MÄNI'S BAKERY CAFÉ

09.30.06

And now presenting…

NEW! CAPRESE SALAD WITH ORANGE
Fresh mozzarella, stacked with blood orange, tomatoes, basil & olive oil, over a bed of mixed greens. Served with grilled focaccia.  It is also offered with chicken. 

What do you think?

09.29.06

Fall is approaching and I’m excited!

It’s a time to be social & enjoy friends, great food & have tons of fun. We may not experience the drama & beauty of changing leaves, or the crisp & cool temperatures that call for cozy sweaters, but we most certianly get to experience all of the other wonderful things that come along with the fall season -

• complex & rich foods
• tickets to the LA Opera or LA Phil
• television premieres of great shows like Amazing Race & Grey’s Anatomy
• gatherings with friends
• fabulous holiday parties
• AND best of all - delicious new Fall Items at Mäni’s

If there’s anything that you would like to share about your love for fall, let us know!

09.28.06

What’s on the way this fall?

Mäni’s Fall Premier is close at hand.  Our summer menu was such a hit that we decided to create an amazing fall menu.  (If you are paying attention you will read between the lines and notice that most of those awesome summer menu items will be yanked from the menu soon!  So, if you have developed a significant relationship with one of those items like the Summer Grain Salad or the Mint Lemonade or the Strawberry Rhubarb pie, you will want to rush over here for the next week or so and make sure you saturate your taste buds while you still can!) 

Over the next week, we will be featuring new items like the one pictured above.  I know my wife is going to be asking me to bring this one home all the time.  When our very own Chef Jose brought this item out for us to taste, I couldn’t believe it.  Stay close to your computers this week and watch closely as each of our 6 new menu items, 3 new 400 Calorie menu items (now called Mäni’s Smart & Simple-400 Calorie Menu), and a few bakery items are featured on the blog. 

I want to hear tons or cheering and standing ovations from you, the audience, as we parade our new items across the stage here on the blog.  Please cheer in the form of comments on the blog…  Let us know which items look the most appealing?  Which you will be stopping by to try?  Or anything else… 

Stay tuned…

PS: The photo above is of the new Caprese Salad with Orange.  Doesn’t it look delicious…

09.26.06

Spinach Poll: Are you ready to eat Spinach again?

If you used to eat spinach, when do you think you’ll start eating spinach again?

The latest warning from the Food & Drug Administration on Saturday September 23, 2006 limits the warning to three counties in California:  San Benito, Santa Clara and Monterey. That leaves all the other 55 counties in California being perfectly safe for growing, harvesting and packaging spinach.  Many farms have fine crops, waiting to be harvested, with not enough of a market to do so.  I think most of us remember why we eat spinach in the first place.  It’s good and good for you.

We’d like to get a sense of where you stand right now.  Use the comment link below to let us know:

1.  I’m ready to eat spinach now

2.  I’ll give it another 2 weeks

3.  It’s going to take longer than 2 weeks for me to start eating spinach again

Thanks for your participation!

09.24.06

Soups Starting September 25th thru October 8th

Monday - CHICKEN NOODLE
Chicken broth, Chicken Breast, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Chives, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Egg Noodles.

Tuesday - YELLOW CORN BISQUE
Vegetable Stock, Celery, Onions, Yellow Corn, Sea Salt, Black Pepper.

Wednesday - TOMATO LENTIL
Vegetable stock, Green lentils, Cilantro, Celery, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Onions, Tomatoes, Garlic, Canola oil, Sea, Salt, Black Pepper.

Thursday - MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SOUP (NEW )
Vegetable Stock, Olive Oil, Onions, Carrots, Garlic, White Beans, Fresh Thyme, Parsley, Sea Salt, Black Pepper.

Friday - SPICY TORTILLA SOUP
Vegetable Stock, Onions, Celery, Jalapeño Peppers, Cilantro, Tomatoes, Corn Tortillas, Tamari, Garlic, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika.

Saturday - JULIO’S ENCHILADA SOUP
Vegetable Sock, Canola Oil, Garlic, Pinto Beans, Onions, Kalamata Olives, Peeled Tomatoes, Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas, Enchilada Sauce, Cilantro, Sea Salt Black Pepper.

SUNDAY - CHUNKY VEGETABLE WITH TOFU ( NEW )
Vegetable Stock, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Zucchini, Spinach, Tomatoes, Yellow Corn, Green Cabbage, Tofu, Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Sea Salt, Garlic, Tamari.

09.22.06

Charity & Fun

Look for Larry towards the back of the table.

Jonathan deserves a thank you himself.  The event, in its 9th year is essentially the brain child of Mr. Chu.  He decided health care for those who can’t afford it was a cause worthy of his time and has worked to make Extravaganza For The Senses a huge financial success

09.21.06

We are looking for a few MORE awesome Mäniacs…

  We are looking for a few amazing people to come join our team.  Do you see yourself or someone you know in this picture…

If you have visited us lately, you know that it is an exciting time here on Fairfax.  Our summer menu was an amazing success.  And we are preparing for our Fall Season Menu launch the beginning of October (more on that in a later blog post).  Our mission of “Living a life of balance” with the 400 calorie menu introduction was a smashing success.  Look for more of these items on the fall menu.  What does all this mean? 

Plain and simple, we need more team members! 

Basically, Mäni’s is “Good and Good for You.”  If you know someone that would make a great Mäniac team member, send them in on Monday between 3-5 PM for our hiring fair/open interviews.  (519 S. Fairfax Ave.)  We will be conducting interviews and hiring people to enter our extensive training program.  Oh, did I mention that we offer health benefits, paid vacation, and amazing employee discounts?  Yes, we do feed more then just your wallet as a team member! 

Here is a little incentive for you (incase you needed it):  If someone mentions your name, you are subscribed to our blog feed (through FeedBlitz - click here) and we hire them, we will give you a Mäni’s Gift Card. 

See you Monday! 

09.19.06

Your 400 Calorie Experience to Date

What has been your 400 Calorie Menu experience?  I want to know how you like to use this convenient nutrition option, and please feel free to ask for advice on how to improve your daily nutrition (if you are interested in improving your daily nutrition).

My personal clients have told me a lot about their personal experience with the incorporation of Mäni’s 400 calorie menu into there daily eating plans.  For instance, one of my client’s just loves the “Mountain Climber.”  Her biggest concern was to make sure that we were not going to be taking it off the menu for the Fall.  In a pinch, my clients sometimes rely on the 400 calorie menu for multiple easy meals during the same day.  If they know that they aren’t going to be able to take the time to eat properly, they will order a few items to go so that they have nutritious meal options for themselves during their chaotic workday.

Have you tried any of the 400 calorie items yet?  If you haven’t, why not?

09.15.06

Spinach Warning

As we’ve been hearing, the Federal Drug Administration on Thursday, is advising against eating bagged spinach because of suspected E. coli contamination.  Although the warning is for bagged spinach, many are taking the safe route of not eating spinach at all, at least until we learn exactly what is safe.  It’s understandable we’ve ‘lost our appetite’ for spinach for the time being.  Therefore Mäni’s on Fairfax has discontinued all salads made with spinach until the FDA tells us exactly what’s safe in the spinach department.  You may read the entire story in the LA Times article warning against eating spinach

09.13.06

What are the rest of the environments?

Yes, I did say that there are 9 different environments in my posts from last month.  You may recall we talked about the Memetic Environment, Relationship Environment, and Network Environment.  Everyone has been asking what are the rest?  When are you going to post about them again?  (Well, not everyone…) So, here we go… 


Now you can see all 9 Environments on the graphic.  Below is a great description of each of the 9 Environments.  Now you may be asking, “What now?” Well, there are a couple of things to keep in mind around environments.  The first is to look for repeating patterns.  The environments will tend to reflect back to a person what is working and not working in their life.  The other thing to keep in mind is the concept we like to call Tolerations.  I will go into more details next week about those…


Until then, CLICK HERE and download an awesome questionnaire that will help you scan your 9 Environments for what is working and what is holding you back.  Have FUN!

Here is a breif summary of all 9 Environments:


The Memetic Environment: The memetic environment is at the very core of environmental design. It includes ideas, thoughts, beliefs, paradigms, styles and usages which are passed down from generation to generation. The memetic environment also includes access to information and knowledge (books, websites, magazines, television, and radio.)

The Body Environment: The body environment includes the body, hair, skin, nails, posture, health and energy. It also includes the somatics of the body (how we can become observers of our own bodies and the lessons therein, how we use the body as a compass and how our bodies affect the environment and the energy around us.) This environment touches the network environment, as it includes physicians, skin care consultants, massage therapists, physical therapists, dietitians, personal trainers and other professionals who support your physical body well being.


The Self Environment: The self environment includes our strengths, talents, personality, feelings, emotions, values, passions, skills and unique assets. The self environment includes the intangible aspects of our beings.


The Nature Environment: The nature environment includes nature, parks, bodies of water, the seasons of the year and the outdoors. As humans, we are a part of nature, so access to this environment is crucial for our survival and ultimate well being.


The Spiritual Environment: The spiritual environment includes our connections to God or the Divine, our inner spirit, a higher power or to the invisible connection we feel to others and the universe. It includes methods of connecting to spiritual aspects of life (such as meditation, prayer, and places of worship.)


The Relationship Environment: The relationship environment includes those people in our lives who are closest to us and who we have an intimate connection with…to our “inner circle.” This includes family, close friends, close colleagues, mentors and neighbors who are in our lives on a daily basis.


The Network Environment: The network environment is an extension of the relationship environment. They include people who you are on a first name basis with, yet you may not have a deep an intimate connection with. The network environment includes strategic partners, networking partners, community organizations, and members of any mastermind or support groups you belong to. The goal of the network environment is usually to provide an exchange of information and to build bridges to people who can support you in enhancing both your business and personal life. Business Network International and The Chamber of Commerce include examples of the network environment.


The Financial Environment: The financial environment includes money, investments, insurance, stocks and bonds and the people who support your financial well being (accountants, financial planners, stock brokers.) This environment also includes any tools or support services you use to achieve your financial goals (Quickbooks, Quicken, Microsoft Money, budgets, banking institutions.) When exploring the financial environment, it is also important to look closely at the relationship a person has with money and their beliefs around money and prosperity/abundance.


The Physical Environment: The physical environment includes the very tangible aspects of our lives…our home, office, car, furnishings, artwork, toys, boats, and accessories. The physical environment is our visual clues to what is going on in our lives (clutter, noise, broken equipment can be visual clues to looking deeper to discover our thoughts, energy and behaviors.)

09.12.06

Kitchen Inspection

If you haven’t already, I am encouraging you to investigate the nutrition labels of the items that you have stock piled in your pantries and cupboards.  You might be surprised where you find partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup (Sandra, I know you have already started your homework).

In my last weeks blog, “HFCS - The Jury is Still Out”, I provided a great link to a list of common products that contain high fructose corn syrup (rather eye opening, if you ask me).  Going through your personal items is even better because that is the actual foods that you will be eating.  Take a few minutes and scour through your kitchen and report back with the items that surprised you the most.  Everyone will benefit from some interaction here (just use the comment feature down at the bottom to include your findings).

If you missed the beginning of this series, you can catch up by reading “Just Say No…”, “Trans Fat”, and “HFCS - The Jury is Still Out.”

09.11.06

Return of the Almondmeal!

After weeks of a shortage of Almondmeal, the finely ground nut has finally returned!  We’re not quite sure where all the almonds went during the almost two weeks when no one could get us almondmeal. 

So, thanks for being so patient.  We look forward to our shortbread cravers coming back.  See you soon. 

09.08.06

Soup Menu for September 11th thru the 24th

Monday - CHICKEN NOODLE
Chicken Broth, Chicken Breast, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Chives, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Egg Noodles.

Tuesday - YELLOW CORN BISQUE
Vegetable Stock, Celery, Onions, Yellow Corn, Sea Salt, Black Pepper.

Wednesday - CAULIFLOWER & COCONUT SOUP - NEW
Canola Oil, Onion, Carrots, Cauliflower, Apples, Cumin, Coriander, Tumeric, Ginger, Low Fat Coconut Milk, Parsley, Black I Peas.

Thursday - MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SOUP - NEW
Vegetable Stock, Olive Oil, Onions, Carrots, Garlic, White Beans, Fresh Thyme, Parsley, Sea Salt, Black Pepper.

Friday - DIVINE CORN CHOWDER - NEW
Vegetable Stock, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Yellow Corn, Potatoes, Celery, Carrots, Onions.

Saturday - BLACK BEAN SOUP
Vegetable Sock, Canola Oil, Tomatoes, Black Beans, Carrots, Celery, Onions, Garlic, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Jalapeno Pepper, Chili Powder, Cilantro.

Sunday - MINESTRONE
Vegetable Stock, Carrots, Celery, Zucchini, Cauliflower, Parsley, Basil, Mushrooms, Tomato, Tomato Paste, Pasta, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Oregano, Garlic, Cumin, Olive Oil, Red Beans.

09.05.06

HFCS - The Jury is Still Out

Unlike partially hydrogenated oils, hard evidence has not been compiled against high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  What is HFCS?

HFCS is cornstarch that has been processed down to glucose and fructose molecules.  This is exactly what sucrose (table sugar) is made up of, but differs from sucrose in the respect that the glucose and fructose molecules are not bond together when consumed.  The health implications of this difference have not been conclusively determined, but there are many industry and non-industry individuals convinced that our increased consumption of HFCS over the past thirty plus years has been a major factor in the nations problematic increase of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  One of the suspicions is that consumption of HFCS does not have the same effect of appetite suppression because of the different metabolic reaction that results from glucose and fructose not being bound together (unlike sucrose).

What I can tell you for certain is that HFCS is not a natural ingredient (you can not go out in nature and find it).  The bottom line is HFCS is a cheaper ingredient than sucrose for the manufacturers.  HFCS is easier to blend into beverages, easier to transport, and adds more texture to baked goods than sucrose. 

You have to make your own decision about HFCS.  Here at Mani’s we are not very high on refined sugar, so HFCS is definitely not on the top of our list.  If you think about it, HFCS is more refined than refined sugar (interesting little thought).  Regardless of your choice regarding HFCS, remember that USDA recommends no more than 10% of your daily calories come from added sugar.  HFCS is only one form of added sugar that is found in our diets today.

If you are interested, here is a list of items containing high fructose corn syrup.  Take a look.

09.05.06

Summer’s Not Over….Yet!

Don’t be fooled!  Labor Day is not the true ending of summer.  We still have another 18 days to go!  For those of you who spent the weekend at the beach, barbeques, pool parties, or just relaxing with friends or family, you still have some more summer living!

Summer doesn’t officially end until the Autumnal Equinox begins.  On September 23rd, the sun will cross the celestial equator.  This basically means that the degree at which the earth is positioned in it’s rotation around the sun, is such that the suns rays are hitting directly at the equator.  Whereas, at the beginning of summer, the sun rays hit at the tropic of cancer. 

What happens?  Every point on Earth will, for one day, experience 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of daylight.  And then?  The daylight begins to get shorter as we approach winter, the South Pole the will begin to see the first appearance of the sun in six months, and the North Pole will be bracing for six months of darkness.
So, stay with the warmth until it actually goes away, and everything starts to change.  Enjoy our summer fare while it lasts, because when fall hits, we will have all sorts of new things on our menu for you to try.