Another Friday is upon us and with a weekend ahead full of spring time weather I am looking forward to spending time outside with my boyfriend and catching up for evening drinks and laughs with a few friends…..I couldn’t ask for a better way to spend the next few days.

On FitnessFits this week I added a vegan recipe (totally off the top of my head and it turned out great) I also added some great workout music to inspire a sweat session and hopefully gave some home inspiration ideas.

I hope you’ll find at least one post that piques your interest and inspires you to try something different.
 

Replace a dark piece of furniture for this

Put some effort into your casual chic with stripes

 

Why not have friends over next weekend for a Cinco De Mayo Fiesta!

 

Head to your local farmers market and create your own version of a Noodless Lasagna or try mine ;)

 

Reminder, this is the last weekend is April – I guess April wasn’t as rainy as the saying goes “April showers brings May flowers”….. however the flowers are as bountiful as they can possibly be here in the City. Go out, clip some fresh flowers and place in mason jars around the home. Enjoy the weekend and See you Monday!

CLEAR AS DAY

When it comes to acrylic furniture, one thing is clear: there is major power in transparency. Clear/Lucite Furniture can make a room feel light and airy and takes up less visual space. For small apartments it is ideal to maximize your space. Make sure to decorate the pieces with some traditional items to make sure your Lucite doesn’t overly modernize your room.

 

 

Here are some visual inspiration to look through, literally.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GYM BEATS

 

 

 

I knew I reached a certain level of, oh, let's call it maturity when my favorite "dance music" became my favorite "gym music." I can't spend my entire life dancing with bottles until 5 am to Calvin Harris & Tiesto remixes, but give me the proper ear buds and I’m ready to hit the pavement in the wee hours of the morning. 5am bottles turned into 5am water bottles…..
 
So, to create this list I went through my ipod to see what songs are played most when Im at the gym and pulled some of my absolute favorites to share with you.  Some even cause me to belt out lyrics on the treadmill…

 

& here we go................
 

Foggy – Come into my Dream (Warm Up)

Veronica – Someone to Hold (Major Cardio Sesh)

Paula Cole Band SF Remix – I believe in Love (Major Cardio Sesh)

Jessica Folker – To be able to Love (Cycling)

In your Eyes (Feat Luz Divina)  (Long Run)

Deborah Cox - Easy as Life (Long Run)

Rockell - What you did to me (Cycle)

Joee - Angel (Cycle)

Offer Nissim ft. Maya - First Time (Stair Master fast speed)

Calvin Harris – Flashback (Elliptical/Stair Master) plus the video gets me in such a good mood!

Plummet “Damaged” (Long Run)

In Essence – You will never find another love like mine (Lifting)

Faith Evans & Carl Thomas – Cant Believe (Lifting)

JayZ & Beyonce "Bonnie & Clyde" (Lifting)

Truth Hurts – Addictive (Abdominals) 

Mariah Carey - Honey (Cool Down)

 

 

What songs get your heart beating at the gym? Tell me! Id love to know :)

 

 

MID DAY MUNCHIES?

OLAY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My weakness, Mexican food. Pretty obsessed with it. My boyfriend and I joke that Cinco De Mayo is our National Holiday - yes, that is how much we love the food. The avocado’s, the cheese, the spice….. ahhh! This year I will be going to a dear friend of mine’s Brooklyn abode for a Cinco De Mayo Fiesta!

 

If you don't have any plans - Why not throw a Fiesta en su casa! Invite some friends and family over for good chow, cold cerveza’s and good music? If you're planning to host a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, start your planning right here…(not my healthiest post but definitely a fun one)

Must have the following:

FOOD  
Guacamole (a healthier version) served with Warm Baked Tortilla Chips
Ceviche  

Serve the guacamole in scooped out avocado shells - Ideal for individual servings

 

Cervezas: Corona & Modelo
Margaritas! – see  recipes below

 

 

KUMQUAT MARGARITA
You will need: 4  glasses
Lime Wedges
Salt for lining the rims
20 kumquats (give or take)
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup tequila
3 cups of crushed ice
Sweetener of some kind (sugar, stevia, honey, agave)

Rub the rims of the glasses with the limes and rim with salt. Set aside

Cut the kumquats in half and remove all seeds- place in a blender with the orange juice and tequila. Cover and blend until pureed- strain the juice, discarding the seeds and pulpy bits.

Put ice in each glass and pour the juice overtop- adding in sweetener separately to each glass (that way each person can figure out how sweet they want it).
SERVES 4 - Thanks to YMC for the recipe!



DESSERT
Churro Cupcakes
Margarita Cupcakes
Mixed Fruit Salad or Mini Ice Pops




 

What is a party without MUSIC!  Get in the fiesta mood by creating a playlist to include:

 

Mexican Classic Music

Pitbull

Santana

Gypsy Kings

Social Buena Vista  

Jennifer Lopez

Celia Cruz

Paulina Rubio

Daddy Yankee
Enrique Iglesias (mixed nationalities represented but they are sure to make you move)

DECORATIONS -  Think bright bold colors, clay pots, lemons/limes and colorful linens.

See below for some Cinco De Mayo Fiesta Inspirations! Hope this inspires you to throw a fiesta!

 

 

 

 

 

THE CAT'S MEOW

I have to admit, when I saw the trailer for THE GREAT GATSBY my jaw dropped.

Just take a look at the soundtrack....

1. 100$ Bill - Jay-Z
2. Back To Black - Beyoncé x André 3000
3. Bang Bang - will.i.am
4. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) - Fergie + Q Tip + GoonRock
5. Young And Beautiful - Lana Del Rey
6. Love Is The Drug - Bryan Ferry with The Bryan Ferry Orchestra
7. Over The Love - Florence + The Machine
8. Where The Wind Blows - Coco O. of Quadron
9. Crazy in Love - Emeli Sandé and The Bryan Ferry Orchestra
10. Together – The xx
11. Hearts A Mess - Gotye
12. Love Is Blindness – Jack White
13. Into the Past - Nero
14. Kill and Run – Sia


If there were an era I could visit via time machine it would be the Roaring 20’s. When men were men, women were women and the style was glamorous. Men were dashing in their impeccable suit wear, women were feminine with a touch of race in their fringe. Where Jazz music brought the Charleston to life and Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin paved the way in music - An urban America roaring for some…. (only touching on the good points of 20's  here)

For me it was the feathers, jewels, beading & glitz. Even Tiffany & Co. is celebrating this movie with their visual displays and Jazz Age Jewel Collection. A Must See!

 Here are some visual inspirations to bring out your inner flapper!

LOVE THE PEARLS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PICK ME UP

The Kiwi.... One of my favorite fruits. Ive been feeling a bit sluggish so I figured I needed to boost up my Vitamin C. Eating kiwi fruit is an effective way of getting vitamin C into your body. Kiwi fruit is a very rich source of vitamin C. Plus, its great for the skin...Vitamin C is central to skin care, and it is featured in many commerical skin-care products. Studies have shown that vitamin C promotes the growth of collagen, which is useful in providing both strength and structure to the skin.

With that said....I made myself a Vitamin C protein packed smoothie this morning.....

 

Mar's Protein C Smoothie

1 Handful of Organic Spinach

1 Whole Kiwi

2 tablespoons of Plain Greek Yogurt

1 tablespoon of flax seeds

1/2 cup of almond milk

1/2 cup of water

I added 2 dates to add extra sweetness...

Here is a great tip on peeling your kiwi...Watch video below.

MONDAY MONDAY

MOOD MUSIC

 

Another weekend has come and gone and I'm happy to be back at work! It was an emotional start to the weekend, one of my good friends asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. She melted my heart and I couldn't be more honored. Saturday was a full day of Spring Cleaning, whew - I feel like a new person!  I was able to clear out my closet and let go of items I havent worn in ages. 3 Garbage bags of clothes were donated to a clothing center. Now my closet is ready to be filled up with new pieces for Spring/Summer.

New post coming shortly on my spring/summer shopping adventure.

 

 

I managed to keep my energy up with a new smoothie recipe!

 

Energy Smoothie

Base: 2 Handfuls of Organic Spinach

Protein: 1 pack of Spirutein

Fruit: Handful of Organic Blueberries

Sweetness: 3 Dates

Fat: 1/4 of an Avocado

= DELISH!

 

 

 

 

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend and spent time with those you love. I sure did! Now go and attack the week!

xo

M

SANS NOODLE!

 

This weekend, my lovely stepmother sent me a great vegan pasta primavera recipe which inspired me to make a dish of my own.....Meem's "No Noodle Zucchini Lasagna". 

I took a traditional lasagna recipe and swapped the ingredients out for a healthier vegan friendly dish.... Give it a try and let me know what you think.

p.s Don’t forget to save some lasagna to have for leftovers…tastes even better reheated.

Meem's Zucchini (No-Noodle) Lasagna

Ingredients:

2-3 zucchinis, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 Can of Muir Glen Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes

2 Large handfuls of fresh organic spinach, roughly chopped

2 bags of 8 oz Daiya Shredded Mozzarella Shreds (dairy free cheese)

1 package of Organic White Mushrooms (slice 1/2 of the package)

1 Yellow onion

1 Can of Organic Garbanzo Beans (rinse well)
Ground pepper to taste

1 tbsp dried basil
Vegan Mozzarella Slices (6)

Salt to taste

Sauce: Mash one can of garbanzo beans & finely chop 1/2 box of the mushrooms. Removed the diced tomatoes from the can and only used some of the liquid. Add 1/2 small yellow onion & salt and pepper to taste.

The "No - Cheese" Blend: 2 packages of daiya cheese mix. Mix in salt, pepper, dried basil and red pepper flakes.

Directions:

Slice zucchini about 1/4-inch thick or less. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Be careful here - if your slicing by hand PAY ATTENTION! I couldn't find my mandoline and sliced each by hand. Never again - took me forever! 

Note - Zucchini is naturally full of moisture. You want to take the extra moisture out before baking or it will make your dish extra runny and will not hold its shape. To reduce the moisture, bake the slices in the oven to dry them out a bit (425 degrees for 10 minutes) before assembling your lasagna. 

COOKING DIRECTIONS: Cover bottom of glass baking dish with sauce, and then layer the following: zucchini, spinach, sliced mushrooms, chopped onions, sauce, no cheese mixture. Repeat. Top with the 6 slices of Vegan Mozzarella slices, red pepper flakes and dried basil.Cover with foil and bake at 350-degrees for about 1 hour, removing foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Let sit uncovered for about 15 - 20 minutes to cool down and enjoy!!

Left Image - Getting ready to be put in the oven, Right Image - Ta Dah!!!

I hope this inspires you to make a healthier dish for yourself and your loved ones. A healthy you is the best you! Mangia!