Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Restaurant Reviews

Pad Thai
1986 N Hill Field Rd # 8
Layton, UT 84041-2112
(801) 776-8424
(By the Hill Field Rd and Antelope Dr intersection)

Good Thai food!
Nice ambiance: table cloths on the tables, low (but not dim) lighting, quiet restaurant
Great service.
Reasonable prices (about $10 a plate for dinner.)

I ordered the "Pad Thai" from the menu, which was Thai noodles, veggies, and your choice of meat (I had the shrimp.) I also tried some of my friend's curry--it was also really good.

Little Taste of Britain
1095 N Main St, Layton
(801) 543-5707
across the street from Shopko

Casual dining.
Operated by husband and (British) wife. Friendly service.
Sandwiches: about $4-5. Fish (cod) and chips: about $8.
British Mini-market within the restaurant where you can buy UK grocery-type items.
Their TV was playing an episode of Fawlty Towers, which ought to count for something right there. :)
Closed Sunday and Monday. Open 11 am- 7 pm Tues-Sat

Taggart's
1105 Taggart Ln Morgan, UT 84050
(801) 829-3837 (Phone)

Can I say ROMANTIC!? Too bad I was there with the girls. ;) The outdoor dining is really nice: waterfall, peacocks roaming around, mountain scenery... It's also nice inside, and has big windows for you to enjoy looking at the outside. :)

Good food (I had the soup of the day--artichoke chicken-- and a salad. It was very tasty, although the soup was warmish, not hot; our orders were slow being served; and I thought ten bucks was a little steep for a bowl of soup and a small salad.) Still, I think it would be a great place to go on a date. The menu also includes Mexican foods like enchiladas; and burgers; sandwiches; etc. I went at lunch-time, so I'm not sure if there is a different menu for dinner.

Kim Long Vietnamese Cuisine
1664 Woodland Park Dr # 101
Layton, UT 84041-5630
(801) 779-9586

Those who know better than I do say that the food is very authentic, and I like it.
The menu can be a little intimidating for someone who hasn't had Vietnamese food before, but I'm sure the friendly staff would be happy to assist you in making a selection if you asked for help. I don't know what my dish was called, but it was a light broth with thin meat, rice noodles, and a few vegetables. I also had a "boba" drink which is comparable to a shake. It has a texture almost like a very soft ice cream, and comes in a variety of flavors and is topped with whipped cream. (I had the peach. It was very good.) In the bottom of the drink are little black starchy balls--I guess they are tapioca. They're chewy and different; if you don't like them it's very easy to drink around them.
The prices are great-- my lunch was filling, yet light on the stomach, and about $6.

Go forth and enjoy good dining!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

One-line philosophy

When it comes to health, I have a pretty simple philosophy: natural is better. It's amazing how controversial that view can be.

I trust the wisdom of God and nature infinitely more than the "wisdom" of men and science--and sometimes they agree, but when they don't, I'm always on the side of what's natural versus synthetic.

Certainly I am not saying that modern medicine is all bad, but I will be bold enough to assert that there is plenty of bad in it, and it is full of greed-driven practices that have little to do with healing. (Even some M.D.s take a similar view.)

When I write about natural health on this blog, or when I dis on what I consider to be unhealthy, I'm not trying to be obnoxiously preachy or tell others what to do. It is a subject that I am passionate about, and with good reason-- look at all the sickness in our society right now. It's truly alarming. My goal is just to put some information out there, and give people something to consider. For just about any health issue, you can find opposing philosophies and each side claims its own expertise, research, authority, etc. You'll have to use your best informed judgment. My own touchstone is the question: is it natural? (From my own experiences with sickness and being healthy, I've found that natural living and natural medicine are best for keeping me healthy, and for healing when I have a problem.) What do I mean by natural living? I'm talking about being mindful of what we put IN, ON, and AROUND our bodies--which encompasses many things.

It's the time of year that the flu shot is being plugged just about everywhere you look. I'm not going to be getting a flu shot, never have, never plan to. (Personally I think one of the causes of the flu is a belief in seasonal sickness, but that's a topic for another post...I haven't had a flu in years. Can't even remember the last time I had it--which is happy.) In an effort to offer a different perspective and encourage people to be questioning and discriminating consumers, may I suggest that you look at this one page website on flu shots: http://www.advancedhealthplan.com/flushots.html

What do I do in lieu of the flu shot? First of all, I try to lay off the sugar that is rampant from Halloween to Easter. It's not that I don't have any treats during the holiday season, I certainly do, but I also understand that eating lots of garbage is like sending out engraved invitations for illness to come and hang out in your body. So a good diet of natural foods and drinking water is essential. I also wash my hands a lot, and wash every time I come home from a store or public place. I use the winter setting on my ceiling fan, and occasionally open the window in the fall and winter, because stuffy air is an AWESOME breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Obviously exercise and a healthy emotional state are also important. And as extra defense I use an essential oil called Thieves to boost my immunity and ward-off airborne disease. At the first sign of a cold or a bug I pounce on it with herbs, oils, accupressure, homeopathics, or any number of other natural medicine remedies. I don't get sick as often, I recover faster if I do, and I'm not getting side-effects or doing harm to my body's organs. Sounds good to me. If that's controversial, nutty, and backwards, ah well.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Kitchen Needs

I was introduced to a great kitchen needs store when I was in California, and I am so happy to find out that we have one in Utah at the Gateway! It's Sur La Table! They have some fun things that are difficult to find elsewhere. Their prices are not cheap, but reasonable for what you get in quality.

Another fun store for cooking products is Orson Gygi, also in Salt Lake City. Gygi is a restaurant supply company-- it appeals to my inner chef. :)

Saturday, September 05, 2009

India Imported

When I was in Rome I met a Catholic priest from India who spoke 13 different languages!
The catacomb tours were ending for the day, and he and another priest walked alongside their bicycles down the Appian Way with my traveling companions and myself. The friendly priest asked where we where from and what places we were visiting in Italy. "Have you been to India?" he asked. "No." I had to admit.
"Oh, don't say that! Say, 'not yet...' " he told me. :) I thought it was so charming.

On Saturday September 12, the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork is holding their 23rd annual "India Fest" -- I haven't been...not yet, however I went to their Llama Fest last year, and that was a lot of fun. If you have an interest in Indian culture, this is a good way to experience a little flavor of India. For more information, follow the link here.

If you go, I recommend taking bottled water, some spending cash, and plan on wearing shoes that are comfortable to walk in, and easy to take off to go inside the temple.


If you're looking for something a little further north, I recommend the restaurant Taste of India in Layton. It's near Barnes and Noble. A menu and directions are available on their website. I like the vegetable korma (rice and vegetables with a delicious Indian sauce) and garlic naan (Indian flat bread). I haven't had their mango lassi, not yet, but I had it an an Indian restuarant in L.A. and it was really good. It's a smooth drink with yogurt and mango.

Enjoy!