LaFleur de Paris

11 THINGS I LOVE THIS MONTH

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 01:25:00 +0000

(Because 10 wasn't enough - it's SPRING!)

1. Vitamix Professional Series 750

I have an announcement, readers. My happy family has expanded. We’re filled with so much joy. We’ve adopted… the Vitamix Professional Series 750. Just when I thought I couldn’t love a child – er, blender, sorry I do tend to get carried away when talking about my favorite appliance ever – more, enter… the next offspring in the Vitamix family: the Professional Series 750. Now, I don’t want my Vitamix 5200 to get jealous of its younger sister, but the Pro Series 750 is truly beautiful… even if it is shorter and fatter (and thus, more kitchen-friendly). The Pro Series 750 is perfect for the professional chef or the home chef (I consider myself to be somewhere in between). It’s all the same blending perfection of the Vitamix, only this time, there are pre-programmed settings complete with corresponding icons for cleaning, smoothies, frozen desserts, soups and purées. When I make my morning (green, of course) smoothie, I simply add all of the ingredients, turn to the smoothie icon, turn the machine on, and, seconds later, I have a perfectly blended smoothie. It’s like having my own personal chef… who cleans up after himself, may I add. That said, I still adore my Vitamix 5200 and have been using both machines several times a day for different things. I love the smaller sized containers for making individual portions of nut milks, smoothies, soups, purées and puddings and certain preparations necessitate a more hands-on approach. Plus, for the average home chef (and by “average,” I of course mean wonderfully talented, beautiful and fabulously amazing, but perhaps neither in the kitchen all the time nor able to splurge for the pricier professional model) the 5200 and other standard series machines are just perfect. That said, I have really been enjoying my perfectly smooth smoothies, perfectly puréed purées and perfectly SOUPer soups à la Pro 750. I also find that the new shorter, fatter container is easier to clean and to scrape every last bite or drop out with a spatula (“no banana pudding left behind!”) – who said taller and skinnier is better? I like my Vitamix petite and pudgy, personally.

A few of my recent Vitamix-friendly (and by “Vitamix-friendly,” I mean that if you attempt this with any other blender, be warned, it will be far less creamy and delicious … not to mention healthy since the Vitamix breaks down plant walls and pre-digests the food for us for optimal digestion) recipes. Remember that personal chef who also cleans up after himself? Yes, he’s also a doctor. Incredible. Here are some ideas for family fun à la Dr. Vitamix:

Green Smoothie à la Rebecca

This can easily be turned into the Green Smoothie à la…INSERT YOUR NAME HERE. Just add your favorite greens, favorite fruits, a banana and/or avocado for texture, your liquid of choice (and by liquid, I do NOT mean soda, sugary drinks or dairy milk – think: coconut water, almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk or even plain old H20), and any protein powders or superfoods or spices you wish. I’ve been enjoying Matcha powder and vanilla bean lately or I love the mix of maca, cinnamon and mesquite (plus a little bit of cacao is great for an extra energy and antioxidant boost in the morning) or some fresh bee pollen if you can get your wings – I mean, hands! – on some.

Serves 1 Leffler (or 2 people with less crazy appetites in the morning)

2 handfuls of greens, 1 piece of ginger (to taste), a pinch of vanilla power, 1 teaspoon of Matcha powder, 1 banana, 1 small apple, ¼ avocado, juice of one lemon, 1 cup of coconut water. Blend, baby, blend!

(Red) Maca Mousse

Add two tablespoons of chia seeds to a bowl. In your Vitamix, blend together: 1 teaspoon of red maca powder (see below), 1 teaspoon of Mesquite powder, 1 Medjool date, a pinch of vanilla powder, a pinch of cinnamon powder, 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds and 1 cup of coconut water or water. Pour over the chia, mix with a spoon and let sit until the liquid is absorbed. You can add 1-2 teaspoons of cacao powder to that as well.

Lefflersauce

Everyone I’ve made this for absolutely adores it. This sauce is great drizzled on (and by “drizzled” I of course mean DROWNED in then licked until your plate is clean) some cooked quinoa, millet or brown rice and steamed or sautéed veggies or as a dipping sauce for Nori rolls or even as a salad dressing.

Add ¼ cup of almond butter, 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of coconut aminos, 1 teaspoon of miso (I like a subtle white chickpea miso), the juice of one lemon and/or lime, ½ garlic clove and some fresh ginger to the Vitamix and blend together until a creamy sauce is formed.

M.A.K.E. cosmetics

I’ve been writing a lot about foods that make us beautiful from the inside out. Now, I’ve found a makeup that makes us beautiful from the outside… in! M.A.K.E. Cosmetics is a for-benefit cosmetics line, part of the We See Beauty Foundation that will launch this summer. (More details to come on that, bien sûr, mes amis.)

M.A.K.E. is a brand new cosmetics line featuring skin care and color products with 33.3% of every sale donated directly to the We See Beauty Foundation. M.A.K.E. will feature both a permanent collection and limited-edition concept collections in partnership with artists from the design, music, art and even gaming worlds. The makeup is très chic, but also très affordable – prices range from $5 - $42. I admit that I was surprised at how wearable the products are since I find that, in the past, I’ve had to choose between non-toxic, eco-friendly products that are good for the earth, good for my skin, but don’t really make me look pretty and chemical-infused, very UNgreen products that do “work” from a solely aesthetic perspective. Enter, M.A.K.E.! These products LOOK good and they’re good for me – for my skin, for the earth and for humanity. Plus, I am convinced that I look prettier after contributing to a charitable cause. We all do. I love the packaging, the colors and, most importantly, the philosophy behind the company. The “skin illuminator” does what it says it will, the “silk satin lipsick” made my lips so silky I am sure men on the street were dying to M.A.K.E. out with me and the “defining mascara” is now appropriately the defining item in my purse at all times. The hydrating toner is like getting a facial every morning. The products aren’t tested on animals, are cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free and hypoallergenic. And yes, I promise, all that and they “work” / look great on. Check out their website weeseebeauty.com – it’s one of the best I’ve seen, especially in the beauty world. You can try out different looks and learn everything you want to know about the products and the artists (it’s perfect for the curious and obsessive among us – cough cough.) In a world where the government doesn’t have to tell us that they’re putting chemicals into our food (see: this week’s Monsanto decision), isn’t it great to know exactly what is going onto our faces and where our money is going? (to a good cause, that is) I love that this is where the cosmetic industry is moving. We See Beauty hopes to “establish a more equitable and beautiful society for all.” Glowing skin, radiant color, art and a worthy cause all in one? Now that’s true beauty.

http://weseebeauty.com

Red Maca

“What’s black and white and red all over?” Answer: My bowl of chia pudding. I’ve been doing the Maca-rena for awhile now – the Peruvian superfood is a powerful adaptogen that can balance the body. It’s an amazing source of natural energy, boosts immunity and can really help to balance hormones. Legend has it that Incan warriors ate maca before entering into battle. I totally get it. I haven’t been entering into any battles (although, does taking the train at Penn station during rush hour count?) but do feel like I can conquer the world after a bowl of chia pudding with maca. “Regular” maca is wonderful, but I just discovered Sunfood’s fabulous red maca powder and find it a bit more nutty, subtle, sweet and smooth. It’s perfect for adding to smoothies, desserts (it’s a match made in chocolate heaven when combined with cacao) and my new favorite chia pudding concoction (see above). Maca is perfect for a morning energy kick that lasts all day long and, unlike caffeine, doesn’t make you jump up and down like a crazy person then crash hours later. Maca is a powerful aphrodisiac so add it to anything you – or your lover – are eating or drinking for a natural Love Potion. Sing it with me now : “Heeeeey, (red) Maca-rena!”

http://www.sunfood.com/home-products/red-maca-8-oz-raw-certified-organic.html

LULU’S CHOCOLATE

BIG announcement. I’m madly in love. The object of my affection is a bit square, but filled with goodness, is always there for me and loves me and my body in return. Don’t worry about sending me wedding wishes, readers, I’m still – le sigh! – a Mademoiselle. I’ve fallen truly, madly, deeply in love with… Lulu’s Chocolate.

There are suddenly so many healthy chocolate bars out there now. I feel like everywhere I turn, there’s a new “healthy,” even “raw” chocolate company sprouting up to offer cacao-infused goodness. However, to be honest, I’ve been disappointed by many of them. First of all, my definition of “healthy” is not a processed bar drowning in agave syrup or other sugar nor do I want to bite into a chocolate bar whose consistency more closely resembles a piece of cardboard covered in mortar than a melt-in-your-mouth sweet treat. Enter… Lulu’s. It was love at first bite. And second. And third…and, well, needless to say the box of chocolate bars and truffles on my kitchen counter is no longer with us after just a few days and there have been no other accomplices to my chocolate crimes. How do I love thee, Lulu’s? Let me count the ways.

1. You’re actually healthy. Lulu’s claims to use only the finest organic, fair trade ingredients in their chocolate and I believe them. Why? Because I can taste the difference. Raw! Vegan! Low-glycemic! Organic! Fair trade! Gluten free! It sounded so good to be true that I expected it to taste like … well, I didn’t actually expect it to have any taste with that description. I have since been proven wrong. Although, while I do believe Lulu’s uses only the best products Ecuadorian cacao, wildcrafted Maca, environmentally-friendly packaging, etc., I DON’T believe that there are no drugs in their chocolate. Seriously, these babies induce some hard-core euphoria. I can’t believe they’re legal.

2. You taste good. These chocolates really do “melt-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hand.” They’re “simple but elegant” with just a few quality ingredients so you can really taste each one. The cacao nibs in the Aztec and Maca bars add crunch, but aren’t too overwhelming. The Raw Love bar (perhaps my favorite – I’ve always been a simple girl you know…) adds just a bit of quality vanilla for a creamy chocolaty texture that is neither bitter nor too sugary. The Smoked Salty Almond bars use sprouted almonds so they are easy to digest and the Maca Love combined my love for white chocolate with the hormone-balancing, energizing effects of maca – truly amazing. The Maca buttercups are a gourmet, adult way to eat your Reese’s peanut butter cups with a healthy conscience. And the coffee cr—oh sorry I didn’t get past the first bite before I was interrupted by running three marathons, doing 467 pushups and saving the world (I exaggerate, but the energy kick in those was enough to make me feel like I could do all of the above).

3. You’re perfect just the way you are. The 1 oz. bars are really the perfect size. Not too big and not too small. The ½ bar serving size is just enough to get your chocolate fix after a meal or with a tea and the full bar isn’t too fat, calorie or caffeine-heavy for a mid-day indulgence (or, if you’re brave, a before bedtime treat).

4. You tell me it’s OK to slather my body in chocolate. Lulu’s also makes an edible body butter featuring cacao butter, coconut oil and cacao essence. It’s like taking a chocolate bath. Sorry, it IS taking a chocolate bath. It is an orgasmic experience – whether alone or à deux (or à trois I imagine, but I’ll leave that part to you dear readers ;) ).

Strala Yoga

Modelesque women decked head-to-toe in lululemon looking you up and down and discussing their latest spiritual awakening in broken Hindi as the instructor tells you to plant your hands into the floor with a specific radius and turn your knees to a 43° circumference and, oh by the way, you’re breathing wrong (yes, breathing. Wrong.) Sound familiar? I’ve certainly been to yoga classes like that. I love yoga, I love spirituality, I love learning new Hindi words and hey – luluemon clothing is comfortable and flattering (if not see-through). That said, classes at Strala Yoga are the opposite of this scenario. I admit that I was a bit wary of heading to a studio not only in New York City (scary!), but also in the heart of trendy Soho (scarier!) with classes taught by a former model turned yoga celebrity (scariest!). Yet from the moment I walked through the doors at Strala Yoga, I have felt nothing but happiness. (well, I did feel my abs burning during Mike Taylor’s Strong class recently, but you get the idea.) Strala’s yoga room is a vast space filled with light (I mean that both literally and figuratively of course) and, even though many of the regulars there are totally advanced yogis and yoginis, no one is there to prove anything or show off their bending skills. It’s all about letting each person express themselves no matter what their yoga level and no matter who they are or where they come from or what they’re wearing (though they SHOULD be wearing Tara Stiles’ new yoga collection from Reebok which I must admit is FABULOUS. The “Who Made the Rules” tank, really comfy bra and short-sleeved tees are SO comfy and wearable and somehow manage to look good on everyone, all shapes and sizes and even … Lefflers!)

Their “Strong” classes definitely live up to their name, but aren’t overwhelming and the “Relax” classes can be as dynamic as one wants to make them. All of the different instructors take each other’s classes and what’s amazing is that they slip so effortlessly and modestly through the poses that it’s hard to spot them with an untrained eye (unless you are Heidi Kristoffer whose signature bright blue yoga pants and contagious smile are hard to miss – can’t wait to take her class soon!) I always leave feeling both strong AND relaxed. Strala is my drug du jour. Look what I can do now!

Just kidding, just wanted to see if you were paying attention. THIS more closely resembles me doing yoga:

I have also been enjoying Stiles’ podcasts and online videos for quick yoga fixes when I don’t have time for longer yoga classes at a studio. This routine is amazing to literally get you out of bed in the morning – enjoy!

Two Guys from Woodbridge

“It’s easy being microgreen.” –Kermit the Healthy Frog

Microgreens provide more nutrients than pretty much any food out there. They are the young seedlings of vegetables that are harvested just days after germination. Microgreens are high in protein, chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants and they are packed with living cells. Microgreens are pre-digested by the sprouting process and are rich in natural enzymes. They also happen to be crunchy and delicious, not to mention pretty in pink…and green… and other colors. I recently discovered my two favorite guys from Woodbridge, CT. (OK, so they’re the only two guys I know from Woodbridge, CT, but still, I’m a huge fan.) This company based in – you guessed it – Woodbridge, CT is a fixture at the Union Square Farmers Market in NYC. I stumbled upon them last weekend during a glorious sunny Spring day and was overwhelmed by how beautiful their array of greens looked…and tasted! Their watercress was divine and their bouquets of mesclun even more beautiful than the flowers at the stand nearby. Speaking of flowers, Two Guys sells a gorgeous mélange of mesclun with edible flowers that taste as good as they look. Of course, La Fleur de Paris had to get her hands on some edible fleurs. I also stocked up on sunflower sprouts, a very delicate swiss chard, some rainbow microgreens (a mix of several varieties) and perhaps the most beautiful and delicious basil I have ever tasted in my life. I had Spring in my step all day long thanks to the blue sky NYC day then, thanks to my two new guy friends from Woodbridge, had Spring on my plate when I got home!

(This oeuvre d’art is a mélange – that’s a fancy word for mix, but hey, look at this plate, I’m fancy ! – of quinoa mixed with curly and lacinto kale, grated carrots, English peas, Two Guys’ swiss chard and broccoli sautéed in (lots of) coconut oil and garlic and topped with Two Guy’s microgreens and basil, some fresh mint and chives and some creamy mustard and lemon dressing.) Welcome to Café de Fleur!

Can’t wait to try more of their beautiful greens now that Spring has sprung – I love to support local farmers, especially ones who feed me so well. I leave you with the wise words of dear Kermit :

“But green's the color of Spring

And green can be cool and friendly-like

And green can be big like an ocean, or important

Like a mountain, or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be

It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why

Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful

And I think it's what I want to be…”

Detox à la Hollywood

So, mes amis, there is not one, but DEUX books out about detox and Hollywood. Thankfully, one is en français and the other in English so there will be no food fights or cruciferous crusades.

“The Beauty Detox Foods.” I have been anxiously anticipating the release of this book ever since I first read Snyder’s last book “The Beauty Detox Solution.” Since then, I’ve enjoyed reading Snyder’s informative blog posts and watching her rapid rise to success from the page to the small screen. Snyder is known for her work with Hollywood heavyweights – or, in this case, LIGHTweights – like Drew Barrymore, Josh Duhamel, Fergie, Kerry Washington and other celebrities. She also just launched a new juice/smoothie bar in L.A. that I hope to try one day. I love Snyder’s philosophy that includes a light-to-heavy daily eating plan, lots of water with lemon juice, probiotics and gluten and dairy-free meals. She also shares my passion (/obsession?) for coconut, avocado, kale, chia and sweet potato and is on the anti-agave team – love this lady already. Her latest book is all about beauty from the inside out and features a long list of 50 foods with superpowers that affect the entire body from head to toe. Think: avocado and sweet potato for glowing skin, pumpkin seeds or nutritional yeast for thick hair or bananas to get rid of under-eye circles. Snyder proves that you don’t need to sacrifice flavor for nutrition – that you can have your (dairy-free, gluten-free, raw, soy-free, alkaline) cake and eat it too. Her book is also very accessible to everyone – most of the foods on her list can be found in the average neighborhood grocery store and her recipes aren’t complicated, nor do they feature esoteric ingredients like many vegan cookbooks today. Her book also sets itself apart from others in the genre in that it is a health book AND a gourmet cookbook. So many vegan cookbooks sacrifice health for flavor (think: recipes drowning in soy, vegan junk food and sugar) and others are so healthy they are not only unrealistic in today’s busy society, but, well, the recipes taste like cardboard. Snyder does a great job of explaining the health benefits of the different foods on her list without being too didactic. This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend for both those gradually easing their way into a healthier lifestyle and those already there and looking for more creative ideas for mealtime. I am totally (coco)nuts about this book that is beautiful from page 1 until the end.

“Ma Detox Made in Hollywood.” A book about detox, Hollywood and in the French language? Bien sur this was le livre for moi. The lovely Elsa Launay translates the concept of detox Hollywood-style into a whimsical and colorful French “oeuvre d’art.” This day-by-day guide to health is based on Launay’s experiences in the City of Angels and features some detox-friendly, but also taste bud-friendly concoctions. Many of the recipes are vegan and gluten-free and include some of my all-time favorites like almond butter, kale chips, almond milk yogurt and quinoa and green bean salad. The 10-day program is easy to follow and even includes detox-friendly tips to accompany the recipes like yoga, morning walks (likely much more enjoyable under the California sun than Paris, France in the dead of winter) and even musical selections from Launay’s personal playlist. This is a great transition diet for anyone needing a detox. Would have loved to see less meat and fish-based options, but hey, bébé steps, my French friends, I’ll take it!

Blue flowers

I keep seeing different varieties of blue flowers everywhere. In French, the expression “blue flower” refers to someone who is a bit naïve and sees the world through rose-colored lenses. These varieties spotted at the market recently are instant happiness and a reminder that Spring has sprung!

Coconut aminos

Just when I (and you, I imagine) thought I couldn’t get any more obsessed with coconut…enter: coconut aminos! Some other Liquid Aminos are somewhat controversial in the health food world, with some claiming that they contain MSG. I personally have been sensitive to them. However, nama shoyu isn’t gluten free and tamari is still soy-based albeit fermented. So what’s a girl to do? Simply give up the salty goodness of soy sauce and its cousins forever? What will become of my Asian-themed meals henceforth? Have no fear, coconut aminos are here. When I first heard “coconut aminos,” I pictured body-building Thai warriors. In fact, coconut aminos resemble traditional soy sauce in texture and flavor, but they are MUCH healthier (and, as it turns out, have no relation whatsoever to gym rats in Bangkok). Coconut aminos are organic, raw, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan and they boast 17 naturally-occuring aminos acids to boot. The coconut aminos come from the sap of the coconut tree that is very low glycemic and packed with amino acids, minerals and vitamins AND has a very neutral pH unlike soy sauces. Use it just like soy sauce in salad dressings, marinades, stir frys and sushi. I’ve literally been pouring it over everything lately. It adds a nice salty flavor without the salt to all cuisines, Asian-themed or other.

Try these sushi rolls courtesy of Rebeccasan, sushi warrior:

Top nori sheets with some cooked quinoa, steamed slices of sweet potato, avocado and spinach or greens, some miso, coconut aminos, fresh ginger, lemon juice and chives then roll up. Dip into some coconut aminos or make a dipping sauce out of almond butter or tahini, lemon juice, ginger and coconut aminos.

http://www.coconutsecret.com/aminos2.html

Oz: The Gatekeepers and Powerful Place Beyond the Pines

‘Tis NOT the season for good movies. Christmas is over, the Academy has named its victors and summer blockbuster season is far away. These early months are usually packed with unexciting fare both from the major studios and the independents. That said, a few titles have snuck into a theater near you and me that I think are definitely worth checking out namely thought-provoking documentary The Gatekeepers, prequel to perhaps my favorite film of all time Oz: the Great and Powerful and the talented Derek Cianfrance’s latest project starring the two loves of my life in one movie (Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper) The Place Beyond the Pines. Sit down, relax, and enjoy these shows.

90s on 9

This Sirius XM channel has gotten me through these last days of winter with a huge smile on my face. It is my daily blast from the past complete with musical interludes from that amazing decade that was the 90s. Oh how I missed you Ace of Base, the Spin Doctors and Blessid Union of Souls. And you too Naughty By Nature, Meat Loaf and 10,000 Maniacs. Welcome back to my life.

PS My New Favorite Song by Justin Timberlake

No, it’s not “Suit & Tie.”

PPS Just a reminder in case you forgot today:

PPPS Last one, promise: Here's to a happy, smiling, shining Spring to all!

MindBodyLafleurGreen

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:24:00 +0000

Check out my latest post on MBG !

(complete with slideshow - fun!)

Too Busy To Eat Healthy? 9 Foods To Keep In Your Kitchen

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7935/too-busy-to-eat-healthy-9-foods-to-keep-in-your-kitchen.html

Shake What Yo Matcha Gave Ya !

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:41:00 +0000

“Matcha matcha man. I want to be a Matcha man…” Well, a Matcha WOman for that matter. And I am! Matcha: It does a body good. Got Matcha? I do. I’ve been a Matcha (wo)man for awhile now, but just discovered a new brand called Got Matcha and I’m loving it. Matcha is a green tea from Japan that has been called “the elixir of the immortals.” One sip of this stuff (bet you can’t sip just one!) and you will understand why. Matcha can indeed make you feel immortal. (Note: I said feel. You do not have nine lives nor can you fly, even if your body thinks it can due to the energy provided by Matcha powder. So please don’t Matcha and drive.)

Matcha tea is 10x stronger than “regular” green tea, it’s packed with antioxidants, beta carotene, l-theanine (an amino acid known to reduce stress and anxiety and heighten mental clarity), catechins (for beautiful skin) and, yes, caffeine, but not caffeine that causes a jittery-shaky sensation à la coffee. In fact, Matcha has actually been known to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Matcha also contains fiber and vitamins and minerals and boosts metabolism so it can work both for those looking to lose weight or for those with no appetites hoping to put on some pounds.

So, ready to dance the Matcha-rena? Just make sure your Matcha is of the highest quality. Yes, like any luxury item, this means it may be a bit more expensive than your average green tea, but remember, you’re paying for quality, not quantity. Plus, a little bit goes a long way with Matcha so that big bag or container you just bought will last for a long time. Just ½ - 1 teaspoon per serving is all you need to reap Matcha’s benefits.

I searched far and wide for a good quality, organic Matcha brand before discovering Got Matcha. (OK, that sounds like I hiked through the mountains of Japan with an old man with a beard for days with a backpack filled with nori sheets and no material possessions. To be honest, by “far and wide,” I really meant from the comfort of my own home perusing the web and visiting pretty much every organic market in the tri-state area. Though a little old Japanese man and a remote mountain do sound like fun.)

http://www.gotmatcha.com

Matcha is perfect as a hot winter tea, whisked in traditional Japanese fashion. Or, you can give it a modern twist by adding it to your favorite smoothies, juices or desserts. Unlike most brewed teas, Matcha contains the whole leaf.

Here is my new favorite morning green smoothie recipe using Got Matcha’s amazing Matcha powder for the perfect energy kick to start the day whether you’re entering a sumo wrestling competition, taking the kids to school or heading off to work.

Matcha Morning Momentum Milkshake

½ - 1 teaspoon of Matcha powder

1 banana

1/2 avocado

1 apple, chopped

1 pear, chopped

2 heaping cups of leafy greens (your choice: kale, romaine, chard, spinach, etc.)

¼ teaspoon of vanilla powder

½ teaspoon of fresh ginger (or to taste, I usually like a bit more for an extra spicy anti-inflammatory kick)

The juice of 1 lemon

½ cup of coconut water

Mix all ingredients together in a blender (preferably a Vitamix) until creamy. If you like your smoothies a bit less thick, just add more liquid.

Got Matcha also makes several Matcha powder blends sweetened only with Stevia and coconut nectar including Matcha caramel-apple, Matcha Chai, Matcha Mint, Matcha Pumpkin Spice and Matcha Cacao. I haven’t tried all of the flavors yet, but as for the ones I have, so far, so delicious! (Special mention to the Matcha Chai – literally it’s to chai for. And the caramel apple really does taste like a caramel apple!) It’s great that they use natural sweeteners and don’t drown the delicious taste of Matcha and spices with horrors like agave nectar like many other “organic” companies. They even sell a bamboo whisk set for a more traditional Matcha tea experience.

Here’s a great recipe for a cold winter day for an untraditional, yet delicious, take on Matcha as the ancient Japanese warriors consumed it.

Matcha Smoothie on ice - it's snow delicious!

Hot Matcha Milkshake

1 teaspoon of Matcha Chai powder

1 teaspoon of Matcha powder

¼ teaspoon of vanilla powder

1 cup of almond milk (made with almonds, coconut water and rained through a nut milk bag)

1 Medjool date

A pinch of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together in a blender (Vitamix!) until frothy, then add to a saucepan and warm slowly over low heat. Drink, by the fire, with your favorite old Japanese man.

You can also add some Matcha powder to a green juice for an extra kick!

Try this:

Japan-inspired Juice

1 teaspoon of Matcha powder

1 large cucumber

The juice of 1 lemon

1 piece of fresh ginger (to taste)

1 bulb of fennel

3 large carrots

2 heaping cups of Romaine

2 stalks of celery

Juice all vegetables then add the Matcha powder and whisk together.

Freezing Fantasies: Fun 2013 Getaways to Distract You From the Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 12:46:00 +0000

“Oh the weather outside is frightful…” As I’m sure you’ve heard since all of social media is atwitter about the nationwide - and international ! – winter freeze. Even everyone in LA was complaining about the “frigid” 60-degree temperatures (you poor things). To all of my East Coast friends complaining about the weather, I responded “quels whimps!” I survived four years in Hanover, New Hampshire. You think this is cold? … and then I went outside and freezed mes fesses off and came crying back inside for a weeklong marathon of unlimited hot cocoa and haven’t taken off my wool hat and gloves in days (yes, even inside - this is me making dinner, Eskimo-style).

This glacial attack has had me yearning for sunny skies, beaches and fresh coconuts. I’ve been dreaming about succulent salads and sandy shores (say that five times fast). To add to my daydreaming, I’ve been tantalized by a few famous friends planning fabulous trips later this year. Just in case you’re cold or hungry, I thought I’d share these amazing opportunities with you. And, if you do decide to go, I remind you that I can fit into most standard sized suitcases, merci beaucoup.

1) Ani’s 15-hour Raw Food Course in Los Angeles, CA

It may be cold, but my kitchen is on Phyo thanks to Ani Phyo’s amazing – and amazingly accessible – cookbooks. Ani has written several books that have become the bibles of cuisine in the raw food world. Now, she’s launching her first ever Raw Food Home Chef Certification Course from March 15^th – 17^th. The course will be held on the Santa Monica coast complete with ocean views at luxury boutique hotel The Shore Hotel. This Level 1 class will feature a certification of completion, meals from popular local raw food restaurants (like Juliano’s! I’m salivating just thinking about it), plus a signed copy of The Bible aka “Ani’s Raw Food Essentials.” The group will be limited to a select few, so sign up soon for the chance at such a unique, intimate experience. Ani will focus on “essentials” like stocking the home kitchen, food shopping, blending, food processing and making basic sauces, wraps, rolls, pastas and decadent (and decadently healthy!) desserts. The course is geared toward those simply looking to hone their skills as a home chef or to step their skills up a notch to entertain family and friends or even to launch their own health food businesses or careers. Ani is such an inspiration and despite her colossal global success, she is so down-to-earth. The fact that she’s hosting such an intimate gathering to share her personal experiences and culinary prowess is very exciting. The course is geared towards cooking, but Ani will also share her vast knowledge of all things health and happiness. You’ll learn the following:

- Menu planning /recipe development

– Food safety /hygiene

– Vegetable preparation

– Plating / presentation

Plus:

– Ani’s Eco-Raw Food Wellness Philosophy

– Raw food basics / superfood functions

– How to make great meals at home
– Quick and easy techniques / recipes

And, perhaps even more exciting, Ani will also be launching upper level Mastery courses starting in June focusing on helping people to launch successful raw food businesses.

The Level 1 class is a prerequisite for that, so get those healthy hinies out to CA to get started. Many raw food chefs focus exclusively on flavor and creativity and sacrifice health while others are so health-conscious that they promote bland, tasteless fare. Ani is one of the rare chefs and health educators who has somehow managed to strike a perfect balance between the two. She’s open-minded and flexible in her cooking and lifestyle philosophies and makes eating well not only easy for those with active, modern lifestyles, but also DELICIOUS. She’s managed to merge her Eastern upbringing with today’s Western lifestyle in a fun, enjoyable way.

Here’s more info on Ani’s website:

http://aniphyo.com/blog/raw-food-course/

Xoxo,

RAWbecca

2) Vegan Fusion European Cooking Immersion with Mark Reinfeld

You may not have met him yet, but Mark Reinfeld is your bowl mate. He cooks healthy and delicious food and brings something from wherever he travels to his creative culinary creations. There’s a little bit of something for everyone in his recipes that are flavor fusions of world cuisine, but also surprisingly easy to make chez vous. Monsieur Reinfeld’s latest book “The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe” is fabulous. It takes traditional recipes from all over the continent – France, Italy, England, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Germany – and turns them into vegan masterpieces. As you know, cuisine is a major part of any culture and Mark not only mixes ingredients together, he brings each culture into the kitchen… but with a veggie-centric twist, bien sûr! Mark will be in Paris for a 5-day Vegan Fusion Immersion course in the Fall, from September 23^rd – 27^th.The intimate course will be held in a beautiful home in the center of the city – très chic! Mark will focus on kitchen stocking, shopping, chopping, blending and other basics, and will share his tricks of the trade. He’ll explore the healing quality of vegan foods, but make sure that the presentation and taste are impressive too.

The schedule:

Day 1 Vegan Soups/ Salads & Dressings

Day 2 The World of Grains and Beans/Tofu, Tempeh & Seitan Dishes

Day 3 Casseroles and Sauces/Wraps, Spreads, Sandwiches and Rolls

Day 4 Vegan Desserts/Raw Cuisine 1 Smoothies, Pates, Pasta & Pudding

Day 5 Raw Cuisine 2 Elixirs, Soups, Plant Cheeses, Ravioli, Parfaits & Ice Cream/Raw Cuisine 3 Nut and Seed Milks, Granola, Pizza, Tacos, Live Pies

I had the pleasure of taking one of Mark’s cooking classes when he came to Paris last year and it was such a wonderful experience. I learned so much and my taste buds are still pining for his wizardry in the kitchen. (Note: You do NOT need to be Vegan to appreciate this experience – even my carnivorous mother still requests “Mark’s sauce” whenever I cook anything. True story.)

If you can’t make it to the City of Lights, Mark will also be hosting immersions and workshops in Portland, Madison, Maui, Miami and Stafford, England this year.

So voilà! The info, mes amis:

http://veganfusion.com/vegetarian-raw-food-gluten-free-cuisine/cooking-classes-events/5-day-workshops/paris-france-5-day-vegan-fusion-culinary-immersion-sept-23-2013/

3) Yoga Retreat in Italy with Anne Vandewalle

“Le chien, la tête en bas” – that’s “downward dog” in French. I’m not quite sure how to say it in Italian, but you’ll probably learn if you attend this retreat in Umbria. In fact, Umbria will turn into OMbria for this special trip. Anne Vandewalle is an English-speaking yoga teacher with a chic French accent who will be leading this trip in July/August at this lovely spot http://www.querciacalante.com/old/ .

Anne is Anusara-trained and her love for yoga and zest for life are contagious. I’ve enjoyed her classes in Paris these past few years (and miss them terribly).

The daily yoga sessions à la Anne will take place looking at the Tuscan countryside. The morning sessions will be energy-stimulating and the evening classes will be relaxing and feature massage and meditation to unwind. The retreat is for yogis and yoginis of all levels. So, in sum, inspiring daily yoga classes, sun, a beautiful countryside landscape, Italian accents everywhere and unlimited amounts of pesto, pasta and puttanesca? Uhh, how do you say “Namaste” in Italian?

More info here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e6y60oxx06618ada&llr=7lgmnhcab

YOGA ITALY

And now back to la réalité. I’m going to put on a fleece and hat and go make some soup. Plane ticket to Bali welcome!

Bisous mes amis,

Lafleur

PS Here's one yoga retreat NOT to sign up for courtesy of the lovely team at Strala Yoga

13 Things I love in 2013: The Health & Wellness edition (+ a few guilty pleasures too)

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:05:00 +0000

I was going to title this “2013 Things I love in 2013” and can probably find that many since all seems new and exciting here on another continent, but I imagine you are all very busy getting back to work and back to la vie, so let’s stick with 13, shall we? We still have 12 months to add a few more, mes amis. The Mayans may have been wrong, but I’m not. I promise you’ll love these too.

1. The Juice Press

In Paris, there are cafés or bakeries on every street corner. In NYC, there are gyms or juice bars. Juice bars have become increasingly ubiquitous in Manhattan. NYC is “the city that never sleeps” likely because everyone is pumping their veins with chlorophyll and superfoods these days. There are several chains of pressed juice all over the city, but my favorite is TheJuice Press. Think $10 is too expensive for a juice? Try making your own. By the time you buy the 467 carrots required for ONE juice (approximate estimate, bien sûr ;), bring them home, peel or wash them, chop them and clean your juicer… trust me, $10 is a bargain. Their new location on Greenwich Ave. is fantastic – it’s a futuristic, vast space with massive refrigerators filled with juices, smoothies and healthy raw treats of all kinds. It’s what I imagine all refrigerators in NYC will look like in the future. Only there will be robots serving up the green juice instead of the Juice Press’ always smiley employees. (Will miss you guys in 3013.) I also adore their fun drink titles and (sometimes painfully) honest marketing tactics. My current favorites are the “gravity juice,” the “complete source” …and “mother earth” if you are hard-core enough for that one. The “perfect pear” lives up to its name and the “love at first sight” had me falling head over sandals (I’m a green juice-drinking hippie now, kids, no more heels ;) And I can’t wait to try the “$*#%ing genius” and the “horny gorilla” simply because I like the names. And – bien sûr! – the lait de coconut which is a fancy Franglais way to say coconut milk, my all-time favorite beverage in the history of the world (see below). It's so high quality that sometimes I get fancy and drink it out of a wine glass (highly recommend).

Make sure to pick up some very fun postcards on the way out with slogans like “assertive women who drink juice are f—ing sexy.” How could you not love a company whose website has a sidebar titled “you’re a pig”? Juice Press, je t’aime.

http://juicepress.com

2. MindBodyGreen

OK, I’m cheating – I loved them in 2012 too, but I just can’t get enough of this wonderful site that offers lovely articles from contributors across the globe about all things health and happiness.

Here are some of my recent articles:

Thirsty?

Try one of my “hot milkshakes” :

Hot Turmeric Milkshake

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7190/hot-turmeric-milkshake.html

Hot Maca-phrodisiac Smoothie

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7204/make-your-own-maca-phrodisiac-smoothie.html

Hot Cocoa

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7189/hot-cocoa-thats-actually-great-for-you.html

Or read about coming home again, Lafleur-style:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7186/you-can-go-home-again-heres-how.html

How to Stay Healthy in a City that Isn’t (even though I am now back in a city that IS):

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7016/12-tips-for-staying-healthy-in-a-city-that-isnt.html

And some delicious recipes for these cold-weather days

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6917/6-MiniMeals-to-Make-You-Happy-When-Its-Cold-Outside.html

3. Yogaglo

It may be cold, dark and gloomy as winter gets into full swing, but I’m still Glo-ing. Yogaglo.com is the best thing to happen to yoga since the dog headed downward. What’s great about most of the videos is that they can easily be played over and over again, specifically some of the morning or nighttime practices. For cold winter days when you want to do yoga, but don’t have the courage to get outside and go to a class, Yogaglo is the perfect solution. There are 60 or 90-minute classes when you have time on your hands, or ½ hour, 20 or even 10-minute segments just to get the body warm in the morning, take a mid-day stretching break or wind down at night. Their 15-20 minute segments got me through this year’s Cannes Film Festival in one piece, may I add. The classes are a great way to practice in some way, shape or form (pun very much intended) at home. Of course, it is great to be in a class with all of the energy of the people around us and have a teacher there to correct our postures, but this really is the next best thing, and, sometimes, even better. There are videos for every level, several different styles of yoga and some really great teachers. I have perfected The Art of Paying Attention to Elena Brower (whose new book The Art of Attention is, by the way, remarkable and inspiring and beautiful http://www.artofattention.comArt of Attention ). Her physical yet meditative videos always move me and keep me moving. I’m loving the twisty “Locate More Space” sequence she recently posted and the new “Create a Quiet Presence in Your Bones” complete with live music from Masood Ali Khan and Sheela Bringi. And while I sadly had to leave him behind in Paris, I can still practice with Marc Holzman thanks to his wonderful Yogaglo.com classes. I highly recommend his basic “Yoga for Travel,” Morning Yoga and Nighttime yoga sequences and his most recent “Come to Know the Preciousness of Your Life” is truly magical. Plus, Yogaglo is only $18 a month, so Glo for it!

It even works during a stressful commute home on the train:

4. The Vitamix

OK, I’ll let out my little secret. I’ve been having a mad love affair for months. It’s getting me through these cold winter nights and I wake up to comfort every morning. Oui oui, mes amis, I am truly, madly, deeply, in love with … my Vitamix.

I know, I know, I’m not the only one (it’s such a slutty appliance, what can I say?) but it’s true love. My kitchen has become a beautiful Mecca of winter soups, nut milks, hot chocolate and purées. The simplest winter vegetables are transformed into rich, creamy soup without adding any cream, a simple handful of almonds becomes a smooth “milk” and a small potato becomes a velvety purée with just the flip of a switch. And the best part is that, while the Vitamix is my favorite winter lover, I know the love affair will continue into the Spring and Summer with smoothies, chilled soups and other cooler concoctions. As Magritte would have said had he been alive today, “Ceci n’est pas un blender.” It’s an essential part of any kitchen, and really is a MUST for a healthy lifestyle. Sure, it’s possible to stay healthy without eating blended foods, but blended foods not only alleviate inflammation and digestive ailments since the food is already predigested, but they also increase energy and allow us to consume more nutrients at a time. Vive le Vitamix!

www.vitamix.com

5. Bobbi Brown’s Extra foundation

They French use the word “extra” as an adjective to describe things that are extra fabulous. Bobbi Brown’s Extra foundation is “extra” (pronounced “ex-traaaaah”) in all senses of the term. It’s the perfect marriage between the best moisturizing lotion ever and the best foundation ever. I adore Bobbi Brown’s products – they provide an “au naturel” look. It’s a very “French” look in that the makeup makes it look like I’m pretty without any makeup on (like French women. Has anyone written “Why French Women don’t Get … Pimples” yet?)

I also love to support Bobbi’s message of “pretty and powerful” – it’s all about confidence. I am missing Bobbi's store on the rue de Turenne in Paris (and the new Left Bank spot, bien sûr, but I must say my heart belongs to the Place des Voges location), but happy to be back "chez Bobbi" in Montclair, NJ!

http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/product/2336/15906/Makeup/Face/Foundation/index.tmpl

6. Coconuts

Harmless Harvest Coconut Water

My favorite scent? L’eau de Coco. That’s French for coconut water, though it does sound like a fancy fragrance. In fact, coconut water IS fancy, and fragrant. The coconut water craze is certainly not new – it has taken the US by storm in recent years and has also slowly migrated across the Atlantic too. However, there is coconut water…and then there is Harmless Harvest coconut water. OK, so the BEST coconut water is literally drinking water from an actual coconut (while on a sunny beach in Thailand as you have a relaxing massage and the wind blows in your face and – OK getting a bit carried away there, sorry), however Harmless Harvest is the next best thing. In fact, it may actually be better since it does save me the time and energy of cracking open a coconut or deux. Harmless Harvest’s coconut water is raw and unpasteurized so all of the health benefits are preserved, but, most importantly, the taste is delicious. I’ve been adding it to smoothies, hot drinks, nut milks, puddings and even soups lately – it adds sweetness, but also adds electrolytes and keeps me hydrated. Try adding it to anything – I promise, it’s “harmless” !

And I am rolling out the Green Carpet to sport my new t-shirt that says "I'm Harmless" on the back– love it!! (Note: that is NOT me in the photo, but I swear this stuff is so energizing, I may be doing that SOON if I continue to go through an entire case per week. To be continued...)

http://www.harmlessharvest.com

Manduka Ombré eQua Plus Towel

http://www.manduka.com/us/shop/categories/products/towels/ombre-equa-plus-towel/?dd

As many of you may know, I am cocobsessed (cocobsessed n.f. the act of being obsessed with coconuts and their delicious taste and incredible health and beauty benefits). Around this time last year, I found my soul mat. No, that’s not a typo – I’m still single, but incredibly attached to my yoga mat, the proLite from Manduka. And now, Manduka has gone on to give me a reason to be even more nuts about them but taking my favorite nuts (of the coco variety of course) and turning them into towels. Coconuts? In a towel? Yes. Manduka’s Ombré eQua Plus towels use Cocona technology, a way of using recycled coconut shells that would have otherwise gone to landfills and converting them into activated carbon particles that are infused into the microfiber, which will then – OK, I will spare you the details, but it is a process that is literally cool as a coconut, especially since it’s great for the environment. Plus, it is literally the gift that keeps on giving since the active carbon renews itself every time it’s washed. More importantly, the towels are très pretty – solid blue or purple at the bottom that gradually fade to white at the top. This one will definitely be (nama)staying on top of my mat for awhile. And now that I am officially a New Yorker, I need to travel to and from yoga classes in style and just LOVE Manduka’s “daytripper,” “commuter” and beautiful lyrics tote bag for carrying my soul mat everywhere.

http://www.manduka.com

Exotic Superfoods Coconut Meat

Coconut: the other other other other other white meat. While, again, I’d much prefer to be on a beach in Thailand sipping a fresh coconut and scooping out its meat, Exotic Superfoods’ frozen coconut meat is the next best thing. I’ve been making delicious coconut almond yogurts with it (with another thing I love in 2013, Sunbiotics’ Probiotic Powder blend) – so good. And SO good for you, especially to hydrate the skin during these cold, dry winter months.

http://www.exoticsuperfoods.com

http://www.sunbiotics.com

And a glimpse of my amazing coconut almond yogurts. I've been making them for so long, I'm now a pro (biotic!)

7. Musicals

Les Misérables

Do you hear the people sing? And by “people,” I of course mean me. I have been singing the entire Les Mis soundtrack (oh, sorry, filmmakers are insisting we refer to it by it’s real title, aka a terrible American pronunciation of Les Meez-uuur-aaaaab-luuuuuh) from start to finish for weeks now. If you have been in downtown NYC recently and thought you heard screams that sounded strangely like “There is a Castle on a Cloud” or “On my own, I walk with him till morning,” yup, that was me. The film has gotten mixed reviews, but I think the performances were excellent and have found it nearly impossible not to communicate solely in song since I saw the film. Victor Hugo may be turning over in his grave, but I dare you to start singing wherever you are. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway give Oscar-worthy performances and Sacha Baron Cohen added some much-needed lightness to this traditionally heavy tale. It’s not a GREAT movie, but it’s an enjoyable one.

Plus, the film is a perfect one to see to start the new year: ”There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!” Oh, here I go again.

PS If you loved les Misérables and also eat gluten-free, take a bite out of THIS video – love it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9QbC41oQRoOne More Grain

Nashville

Confession du jour: I really want a Southern accent. Not a Southern French accent (though I do a great impression of a Marseillaise thug, remind me to impress you with that sometime). I’m a bit late to the party, but have finally caught up on ABC’s soap oper- uh, prime time series, about the music biz. As you may have noticed, I have an affinity for musical interludes, so this show satisfies my harmonious desires and also happens to be a delicious mix of scandal, romance and drama. Nashville culture is pretty foreign to me, so while I may be missing some of the more subtle insider aspects of the show, the series is the perfect weekly trip down south. Not to mention quite possibly the sexiest men on television: Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio and Charles Esten – how do you say “oh là là” in Nashvillian? They’re hot, y’all! (OK, I sound ridiculous, I’m from New Jersey, I promise I will never say “y’all” again.) And, just when I thought that things couldn’t get sexier, I also just discovered that Sam Palladio has a British accent in real life. (As does Brody – Homeland just got a bit more sexy and British too.)

Pitch Perfect

In addition to a Southern accent, I’d also like to sing a cappella. Since I clearly am capable of neither of these options, luckily Anna Kendrick and co. pulled the latter off this year in the wonderful guilty pleasure of a film “Pitch Perfect.” Rebel Wilson provides the film’s best lines (see: “Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that's what counts”), but Kendrick, Anna Camp (who I am also enjoying on the wonderful “The Mindy Project” lately) and Anna Kendrick are all wonderful too in this girl powered musical romp through college. (That I have also been listening to on repeat on iTunes ever since.) (In between musical interludes from “Les Mis,” of course).

8. Chocolate chia pudding

I am convinced I was an Aztec in a former life. They are definitely my favorite people. Cacao! Chia! Quinoa! Maca! Those Aztecs sure knew how to party…. Or at least how to eat. Now, I may not have been around in 14^th century Mexico (though, again, really wish I had been), but I’m pretty sure this was the typical Aztec breakfast of champions. This may taste like a guilty pleasure, but it’s actually a healthy indulgence. Chia and hemp seeds are both packed with omega3s and protein (among their 100000000 health benefits) and cacao is rich in magnesium, serotonin, dopamine and phenylethylamine (“the bliss chemical”). The mesquite adds even more protein and soluble fiber, the date adds potassium and the spices are nutrition powerhouses too. Oh and did I mention? The taste is ORGASMIC. I challenge you to eat this and not smile (or, in my case, start belting out songs from Les Misérables, Pitch Perfect and Nashville.) This is even better with Sunbiotics’ vanilla probiotic powder blend – a great way to incorporate probiotics into this to fight off that crazy Flu and keep our bellies singing. http://www.sunbiotics.com

Chocolate Chia Pudding à la Lafleur

2 heaping tablespoons of chia seeds (I like Nutiva’s white chia seeds) http://nutiva.com/chia-seeds/

Chocolate hemp milk

1 cup of coconut water

2 heaping tablespoons of hemp seeds (also like Nutiva: https://store.nutiva.com/hempseed/)

1 Medjool date

(soak if too dry, should be plump and moist)

½ tablespoon of Mesquite powder

1 very heaping tablespoon of cacao powder (I like Pacari: http://pacarichocolate.com)

½ teaspoon of vanilla powder

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

A pinch of cayenne

*Optional: 1 teaspoon of Sunbiotics probiotic powder blend.

Blend hemp milk ingredients in a Vitamix (see above for my ode to this lovely appliance) until smooth. Pour over chia seeds, stir lightly a few times then let sit for a few minutes, stir again, then let sit on a counter until the chia absorbs the liquid, around 15-20 minutes at least, but I prefer to leave for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. This will last for a couple of days, but I dare you not to lick your bowl on the first go. You can also make this with other nuts if you don’t have / can’t find / don’t like hemp seeds – almonds, walnuts, cashews or pumpkin seeds are all fabulous too. Bon appétit!

9. Yummi Yogi cookie cutters

I’ve got a lot on my plate these days. Luckily, everything is stress-free and peaceful thanks to Yummi Yogi’s très original cookie cutters in the form of yoga postures like downward dog and tree pose. They’re called “cookie” cutters, but they can be served up any time of day for any meal. On my menu: Warrior 2-shaped quinoa, Crescent Lunge Chia Pudding, Velvety Virabhadrasana pancakes and Downward facing… spirulina spread. Stay tuned for more yoga-inspired recipes, but in the meantime… an apple-yogi a day keeps the doctor away!

Bon Svasanappétit!

$8.50 each or $40 for the whole collection

http://yummiyogi.com

9.5 Funky Yoga

And while we're on the topic of delicious and nutritious yoga-inspired things I love, I must mention FUNKY YOGA. I am loving their fabulous t-shirts at the moment (thanks to the best - and only? - all-Yoga boutique in Paris, that I miss terribly, Yoga Concept http://www.yogaconcept.com )

I'm a little bit obsessed with my black and white NAMASTE shirt, and also loving my "Breathe Deep and Let Go of Things" model, and especially my "Warrior Girl" shirt with a stick figure doing warrior pose whose legs look just like mine and I am convinced the company modeled it after moi. I also may have to invest in a "Namaste y'all" shirt (see above and my new affinity for the Southern accent). They have designs for yogis, yoginis, and even funky babies. I even love their "nutritional information" tag.

Let's get funky.

http://funkyyoga.com

10. Bradley Cooper

Ever since he melted every woman’s heart on both sides of the Atlantic when he went on French TV and spoke fluent Français, I have been madly in love with Bradley Cooper. The love story began one “Wet Hot American Summer,” continued in “He’s Just Not That Into You” (mediocre movie, but I WAS just that into his character) and is now true love. I’m so in love that I even enjoyed “Limitless” (yes, love is indeed blind, as they say.) And then, this just in, he’s taking his mother to the Oscars. (I am busy that night obviously). On that note, I must add that I really liked “Silver Linings Playbook” and highly recommend the film – no singing, but great cast, great script and a film that makes audiences smile and cry, what more could a girl want? Other than perhaps a date with Bradley Cooper ….

11. The Garden State

While New Jersey has had to endure its fair share of insults (see: “what exit?”) and thanks to MTV, is now mostly associated with drunken fools with no necks and orange-tinted skin, 2013 will be the year of The Garden State. TIME magazine just named Chris Christie the “Master of Disaster” and called him “The Boss” on its cover. Between his recent criticisms of Boehner and his hard-core rescue tactics post-Sandy, Christie has been making headlines. Sure, he could stand to lose a few (hundred) pounds, but, as a New Jersey native, I’m certainly glad he’s got my back. And as for you, Sandy, you are no match for New Jerseyans. The state will rebuild and will soon see light at the end of the bridge ‘n tunnel.

12. Tata Harper

My grandmother used to say: “you have to suffer to be beautiful.” And, while eyebrow plucking and bikini waxing are part of the necessarily evils of being a woman, Tata Harper has proven that, in fact, our health doesn’t have to suffer to be beautiful. The natural, non-toxic skincare line is beauty as Grandmother Nature intended – ingredients that include lavender, beetroot, aloe vera, olive oil, alfalfa and other things that will make your skin simply delicious. I have yet to try all of Tata harper’s products, but the ones that I have tried have all been amazing. The Jet set survival kit is a mix of Tata’s aromatherapy product the “Irritability treatment” (Wish I’d had this to hand out on the streets of Paris for the past eight years ;) ), hydrating floral essence and replenishing nutrient complex. As soon as I graduate to “jet setter” status, I shall invest, bien sûr. The Reparative Moisturizer is a must for dry skin, especially in the winter especially, and the Rejuvenating Serum is spectacular as well. The Refreshing Cleanser is perfect for those of us with sensitive skin and the revitalizing body oil is also great for dry, sensitive skin. And my overactive mind is very happy about their “Bed Time” and “Stress” aromatherapy treatment too. So Tata for now, but I’ll be back soon once my skin recovers from the winter for more amazing beauty products à la Tata Harper.

https://www.tataharperskincare.com

13. NYC

You can be mean and scary sometimes, NY, but deep down, I love you. Good to be back.

Au revoir, les enfants

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:22:00 +0000

Bonjour, everyone! After eight wonderful years, I am leaving Paris. It has been such an adventure and I thank you for reading my blog over the years. It has been a great experience sharing all of the ups and downs of ma vie Parisienne with all of you. It’s not “au revoir,” but instead “à bientôt.” Lafleur de Paris will now be Lafleur de NY (even though my heart will stay in Paris, bien sûr). I hope all of you keep in touch in the blogosphere and I’ll see you soon in La Grosse Pomme!

Bisous,

Lafleur

Bond, Ben (Affleck) and Bonnaire

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:48:00 +0000

Here's yesterday's France 24 segment. Sincerely, Leffler. Rebecca Leffler ;)

http://www.france24.com/en/20121024-james-bond-skyfall-sandrine-bonnaire-ben-affleck-argo-cinema

Joyeux Anniversaire de Parisienneté!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 06:10:00 +0000

Celebrating my 8th anniversary as une Parisienne! Eight years ago today, I arrived in Paris une fleur bleue. Thank you to everyone whose lives have touched mine over the years. It's been an amazing adventure that I will treasure forever. Je vous aime. xx Lafleur

Shake What Your Mahatma Gave Ya ! : MC Yogi’s new “Be The Change” Video celebrates Gandhi’s Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:40:00 +0000

Happy 143rd birthday, Gandhi! With all of that yoga meditation and vegetarian diet, I’m actually surprised the man himself won’t be around to blow out his own birthday candles this year. While he may be gone, Gandhi’s legacy lives on. Thanks to MC Yogi (my new current musical and spiritual obsession), our favorite legendary peace activist is being celebrated in style with a new mix and music video “Be the Change.” The animated video tells the story of Gandhi’s incredible life to the tune of MC Yogi’s mythical melodies. The video hopes to inspire people today to seek justice without violence. Gandhi may be 145 years old, but his message is still just as pertinent today, especially as violence is more and more prevalent everywhere from vicious wars and even among young children in schools. If you don’t know MC Yogi already, I really recommend you check out his albums Elephant Power and Pilgrimage, a mix of Indian raga and old school hip hop. (Think: Biggy Smalls meets… your yoga teacher.) The video for “Be The Change” is a collaboration between MC Yogi, musical co-producers Robin Livingston and Niraj Chag and animator Michael Rosen of Simplistic Media. The original “Be the Change” was released in time for the 2008 presidential elections and now, four years later, the lyrics are still just as fitting. MC Yogi is also an ambassador to First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative and an ambassador to YogaVotes. “We wanted to make a rich, cinematic pop-up book,” MC Yogi said of the new video, adding: “Our vision is to make it easy for people to connect with Gandhi’s teachings and show how leaders from the Dalai Lama to Bob Marley have continued his path. We all have the opportunity to become peaceful warriors – if you follow your heart and act bold maybe one day it’ll be your story that’s told.”

Forget Jay-Z, Flo Rida and Diddy – the stars of this video are Paramahansa Yogananda, Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi and some more familiar faces like Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez and Nelson Mandela, Harvey Milk, Yoko Ono and John Lennon and Bob Marley. And instead of Cristal and Hennessy being passed around the table, these rap stars are passing around positive vibes and the Bhagavad Gita. Instead of “true dat,” this rap song’s message is “Be True.”

So voilà, my peaceful warriors, here is the inspiring video ! (I dare you not to dance in your downward dog.) Spread the love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_gQxVOmod0&

10 Things I Love About Paris This Month

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 13:40:00 +0000

And…. We’re back! (Sorry for the long hiatus, I am back and blogger than ever.) Here’s another edition of 10 Things I Love About Paris This Month. September in France is known as “la rentrée” which literally means “re-entry” or a start. Every September, the entire French population (yes, I believe that even homeless French people take 5 weeks of vacation) “re-enters” their respective cities. The annual Parisian August ghost town suddenly turns into a busy, bustling hub of activity. For me, September has always marked the start to the new year. It was always the start of a new school year, the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashana and, most importantly bien sur, my birthday! So this year, after a long, French vacation in New York, I re-entered France (shout out to French customs’ passport control) and have been enjoying la rentrée Parisienne. So voilà my best of for the month of September in Paris, 2012.

1. La Cité du Cinéma launch

Dinner with Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones and Luc Besson’s other 300 best friends, a live orchestra, lobster and champagne on the menu and costumed characters scaling the walls of the surrounding building to the tune of the theme song from classic movies? You know, just another ordinary Friday night. After years of construction, Luc Besson’s dream was finally realized when he officially launched France’s first film studio complex, the Cite du Cinema, now nicknamed “Hollywood-sur-Seine”. Besson and his dream has literally transformed the French suburb into not only the country’s first movie-making studio, but also a film school for other Besson-like kids with a dream. At the opening night “Dinner for 300 friends” as it was called, the looooong red carpet sparkled with famous faces from both France and across the Atlantic. Hollywood stars Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle Yeoh and Diana Agron joined Melanie Laurent, Marie-Josée Croze, Virginie Ledoyen, Jamel Debbouze, Carole Bouquet, Sophie Marceau and top producers and directors for a memorable evening. Guests were greeted to a cocktail in the grand hall of the 62,000 square-meter complex while a live orchestra played tunes from classic films before we embarked on a nighttime tour of the studio sets and in-house theater, then emerged for another cocktail, this time as stunt artists in costume scaled the walls of the building as loud music played. We were then escorted to our seats for a four-course meal, each of which was concocted by a different chef and served as the chef marched out in front of dozens of servers to applause. The evening was magical, despite frigid temperatures that saw organizers scramble to offer black scarves to trembling guests mid-dinner. After the meal, Diana Agron sang live followed by a lively performance from Angélique Kidjo as Besson took to the stage to welcome everyone and sing along. A lovely, classy evening that represented the love between Hollywood and France’s “7th art.” Here’s to a long, happy marriage between the two.

2. Happy Birthday, Le Bon Marché!

Joyeux Anniversaire to my favorite department store! Le Bon Marche celebrates its 160th birthday this year (don’t worry dear, you don’t look a day over 159).

The Left Bank’s legendary department store celebrated in style with an exhibition and video from iconic French actress Catherine Deneuve, illustrator and director Marjane Satrapi and fashionable filmmaker Loic Prigent.

From Sept. 8th to Oct. 6th, the store’s windows on the rue de Sevres in Paris’ seventh arrondissement are decorated with a series of illustrations from Persepolis and Chicken With Plums director and illustrator Satrapi depicting Deneuve at her favorite Left Bank haunts. The 10 whimsical vignettes, in 3D for a pop-up book feel, pay tribute to both the actress’ career and the Rive Gauche itself. Le Bon Marche will sell 160 limited edition collector’s boxes with all ten of Satrapi’s drawings for 900 euros. A percentage of the sales will benefit children’s hospital Necker-Enfants Malades.

The collaboration isn’t the first one for Satrapi and Deneuve. Deneuve lent her voice to Satrapi’s Oscar-nominated animated feature Persepolis in 2007.

Deneuve cited the “originality” of the exhibition and Satrapi’s “talent and her poetic sense of humor” for agreeing to participate in the birthday celebration. Deneuve said that, to her, Paris’ Left Bank symbolizes “relaxation, freedom, fantasy … being able to go from the Cafe de Flore to the Pantheon cinema and buy a book on the way.”

Starting on Sept. 15, filmmaker and artist Prigent, the prolific director behind documentary Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton and other behind-the-scenes fashion profiles, screened his offbeat film Catherine Deneuve Rive Gauche at a temporary movie theater on the store’s ground floor.

The film, that follows Deneuve on the Left Bank, was produced in partnership with French cable network Paris Premiere who will air a special “Catherine Deneuve Week” for the occasion complete with Prigent’s film and classic Deneuve titles like Le Bon Plaisir and Francois Truffaut’s La Sirene de Mississippi plus Anne Andreu’s documentary Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là.

Catherine Deneuve Rive Gauche combines Prigent’s signature designer documentary prowess with Deneuve’s self-effacing humor as the actress journeys from more well-known Left Bank spots like the Saint Sulpice church or les Invalides to off-the-beaten-track local haunts like Café Fleurus, Le Rhinocerous or the Jardin des Plantes.

The behind-the-scenes portrait of the actress may change the way viewers – and Bon Marché shoppers – see the famous French beauty.

“If the image people have of her is very cold, it’s untrue. She is very cultured, but very simple. She’s very funny. We laughed a lot with her,” Prigent told me of the iconic actress, adding that Deneuve is “very spirited and curious about everything.”

“She’s very, very relaxed,” Prigent said of Deneuve, adding: “I filmed her in a car in Paris in bad traffic and we really see how she reacts. And when we shot at the Paris mosque, she played with the birds inside the restaurant.”

While she’s shot more than 100 films throughout her long career, the experience was a new one even for Deneuve.

“It was the first time she had ever filmed at the Saint Sulpice square,” Prigent told me adding; “She said ‘it’s the first time and the last time.’”

The film also catches Deneuve with another legendary French star of her generation, Gerard Depardieu, whom she meets at a fish restaurant close to le Bon Marche, the Moby Dick.

Le Bon Marche hosted a birthday celebration by privatizing the entire store and filling it with an elite Parisian crowd, champagne and even a live orchestra. A lovely, classy event for the lovely, classy Left Bank spot.

3. Fashion OUIk

It’s that time of year again. Tall, skinny girls invade the streets of Paris (yes, I have even taller, skinnier company – I love this season) and there are no taxis to be found within a 30-mile radius. (Well, the taxi part is sadly a year-round occurrence, but it is even worse at le moment). And Kanye West will pop up wherever you turn. Oui, ladies, gentlemen and French men, it’s Paris Fashion Week. I’ve been enjoying Fashion Week responsibly, i.e. small doses in order to build up a tolerance, but not enough to get drunk on style (or drunk period. There is so much champagne everywhere, it’s as if they were giving it away for free. And they are!) It’s only mid-week, but H&M’s soirée to fête Anna Dello Russo’s collaboration with them on an accessories line was the fashion biz at its finest. OK, perhaps not its finest, but certainly its funniest. Guests snacked on cotton candy, giant lollipops and cookies with Anna Dello Russo’s face monogrammed on them and donned crazy costumes (or just their normal everyday attire? Hard to tell with this crowd.), wigs and masks. Azealia Banks performed on stage, after Anna arrived on a swing from the ceiling surrounded by girls giving lap dances to empty chairs (think: Clint Eastwood’s convention speech meets the Moulin Rouge). Some of the best people-watching I’ve had in weeks.

4. The new hand dryers in bathrooms

Think France hasn’t evolved since 1862? You’re right! However, occasionally this country of mine surprises me with a technological innovation. First, there were the Autolibs (rentable cars all over the city), then there was the RATP app on the iPhone, and now… brilliantly-designed hand dryers in bathrooms all across town! You know how hand dryers in bathrooms never actually serve to dry your hands? Now they do! With this new incredible technology, just stick your hands down (yes, down, instead of throwing your hands into the air in an awkward position) between two blowers and, voilà! They’re dry. Keep up the innovation France. (Well, it's a Dyson Airblade, so originally a British company, but hey, I'll take it!) Now what about that construction work near my apartment that has been going on for at least two years and I never actually see anyone actually working there? OK, baby steps.

5. Fashion and Impressionism at the Musée d’Orsay

Wait, stop press. Did I really just pronounce the words “fashion,” “impressionism” and “musée d’Orsay” in the same sentence? Well, you can’t hear me of course, but OUI, I did. True story. While images of Claude Monet walking down a runway or Lagerfeld co-designing a tutu-inspired collection with Renoir may come to mind (now THAT would be a great expo, wouldn’t it?), this is the real thing.

French impressionists are striking a pose as fashion and art collide at a new exhibition at Paris’ Musée d’Orsay that kicked off on Sept. 25. The “Fashion and Impressionism” exhibit came just in time for Paris’ ready-to-wear Fashion Week that also began on Sept. 25.

More than 60 works of art from Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas and Caillebotte will be on display, many of which haven’t been shown in the city for years including Renoir’s portrait of “Madame Charpentier and her children” and Manet’s “Nana.”

The impressionist paintings are shown alongside works from Tissot and Stevens and other contemporaries of the artists plus more than 50 dresses and accessories from the period to show what women’s fashion represented during those years.

Men’s fashion is also on display with around 20 pieces from both private and public collections in France. Other highlights include a documentary bringing together fashion designs of the time, fashion magazines like Stephane Mallarme’s ephemeral 1874 publication "La Derniere Mode" plus photos from the Disderi studio.

While the impressionist painters may be more famous for their colorful brushstrokes than fashion forward flair, they painted modern men and women in their everyday, routine activities, both in cities and in the countryside and became a window onto the styles and attitudes of the times. The impressionists weren’t as interested in highlighting the cut of the fabrics or the details of the designs, but their works show the evolution of fashion from 1860 to 1880 and how trends and textiles changed during the period.

The museum has also organized several simultaneous events to complement the exhibition including a special “Evening at the d’Orsay” on Sept. 27, a fashion show organized by students from the Studio Bercot and an ephemeral literary café on Nov. 18 about “Writers in Fashion.” The museum will host a screening of Impressionism and Fashion from producers Anne Andreu and Emerance Dubas, a Cineteve, Musée d’Orsay and ARTE 52-minute co-production and will also host a “Fashion Designers and Film Sets” showcase featuring Schiaparelli and George Cukor, Grès and Robert Bresson, Chistian Dior and Alfred Hitchcock, Hubert de Givenchy and Stanley Donen, Marcel Rochas and Jacques Becker, Gabrielle Chanel and Mervyn Leroy.

The exhibit will move to the MoMa fin Feb. then to Chicago in June.

The très chic exhibition sponsors include LVMH/Moet Hennessy, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.

"Impressionism and Fashion" will run through Jan. 20, 2013 in Paris.

6. Paris Vu Par Hollywood at the Hotel de Ville

“Paris is always a good idea.” – Audrey Hepburn. You know what else is a good idea? Bringing Audrey Hepburn and other iconic film stars to Paris for a new exhibition at the Hotel de Ville called “Paris Vu Par Hollywood.”

Paris and Hollywood made their long love affair official at City Hall on Sept. 18. The free exhibition focuses on Hollywood’s depiction of the French capital over the years and features film clips, photos, set models, costumes, scripts and posters from both French and American archives.

A giant 20-meter long screen displays a mix of images that highlight Hollywood’s amour for Paris. The unique exhibit is divided into four different areas: silent film, “the sophisticated Paris of romantic comedy” focusing on films from the 1930s and 40s, Hollywood’s Golden Age and the Cancan and post-1950s cinema.

“Paris Seen by Hollywood” showcases more than 100 titles including many of my own favorites like Stanley Donen’s Funny Face and Charade, Vicente Minelli’s An American in Paris, John Huston’s Moulin Rouge and more recent titles like Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Many of the films featured star Paris without even setting foot in the city.

“There is Paramount Paris and MGM Paris. And then of course there is the real Paris,” Ernst Lubitsch said. More than 400 documents taken from the French Cinematheque, the Margareth Herrick Library, Warner archive and private collectors give public cinephiles a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood’s fascination with the City of Lights for more than a century.

Sets and sketches from An American in Paris and Moulin Rouge, dresses designed for Audrey Hepburn by Hubert de Givenchy and statues created by Dante Ferreti for Scorsese’s Hugo are also all on display.

More than 20 screens show more than 70 film clips and documentaries with footage from the sets of Funny Face and Hitchcock’s Topaz.

“Paris, vu par Hollywood” is open every day except Sundays, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. from Sept. 18th through Dec. 15th at the Hotel de Ville de Paris. And….cut! (No don’t, please wait in line, but I promise it’s worth it.)

7. Les Gourus de Stars

While in bed battling THE PLAGUE (official diagnosis was the flu, but I was convinced it may have been either the Ebola virus, typhoid fever or cholera and probably looked like a combination of all three), I stumbled upon one of the greatest works of art ever to appear on French television. A re-airing of an old Truffaut film, you say? Actually, I am referring to a documentary I worked on a couple of years ago for NRJ network that still airs nearly every week on the group’s channels. “Tellement People Investigation: Les Gourus de Stars” looks at celebrity “gurus” in NY and in LA and features Yogini extraordinaire Elena Brower, the Kabbalah Center in NYC, Laura Day, celebrity hairstylist Garren and Pure Food & Wine’s Sarma Melnglalis among others.

8. AmeCorpsVert

That’s MindBodyGreen with a French twist. I absolutely adore this site and am thrilled to be contributing. Here are a couple of my most recent articles.

Confessions of a Perfectionist: 6 Ways Yoga is Great for Type-A Personalities

">http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6303/Confessions-of-a-Perfectionist-6-Ways-Yoga-Is-Great-for-TypeA-Personalities.html

10 Immune-Boosting Autumn Recipes

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6217/10-Immune-Boosting-Autumn-Recipes.html

9. Raspail Randomness

I woke up extremely early this Sunday for my favorite weekly tradition, namely the organic market at the Boulevard Raspail only to be greeted by some new friends, of the four-legged variety. Are you kidding me? Yes, there were indeed kids, and full-grown goats present. Only in Paris would they close the streets and place pigs, goats, sheep, ducks and baby chicks in the center of town. In any case, it was a nice trip to the farm without having to leave the Ile-de-France region.

10. The Café de Flore

Because, after all of these years, we’re still in love.

A few other things I love this month:

The new Kookai Ads

Because I've always said I am "messy but chic" and "single but chic" and now Kookai says it is indeed possible to be all of the above.

Dastony Almond Butter

When I first arrived in France, peanut butter was my #1 comfort food. To me, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches taste like my childhood, and jars of Skippy served as my connection to America. Then, for many reasons both health and taste related, I made the switch to almond butter. Almond butter is not only of my favorite ingredients (I somehow find a way to work it into pretty much every meal, snack or smoothie), but even to this day, it is a taste of home. I have tried every brand of almond butter on both sides of the Atlantic and must say that Dastony is far superior to any others I have tried. From a health perspective, it is all raw and made from quality ingredients (and by “ingredients” I of course mean only one ingredient, almonds), but its creaminess is really what sets it apart from other nut butters out there. I have been finding myself literally licking it off of the spoon (and OK, I confess, even straight out of the jar.) It is perfect on its own or spread onto fruit, crackers or toast, but also great for sauces since it isn’t too thick or heavy and nice to add extra protein and creaminess to smoothies. I’m madly in love with this stuff. And, the best part, is that Rawguru.com will ship it to France or wherever in the world you are! (Or if you are in NY, they sell it at many organic markets, One Lucky Duck, etc.) You’re welcome. I just changed your life, you can thank me later. So throw away those jars of Skippy and taste this stuff, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

This Google ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1sT7QV8nfU

Makes me cry every time. Google video / Skype have really been so important to me these past years and make living abroad so much easier. I know that my family and friends are never more than a click away. My family puts me via laptop computer at the dinner table during holiday meals and I’ve gotten to see my little baby cousins grow up. So thank you, Google (and Skype!)

The Mindy Project

She’s smart, funny, successful, self-effacingly modest, a Dartmouth alum and worked for Dartmouth’s newspaper The D. No, I haven’t started referring to myself in the third person (yet, that is. If I launch my own TV series based on my life and personality on a major US TV network and receive only positive reviews from critics too, I may start.) I’m referring to Mindy Kaling, whose new show The Mindy Project is quite possibly the only new Fall TV series worth watching (Yes, I have indeed sampled them all. See: in bed with the Flu last week, just in time for US Fall premieres week). I’ve only seen one episode, but am already hooked. And even more in love with Chris Messina. WATCH THIS ONE, trust me.

My nails

Aren't they supercool? My supercool friend (Kim Laidlaw Adrey) of supercool blog UnlockParis.com fame, has now lent her supercool artistic talents to supercool nail art. Check out her amazing designs - I'm obsessed. She's nailed it!

Joyeux July 4th !

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Happy Independence Day from the Land of the Frogs and the Brave!

Rebeccannes is back!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 06:13:00 +0000

And...we're off! King of the Cannes selection Thierry Fremaux and His Royal Cannesness Gilles Jacob announced the official selection for this year's famous French festival at a press conference in Paris yesterday. The lineup is especially American and star-powered this year and features so many anticipated titles I don't even know where to begin. How about here? Voilà some of my stories from today's event. It's the usual suspects, but I don't see this as a bad thing. When else can we see films from Audiard, Haneke, Cronenberg (DEUX Cronenbergs!), Resnais, Salles, Kiarostami, Carax... not to mention anticipated titles from auteurs like Lee Daniels, Jeff Nichols, Andrew Dominik and Im Sang-soo (I LOVED The Housemaid, can't wait to see what The Taste of Money tastes like on screen!) It's the most exciting lineup in years in my opinion. I also send my regards to the Un Certain Regard category -- the trailer for Xavier Dolan's Laurence Anyways has me very excited to see a cross-dressing Melvil Poupaud in this film and I'm also looking forward to Catherine Corsini's Les 3 Mondes, seeing if Cronenberg deux (namely, Brandon) has inherited his father's talents, Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervene's Le Grand Soir and of course Sylvie Verheyde's film with Charlotte Gainsbourg and Pete Doherty! http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-film-festival-unveils-competition-lineup-2012-wes-anderson-david-cronenberg-us-presence-313859

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-film-festival-thierry-fremaux-qa-314227 http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-2012-thierry-fremaux-cannes-un-certain-regard-cronenberg-314139 Plus, may I add that this year's festival poster is the best ever? Marilyn has the right idea - this year's fest will not only be a birthday celebration (Cannes turns 65!) but also très glamour. Looking forward to the world's most prestigious 10-day birthday party. Especially since the guest ist includes Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Matthew McConaughey... not bad! (My birthday is in September, think they'll all come to my party too?)

What do you all think of this year's lineup? Here's what I think! A clip from last night's Le Grand Journal TV show on Canal+.

http://www.canalplus.fr/c-divertissement/pid3349-c-le-grand-journal.html Stay tuned, I'll have more news on Director's Fortnight and Critics Week early next week, as well as more on Cannes Classics, other late announcements and, bien sûr, Nanni Moretti's jury! à bientôt mes amis! xoxo Rebeccannes

Vidyaa oh là là: Yoga on a boat

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:41:00 +0000

I did the most in-Seine yoga class this weekend. It was on a boat along the Seine with a magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower, and the instructor was American. (well, she still is, as far as I know, though growing more Parisian by the day). How cliché! Americans in Paris doing yoga on the Seine while looking at the Eiffel Tower. We ate peanut butter and sang Auld Lang Syne and waved our American flags. No, we didn’t – I drank a green smoothie, listened to an awesome musical playlist and waved my yoga mat flat on the floor. The class was led by Cassandra Kish who practices Vidyaa yoga, that uses basic movement techniques to overcome physical and emotional limitations. It’s a vigorous physical practice that combines Pilates and Yoga. Cassandra’s yoga classes are not like any others I’ve done, but all I can say is VidYAY!

Cassandra has, so far, scared me into doing a backbend and a headstand tripod after years of failed attempts. Yes, I said “scared me” in a phrase about yoga. The typical yoga philosophy is “do what you can,” but for Cassandra, it’s “do what you can’t” or at least THINK you can’t. She’ll challenge you, and force you to exceed your own expectations, while at the same time, staying realistic and not putting students in –literally – uncomfortable positions. Vidyaa yoga is both a fast-paced workout and a relaxing de-stress exercise.

Cassandra’s musical playlists are fabulous – everything from Lenny Kravitz to hip hop to quotes from Martin Luther King. The boat class was extra special. The combination of being far removed from my neighborhood, and even from the pavements of Paris, with the sun shining down from above and the Eiffel Tower in the background was almost surreal.

Before teaching yoga star extraordinaire Rebecca Leffler (hey, I’m getting there – I can now touch my toes, which, for those of you who have seen my legs, know has not been an easy task), Cassandra has worked with other superstars like Shakira, Elli Medieros and even Sting and Trudie Styler. She’s worked in Thailand, Mexico, the US and France and has now – thank Buddha!- made her home in Paris where she has been kicking our fesses into shape ever since. The Saturday classes are from 11 am – 12:30 on the boat Le Paris near Alma Marceau. The classes are perfect for Saturday morning – either to cure your weekend hangovers or to get you pumped for staying out until Midnight in Paris (sorry, I am liking the cheesy Americans in Paris theme today, forgive me).
Cassandra also gives private classes (when my income reaches that of Sting and Trudie, she’ll be over every day), but the energy in the room for a group class is electric. Who’s with me next weekend, mes amis?

Bisous and Namaste!

Tic Tac Toh-là-là!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:17:00 +0000

The French are known for being brutally honest (see: the common unsolicited “Tu as l’air fatiguée” (“you look tired) greeting), but this ad takes it to a new level. Ogilvy & Mather’s new Tic Tac ad uses a flash mob to show people that they have “the worst breath in the world,” the title of the ad. It’s advertising at its finest. Probably the best movie I’ve seen in awhile! Check it out. Je love!

UBERLEFFLER

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:43:00 +0000

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… UBERLEFFLER

My prayers have finally been answered. OK, not all of them, I’m still waiting for Jake Gyllenhaal to show up at my door with a wedding ring, a check for millions of dollars, and world peace, but at least ONE prayer has been answered. I have a personal chauffeur ! No, I haven’t won the lottery (yet – that’s my next prayer, so to be continued…) I’ve simply discovered one of Paris’ most prized possessions – Mona Lisa, who? - UBER.

Uber is an on-demand chauffeur service that links consumers (or desperate Parisians searching for the elusive taxi) with drivers via a simple iPhone app. Gone are the days where I’d wander through the streets of Paris hurling myself into the middle of the street screaming “Taxiiiiiiii” as my frozen fingers dialed G7’s number over and over again to no avail. Now, I just grab my iPhone, click on the Uber app, it knows exactly where I am (isn’t it smart?), tells me how far away the nearest driver is and all I have to do is click and a fancy car is on its way to me. Once he arrives, my chauffeur texts or calls me to tell me he’s waiting outside, then gets out of the car to open the door for me (which is more than I can say for most dates I’ve been on) at which point I get in, enjoy the clean surroundings (a real improvement from the body odor emanating from most taxis) and await arrival at my destination with a complimentary bottle of water and some magazines. The best part? I don’t have to pay when I get there! OK, I DO have to pay – my credit card is saved to my Uber account and the trip’s fare is automatically deducted online, but it FEELS free for the moment and it saves the typical rummaging through one’s purse to find exact change and waiting for a receipt.

Uber’s motto is “everyone’s private driver.” I beg to differ. It’s MY private driver. Or at least it’s fun to pretend.
Uber is the official car service of the 2012 César Awards. No, it’s not, but it was MY official car service.
We just “clicked” right from the beginning, what can I say?

My chauffeur came to get me to drop me off at the Chatelet Theater for the ceremony.

I stayed for the cocktail, then, as soon as the bells chimed for everyone to take their seats, I clicked, and five minutes later, my Uber chauffeur called to say he was waiting for me across the street. He took me home so I could grab my computer and bag, then took me back across the city to the Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere where I set up shop to write my article about the ceremony before the post-awards dinner began. My chauffeur then took me from the swank dinner to the after party at l’Arc then to the after after party at la Raspoutine where The Artist crew celebrated their wins until the wee hours of the morning.

Then, my (other) chauffeur took me home with Jean Dujardin. (Note: stop the rumor mills, Dujardin was safely on a plane to Los Angeles, I am referring to the GQ magazine with Jean Dujardin on the cover that I read on the way home.)

You can book your Uber via the iPhone app, text message or Android app.
Uber is currently in several cities across the globe including New York, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, DC, Toronto and now… Paris !

No matter where you are, I am right next to you. Since I have confessed my love to Uber, they are returning the love for all of mes amis and, if you use the code UBERLEFFLER (actually, I think you should all start calling me that from now on, it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?) you’ll get 10 euros credit! How uberfabulous is that? Feel free to leave comments below to thank me and tell me how it’s changed your life. Have an uberfabulous week !

Photos Virgile Guinard

REBECOOK

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:44:00 +0000

Bonjour!
Wondering where I've been?

In the kitchen!

Check out my new cooking blog complete with videos and recipes for healthy AND delicious meals (oui oui, it IS possible)

http://rebecook.com/

Things I love in Paris this Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +0000

…And, by “Fall,” I of course mean WINTER since as of this week, Paris has become transformed into a veritable tundra. Please remind me again how I survived winters at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hamphire again? Oh, right. Unfortunately, wearing four pairs of long underwear and sorority buttpants, three turtlenecks under three different layers of North Face fleeces and a puffy coat that bore a strange resemblance to the marshmallow man just doesn’t cut it on the chic streets of Paris. Dear Karl L. and company, how about next fashion week, we bring back insulated coats and earmuffs? Just a thought…
On that note, as Fall ends and winter begins, these are a few of my favorite things (to be sung, bien sûr) …

Anna Rivka

I think I’m a princess. It’s not my fault. I blame Anna Rivka. The French designer makes such beautiful headpieces that my head now feels the need to be crowned whenever possible.
I’m absolutely in love with all of the jewelry in the adorable shop on the rue Vieille du Temple in my new “NoMa” neighborhood. From the original “diadèmes” to more classic earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets, Anna Rivka really does have a little bit of something for every taste and style. I love the more simple, basic black and white tiny earrings and rings for everyday and also the more colorful, fun pieces that always make a splash on screen or on the red carpet. I love some of the more retro new designs that are a cross between “Mad Men” and a very chic, girly French fille.
My head, ears, fingers, wrists and neck have never been more well-adorned. Plus, all of the jewelry is handmade and unique and, surprisingly, relatively affordable given the quality.
Once upon a time… OK so perhaps I don’t live in a fairytale, but as long as Anna Rivka keeps making gorgeous headbands, at least I can pretend I’m a princess, oui ?
http://www.annarivka.fr/

Cézanne at the Musée du Luxembourg

OK, so I’m stalking Cézanne (see my blog about the Steins at le Grand Palais http://lafleurdeparis.blogspot.com/2011/11/steins-at-le-grand-palais.html) - so what? The man is EVERYWHERE this season.
“The Master of Aix” is featured in a lovely expo at the adorable Musee du Luxembourg titled “Cézanne et Paris” that focuses on the painter’s time spent between Provence and the Ile-de-France region and his relationships with Pissarro, Renoir, Monet and Guillamin.
The exhibition is rather short and sweet, but it leaves ample time for a nice stroll around the Luxembourg Gardens.
The expo runs through the end of February 2012 – definitely check it out if you can.

Sempé at l’Hôtel de Ville

I really loved the “Sempé: A Bit of Paris” exhibition at the Hôtel de Ville. It runs through mid-February and boasts more than 300 drawings from the famous French cartoonist. I was familiar with Le Petit Nicolas series, but the expo also features several other comics that give a great tour of Paris through the eyes of this creative artist. The expo also features Sempé’s drawings from his time in New York and work with The New Yorker. Sempé’s sense of humor and attention to detail are in the spotlight at this lovely exhibition that I highly recommend.

Spain between two centuries: from Zuloaga to Picasso at l’Orangerie

I fell in love with an older man the first time I came to Paris when I was 16 years old. This man was around 120 years old at the time in fact. I’m talking about Claude Monet. There are few things that make me happier than standing in front of the huge paintings of Monet’s waterlilies at l’Orangerie. Now, there’s another reason to head across the Tuileries to l’Orangerie: a great exhibition called “Spain between Two Centuries, from Zuloaga to Picasso 1890 – 1920.” The expo follows the parallel paths of these emblematic figures of Spanish art and runs through January 9th, 2012.

French Cinema

You may have noticed that I have a slight obsession with le 7ème art. In fact, I’ve turned a career into it. This year, more than ever, French cinema is as they say here “en pleine forme” (in great shape). I’ve seen such wonderful films lately that deserve a mention, if you haven’t already heard of them, namely Michael Hazanavicius’ The Artist (watch out for this one at the Oscars), Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s Intouchables (The Weinstein Co will release this in the US for all of you stateside cinephiles out there) and Melanie Laurent’s Les Adoptés (impressive for an actress’ directorial debut). Vive le cinema!

Grass

Yes, grass is indeed on my list of favorite things. Don’t worry, I haven’t been smoking herb. Actually, I’m DRINKING it. And…get ready for this… I’m even growing it. Feel free to tell the French authorities – this kind of grass is totally legal, dude. (I just said “dude.”) My grass addiction all began at the Marché Raspail on Sunday at Hermione’s sprouted stand. Well, the STAND isn’t sprouted, but pretty much everything there is. Hermione has become famous in Parisian health food circles for her home-grown herbs, sprouts, plants and wheat and barley grasses. On Sundays, Hermione serves up wheat and barley grass shots and freshly squeezed carrot juice. Her wheatgrass shot mixed with apple and ginger is not only an energy jolt in a tiny paper cup, but it’s also delicious. Since I was finding it hard to wait until Sunday every week, I took it upon myself to grow and make my own wheatgrass juice. And by “myself,” I mean I simply buy a large tray of already-growing wheatgrass from Hermione and then just cut it up to put into my Greenstar Elite juicer, which pretty much makes its own juices its so good. The Greenstar Elite has changed my life after just a few days in my possession. There is literally nothing like a shot of wheatgrass to detoxify and give a huge – caffeine-free, mind you – energy burst. It’s best in the morning on its own, but I personally prefer to mix mine with some spinach, apple and ginger. The grass really IS greener… It IS easy being green… but only if you have this juicer. Trust moi. It also does a lot of other things, but I’m still an amateur so to be continued…
If you’re in Europe, you can order a Greenstar here: http://www.keimling.fr/

David Wolfe

Holy cow…cao! David Wolfe made a stop in Paris on his European tour and sacre bleu algae was it fantastic. Le Roi du Raw himself, the King of Cru, spent three days in the city to share his vast knowledge about la vie en raw. Wolfe has so much energy (which now I can understand having tasted his cacao) and he radiates light all around him. I was thrilled to meet him and hope he brings his raw rock star self back to la France soon !
…And if you’re looking for a way to keep track of time until he does, check out the Camp Rawnora Raw 2012 calendar at http://rawnora.com/ - a delicious way to heat up the new year (as long as its heated under 118 degrees of course).

And Last but not least …
… the launch of REBECOOK!

Rebecook Generic from wikitube on Vimeo.

Want to eat quickly, healthily and deliciously? ME TOO. I’m not a chef, bien sûr, but wanted to show that it’s possible for anyone – even a journalist in a tiny Parisian kitchen with no culinary training (cough cough) – to whip up delicious food that’s not too expensive, not too complicated and not too long, but of course TOO tasty.
Check it out! (Note: it’s still in the beginning stages, so questions/comments welcome!)
http://rebecook.wikitu.be/

Rebeccook Intro from wikitube on Vimeo.

Rebecook Yogurt from wikitube on Vimeo.

FIACing around

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:57:00 +0000

What the FIAC was I thinking? I totally forgot to blog about this. A bit late, but voilà some fun photos from the opening night of MODERN art show le FIAC at Le Grand Palais.

Coldplay and Crash Testing !

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:48:00 +0000

Sharing the screen with Coldplay on Canal+!
This week's CRASH TEST movie reviews on LE GRAND JOURNAL!
http://player.canalplus.fr/#/537663

THE HELP AND INTOUCHABLES ON FRANCE 24

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:39:00 +0000

On France 24 talking about two wonderful films, THE HELP and INTOUCHABLES. Check it out at

http://www.france24.com/en/20111031-the-help-emma-stone-taylor-kathryn-stockett-intouchables-toledano-omar-sy-francois-cluzet-rebecca-leffler-en-culture

Q&A Michel Hazanavicius

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Voilà- my interview with THE ARTIST director Michel Hazanavicius in today's THR AFM daily. If you haven't seen THE ARTIST yet, make sure to add it to your movie "palette" !

The Steins at le Grand Palais

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:44:00 +0000

I (not so) secretly want to be a Stein. Sure, the Lefflers are great and I’m sure had their fun at the start of the 20th century, but I would have wanted to have been a Stein in Paris circa 1907. Or at least a friend of the family. Gertrude, Leo, Michael and Sarah were the coolest kids on the block (the block being the rue de Fleurus of course). Oh, and they had quite the art collection, may I add. The collection is on display at the moment at Le Grand Palais. The expo is a fabulous mélange of info about the Stein family in Paris and paintings from their collection. The expo really focuses on this extraordinary family who so influenced literature and art during the early part of the 20th century. I would love to travel back in time and attend some of their parties – oh wait, I recently did when I saw Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” This expo is also a trip back in time, complete with some incredible art from Matisse, Picasso, Cézanne, plus Renoir, Manguin, Bonnard, Vallotton, Gris, Masson, Picabia and others. Definitely check out “Matisse, Cézanne, Picasso… The Stein Family” at le Grand Palais if you’re in Paris before January 16th.

Matières à réflexion

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:41:00 +0000

Matières à réflexion
19 rue de Poitou 75003 Paris
You know the feeling. In French, they call it “coup de foudre”. In English, love at first sight. It happened to me on the rue de Poitou just a few days ago. I was walking along when, out of the blue, it caught my eye. After only a few minutes, it was true love.
The tiny shop on the rue de Poitou doesn’t even have a sign with the store’s name on it. Yes, it’s THAT cool. Only the coolest nightclubs don’t have a sign on the door. This is le Baron of hip Paris boutiques if you will. Inside, the theme is quality over quantity. The shop makes their own bags – all made from vintage leather. The bags are unique – from a shoulder bag made from old leather pants with butt pockets on the side to more classic messenger bags, there is something for everyone. The jewelry is beautiful too and, in a city with more scarves per square mile than people, their scarves stand out. I also love their shoes from adorable Italian brand Anniel – they’re like walking on clouds (very stylish clouds, for that matter). It’s a very “NoMa” spot (NoMa being short for “North Marais,” copyright Rebecca Leffler 2010, but it’s now spread across the ‘hood) – hippie chic, with a classy twist. The name means literally “Materials for reflection” and trust me, you’ll be reflecting over which materials to buy once you set foot inside.
Check out their website and e-shop:
www.matieresareflexion.com
http://www.matieresareflexion.kingeshop.com/

ZEE ARTEEST

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 09:12:00 +0000

Here's a clip of France's 24's morning movies culture show from this week where I talk about THE ARTIST and other English-language fare making waves from this side of the Atlantic.

http://www.france24.com/en/20112011-the-artist-jean-dujardin-berenice-bejo-oscars-french-film-taken-liam-neeson-tinker-tailor-rebecca-leffleur-en-culture

Besson in Busan

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Leffler) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:03:00 +0000

The Lady (me) talks to The Man (Luc Besson) about his latest film The Lady before it premieres at the Busan Film Festival. Here's the story in today's THR daily: