Cake can be more than a decadent treat since now you can find sweet and healthy options. Laurel Gallucci and Claire Thomas of Sweet Laurel have created the recipes for grain-free flavors that inspire devotion in adults and kids alike.

After dealing with an auto-immune disorder and being prescribed a strict elimination diet, Laurel began experimenting with recipes. Her experiments ed to the array of innovative and delicious baked goods featured in both the cookbook and the Cake, Coffee + Tea shop.

Photographer, writer, and cook Claire Thomas partnered with Laurel to create the Sweet Laurel brand. The whole foods baking company is beloved for their gorgeous and delicious grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free baked goods. Sweet Laurel has new cookbook divulging the duo’s baking secrets. Their inviting Pacific Palisades shop on Sunset Boulevard offers a space where people can savor guilt-free cakes and superfood lattes.

The details are part of the experience in the shop Sweet Laurel: Cake, Coffee + Tea. Claire is behind the space’s gorgeous design and handpicked every item in the space. Laurel describes their shop as a return home. The two grew up in Santa Monica and were part of the Palisades community as kids.

Some of their fan favorites include Chocolate Caramel Layer Cake, Vanilla Coconut Jam Cake, Lemon Coconut Cake, Pumpkin Spice Caramel Cake, and more. You can even go home with some of their famous vegan caramel. Kids are becoming some of the most eager customers. Claire says, “The kids have been the best. On our first day, we had a few little boys came in who were diabetic. And they were so excited to order something at a bakery counter just like anybody else. It totally reaffirmed why we started Sweet Laurel in the first place–to create a delicious, inclusive experience.

Enjoy Sweet Laurel

Everyone should be able to enjoy delicious, indulgent food, no matter their dietary restrictions.

Sweet Laurel: Cake, Coffee + Tea 15279 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90292 Open 7am-10pm daily. sweetlaurel.com

Felicia M. Tomasko

Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.

www.blissnetwork.com

The post Sweet Laurel: Cake, Coffee + Tea in Pacific Palisades appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

When I walked into the The Daily Harvest’s Refueling Station pop up at the Westfield Century City location, I felt as though I had entered an empowering personal power station.

It is fashioned to look like clean and healthy version of a gas station—where you can pull in and fuel up. The playful popup offers tastings of bowls and smoothies, education about the ingredients, and the opportunity to shop (with exclusive discounts). True to the station form, you can even take home something for your car like a Daily Harvest keychain or a fruit or veggie-inspired air freshener.

The Daily Harvest team describe the space as being inside the head of Founder and CEO Rachel Drori, who believes in food as fuel and solutions to the hangry that are nutritious and delicious.

Push the button on a white ATM and you’ll be handed a warm cookie. Turn the keys on the bubble gum machine for siracha packets and discounts on home-delivered meals. Scratch to win on branded lottery cards to receive a Daily Harvest surprise, and collect stickers that reveal your preference for savory or sweet.

Choose either savory or sweet to try samples of Daily Harvest’s bowl or smoothie recipes. The delivery service will ship directly to your address. But here at the pop-up, the car wash-inspired installation houses people ready to blend your smoothie or cook your bowl on a skillet to enjoy in-house.

Check out the displays of the ingredients found within the dishes. If you’ve ever wondered what maca really looks like or you want to learn more about the health benefits of kelp, stop on by.

The Refueling Station by Daily Harvest pop-up is free to visit (located at the Westfield Century City 2nd Floor). It is open through Wednesday, January 23. Pick up Pop Up tickets here.

Located at the Westfield Century City 2nd Floor.

Learn more about Daily Harvest.

Felicia M. Tomasko

Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.

www.blissnetwork.com

The post The Daily Harvest’s Refueling Station appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Hey Hey Drinks in Echo Park

Fitting naturally into the bustling commercialism and culture on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Echo Park, a sleek, blue neon sign invitingly reads ‘Hey Hey.’ If you aren’t paying close attention though, you could accidentally sneak past this new gem. Hey Hey is recessed from the street and the entrance is tucked behind a large and cozy indoor patio. When you find your way in, you will be enticed by the sweet mingling fragrances of teas, coffee, and herbs.

Hey Hey is no ordinary teashop. The vibe is high-end cocktail lounge meets community rec center meets mom-and-pop, old school soda counter. Board games line the walls and a single microphone in the middle of a makeshift stage waits patiently in one corner. Several customers take Polaroids of each other for a giant corkboard collage. Meanwhile, the whistle of a steaming kettle sounds as a barista puts the final touches on a decadent, multi-layered tea-cocktail. This is my kind of place!

Behind the Scenes at Hey Hey Drinks

I sit down with Chris Kwok, owner and imaginer of Hey Hey, over several colorful and unique varieties of tea-cocktails in tall sleek containers. Kwok, friendly and engaging, shared his experiences first as a student of architecture, then as an IT consultant for several years before coming up with the idea of Hey Hey. He quit his corporate job to work at cafes and Asian dessert shops while designing and conceptualizing his vision of a non-alcoholic bar with the feel of a neighborhood living room. “The idea is to be as comfortable and cozy as you would be in your friend’s living room, except you have bomb drinks here.”

Signature Mocktails

And bomb drinks they are! With a menu organized into different sections, customers choose their drinks based on four categories. These are: Bold, Rich, Fresh, and Straight. The Fresh category features signature mocktails like The Breezy, which is a take on a virgin lime mojito. House favorite The Union is in the Bold Category. It’s a half tea, half coffee swirl with homemade sea salt cream. Yum.

Hey Hey and Community

To increase the feeling of community for its official opening on April 7, Hey Hey hosted a 20/20 promotional challenge. If you walked up to a stranger and said “Hey,” then ordered a drink with your new friend, you both would receive a 20% discount on drinks. With promos like this, along with acoustic evenings, game nights, and endless activities in a non-alcoholic lounge that is both kid- and dog-friendly, Hey Hey is the perfect spot to bring your crew or make new friends.

Find Hey Hey Drinks

Hey Hey, 1555 W. Sunset Blvd. LA 90026
213.278.0689
heyheydrinks.com

Brett Fleisher

Brett Fleisher is a filmmaker, yogi, musician, and world traveler.

www.beheadedforgreatness.com

The post Hey Hey Serves Tea, Games, and More in Echo Park appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

“Support the community. Respect Nature. Drink good coffee. Join the tribe.” This is the motto painted on the wall of the newly opened Black Elephant Coffee in Atwater Village.

Black Elephant Coffee Atwater Village

Black Elephant Coffee owners are married couple Heidy Fu and Gonzalo Otarola. They are also the proprietors of Simply Coffee in Burbank. The partners are both from Chile, where the coffee culture pervades every area of life. According to Heidy, in South America family and friends get together and spend time talking and sharing over coffee. Since they are thousands of miles from their family, she says that their SoCal friends have become extended kin. Their coffee shops have become a meeting place for many people who are searching for a spot to drink coffee—or tea—with their tribe in a neighborhood spot.

Why Black Elephant Coffee?

It’s this passion for a cup and a connection inspired Heidy and Gonzalo to open a shop to drink coffee in Atwater Village. To explain what might seem like an unusual name for a coffee shop, Heidy tells the story of how Gonzalo saw the animal and felt the connection in an ayahuasca-fueled vision during a ceremony with a Peruvian shaman. “Elephants are community-driven animals who are always looking out for the herd,” Heidy says. “And they have astounding memories. This is what we want to create at the shop: life-long moments you share with family and friends.”

Elephants are also part of the natural ecosystem that includes coffee. In order to further their personal connection, Black Elephant Coffee has symbolically adopted an elephant through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). A portion of the shop’s proceeds will support WWF.

In addition to serving locally roasted Stumptown Coffee, Black Elephant Coffee in Atwater Village also serves a wide selection of loose-leaf organic teas. The all-organic food and snacks section features grab-and-go items including vegan and gluten-free options that include pastries. Visit the website for free monthly community workshops. Some upcoming topics include nutrition, feng shui, painting, and more.

Where to Find Black Elephant Coffee Atwater Village

Black Elephant Coffee
3195 Glendale Blvd, Atwater Village
310.880.4859
blackelephantcoffee.com

Felicia M. Tomasko

Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.

www.blissnetwork.com

The post Black Elephant Coffee Atwater Village appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.