Month: August 2014

Weekending: Italian Cooking Lessons, Birthday Celebrations and Lots Of Patio Time

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Good morning! What a weekend I had- I’m still smiling from it 🙂 Although it started out a little busy, once my parents got here, there was LOTS of relaxing for me. I mentioned it to my parents as we were sitting on my patio and my dad said that the last time I relaxed that much was probably the last time I was with them. I have to say- he’s got a point. If they weren’t here, I would’ve kept myself busy with random things, but since they were here, I pushed aside all of my “to-do’s” and focused on enjoying my time with them. It was perfect timing amidst the craziness of this summer!

Friday Night

My mom’s request for her birthday meal was “something Italian”. My boyfriend’s mom is from Italy (she moved here when she was 19), and I always rave to my parents about her cooking so my mom wanted to see for herself. RM and I went to Waltham on Friday after work and after eating dinner (she made us pork, carrots and a salad), we got busy in the kitchen. I’m not sure if it’s an Italian cooking rule or not, but the first order of business for me was wine… duh 😉

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We made a chicken cacciatore dish and it couldn’t have come out more perfectly. Everyone (even RM, who has his mother’s cooking all the time), was raving about it!

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So lucky to have the chance to get extra cooking lessons. Meatballs are next on the agenda 🙂

Saturday

I headed to Wakefield to teach my first class at PUMPS (went so well!!) and then ran about a million errands to prep for my parents arrival. It’s amazing how much you can get done when you’re on a timeframe 😉 Sue and Al got here around 1:15 and I made a little mixture of things for lunch while we caught up on the patio. Mom and I later went to get pedicures. I had a little treat planned for her: bringing mini bottles of wine to make the experience even better. Everyone around us was pretty jealous!

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Later in the evening, RM joined the Gagnon’s, bearing gifts of wine and flowers for my mom- very sweet!

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Phew- we drank A LOT of wine throughout the evening. It’s so hard not to- family, laughs, great patio weather… they all go hand in hand!

IMG_8364(apparently I missed the red shirt memo…)

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I let my mom relax and I took care of all the prep work- I think she needed to wear the apron as a security blanket to make her feel ok about not helping!

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Although my apartment is small, it was just enough room for the 4 of us (my sister was away).

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Look at that dish! Oh. My. God was it delicious!!! I couldn’t get enough of it. All in all, it was a perfect night!

Sunday

I stayed with RM and let my parents stay at my place (Hotel Monique), so I headed back there on Sunday morning before church. We walked to a nearby church and were amazed that the mass was only 35 minutes! For my fellow Catholic readers, 35 minutes is generally unheard of for a mass! I’m used to at least an hour. Crazy.

RM took us to brunch later and then I spent the rest of the afternoon reading with my parents on the patio. While I was reading, I had thoughts like “oh man. I should be blogging right now. I should be getting ready for the week. etc.”, but instead, I let myself indulge in a new book! It felt really good.

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Have any of you read this?

Once my parents left, RM and I headed back to Waltham to return the pot I borrowed from his mom. Conveniently enough, it was time for Sunday Dinner 😉 We had steak, sausages, salad, rainbow chard and peppers- so delicious, and eating outside again was even better!

We made a quick stop at the driving range before heading back to East Boston (and an ice cream stop… whoops!).

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I was in bed by 9:30 and it was awesome… I can’t remember the time I slept that much and that well. Boy was it needed- I felt like a new woman yesterday!

Questions for you: What was something fun that you did last weekend? Have you ever taken a cooking lesson? What’s a book you’ve read or are reading?

 

This Week: Workouts, Shorter Workouts & Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Phew! You guys- this past weekend was SO fun, but boy am I tired today. Although I like starting my Monday’s out by teaching my 6am class, I was thankful for the extra sleep this morning.

Although I had some good workouts last week, they were a bit on the shorter side… and I kind of liked it! I definitely miss teaching my Thursday double, but having 2+ hours of extra time after work is really quite nice. The thing is (and I know this is no surprise to all you fitness-crazed people like me), as long as you’re giving a workout your all, it doesn’t (and shouldn’t!) be an hour or two hour ordeal. Long gone are the days where I feel like I need to spend hours on various cardio machines at the gym, peddling away. Thank God!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Similar to most Monday’s when I teach: taught my 6am muscle class (which I’ve started to add in some cardio, too) and did 15 minutes on the stepper after class to catch up on my social media stuff 😉
  • Tuesday- I got up and ran a TOUGH 3 miles before the first day of our “All Hands” meeting. I also did my old walking/T riding commute into the city- I miss it, but don’t miss showing up to work sweating!

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  • Wednesday- I really didn’t feel like working out. I had gotten out of our meetings at 3 and then met up with RM for some shopping before heading home. The last thing I wanted to do was turn back around and head out to workout and teach. So much so that I made up random errands to run to eat time before my class started! It’s amazing, though- after a quick mile run on the treadmill before it was time to teach, I felt SO MUCH BETTER- so much energy and I was ready to go. Crazy how exercise can do that to you! I did most of my UXF Burn class with the members- it was a killer.
  • Thursday- I dilly-dallied and cut myself too short on time to get in the workout I wanted to do. Oh well- I ran a few quick miles and did 2 different sets of strength exercises: 4 exercises, 12 reps, 2 rounds. Done and done.
  • Friday- I ran 3.75 miles during lunch and finished with some core work. The weather was perfect for daytime running- sunny, but not too hot! I mentioned on Instagram, that I was really proud of how far I’ve come with running. Just a year or so ago my goal was to run 3.5 miles in 31 minutes… I’m crushing that time these days. I often forget to look at my accomplishments and be proud of myself; I’m always looking ahead at things I want to do, so it was nice to give myself a little pat on the back!

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  • Saturday- I taught my first class at my new gym, PUMPS, which is in Wakefield. It was a Chisel and Core class, but I just taught one of my SHRED workouts and it was perfect. I got really good feedback which is always a nice thing.

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  • Sunday- Rest day! I woke up and felt every muscle in my body from my workout on Saturday. It wasn’t a new workout, but for some reason it totally kicked my butt!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Tonight I am going to a class at B/Spoke indoor cycling studio with Caroline and my friend Meaghan. I haven’t been to an indoor cycling class in forever so I am really looking forward to it 🙂
  • Tuesday- I may go to a class at PUMPS after work or go to a class at Exhale Spa. I have a few free classes to use up before the end of August so my goal is to get to a class this week and next week.
  • Wednesday- Teaching UXF Burn and probably doing some cardio and core beforehand. I’m trying to incorporate more core work into my workouts as I’ve been slacking (and it shows!) lately.
  • Thursday- Same as Tuesday- either a class at PUMPS or Exhale… probably whatever I didn’t do on Tuesday.
  • Friday- Not sure! Maybe do a lunchtime run again, maybe rest.
  • Saturday- FINALLY back at the Oak Square YMCA for my kickboxing class- it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve last been there and I miss them!!!
  • Sunday- Either rest or some yoga or something light (only if I didn’t rest on Friday).

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I can’t wait to get together with Caroline and Meaghan- it’s so hard to fit everything in these days, that killing two birds with one stone (working out WITH friends) is a wonderful thing. I’m also looking forward to a normal week where I have time to make my lunches and do things after work. This weekend is my friend Kia’s engagement party in New Hampshire so that will definitely be a fun time. Sunday is RM’s nephew’s first birthday party, which will be a nice way to spend the afternoon. It’s nice being “around” for two weekends in a row!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Are your workouts shorter during the summer? What are you looking forward to this week?

Guest Post: No Bake Gluten Free Breakfast Bars

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Hi there! And TGIF! Before I get to the post, I want to send a very special birthday shout out to my mom- I hope you have a wonderful day and I can’t wait to see you and celebrate you tomorrow. Love you so much!

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How has your week been? Have any fun plans this weekend? My week has been quite different than normal in that my company held it’s “All Hands” meeting in Boston (Boston Harbor Hotel- oh, la la!) on Tuesday and Wednesday so I was making my old trek back into the city instead of my new commute to Wakefield. I have to admit: it made me miss working in the city even more than usual! On top of that, Thursday I spent the day in a “new hire training” back in Wakefield. To say this week was a bit of a wash on the work front is an understatement, but it was kind of nice! I’ll take “easy” weeks whenever I can 😉

Tuesday night, we went out on an Odyssey dinner cruise which was a blast!! The food, open bar (wine and beer), conversations and view made for an awesome night.

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As for this weekend, tonight I’m going to RM’s mom’s house to have her teach me how to make authentic Italian sauce. I’m so excited! Tomorrow I’m teaching my FIRST class at my new gym and I have to admit, I’m a little nervous! It’s always kind of scary going into a new gym to teach because you don’t know what they’re used to or if what you planned is too hard or easy. Hopefully it goes well! After that, I have to rush back and get my place ready for my parents to come down. I’m hosting them at “Hotel Monique” for the night and I can’t wait!

But, before all those fun things kick off, I wanted to share a recipe that I think you’ll all enjoy. My friend, Noelle, posted some pictures on Facebook and Instagram and as soon as I saw them, I knew I needed her to guest post the recipe on this ol’ blog. I can’t wait to make them. Thanks again, Noelle, for sharing this!

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Hi everyone! I’m Noelle and I am elbow deep in buttercream frosting and croissants 50 hours a week. I am a pastry chef at Whole Foods in Wellesley, MA where I am busy cake decorating and opening and closing hot ovens… It is an absolute blast! I worked for a gluten free bakery start up business last year after I finished pastry school and learned quite a bit. It was a perfect start to ease me into the baking world, seeing I am gluten free myself (not Celiac, just feel better without it). I learned a few tricks to the difficult world of gluten free baking that I will take along with me. Although gluten free flours can be quite tricky, baking with simple and clean ingredients is what I choose to do at home. This recipe below is a dump-in-a-bowl and call it a day kind of recipe, which will leave you with some pretty satisfying bites. Enjoy!

No Bake Gluten Free Breakfast Bars– Inspired by Two Saucy Sisters

Ingredients:

  • 3 c. gluten free rolled old fashioned oats, divided
  • 2 T chia seeds (or ground flax seed*)
  • 1⁄4 tsp salt
  • 1⁄2 c. chopped raw almonds
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 1⁄2 c. peanut butter (we used all-natural)
  • 1⁄4 c. honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1⁄4 c. chocolate chips, optional (I chopped up Easter chocolate..yikes)

Directions:

1. Grind one cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until it is a fine flour. In a large bowl, combine the ground oats with the remaining 2 cups of whole oats, chia seeds, salt and chopped almonds.

2. In a separate bowl combine the mashed banana, peanut butter, honey and vanilla and stir until it is smooth and fully mixed. Pour the peanut butter banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until no dry spots remain. You may add the chocolate chips at this point if you are using them.

3. Line a 9×9 inch square glass dish with wax paper. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the dish and set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to firm up. When they are ready, use the edge of the wax paper to gently lift the un-cut bars out of the dish. Cut into 12 bars and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

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Umm, I’m pretty sure these will be made within the next week or so. I love that there is very little added sugar, which is my goal with baking recipes at this point. I also love that you don’t have to cook anything- perfect for hot, summer days and nights!

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Thank you so much for sharing, Noelle! If you want to see more of her delicious treats, check out her Instagram account- I drool over her posts daily!

Questions for you: Who do you follow on Instagram for food pictures? What’s your favorite gluten free recipe? Do you make granola bars?

Speaking of gluten free… check out this meal that RM made on Monday. Orange Macadamia Nut Encrusted fish… amazing!!

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Wednesday Workout: My Favorite Cardio Blasts {5 of them!}

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Good morning! How’s your week going so far? I’ve got a fun post for you today, but before we get to that, did you catch my post last week on how do get your workout mojo back? I had a blast writing it and have received a lot of positive feedback from it, so I’m happy it helped!

Today, though, I’ve got 5 “Cardio Blast” workouts for you that will surely leave you “sucking wind”, as I appropriately named one of them! As I’ve mentioned before (and included in my UXF-inspired workouts), when I teach UXF Burn I include a cardio blast in between sets. I love it because the cardio blasts allow people to work at their own pace and really push themselves if they want to be pushed. I can also include a lot of different cardio exercises which helps to keep boredom and dread at bay.

My favorite cardio blasts include a pyramid format where you either work from 60 to 50 to 40 and so on until you get to 10 reps OR you work the opposite way where you go 10 reps to 20 reps up to 60 reps (usually a 60 second plank). However, today I’ve tried to give you a good variety using different formats and exercises so you can play around with all of them. They are great on their own if you’re looking for a quick cardio workout that will leave you winded, or they’re a great addition to a strength workout (either between sets or at the end). I hope you enjoy them as much as my members do…. 😉

Shoulder Burner Cardio Blast Core burner cardio blast Tabata Cardio Blast sucking wind cardio blast Burpees and High Knees cardio blast

Let me know if you try any of these! Also, big thanks to Athena for sharing her cardio finishers, which is where I got the idea for the Burpee and High Knees Cardio Blast- it’s such a fun (and challenging!) cardio format- I love it!

Questions for you: What’s your favorite type of cardio? Do you have a favorite format? Suggestions for a new cardio blast that I can include in my classes?

 

 

Chicago: Round 2

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I love Chicago. If I didn’t live in Boston, I would probably live there. I love that even though it’s a huge city, it still has that small city, Boston feel. I love that it’s clean and that there are so many fun things to do and good places to eat. This past trip was especially fun because not only did RM end up coming (my friend Lauren ended up not being able to go so RM took her place), but my best friend Jessi and her boyfriend and another couple were also there. RM had never been to Chicago so I was excited to show him around, and to also introduce him to my best friend, JP, who moved there a little over a year ago.

I’m going to try to keep my recap short and sweet, highlighting the places we ate and things we did and leave the rest to the pictures- Enjoy!

Friday

We got to Chicago around 10 and took the train to our hotel. We stayed at the W City Center, which I was excited about originally, but later regretted. It just wasn’t in the right part of the city where we ended up wanting to be the whole time, so it was a lotttt of walking each day! Next time, I’m going with my instinct and staying at the hotel my sister and I stayed at last time. Anyway! We grabbed a drink at the hotel bar before making the trek to The Purple Pig for lunch.

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My friend JP couldn’t rave enough about The Purple Pig, and it did not disappoint! Our friends went on Thursday night at 6 and it was a 2 hour wait. Around 2pm on a Friday, we scored and found seats right at the bar. Everything about the place was awesome- service, atmosphere, wines and the food! A must if you go to Chicago.

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We then went to the bean and took the necessary touristy pics!

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For dinner, we went to The Signature Room which is the restaurant at the top of the Hancock Tower. It’s the 95th floor, so the views were amazing!! The food and drinks did not disappoint, either. It was such a fun night.

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We grabbed a quick drink at Hub 51 after dinner before calling it a night.

Saturday

After my run and a long walk with RM, we showered and headed to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast. I highly suggest this place if you’re in the area- the warm donuts to start, the home-cooked meals on menu and the soft serve taster at the end had us rolling out of the restaurant!

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The rest of the afternoon was spent at Wrigley Field, watching the Cubs get crushed by the Cardinals. I’m not a baseball fan and ended up getting bored not long into the afternoon, but it was still a really fun experience to go to a game there!

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RM and I ended up grabbing a late dinner at Park Grill Chicago in Millennium Park before going to my friend JP’s apartment. I was really craving pizza and the one I ordered did NOT disappoint! Look at this thing!

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We played Cards Against Humanity at JP’s, which is always a good time. It was SO GOOD to see him- I miss having him in Boston and working with him. womp 😦

Sunday

I got up on Sunday and went for a long walk to get breakfast and Architecture Tour tickets. The weather was finally gorgeous, so I was really happy to be outside soaking it all up! RM loves architecture and real estate so he was in heaven throughout the tour. And, they serve drinks- how much better can you get?!

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We grabbed a quick lunch at Sweetwater Tavern and Grille on our way back to the hotel.

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RM treated us to massages, which was on the agenda for Sunday afternoon. Our hotel didn’t have a spa, but luckily the JW Marriott across the street had one. It was such a relaxing afternoon! We went in the hot tub and the steam room and sauna before our separate massages. Finished off with some champagne and you’ve got a very happy Monique!

Once we showered and got ready, we headed to the grassy field area at the amphitheater in Millennium Park near the bean. We grabbed some wine (they sell it everywhere which is awesome!) and had a blast chatting with Jessi and Chuck, people watching and watching the movie that was showing. I wish I did more of this stuff in Boston.

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Dinner was at The Gage and it, again, did not disappoint! Everything we ate was awesome, including my cheese burger, which was so random but exactly what I wanted. It was the perfect day from start to finish!

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Monday

After our workouts, we headed back to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast before shopping on the Magnificent Mile. It was a little chilly, but perfect weather for all the walking that we did!

Unfortunately, our flight home was delayed by a lot, which meant we spent a few hours at the bar and then I caught up on some blogging (before the free wifi timed out) and started a new book.

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All in all, it was an awesome trip to Chicago! The weather could’ve been better, but other than that it was perfect. Also, if you’re looking for a way to save money, do this: Buy a bottle of wine and keep it on ice in your room. It’s so much cheaper than buying glasses of wine for $14 each!

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And, it allows you to do this while getting ready 😉

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I can’t wait to go back- Chicago is a city that would never get old to me!

In case you missed my other Chicago recaps, here they are:

Boston>Dallas>Chicago
Chicago: Part1 {Shopping and Bar Hopping}
Chicago: Part 2 {The Bean, Navy Pier, Boat Tour, Brewery}
Chicago: Part 3 {Brunching, Architecture Tour, Homemade Dinner}

Questions for you: What’s your favorite part about Chicago (if you’ve been)? Do you ever have wine picnics? What’s the most recent ravel nightmare you’ve experienced?