I realized that I haven't posted a workout lately, so I thought that this today was the perfect opportunity to share one. I created this circuit workout in a cardio-muscle strengthening-abdominal toning format. It's geared specifically to the booty and legs, with some ab moves and arm toning exercises incorporated as well. The gist of it: The workout consists of 4 circuit rounds. I biked for my cardio, but you can really do any form of cardio that you like for each round. During the cardio portions, I target my heart rate between 140-160. Besides the bike/other cardio machine, you'll need 15 lb. dumbbells (you can use heavier/lighter weights to adjust to your ability) and a stability ball. With a short warm up and stretching cool down, this workout took me ... [Read More]
Archives for March 2014
Banana Berry Yogurt Matcha Smoothie
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Though I didn't go to any St. Paddy's Day parades this year, the Irish in me wanted to add a little green into my afternoon in honor of the holiday. A few days ago, Kiss Me Organics sent me some of their matcha green tea powder to try out. Some stats on matcha: It's the highest quality powdered green tea out there and is considered a powerful superfood. It's been a Japanese cultural norm since the 12th century. It's an antioxidant powerhouse. In fact, my package notes that matcha has 137x the antioxidants of brewed green tea -- whoa right! Made of chlorophyll-rich tea leaves, matcha is ground into a fine powder using the entire leaf. Its natural properties are thought to cause an increase in energy and physical endurance, as well as a metabolism boost. I'll ... [Read More]
Weekend Recap: A Beautiful Day in Monterey
Hi friends! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. My hubby's grandparents were in town staying with us. We had a great time together, so I thought I'd share a weekend recap. My weekend kicked off with a Friday afternoon hike with my pup. The weather on Friday and all weekend was just about perfect, so an outdoor workout was an awesome way to start my weekend. Harley hates looking at the camera but I tortured her by taking a few photos. On Saturday we had lunch at a local winery, then went to the creepiest house in Silicon Valley, the Winchester Mystery House. We had never been there before, so it was a good place to see with company in town. What makes the 160-room mansion interesting is the fact that its owner, a heiress named Sarah Winchester, continuously was ... [Read More]
My Gluten Free Experiment Ends + Favorite GF Finds
My friends, check out my dinner a few nights ago: Regular fettuccine pasta in a lightened up cream sauce with spinach and tomatoes. Why? Because my experiment with eating gluten free is officially over! I talked about it in length here, but to make a long story short, I decided to give up gluten for a solid month (it wound up being an almost 6 week stint) to determine if I had a sensitivity to it. I suffer from allergies, which cause sinus aches and skin issues, and was curious to find out if gluten could be the culprit. The short answer: It's not! Aside from 2 minor mishaps - eating a cookie around day 7 before it even dawned on me that it most likely had gluten in it, and caving in and eating a piece of warm bread at an Italian restaurant in Lake Tahoe - I was completely ... [Read More]
Cinnamon Raisin Granola [Vegan & Gluten Free]
Nearly all of the billion people on the planet who have eaten it say this, but granola is seriously addicting. Despite knowing this, I got in a granola munching mood recently and couldn't resist whipping up a new homemade version: cinnamon raisin flaxseed granola. Since it's well documented on here that I'm cinnamon obsessed and eat it on nearly everything, it shouldn't be a surprise that this granola is full of cinnamon-y goodness. I decided to use a sweetener I haven't used in awhile: brown rice syrup. A few tidbits about it: Brown rice syrup is made by culturing cooked rice with enzymes to break down the starches, then straining off the liquid and reducing it by cooking until the desired consistency is reached. It's vegan and gluten-free. It has a sticky consistency ... [Read More]
Skiing for the First Time in Lake Tahoe
Hi friends! Recently I recapped both hiking at Emerald Bay State Park and eating & drinking in South Lake Tahoe, and today I have my final trip recap to share with you all: skiing for the first time there! I'm not really a big winter sports person...or winter in general person for that matter. I don't love snow, and while I did go sledding and tubing here and there in the winter growing up in New Jersey, I had never had a big interest in skiing. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn down a chance to try it, but if given the choice between a tropical vacation or a winter wonderland to go skiing, I'd choose the former every time. But last month when I got obsessed with the Olympics as I usually do when they're happening, the idea of being around snow and surprising my hubby with a ... [Read More]