Monday, August 16, 2010

I'm in Miami Trick (ft. Joe Jonas)

The husband and I went to Miami yesterday for a day-cation. Unfortunately, Joe Jonas was not involved despite the title of this blog but I'll get to that later! 

We decided to go to Miami because we only live abut 2 hours away and since I'm going to be so busy with teaching soon we wanted to have a day to enjoy each other and have some fun away from it all. 

We started the day with breakfast at a restaurant on Ocean Dr. right across the street from the beach. When you walk down the sidewalk on Ocean you are basically walking through the outside of each restaurant and there's someone standing there to ask you if you want to eat as you are walking by. We decided on the restaurant Bellini because the girl out front offered us 15% off. 

The husband thinks they strategically place the pretty girls with foreign accents in the front to attract customers haha. I think he may be right. 

I had eggs, whole wheat toast, potatoes, fruit, and coffee. 



Needless to say, I'm glad we picked Bellini because the food was delish!!

After breakfast we went to the beach and laid out for a while followed by some swimming in the clear, calm water. It was gorgeous and relaxing. Actually, a little too relaxing for us though. We got bored of the beach quickly and decided to change out of our bathing suits and go check out the shops. 


I had to change in the beach bathroom and I have to say putting on makeup while sweating was a new and not very pleasant experience lol. 

Shopping was fun and the air conditioning was glorious. We tried on a lot of clothes but only ended up buying a few things. Which is good of course since everything there was pretty pricey. 

We did stop in at DASH Miami. For those of you who don't follow the Kardashians, DASH Miami is a boutique that the three sisters own (they weren't there though).  I confess to watching every episode of Khloe and Kourney take Miami so I am very familiar with the store from seeing it on TV. It was really neat to be in the store that I have seen the Kardashian sisters in, but the store itself really wasn't that great. The clothing was over priced for it's quality, it wasn't very clean inside, and they had very little merchandise. Also, the only thing I was actually planning on buying was a souvenir water bottle with their faces on it lol but .... they were all out. Imagine that! I still acted like a star struck dummy and took pictures outside of the store for the memory! 


Next, we ate lunch at a really cool place where you write out your own order. I got a huge salad with tons of toppings. It was incredible!



We then walked around a little more and took some photos before heading home. Overall, it was a really fun day with my favorite guy :)


Now to the Joe Jonas part .. I am officially registered for the Joe Jonas iWin Fun Run for Special Olympics Florida! I will be running in this 5k on Memorial Day with my cousin and one of my best friends. I'm really excited about it and I hope I see Joe (smiles like a 12 yr old).

I started "training" today by running 2 miles. It was nice out except for the gnats. They attacked me brutally. 

That's all for tonight. Hope you all had a wonderful Monday! 

If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be??

xoxo Jessenia

Thursday, August 5, 2010

EVOO

For those of you who have never seen Rachel Ray, evoo is what she calls Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I don't know about you but I love evoo on everything! I rarely cook anything without it.

As I am typing this, I am eating a salad doused in evoo with a dash of salt. Perfection.

So, we know evoo tastes good and makes everything a bit more decedent but how far do it's benefits stretch? (drum roll .... )

Very far! Evoo is indeed one of the healthiest oils available. It is high in mono-saturated fat (don't worry that's the good kind!) which promotes many health benefits.

When you think of consuming a high fat diet, what do you associate it with?
Heart disease, obesity, diabetes?

The reason for this is because in the United States, the most consumed fats are the bad ones (animal fat, vegetable oil, hydrogenated fats) but in the Mediterranean (where evoo originated and is consumed the most) having a high fat diet is actually helping them live longer. People who replace these bad fats with olive oil actually have much less of a chance of developing these conditions.

In studies with Mediterranean people who's diets consisted of mostly olive oil, raw vegetables, soups, and poultry, they found the people to have significantly lower mortality rates and after 6 1/2 years of the study, some of them had a 50% reduced overall risk of mortality.

When compared to a traditional Italian diet, consisting of pasta, tomato sauce, red meat, animal fat, and white bread, the mortality rate increased. (sorry to all the Italians out there).

Evoo is also great for the heart, may cut risk for breast cancer, and has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Overall, this amazing oil not only tastes great but is great for your health too! I think I want to eat more like the Greeks and I really want to go there too!

What do you like to cook/ eat with olive oil?

xoxo Jessenia

(Most of the information in this blog came from here: whfoods)

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Couches and Cupcakes

Is it really 8:22 already? I feel like the day just started. Today the husband and I went couch shopping and we ended up finding a really nice black sectional we liked at Rooms To Go. We decided we wanted to pick it up ourselves so we would have to come back for it.

We got home and had some time before the truck we were borrowing would be available so we decided to go grocery shopping. On the way we saw a huge garage sale and I couldn't say no. 

Garage sales are the best.

It was scorching hot out but we ended up finding two awesome leather like chairs that match amazingly with the couch we picked out. After getting them loaded in the car we decided to just skip grocery shopping and came home to move out one of our old couches to my sister-in-laws house. 


After that it was finally time to go buy and take home our new couch and we were super excited until...

We got there and she told us we couldn't pick it up today. 

Which she never told us before lol. Slightly disappointing but life goes on! So we bought it and it's being delivered on monday! I can't wait. 

I also made organic chocolate cupcakes today. yum yum. I've made the same mix once before but it was super dry so this time I added mayonnaise and they turned out much more moist. I love cupcakes so much. They're just so little and cute haha.


Sorry if this post was slightly boring .. but i just had to put up pictures of my cupcakes because .. well.. they are cupcakes ;) 

What's you all time favorite flavor cupcake?

xoxo Jessenia



Thursday, July 29, 2010

A Little Further

Good evening ladies and gents! Today has been quite an exhausting day for me. I had to go into work earlier than I was expecting but when I got home I took a nap and then went to the gym for my regular thursday class. It's called Sergio Mania!

The guy who teaches it's name is Sergio and he is crazy. Every class I feel like I'm about to die. haa. But it's extremely rewarding and he pushes us to our limit every class. I love that feeling because you never know how far you can push your body until you try. 

Sometimes I find myself complaining about not being in the shape I want to be in but I never stop to think why that is. Once I hold myself accountable I realize that ..

I am the only one who can make changes within myself.

I think it's important not only in the fitness world but in every aspect of our lives to remember that we are responsible for the way we live our lives and whether or not we achieve the dreams and goals we set for ourselves. 

But the best part is .. When we finally start realizing this, it's extremely empowering. 

The hard work is always worth the reward. 

I want to give my all in every aspect of my life but it's not always easy. None of us are perfect but we can try right? Be comfortable in your own skin and strive to be better for yourself because you my friend are stronger than you think. 


Push yourself a little further everyday, you'll be amazed at how far you can go!

xoxo Jessenia

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Eating Intentionally

Hello There! I have not blogged in a very very long time! I have been so busy and haven't had a chance or much inspiration but today I do. Lately, I have been so busy I have not worked out much. I also have found that upon arriving home from work around 3:00 pm every afternoon, I get a serious case of the munches. I think this is due to eating a somewhat small lunch at work consisting of a salad and a small snack. Now, don't get me wrong if I am hungry I know that I need to eat. Being a vegetarian can be tricky in that way because if the food you are eating is not particularly filling you find yourself hungry a lot. (Note: I've been a vegetarian for almost 5 months! crazyyy
Going on these snacking binges has proven to be anything but successful. I think that being a vegetarian can seem like a healthy thing to do but I believe it's only healthy if you approach it in the right way. Let's say I get home from work after having a salad for lunch and I'm hungry. First thing I go for are some pretzels. I snack on them while watching TV. Once I get sick of them I move on to a bowl of cereal (Kashi w/ almond milk), after that I am still hungry and have not satisfied my hunger so I go for a piece of fruit. Do I stop there?! Sometimes. 
Although all of the items I just listed are considered relatively healthy, they are not however sustaining. Hence, why I feel the need to continue to eat. Living a vegetarian life style is not in any part easy, that is if you want to do it right. I have started taking more vitamins such as B12 and Iron and I am more conscious of getting enough protein. If you don't do these things you can find yourself tired and lethargic. 
For me all of these things have been a learning experience for me. I love being a vegetarian but I think I need to start working at it and eating more intentionally. By this I mean thinking about what I'm putting into my body based on energy and nutrition. I love this article by NoMeatAthelete because in it he outlines all of the non-meat foods from which one can obtain protein. (To read article Click Here) I realized that I am not getting enough and that in order to do so I need to balance out my diet and use my brain instead of my stomach to make decisions. 
Today, I chose a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter because they are both great protein sources. I am going to a cardio class tonight so I know I will need the extra boost. Also, I'm not still hungry! I gave my body the nutrition and energy it was seeking to hold me over until it's time for dinner. It might take more thinking to eat this way but I believe it's worth it! 

I hope you enjoyed my little insight for the day and even if you aren't a vegetarian, eating intentionally is still something that can work for you. It's all about doing what's best for your body. 

~Jessenia 

Saturday, May 15, 2010

We Were Walking Downtown

I'm back from vacation and I must say I miss it already. The husband and I went to visit my parents in Honduras. We had an amazing time! We swam in rivers, waterfalls and the ocean and had a great time spending time with my parents. I miss them already.
Since we've been back I've only worked out once. I went walking with my brother's girlfriend, Cheryl. We walked up a bridge and around downtown and back. It was about 3 miles. It was really nice outside, pretty windy but it was good because we didn't get too hot. I was actually pretty sore after. Probably because I'm used to running and not walking but I think I can really get into the whole walking thing. it's quite relaxing.



Next week I'm going to start back at the gym and do some more walking!

Also, I made organic brownies and they are delish!

xoxo Jessenia

Friday, April 23, 2010

Babies, Birds, and Burning Calories

Good Morning! I'm up early today because my sister-in-law is in labor! We are all just waiting for little baby Eli to come now. :)
Yesterday I satisfied my craving to go on an outside run and got to enjoy nature on Earth Day. I mapped out my route using mapquest and parked at the local college parking lot courtesy of my employee parking sticker. From the college to the gym is 1.32 miles. I felt pretty good on the way there but it was pretty hot out. I got there in 13 min. I worked out my legs and did some abs at the gym.
It felt nice to get to the gym and already be warmed up! I only spent about 30 min at the gym and then journeyed on out to run back to my car. I felt better on the way back and and it felt much shorter also. I stopped and took some pictures too. It took me about the same amount of time.
I saw a sandhill crane in the grass and it let me get right up to it to take a picture. I think I could've gotten even closer but I didn't want to get pecked to death on the side of the road. lol.

When I got home I made a post workout green monster shake. The ingredients I used were:

  • 1 cup soy milk (i usually use almond milk)
  • 5 strawberries
  • 1 mini banana
  • 1 scoop of soy protein
  • 1 huge handful of spinach 

It was really good and gave me a ton of energy. It was really nice to run outside after running on the treadmill so much. I guess you never realize how much you miss something until you do it again. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

What are your favorite shake ingredients? 

xoxo Jessenia

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Happy Earth Day!

Hello all and Happy Earth Day! I think Earth Day this year has really made me think about caring for the Earth. I used to be a big recycler but now at my apartment there's no recycling pick-up so i've kind of gone down hill in that department. I am definitely going to try from now on to collect all my recyclable products and bring them somewhere to be recycled.
Today has also made me think about planting a garden which isn't easy when you have no yard! Right now I have my little sunflowers that I got at Target and I love watching them grow. I think I'm going to buy one of those planting trays from Wal-mart and keep it on my balcony. It's always nice to have a little piece of nature close by.
I've been slacking on the gym lately because of my gym switch. I can't say I like my new one as much as I liked the old one. I've also been craving the outdoors and want to get out of the gym and into nature! I used to run everywhere outside and now mostly on the treadmill. I'm definitely looking to switch up my normal routine. Any suggestions?

Hope you all have a great evening!

xoxo Jessenia

Monday, April 19, 2010

Starbucks on a Rainy Day

It's been quite rainy the past few days here in florida and although I dearly love the sun, it's been kind of nice to have some gloomy, rainy weather. It makes me feel like curling up and relaxing. Yesterday after church, in light of the rainy weather I was craving Starbucks so the husband and I decided to go. I usually just get coffee w/ soy and 2 raw sugars but I decided to try the same thing but with chai instead of coffee. Let me tell you, it was phenomenal! In fact, I wish I was drinking one right now. :) Maybe I will go buy some Chai Tea from Starbucks so I can make it on my own. 
I'm sorry to report that I did not take any pictures at the farmer's market because I forgot .. lame I know, but hopefully i'll remember next time. We did however score a bunch of yummy fruits and vegetables to last us a while. I also got a pretty pot of marigolds, which I found out take little to no care. Score!
Last night I made whole wheat pasta with homemade sauce and brussel sprouts. I was kind of flying off the seat of my pants with the sauce but it turned out pretty good. I used olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes, some spices, and a little bit of water. The husband approved so I guess it worked out! ;)

Overall, my weekend was lovely and laid back, but it went by way too fast. Now time to get back to studying. Hope you all have a fabulous monday!

Do you ever make homemade spaghetti sauce?

xoxo Jessenia

Friday, April 16, 2010

I Just Want to Say..

..that I saw Arnold is going to be in a movie coming up soon and it made me very very happy. :)

Also, I'm so glad this week is almost over and it's going to be the weekend! I went to the gym yesterday and did legs and ran. I have to say going to the gym alone can be pretty boring but I had on some bumpin jams so it wasn't so bad. I did realize that I wasn't doing enough weight on the leg machines and that I wasn't pushing myself at all so I upped the weight and now my legs are sore. But that's a good thing. As the saying goes "No pain, No gain."Also, I found a new group I like to listen to while working out. Their name is Miike Snow. I love love love this CD.


The other day my hubby decided he wants to eat just fruits and vegetables for about 2 weeks. I guess you can only live with a health freak for so long before getting sucked into it ;). So this weekend we are going to the farmer's market near our house to get some goods. I'll have to post some pictures of it, it's quite the place. I hope you all have a splendid weekend!

What do you like to listen to while you workout?

xoxo Jessenia

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Vegetables for Dessert

I've been doing the vegetarian thing for about 2 months now and I'm loving it. I don't really miss the chicken as much as I have on previous attempts, which is good because that's how I broke last time haha. I read an interesting blog today by NoMeatAthlete. It was about a documentary called Earthlings that is about the food industry and animal rights. Apparently it's really intense. I think that if I watched it, I would be horrified and in tears the whole time but I also think it's a very very good thing that documentaries like this are made to increase awareness of what is really going on.

On a brighter note, I found this picture on the internet and it made me smile. I think it's adorable, which in itself shows how much of a health nerd I am! :) I'm not the only crazy one though because my mom liked it too lol.
I hope you are all having a good week!

P.S. Like my new banner?

xoxo Jessenia

Friday, April 2, 2010

I'm Having a Food Baby

Hello everyone! I know I have been super lame and have not blogged in ages but school has literally taken over my life. Even to the extent that I haven't been going to the gym and have been staying home studying and eating! Hence, the title lol. But all is well now because it's Spring Break!!! I am beyond excited about this week break because I get to relax and slow down a little bit. Considering the fact that I do not want to keep carrying this "food baby" I decided to do a cleanse this week and only eat fruits and veggies and whole grain pasta and/or rice and lots and lots of water. Sometimes it is good to just cleanse our bodies of all the junk we put into it.
Today is my first day and I started it off with a Green Monster. Yummmm. Mine consisted of:
  • 1 cup rice milk
  • 1 big handful of spinach
  • 5 strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons oats
I'll have to say that it was rather delightful but tomorrow I think I need to put more oats or add a banana to make it a little more filling.
I'm also not having coffee this week in an attempt to ween myself off of it. First day and I feel very tired... My eyes feel droopy and I have a slight headache. Ohhh the life of an addict. But I'm sticking to my guns and drinking lots of H2O. Today for lunch I had a salad with lots of veggies and a Smart Water.

After work I'm going to the farmer's market to get fruits and vegetables galore. It's going to be a good week :) I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Have you ever felt like you were having a food baby?

xoxo Jessenia

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

This is not McDonalds

Hello all! I hope you're having a great week. Last night I decided to try another recipe for the skinny girl book. The recipe is called guilt-free fries! These are no McDonalds fries! ;) They are baked and healthy and delicious.
It's a super simple recipe. Basically what you do is cut up all the potatoes into strips or wedgees with the skins on. I had to skin mine because they had some spots going bad on the outside.
Then you toss them with a tablespoon of olive oil and some spices. (salt, pepper, and garlic salt are what I used.)
After that you place them on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 min @ 425.
The result: Comfort food without all the extra calories :) I will definatley be making them again soon.
Also, I'm eating some Morning Star fake chicken strips right now .. all I can say is yum yum!
Who needs meat anyways when they make stuff that tastes just like it. Oh and I've been meat free for about 3 weeks. I'm going strong so we'll see how it goes. Hope you enjoyed the recipe.

Have a great night.


xoxo Jessenia

Monday, March 8, 2010

Beauty can be found Everywhere, in Everything

I'm becoming a lazy blogger as you can probably tell lol. Life is so busy right now but I'm trying to fit everything in. I'm realizing though, that sometimes it's okay if you can't fit it all in or make it all work. I'm realizing that the bigger picture means fitting in the things that really matter, the things that really make you happy.
There's a bridge in the city where I go to school that crosses over the inter coastal. Not far from it is a gorgeous little marina park. It's one of my favorite places ever and I love spending time just looking at the water and feeling the florida breeze. I also love running the bridge. I hadn't done it in months and I finally had time this past friday.
I was so excited! I got there at about 10 am and it was still quite chilly out. About 55 degrees, but sunny still and the water was gorgeously blue.
I had a great run althougth the wind was challenging me and the cold air can be tough on the lungs but I was simply in awe by the water and weather that it didn't matter.
I ran about 2.5 miles at a pace of about 10 min/mile.
View from the top of the bridge= Gorgeous
Afterwards, I went into a local gelato shop and lucked out with them having bottled water and fresh squeezed grapefuit juice, squeezed right here in town! It was delicious!
I sat for a while before finally heading out. It was so nice to just enjoy the little things while getting in a great workout at the same time. I think i'll go again this friday!
Where is your favorite outside workout spot?

xoxo Jessenia

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Pizza Please!

Last night was probably one of the best food nights ever! The husband and I made homemade mini healthy pizzas together, I made some yummy hummus, and we had some coconut milk ice cream.

The pizzas consisted of %1oo whole wheat english muffins, pizza sauce, veggie cheese, black olives, green bell pepper slices, and veggie pepperonis. We added everything together and cooked them in the oven at 375 for 13 min. The result: Pure goodness! I have to say though, I wasn't crazy about the veggie pepperonis. They got really crispy and ended up tasting like nothing. Everything else was amazing. I love veggie cheese because it's not greasy like regular cheese but it still melts the same for a cheesy taste and texture.
I also made some red pepper hummus. I LOVE making hummus. We almost always have it in the refrigerator now. The recipe is very simple and easy.

  • 1 16 oz can of chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
  • 3-5 tablespoons of lemon juice (I usually just squeeze in a half of a lemon)
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup roasted red pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
Add all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.

Personally, I like original flavor better. All you would do is not add in the red peppers but I have noticed when using red peppers you don't need the whole 1/4 of the liquid from the can because the red peppers are already pretty juicy. I just add a splash because you don't want it to be too liquid.
After we ate the food we made it was time for dessert. If you have never had Purely Decadent brand ice cream you have to try it! It's dairy free and gluten free and made with organic ingredients. I can't have dairy so I always used to have it growing up. They have so many different flavors now. I chose cookie dough. Now they make it using coconut milk which is amazing. You can definitely taste the coconut so if you don't like coconut it might not be for you.
Overall, it was a great night with all my favorite things.

How do you like your pizza?

xoxo Jessenia

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Organic Crazed

Today in South FL it's wet, gloomy, and cold. Doesn't sound much like FL does it! I cannot wait until it warms up and I can head to the beach.
Since it's soo gross outside the husband and I decided to go to the gym. I did legs and abs and I felt terrible. I had no energy. I think my body wants to get sick but I've been taking as much vitamin C as a can! I still managed to get in about a 40 min workout. After the gym we stopped at Tropical Smoothie and I got a pomegranate plunge with no sugar add immune booster (since I seem to need it haha) It was sooo good. If you haven't had it you should defiantly give it a try.
Next we went to TJMaxx to get new sheets and I ended up finding a bunch of yummy organic snacks in the clearance section! Who would've known lol.
I got Organic Pomegranate Hard Candy made with organic evaporated cane juice andorganic brown rice syrup with only 2.5 grams of sugar each. Not bad for candy and they're not that bad if you like the taste of cane sugar.

I also got Organic Vanilla Bean Cookies with Green Tea. They are Late July brand. They have 4g of whole grains per serving and antioxidants. For an organic cookie they are amazing. Ilove cookies!
Lastly, I found a Honest Food Granola Plank: Maple Almond Crunch flavor. An organic granola bar packed with organic oats, whole grains, nuts, fruits, and seeds = Amazing.
There's nothing like some good organic food, especially when it's on sale!

What's favorite organic food?

xoxo Jessenia