"as your shadow crosses mine, what it takes to come alive" -rihanna

i am having such a great time in st. louis. it is so great to see my dear friend jessica, her husband sammy and their beautiful children cameron and chase. i have been sleeping in, eating delicious foods and laughing   till i snort a little bit.

on my way here, (they live in wentzville, mo to be exact which is about 45 mins from st. louis) i stopped at an amazing raw vegan restaurant. i drove through the elaborate washington university medical center area, which seemed vast and vibrant. down a little side street, plenty of parking...and there it was. pura vegan.  it was fantastic! just what i needed after a day of driving and gas station potato chips.

the staff was welcoming and friendly. i had the 'green machine' smoothie, which was perfect.

it was a lovely break from driving all day. i found pura vegan to be a great dining experience. it was ridiculously clean. i mean, immaculate! it really added to the notion of clean food.

i ordered the 'rawfredo pasta'. it was zucchini 'pasta noodles', spinach, mushrooms in a cashew cream sauce. it was amazing! exactly what i needed.

the place is a bit pricey, but it is an investment in your health.  i mean, you can pay now or you can pay later? ya know what i am saying? they have a yoga studio attached to it....if i lived around here, this would be my jam. for sure.

then on friday, jessica's parents, dick and linda came over with indian food from raj's rasoi. it is a great vegetarian indian place with many vegan options. i had picked up some 'so delicious' coconut ice cream at whole foods earlier in the day to cool us off. i always have faith in that ice cream. everyone loves it.....and can never believe it isn't dairy. i had every intention of photographing this, but got so caught up in our lively discussions that i simply forgot! 

i feel like i have been eating indian left overs since i got here. no complaining from me! if i must die, can it be from drowning in a vat of some spicy, saucy indian dish? i had a snack yesterday of a 'cheese' quesadilla with a new alt cheese and a gluten-free tortilla i picked up from whole foods. sad trombone---they were both terrible. the cheese might be allllright, but that tortilla, whoa! help the gluten sensitive peeps out here and get them some better food. that shit sucks. i feel grateful that i don't have an intolerance. back to wheat tortillas for me. yikes!

i hope for some dance video shooting opportunities today and maybe some home cooked meals while a baby crawls at me feet. yes please.