Can You Handle It?!
November 13, 2009
Pinkberry was SO 2007! I feel like more and more frozen yogurt places are popping up across the city…does anyone eat real food anymore? I know that my last blog post talking about mittens and gloves got you thinking ‘Winter’ but despite the season, 16 Handles is a worthy stop to grab a healthy dessert alternative.
With literally 16 flavors ‘on tap’ and an insanely large toppings bar, this East Village spot is by far my favorite compared to all of the other faux yogurt-lands. These fro-yo’s are non-fat and Kosher certified, made fresh in the store without using artificial powdered mixes. Get your probiotics, calcium, live/active cultures, protein and vitamins in each swirl. Perfect for control freaks (i.e. ME), everything is do-it-yourself – plus you pay by the weight so you only have to buy what you feel like eating.
16 Handles also offers non-dairy sorbet and flavors with no added sugar. I like mixing Mango flavor with Green Tea Tart and adding fresh fruit and carob chips.
Good Humor Man, Eat Your Heart Out!
October 12, 2009
The Fall in New York is beautiful, but I’m already getting sick of pumpkin spiced coffee and heavily decorated Halloween displays – over it (I know, bad attitude to have this early in the season). With summer treats like Van Leeuwen’s Ice Cream, how could you not want it to be 80 and sunny all year long?!
Benjamin Van Leeuwen, a 24-year old ex Good Humor truck driver, sells his homemade ice cream from a buttery yellow postal service truck around the city (check his website for seasonal truck locations). Using local, hormone and antibiotic free milk and cream (no stabilizers or preservatives), the all organic ice cream envelopes unique and exotic ingredients to enrich old school flavors – Tahitian beans aged in vodka oak barrels anyone? Excluding the use of condensed milk, corn syrup or any other kind of artificial sugar, coloring or thickener, the scoops of ice cream are pure in taste and light in texture. Even the toppings are homemade and organic to complete the experience. Van Leeuwen also makes sure to reduce his carbon footprint (and yours) by using sugar cane and corn husks for his biodegradable cups, napkins, spoons and straws. As if this 24-year old entrepreneur wasn’t doing enough, he contributes one percent of his profits towards the protection of the Congo Mountain Gorilla. So go ahead…eat some Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, you’ll feel like you did a good thing for the environment, your body…and the gorillas!
My favorite is a combination of the hazelnut (made from Piedmont Hazelnuts processed in a facility in Italy that uses the hazelnut shells to generate electricity) with two scoops of strawberry (containing actual pieces of fresh berries).
