Thursday, January 31, 2013

Farmers Market Guacamole




Is there really anything better than weekend trips to the farmers market?  The excited energy, the smell of the fresh produce and baked goods, the happy dogs trotting alongside next to their owners, its all so perfect.  It feels much better knowing that you are supporting a local farm, rather than a huge super market chain and the prices are SO cheap!  I'm always shocked at how much I pay for an overflowing bag of veggies at the market vs. Whole Foods.  Its absolutely crazy!

This past weekend, I made a trip to the Farmers Market and brought along two of my girlfriends.  With reusable bags in hand, we walked up and down the rows upon rows of stalls, sipping our smoothies and shopping for fresh, local produce.  It was the perfect Saturday afternoon.

I can never leave the market without buying all the ingredients to make my favorite guacamole.  It has become somewhat of a household tradition now.  Farmers market = afternoon guac.  This recipe is my own (sort of).  I have studied how the servers make it at Rosa Mexicana enough times that I started playing around with it until I eventually perfected it.  I know there are guacamole connoisseurs out there who could find faults in my recipe, however for me and my taste, this is the best!

I purchased a molcajete  from Williams & Sonoma last year and it really makes all the difference in your guacamole.  It gets better over time as your molcajete gets "seasoned" and retains oils.  Its very inexpensive, and you can purchase it here.

As always, all of the ingredients that I use are organic. 




Ingredients

2 large avocados, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 lime, quartered
1 large roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1 bunch of cilantro
1/2 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp sea salt


Directions


  1. Combine white onion, jalapeno, about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, salt and pepper in molcajete.       
  2. Using 3 of the lime wedges, gently squeeze the juice all over the above ingredients.
  3. Grind all ingredients using the pestle until it resembles a paste.
  4. Now add the avocados and tomatoes; gently toss.
  5. Chop another 1/4 cup of cilantro, and mix that in as well.
  6. This is the time when I "sample" and add more salt, pepper, or lime depending on my mood.
  7. Serve with tortilla chips, or alongside fajitas & enjoy :)


What is your favorite guacamole recipe?  


xo,

Andy






Grinding away




Delicious organic guacamole!








 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

My Workout Journey

I really have a love/hate relationship with fitness.  I love how my body looks when I'm working out regularly, but I absolutely loathe going to the gym.  As I've gotten older, I've become much lazier with my cardio routine.  I'm not sure what it is, I just can't seem to get into that rhythm of enjoying a really good sweat.

In my twenties, I LOVED working out!  I would do two-a-days at the gym, go for long runs, take group exercise classes, work with trainers, etc.  I was serious about my fitness and committed to working out!

Bikini Competition Ready in 2010


Then in 2011, I just hit a wall.  I started traveling a lot with my fiancĂ© which interfered with my normal routine, and to be honest, I was burnt out of exercising 5 days a week.  I just couldn't find the energy to drag my butt to the gym anymore.  So I just stopped going.  I lost weight very fast (all muscle) and at first I liked it!  For the first time in ages I was below 110lbs, which is very skinny for me. However,  I lost my feminine curves, and I lost my butt!  I had such a flat, white-girl butt! :)  After about 4 months of doing absolutely nothing, I started to gain weight.  I was really unhappy with how I looked and started becoming very self conscious about my body.  Accepting your body and being comfortable in your own skin is always going to be a challenge, especially since society prizes such unrealistic images, and living in Miami is rough!  You are always surrounded by beautiful people with amazing bodies.  I knew that if I wanted to be happy with myself again, I was going to have to do some work.

After losing weight - where is my butt?! lol

In early 2012, I was introduced to Pilates.  I had always heard how great things about Pilates, and I was really eager to try it.  After 1 session I was hooked!  For those of you that aren't familiar with Pilates, it is a body conditioning routine that helps build flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance in
the legs, abs, arms, hips, and back. It puts emphasis on spinal and pelvic alignment, breathing, developing a strong core, and improving coordination and balance. You do a variety of different exercise on a mat, stability balls, and on a reformer.

A typical Pilates Reformer

The particular type of Pilates that I do is called "Stott Pilates".  You can read about the differences between regular Pilates vs Stott by clicking here.  I have seen tremendous changes in my body since I started doing Pilates.  My body has become leaner, stronger, and longer.  It has decreased my chronic lower back pain, and has greatly improved my posture.   Pilates actually changes how you carry yourself.  Having a strong core and a flexible spine makes you feel good, stand straighter and actually appear taller.  I still have a ways to go, but at this point I'm extremely pleased with the results so far!

Without going too in depth into my workout regime, this is what I'm currently doing: I work out with my Pilates instructor 3 times per week.  Pilates is tougher than it looks, and most days I leave with a sweaty shirt!  Doing Pilates alone isn't enough to lose weight so I also try to do cardio 3 times per week.  I usually will do 35-40 minutes of either walking at a very brisk pace at 8-10% incline or 45 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I had read once that doing at least 35 minutes of cardio is key since your body doesn't tap into its fat storage until after at 35 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, not sure if that is factual information but that's what I do.  I also just bought this portable stair stepper for my living room, and I don't allow myself to watch tv unless I do at least 15-20 minutes on that.  I did pretty extensive research on portable stair steppers (since I love stair masters) and found one on amazon that seemed to be the best option.  View it here.   I believe that staying active is extremely important and living in a warm climate definitely makes that easy for me.  I love to ride my bike, rollerblade, and take my dog for walks.  

This year, I'm really trying to focus more on listening to my body and maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle rather than the numbers on the scale.  This is obviously a little hard since I want look my absolute best for my wedding (what bride doesn't?)  But after our wedding, I am planning on sticking to that mentality.  To be happy, healthy, and in harmony with your body is much more important than how you look in a bikini!

I welcome all questions and comments/suggestions  :) 


xo,

Andy


On vacation this summer







Sunday, January 27, 2013

Homemade Dog Cookies

I'm not gonna lie, my dog is beyond spoiled.  Since I have no children, my dog has become the apple of my eye and I thoroughly enjoy spoiling him!  On my last visit to NYC,  I picked up these adorable little cookie cutters in the shape of a fire hydrant, dog house, weener dog, and a westie dog.  Yesterday was the perfect day to put them to test with Aces fave dog cookie.  He intuitively knows when I am baking these for him.  He stands guard in the kitchen watching my every move, sniffing the oven, waiting for those few precious words, "Do you want a cookie?"  He goes gaga for these cookies, and I love knowing that what I am feeding him is 100% all natural and organic.  You can substitute the sweet potato for canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) or pureed squash.  These are so simple to make, and the ingredients can be played around with to tailor to your furry friends taste preferences. 


Organic Sweet Potato & Peanut Butter Dog Treats



2½ cups organic rice flour (you can also use whole wheat)
1/3 cup organic rolled oats
1 cup organic canned sweet potato
2 tbsp organic natural peanut butter (the only ingredients should be peanuts)
2 eggs
 ½ tsp cinnamon


  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Using a stand mixer, combine all ingredients, and mix on low speed.
  3. Dough will be very stiff, but you can add organic chicken broth as needed to make it workable.
  4. Finish by kneading by hand, as if you were kneading dough for bread.
  5. Using a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4" thickness.
  6. Use cookie cutters, or cut dough into small squares.
  7. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch.



Make sure to cool completely on a wire rack before allowing your dog to sample.  Since there are no preservatives in these they must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, otherwise they will mold fast.



Available at Whole Foods


How cute are these?!

I purchased this from Target for $8.99

My little man, patiently waiting :)




Hope your pooch enjoys these as much as mine does!!

xo,

Andy

Friday, January 25, 2013

Healthy Cucumber Salad

With my wedding less than 3 months away (79 days to be precise, NOT that I'm counting...) I'm trying to really step up my workouts, and eat much cleaner than I normally do.  We hired an amazing wedding photographer who is considered one of the top 10 best in the world, and as much as I expect him to make me look like Adriana Lima, I've slowly accepted that I'm going to have to take my usual routine up a few notches.  I actually started using Isagenix products recently and I'll do a whole post on that soon.  I'm not the type of person who can survive off of kale and water when I'm dieting, so when I saw a recipe on Pinterest for healthy cucumber salad I had to try it!  Original recipe can be found by clicking here.  I modified it by making a homemade vinegarette dressing, and it turned out AMAZING!!  Here is my recipe, hope you enjoy it as much as Adam & I did!


Ingredients For Salad

2  organic cucumbers
1 pint organic cherry or grape tomatoes (about 30)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh organic basil
1 cup fresh mozzarella (I like to use the little balls)
1 organic avocado


Ingredients For Vinegarette
 
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp italian seasonings
1 tsp dijon mustard
fresh ground salt & pepper to taste


Directions
 
  1. Wash the cucumbers and dry them off. Cut into 1/4-inch slices, then cut those in quarters so you're left with triangular-shaped cucumber pieces.
  2. Wash and dry the tomatoes; cut them in half.
  3. Dice the avocado.
  4. Cut the mozzarella balls in half.
  5. Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, basil, and mozzarella in a bowl; gently toss and set aside.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together all ingredients for vinegarette.  (You will have extra left over for future salads)
  7. Drizzle about a quarter of the vinegarette onto the salad and mix thoroughly.
  8. Add more dressing if needed to suit your taste.  Finish with fresh ground salt & pepper.


 


Let me know if you end of making this and what your feedback is!

xo,

Andy


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Shop Talk & The Basics

Lets talk about one of my favorite subjects - shopping!!  I love shopping and fortunate for me (unfortunate for my fiancĂ©, Adam) I have some of the best shops in the world less than a five minute drive from my home, The Bal Harbour Shops.  Bal Harbour Shops are amazing, they house most of the best major fashion labels in one open air mall.  Now, I don't want you to think that I'm there shopping every other day.  In fact, its the complete opposite!  The stores that I frequent most often are Zara, J. Crew, Intermix, and All Saints.  When I'm in the treasure hunting mood, I'll pop into Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack.  I honestly prefer to do most of my shopping online.  I really get so much more joy out of receiving a package on my doorstep vs. lugging around shopping bags at the mall.  So with that being said, here are a few of my favorite websites that I shop on regularly:

Netaporter - They really have some amazing pieces on this website.  It is a little more pricey than other websites, but if you can catch their sales (which I believe are twice a year) its definitely worth it.  I love that Netaporter has the "wishlist" where you can save the pieces you love, or email them to your man like I do!  I also really like their packaging, and boxes.  The personal touches they put into your purchases are really nice.

LOVE these!




I recently just purchased these Isabel Marant wedge sneakers from Netaporter.  I had wanted them for months, but they were sold out everywhere and really hard to find.  I originally wanted them in black, but since I wear so much white and neutral colors all year round I went with this color.  Definitely a nice new addition to my closet :)









Shopbop  - This is probably my favorite website to shop on.  They have a great selection, super fast shipping, and I love reading all the reviews on the products.  I will not buy it if it has bad reviews!


Singer22 - This is also one of my faves!  What I love about this website is that you can browse by celebrity to see which celeb is wearing clothes that they carry.  This is so genius!  I buy alot of my denim shorts (Siwy is my favorite brand) and maxi dresses from here.

Me, in the Virgin Islands, wearing a Torn by Ronny Kobo dress from Singer22
                                         

Nasty Gal - This is a great, fairly inexpensive website.  I love mixing high and low end pieces.  I've always said that you don't need to spend a a million bucks to look like it!  I'll wear a inexpensive dress with a great pair of shoes and no one knows!  I always seem to get the most compliments when I'm wearing a $50 dress from Nasty Gal....go figure :)

The Real Real  - When I first found The Real Real, I was OBSESSED!!  You can find the most amazing deals on there!  For instance, I found my neutral colored YSL Tribtoo Pumps brand new, never worn for $295!!  I bought my mother a skirt, brand new with tags attached, that was originally $3,500 for $150!  I LOVE a good bargain, and I've found many of them on The Real Real.  Granted, some of the stuff is gently used, but personally that doesn't really bother me.  I grew up going to garage sales with my mom, and getting hand me downs from my cousins.  I just get it dry cleaned, and do a happy dance that I got an amazing deal!

Asos - Ok, I'm sure everyone knows about Asos so I won't get too in depth about it.  They have a huge variety, pretty inexpensive, and decent quality.  I wear alot of their dresses - perfect for going out in.

Hope this dress is a keeper!






I just bought this dress, plus a few random other things from Asos last night.  I mentioned in my previous post that I'm getting married in a few months, and I thought this would be a cute "rehearsal dinner" dress.  What do you guys think?









So I think that is enough shop talk for today.  My Malshi, Ace, is dying for me to play with him and throw the ball!  I would love to hear some feedback and suggestions from you guys  :)

Hope everyone has a good night!


xo,

Andy











Tuesday, January 22, 2013

My First Post!!

Hi Everyone!

I'm Andrea but most people call me Andy.  I like to think of myself as your typical domestic babe.  What is a domestic babe, you might ask?  We'll get to that later.  Here are a few things about me:

I live in Miami, FL the land of beautiful beaches, bodies, and smoke & mirrors lifestyles.  I'm a wife-in-training, engaged to the man of my dreams and planning our soon to be destination wedding in Italy.  I am the proud mama to an energized Maltese/Shihtzu "Ace".  I have a passion for cooking/baking, and take pride in the fact that I'm a really good cook!  I'm as domestic as they come, and even though I do have help I truly enjoy doing daily household chores.  I have a shoe fetish (what girl doesn't?) and my favorite designers are YSL and Christian Louboutin.  I love makeup and all things beauty related.  I also love shopping, and live for a good sale!!  I'm into fitness, health, and living a clean lifestyle.  I'm girly, kind, down to earth, and a little bit dorky.  I know how fortunate I am to be living this lifestyle, and I truly appreciate everything that I have!

Now back to the typical domestic babe....My view of a typical domestic babe is a strong woman who not only takes care of her household and family, but takes care of herself as well.  Its the woman next door who in between neverending laundry piles, lunch dates, and grocery shopping still finds time to squeeze in the gym, pilates, yoga, etc, all while looking absolutely fabulous.  In this blog I want to share with you a glimpse into my domestic babe life; what I'm wearing & where I got it, recipes that I love, daily household tips, DIY projects, fitness, and product reviews.

Please bear with me until I get the hang of blogging - I'm a newbie!   I'm pretty open, so feel free to ask me almost anything.  :)  I am Pinterest obsessed, and you can follow me there as well by clicking here.


I'm really excited about my blog; hope you enjoy it and can't wait to hear back from you!

xo
Andy






 

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