Welcome to Sweet Eats!
My name is Erica; I’m a self proclaimed “foodie” and vegetarian from New York City who truly loves to eat wholesome, healthy, and real food. I don’t, and have never believed in diet food or deprivation; life is too short not to enjoy that piece of cake or that cookie! I believe that both moderation and dedication are the two components that allow for maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle. I eat dessert every single night, and I don’t feel guilty about it in the slightest. In fact, I pride myself on it! Enjoying life through the pleasure and beauty of food is a top priority of mine. Although I’m a busy girl, I have a passion for cooking and baking and do it as often as possible. I also love to dine out and experience the vast array of culinary gems that the wonderful city of New York provides; I feel truly lucky to be living in the “food capital of the world!”
I believe that our diets should mainly consist of whole, organic, and unprocessed foods. I know that my body feels best when eating a plant-based diet; fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes give me all the energy necessary to make every day as successful and productive as possible. I want to instill my beliefs in others, and hopefully make them as passionate about eating real food and living a healthy life as I am. After all, I strongly swear by the motto “you are what you eat.”
In recent months, I have decided that although I am passionate about nutrition and healthy eating, becoming an R.D. is no longer a priority of mine. I love food itself so much, and the actual cooking and baking processes are where my heart is at. Therefore, after I finish college, I will be applying for culinary school in hopes to one day open up an organic/vegan pastry shop in Manhattan that I can call my own. I want to learn as much as possible about the art of cooking and baking, and I feel that culinary school is the place I’m destined to be.
Aside from my love for eating, cooking, and baking, I also have a fondness for photography. It would only make sense to consolidate my passion for both food and taking pictures, and eventually dabble in food styling as well as food photography. I have plenty of goals in mind, and I believe that my determination and ambition will take me far.
Thank you all so much for visiting the blog! I do it all for my devoted readers. And of course, comments and questions are always welcome. Feel free to leave me a comment here or contact me at erica@sweeteatsny.com. I will be more than happy to answer anything!

61 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 30, 2008 at 11:48 pm
april
Hi! this is my first time to read your blog and i think its great! its nice to see another teenager eating healthy! (i’m seventeen) but anyway keep up the good work!
April 2, 2008 at 8:25 am
L
i love your blog! we seem to have similar interests. good luck with your goals, im sure you’ll be successfull.
April 4, 2008 at 2:10 am
erica
Thank you both so much, I really appreciate it!
April 7, 2008 at 6:20 pm
trustmyintuition
Hey! Your blog is great! I am 20, so I can relate a lot to you and have pretty much identical food philosophies! Keep it up!
April 8, 2008 at 1:36 am
andrea
i love your food philosophy! your blog is soooo pretty too :)
p.s. you are GORGEOUS!!!
April 8, 2008 at 11:29 pm
erica
trustmyintuition – thank you! i like your blog a lot as well! :)
Andrea – thank you so much!
April 14, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Jane
Hi Erica!
Love your blog-
As a college student myself,
i’m just wondering–what college will you be attending next fall?
April 15, 2008 at 12:46 am
erica
Jane – Hunter College. :)
April 16, 2008 at 8:57 pm
b
I love this blog! I’m a high school senior as well and live in Manhattan. I aspire to eat like you and I was on track– in the past year or so i’ve gotten MUCH healthier about my eating habits. Recently though, I’ve fallen off the wagon…any advice (-:
keep up the great work!
April 17, 2008 at 12:38 am
erica
b – What do you consider as having ‘fallen off the wagon?’ My advice without having too much information is to just always listen to your body, and feed it with whole, nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. I know for a fact that I feel my best when I’m consuming foods that I know are beneficial to my well-being.
And thank you so much for visiting the blog! Feel free to ask any other questions you may have, and I’ll do my best to answer them. :)
April 17, 2008 at 8:36 pm
s
This is my first time visiting your blog and it’s truly an inspiration! You may have answered this already somewhere else but I want to ask you where you usually grocery shop and what does a normal list consist of if you make a list ahead of time. Or do you just find creative ways to put together food that your family already has in the house?
April 20, 2008 at 8:19 pm
b
I guess my biggest problem is snacking–i always want to eat for the sake of eating! It’s horrible. Also when I’m with friends and they’re all eating I eat, even though I’m not hungry at all! It’s such an unconscious thing. I think I’ve gained 10 pound in a month i was around 115 and now i’m like 125…it would be nice to get back in shape for prom ect! (-: anyways i guess i just have to think before i eat? Something i rarely do . Thanks for listening and i’ll keep coming to your blog every day for support and inspiration!
April 21, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Maria
I was referred to your blog by a friend, primarily for the photography. I must say, however, I love your attitudes about food and health in general. Keep the lovely pictures and meal ideas coming, and good luck with your culinary goals!
April 23, 2008 at 1:27 am
erica
s – Aww, thank you! Regarding grocery shopping, I usually have a very basic plan of some possible meals for the week so I can prepare accordingly. And considering I basically have all of the essential ingredients of most dishes, I usually only have to supplement with the fruits and veggies. :)
b – The only advice I can give you is to make sure you don’t eat mindlessly. Make sure you keep track of the food you’re eating, and try not to snack if you aren’t truly hungry. Also, watch the portion of the foods you consume, amount is everything! Good luck!
Maria – Thank you so much! I appreciate it.
April 30, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Sloane
hi! do you live with your parents? do you cook for them too, or just for yourself, or how does that all work for you?! great site :)
May 1, 2008 at 1:43 pm
erica
Sloane – I live with my mom, but I only cook for myself. She’s currently on a diet (ugh!) so she prepares her own meals. :)
June 7, 2008 at 11:55 pm
LK
Hi fellow nutrition enthusiast! We are nutrition students at Texas A&M. Yea for healthy eating and to enjoy food without being concerned about dieting! We like your values on eating wholesome nutritious food that can taste good, and we also share your dream of having a vegan bakery!
June 8, 2008 at 9:14 pm
erica
LK – It’s so great to hear about others that are as interested in nutrition as I am. Yay for eating healthy, delicious food while having a splurge every now and then!!
June 10, 2008 at 11:15 pm
dartrinton
hey erica, im a 17 year old high school grad from CT who also loves eating nutritoius food. Im not vegan, nor vegetarian, but i am leaning toward it. I am currently gaining weight back after losing too much, but like you, also love to eat natural foods.
i am going to college for political science, but i plan to take nutrition courses and possibly see if i truly want to be a dietican as well, i just love the field as well.
June 14, 2008 at 4:30 am
erica
dartrinton – Sounds like you’re heading towards the right direction.. even when trying to gain weight, eating natural, wholesome food is the way to go!
wow, political science.. impressive! i wish i was even remotely good in science.. that’s going to be a struggle for me! but i know that i will have to work hard at those specific classes to become that dietitian that i want to be.
good luck in all of your endeavors!
July 16, 2008 at 6:19 am
mi
what a great blog! your attitude is inspiring and motivating :) looking forward to reading more!
July 17, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Erin
Just wanted to reiterate how much I LOVE this blog!
July 21, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Amy
Love your blog! we have very similar tastes, especially our love of sweet breakfast staples like bananas and pancakes/waffles :) Just wondering, can your pancake batter recipe be used in a waffle maker?
July 25, 2008 at 3:04 am
erica
Amy – Yes, it surely can! I use it interchangeably, except I might add a touch of water to thin it out if necessary. :)
July 27, 2008 at 12:20 am
taytaycakes
Hey Erica! I just started my own blog, and I love reading your blog! You have made me start to crave waffles! Your very creative!
July 31, 2008 at 2:36 pm
erica
Thanks so much!
August 25, 2008 at 7:59 am
Josie
Erica, your blog is so inspiring! It’s too bad you won’t be able to post as much in the future, what with school and everything, but we’ll be waiting in anticipation for what you do post!
August 25, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Tiff
Great blog! Hope you don’t mind but I added you to my blogroll.
Take care!
August 30, 2008 at 1:22 am
Megan
Hey girl! I love your blog and have you on my blogroll! I am going to send you an invite via e-mail to join foodbuzz! It is a great community and everyone would love to read your blog.
August 31, 2008 at 2:15 am
erica
Josie – Thanks so much!
Tiff – Of course I don’t mind! What is the URL to your blog?
Megan – I’m honored to be added to your blogroll considering your blog is a favorite of mine! I’ll add you to mine as well, and I’m looking forward to the email.. foodbuzz sounds great!
September 3, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Tiff
Hey Erica,
Here’s my blog:
http://tiffeats.wordpress.com/
September 9, 2008 at 3:09 am
Kristin
Hi! I love your blog! I’ve added you to my blogroll, it’s so fun seeing what other people are eating. =)
September 26, 2008 at 8:17 pm
onesmartcookie
Hi there! Really enjoy your blog, it’s so inspiring. I was wondering if you could share your basic recipe for pancakes? I’d love to have an easy vegan recipe that only makes one serving that I can just whip up any morning I feel like it.
Thanks, and keep up all the great work!
September 30, 2008 at 12:47 am
sportsfoodlife
I have to admit I found your food blog when searching for sweet eats bakery and I absolutely loved your blog! I love fitness, nutrition and good meals and just started my own food blog. Thank you- I look forward to reading your posts : )
September 30, 2008 at 4:37 am
erica
onesmartcookie – The recipe I listed for banana chocolate chip pancakes can easily be turned into plain pancakes by simply omitting the chocolate chips! This is also a basic vegan pancake recipe that seems to have gone over quite well with those who’ve tried it:
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=255
sportsfoodlife – Thank you so much!!
October 3, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Erin
I just found your blog and I’m so glad I did! I love your approach and your meals and snacks looks great. I’m a dessert eater too. :)
October 5, 2008 at 3:17 pm
erica
Erin – Thank you so much! You have a great blog as well. And dessert eaters rule above all ;)
October 12, 2008 at 3:14 pm
WW
If you are looking for a culinary school, go to Johnson & Wales. I love it here. I am studying Culinary Nutrition. There is baking and pastry arts too that you are interested in =]
October 15, 2008 at 3:10 am
erica
WW- thank you for the recommendation! Where exactly is Johnson & Wales?
November 18, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Emily
Hello Erica!
This is Emily from Candle Cafe. I just found that paper you gave me with your website so I’m finally checking it out now! Sooooo amazing!!! It’s great to hear about your passion and appreciation for great tasting, healthy food! Your website is so adorable and it makes me wish I knew how to cook!
We haven’t seen you at the cafe in awhile! I saw your post about applying.. I’m 100% positive if you ever applied there, the cafe or candle79 would love to have you!
xo
Emily
November 26, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Andrea [bella eats]
Food + Photography = 2 of my loves as well!!! What kind of camera do you use? Your photos are gorgeous!
November 28, 2008 at 6:40 am
erica
Emily- So glad you finally came to visit the blog and that you like it! I actually just had my thanksgiving dinner at the cafe, and it was absolutely incredible. I haven’t been frequenting the restaurant as often lately because I’ve been so busy with schoolwork and such. But don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you all- i’ll be back soon!
I’m actually still considering applying at some point, so that’s good to know!
Thanks again for visiting! <3
Andrea- I use a canon rebel xsi.. it’s my baby!
December 3, 2008 at 8:36 pm
ananymous
Hi,
I agree with all of the above, a great blog! Good photography. However with a history of ED myself I am concerned by the fact that you are very underweight and attribute this emaciation to a “fast metabolism”. I said the same for about 3 years.
Just a word of warning
December 5, 2008 at 2:34 am
erica
“ananymous” – Thanks for the concern, however I’ve been thin my entire life, and I’ve never had an eating disorder, therefore what you’re saying doesn’t apply to me. You shouldn’t be so quick to come to conclusions.
December 9, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Laura
As a fellow new yorker, can I ask you what part of NYC you grew up in/live now?
PS I went to babycakes for the first time a few weeks ago and I am addicted to the cupcake tops – yum! :)
December 17, 2008 at 5:05 pm
erica
Laura- I would be glad to tell you through an email, but i’d rather not divulge such personal information so out in the open. Feel free to email me though!
Babycakes is AMAZING! I’ve got to get myself back there asap.
December 20, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Megan
Hi Erica! What camera did you recently get? The pictures look great!
December 24, 2008 at 8:45 am
erica
Megan- Thanks! The camera is a canon rebel xsi; I’m in love with it!
December 25, 2008 at 8:30 am
Natalie
How tall are you?
Random random I know
December 26, 2008 at 5:00 pm
erica
Natalie- I’m 5′5″
January 9, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Weathergal
Hi Erica
It has taken me so long to reply, but if you would like to do a joint episode together, it would be fun! We live close to one another, so email me any time.
Happy New Year!
Yvonne
January 10, 2009 at 7:45 am
erica
Yvonne,
Will do! I’m basically available whenever because I’m not in school right now, so I’ll send you an email asap. :)
January 12, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Laci
Erica-
I love your blog and you are such an inspiring person to me! It’s really sad how so many young girls in the blogging world use their blogs to tell the world what they eat when it’s very little or only like “fat free/low calorie” foods, disguised with veganism. But there’s NO way you fall into that trap! I’m a NYC resident as well and a vegetarian seeking a healthier lifestyle, but WITHOUT deprivation as well. ( COuldn’t live without going out aevery once in a while, or especially without homemade- or store bought cruelty free desserts! =) ) It’s so nice you find the time to write a post most nights, and I’ll miss them when you go back to collage after break! =( But for now, I just wanted to let you know you have many blog fans including my self who appriciate your guidance, energy and “web diary” of your fabulous lifesyle! Keep up the great work! =)
P.S. If we ever meet when I get out of school, we should totally open a vegan bakery together in NYC! It’s just a dream…
January 14, 2009 at 4:03 am
erica
Laci- Wow, thank you so, so much! The one thing I want to get across to my readers is that I eat purely for pleasure, and have no guilt about the foods I consume. Deprivation just isn’t necessary, and it’s a shame that so many girls feel the need to “ban” or restrict themselves of certain foods that they love . Life is too short!
Oh, and no worries, I’ll be blogging just as regularly once I return to school! My schedule isn’t too heavy, so I have plenty of time to devote to the blog. :)
If you ever want to pick up a bite in the city, let me know! And the vegan bakery idea is right up my alley!
January 19, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Mark
Hi Erica,
Just wanted to formally say thank you for all the nice things you say about the Candles. Your food pics are amazing. The way you make an day-old Indian Style Wrap look at home is amazing. Also wanted to say that the new White Choc. Mac. Nut Cliff bar is the best. I first got to try at food show in Boston before it came out. SOOO GOOOOD!
In food we trust,
Mark
January 29, 2009 at 9:39 am
Karen
Love love love your blog and the whole foodie community out there.
I realize it’s fairly personal and off topic but a few people have mentioned your trim figure. While I have no doubt you are a very happy healthy young woman who takes great care of herself and is blessed with the ability to eat and enjoy all the world has to offer her.
I felt the need to address your comment above regarding young woman who deprive themselves of certain foods. Yes life is too short to turn to disordered behaviours but at the same time as you said you were blessed with a fast metabolism, not everyone is this lucky. Some people do need to watch what they eat in order to stay in shape and and remain healthy.
I only make this comment because it is a touchy subject among woman and was something perhaps you should be made aware of.
Please keep up you amazing blog I look forward to the inspiration.
PS- you need not publish this on your blog as it is slightly off topic. Just wanted to drop you the note.
February 2, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Taylor Minor
Hi Erica, I love love love your blog! I’ll be attending college as a freshmen in the fall, working toward getting my Bachelor’s in Dietetics. We have many of the same interests. After I get my degree, I want to get my “Baking & Pastry Arts” degree and eventually open up a dessert cafe in St Louis, which is where I live. But the thing is, they will be healthy. But healthy like fruits & vegetables, but a lot healthier than other desserts! :)
February 17, 2009 at 5:36 am
Nic Fioretti
Hey, I just stumbled upon your blog as well as Another One Bites the Crust and I am so excited to see younger people excited about food and healthy food specifically. I’m 22 (currently in grad school for health ed) and I share your passion for food and cooking. Although I’m not a veggie I would have to say that 95% of my diet is vegan and your posted recipes look wonderful. I hope that we can chat sometime about food. I can get sucked into food conversations for hours.
-Nic
February 23, 2009 at 1:48 am
Cha-cha
Hi Erica,
I know so many people have told you how much they love your blog, but I just have to say it, too.
I LOVE YOUR BLOG!
You’re beautiful as well!
(I’m 100% straight, don’t worry!)
March 30, 2009 at 5:10 pm
John Homyk
Erica,
David told me about your site…. I love it! It’s amazing to see how your talent for photography can move people to live a healthier life! Fostering this kind of positive influence through something you are passionate about is truly inspiring.
Cheers!
John
August 9, 2009 at 1:57 am
Meaghan Holowesko
I love your blog! You are such an inspiration to me. While reading your posts, I feel like I am getting healthier already.. Eating healthy and exercising are what I like to do best. I have some down days where I either eat to much or I eat unhealthfully but mostly I try to stay on track and eat local organic foods… If I could live in whole foods I definitely would.. I love shopping and making healthy food. Food and photography are also two of my fondest passions.. Keep up the great work.