a guide to minneapolis // part 2 : places to EAT

hey everybody!
last week, i posted a lit of 10 awesome things to DO when you are in minneapolis. you can see that here.
the healthy living summit is in a couple weeks {woo hoo!}, so today i have a list of awesome restaurants and cafes to add to your list!
{ps : there are a billion places to eat here in minneapolis ; many of them are really great. i obviously cant list them all.} all of the places on my list, i have been to myself OR had good friends enjoy the food. also, i believe the best way to see & support a city is to put money into small, independent businesses.

1) galactic pizza! 
there are tons of great pizza places in the cities, but galactic is by my the most underrated in town! they have vegan, veg & meat options. and sell delish vegan cheesecake from muddy paws. they are located in uptown ; so its an easy bus // bike ride from downtown.
bonus : they are super green // eco! they deliver in electric cars, you get 3d glasses to read the menu AND all of their delivery guys dress up as super heros.
also, if you go : the vegan paul bunyan is my favorite pizza on the PLANET!

here

2) foxy falafel food truck
so good! tons of food options & erica {the owner} is awesome. if you are in st paul, you can check out the space, BUT her food truck is on nicollet mall {steps from the hotel} during the week.

here

3) glam doll donuts!
do it! they are delish. tons of flavors. open super late. awesome shop & decor.

{image from their website}

4) midtown global market
the global market is an huge building with over 50 shops // vendors // places to eat. everything from american to thai to african food. lots of awesome desserts, take-home foods {figs, grains, ect} & eat-right-now foods. all in one building.
the market is located a few miles from downtown. its right off the midtown greenway {a 5.5 mile bike highway ; no cars allowed!} ; so its super easy to get to!
bonus : the uptown & midtown areas of the cities are a 15min bike ride apart!!}

5) tao natural foods
if you are heading to the spoon & the cherry {or going into uptown} ; you are already on your way to this shop. they serve vegan, gf, vegetarian, macro foods & have a great juice bar. they also sell herbs, supplements & food. if living a super green // natural life is your scene, check this place out!

photo taken from their website

6) bryant lake bowl

if you like good beer, tasty {ethical & local} bar food AND a good game of bowling ; BLB is a great spot. reserve a lane or pick a table. the location is great {its in uptown ; off of bryant and lake street ;)} AND its *right* off the midtown greenway.

{i am telling you, you can bike most places in this city!!}

7) wise acre eatery
this place is really great. mostly meat & dairy, but the staff is pretty great at working with different diets. their website is super straightforward and they are huge into the 'farm-to-table' movement.
their location isnt SUPER bus // bike friendly, BUT if you are interested, let me know & we can figure out how to get you there.
bonus : they have air plants COVERING their walls & its so beautiful!

8) pat's tap
super-extensive beer and wine list, lots and lots of locally sourced foods. and SKEE-BALL!
its got a gastro-pub feel ; great place to hang out with some new friends ;)
and hello, SKEE-BALL! where else can you do that?!?

9) ecopolitan
organic, raw, vegan and gluten-free! they serve juice, smoothies & coconut water drinks PLUS a really great menu FULL of healthy foods. also, the space is a beautiful victorian house FULL of health // wellness resources!
its located in uptown ; a few miles from downtown.

10) mickeys dining car
an icon in the twin cities ; mickeys dining car has been in more movies that most celebs. {my fave? this is where charlie conways mom worked in mighty ducks}
the car is small & doesnt seat a ton of people. they serve up 'greasy spoon' food & their milkshakes are delish. the kitsch and nostalgia of the dining car makes for a fun trip.
ps : the dining car is located near downtown st paul. there IS another mickeys diner, but its 'more cafe, less tin dining car'

bonus : french meadow cafe & bakery

tons of great outside seating, located in a great area AND they have some of the best vegan cake in the city! 

you might notice that NONE of these places are right downtown. i kinda did that on purpose. of course, there are great places to eat downtown {the FOOD TRUCKS!!} ; but this city is SO incredible and if you are visiting, i would LOVE to have you venture into different parts and neighborhoods and see what we have to offer!

what did i leave off the list? 
tell me your favorite place to eat in minneapolis!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE for cooks, bakers foodies & other humans that love being in the kitchen :

happy monday!
good weekend? 
we got a BUNCH of snow this weekend [15+ inches!]
so much scooping & walking & playing around. i do love winter.
[although, i am fine if we dont get any more snow for quite a while]

lets talk about gifts!
your shopping is going well?!
today i have a bunch of great gifts geared towards the people in your life that love to cook // bake // eat // spend time in the kitchen.

1) some super-awesome vegan fudge
the best thing about [most] vegan treats // desserts is that they taste AMAZING. they aren't chalky or gross. and its organic. and no animals were mistreated [winwinwin]

2) a cutting board in your favorite state [minnesota, duh!]

each and every cutting board is made from bamboo. and you have the option of adding a heart or star to your city.

3) how about a 'make your own cheese' kit?!
such a cool idea! back when i still ate dairy ; we took a class to learn to pull // make our own mozzarella. it was delish! [and easy!]

4) ceramic stacking bowls
pigeon toe ceramics is a super-cute studio in portland, oregon. these two stacking bowls would be great for the couple on your list.

5) 2013 beer & food calendar
awesome local artist alert! i saw this calendar in person a couple weekends ago & the detail and design really are beautiful!

6) the global vegetarian cookbook
this book looks great. so many recipes from all over the world.
also awesome? your purchase helps eradicate poverty around the globe.

7) family heirloom dishtowels
this one makes me cry! its a little more work ; but i would imagine its SO worth it.
the link will take you to a blog & walk you through the steps of scanning & printing old family recipes onto dishtowels.
i am SO doing this.

8) how about some eswatini jams?
tons of flavors. no preservatives. and each purchases gives money to youth programs for children that were orphaned by AIDS.

9) pyrex baking dish

you can never go wrong with a beautiful vintage pyrex pan // dish. ive been looking for months around town for my dream pyrex bread pan. im still looking ; but this one is a close 2nd ;)

10) you can never have too many [cute] floursack dishtowels!
we have the blueberry dishtowel. the packaging is great [and reusable]. the link is for a set of four. you can always give a few away & keep one for yourself ;)

what do you think? anything catch your eye?
see you tomorrow!

you ate WHAT at the state fair?

lets talk about it.
the minnesota state fair is known as 'the great minnesota get together.'

this gopher is the official mascot of the fair // beautiful flowers // fresh pressed cider // LOVE this shot of the people on the lifts!

and it is!
almost 2 MILLION people showed up this year.
the fair runs for 12 days [always ending on labor day]. they have big entertainment acts each night [my sister and i saw the backstreet boys a few years ago ;)]. tons of animal barns [you can watch animal babies being born in the miracle of birth center] and it takes *hours* to see everything.

black bean risotto poppers

the joke of the state fair is that if you can put a stick in it, minnesotans will eat it.
and its true. 85+% of ALL the food at the fair is on a sick. [think cheesecake, alligator, 1/3 pound bacon, caramel apple slices, deep fried candy bars, spaghetti & meatballs, tater tot hotdish, nachos, pizza] all of these things [plus TONS more], all on a stick.

strawberry shortcake

so on monday, blake & i biked 15+ miles [roundtrip] to the state fair. [the parking is ridiculous & super expensive!]. since so many people were off work on monday, there were 230,000+ people at the fair. [just on MONDAY!!]

blake & i wanted to try some new foods, but we arent people that love massive over-indulgence. we picked out a [big] handful of foods we wanted to try & that was that. i documented everything we ate.
*notice that again, not everything was 100% vegan*

pineapple torta [small portion ; not delish] // pistachio canolli // walleye cakes [i know ; FISH!] // and blake sampled 4 local craft beers

and look at this *rad* water fountain! // there is a spout for drinking AND a spout for filling up water // NO WASTING WATER!

and we always end the night with a cup of sweet marthas cookies // the line is always ridiculous & they are known for stacking a TON of cookies on TOP of the cup!

[i love blakes face here ; obviously nervous about dropping our $6 cup of treats!]

we also bought daphne a bar of vegan doggie shampoo ; i will share my review of that once we use it.
[lately, she has been rolling in dirt AND she fell into a water fountain the other day that was FULL of nasty algae, so shes due for a cleaning ;)]

tell us : are you a fair person?!
did you go this year?

[also, my post yesterday about budgets & finances has gotten a TON of traffic ; id love to hear your feedback on money!]

ask a vegan : veganism 101 : 5 tips for reducing your consumption :

happy sunday, everybody!
RAGBRAI starts in just 14 days!! which means, we have at least two super long rides to get in.
the goal for today is a 75 mile bike ride. [yikes!]

today, i wanted to share 5 [EASY!] tips for reducing your meat // dairy consumption [or slowly introducing veganism into your lifestyle!!] [go you!]

even if you are not interested in the vegan lifestyle, each and every one of us can benefit from a cleaner, quality diet.

here we go :

1) buy something new!
better yet, buy a few things. head to the grocery store // farmers market // bulk bins [a local health food store, whole foods, or a co-op is a great place for bulk bins] and pick out 2-4 things you have never tried before. maybe its a fruit [dragonfruit], a veggie [jicama] or a legume [green lentils]. buy enough that you can use that product twice.
maybe you love kale in a smoothie, but not as kale chips.
both this site & this one are really great for vegan recipes.

2) spill the beans!
tell your friends. your family. your blog friends. 500 of your closest facebook acquaintances. make it known that you are eating cleaner // cutting out certain items // adding in others.
we are social beings. and we are motivated by praise. and also, education is key. when you try something new, people are curious. and your ambition to live a healthier life might just be the motivation someone in your life needs to start their own journey.
also, be honest with your friends. answer their questions. share a few vegan recipes with them. invite them to a veg restaurant or your place for brunch.

3) turn that frown upside down.
dont be bummed. you will mess up. sometimes, i mess up. i eat vegan 98% of the time. the other 2% are  times that i cant control my environment or times when i didnt properly read the ingredient list. i dont beat myself up over these things. i am human. i am doing my best to lessen my footprint & to live a great life. if you are making the choice to lessen your impact & reducing your animal consumption ; do your best each day. keep your eyes on the prize. [of course, the prize is to sleep better, have clearer skin, to stop global warming // greenhouse gasses, and to end animal suffering]

4) eat organic.
seriously. this one should be a post on its own [i will do that soon]. organic means NO PESTICIDES. so each & every thing that you are eating [or wearing // rubbing onto your body] that is not organic, means that it has been sprayed with pesticides. apples. strawberries. cotton. wheat. i could go on..
and if eating pesticides isnt a big deal ; also consider that those pesticides leak into our water. and our soil. and our bodies.
annnnnnnd all of those fruits // veggies // grains that have been sprayed are handpicked [most grains are picked by machinery] by real people. without protective equipment. most of them are undocumented workers. without healthcare or an understanding of what pesticides really do.
for example : there is a giant berry producer in california that is carried in most stores across the us. they use undocumented workers. they dont provide care or safety equipment for their workers. and as the workers are in the fields, the airplanes with pesticides are spraying the fields. WITH THE WORKERS IN THE FIELD. by not buying organic, you are telling these companies that this is okay. [its not]
also, the more people that are buying organic, the more affordable it will become.

5) enjoy it!
the journey to eating better should NOT be torture! if you dont like a food, then gosh, dont eat it.
example : i dont enjoy tofu or 'faux' meats or cheeses. i dont like fakin' bacon. or tofu. or most leafy green veggies. so, i dont eat them. [i do put greens in my smoothies]
i eat a lot of great food. food that tastes great & fuels my body. food should be one of the most enjoyable things about this life. find good foods that you love. and eat them.

click here to view more 'ask a vegan' posts!

i would love to hear what you think // your goals // your feedback.

heres to a great week!

: open call for guest posters! : i am looking for YOU! :

in 25 days [whaaaaat?!], blake & i will be spending 7 days biking 500 miles through the hills, heat & winds of iowa.
[i am sure you are wondering & no, i dont feel physically prepared yet!!]

i have a bunch of really great posts for you this coming month, but would LOVE to have a few guest posts while i am away riding my butt off.

what am i looking for?!
something fun!
*a creative project that involves reusing // repurposing something you already own!
*something related to biking
*something related to traveling // a fun trip // touring your own town
*and maybe a tasty [easy-to-convert-to-vegan] summer recipe.

WHO am i looking for?!
YOU
its okay if you have a huge blog.
or not.
or maybe you dont have a blog.
maybe you do lots of guest posts.
or you dont.

i am looking for a couple of posts that teach my readers something.
something that fits with my blogging style // format.
and maybe you have a rad idea i didnt list.
let me have it!!

are you interested?
leave a comment!
or send me an email.
[dianapantz[at]gmail[dot]com]

the easiest [and my FAVE] way to meal plan

happy wednesday!!
all week, mother nature has been threatening us with tons and tons of snow.
the result?
a bit of an ice//sleet storm last night. lots and lots of freezing rain, which makes for scary roads.

but it sure is pretty, right?!

dino weather!

so, lets talk food.
in my ideal world, i love planning meals for the entire week. making sure we have the right ingredients and having everything we need.

the real world?
not so much.
we always have tons of fresh & frozen veggies and keep a healthy supply of grains around.
[QUICK TIP : make a list of ALL the fresh fruits and veggies you have & keep it on the fridge. that way, nothing gets lost in the fridge & you dont waste money throwing out rotten food!]

but one of my FAVE secrets // ways to plan meals?!
pick ONE ingredient you have at home. a veggie. a grain. a spice. anything.
and then plan a meal around it.
drives me nuts when i find a recipe, but realize we dont have 7 out of the 10 ingredients you need.

example : we have a full jar of coconut oil that i bought at trader joes. i had never used it before, but knew it was great for healthy fats.

so, i decided to use coconut oil. i headed to pinterest & searched for a recipe.
i found this gem and *POOF* coconut oil roasted sweet potatoes were served as a side for dinner.

dont they look amazing?! they tasted a m a z i n g ; so sweet!
[annnd, these are the very first food photos taken with my new camera!]

tell me : what are your favorite meal planning tricks?!

: wanna see whats in our csa box? : week 6 :

woo hoo!
i have got to tell you ; i get so stinkin' excited when i go to pick up our csa box each week!

this week :

in our fruit box : cherries! oranges. nectarines. champagne grapes. and a pluot.

in our veggie box : garlic. beets. carrots. broccoli. cucumbers. tons and tons of tomatoes. basil. zucchini.

look at all those fun colors!

what are you eating?

: just a few snapshots :

blake and i have been super busy lately.
it seems like every night we have things going on.

here are a few things we have been doing lately :

* remember a few weeks ago, when i hit 100 sales on etsy?*
well, i am still putting together a fun giveaway : that will be happening soon!

annnnnd : tell me your fave summer moment so far!

cheers.