sage and KindKreme were founded by Mollie Engelhart, a producer and writer.



Recommendations

1.  Sage gets busy at night and weekends.  Go for lunch or before you are starving and get in line on their chalkboard.

2.  Parking:  There is a pay lot on Logan right next to the restaurant.  At a busy time you can search for parking, and search and search.  Or valet park west on Sunset, past Alvarado a few blocks and walk from Mohawk Bend.

3.  The two cheesecakes I tasted were good, although too heavy for me to eat a whole piece.  Go for the icekreme instead.  After your meal you can go over to their icekreme counter, sample a few, and then make your selection to take back to your table.  I chose the blood orange with pomegranate seeds.  The icekreme is by KindKreme, sharing space with Sage.




4. The beet crispy tacos are a must (don’t wear white and careful with getting your fingers stained) with Mexican rice and black beans.  The rice and bean combination is flavorful.

5.  Quinoa Corn Cakes served with avocado and spicy "cream cheese" dressing.  These quinoa cakes are served with avocado slices, kale, and pickled cabbage that added a zingy flavor.

6.  The almond cheese pierogi and potato broccoli pierogi were another great item to share.  In fact, when I ate at Sage we shared all the above mentioned dishes.

7.  The best seating is along the window or upstairs.  The seating next to the dessert counter is too distracting with people coming and going.

You can visit Sage online at sageveganbistro.com and KindKreme at kindkreme.com


Sage Organic Vegan Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato 






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Photo Credits: Sageveganbistro.com

Vanilla Cupcakes with Silver Petals


Vanilla Cupcakes with Silver Petals
Pointe Viven - Jesse Bluma. All rights reserved.


Shiny objects go well on the finger, in the driveway, and now on your plate.  These cupcakes are a delicious marriage of vanilla cake, vanilla frosting, and edible silver.  Enjoy at your next event, party, or all by yourself at 1:00 A.M.

Order online or contact me for local catering.


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Chocolate Cupcakes with Silver Petals


Chocolate Cupcakes with Silver Petals
Pointe Viven - Jesse Bluma. All rights reserved.



Shiny objects go well on the finger, in the driveway, and now on your plate.  These cupcakes are a delicious marriage of chocolate cake, ganache, black sugar sprinkles, and edible silver.  Enjoy at your next event, party, or all by yourself at 1:00 A.M.

Order online or contact me for local catering.


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Bahia Cupcake with Cake Pop



Bahia Cupcake with Cake Pop





A delicious chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting and chocolate drizzle, topped with a vanilla cake pop rolled in toasted coconut.  These cupcakes manage to be rich and decadent, yet light in texture.  Named in honor of Brazil’s Coconut Coast, these cupcakes celebrate the beautiful bay, astonishing nature, and coconut capital. 







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Neapolitan Cupcakes by Jesse Bluma



Neapolitan Cupcakes by Jesse Bluma





Named in honor of Naples, Italy, these cosmopolitan cupcakes are layered with devil’s food, chocolate, vanilla, pink frosting, and finished with ruby pearlized sugar.  A very agreeable mixture celebrating the Italian immigrants who brought their cuisine to the Americas during the 19th century.  An audience pleaser for parties and events.  Or share on date night with a bottle of your favorite red wine.







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Pink Vanilla Cupcakes by Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven



Pink Vanilla Cupcakes




A wedding favorite.  Or any occasion for that matter.  A rich cupcake that manages to be light, fun, and beautiful.  Finished with vanilla frosting and pearl dust.







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Taimado Cupcakes de Vanilla by Jesse Bluma



Taimado Cupcakes de Vanilla by Jesse Bluma





A sophisticated cupcake with vanilla, milky undertones, and light tropical sweetness.  Finished with vanilla frosting.  A great treat to enhance your wedding party, next event, or date night.






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Zested-Vanilla Ganache Cupcakes by Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven



Zested-Vanilla Ganache Cupcakes





A sophisticated cupcake with vanilla, milky undertones, and light tropical sweetness.  Finished with chocolate ganache and black sugar crystals.  A great treat to enhance your wedding party, next event, or date night.

Order online or contact me for local catering.







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Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes by Jesse Bluma



Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes





These cupcakes are perfect for a wedding.  Or any occasion for that matter.  Rich, yet light, there is no way to go wrong.  Eat them while you celebrate your day and enjoy with friends and family.

Order online or contact me for local catering.






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My Physical Activity Incentive Chart by Jesse Bluma



My Physical Activity Incentive Chart





What we all know...

Exercise controls weight
Exercise combats health conditions and diseases
Exercise improves mood
Exercise boosts energy
Exercise promotes better sleep
Exercise can be fun
Core exercises build abs and other core muscles
Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms
Strengthen your heart
Keep your arteries clear
Stay active and independent as you age
Live longer
Consult with your doctor
Walk before you run
Do what you love
Find a workout friend
Change up your routine




What we need reminding...

Consistency is key and returning to physical fitness is essential.

Our own bad habits, mental and physical health conditions, and images we see in media have an impact on our consistency.  When we see actors, athletes, and models in media they often are presented looking their best.  Or shall we say computer graphics best.  Digital retouchers use computer technology in photos and video to alter photos into a “perfect” image.  It is healthiest to keep this in mind at all times and maintain a good standard of what is best.

We all have goals related to physical health and wellness.  Among these could be to improve body image, avoid following unhealthy eating behaviors, making healthy food choices, and being physically active every day.

Starting each day with a healthy perspective enables us to face challenges and be sure in the choices we make when we are eating alone, with friends, coworkers, or family.  Over time this mental lifting of weights, making good steps, will go a long way in your ability to have a fit body.  Including friends and family that share your interest in working out is beneficial, as the synergy you create will keep each other in various activities and keep you encouraged to exercise.  




Take a moment to reflect upon your values, the ideas you hold close, that will be the center of what gets you physically fit.  

Then think, write, or type out a plan.  Set out the small acts.

Additionally, evaluate your actions.  Mark your calendar every week, two weeks, or a month to check in with yourself on a perpetual basis.  This time is for revising, editing, and adjusting your actions and perspective.  You may even find yourself setting more goals.  Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health are related and will influence your choices and consistency.    

My current routine consists of five parts: warm-up, stretch (triceps, squats, lunges, remembering to breathe, et cetera), get heart rate up (jump rope, jogging in place, circuit training, et cetera), cool-down (stretching quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, chest, triceps, shoulders, core, back, et cetera), and cardiovascular (treadmill, elliptical, bodyweight alternating lunges, jumping-jacks, squat thrusts, explosive pushups, et cetera).  Throughout the week and sometimes daily:  abdominal, jogging, long hiking, and weights.  Over the years I have taken a kickboxing session here and there as well.

Do what activities you enjoy and make them as enjoyable as possible.  Do not fool yourself or allow others to fool you.  Life is challenging, especially life when working out.  Look online for free videos to watch and follow along with those.  Music can be a great way to distract you from the boredom or difficulty of working out.  Make a list of rewards that will incentivize you, this could be going to your favorite place, making your favorite meal, or simply putting a star on a chart showing off your accomplishment.

School, bible study, brushing your teeth and a whole lot more are not things we always want to do.  We must do them though, as we know they are important to our life and well being.  If you do not exercise, if you sabotage your diet with soda, lots of processed foods, drugs, alcohol, and emotionally bad habits, then do not complain you are not at a healthy weight or able to do certain physical activities.  Find a way.  Take your dog for a walk, take a ball, have fun with your canine companion.  This is one way to get started.  Consult a doctor too, especially if you have health conditions.  You have spent the time reading this article as a reminder to yourself, that is another good sign.  Keep that momentum going.  

What did you learn?  Please share your thoughts and tips for better fitness.







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Credit: http://www.mayoclinic.com/
Image Credits: FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Crazy Things People Say To Teachers -- And How To Respond



Crazy Things People Say To Teachers -- 
And How To Respond:  Stop Blaming Teachers!





Yes!  Read the excerpt below from an article in the National Education Association Magazine.  
While complaining about a circumstance you knowingly entered is vexatious, and every profession has its challenges, there is something in the article and its cartoons that is fresh.  Most people are appreciative and kind to their teachers and teachers of their children.  Yet, for some that got detention or an F when they were in school their citizen right to free speech and vote is an opportunity for revenge.

"The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines scapegoat as one that bears the blame for others, or one that is the object of irrational hostility. Those of us in the education profession would define scapegoat this way: teacher.

Scapegoating teachers has become so popular with policymakers and politicians, the media, and even members of the public that it has blurred the reality of what’s really happening in education.  What’s more, it’s eroding a noble profession and wreaking havoc on student learning, says Kevin Kumashiro, author of Bad Teacher!: How Blaming Teachers Distorts the Bigger Picture.

In his book, Kumashiro...professor of Asian American Studies and Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, explains how scapegoating public-school teachers, teacher unions, and teacher education masks the real, systemic problems in education.  He also demonstrates how trends like market-based reforms and fast-track teacher certification programs create obstacles to an equitable education for all children."--Cindy Long

As even highlighted by the American Solidarity Party, "markets don't self-generate the morality they need to function."  Algorithms, tax codes, special interest groups, corruption, snake oil salesmen, and more lead to a downward spiral.  Far more superior to leaving issues to a market is leadership, individual responsibility for learning, parental duty, and civic engagement by community members in the way of volunteering in schools and voting for quality candidates. 




See the full article at neatoday.org/2013/12/06/crazy-things-people-say-to-teachers-and-how-to-respond/.





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Credits: NEA Today, Cindy Long, David Clark, Kevin Kumashiro, https://twitter.com/AmSolidarity/status/1489969590646059013

BMW 328i Sedan Eco Pro Mode Review



BMW 328i Sedan Eco Pro Mode Review





I recently got to test drive a BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke or Bavarian Motor Works) 328i sedan.  This design is engaging, sophisticated, and has a dynamic forward thrust.  Often consumers think a BMW is out of their price range, and maybe it is for them.  A little comparison shopping and you will probably find yourself nicely surprised.  You might find that you can get the BMW rather than other automobiles.  



Pros


- handling
- engine power 
- good fuel-efficiency
- higher end interior 
- a menu of options and styles 
- safety
- comfort
- fun to drive
- the cup holder is in between the front passengers, a nice change from the dashboard cup holders of the previous model



Cons


- the 3 Series may not suit a large family
- the turn signal is not as responsive as I like
- the dashboard control display (radio, sound system, navigation, and navigation screen) is not seamlessly built into the dashboard



* Eco Pro Mode:  This select-in option may be a pro or con.  BMW claims a more efficiency with this technology, with optimized pedal and gear recognition and optimization of heating and air-conditioning.  This reduces the amount of total energy used by the car.  The car in this mode automatically goes to “Ready” when stopped at signals or waiting in traffic congestion.  “Ready” mode feels as if the car is off; however, upon accelerating or moving the steering wheel it will kick back “on”.  The transition is a bit jerky at first, yet after a couple days I was use to the mode.  As a select-in option, you can have the car in Eco Pro Mode or not.  







The video above shows the GT (Gran Turismo) model.  I test drove the 328i.







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Credit: BMW

Photography by Eric Slay: Capture your wedding with photojournalistic style and fashion



Photography by Eric Slay  






Eric Slay has always had an artistic eye.  When he told me he was starting a wedding photography business, I knew he would be a success.  Fast forward years later and a few hundred weddings and now he's the lead photographer for his own multiple award-winning company.  In fact, he recently won the Wedding Wires Bride's Choice Award for the third consecutive year.  I wanted to say a quick congratulations to my old friend and suggest that if you or someone you know is ready to tie the knot, you should check him out. 

Below are a few photos of a vineyard wedding he covered and his contact information.  





Contact Eric Slay at 
www.paperwhitephotography.com.





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Jesse Bluma at Point Viven liberates taste in cookery, culture, and community, provides gourmet goods made with organic ingredients, inspired by the culinary worlds of California, Central, and South America, and engages in a community of customers and readers with lifestyle content, reviews, and expertise. Use and redistribution of original content allowed only with explicit permission of site owner and author.