Old Vegas!

 We visited "Old Vegas" on our last night in Sin City and it was my absolute favorite.  It reminds me of Hampton Beach, NH and  Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard rolled into one!  The entire strip starts at a well-known hotel, The Golden Nugget.  Inside the Golden Nugget is a chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box, that carries exquisite homemade chocolate, fudge, cake balls, ice cream etc.  The candies look amazing, and I bought a few tidbits to take home for my mom.

YUMMY!

 There is a  roof covering constructed entirely of LCD screens that play every half hours or so. The show is equipped with lights and music, is definitely a site if you have never been.  We got drinks on the street (love this concept) and listened to a few of the live bands playing.

We then headed to Oscar's Steakhouse, which we found out is owned by a former governmental figure for Las Vegas known for his steak and his women!  The food at Oscars was terrific, and the  atmosphere was even better.  They had loungers and couches to enjoy a view of the strip,  before we sat at our high top table.  Definitely a good time!

Overall, eating in Vegas is delicious, but far from "clean".  Your body (if you're from the east coast) is confused, due to the time difference, and you are SURROUNDED by tempting treats.  I took each day with a grain of salt and did my best to visit the gym as planned.  At home I watch my carb intake after lunch, especially on the days I do not have a workout planned, or not one packed with cardio.  This was not really an option in Vegas, and I definitely felt it after the last day there. It was almost a nice reminder of why I do what I do for my body, and the benefits I feel ;).

  Lessons Learned from Eating while Traveling:
Texas de Brazil
  We ate at Texas de Brazil our second night in Vegas and I really enjoyed it.  I had been before in Aruba, but have not been back.  The Vegas location was very similar and offered a true variety of meal options.  The restaurant itself is Brazilian Barbecue, but they also offer an EXTENSIVE salad bar that comes before the main meal meats.  I had great luck at the salad bar for both protein and veggies.  There were many bean salads, fish options, cheese, chickpeas and lunch meats for protein on the salad bar.  I'm not sure if you have read any of my previous posts about the trip, BUT earlier this day I consumed an ENORMOUS pretzel and was feeling a little Blah come dinner.  Texas de Brazil offers a  light dinner and a full dinner option.  I opted for the light dinner, and felt MORE than satisfied with my salad and sushi with brown rice.  If you're traveling and run into one of these, it is a safe option where there is a lot of choices.
 Splitting or Sharing Meals:
  I'm not sure if this is because I do not eat out extensively, but the portion sizes in Las Vegas were HUGE.  Some of the entrees we ordered could easily have been spilt three ways comfortably.  Katie and I caught on to this and started sharing menu items, simply to avoid over eating.  The problem is the food is GREAT and the prices are HIGH, and I feel that this creates this "mission to over eat monster" inside yourself.  Tell that monster to go back to his home because this is the reality:  You are traveling and food in resort locations isn't cheap.  You are not a goldfish.  Stop Eating!
Eat Breakfast:
  I am a HUGE supporter of breakfast and breakfast foods (big surprise I know), but breakfast really helped me out while traveling.  I felt that if I ate fruit and a bar, or even fruit and coffee at breakfast time, I was not famished by the time all six of us were up and ready to go to lunch.  Seeing that this was in some cases noon or 1pm, that is too late for a first meal.  The fruit, bar and coffee held me over and subsided my hunger, so I wouldn't eat a trough of delicious french fries at our lunch location!
Airplane eating:
  This is a BIG problem of mine.  I eat too much on airplane out of boredom and easy access.  This is unnecessary and I did well on the plane right there.  On the way home, however, I was not as strong.  I was eating everything in sight and felt horrible the whole next day.  In retrospect, I wish I had taken in more water, as opposed to salty or sugary packaged foods.

Rain in the desert!

What are the odds that it would rain in Las Vegas on our visit?  Not likely, but it happened!
  Friday was dark and dreary and strongly resembled New England in March when I looked out the window.  I headed off to the gym early, because clearly we wouldn't be racing to the pool anytime soon!
  I did a light workout today in preparation for a long day of travel.  I DESPISE sitting for long periods of time, and it is even worse with tight muscles!  Since we will be flying home and in a sitting position for close to 8 hours, I figured a light workout to wake up my muscles would suffice.  My workout was as follows:
  Foam rolling (my favorite)
10 miles on the stationary bike  the low seater)
20 minutes on the elliptical with a low level of intensity.

Abs:
A ab yoga sequence that consists of the following moves:
down dog, to low plank, to up dog and back to down dog again.

Then in between each of these I would do knee to shoulders and knee in the center

I repeated this three times.

Today we are planning on going to the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef, and to grab some breakfast at a highly recommended and reviewed restaurant, Serendipity 3.  They have 2 locations in NYC, and one was the basis around the movie Serendipity.  I am excited to try it!

Brunch and Sharks!
  Serendipity 3 was EXACTLY how it was reviewed, suggested and described: DELECTABLE!
The place itself is adorned in pink and white stripes, with painted lanterns and a purple and pink clock with a face.  The dining room was hopping, probably because they offer outdoor seating and that was avoided due to the rain.  We sat in a table for four with a capped end in the corner.  Our waiter was VERY upbeat and determined to make our visit memorable.  We ordered a round of mimosas and"bowl" mugs of coffee to start, as well as one of their famous "frozen hot chocolates".

Cheers Governor!

This reminded me of a Wendy's Frosty

Hello Serendipity!

 We ordered a variety of delicious items!   The boys spotted an enormous sandwich pictured in the menu and ordered it on the spot.  katie and I decided to spilt a tomato, basil and mozzarella omelet and 2 blueberry pancakes (I'm a sucker for pancakes as it is, but these were advertised as "bigger than your face" pancakes.... how could I NOT order them ??).  The food items came quickly and put us into an instant food coma... so. much. food!

biggest sandwich ever!

Our Omelet!

 Perhaps a more intense workout was needed this morning an the gym this morning ?

Vegas workout numero UNO

Good Morning from Sin City!
  This morning I awoke before the rest of the group(no surprise there) and decided to explore the fitness center and spa at Caesar's Palace.  The spa "blue" is world renowned, and I could tell as soon as I stepped up the lavish stairs to see the decor.  This place was truly exquisite, decorated in stone and as clean as a whistle!  I did not partake in the spa portion of the fitness center, but I did visit the gym, which was also quite nice!  The gym had MANY cardio machines such as treadmills, elliptical, bikes, "skaters" and many free and fixed weights.  On the whole this was by far the nicest and largest hotel gym I have ever seen. although cruises usually have great ones too!  The down fall of this gym is that even though it's size was big, it still wasn't big enough!  The first day I needed to wait for an elliptical, but I didn't care because I had a lot fo time on my hands.  The first day was a favorite workout of mine, and one I typically do when I'm away....CIRCUITS.  It is a great way to get to try all sorta of fun machines!
My circuit consisted of the following:
2 miles  on the treadmill at 7.0
2 miles on the "Skater"
( The skater machine makes you feel like you're roller blading, and is tricky to get the hang of but fun and quasi addictive)
2 miles on the Elliptical

Then and arms circuit:
10 push ups
10 dips
repeat
  Are you ready for the best part of the Gym....?!?!?
Free coffee, water and fruit!  This may seem silly, but in a city where nothing is healthy or free, I really took advantage of these three amenities!  Today I had an apple, a coffee (Starbucks!!!) and refilled my Camel Bak about three times.  What a Score!

Katie and Ashley enjoying the gorgeous pool and warm towels!!

Gene and I went in!!

After the gym we ventured out to the pool, which was very nice but FREEZING!  We stayed for about an hour and a half, and then got freezing and famished.  The six of us decided to walk the "strip" in search for food.  Along the way we visited Fat Tuesdays, which serves VERY large frozen drinks with LOTS of Alcohol!  I did not get one, but many members of our group deemed them DELISH!

After walking for what seemed like eternity, we decided on Gilly's, a country bar and grill.  This was a great choice because the food was delicious and affordable.  I ordered a giant pretzel for an appetizer.  It came with mustard and cheese dipping sauces, and was one of the best things I have ever had!  For my meal, I ordered a turkey burger with avocado.  The burger was okay, and slightly taste-less.  This didn't bother me too much because the pretzel was just SOO good!

Best.appetizer.ever.

  After eating and drinking our bucket-o-buds, we decided to ride the mechanical bull.... sounds like a great idea right?  It was actually really fun, funny, and very hard.  Talk about a REAL inner thigh workout!

 We need to get ready for our Brazilian dinner at Texas de Brazil.  This is one of my favorite restaurants and for some reason, they are a chain that is not around my area.  I ate at the one in Aruba a few years back and fell in love.  When I was searching Trip Advisor and I saw they were also in Vegas... we just HAD to go.  I also found a 15% off coupon online.. score.
xoxo,
Jeanie

Viva Las Vegas!

Viva Las Vegas

  Well…… We Made it!!!  Sorry I have been away for a bit, but a curve ball was thrown at us Tuesday night regarding our flight to Las Vegas. Since much of the north east was affected by snow storm, Saturn, our original flight to Las Vegas was cancelled.  It is interesting how they alert you of bumps in the road, such at this, these days: via automated message…. “Hello, this is Us Air calling.  Your flight to ( long pause) Las Vegas (another long pause) connecting through DC has been CANCELLED!”  Gee, thanks lady!  Needless to say, we scrambled and found a new flight that still accepted our miles.  Big Relief. 

  Last night, after flying from 12:45 to 6:30pm Vegas time (add three hours Boston time) we made it!!! Both flights were rather uneventful, minus a few interesting characters in the neighboring seats.  We quickly discovered that five people do not fit in one cab in Vegas, so we elected to take a limo to our fancy-pants hotel.  Nothing like arriving in style for a similar price! 

sorry for the awful lighting..... damn iphone!

  After checking in and a quick room change, we headed downstairs for dinner.  We elected to do something quick last night since we had been traveling all day and were excited to let the fun begin.  We ate at a “food court” type place with five options that you ordered at the counter and took your food with your to a table.  Essentially, it was an upscale mall food court.  I decided on pizza, becaue I had been thinking about it all day.  On the whole,  my $14.00 meal (one slice of veggie pizza and a drink) was okay. Other people in our group got Mexican Burritos, which seemed to be the way to go.  They were jam-packed with meat, cheese and veggies.  If we eat there again, I will try those for sure.  Major food envy!

            After eating, Katie and I explored all the fancy shops and sights of our hotel.  They have MANY restaurants, designer stores, regular stores, snack stops and other sundries in Ceaser’s Forum.  They also have these robotic Mythological gods who “act out” scenes from their myths.  There are positioned on top of a large water foundtain equipped with a  large fish tank below.  There were also many assorted fish inside, which were kind of cool to see ;)  Our other friend Ashley’s flight got in around 9:45 and we met her for a snack (her dinner) and some wine.  I was EXHAUSTED at this point, since  I had been up for almost 24 straight hours.  As opposed to falling asleep at the table, I politely dismissed  mysekf abd headed off to bed.

  On the whole our hotel, Caesars, is VERY nice.  I'm excited to try out their state of the art fitness center in the morning.

Stay tunes for more Vegas fun..

xoxo,

Jeanie

Say no to Mini Eggs!!!

Good Afternoon,

  I hope everyone has an excellent Monday. We celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday at school today, and the kids had a ball!  Many of them dressed up as a variety of characters, adorned in hats, mittens and bow ties.  Needless to say, we had fun and analyzed a poem while doing so... who knew that was possible?

   More importantly, I want to discuss temptation with you folks today.  Lately, I am finding food temptations EVERYWHERE.  I'm not sure why, but I am hyper aware of the Easter candy on the shelves at the supermarket, drug stores and in the faculty room at school.  I am the first one to admit that I adore treats, so these sweet sensations are luring me in, and its tough to always say no.  Today I resisted temptation three times (almost). I  said no to the free sample donut they were offering while I ordered my morning coffee (via gift card of course.  I refuse to pay for coffee in the shop).

Next, there were delicious, soft- baked, chocolate chip cookies available for the taking in the front office at work.  I skipped over those as well.
 Last of all, I stopped at CVS on the ride home to grab a few greeting cards, some suncreen, and  I caved.  My favorite candy of all time, Cadbury Mini Eggs, were on display and looking more scrumptious than ever!  Not to mention, they were on sale !! How could I resist their hard, sugary coating and smooth, decadent, milk chocolate inner layer?
 I didn't.
I bought them.
... and before I had even left the store I had consumed 10 eggs.  ;(

photo rights: Courtesy of Candyworld.com

 I panicked and threw them in the parking lot waste basket.  I lost control.  I couldn't stop eating them.  They are irresistible and contain enough fat and sugar to last a life time.  A few bad choices were made here, and I should have known better.
1)  I was hungry (almost 4pm) and the drugstore, filled to the brim with candy and packaged snacks, was NOT the place I should be unarmed with a more balanced alternative to snack on while shopping.  (ie almonds)
2)  I bought the big bag, not the individual one portion bag.  I bought it knowing it would eat more than I should, but didn't care.  Temptations and treats happen, but moderation is essential.  I should have settled on the little bag.
3)  I recognized myself losing control, which is good.  I knew I wouldn't stop so I just threw them out.  Yeah it was a waste of $2.50, but hey... what's $2.50 in this day and age ?

Hummus
Onto the world's best Hummus....  Last week my students celebrated a culminating activity, involving  food from the country they studied for a recent project.  One girl studied Iran, and brought in homemade hummus made from her grandma's recipe (it is important to note here that she is actually from Iran. ) Her mom was nice enough to make me my own batch!  I am still working on it, since I froze half initially.  This stuff is incredible, and filled with fiber.  The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (this gets rid of the salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce
2 TBS olive OilDirections
Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.
* I have made similar foods in the immersion blender, if you are lacking in the food processor department.

Questions of the day:
What is your "gateway food", otherwise known as a food you just CAN'T resist or stop once you start?

What is you favorite candy?

As far as gateway foods, I have a few!  I can't resist pub cheese, baked brie or ice cream (got dairy?).  I also LOVE birthday cake, Cadbury mini eggs and peanut butter M & M's.  Although I love these treats, they leave me feeling very lethargic after consuming them.  I like the affect of what healthier and more balanced foods have on my body, so I try to enjoy the above options in moderation. (moderation is a key word here)

Ten miles.....

Today yielded my last scheduled long run for the NB half Marathon( believe it or not, it's just 2 weeks away!).  I would like to squeeze one more run in at some point, but today was the last "planned" jaunt.  Nate, my running buddy, and I started off around 9am.  The wind was pesky for the first mile or so, but subsided  as we got going.  Our times for the first three miles were nine minutes and change.  I had my "reminder' set to update if we were slower than nine minute miles, but I simply turned down the volume. We felt good and were conversing as we were running; that's all that matters!  The two of us visibly caught stride the last mile and a half or so before the midway point, because our times were better and I could feel my heart rate climb.  Love that feeling!

  We planted water at the mid point.  Today, I enjoyed a few sips of red Gatorade, as well as three Swedish Fish.  I used to use Sport Beans for mid run energy, but they leave my stomach feeling funky, Last year, a friend and marathon runner suggested Swedish Fish, so I tried them a few weeks ago.  Thus far, I like them and the seem to be doing the trick. They don't dry out my mouth as much as the beans do; the small things in life!   Our time at the mid point was 48 minutes and change, which yields 8:40 ish splits... I'll take it!  And then .. my phone died ;(

  We ran home sans music or a timing device, but we felt great!  Nate and I conversed and the remaining five miles passed quickly.. In fact, as we approached my house the two of us were shocked it was Over.  Now that is the long run I was looking for.  My assumptions (according to start and end time) we were right under nine minute miles the whole way.  

After the run I showered and headed off  to my parents to get the summer clothing I needed for ........ LAS VEGAS!!!! In the hustle and bustle of last week, I neglected to blog about our upcoming trip to sin city!!  I can't wait.  Mark and I will be joined by my friend Katie, her Fiance Andrew, Mark's friend Gene, our friend Ashley from NYC, and Mark's other friend Allen.  We are staying at Caesar's ,and I am VERY excited about the lavish pool that is advertised online.  I don't think I have seen a pool like that before, never mind swam in one!    Unfortunately, I have been scoping the weather all day and it isn't looking promising yet, but weather can change thank goodness! Anyway,  I wanted to grab some summer essentials from the cape cottage, as well as spend time with my mom and brother.  My mom whipped up a delicious homemade pizza just as Tucker and I arrived.  Yum!  I had to pass on pizza since my stomach was left a bit unsettled after the run.  In fact, its still ia rather unsettled, so I have limited foods to report from today!  

More good news.... tomorrow I will share the world's BEST Hummus recipe with you folks.  Recently, a student  and her mom made me traditional humus from Iran.  It is scrumptious!  Stay tuned for the recipe!

Hope you had a great weekend!

xo,

Jeanie

long runs on school days.....

Good Morning,
  What a WEEK!!!!!  My goodness, this week has been crazy, and I have totally neglected Breakfast for Dinner because if it.  My sincere apologies! I will, eventually, find the balance of my "passions" and commitments: working grading, working out and blogging ;)

 Since I missed my long training run last Saturday and the Cycle for Survival event was Sunday, I needed to squeeze in a long run this week.  Lets just say.... I know why, for the last eight years as a runner, I have never completed as long run on a school day! it is MUCH harder to motivate and energize your body to run a longer route,  after a day at work.  That being said, the run went surprisingly well.
  I needed an energy boost before the run, seeing that 4pm isn't axactly and energy high point for me . (if it is for you...  I need your seceret!!).  I stopped by the grocery store on the way home and tried a Kashi protein bar dipped in greek yogurt.  The bar's carb to sugar to protein levels are not something I would  me to buy regularly.... but it was tasty and DEFINITELY boosted my energy ;).

The bar has:
 190 cals
19 grams of sugar
33 carbs
10 grams of protein
 The carbs are higher than bars I can eat everyday, but they are GREAT for a pre run meal.  Also, I like Kashi products because they  include whole grains, fiber, and less preservatives and fillers than their competition.  I would buy this bar again.  They had a couple flavors as well.  The one I chose was oatmeal raisin, but they had chocolate almond, and chocolate peanut butter as well.

Another great food I found ....
Recently, my Mom and I stopped at Roche. Bros. to pick up a few  items she needed for dinner .  While there, my sensitive sniffer lead me to the free samples table set up near the bakery section (no surprise there).  The featured company, Fancy Pants Bakery,  is out of East Walpole , Ma ( go local!!), and the woman was so nice.  She shared that their CRUNCH cookies are all natural and completely nut free.  They also have only have 50 calories per cookie!!  My mom and I each bought a package to have as a smarter "treat", because sometimes you just need a treat !  Since then, I have connected with the company via social media.  They post regularly on twitter and facebook regarding sample sessions, new products, and giveaways.  Fancy Pants also offers hand decorated occasion cookies (showers, children's parties) and other holiday themed cookies.   It is definitely worth checking them out !!!!.

photo courtesy of fancypantsbakery.com

Websites that may interest you:

Fancy Pants Bakery

Question for the day:

How do you "fuel up" for a longer run?