Food truck, arts activities and dancing, oh my! Foodies, artists and families can all co-mingle ar CrEATeFest on August 9th at the Bridgeport Arts Center to support Changing Worlds. Changing Worlds is a non profit organization that supports in school … Continue reading
We have a unique chance to give a little this month with a new first of it’s kind charity effort, the “Give Some Good” campaign, situated at one of our major transportation hubs, Union Station. Outshine Frozen Snacks, maker of fresh fruit and yogurt bars, is spearheading a creative movement to reduce food deserts. National attention was drawn to the concept of a food desert in 2006 when Mari Gallagher’s research illuminated a lack of access to healthy and fresh foods in areas of poverty. The gap is closing but we still have a way to go. In Chicago alone, over 383,954 Chicagoans were living in a food desert as of 2011.
So how can you help?
A charity promoting billboard (that is secretly a superhero robot…jk), is currently located in the BNSF tunnels of Chicago’s very own Union Station through June 9, encouraging travelers to get involved with reducing hunger!
It’s easy to give!
Outshine Frozen Snacks is teaming up with Feeding America, one of the nation’s top hunger combatants, to help bring produce to those in need, with the goal of donating two million pounds of fruits and vegetables (we kinda feel like Dr. Evil saying “one million dollarsss” but this is for GOOD!!). Even if you aren’t in Chicago, you can help during June and July by purchasing specially marked boxes of new Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars in stores. Made of 100% frozen yogurt blended with real fruit like Strawberry Banana, Mango and Pineapple, they are perfect for your next summer BBQ.
Each time you buy a promo box of Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars, you help the Outshine brand and Feeding America provide one pound of fruit and vegetables to those in need. Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars are available at major retailers like Target, Mariano’s, Walmart, Jewel and more.
So what are you waiting for, after all Fro-YOLO (fro-you only live once so feel great by helping others)! Snack or swipe to help Chicagoans get the fresh food they need with the #GiveBrighter campaign.
*Full Disclosure: We are being compensated by Nestle to promote the GiveBrighter campaign*
Did you know May is ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Awareness Month?! We certainly did not until we learned about an awesome charity run on July 14th, the Strike Out ALS 5K. Go beyond the ice bucket and #challengeALS by raising … Continue reading
One of the highlights of living in our great city is the bevy of food trucks we have. What we don’t have, however, is an eco-friendly juice and smoothie truck! Imagine your summer yoga sesh in Millennium Park and walking out to find a delicious organic juice blend waiting for you in the Chicago heat. Herb-N-Juice is a startup company created by Joe Wehrli. Wehrli, originally a Midwesterner, moved to California for a bit and was inspired by the holistic juicing culture. His focus is on organic, local produce, and homemade vegan protein blends, delivered in a green juice truck (a cool tech-ed up golf cart). Wehrli intends to expand to a store front eventually and will include healthy bowls, cold pressed juice and smoothies.
We had the pleasure of trying the goods this past Saturday at a Chicago Food Bloggers Tasting Party alongside Wehrli’s amiable family and friends. We were treated to 4 different juices, 2 smoothies and 1 bowl. Here’s all the juicy details!
Juice 1:
Orange, apple, carrot, celery, ginger
The color was a vibrant tangerine with a sweet carrot smell. Wehrli intends this to be his morning blend to give you a quick jump in the morning as a substitute for your morning caffeine fix. The taste was a good balance with no overpowering fruit or veggie flavors. It has a clean finish with a sweet aftertaste.
Juice 2:
Beet, Apple, Pomegranate, Lemon, Cucumber, Carrot
This is the detox heavy hitter of the bunch. Kate’s not a huge fan of beets and found the juice to be palatable and less earthy (thankfully) compared to other beet blends. Monica loved the bright rosey color (contributed by the pomegranate) and loved the light texture.
Juice 3:
Granny smith apple, celery, kale, cucumber, lemon, pineapple, pomegranate
This green blend is surprising with it’s limey color and balanced flavor. It is neither too tangy nor too sugary.
Smoothie 1:
Chocolate almond milk, organic peanut butter, banana, homemade vegan protein powder, greek yogurt
We both loved the smoothie which is surprising as Monica detests all things banana. The protein powder (Wehrli’s own mix of hemp seeds, chia seeds, lucuma, maca and a few other vegan high protein sources from a natural provider, Nuts.com) is mild and doesn’t detract from the flavor of the chocolate and peanut butter.
Smoothie 2:
Coconut-almond milk, acai puree, banana, mango, strawberry
This tropical blend is delicate and bright. Both of us enjoyed the frozen purple milk-shakey texture and the coconut touch.
Wehrli also served up a diabetic friendly juice with green apple, mint, parsley and other greens. Although it is not as fruit filled, it is pleasant and maybe even preferable for veggie lovers with it’s alkaline nature.
By now, we’re sure you’re begging to find out where the truck is waiting to grab some easy nutrients. Well, that’s where help is needed. Wehrli’s truck is still in process as it is electric, has solar panels AND, unlike most food trucks, the juices and smoothies are made on site. Many food trucks make their product at a stationary location and then bring it out, pre-cooked, into the world. This emission free concept has run into some financial snags as Wehrli is attempting to be green with every aspect of his business. Wehrli will also utilize plant made cups that are fully compostable. So what are you waiting for?! If you can, help get Herb-N-Juice on the road by donating to their kickstarter campaign. Depending on your donation, you may get a rad Herb-N-Juice Tshirt or every hipster’s fave (including our own), a mason jar with the cute Herb-N-Juice logo.
Juice up! Winter will be over soon and your swimmy suit is waiting in the wings. 🙂
This past Sunday, I ran my first 10k with Run 10 Feed 10 and Women’s Health…and boy are my gams tired! I did it! And next time, I’m dragging Monica to run with me. My popular co-blogger had yet another wedding to attend that day.
And what did I learn from the fab event? For those of you moving from 5ks to the next step up, know that it is possible to be ready in 4 weeks! This is coming from someone who used to hate running.
1) Don’t stress! There was plenty of people walking and taking breaks. Your first 10k should be enjoyable and don’t feel guilty if you have to pause to catch your breath.
2) Get enough sleep.
Ya’ll know Halloween is coming, yeah? So I had a lil pumpkin carving party the Saturday eve before and maaaybe stayed up a bit too late. You need your full body strength to be at optimal performance so go to bed on time!
3) But not too much sleep.
Ok, so rookie mistake. My anxiety got away with me and while I woke up at 5:30 am, I went back to sleep until 7:30 and then had to pull a Ferris Beuller’s day off and ramp myself into my workout clothes and on to the highway to get to the start line 5 minutes after the race started.
4) Take in the scenery
Running outside in Chicago is a treat (no tricks here). Other than dodging goose poo in a small section, the race jaunted along the picturesque Chicago lakefront. The continually varied foliage and fauna…oh and the Grub Hub running team with their hotdogs and turkey shaped hats…is way more interesting than staring at the wall while on the treadmill.
5) Revel in your results (and the after party)!
My time wasn’t super fast but I have gained about 2 minutes of speed since I first started running. Women’s Health put together a sweet after event with a post race yoga, free post race fuel (Nestle Choco Milk, Bagels and fruit), athletic massages and beauty touch ups from Panasonic. I was surprised to see Allison Sweeney of Biggest Loser there as well. She gave out the post race awards, none of which I won. Maybe some day!
Thanks to Women’s Health for allowing me to contribute to this spectacular event.
It’s not hard to love such a beautiful city like Chicago in fall. The leaves are changing and the weather is cooling. Not everyone gets to stay cozy warm, however. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates there was about 138,575 Chicagoans who were homeless in August of this year. It can be overwhelming to figure out how we can best help people who are in need. One way, however, is very simple! Stretch your legs and run to provide meals to people who are hungry. Join Kate as she tests her speed at the RUN10, FEED10 race on October 19th, 2014.
Women’s Health and FEED are partnering for the RUN10 FEED10 10K race series to motivate consumers nationwide to help fight domestic hunger. RUN10 FEED10 has raised over 2.5 million meals to support the cause, and in 2014 the bar is set even higher. The concept behind RUN10 FEED10 is simple: run a 10K and feed 10 hungry people in your community. Timed 10K races will take place in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Those living in Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C. can participate in one of the Women’s Health “Fun Runs,” and if runners don’t live in one of the RUN10 FEED10 host cities, they can still participate by registering at RUN10FEED10.com to run a 10K in their hometown.
The series kicked off in New York City on September 21, 2014 with thousands of participants running down the West Side Highway for the timed race ending at Pier 84 at Hudson River Park. In the Chi, we will jaunt down Belmont harbor along our gorgeous lakefront and be greeted at the end with a post-race wellness festival. This post race celebration will feature yoga sessions, nutrition, beauty consultations and great giveaways from sponsors.
Feeling intimidated? Kate has only run 2 5Ks before so she googled to figure out if she could make it through the entire race without yelling uncle and lying down on the pavement. Self.com has an awesome 4 week training plan to get your booty in gear or you can sign up for training plans with Women’s Health and Run10 Feed10. Doing a 10k will also flex those glute muscles and burn an odd 600+ calories (about 9 snack size Halloween packs of M&Ms, yup!). Good prep to don that sexy Pumpkin Spice Latte costume (or sexy wizard or sexy sexy…whatevs your wearing).
Not ready to run? You can still help by donating or even shopping at popular retailers like Nike and Gap from the comfort of your sexy couch.
Ready to join Kate and register or share your cash?
Sign up today at www.run10feed10.com!
Image from Run10 Feed10 Website
As the weather grows chillier and your work load picks up, it becomes essential to practice self-care. We love opportunities where we can treat ourselves and retreat from the overstimulation of life WHILE helping others. Next weekend you can do just that!
Experience an upLIFTing yoga session and contribute to children in need. LIFT (Leading India’s Future Today), founded in 2004 in Chicago, opens a world of possibility for its students. LIFT supports a holistic learning and leadership development program for boys and girls in Tamil Nadu, India. LIFT educates children, creates leaders and transforms communities of highly motivated, underpriveledged students. Learn more about LIFT at www.liftusa.org
The event will feature a ohm-some yoga class with mini Luna bar snacks to refresh yourself after your workout. Strap on those ultra comfy yoga pants and get ready to relax on the mat! http://lift-foundation.org/uplifting-retreat-2014/
Chi Organic Girls 