Think Beyond the Bouquet With These Lavender-Centric Recipes

Though lavender is a flower, it’s also a deliciously fragrant herb that can be used to add flavor to many sweet and savory dishes. By simply cooking or garnishing with this beautiful flower, you can transform the taste of an entire dish. If you haven’t yet explored the culinary wonders of lavender, these two simple recipes will give you a bit of inspiration.

Lavender Shortbread [Food Network]
Shortbread is known for its rich, crumbly texture and buttery flavor, which makes it a perfect companion for the floral notes of lavender. This recipe uses only six simple ingredients and takes just 50 minutes to make, but after it’s complete your whole home will be filled with the sweet, delicious scent. Simply knead the ingredients together, adding dried or fresh lavender flowers, and bake in the oven until each bar reaches the perfect golden brown.

Pepita and Lavender Brittle [Martha Stewart]
Most brittle candies have a rich, caramel texture, but this particular brittle is uniquely earthy and fragrant. The recipe uses Martha Stewart’s basic brittle recipe to create a crunchy base, while the pepitas, or green hulled pumpkin seeds, offer even more texture. To top it off, dried lavender cooked throughout adds a floral flavor that only the small purple flower can provide.

Treat Your Hair to a Trip to Salon Aura Veni

Salon Aura Veni isn't your typical hair salon. Yes, its stylists boast an array of specific talents (go to Leigh for short hair and Lori for hair extensions), and yes, they take on every styling task you can imagine, from cutting and coloring to curling and straightening. However, the stylists at Salon Aura Veni rely solely on the highest quality products to achieve their jaw-dropping cuts and colors.

These include Kevin Murphy products, a professional line that shies away from any harmful parabens or sulfates. Pureology, another brand the stylists enlist, also shirks all sulfates in favor of safer ingredients that won't damage strands. Moroccan Oil is another common name in professional hair care, one known for its powerful antioxidant ingredients and UV protection; it's generally used to condition hair to make it shiny and soft.

Salon Aura Veni
210 W. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 474-2872
www.auraveni.com/Salon_Aura_Veni/About.html

www.yelp.com/biz/salon-aura-veni-austin

Lucky’s Puccias: Try a Grilled Sandwich From This Famous Food Truck

A puccia is a type of flatbread from the Puglia region in Italy, but in Austin, most people would recognize it as the hearty sandwiches served by the famous Lucky’s Puccias. This often buzzed-about white and orange food truck is located in the Market District area of downtown, and it features a few small tables outside where customers can enjoy their sandwiches.

The menu includes puccia sandwiches made on fresh baked bread and topped with organic ingredients, and then the whole thing is baked in an oven to create a wood-fired taste. The signature sandwich is the Lucky’s Puccia, which features prosciutto, tomato, mozzarella, and chipotle mayo. Other puccias come with a variety of other meats or vegetables to accommodate vegetarian customers.

The wait at Lucky's can be a bit long, but regulars recommend stopping by one of the nearby bars for a drink while you wait for your tasty sandwich. Lucky’s Puccias is open daily.

Lucky’s Puccias
817 W 5th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 739-8785
www.facebook.com/LuckysPuccias
www.yelp.com/biz/luckys-puccias-austin

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USDA Guide to Calorie Counting

Counting calories is a daily chore that all dieters must face, and it may sometimes seem like it is taking over your life (or at least your meals). These helpful tips from the USDA can help you to manage your meals, keep your calories under control, and do it all while still enjoying the food you eat. Here are some of the tips:

  • Even if you carefully count calories, it's easy to exceed your empty calorie allowance. Empty calories are calories that come from added sugars and solid fats, and they have no health benefits.
  • When choosing proteins, choose only lean versions of beef or pork. A three-ounce portion of regular ground beef contains 64 empty calories, while a three-ounce portion of extra lean ground beef contains zero empty calories.
  • Breads and pastries with added sugar or butter contain significantly more empty calories than those without. A regular piece of white bread contains zero empty calories and approximately 69 calories, but a glazed donut contains 170 empty calories out of its total 255 calories.
  • Check the calories on the label before you consume any food, and make sure to eat only the recommended serving size listed on the label.

Find more calorie counting tips on the USDA website.

Snow Cone Day at the Pool!

Come out for a day of sweets as we give you snow cone treats!

Find Craft Supplies at Sea of Beads

If you’re a serious crafter, walking in the front door of Austin’s Sea of Beads is going to blow your mind. The selection of beading and jewelry supplies and tools here is over the top. The shop stocks a staggering array of beads in a myriad of styles, including seed beads, Czech glass, pearls, and semi-precious stones, as well as more affordable options for new learners. The selection of findings and chains is also excellent. If you’ve got a dream project, this is going to be the place to get the materials.

Don’t know how to make your own jewelry? Sea of Beads has you covered. Instructors host a wide array of classes, from single-project oriented sessions that teach you how to make pendants and necklaces to more open-ended classes. Visit the Sea of Beads website to learn more!

Sea of Beads
2438 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 533-9090
seaofbeads.net
www.yelp.com/biz/sea-of-beads-austin

Enjoy Yoga Classes at Austin’s Yoga Yoga

Yoga has evolved into an obscure hobby into a full-fledged fitness movement, and for good reason. People are learning that focused, controlled stretching under the supervision of an instructor has incredible health benefits.

Whether you’re a yoga newbie or an experienced practitioner, you’ll find excellent classes at Austin’s Yoga Yoga. The studio here is a marvel of cleanliness and organization. Instead of signing in and worrying about billing, clients are given a magnetic card that they swipe with each class. Cards can be pre-loaded for certain numbers of classes and easily refilled. One thing that draws more serious practitioners is the studio's guest seminars by national teachers and yogis. If you’re looking to push yourself or learn some new tricks, consider attending one.

Prices are reasonable, but some popular classes can feel crowded. If you’re lacking supplies, note that Yoga Yoga sells yoga mats and clothing. Yoga Yoga has several locations around the area, so you’ll have no problem finding a studio near you.

Yoga Yoga
2167 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 380-9800
www.facebook.com/YogaYogaAustin
www.yelp.com/biz/yoga-yoga-austin-12

Happy 4th of July

We hope everyone has a safe and happy day as we celebrate America's Independence. Happy 4th of July!

Quattro Gatti: Italian Cuisine Complemented by the Capitol Building

Take a date to Quattro Gatti in downtown Austin for an Italian meal in the shadow of the Capitol building. Its ambiance is intimate, yet cheerful. Bright yellow walls are offset by an antique wooden bar, and tables are topped with romantic candles. Many regulars come for the thin crust pizza. Try the Montanara, a pizza topped with prosciutto, arugula, and two cheeses.

Quattro Gatti's menu also offers formal Italian dishes, including plenty of pasta and main course items. Try the Rigatoni aella Nonna, replete with tomato sauce eggplant, mozzarella, and basil or the Lombatina di Vitello, a grilled veal chop seasoned with olive oil and rosemary. Customers find the prices reasonable for the generous portions.

Quattro Gatti
908 Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-3131
http://www.quattrogattiaustin.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/quattro-gatti-austin

The Best Wurst: An Austin Dining Destination

Head to The Best Wurst when you have a hankering for a hearty hotdog at a bargain price. It’s a friendly food trailer with two – yes, two – locations on Austin's 6th Street! Why is their wurst the best? They’ve been making these babies for more than 20 years, plus they’ve got some of the yummiest toppings imaginable.

Order the Bratwurst and you get a juicy, German-style pork sausage that’s double-ground with nutmeg and pepper. The Smoked Italian is seasoned with cayenne and fennel, and the Smoked Jalapeno is a spicy pork and beef variety. Want just a plain, all-beef wiener? They’ve got that, too. Pile on toppings like grilled onions, sauerkraut, curry ketchup and spicy mustard, and you’ve got a feast on a bun. Salt Potatoes are also on the menu.

The Best Wurst
201 E. 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 912-9545
http://www.thebestwurst.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-best-wurst-austin

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