Friday Faves!: Good luck, good health and good travel

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Here’s a wrap-up of the little things we can’t get enough of this week:

MONIQUE

ACVAdmittedly, this is an unusual “fave”, but it serves a serious purpose. Last year people in my office were dropping left and right to terrible flu symptoms. One girl stayed sick for an astonishing four months. Her sickness fluctuated from mild to severe, but since her desk was next to mine, I needed to do something to boost my immune system that wouldn’t leave me feeling hungover daily. I did a bit of online research and found that Apple Cider Vinegar has a lot of health benefits. Just two tablespoons of the stuff works for everything from lowering cholesterol (well, okay…allegedly) to fighting off bacteria responsible for the common cold and flu. I sing its praises because while I watched my co-workers whittle down their sick time last year, I was able to cash out my days for a nice little Christmas bonus.

Not only is ACV beneficial to health but it also adds a tang to your food. What’s your favorite food to put ACV on? Let us know in the comments!

 

DAWN

Image provided by Guidrr.

Problem: you are traveling to a destination you have dreamed about. You get there and do the ‘recommended’ activities. Now, what? You feel disappointed and frustrated. You want to pilot your destination as the locals, but that is hard to do without another’s insight. The Guidrr app is that insight. It allows you to walk in someone else’s shoes. The free app offers on-demand travel guides written by real people who have experienced the destinations themselves. The guides are purchased, downloaded and viewed from your mobile phone. It gives you an advantage: the advantage of someone else working out the kinks and you reaping the rewards of a well-planned journey. Problem solved.

 

compartes

JULIANNE– I found myself in Brentwood (Los Angeles) for a meeting last week, so I decided to take a trip into one of my favorite chocolatiers, Compartes. I always knew their chocolate was amazing (cause I could practically taste them after scoping out their IG) but when I actually lived in Brentwood, I had to be very tight with my money. Come to think of it; I had zero business living in a studio in Brentwood. What was I thinking?
I scrolled through the flavor options and decided to “treat yo self” to the Cereal Bowl bar. It’s white chocolate with Lucky Charms. Lucky Charms is my all-time favorite cereal so I couldn’t turn this down.

The white chocolate acts as milk, and I felt like I was having an elevated and concentrated bowl of cereal. It usually takes me about a month to eat one chocolate bar (I don’t really have a sweet tooth), but I ate this all in one sitting. Worth it! You can also find Compartes bars at one of our favorite candy shops, Lolli and Pops if you’re not in the Los Angeles area.

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Julianne

Actress and Founder of Girls on Food: I was born and raised in the suburbs of Sacramento, California. I grew up a typical “McDonald’s kid”. I was very picky about what I ate and refused to try new foods. No fun, I know. My Mom started taking me on trips to Europe when I was a teenager and that’s when my palate for finer foods began to develop. Some of my most memorable favorite meals include Veal Bolognese in Rome, Gyros in Athens, Paella in Lisbon and Duck L’Orange in Paris. While this helped me grow out of a fast food phase, I still eat out quite a bit. I know I should be at home cooking, but I love dining out. I started working in restaurants in various front of the house positions at age 15. Since my start, I’ve worked in every casual restaurant setting you can think of: a teriyaki stand, brewery, sushi nightclub, trendy Mexican, family-style Italian, American diner, pizza parlor and even a BLT themed food truck. I can't help but notice that many of the LA food bloggers don't have any sort of background working in a restaurant. A lot of my perspective on food and dining out comes from my years of experience in the biz. Since starting this blog, I have shot appearances on a couple of cooking competition shows as a taster (including MasterChef Junior and another upcoming show). We have also started producing a Youtube Channel. IMDb page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2023647/ For this site I contribute content from all over Los Angeles (and the world) to showcase my favorite fine-dining spots, steakhouses, exclusive supper clubs, Hollywood nightlife and our very own #GOFx events, which I plan and coordinate.

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