New Favorites…

Happy Wednesday everyone!

You may have noticed I deleted my post last night with a link to my formspring account… truth be told I got some questions that I felt weird about posting in a open forum..(not saying it was anyone from here because I posted it to my facebook too!).. so if you wrote me a question and you would like an answer to it — or have any questions at all please feel free to email me at jaime@myorganicintuition.com I promise I’ll openly & honestly answer any question you might have. Moving on!!

Last night was my mum’s 60th (BIG ONE!) birthday! We just went to a local spot for dinner where I enjoyed bread n butta, a mediterranean salad, grilled salmon with brown rice and broccoli & LOTS of french fries (MY FAVORITE!) Upon returning home I also had two large slices of bday cake from our FAVORITE bakery! Out of all the food I’ve had in my life…french fries & cake are my favorite. Ever.

I didn’t take any pictures– because #1  I forgot my camera at my apartment (I was @ my parents last night)…& #2 I wasn’t planning on blogging about it (none of the food was particular blog worth except maybe the cake..?). But all I can tell you is stay tuned for this weekend… my dad and I have something very special planned for my mum! Shhh…!

Of course I don’t always eat french fries & 2 huge slices of bday cake on most days– but I WANTED to yesterday and I enjoyed every bite! I truly believe & trust that my body ‘evens everything out’ because– well it ALWAYS does!! The proof is in the puddin..or in my case–birthday cake!

Anyways lets get some pictures in here! Recently– I have added some new things to my diet that I am lovinggg!

This.Is.Crack. I am (trying) to wean myself off of poison and I have found other no-cal-all-natural-sweeteners to be too bitter– yet this stuff is AMAZING! I add this to yogurt/oats/anything really! However I prefer the packet form of it in my tea.

Another current obsession…

LOVINGGG IT! I remember spotting “protein brownie batter” on April’s blog a few weeks ago and it’s genius! I also use Jay Robb in my Fage the taste is chocolaty and not ‘fake protein tasting’ in the least!

Ok… I was skeptical about trying this stuff because truth be told, the name completely eeks and grosses me out. But it tastes SOOO good on veggies (roasted broccoli) and salad! It has a slightly nutty/cheesy taste that is subtle yet flavorful at the same time!

Something I’ve ALWAYS been obsessed with…?

No need for explanation. If you are still eating Fage 0%– you are not REALLY living (I kid…sort of…)

I don’t have that many other pictures to show with you all at the moment except part of my lunch yesterday which involved a nice ‘condiment/spread’ that I found a week or so ago…

Sabra Turkish Salad

What else would I make with it besides…

In the wrap: Turkish spread, turkey, cucumber and lettuce). The spread was a little spicy and VERY flavorful– it definitely gave my wrap that extra ‘punch’.

It is BEYOND gorgeous out today! I hope that wheverever you are– you are able to enjoy some sunshine as well. I love this time of year because I get all excited about summertime & my summer trip (love hot weather)!!

Anyone want to guess where I’ll be going?? Hint: I’m going to 2 different countries… one of them is hinted at in this post. If you have me on facebook you may already know!

Do you have any plans for this summer? What is your favorite summer spot?
What new/old “favorite” things are staples in your diet?

That’s all for now !!!

Paris: le food le food le food!

This post is long— feel free to read…poke around… check out some pics (I can promise you there ARE some drool worthy ones!)… do whatever you’d like

Paris is magical. I have been there a total of four times in my twenty-two years and each time I am more and more astounded at how everything is “just so” and effortlessly elegant.

Most recently, I was there for Christmastime this past December with my parents.

Whenever & wherever we travel we make it a point to

1.) Stay in a hotel we love and know we will be taken care of
2.) Eat the most incredible and delectable food we can find

This trip was no different….

We stayed at the uber-Parisian and elegant Le Bristol Hotel. It was our second time staying at this particular spot. I love this hotel so much– it’s absolutely beautiful yet not ‘over-done’ or gaudy. They even have an indoor heated swimming pool! Just amazing.

This is my dad and I at the hotel bar.

One night we ate at a lovely ‘brasserie’ by our hotel called Le Berkeley.

My appetizer was langoustines…. oh how I love crustaceans!

My entree was some type of white fish (cannot recall the name) with fried onions and ARGON OIL on the side. Argon oil is an oil from Morocco– I cannot even describe the taste but I can tell you it’s one of the most amazing things I have ever tasted.

During Christmastime, there is a kind of ‘out door’ fair that lines a street near the famous Le Champs Elysees (which is the street the Arch de Triumph is on). The street is lined with all sorts of food vendors… from crepes… (in my case NUTELLA!)

to chocolates…

and everything in between…

(even giant omelets!!!!)

I think Paris is one of the only cities that can have this type of street fair,  have the entire city lit up with lights, and not be cheesy in the least!!

While we are adventurous and spontaneous– my parents and I are definitely creatures of habit. For Christmas dinner we ate at a restaurant we had ate at during our stay in Christmas 2008.

Foie Gras creme brulee.

One “sort of” rule I have for myself when I’m in a foreign country? I hardly ever make special requests in regards to my meal. I want to experience and absorb every aspect of the culture as I can. Even if this means eating a delicious piece of smoked salmon… completely drenched in melted butter & cheesey stuffed pasta.

Don’t get me wrong– I don’t dislike butter or cheesy stuffed pasta, but I’m not too much of a fun of the two put together.. especially when I’m only 1/2 through a 7+ course meal.

Yet it was divine– and it was consumed. When in France– do like the French do. Period.

Another thing I love about French food?

Hahah besides the delicious chocolate!!

It’s the intensity of the flavor of a dish.. any dish..whether it’s chocolate, a simple croissant, a small piece of cheese…. the flavor intensity is SURREAL and just brings you to a whole new ‘level’ of food indulgence and appreciation.

Here we are being ‘creatures of habit again’. This is my ALL TIME favorite Jewish bakery. It’s in the “Pletzel” or Jewish section of Paris. It’s literally this little ‘hole in the wall’ but the Challah and pastries are OUT OF THIS WORLD! EVERYTIME we go to Paris we go here at least once!

Moving on…during our third day in France we took a day trip… here we are with our guide Jerome… (side note: he is actually Oprah’s driver when she comes to Paris! He was with her when the famous Hermes ‘incident’ happened– kinda cool right?). He was perhaps one of the sweetest/most interesting people I have EVER met. It was an honor and a privilege to meet such a wonderful person. Another thing that I love about traveling so much is meeting such amazing, kind hearted and genuine people.

He took us to Versailles…

A small town called Barbizon….

And Chateau Vaux le Vicomte (where Miss Eva Longoria was married!)

It was such a fun day!!

Other eats included: THE BEST CUPCAKES EVER!!! Cupcakes are definitely one of my FAVORITE foods– they are such a happy/cheerful and DELICIOUS treat!! The name of the shop I found these in was called Cupcakes Berko.

I had a red velvet and a raspberry cupcake.

Upon sampling my mum’s caramel cream-cheese cupcake I IMMEDIATELY went back and got a JUMBO one for myself (no pic– it was eaten too quickly!)

One night we ate at one of my FAVORITE places called La Duree (they are famous for their macaroons).

Just check out how elegant this salad is…

even the french fries were so neat and orderly stacked (well they WERE when they came out– but I couldn’t resist).

All of the food was just so delicious– I truly sampled each pastry/sweet/nut/munchie/wine/ EVERYTHING that stumbled my way.

But the best of all??? My dinner at the Jules Verne.

Dad & me at the hotel before leaving for the Jules Verne…

The famous Jules Verne (one michelin star) restaurant is located at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Yes it’s touristy, yes it’s over the top… but the view and the food is just impeccable… how can you go wrong eating at a wonderful restaurant with a view from the top of the Eiffel Tower?

Mum n dad on the way up…

Blurry pic of the menu (sorry!)

I’m doing to do my best to remember the courses (remember this was wayyy back in December!)

This amuse bouche was some type of citrus gel with seasoning and cream.

My appetizer was an incredible lobster salad with apples and celery “cole slaw”

My entree was the STAR– roasted turbot with ALL kinds of spices and grains. This was sweet/savory and just all around INCREDIBLE!!

mini pastries to get us in the mood for dessert…

My mum’s toffee souffle.. oh my GOD…

my bittersweet chocolate torte (sorry for the blurry pics)

with hazelnut ice cream

and truffles & marshmallows for the table.

Outstanding. I was BURSTING at the seams literally… I will NEVER again wear a dress that is already TIGHT to a 3+ hour 7+ course meal!

I had such a great time in Paris— and I definitely cannot wait to go back. I think one of the best ways to experience another culture is by the FOOD– you can really get a true ‘essence’ and understanding of the people and the culture in a way that cannot otherwise be expressed.

We got back to Boston on New Years Eve. Naturally– we did what any overly-indulged, beyond stuff, yet happily reminiscent, returning-home American would do….

We went to our spot for a 5 course New Years Eve tasting dinner & spent the night at the hotel! (& of course I did some booty-shakin that night with my gal pals)

Perfect end to a perfect trip!! & Needless to say I was craving fresh fruits/veggies and salads for at least a solid week after (amazing how the body “intuitively” knows what it needs… right?)

Whewww that was an epic post!!! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for reading!!!!!

Jaime

Remember me…??

Hello… (anyone out there anymore? haha). I never really thought I would come back to blogging again.. The last time I blogged was wayyy back in December. Sooo much has happened in the past few months and I have recently realized just how much I have missed blogging!!!

What has happened you might ask? Well when we left off– I was working front desk at a luxury hotel in the city & getting ready for my December trip to Paris with my parents! I was back to running & having the time of my life working at the hotel!

Paris was JUST amazing… I had the best meal of my life at my ALL TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANT. I would definitely be happy to do a Paris-filled post for you all in the future.. but lets continue to catch up for now Other than Paris– in the past few months I have been to NYC twice, New Jersey and San Francisco! Being on the go and taking mini trips is definitely my thing

Anyways– fast forward to now– I am currently recovering from a BAD back injury– I have been out of work for just about one month and just went back part time for the first time last week! What happened you may ask…??

Well as you may know… I have been struggling with ITB issues and running pain since January 2009. This past fall– I began Active Release Technique which had been working VERY well for me! I was running 4 times a week pain free!

One particular week my hip flexors felt pretty tight but I hadn’t ran all week and I wanted to give it a go..

What.A.Big.Mistake!!!!!

I was fine for the first 30 minutes– until I noticed a bit of pain in my left hip– I did what many runners are infamous for– PUSHING THROUGH.

By the time I got off the treadmill I couldn’t walk! I was almost in tears. I continued to go to work the rest of the week (mind you my job requires me to walk 1/2 mile each way and stand for 8.5 hours). I was still in pain. I did not even attempt ANY form of exercise for 2 weeks– not even a downward dog or simple toe touch.

Two weeks went by and I wasn’t getting any better. I went to my orthopedist where I was diagnosed with sciatica and piriformis syndrome.

Basically– my piriformis muscle runs very closely intertwined with my sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back to the bottom of the foot. Due to my lack of “glute muscles” (thanks to dad’s side of the fam)– the muscles around this area work to over-compensate. This, combined with the fact that my sciatic nerve and piriformis muscle are closely intertwined– leads to the piriformis becoming inflamed and aggravating my sciatic nerve!

My doctor told me NO work and definitely NO working out for 3 weeks. I also have been going to physical therapy 3 times a week for almost a month.

As of now, I have been back to work one day last week and am going to start back part time this week. I am still NOT 100% better and still unable to do any form of cardio activity. Since I have basically been doing cardio 4-5 days a week for the past FIVE years (minus a week here or there) this has been a big adjustment for me! I have however, found a new-found-love for Pilates (which is good for my injury because its core-strengthening). And definitely have become more ‘at peace’ with the reality of the fact that I need to take CARE of myself and right now this means being very ‘careful’ and ‘mindful’ with my body.

I know I may have upset some of my readers by disappearing so suddenly– and being ‘busy’ is not really an excuse. I think part of me felt like I had moved on from my blog– yet I have truly missed it so much! I know I have gone back n forth many times blogging here and there– yet I hope you will continue to read/enjoy my blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

Jaime

Routinely, routine

Happy December everyone! I hope you are off to a wonderful holiday-filled month

First I would like to thank all of you for keeping up with my blog. Since I started working– I’ve found it really hard to fit blogging into my schedule! Gone are the leisurely days of 12 hours per week of class (if even that) and lounging on the couch! I’m currently working full time, taking classes for the GMAT and trying to fit in my social life, kabbalah, family & any and all things in between! Who would have thought ‘the real world’ could be so time consuming So things have been a bit crazy busy lately– crazy yes– but in a good way!!

Anyways– lets back track to last week! I had to work AM shifts the Friday after Thanksgiving- continuing to the following Wednesday (HELLO 5 AM!), so dad and I tried to make Thanksgiving weekend as fun as possible!

What did we do you ask? Well Friday night– as I hinted at in my previous post– we hit up Turner Fisheries for some good eats—

Of course I was boring…

Last week was DEFINITELY non interesting in terms of eats…here are more usual suspects…

Yogurt messes with Vitamuffins

At least I used a new flavor yogurt– this is AWESOME by the way ! This flavor boasts raisins and mini apple chunks with a cinnamony flavor

On Saturday night of Thanksgiving weekend, dad and I went to see the NUTCRACKER!!! I have been going almost every year since I was young! I just love it so so sooo much!!!!

Here I am before the show..

You are all too sweet on complimenting my outfits because I don’t really consider myself one of those people who thinks of myself as ‘stylish’… but thank you

I snuck a pick inside the theater!!

The ballet got out around 10 pm! Dad and I were famished– we hit up our place for a late night din

Of course I had the usual crustaceans (I’m getting embarrassed to admit this!!). For my entree I had seared jumbo scallops with asparagus

and roasted baby beets

and of course the dessert buffet

From the top: Pumpkin pie (SO GOOD!), vanilla ice cream with REAL hot fudge topping (no whimpy syrup!), chocolate cupcake and the star was the chocolate pecan bourbon pie! This plate was CLEANED!

Last week was pretty busy with work! I even had to work 1 1/2 shifts one day because someone called out! I have to say– I really enjoy my job! Since I work at the front desk I get to ‘schmooze’ with the guests, upgrade people who are nice, send champagne and wine, reccommend restaurants– I have a blast

I will however, say that come Saturday night– I was ready to have a night out! Me & one of my girlfriends hit up Abe & Louie’s for eats (yes I know I was there last week too– it’s my friends fav place in the city!) .

You will be happy to know that I ordered salmon for dinner along with asparagus and a JUMBO baked sweet tater that I split with my friend. Afterwards we hit up a few lounges but it was sooo cold/snowy/rainy out so we decided to ditch our ‘dinner & drinks’ night in order to take refuge at the beloved dessert buffet. It was perfect as always.

After realizing that last week I ate 5 lobsters and about 20+ shrimp….I have come to the conclusion that I am just about COMPLETELY boring and routine when it comes to my meals and where I go to eat. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing– but I would say that I do limit myself. As a person who would like to consider herself  ’spontaneous’ I definitely do not prove to be so in the things that I eat and the places I go for a meal. This is definitely something I would like to work on… yet I always fear that I will order/eat something I simply hate…

Case in point…

Yeah this TJ’s entree was my attempt to ‘eat something different’ for dinner– it was not good. VERDICT: skimpy portion, weird flavors— it went down the garbage disposal after 2 bites.

I don’t know if I think it’s necessarily ‘bad’ to eat the same things and go to the same places all the time– but like I said it’s limiting.

In Kabbalah it states that ‘If you constantly go to the same places, surround yourself with the same people, do the same things– nothing really ever changes.’

I feel that this is soo true!!! So often I have complained how ‘bored’ I can be with things that are going on in my life. Don’t get me wrong– I LOVE my life and the people in it! But I think that I am wayyyy too comfortable in my routine and the places that I frequent. My major goal for the next few months is to expand my horizons in terms of foods that I eat, places I go, people I surround myself with and things that I do in general!

My question for you: Do you feel you have a certain ‘routine’? What aspect of your life does it play into the most?

That’s all everyone Have a wonderful evening!!!! I hope to be able to blog more often– my work schedule isn’t too crazy this week so hopefully I can squeeze in another post or two this week Thanks again!!

Jaime

Seafood Seafood Seafood! Oh yeah and Thanksgiving :)

Happy Black Friday everyone!! I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! It hasn’t really felt like Thanksgiving to me this year because this is the first time I haven’t been able to spend it with my extended family. Since I work in a hotel, I had to work yesterday on Thanksgiving! I would have been able to have it off– yet I am taking an entire week off when I go to Paris for Christmas and New Years– it’s only fair I work Thanksgiving!! More on that later… now lets talk my eats this week!!

Yogurt-y goodness Fage, banana nut Vitamuffin, carob coated raisins. I think banana nut is one of my FAVORITE vitatops sooo good!

Before moving on– I must tell you two things about myself if you don’t already know.

1.) I was raised eating out to dinner almost every night. My parents and I do not cook… it’s better this way TRUST ME, I have the scars to prove it! Therefore, you will probably see LOTS of meals eaten out at restaurants. Many people ask me why I don’t learn to cook or cook more and the answer is– I simply don’t want to (at this time)! Cooking, for some reason, REALLY stresses me out! Plus– its so much easier to pick off a menu … right? I will admit though– on those rare occasions where I have the urge to pour some sauce over a chicken and pop it in the oven– it is nice to have a ‘home cooked’ meal.

2.) I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE lover of seafood. I always say that the main reason I could never go veg or vegan is because I LOVE seafood sooo much! This week– I definitely had my share– and the week is not over yet (hint hint)

Tuesday night mum n dad and I went to Legal Seafoods. I started out with a shrimp cocktail!

As an entree I ordered a LOBSTER!!! (Sorry no pic!!). The lobster itself was ok– although I think Legal Seafoods is a GREAT restaurant in terms of maintaining quality (for a chain) I do not think they have the best lobsters! Oh well– it was still not bad!!

Tuesday night I went out to dinner with one of my friends! Outfit pic? Why not!

Seven skinny jeans, Express top, BCBG fur vest and black boots.

We went to Abe & Louie’s. I’m actually surprised I have never dined here before, I consider myself somewhat of a restaurant connoisseur (I’m a dork for saying this), especially in Boston– and this is definitely one of the more classic steak and seafood spots.

I started out with… (duhh!)

This shrimp was MARVELOUS! Perfect size and texture I hate when shrimp is rubbery and not fresh tasting yet this was just simply perfect!

And for my entree– LOBSTER! For the second night in a row! I just can’t get enough!

Personally, I like my lobster plain with a squirt of lemon and lots of cocktail sauce. I also ordered a side of steamed broccoli and a JUMBO baked sweet tater– SOO GOOD!

As for Thanksgiving– my mum went to visit our extended family in upstate NY, while dad stayed behind with me. I knew that I would have to work and was scheduled from 12:30-9pm yet the hotel was pretty much EMPTY!! (Hotels in Boston DO NOT get booked much from Thanksgiving through the holidays– quite opposite from NYC!) Luckily I was able to get out at 4 pm because of this!

I made my way back to my apartment, did a little yoga and made myself a nice snack to tide me over until our Thanksgiving meal!

I think this may be THE BEST yogurt mess to date!!

Vanilla Oikos, Kashi puffs, banana slices, strawberry fruit spread and crunchy BARNEY BUTTER!

OH.MY.GOD! DELISH!!! This tasty mini meal did an outstanding job of holding me over until dinner time!

For our Thanksgiving meal… dad and I went to our place of course.

I wore…

Bebe purple mini dress, black Jessica Simpson platforms, Express boyfriend blazer. Black & Purple—lots of leg– I wanted to be ‘appropriate’ but not conservative

Here we are in the hotel lobby!

The Bristol Lounge put together a three course prixe fixe menu & also had a limited menu available.

Dad and I went with the prixe fix– but of course I made some minor changes.

As usual we had lots of bread/butter/hummus spread. They had corn bread in honor of Thanksgiving!! LOVED it! For my appetizer I ordered the Lobster Caesar salad. I “un-caesared” the salad– opting for EVOO & balsamic on the side. The salad had shaved parmesan and baked polenta croutons soo good! Dad isn’t a huge fan of lobster so I got to have his!

My dad ordered the classic turkey entree! It came with all the usuals– gravy, mashed potatoes, polenta, cranberry sauce and veggies It was HUGEE! I definitely helped him out a bit!

For my entree I ordered the tarragon lathered broiled salmon with fava beans and chanterelle mushrooms… this was probably one of the best cooked salmons I’ve EVER had!

I also ordered steamed brussel sprouts as a side LOVED IT!!!

I had a great Thanksgiving with my dad– even though I wasn’t able to spend it with my entire family– I am so thankful to HAVE family that I am able to miss. I am SO SO SO thankful to have the two most INCREDIBLE parents in the entire world– they are my best friends… truly!! Yesterday, being Thanksgiving, I got to thinking about ‘gifts’ and ‘blessings’ we have in our lives.

In Kabbalah, it states that it is ESSENTIAL that we realize ‘good’ things in our lives DO NOT BELONG TO US– they are “GIFTS”– they can be taken at any time! We are NOT entitled to these things– therefore we must APPRECIATE them and give thanks each and every moment… I couldn’t help but share this info from the Kabbalah center… (Note: I know I have said this before– Kabbalah is NOT a religion– its a spiritual technology meant for EVERY person of EVERY race/culture/religion! Feel free to agree or disagree– it’s up to you!)

“In Kabbalah it says that if people run after what is not theirs, they can lose what acutally belongs to them. This is the lesson of appreciation. When we wake up in the morning and don’t have tremendous joy becuse of all the blessings that we already have in our life and instead take these blessings for granted and assume that they are ours to keep, we are opening the door for that Light to be removed and for those blessings to be lost. And of course, we are also closing the door for any new Light and for any new miracles.

The first step must be to truly develop our appreciation for the light and for those blessings that we already have. It is not simply because it is the right thing to do or it is the spiritual thing to do. It is because this consciousness, this awareness, this appreciation lets us hold onto those blessings of the Light that are manifest within what we have. When we truly have appreciation in our life, when we truly appreciate the way the Light of the Creator manifests in our life, we can never be sad. We can never be anything but filled with joy.”

What are YOU thankful for? Realize it, recognize it & GIVE THANKS!

Well everyone that’s all for now! Would you all think I’m super boring if I told you tonight I’m going to ANOTHER seafood restaurant and might order ANOTHER crustacean?? Have a wonderful night!!

Love Jaime

Celtics game & lots of yogurt messes.

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you had yourself a nice week!

This week just FLEWWW right by!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it

On Wednesday night one of my good friends invited me to go to the Celtics game! Her dad has season box seats at the TD Banknorth Garden and let us use them for the evening! Before the game I had a delicious yogurt mess– Archer Farms Vanilla yogurt with banana slices and Kashi goodfriends cinna-raisin crunch cereal.

Here we are at the game– it was soooo much fun!!!

I’m not a huge sports person — AT ALL! In fact I think I can name 2 of the players on the team– but of all sports– I do enjoy watching basketball.

The box room we were in was AWESOME! It was two floors, had two full bars and not to mention LOTS of food! There was crackers, cheeses, nuts, make your own pizza, pastas, salads, rice, veggies and fish!

Here are some of my eats:

On the left, I had haddock with rice and purple cauliflower! Delish!!!! The other dish is a mix of caesar salad and a goat cheese/sundried tomato salad.

During half time, an entire DESSERT buffet was put out! I was too excited and simply forgot to take pictures but I loaded up! Some of my eats included a mini canoli, mini apple pie sundae and chocolate chip cookies! SOOO good!! We had a great night and the Celtics won which made it all the better!

On Thursday night dad and I ventured to our spot for some delish din. It was late and I wanted something light but still delish. I started out with a jumbo shrimp cocktail (per usual)… and asked the chef to prepare me a mixed veggie salad with grilled chicken for my entree. I topped this bad boy off with EVOO and balsamic. I also had bread, hummus spread and a bite of dad’s fig and gouda cheese flatbread

Other eats as of late have included LOTS of yogurt messes–

Fage, Kashi go lean, Kashi Puffs, bananas and raisins.

& FUJI (my fav!) apples!

Last night I worked until 11 pm and then met up with my girl Lauryn who was in town (she’s the one I met up with in NYC last week!) it was so great to be able to see her two weeks in a row!!!

This morning I made myself the perfect hangover cure…

MORE YOGURT!!!

Archer Farms Vanilla yogurt with raisins, banana slices and Kashi Honeysunshine– I don’t think I ever get sick of combining bananas and raisins– I do it with yogurt, oatmeal— everywhere!

I also had some frozen grapes

As for the rest of the day– I’m planning to meet up with Lauryn for lunch and probably do some shopping

Daily Insight–

At the Celtics game I got to thinking about people and their life’s passions. I couldn’t help but wonder how/when the Celtics players discovered their love and talent for basketball. I am really fascinated/slightly envious (in a good way) of those who have figured out their life’s passion because I have yet to figure mine out.

My question for you is– have you discovered your ‘passion’? How did you know it was ‘your thing’?

That’s all everyone– have a wonderful day

Empire State of Mind…

Happy Tuesday all! Hope you are off to a wonderful week

I had such an amazing weekend I cannot wait to share it all with you. A few weeks back, I had booked a flight to NYC to see one of my best girls for the weekened! Luckily I was able to take Friday-Monday off from work so everything worked out perfectly!

I left the Bean (Boston) around 5 on Friday– well I was SUPPOSED to leave @ 5 but those shuttle flights to NYC ALWAYS get delayed! I finally made it to my girls apartment around 9– we got food, some goose and got ready for a fun night!!!

Friday night after we hit up the clubs– we were FAMISHED!! This fabulous little store right near my girls place is opened 24 hours– we hit that place up for turkey & hummus wraps, Glennys soy crisps and Pop chips! We kept joking that only WE (& of course some of you other bloggers) would get the ‘healthy’ late-night-alcohol-induced munchies!! We were FAMISHED and ate every bite– all that booty shakin/walking around makes a gal SUPAA hungry!!

The rest of the weekend was chock full of MORE drinks, LOTS of shopping, TONS fun and of course some AMAZING food!!

Case in point #1: On Saturday we ventured to the FABULOUS Wholefoods in Union Square…

I LOADED my salad bowl with sooo much goodness!! One of my favorites were the two yucca fries– I had never had these before– they were chewy and different than a typical fry but SO good!

More good food…

Me and my girl split this amazing platter of sushi at this place called Amber– it was SOOO good! The restaurant was chic, sexy and the food was INCRED! Not to mention the service was A+! We had reservations for 8:30 and didn’t get seated until 9:30– the manager sent over LOTS of champagne, cheesecake and was super apologetic– nothin like customer service!!

After din we headed out for another night on the town…

On Sunday we spent the day walking around– it was SOOO nice out!!

I was so sad to leave NYC on Sunday night– I just LOVE the energy of the city there– I DEFINITELY see myself moving there next September– I think I have just outgrown Boston!

Other eats as of late have included LOTS of wraps– but to be honest I eat a wrap for lunch just about EVERY day! I LOVEEE WRAPSS!!

Wrap #1 Turkey, roasted red pepper Sabra hummus, lettuce and spinach

Wrap #2 Turkey, Cedars Garlic Salsa, and lettuce.

I worked the morning shift today– waking up early to hit up the gym before my 7 am shift– ooo I just LOVE gettin in a sweat sesh nice n early!! After work, I decided it was time for me to get a new phone. I have had an iPhone for over 2 years and have been curious about Blackberries for a while and wanted to get one. I made my way over to AT&T and purchased the Blackberry Bold.

I had the phone for literally AN HOUR before I promptly went back to the store and RETURNED it– instead trading it in for the new iPhone 3GS (I had the 3G)…

AHHH– MUCH BETTER!! I just DON’T think I’m a Blackberry girl!!! How many of you have Blackberries???

After dealing with the phone drama– you best believe I needed a delish snack….

Archer farms vanilla yogurt, Kashi Goodfriends cinna-raisin-crunch cereal and banana slices– the perfect late afternoon snack!!!

Anyways– switching gears & moving right along… lets get to some more ‘spiritual’ matters if you will

Tonight’s Insight…

I went to the Kabbalah Centre tonight for a lecture in honor of the new month of Sagittarius. The most important piece that I took away from tonight’s lecture was the fact that when a person does the right thing because he/she feels it makes him/her ‘righteous’– this is the wrong intention. It is important to have the RIGHT intention when one does ‘morally right’ things– and that intention is to GENUINELY want to be a better person and grow spiritually… rather than to ‘do the right thing’ because they are attempting to live up to a certain ‘reputation’.

I think this is a really fascinating concept and I have to say that I agree. I think that when you do something ‘good’ in order to be a ‘good person’ you must do it for YOURSELF and NOT because you are trying to ‘look good’ in front of other people. I have to say though– I’m not the best at this– I think we all struggle with that little ‘voice’ (Kabbalah calls this voice the ego) in our heads that tell us we ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ do something because of how we will ‘look’. What do you all think?

As for tomorrow– me & one of my friends are going to the Celtics game– her dad has box seats and said we could use them– I’m not a huge sports person–but I definitely think it’ll be fun to go!!

Have a wonderful night everyone!!!

Jaime

Comfort in the uncomfortable..

Happy Thursday everyone! The past few days have just been go go go. Lets recap!

Yesterday I worked the AM shift again! After work at 3 I went to my second Active Release Technique appointment. As you may have learned in my About me page, I used to run all the time until I was injured last January. Doctors told me that they couldn’t find anything wrong with my leg and that I should just ‘stop’ running…this is just NOT an option for me.. I feel like this is such a ‘cop out’ answer– its like trying to ‘cover’ the problem instead of trying to address it. I have tried countless forms of physical therapy and sports massage without much luck. However, I recently found Active Recovery Boston which specializes in Active Release Technique. I plan to do a full post on this in the future, but if you wish to learn more click here.

So far– things have been going great and I have had two great mini runs without ANY pain in my leg, glute, knee or IT Band! This is HUGE!!!!!
After my appointment I made my way over to the gym for a mini run, elliptical session and some weights! I felt great after! I then ran some errands and chatted with a good friend on my way back to my apartment.

After showering.. I promptly made myself a hearty snack around 6pm knowing that I wouldn’t eat dinner much before 11 pm! Why so late you ask? Well, earlier in the week mum informed me that she wanted to go see Fiddler on the Roof because the original actor was in the play and it was going to be his last time with the show! I have to admit– I’m kind of a sucker for plays/shows/broadway and all that so I happily obliged! After the show we had plans to go to our spot at the Four Seasons for dinner & dessert

Anyways– lets get to the hearty snack I depended on to get me through the show!

Strawberry oikos, truvia, Justins honey PB, banana slices and Kashi puffs. Puuurrrfect!

Something about eating peanut butter satiates me SO well and just puts me in the happiest mood! Must be those healthy fats

Here’s what I wore…

Seven jeans, Forever 21 top, Aldo Boots, silver hoops, Cartier watch, Express clutch… all about mixing the highs n lows

The play was GREAT but as soon as 10:30 hit and the curtain dropped I was EXHAUSTED! (Gotta love those 5:30 am wake ups!) I told mum n dad to go ahead to the Bristol Lounge without me… I just wanted to go home, EAT and pass out!

Once in the door I made the quickest and tastiest thing I could think of….
THE Hamburger Wrap (My all time FAV wrap combo!)
-Amy’s Bistro burger
-lettuce, onions, relish, Annie’s Ketchup and Wholefoods honey mustard.

I also had steamed broccoli and a bag of BBQ Glenny’s crisps… <3 these!

Of course I HAD to have something sweet before bed

Milk chocolate bar courtesy of Vermont Chocolates. I buy this chocolate bar at Wholefoods ALL the time! It’s delish! What is also great about this brand is that it’s made in a nut free facility– I’m not allergic to nuts but for those who are, you can eat this without having to worry about cross contamination!

I recently found out that one of my gyms locations has a location near me that opens at 5:30 am– this morning I decided to see if I could squeeze in an elliptical session before work at 7, because I had SOOO much to do after work! I woke up at 5, strechted a bit and made my way through the still-dark city streets! Once at the gym I powered through 40 minutes on the elliptical, showered & got ready and hauled my behind to work with just enough time to eat a Fage & Kashi “mess” and be at the desk at 7:01 am. (1 minute late!!!)

It REALLY woke me up this morning and gave me a lot of energy for my day I LOVE working out first thing in the morning… the only downside was that I had to RUSH to make it to work & that my duffle bag had all my shower/makeup products in it not to mention snacks, lunch and a change of clothes! It was soooo heavy!!

After work I made my way over to the oh so fabulous Newbury st for a hair appt ..just a color, no cut– come on did you really think my hair was naturally this color

I walked into my apartment around 5:30 FAMISHED!!! I knew JUST what I wanted to make myself…. the main component of my craving?

I mixed this guy with a PB chip vitamuffin!

The yogurt was just OK– it was my first time trying this yogurt and I didn’t find that it tasted very “pomegranatey” but it WAS delicious with the vitamuffin

One of my guy friends informed me that he and his partner would be at the Bristol Lounge for drinks around 6 and asked me to meet him! This was PERFECT because I had actually talked my pops into going here tonight since I was too tired yesterday and I missed out when he n mum went after the play. Therefore I happily obliged! At the BL I sipped on Riesling, munched on nuts and chatted it up with the guys!

My dad arrived around 7 and we ordered dinner!

We noshed on bread, butter and hummus spread & I started out with my FAVORITE appetizer– JUMBO shrimp cocktail!

For my entree I had JUMBO scallops seared plain (I LOVE the taste of scallops with just a squirt of lemon!), along with asparagus and roasted baby beets! (Sorry no pic). I ended the meal with a pot of fresh chamomile tea.

Once at home I was STILL hungry and had a major chocolate attack! Here is just SOME of it (milk chocolate Wholefoods raisins)…

I also had a few Almond M&Ms (LOVE) and some carob coated raisins… I may have also had a mini dark chocolate Toberlone!

Some Random Insight….

Today I got to thinking about being ‘comfortable’ in life. For the better part of my life I have felt very comfortable in terms of knowing WHAT to expect, WHO I could depend on, and what the next day would bring. I knew that after middle school was high school and then after high school I would go to college. After college– I felt VERY UNCOMFORTABLE– I had NO clue what to expect!! Ever since I started working full time– I have had a MAJOR wake up call– all of a sudden I feel constantly ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘uncertain’… However I don’t think this is a bad thing in the least…

Kabbalah as well as some Eastern Religions (i.e. Buddhism), enforce the belief of finding ‘comfort’ in the uncomfortable… that we must realize the physical world is not TRULY who we are– that we are a PART of something LARGER. We must realize that constantly ‘pushing’ ourselves and feeling that sense of ‘uncomfortableness’ is when we REALLY GROW.

When was the last time you felt ‘uncomfortable’ with a certain situation— did you find it made you stronger in the end?

That’s all for now– have a great evening!!

Getting used to a new schedule…

Since starting my new job this past September, I have definitely had to get used to a completely new schedule! Not just in terms of day to day living– but it terms of eating as well!

My life as a college student– and post graduate life (which consisted of doing NOTHING for 5 months), was VERYYY different. I would normally wake up, eat around 11am.. hit up the gym, eat lunch around 2-3pm, have a snack at 5pm, and dinner/dessert around 8-9. My oh my have things changed!

Since I work at the front desk at a hotel, my schedule changes week to week. Like I’ve said, sometimes my shifts are 7am-3pm, 3-11pm or anywhere in between! I’ll admit at first it was not easy to get used to 5:15 am wake ups– but I think I’ve pretty much got the hang of it.

I have noticed that when I wake up early in the morning when I have morning shifts– I NEED FUEL! (DUH!) At first I was very apprehensive about this– I was somewhat skeptical I would put on weight because I would be eating ‘more’…ohh how I could not have been more wrong.

While it’s true, on days I have morning shifts– I do eat more during the morning– everything seems to even out by the days end. A typical morning shift eating routine for me usually consists of a 3-4 part breakfast such as

6:30 am Fage with cinnamon, truvia and Kashi Go Lean cereal

9:00 am apple

10:00 am Trader Joe’s Muffin

11:00 am pack of nuts

Not only am I on my feet for the entire shift– I am running up and down stairs and all over the hotel! I REALLY need this fuel– especially early on in the day.

Around 1:00 pm I usually have lunch which is typically some sort of wrap with turkey & hummus or honey mustard. I always have some type of veggie (carrots are my #1) and crunchy carbohydrate (LOOVEE pretzels!).

After my shift ends at 3, I make my way over to the gym.. typically finishing my workout around 5 pm. I then eat some sort of snack by the time I get home around 5:45 (In the pic: kettle korn popcorn and frozen grapes).

By 7 I’m FAMISHED for dinner! Dinner varies every night, I do eat out several nights per week and when I don’t eat out– I typically eat some type of Amy’s frozen meal or get a kitchen sink salad from Wholefoods.
In this pic: Amy’s brown rice & veggie bowl with LOTS of steamed veggies and a Wasa cracker wayyy up in the corner!

And some form of sweets (chocolate) is a MUST! (Case in point…Wholefoods milk chocolate covered raisins).

As I stated, I was sooo apprehensive about how I was going to adapt to a ‘new life’ and ‘new eating’ schedule– but all in all– things have worked out quite nicely.

Because of this experience, I have come up with some tips to adapting to a new lifestyle (work/school/life) change:

1.) Embrace the change! Think of it as a challenge that you will learn from– NOT something that is scary and negative.

2.) Listen to your body! When you are HUNGRY… HONOR that. If you are hungry– your body needs it! Don’t be scared of your hunger! If you ‘ignore’ it– you could be setting yourself up for disaster later on when you do decide to eat… or just a crash and burn because you don’t have proper fuel!

3.) Realize that everything evens out. This is one of the most important for me. I believe that 80% of the time I lead a ‘healthy’– lifestyle (eating healthy foods and working out regularly).. this is mostly by choice.. but also because I’m able to function my best with foods that make me feel good and exercise to keep me sane. The other 20% of the time, I skip workouts and eat food that may not be considered ‘healthy’.. but at the end of the day– I have learned that EVERYTHING evens out in the long run! And anyways– I STRONGLY believe that a TRULY “healthy” lifestyle involves embracing ‘junk’ food and lazy days.

How do YOU adapt to change in life?

That’s all for now– have a great evening everyone!

Indulging tastes SOOO good…

Lots of changes and transitions have been present in my life over the past few months. One of which had been completely re-arranging, purchasing new furniture and re-decorating my room! I had this past weekend off and was finally able to pull everything together.

My entire Saturday morning was spent waiting for the last piece of my furniture to be delivered. When I woke up I noshed on a vanilla Oikos mixed with some fabulous fruit & nut granola from Bear Naked.

I know a good bloggie friend of mine enjoys this granola as well. When I first read the ingredients  I noticed coconut– not being a huge coconut fan I wasn’t sure how I would acutally like this granola… yet it did NOT disappoint in the least! The granola was crunchy, chewy and sweet all at the same time.

I thought frozen grapes would be make the perfect companion with my yogurt and granola mix.

The remainder of my Saturday involved LOTS of shopping with my mum. We went to Bed Bath & Beyond as well as the Container Store to get a few more things that I needed for my room. I am definitely one of those people who LOVES organization type stores– kind of ironic actually considering I’m NOT organized in the least.

Other eats of the day included (but were DEFINITELY not limited to)

A cinnamon raisin Ezekiel english muffin topped with Fage, cinnamon & Truvia.

And my all time favorite Clif bar!

I absolutely LOVE Saturday nights, and let me tell you why…for several years now, my family and I have been going to the Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons here in Boston! We eat here about two/three times per week (in fact we have a permanent reservation here every Saturday!)…but I ESPECIALLY LOVE going here on a Friday or Saturday night because they do a HUGE Viennese style dessert buffet! The buffet consists of MANY treats..cupcakes, pies, cheesecakes, crepes, candies, tarts, chocolate mousse, bread pudding and thats not even the beginning!!

Before I get to the dessert buffet– lets get to some of my dinner eats. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, we were instantly surprised with a HUGE raw seafood platter– compliments of the chef! Seriously this was TOO nice!!!!!

Lobster claws, crab legs, jumbo shrimp and grilled marinated scallops! This was PURE heaven!!!! I LOVE shrimp and lobster!!!!!!

I completely forgot to snap a photo of my entree but I had a simple scallop dish with asparagus and munched off of my mum’s GINORMOUS portion of french fries that came with her meal.

After we finished our entrees it was DESSERT TIME!!!! Here’s my platter:

Starting from the top and going clockwise; Carrot cake, chocolate chip cookie, cupcake, german chocolate cake, cranberry pecan pie and pumpkin cheesecake. I would be lying if I said this was all I ate My parents and I have some of the worlds BIGGEST sweet tooths– my mum can definitely put DOUBLE this much away when she’s on a sweet tooth kick!

Check out the festive cupcake:

Even though all of these treats are bite-sized…I DEFINITELY have my fair share every time I have the dessert buffet… but I truly ENJOY it! Whenever I leave I’m definitely stuffed— but to me it’s worth it! I LOVE sweet things and I look forward to spending this time with my family. I NEVER feel guilty about having this many sweets because I know my body and I know that splurging once a week or so will not affect things in the long run.

How do YOU REALLY indulge?!?!

Have a lovely night everyone!!!!