Tag Archives: smoothie

healthy, happy h’burg no. 7: PULP

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You can judge the quality of food by the sounds my son makes when he eats it. He hums while he eats. He’s done it since the day he was born. And he doesn’t even know he does it, because when you say, “Hey! Quit humming!” he doesn’t even look up. He just keeps eating and humming. Focused. Oblivious. Oh, the unapologetic joy of a five year old.

He was quite noisy on our recent trip to PULP—the smoothie bar located inside Shenandoah Bicycle Company (which is downtown between Dave’s Taverna and Clementine). They feature four açai bowls ($6 each and two people could easily share), or you can build your own. It’s like a smoothie, but thicker, which is why it’s served in a bowl. Because we had not the patience to discuss with the children what they actually wanted, we ordered one of each. 6 people + 4 açai bowls = a chorus of whining about having to share… but soon it was a veritable spoon/smoothie free-for-all. “Gimme some!”  “Can I try yours?”  “Mom, he’s not sharing!”  Sheesh, people. Let’s calm down now. We’re all here for the same reason: YUMMY.
Brandy’s favorite was the O.G.—a sweet blueberry açai bowl. Bree got the Ruby (strawberry), but she soon migrated to Blake’s (The Braley’s—tangy raspberry), and Cal took over the Ruby. Ella got the Short Mountain, which I LOVED because it tasted just like ice cream. She shared with me, sweet girl.
Everyone was quiet for quite some time.
Except Cal, who was humming.

Pulp also serves tea, so when you’re freezing from having eaten an entire açai bowl yourself, you can warm up with one their nine varieties of hot tea. And while you sit there, feeling better by the second from all the powerful, superfood nutrients coursing through your veins, you can be inspired by your surroundings—bikes.

Brandy and I both got our bikes at Shenandoah Bicycle Company. In fact, we bought the same bike (different times—she got hers first). The only difference is color—hers is blue, and mine is… like a champagne color. Oh, and mine is bigger, because I am an unusually loooooong person.

Wow—I really strayed from the topic there. Obviously we need to do a piece on the bike shop itself. So, we’ll be back! And next time, I’m getting that Short Mountain.

And I’m not sharing, so you can just STEP BACK, friend.
Now that spring is here, we’re all excited to get back outside, get moving, and feel young again. Stroll on down to PULP, kill your winter sluggishness with a nutrient-packed treat, and maybe you’ll ride out of there on two wheels… and with a happy belly.

burg bites no. 3: shank’s bakery

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Shank’s Bakery causes cravings. I know because I’ve been going there regularly since they opened when my daughter was two and continuing through my second pregnancy—the cardamom-banana bread was something I had to have at least weekly, and then it just became a family tradition for us. The kids and I visit the bakery every Saturday, and in the summer, Tuesdays too, before we head to the Farmers’ Market.  You just can’t go wrong with this place.

On this particular evening, I only got a cup of decaf—Mexican Esmerelda, to be exact, roasted by Lexington Coffee Roasters.

The kids shared three mini cupcakes (the icing is to DIE for) and one Valentine’s Day star-shaped cookie with the word “when” on it. Maybe that’s an inside joke I don’t understand, or maybe they left off the question mark, or maybe it meant, “When you wish upon a star…” At any rate, in the few seconds it took you to read that, the cookie was devoured and but a memory.

 Okay, so here are a few reasons we love Shank’s Bakery:

1. The design. It’s slick, it’s sleek, it’s classic. The white walls and black floors… the one red accent wall with the wood-paneled and granite-topped counter… are clean and minimalistic. Simple. Uncomplicated. A reflection of the foods served there. I love the curve of the old-school display case, which is refrigerated, by the way, because none of their goods contain preservatives. And that looooong wall of floor-to-ceiling windows makes the modest space (fifteen seats) feel expansive.

2. The food. I love being able to get a wholesome dessert. I mean, calories are calories, but at least I know I’m not feeding myself or the kids processed and nutritionally empty foods. If you’re gonna indulge, make it worthwhile. For such a tiny place, they have a wonderful variety of breads, breakfast pastries, desserts, coffee drinks, teas, and smoothies.

Our favorites
* multigrain bread. We usually devour the whole loaf in one day. Cut the thickest slice you can fit in your toaster, toast it, apply a generous layer of butter, and ahhhhhgggggg. <drool>

* Danish. Specifically, blueberry.
* cupcakes. They are a delicious vehicle for the melt-in-your-mouth icing. I’m not kidding.
* snickerdoodles.
* and those adorable 4-layer, 6-inch cakes. Recently I bought one just because it was pretty. I couldn’t resist. It was pretty dang delicious, too.

The bakery is conveniently located on Water Street at the parking deck. Take a moment out of your day to visit them soon. Chances are you’ll see me there, cleaning up the nearly full cup of milk my son knocked over or scraping icing out of my daughter’s hair. And apologizing to all who had to witness it.