The ONLY recipe I am bringing to BBQ's

This past weekend I made this salad, twice--for two different BBQ's I attended...and at both events everyone raved about how delicious it was.

 I tweeted and instagrammed(<---this is now a verb) a few teaser pictures to see if you would all be interested in this simple, yet delicious recipe, and after an overwhelming response of "YES PLEASE!!" I thought I should.

Roasted Corn, Avocado and Black Bean Salad

serves 6-10

Ingredients 

for salad

1 BIG can of black beans or 2 small cans

1/2 red onion, diced

1 & 1/2 avocados, cubed

1 container of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup of corn kernels, roasted

Directions

Drain and rinse black beans

In a frying pan over medium low heat, roast corn kernels--keep an eye on these little guys, they will burn!

Chop--halve--cube the rest of your ingredients

Toss in a bowl

Ingredients

for dressing

1 HUGE handful of cilantro, or as much as you'd prefer

Juice of one fresh lemon---or lime, whatever is on hand

Chop cilantro and toss in the bowl

Using a juicing tool (pictured above) or just squeezing with your hands, drizzle lemon juice on top of your salad and toss

 Now you're ready to party!

Cut the fat

Have you ever had people in your life that didn't support the lifestyle or decisions you made?

cut the fat

Have you ever felt that some people in your life made you feel worthless or unappreciated?

cut the fat

Have you ever worried so much what someone would think of you that you would not try something new?

cut the fat

Is there someone who just brings you down, no matter what?

cut the fat

No matter where you are in life or what journey you are on, one of the most important steps you need to make is cutting the fat from your life. The people or things that weigh you down.

You don't need it

It may be hard to do, but change is difficult...and that's okay.

You're worth it

Start a new way of living today.

Fitness Friday Maryland Style

Woohoo we made it through another week! And for most of us today kicks off a THREE DAY WEEKEND!!


I am currently in Maryland celebrating my sisters graduation from Towson University. This morning she asked me if I wanted to accompany her to one of her favorite gym classes "kickboxing boot camp" at Brick Bodies.


I obviously couldn't pass up the opportunity to try something new,sweat with my sis AND Kickbox so I jumped at the chance.




The class was taught by a man...which was a first for me and to be honest made me a little nervous. But my sister introduced us and he seemed very sweet which took a bit of the edge off. We started the class with a light warm up of jumping jacks, jabs and uppercuts. Then we broke out into pairs and grabbed a bosu ball. One person used the ball to do 5 burpees while the other did jumping jacks. I was unaware of how light the bosu actually was and on my first burpee I hit myself right in the mouth.
I am starting to realize I am my own worst enemy in the gym...it comes from my spastic side. After that bosu burpees we did more kickboxing followed by mini scooters. I have not seen or used a mini scooter since elementary school so I had no idea what to excpect.

He had us break into partners again and one person held a plank position but one arm was doing the karate kid "wax on" motion while the other partner did squats. After wax on we used the scooter to move our arm underneath across our body while holding a plank. I am probably not doing this workout any justice but trust me it was tough.


All in all I had a great fitness Friday and now it's time celebrate !!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Musica! Musica! & Drink Chia Winner

Memorial Day Weekend aka the kick off to summer is TOMORROW! 

woohoo

Mine has already started as I am off to Maryland this morning for my little sister's graduation

Congrats Aly!

I thought I'd share my current song obsessions with all of you so you can add them to your playlists just in time for the weekend:

 

If you have any song suggestions for me to add please let me know in the comments below....I love a variety of music and as you can see I LOVE to dance, so don't be shy!

Thank you to everyone who entered my DrinkChia! Giveaway...there were 42 entries, however there can only be one winner:

JordanMay 15, 2012 8:44 AM

My favorite ways to hydrate are water, Nuun, and tea. This sounds awesome, though, I'd love to try DrinkChia!

Congrats Jordan! Please email me your contact information so we can get your Drink Chia drinks and shirt out to you!

Me VS Boot Camp

Today I had to repeat the words 

Just Keep Sweating

to myself, several times during my workout.

I wanted NOTHING to do with my 5 am workout this morning.... I was so tired and overly sluggish but I pushed myself to go because I knew I'd be glad I did once it was over.

Bootcamp was brutal... it was more than brutal I just can't think of the right word to describe it at the moment.

We started slow with bicycle crunches and push ups, then quickly moved into jumping jacks and jump squats.

Which turned into walking lunges across the room--no breaks--6 times, followed by jump squats across the room.

I made it twice and bailed on the third round, my heart rate was high..my legs were burning and I was tired.

 After all of that it was wall sit time. I have no idea how long we did them but it felt like an eternity especially after what we had just put our legs through. 

 Then it was back to moving across the room, I chose to take myself outside the room because it was so crowded and do the moves there. This time around we did crawls one way , getting as low to the ground as possible without touching and then crab walked backwards on the way back.

By this point there was sweat in my eyes, my arms were shaking AND my legs felt heavy and tired. 

I wanted to just quit. 

But I said to myself...no way, just keep sweating.

If I had known that burpees and push ups were next(and last) I would have left.

But I didn't.

I stuck it out and got my sweat on,

And can't wait for next week.

The moral of the story.

Push yourself

Don't Give up

and as always...

Recess is the BEST part of the day!

Are you tired of your workout routine? Are you interested in taking a class such as Barre or Mat Pilates but your gym doesn't offer it? Moved to a new city and are unsure of where to workout?

Then GoRecess! is the perfect website for you!

What exactly IS Go Recess?

"The One-Stop Destination to Find, Book and Review Fitness Classes

Inspired by memories of elementary school recess, we created GoRecess to bring the fun back to fitness. Just as you couldn't wait to run around, play with friends, swing on the monkey bars or jump on the trampoline, our hope is that you'll find a fitness class you can't wait to dive into―one that is about more than just "working out." One where burning calories and getting in shape is just an added benefit. One that was like recess: communal, different, and FUN.
We're here to help you find your best class of the day, where you want, when you want, so you can be YOUR BEST every day. Maybe you're in the mood for a certain type of workout. Maybe you want convenience and something that fits your hectic schedule. Maybe you want variety and the flexibility to try new places. Or maybe you just need the motivation of a good instructor and others around you to inspire you to push yourself.
From spinning and yoga to pilates and boxing and more, GoRecess will help you find exactly what you're seeking. Say goodbye to boring runs on the treadmill, mindless strides on the elliptical and excuses to skip a workout. Now get off your couch or away from your desk and choose your recess."

(source: https://www.gorecess.com/about)

 I really apologize for the photos, I did the best I could and tried several different options! Looks like you need to go to the website and check it out for yourself!

So I have been playing around with this site for a few weeks, and have already noticed an increase in fitness class options within 5 miles of my job in NYC. I have checked the options near my hometown on Long Island and there aren't as many but this website is still new. 

I encourage all of you to take a second and check out GoRecess, it may inspire you to try something you have never done before OR find something you didn't know exsisted!

I am excited to see the additions that will be added as the site grows, especially for fitness classes around my town. As a commuter I can't always make the classes I'd like to at my gym or sometimes I just don't want to take what is offered at that time, this website will provide me so many new options.

STOP MAKING EXCUSES!

  " If I was rich I would hire a personal chef and a personal trainer,that way I would never have to worry about what I eat and  I would never get fat."

Have you ever heard someone say this, or said something along these lines yourself?

I mean yeah it would be GREAT to have a personal chef, I wouldn't mind it myself.

Even though I kind of do..thanks to an amazing fiance and awesome mom!

And I would love to have a trainer who could push me to my limits every day,

along with the time to do it

However, just because someone may have all the tools doesn't mean they would actually use them.

For instance, Jonah Hill.

He lost 40 pounds last year and looked as if he was taking the right steps to a healthier lifestyle.

But this past weekend he was seen out and about, and it appears he has gained some of the weight back.

What about Kirstie Alley?

She is the queen of  yo-yo dieting/weight loss. Most recently she has been able to keep the weight she lost on Dancing with the Stars off, maybe she finally figured out a healthy balance?

The point I am trying to make here is even the richest or most famous people out there have their own issues with weight loss. Like most of us, they look for a quick fix(no carbs or working out for endless amounts on hours on little calories)...yes, this will provide you with results, but they will not last forever.

Instead you should:

-Take the time to educate yourself on proper nutrition and exercise. 

-Design a program that works for YOU and stick to it

-Whether it takes you 6 months or 5  years to get to your goal, that isn't nearly as important as HOW you got there.

Your journey should not focus on how much weight/body fat you can lose, but how much you can learn from it.