Studying in style!

I like to spend Saturday being lazy and Sunday being productive because Monday is usually more demanding than Sunday. It just aligns the flow of the week if I ease back into working. 

Breakfast at Ryan Crown's Juice Bar, Phildelphia, PA:

Alter-native juice: lemon, astragalus root, apple, ginger root & mineral water
(My new favourite blend! This is so, so refreshing. It's almost like a more savoury lemonade but not quite; I might just be saying that because it's not tarty like lemonade but the juice has that citrus refreshing factor. Definitely something I'd get again and again. On a side note, I totally meant to go in and grab maybe one or two juices before heading to a coffee shop to study. However, my friend was working so I ended up just studying vocab at the juice bar.)

Watermelon basil lemon juice (+ habernero pepper)
(A secret menu  item but one that should be added to the regular asap! I added the pepper because I wanted a kick. The basil is a bit strong, but I loved this juice anyway. You can never go wrong with watermelon and basil - never. It's basically the epitome of summer.)

Brunch at Varga Bar, Philadelphia, PA:

Miss July - watermelon mint margarita: teguilla, triple sec, mint simple syrup, watermelon puree & cucumber
(Another watermelon-based drink and quite the kicker too. I don't know what teguilla is - maybe tequila in a different language or a brand?- but triple sec is an orange-flavoured liqueur.  I couldn't detect the orange flavour, but I could feel the warmth of the teguilla and triple sec. This honestly tasted like a slightly bitter watermelon with cucumber undertones, which was good for me because I hate sugary drinks. I liked it, but I kind of felt like it was missing something.)

Veggie burger: heirloom tomato, English cucumber, cheddar, truffled aioli w/an olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette dressed salad
(I hate creamy dressings, and I totally forgot that aioli is on the creamy side. That's my only complaint about this burger. Everything else about it was so utterly delicious. I mean, Varga Bar even makes their own ketchup and mustard - pictured in the background below - and I want to steal those bottles. The ketchup had raspberry vinaigrette and mustard seeds in it for a sweet and tarty taste, and the mustard was spicy and just about the best mustard I've ever had in my life. Although I don't eat much mustard, I really do think that if you're a fan of dijon mustard, you must go here. Anyway, back to the burger. I think it was a brioche bun, perfectly crisp on the outside and rims while warm and soft on the inside, which built a solid foundation for this burger alone. The veggie patty was the most unique one I've ever had; most are black bean or grain-based but this seemed to be made from chickpeas. It was kind of mushy but not really at the same time and would occasionally crumble. The absolute best part was the corn kernels and black pepper. It made me feel like I should be eating this burger at the Hamptons or some other frou-frou beach house area - all that was missing was the crab. The menu said that R. Evan Turney is the executive chef and if he's the one that made the recipe, man does he make a mean veggie burger. However, I will admit that while this burger didn't ping me into the cosmos, it was very memorable and I would totally eat it again. I'm still on the hunt for the best veggie burger!)

My delectable brunch!
(I have seriously upgraded my study "snacks". It will probably never get better than this. Sometimes I like studying in slightly talkative eateries because it helps me enhance my "focusing" skills. )

Snack at Ryan Crown's Juice Bar, Philadelphia, PA:

Synthesize smoothie: sunflower seed butter, apples, hemp/flax seeds, almond milk & alfalfa leaf powder
(This one reminded me of cold cinnamon apple oatmeal and was just about as chunky. I probably wouldn't get this again.)

Dinner:

Quinoa w/assorted veggies, tumeric, almond flour & ground flaxseeds
(Sorry, this food must look terrible after what I had for brunch.)