USHER arrives… pockets of thoughts.

Life in the fast lanes…

Sun In Bloom has undergone magical transformation.  If you have not experienced Sun In Bloom since our renovations, I encourage you to stop by to experience the delicious inspiring and creative space we’ve unveiled.  It’s everything I dreamed it would be.  With patience and hours of hard work and determination, I now walk into Sun In Bloom feeling that I’ve arrived home. It is a reflection of me and everything I always wanted you to experience.

We are all very proud of our work at Sun In Bloom and the gifts in return have been so fun.  Most recently, USHER walked into the restaurant to sit down for our weekend brunch. Yes! Usher. Humble and quiet at first, he soon felt at home, released his guard and expressed how much he was loving his experience.  His favorite food was clearly the Strawberry fudge cake.  Hands down my favorite dessert too!

And last weekend I attended the Vegetarian Food Festival at the Met Life Center to introduce Sun In Bloom to 3000 expected attendees over the course of two days.  We prepped all week leading up to this event and arrived with 3000+ gluten-free vegan cookie samples.  I had so much fun watching the delighted responses to our samples, especially children trying these delicious healthier cookie option and parents beside themselves with the bright-eyed happy responses they witnessed.  It was simply an energizing weekend.  We also raffled off a $50 gift certificate and after drawing a business card from over 200 that entered…the WINNER IS…..Jaclyn Barth.

We are so blessed to be here with this opportunity to be part of the change we hope to see in the world.  And it is all because of your support.  Always grateful.  Always thankful to all of you!

And here’s my most recent personal journal entry…

Can you imagine what a daily log would look like if you recorded every thought that passed through your conscious, but you chose not to speak or share because of an insecurity or doubt?

10 years ago I was diagnosed with systemic candida.  It explained my history of chronic fatigue, constant stomach aches, severe bloating, constipation, anxiety, depression, memory loss, and a serious sugar addiction.  And even after being diagnosed with something so damaging to every system in my body, I continued to maintain all of my unhealthy habits that supported the growth of yeast.  I just couldn’t find the strength to face everything this “dis-ease” was supporting me to hide from and somehow found comfort living in a heavy fog.

Eventually I did hit rock bottom.  And it was this fall that pushed me forward in my journey. 

Although my awareness for the importance of what foods I was choosing to nourish myself with became increasingly present in my thoughts, it was discovering Bikram yoga that nourished me with the strength I needed to begin deconstructing the walls I had surrounded myself with.

I sweated out years of abuse and faced my fears in the studio mirror every day.  The transformation was significant.  My light turned ON and it was so bright.  Just like a baby bird chipping away at it’s egg shell, every day I was chipping away at mine until eventually I stepped out from the dark into the light.  This moment I will never forget.

 

But as soon as I stepped out of my shell, my desire to shed layers I was clearly still withholding grew deeper.  Also, Candida continued to show up present in my blood stream.  This is when I turned to my choice to live a raw food lifestyle.  As soon as made this commitment, I began to cleanse at an even deeper level – on both physical and spiritual planes.  And the combination of practicing yoga daily and consuming beautiful organic live foods opened the curtain to a life of truly being ALIVE. Life became an exquisite show.

My experiences were extraordinary and I never imagined the possibility of falling down again.  But the reality of my story is that I have… I’ve fallen hard again.  And although my sabotaging habits are leaps and bounds “healthier” than those I was choosing 5-10 years ago, I’ve continued to live with a secret.

I am addicted to sugar. 

Definition of addiction: Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.

Since opening Sun In Bloom (2+ years), I have become 100% physically and mentally dependent on sugar (agave, dates, fruit, grains, rice, cookies, cupcakes, muffins) to support me in powering through my days and the loneliness I experience in holding up all of the responsibility of owning a restaurant.  

And although I drink green juice religiously and now very consistent with creating space for my yoga practice and gym routine, my secret is that I find every way to sneak sugar into my blood stream because my reality is that as soon as I inject, I can go another mile.

And in my quest for living the most full life possible being in alignment with my higher self, I am more aware than ever of the pocket of thoughts I hold onto.  They are my secrets.  Thoughts that enter into my consciousness and I hide them away because for whatever reason I do not have the courage to share them. I might feel self-conscious or that I need to protect someone from hurting their feelings.  The reasons for justifying why not to share are endless, but all stem from fear and insecurity.

So, here I am… making a commitment to a sugar-free lifestyle for the next 90 days.  No fruit or grains, dates or sweet treats of any kind and very low glycemic vegetables. Serendipitously I started started just 90 days before my next birthday.  Living my life again fully is the perfect prize to keep me motivated on this journey.  And if I can succeed, this will be the first time in 10 years since my diagnoses of candida that I’ll truly accomplish doing the anti-candida diet and on the path towards living an candida free lifestyle.  I just know the light is going to be brighter than anything I’ve ever experienced!

 

 

Brunch #1 – 2012:

Good morning, Happy new year!
This year feels open to infinite possibilities.

It was many years ago when the seeds for Sun In Bloom took root in my consciousness. The year prior to opening Sun In Bloom I was in the process of building a large scale 2 room yoga studio with a small cafe in the middle of Manhattan on 34th Street. Blue prints, building permits, financing, contractors, schedules… everything was in motion and we were just about to start build out when the landlord of this building pulled the plug and reneged on all his promises.

After over a year of pouring my heart, soul, time and money into this project, it was the quintessential jaw-dropping moment. But to my surprise, I experienced an overwhelming sense of peace; I had no doubts that I was being guided.

When the stars align and I feel that ZadaZadaZing electricity, I fall in love quickly and hard. In my experiences of heart break, my body aches and I think for a moment I’ll never fall in love again. But, I know now that not anything or anybody has the power to completely snuff my light. My despair does not usually last long before I wake back up and celebrate life – the constant movement, opportunity and the endless possibilities that exists. So, it did not take much for me to become vulnerable again and decide to invest my heart and soul into the idea of Sun In Bloom.

Here we are 2 years into this project. This weekend marks our 1st brunch of 2012 and our

2nd year anniversary!

It is also a significant personal turning point. With a goal to release my fear of failure and trust this path, I decided to invest all of my salary, sweat, blood and tears from the past two years into remodeling Sun In Bloom so that everyone can experience the kitchen I’ve always imagined us to celebrate life in together.

Moving into a space that had already been set up to serve food was a wonderful opportunity to launch Sun In Bloom and explore my vision, but after two years it became clear to me I was trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.

Resistance became more obvious and on a personal level, I became more aware for how the space was holding me back from reflecting my true spirit and creativity. And in this awareness, I acknowledged my commitment to living a life that embodies balance, health, and happiness. At the end of the day, money is energy; it will come and go. Letting go of this fear and trusting my path with Sun In Bloom was truly a remarkable way to end 2011.
Just 3 weeks ago, Jodie (Sun In Bloom’s manager) and I spent many late nights in our space with a tape measure and yellow pad measuring every inch of the space to prepare for the carpenters who were scheduled to spend just 2 weeks remodeling. The 2 weeks of remodeling was quite busy and I had to make most construction decisions on the fly. But at the end of the day, “winging” this project forced me into a 6th gear – following my intuition.

It is truly remarkable how we succeeded at actualizing my original vision for Sun In Bloom to occupy a space that looks and feels like the beautiful urban, rustic, reflective, clean kitchen I’ve always imagined it to be. It’s uncanny how our space now resembles the vision board I created three years ago for a space I had no idea would today be Sun In Bloom.

And it is the kitchen that is the hearth of our homes – a space in which everyone can relate to and find comfort in. It is my dream that we can recreate our space for the “family dinner” and make it an experience that nourishes us with love, happiness, and joy while supporting our bodies to age with strength, vitality and grace, and our mind to feel comfortable living our truth and always being in full expression.

Although we are still remodeling, we are thrilled to be open and back to work making and serving delicious health conscious food.

In order to open Sun In Bloom, I had to release my natural desire for immediate gratification and perfection. So this project has been about the process, evolution and organic growth of a living breathing conscious company. So please enjoy this process of evolution with us and treat yourself to delicious healthy food. I feel confident in my guarantee that choosing to nourish your body and soul with healthy food will support you in manifesting dreams too!

Cheers to a healthy and fabulous year.

Love, Aimee

Brunch #50… 8 Days until we tear the house down, rebuilding thought patterns, choosing love.

Good morning,

How much fun would it be if we tear down the framework of the titles we box ourselves into to explore pleasure and be more playful in our lives?  

I am so humbled by my experience at Sun In Bloom.  Everyday I receive notes and messages from people who’ve discovered Sun In Bloom and write to share how their experience affected them.

“Sweet Aimee! i just got back from overseas and am craving your amazing #glutenfree chocolate chip cookie sandwich like *crazy* tonight (usually it is your kale salad, sweet lady greens, impossibly delicious raw sauerkraut, etc) … just thought i would let you know, you fuel the desires and dreams of many…..” – Sun In Bloom Guest, Ford

COURAGE

“Hello! This might seem a little odd, but I ate at your restaurant once over the summer, and I fell absolutely, 100% in love with the food — so much so that I almost wanted to skip my plane out of New York that afternoon and just ask to volunteer and help you out for a while 😉 (unfortunately, didn’t have the courage to ask!)” – Sun In Bloom Guest, Sarah

Falling into the traps of my self-limiting belief patterns that focus so intensely on the challenge, sacrifice, long hard road comes very easy to me.  But, life is just too short to succumb to old belief patterns that eclipse possibility.

Releasing these beliefs is my biggest desire and always a work in progress.

But in just 8 days, we are tearing the house down to rebuild.  I am so excited!  This is monumental for me and a symbol for letting go of inhibitions and fear to create space for possibility, growth, love and build a new structure for my personal beliefs.

Sun In Bloom – Brunch #50

Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18, 2011

10 AM – 5 PM

This weekend is big… it’s our 50th brunch in 2011!  I am in awe of what Sun In Bloom has brought to the Park Slope community and all of the support and love that you extend to us.  I am deeply grateful for the team we have here who give their all to ensure your experience is amazing.  And, I am thankful that everyday you encourage me to continue because of your deep gratitude for the color we add to your life.

My intention was to create an inviting space that offers people the experience of delicious food – food that is created with the intention to nourish and support a healthy body, mind and spirit, and a space you can just BE in.   

Although I choose to live a vegan lifestyle because this is what feels right for me, I am not here to judge you and say what works for me is right for you.  And what has been most fulfilling in my journey is that 98% of our repeating everyday guests are NOT vegan.  Yes, they eat meat and they LOVE Sun In Bloom’s cuisine!

So, I just want to extend the invitation to you to introduce Sun In Bloom to your friends and family who are ravishing meat eating self-proclaimed carnivores… they might discover that veggies, fruit, bean, and whole grains are quite delicious and satisfying and that they can eat meat and veggies too.   

Shitake Mushroom BLT

The Shitake BLT always wins the “meat-eater” over, as every weekend people tell me it tastes just like bacon.  Even mushroom haters love it!

It might be a fun experiment to spend a day where you tear down the framework of titles to explore pleasure, release judgement, and do things that stretch you to be completely playful.  

Happy holidays!

***Just an important reminder… Because renovations will not affect our kitchen, we want to create the opportunity to support you to jumpstart 2012. We will be here to help you make healthy food choices by offering juice, meal plans and orders to-go. You can either pick up food or we can deliver. Norwalk pressed juices are fresh for 3 days and most food can be packaged and is delicious for 3-5 days. Please stop by to pick up an order form and help support us through this transition.  You can also email us for a copy.  It’s important we know in advance that you will want Sun In Bloom food during these weeks so that we can staff appropriately.
Sending this with so much love,  Aimee

p.s. If you are on Facebook, please support us by LIKING our page. You can also follow Sun In Bloom on Twitter @suninbloom.  

This is where I share everyday news and pictures of our dishes.  I’m having lot of fun connecting with like-minded people and meeting wonderful new friends.  It would be fun to connect with you here too!

Brunch #49 – BIG news… Tearing the House Down!

Good morning!

Everyday represents a new opportunity for each of us to make new choices to live our best life possible.  And as my Bikram teacher, Bikram Choudhury says,

“It’s never too late, it’s never too bad, and you’re never too old or too sick to start from scratch once again…”

       “The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.” – George Orwell

I am not a poster woman for the perfection of balance and health.  This path I am choosing, running a restaurant, is not easy or glamorous, and I often find myself reacting to the challenges rather than seeing each challenge as an opportunity.  Then I fall out of balance, rather than move through the challenge to stay the course.  Sometimes I feel angry because I was born into this world with a wound-up tortured mind that never rests…yeah, that’s ego, playing the “victim” role.  (I think I should take up surfing, as it a sport that is the ultimate symbol for remaining present to surf the challenge). But, honestly, every time I shift myself back into being present, I swell up with gratitude, and love… all the struggle melts away and I am in awe of life.

What I do represent, is a woman who has experienced life waking up feeling sick and tired everyday but with an insatiable desire to play a role in making this world a better place and live with purpose.

Celiac disease, a killer sugar addiction, Candida Albicans, hypothyroidism, stress, insomnia, and workaholicism are my challenges.  However, prior to opening Sun In Bloom, I discovered what feeling alive tastes like.  And it was my personal experience healing myself with food that led me to aligning with my potential and opening Sun In Bloom.

I want to say THANK YOU! I am incredibly grateful that you choose Sun In Bloom on a daily basis and feel energized every day by the exchange of support and collaboration Sun In Bloom truly symbolizes. Hand-crafting the most nourishing foods to support you to live a health- conscious, nourished, and beautiful life enriches my life.

Jodie & Matthew

Sun In Bloom is moving into its 3rd year in business with an extraordinary, talented, experienced and passionate team behind it.  We are a healthy family here and each member is a stand-out character.  With this support behind Sun In Bloom, I’ve decided it’s time to release all personal inhibitions, embrace my fear and unveil the space I imagine being in everyday.  So, we are tearing the house down to rebuild.  I think you will LOVE it!

Sun In Bloom will serve its last brunch of 2011 on Christmas Eve, December 24. We will be closed Sunday, December 25, 2011 through Sunday, January 8, 2012 and reopen Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 9 am.

Liz Neves, Founder of http://raganella.com/

Because renovations will not affect our kitchen, we want to create the opportunity to support you to jumpstart 2012. We will be here to help you make healthy food choices by offering juice, meal plans and orders to-go. You can either pick up food or we can deliver. Norwalk pressed juices are fresh for 3 days and most food can be packaged and is delicious for 3-5 days. Please stop by to pick up an order form and help support us through this transition.  You can also email us for a copy.  

We are all extremely excited for the boundless possibility this will create and everyday I am deeply touched by gratitude for your continuous support.

Love, Aimee Follette

p.s. If you are on Facebook, please support us by LIKING our page. You can also follow Sun In Bloom on Twitter @suninbloom.  

This is where I share everyday news and pictures of our dishes.  I’m having lot of fun connecting with like-minded people and meeting wonderful new friends.  It would be fun to connect with you here too!

Brunch #40 @ Sun In Bloom – A Delicious Fall Brunch Menu, Courage, Growth & a Powerful Shift.

While in savasana in my Bikram yoga class today, I was crafting a letter to my teacher, who I hold as one of my most influential teachers.  Every time I am in her class, I reflect on the space of encouragement, truth, and unconditional love she holds for her students that ignited my flame back in 2005.  6 months later I quit my job, gave up my NYC apartment, unloaded all of my belongings, and packed 2 duffle bags for my journey to LA where I would learn from Bikram Choudhary.  It was the first journey in my life I’d embark on without a plan.  I only knew I’d be living and breathing yoga for 9 weeks.  It was a journey of letting go, releasing my story of trauma, choosing sobriety, all in hopes that I could learn how to love myself. 

Almost 7 years later (today), I walk out of my loving teacher’s class and she thanks me with deep gratitude for being a seed of courage for her – for my understanding of what this means, how the courage takes root, feels, and manifests deep within the fibers of our being. 

I giggled and shared with her that throughout the class I was reflecting on how she feeds me courage.  And here’s just another event in my life that reminds me how we are all one.  When we are open to each other, we are each other’s teachers.  We are mirrors for one another.  If we are willing to release our fear to stand in our own truth, I believe love becomes abundant, accessible, and spills into every facet of our life.  With this vulnerability, we begin to love ourselves.

My goal was to go 60 days on just juice.  After 31 days I stopped counting.  I think I juiced for 35 – 40 days.  During the juice feast, I experienced profound shifts.  I’ve maintained almost a daily Bikram yoga practice.  I’ve been making it to the gym 3-5 times a week.  I’m nourishing my body from the inside out.  I’ve been in constant action.  My body is opening up.  Everyday in yoga, I’m in awe of my increased flexibility.  I recognize my reflection in the mirror.  The bags under my eyes are disappearing.  I feel reconnected to my faith.  I feel more trusting to the process.  There has been a letting go of fear.  I’m more at ease.  Everyday challenges no longer throw me off.  I feel deeply connected to my gratitude.  Where I’d normally turn my back and run, I’ve stood in my discomfort and created an opportunity to grow.  I know I have a lot of love to share and I’m not holding back.  I also allow myself to feel my pain and move through it until I come back to that special sweet spot of unconditional love… for myself and others.

My intention for just drinking juice was to create space for me to come back to feeling aligned and confident with my purpose.  I did not want it to become a count down to the day I could chew solid food again and treat myself to something sweet.  It was about creating positive patterns; re-training myself to nourish my body, mind, and spirit and drinking the magic juice.

So, when I started to experience some weakness in my yoga practice and with my workouts somewhere around day 35-40, I decided to transition slowly back into consuming food with fiber – first with just juice and shakes.  Today, I’m drinking 1-2 quarts of green juice everyday with a midday meal.  My body craves our Sweet Lady Green and I now treat myself like a Sun In Bloom guest and put my order in for a week supply of juice every Monday.  I know this juice is a key to me living my best life possible.

And just after I made this contract with myself to drink at least 2 organic cold-pressed Norwalk green juices everyday, I received an email from my special teacher requesting to purchase a month of Sun In Bloom’s green juices to support her in drinking 2 a day.  Yes, we are all connected. 

We look forward to seeing you this weekend for brunch or whenever the time is right for you to return to Sun In Bloom.  We are always here for you.  And, now open 7 days a week!

Wishing you abundant joy, pleasure, and love in your life.

Love,

Aimee

Brunch #39 @ Sun In Bloom – Magic, Synergy, Green Juice & a Record Breaking Saturday!

 Written Sunday, October 2, 2011

I’ve been meaning to sit down all week to construct this newsletter, but I’ve been in a magical dance of being present… allowing each moment to move me forward.
 
I’ve also been juice feasting and on a journey I refer to as the HOT Raw and Juicy Adventure and somewhere on day 35 or so. I’ve lost count.
 
In my latest blog post, I wrote about the challenges I faced when Sun In Bloom’s head line chef was out sick for a week. I shared how I steered my challenges from self-sabotage to opportunity.
 
For me, everyday is a challenge. But, what I’ve finally come to feel deeply re-connected to is how much joy, happiness, and freedom I feel when I choose to see all the possibility and opportunity that is presented in every challenge. 
 

Brunch Tart – Butternut Squash, Shitake Bacon, Caramelized Onions

I remain very committed to my juicing, but I’m also super dedicated to Sun In Bloom and my commitment to offer the most delicious experience. I guess you can say I’m an extremist. When I do something, it’s ALL or NOTHING.
 
So, with the shift in seasons, I’ve been working on some new recipes and dishes. When I decided to taste a recipe, for a moment, I felt that I sabotaged the juice feast. Like I was no longer clean and would have to start all over again…
 
But something deep within me profoundly shifted and I started relating to myself in loving, gentle, and accepting way. It was in this shift that I decided I can continue my juice feast while tasting recipes when it’s appropriate and necessary. I can continue detoxifying my body and mind, and experience all the healing from this juice feast even if I have to taste a soup recipe or new sauce. This shift from living with an extremist perspective (all or nothing) to being gently and loving with myself marks an evolution in the fabric of my being. I really feel that I am turning the page to a new and exciting chapter of my life. Thank you Sweet Lady Green Juice! (btw, I created a new recipe with green apple and lime – SO delicious!)  
 

Today was a record breaking Saturday at Sun In Bloom. We now have to maintain a wait list for brunch!
 
I can’t explain the depth of gratitude I feel for what I witness happening at the restaurant. I can see the vibrations of our guests rise in reflection to their experience eating our food. And the love and gratitude we feel from each guest is fueling Sun In Bloom to go higher and give it all back in the food we create and serve. Together we create this amazing synergy. Thank you for participating and sharing your energy with us. Together, we can create change in our world and support each other to live our best lives possible. 
 
If it’s been a while since you’ve dined at Sun In Bloom, I hope you will come soon to say hello and witness the magic that is being created. 
 

Also, if you are interested in learning more about cleansing, my wonderful friend John Rosania of Dr. Junger’s CLEAN team and I are going to lead another CLEAN cleanse. Please email me (info@suninbloom.com) if you’d like to join us. It’s a 21-day cleansing program that includes food, shakes, and juice. 
 
CLEAN is the cleansing program that I attribute to saving my life when I hit rock bottom. I found it to be completely accessible at a time when my attention was focused on how sick and tired I felt and there was no hope. My experience with the CLEAN cleanse gave me my health back and helped me see that if I make my health my number one priority, everything else in my life will fall into place. 
 
Love, Aimee
 
p.s. If you are on Facebook, please support us by LIKING our page. You can also follow Sun In Bloom on Twitter @suninbloom. 
This is where I share everyday news and pictures of our dishes.  I’m having lot of fun connecting with like-minded people and meeting wonderful new friends.  It would be fun to connect with you here too!  

Day 7: HOT Raw & Juice Adventure… Winds of Change are blowing.

The winds of change are blowing.  I embarked on a 60-day juice feast last week and tomorrow marks my 8^th day of consuming only juice (3 QTS of Sun In Bloom’s Sweet Lady Green & another QT of a creative blend).  The shifts I’m experiencing are profound.

My fridge 😉

I’ve always lived an inspired and charmed life – voraciously following my heart and chasing my passions.  And this approach to life has led to a storybook loaded with over-the-top exciting adventures, and many struggles.

Life is a duality.

“You have the option to focus on what you want or the absence of what you want. You can tell what choice you are making by the way you are feeling.  And you can constantly change your choice.”  – Ester Hicks

Jumping into this juice feast was not a quick, unplanned or irrational reaction to my struggles.  It is something I’ve had the desire to do with integrity for a couple years.  The calling just intensified when I lost my balance in the latest chapter – Girl takes leap of faith to follow dream and opens off-the-grid restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Sun In Bloom - 460 Bergen Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn

I’ve attempted to make the commitment to an extended juice feast several times this past year.  Yet, each time I backed out with “very good” reason.  Although I’ve consciously been making healthier choices for myself to achieve balance, I’ve felt trapped in a body that does not feel like mine, my energy levels continue to decline, and I’ve succumbed to feelings of depression.  On my worst days, I felt dead.

So, why do some of us have to fall down  (really, really hard)… possibly even face death before we decide to scrape ourselves from the floor to make a significant life change that will completely alter how we look, feel and interact with the world? 

The story we tell ourselves is the basis of our lives.  And, if I continued to focus on how much my body hurt, exhausted I am, or imbalanced my life is, I realize I will continue to be unsuccessful in living the life I desire to experience.

Unhappiness does not align with the essence of who I am.  When I became aware that thoughts of self-doubt and fear are misaligned with my inner being, the idea of embarking on a 60-day juice feast became a very exciting fun opportunity, surrounded by light.  With alignment there are endless possibilities!  So, during these past 8 days, I wake up and consciously choose to face my day with courage and do the work I must do to live the extraordinary life I deserve to experience.

I share my experience with the hope that maybe one person will connect with my story and realize you are not alone.  We all deserve to live healthy, happy, joyful lives.

Brunch at Sun In Bloom - Delicous Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes!

Hope to see you for brunch!  I dreamed up a spiced cream of cauliflower soup that Byron made today.  I tasted a teaspoon to offer feedback and I was overjoyed by how it took on the flavors of the stock I imagined it would.  We are going to have a very creative Fall at Sun In Bloom!  Also, stay tuned – I am hoping to reopen on Tuesdays this month.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love, Aimee

Brunch #34 – Nourish Body & Soul

I can’t believe I am writing a newsletter for brunch #34… which means there are only 18 brunches that remain in 2011!  So, I suppose it’s only fitting I share with you the intention I’m setting for a journey I’ll embark on next week with my friend Susan Scharf MD.  She is a local integrative practicioner specializing in functional medicine.

I’ve had a very deep desire to do a juice feast for several years.  And I go back and forth on this idea all the time… is it really healthy?  Is it possible to do this being I am the chef of a restaurant?  Am I just setting myself up for failure?  Am I just looking for a quick fix?  Is this really the example I want to set?

Excuses, justification, and a million reasons later why I should not do this, I’ve come to the clear and confident decision that I am going to embark on a 60 day juice feast.  Yes, a feast – 4 quarts of organic juice daily.  (I will be doing this extended cleanse with supplements and the guidance of a physician.) 

I’ve talked about the aches and pains of opening a restaurant, my frustrations with my personal health, and the sacrafices I’ve made and how it’s affected how I am experiencing my life.  My focus has been on the eight hundred backward steps I’ve taken and how hard it’s going to be to put my life back on track to my dreams.

But, yet another wonderful epiphany led me to realize all of my efforts have moved me forward.  Yes, I have some battle scars from falling, but every time I fall I get back up and continue on my journey.

What I now see with so much clarity is that this process of opening Sun In Bloom has just been another life test that has helped further peel away layers that cushion me from facing the deepest traumas, fear, and emotional pain eye-to-eye.

 

I did a 30 day juice feast several years ago and it refreshed me and set me up for some of the most wonderful years of my life.  In fact, I am 100% confident Sun In Bloom was born because I was in the midst of a very deep cleanse that involved juice, raw food, and daily meditation – my whole focus was to practice being present every day, every moment.  It brought me into a truly extraordinary place.  But, for some reason, I’ve been terrified to fulfill my deep desire to complete a 60-day juice feast.

So, now that I’m aware of the obstacle, I’m ready to do this.  And, it’s going to be fun! 

My intention is to bathe every cell in a green alkalizing juice bath – beautiful minerals and nutrients supporting them to release toxins and preform all of their functions optimally. 

My intention is to take the time to lovingly nourish my body. 

My intention is to sit with anxiety, feel the anxiety rise in my body, and sit with it until it passes. 

My intention is to truly reconnect to my faith in this journey and create space for the opportunity to live the most extraordinary life possible and experience optimal health. 

Dr. Susan Scharf and I are both passionate women and have invested the majority of our lives in taking care of others.  We’ve both known for a very long time that we have to invest in ourselves as much as we do in others, but this is always easier said than done.  Maybe you can relate?  So, we decided to take an oath and support each other on the journey. I will be juicing and Susan is transitioning into eating only raw foods for 60 days. If you have any desire to experience the true healing from cleansing, please join us for any length of time you want.  I work with people individually to design 3-10 day cleanses.  Everyone who has done a Sun In Bloom cleanse has had a remarkable experience and I know you will also feel empowered to live your best life possible too.

 

Sun In Bloom will have a happy hour to kick-off our exciting journey with samples of the juice we will nourish ourselves with.  Come wish us luck at Sun In Bloom, next Friday, August 26 from 5-7 PM as we embark on this adventure.  

In the meantime, treat yourself, family and friends to a nourishing brunch at Sun In Bloom.  It is our absolute pleasure serving you.

Love,
Aimee

New Brunch Creation!

Featuring on this weekend’s brunch menu!

Fresh Summer Grain Salad featuring a Butternut Squash Gluten-Free Grain Square (millet, brown rice, corn, butternut squash, seeds) w/ a Savory Dollup of Pesto.  VERY Satisfying & Delicious!

Aligning with Purpose & A Heartfelt Letter.

Do you question your purpose, become curious about why you are are here, and ponder what will fulfill you completely?

I think I started seeking answers to these questions when I was still in elementary school.  Yes, I’ve always been curious about the world and everything beyond.  When I was a little girl, I studied everything from cells under a microscope to the tadpoles and salamanders I collected, and adopted turtles that I’d make a home for in the wheel barrel (then set free).

I’ve always had the insatiable desire to be part of change and show people that it only takes one person to start a movement.  I know there is more to this life than feeling trapped by work and stress. I’ve personally experienced the wonderful benefits of choosing health and unconditional love.  Yet, since opening Sun In Bloom, I’ve also faced the challenges of stress, anxiety and fear.  So, my monkey mind often challenges me further to ask, “Why are you killing yourself trying to run a restaurant by yourself and on a shoestring budget?  Could it be time to walk away?”

Yet, as soon as I am deeply pondering my situation and how to find my way back to my own health, I receive one of the most heartfelt letters I’ve ever read.  It truly moved me to tears and I want to share it with you, because it was written by a guest who inspires me every day and I received her letter in that moment when I was asking my higher self to let me know if I am truly in alignment with my purpose. 

This Sun In Bloom guest made a commitment one year ago to make whatever changes she needed to experience abundant health, happieness and joy.  I’m deeply honored to have witnessed her transformation and growth as a mother, wife, friend and spiritual being.  I couldn’t feel more grateful to be a part of her expansion.  Thank you Tamar for allowing me to be a part of your journey!

Aimee and her love child of a place, SIB, were definitely conspiring with the universe to be a part of the grand scheme to save my life.  It was no coincidence that after always driving down Bergen St. for so many years, that during a time of great change in my life and as I was instructed to be on a vegan, no processed food diet for few weeks, so happens that I walk down SIB’s block for the first time in at least 3 years.

I couldn’t believe my luck! I walked into SIB and was beyond happy to find there is a place like this under my nose, and that I stumbled upon it when I needed it most. It was a greater treat too (confirming Aimee was in on it) to find out she even cared enough to make it Kosher. Conspiracy, I tell you!

That was August of last year, 2010, and I have been living there ever since.

I was exposed and introduced to a new way of life, new way of eating, of being, of feeling this year, and SIB played a key role in helping me and deliciously easing me into the transitions I was committed to making.

It is the cleanest food in NYC. Literally you can feel the difference when you eat there versus to other vegan places in the neighborhood and really around NYC in general.  To me, it is also the most kosher place in town. Fit for my mind, body and soul. 

2 weeks ago we celebrated our son’s 3rd birthday and his first haircut and we asked Aimee to cater our event.

I wanted to share my love to SIB with our friends and family and give them a taste of the good life. The spread was amazing and generous and absolutely perfectly paired with our eco friendly efforts.

Everyone, and I mean, EVERYONE was raving about the food!

Most have never been exposed to this type of cuisine and though some had no idea what they were even eating, or that they are drooling over vegan, gluten free cupcakes, they didn’t care there was no meat, or cheese, or butter, rather kept on going for seconds. While tummies and palates were in heaven, I was in heaven too, and felt amazing and absolutely guilt free, knowing I treated our guests to the best of both worlds.

I love Aimee deeply for what she has given our lives and the positive change she is contributing to through her hard work and dedication to SIB.

Thank you Aimee, for everything.
With love

Tamar Reich. A SIB junkie

Love,
Aimee

p.s. I’ve been in a super creative space and there are lot’s of new specials this weekend at Sun In Bloom.  They are SO delicious!!!