Inside The Bungalow
http://insidethebungalow.com
Yoga, Cafe, and Events
48 N. Robson Mesa, AZ  85201
(480) 844-2353
e-mail: Info@insidethebungalow.com

A charming, relaxed, eclectic atmosphere is always a plus in a coffee shop.  Add fair trade delicious coffees and teas, a variety of vegan and vegetarian friendly meals, amazing owners and barista, and to top it all off, a gorgeous yoga studio and area for massage.. sound impossible? You haven’t been to Inside the Bungalow!  I have to admit my bias here, they have just started carrying my Strawberry Hedgehog products there (another bonus!).  Honestly, even if they had hated my products, though, I would have been back again and again.

There is convenient parking right in front of this 1916 house in the heart of downtown Mesa.  Surrounded by trees there are even shady spots, a rare gem in the desert!  The atmosphere is incredibly welcoming with lovely greenery, beautiful colors, and the soothing sound of water from the fountain on their front patio.  With so much beauty it is clear why people choose this spot to have their eco-friendly weddings and receptions!  It feels more like stopping by a friend’s really cool house instead of heading to a coffee shop or yoga studio.

Inside the Bungalow is owned by a delightful mother-daughter duo, Betty Freeman and Carrie Hensley.  They were kind enough to show me around and let me take some pictures.  They have a really great dynamic with one another and are just great to be around.  At the risk of sounding like a crazy hippie, the whole place just has a really great “vibe” about it and I was happy to be there.

The food, tea, and coffee live up to the great atmosphere.  They are doing their best to be more “green” and offer the price of a small drink when you bring in your own cup and recycle if you don’t.  Also, when you request a cup for there they have washable cups to save some plastic and you can take your time enjoying the place.  Many of their teas are organic and fair trade, also great for the environment. Take a look at their tea display, any tea enthusiast would be thrilled to see the yummy possibilities. Among the great selection are some extra decadent ones that even have chocolate bits so vegans read the labels carefully and everyone else enjoy indulging!

James and I went for lunch and had the Vegan Pita Pizza and the Tofu Curry wrap with a side of fruit.  As much as I like the place and the owners, with so many other great things going on - yoga, massage, great tea and coffee, I wasn’t sure they would pull off the food. I was SO wrong.  First of all, usually when you order a side of fruit at many places it is a squishy side of melon - not here! Fresh, ripe raspberries, strawberries, and antioxidant packed blueberries were a really refreshing treat. The simplicity of the Vegan Pita Pizza was amazingly delicious.  It has a hummus base that was to die for topped with fresh spinach and tomato. Doesn’t sound like much but that is why it is so great.  The simple flavors let each ingredient shine, I couldn’t get over how great it was.

The Tofu Curry was equally great. Normally I don’t like raisins but mixed with a fantastic mild curry sauce, just enough crunch from toasted sliced almonds and tofu wrapped in a sun dried tomato tortilla and I was in heaven!  What is even better still is they use organic ingredients when ever possible.  I would highly recommend either of these dishes and the awesome barista, a vegan herself, was very flexible with making things vegan and offering up great suggestions on her favorite dishes.  She made us a fantastic smoothie for the road and we drove off full and happy.

I highly recommend Inside the Bungalow for anyone looking for a cute local place to go for coffee, tea, or great food (vegan, vegetarian, or otherwise). It is good to know that they are doing all they can to serve their customers and find better ways of conducting business in an eco-friendly manner.

While I am no yogi myself just seeing their yoga studio and meeting the owners who are also the instructors I feel motivated to give it a shot.  They have a variety of classes available from partner yoga to herbal healing that look great and I will certainly be giving a try and I hope you will, too.

Click here to view the Inside the Bungalow food menu

Click here to view the Inside the Bungalow drink menu

Click here to see what Inside the Bungalow is doing to be more “Green”

I recently came across this write up on the Arizona State University news site and am proud to share it. Kudos to the Princeton review for this category of rating to encourage healthy, positive competition between universities and kudos to ASU for taking some great initiative and striving to be proactive when it comes to solving some of the biggest environmental issues we are facing.

Princeton Review rating based on environmental practices, policies and course offerings

Arizona State University has been named one of the nation’s “greenest” universities by The Princeton Review in its first-ever rating of environmentally friendly institutions.

The “2009 Green Rating Honor Roll” is a numerical score on a scale of 60 to 99 that The Princeton Review tallied for 534 colleges and universities based on data it collected from the schools in the 2007-08 academic year concerning their environmentally related policies, practices and academic offerings.

The Green Rating scores appear in the website profiles of the 534 schools that posted on The Princeton Review’s site (www.PrincetonReview.com) today.

Click here to read the full article on the ASU News site.

This information is from Local First AZ, an excellent resource for everything local in urban Arizona (specifically the Phoenix and Tucson areas). Their search engine is a great tool when you want to go somewhere new and be sure it is local. Not all local places are listed here as not every local business knows about it yet. If any of your favorite spots are not listed you might recommend to the management that they visit the site, LocalFirstAZ.com so they can show their local pride and be seen by more folks who care about supporting local business.

Think Outside the Big Box
Save Money, Avoid Salmonella: Go Local!

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to avoid raw jalapenos and serrano peppers grown, harvested or packed in Mexico, due to fears of salmonella contamination.

With food-borne illness warnings and skyrocketing prices, providing fresh, safe and affordable produce for your lunch box has become a challenging pickle for thoughtful consumers. Once again, there are a bounty of LOCAL SOLUTIONS for your table!

1. Though visiting a farmer’s market won’t innoculate you from germs, you will be able to talk with the producer and learn about their practices - and get the freshest fruits and veggies for your table.
2. The Arizona Farm Bureau can help you find Arizona farmers that sell direct to consumers. Check out www.fillyourplate.org - where you can find what’s in season as well as tips on stretching your food dollar.
3. GROW YOUR OWN! At the start of the outbreak in June when tomatoes were the culprit, the FDA said homegrown varieties were considered safest! From classes to nurseries to containers, Local First members can help you start your own garden.
4. GO ORGANIC - Pick your poison: Salmonella vs. Pesticide or BOTH! Local First has restaurants and suppliers that specialize in organic food!
5. BE A LOCAVORE - Chef James Porter of Tapino Kitchen and Wine Bar with special guest Chef Payton Curry from Digestif are whipping up LOCAVORE 3 - a dining extravaganza of Arizona grown delicacies. So popular is this event they have added an extra night - Tuesday, August 5 and Wednesday, August 6 at 6:30 PM. Reservations required: 480.991.6887.Remember, you have a choice where to spend your hard-earned dollars, and by eating locally, you’re not only providing a healthy option for your family, but also THREE TIMES the revenue stays in-state to support our Arizona schools, parks and libraries!

As Congress looks ahead to its August recess, thousands of workers in America’s wind and solar energy companies are looking ahead to something very different — possible layoffs.

It’s time to pick up the phone.

It’s stunning that layoffs could happen in such a high growth sector. But it’s what we can expect if Congress fails to extend the tax incentives that are key to getting these new industries established.

Please call your Senators right now at the numbers below.

* Make sure they know you are one of their constituents.
* Ask them to support the tax incentives for renewable energy in bill S. 3335.
* Tell them it is essential that these incentives pass before the recess. Waiting longer will cause a significant loss of momentum for these industries.

You can reach your Senators at these numbers:

Senator McCain: 202-224-2235
You may also contact Senator McCain through his website by clicking here.

Senator Jon Kyl: 202-224-4521
You may also contact Senator Kyl through his website by clicking here.

America can lead the way in producing electricity from sources that do not contribute to global warming. Doing so would revitalize our economy, make us more secure and help solve the climate crisis. We need the Senate to act.

Got a email about this really interesting sounding talk coming up in August in Phoenix and thought I’d pass along the info for anyone that is interested. Seating is limited so RSVP if you want to go!

(Save the Date: 8-21-08) TGen’s Dr. John Carpten speaks on the
Environmental Causes of Cancer

Coming Thursday, August 21st 2008 at 7:30am

Southwest Green Breakfast Discussion Series: Putting green to work
for you!

Brought to you by Southwest Green magazine (sw-green.com), a
EC-Publication and Tom’s Tavern and Restaurant

Subject: Environmental Factors Influencing Cancer Risks

Presented by Dr. John D. Carpten, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator and Director
Division of Integrative Cancer Genomics
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, AZ

About the Lecture

Going green is about making environmentally, socially and
economically
sound decisions that will improve quality of life. That includes
living in a way that can reduce the influences in our lives that can
result in disease. In the first of our Southwest-Green Breakfast
lectures at Town Tavern, Dr. John Carpten will discuss how factors
within our environment can affect the risk of developing cancer.

About the Speaker

The Director of the Division of Integrative Cancer Genomics at the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, AZ Dr.
John
Carpten is an exceptionally talented cancer investigator with an
unparalleled compassion for patients and dedication to finding
answers. His work at TGen is focused on searching for genetic
identifiers that will act as predictors for prostate cancer.  In
addition to prostate cancer, Dr. Carpten is also working on adult
hematological malignancies, particularly multiple myeloma, a disease
that again disproportionately affects African Americans. Finally Dr.
Carpten is also the laboratory project leader for the Multiple
Myeloma
Genomic Initiative, a multi-million dollar research program designed
to rapidly accelerate progress made against multiple myeloma by
significantly improving the understanding of the biology of the
disease. He was recently named a “Trailblazer” by “Science Spectrum”
magazine.

Date……..Thursday August 21st, 2008

Time……..7am, Breakfast Seating
7:30-8:30am, Program

Location….Tom’s Restaurant & Tavern
2 N. Central Ave., Phoenix AZ 85004
Phone 602-257-1688
Parking in Patriot’s Park garage
(bring receipt for validation)

Cost……..Free, breakfast on your own

RSVP……..Seating is limited to 40 - please RSVP

To RSVP email
** EMAIL
(preferred method we can send you a reminder)
Send email to RSVP@NxTHorizon.com with your
name, phone # and mention you’re attending Southwest Green
Breakfast Discussion Series