Jax's Blog about...

Day 31 of 80, spanish caribbean cooking class

2010-02-10T10:42:00.006-05:00

Once again, time is flying right before my eyes...31 days down, and 49 to go. Almost at the half way point of Biggest Loser!
I did pretty well last week, I went to boxing 3 times, and boxed downstairs once, took a 45 min walk with the dogs on Sunday, so I was pretty happy. I did drink more water, I had the mantra "drink more water, drink more water!", and I tried to keep my water bottle by my side at work. To be honest, I haven't been on the scale...I'm a little nervous since I ate plenty for the Superbowl.
Jay and I went to boxing class last night, and there was a new instructor Tom. WOW....did this workout kick our butts. We were moving the entire time-jump roping, boxing, squat thrusts, pushups, slips. Normally we have a minute break in between rounds, we had 'quick breaks' barely enough time to get a swig of water. My legs were like jello by the end of class, and I thought Jay was going to fall over when we had to shadow box. We did a lot of rounds on the bag too, which was great.

On Saturday, we went to the Spanish Caribbean cooking class at the BCAE. I thought it was a great class, great instructor, great food. The instructor's name is Elliana, her website is www.saffronandcinnamon.com. Jay and I made the rice pudding (of course!), avocado salad, and fried the empanadas and plantains. The other classmates made ropa de vieja (pulled skirt steak), dominican beans, perfect rice, a couple kinds of chicken...it was all delicious...just the right blend of flavors. The rice pudding was a little different because we made it with the cinnamon but added lime zest to the mixture--it was a refreshing blend between the lime and cinnamon. There was also a pork dish that was to die for. You almost didn't need a knife to cut the meat. Jay really enjoyed the class, which I was happy since it was a gift from me to him :) And, I think he'll come with me to future classes. I would highly recommend this class.

Day 20 of 80

2010-01-30T08:51:00.004-05:00

How time flies! How January has flown right by...
Biggest Loser competition is 25% over...wow. I am down 1 lb, and Jay says he's down 6. Jay went to boxing class once this week, and did a lot of boxing at home. I didn't have as active of a week as I planned, so I am hoping to get back in to the groove. I only went to boxing 2 times this week. I also realized that although I don't really want to pay attention to what I am eating, I do need to. I shouldn't say that I don't pay attention--I do--but, I don't want to cut myself out of enjoying something (if that makes sense). I whipped out my Abs Diet for Women book--I got this book last January when I was my heavist and was going to Aruba in 6 weeks. I went through it again, and am trying to take away some of the important things of good snacking, protein, protein, protein, and food combinations to eat with each meal. Last year I used to make smoothies for snacks but they are so time consuming due to so many different ingredients that you're grabbing from the refrigerator, freezer, and cubbards. I don't think I can do that every day--just not realistic. My co-worker gave me the weight watchers booklets to look at and I will do that too.
So my resolve for the upcoming week:
1.) Boxing class 4 times this week--I am going to Danbury, CT for work Thurs night to Friday, so I won't be able to go Friday.
2.) Boxing/weights at home 1 time--probably on Friday.
3.) Drink more water.
4.) pay attention to WHAT I'm eating and HOW MUCH I'm eating
5.) Lose 2 pounds

I started up my 2nd class at Brandeis--Leadership, Team-Building and Decision Making. I think it's going to be less intensive than the first one (thank God!).

Only 60 days til vacation! WHOO HOO!!
For Valentine's Day I signed Jay and I up for a spanish caribbean cooking class. It's at the BCAE next Saturday. I am excited!! The dishes are from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. I think it's a great connection between us going to Puerto Rico soon, and Jay having gone to Cuba some years ago. Will let you know how this one goes!

Day 2 of 80

2010-01-12T12:10:00.003-05:00

I am kicking butt with my 'biggest loser' competition with Jay. I got up at 6:30 AM both yesterday and today and went to 7 AM boxing class. The class size is smaller, and the instructor is great. So, I am going to try to make this my routine 4 days/week, and then use the bag in our house 2 days/week for shorter/less intense workouts. Yesterday I thought I was going to pass out during class--I think I shocked my body by waking up early and doing an intense workout. I was woozy, hot, nauseous, etc. Plus, the girl I was partnered with smelled like heavy smoke, and that was enough to turn my stomach. This morning I was smarter about it--I dressed in lighter clothes, ate a small breakfast (thanks to my FB friends for their suggestions!), and was ready to go. I did much better this AM.
As far as working on diet...eh, not so much. I like food--I am not willing to make drastic changes to that part of my life. If I want another cookie, I am going to eat another cookie.

As far as Jay's status...he worked out at home last night, and not sure what's up for him today. He had some late night snacks, so not sure if his workout balanced it out :)

I'll have tomorrow off to rest my body, and will do Thursday and Friday boxing classes. I think the blog will help me stay accountable for my actions.

Good people in this world

2010-01-10T11:14:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, I convinced Jay to come with me for a 'short' visit down to my Vavo's house. My parents are away and I wanted to bring her some lunch and company. The visit was short (about 1 hour) but things changed when I went to get into the car.
I had my brand new Coach wristlet that Jay gave me for Christmas in my coat pocket. As I got into the car, the wristlet fell out of my pocket, and down the sewer. I freaked out! Jay moved the car out of the way, and we got on the ground to see if we could fish it out. There was no chance...As I came to terms with this fact, one of the neighborhood guys (who I later find out is nicknamed 'Monkey') yells down from his 2nd floor apartment "Hey did you lose something?" I yell back to tell him what happened, and in no time is he on the sidewalk with us, shovel in hand trying to open the sewer drain top. And, I don't know how this happened, but I kid you not, at least 3 more guys came out of the woodwork, with crowbars, buckets, and shovels to help. The baker across the street gave us a flashlight and wire, and the beauty salon told me if I needed anything to ask...WOW---
To give some background of this neighborhood--my mother's family continues to live in the same house for over 40 years. It's a 3 story apartment, and one sister lives on each floor with her family (one sister died a few years ago and her apt is now rented out). It is a 100% Portuguese neighborhood--you're more likely to hear portuguese yelled down the street than english. My mother taught 2nd grade bilingual kids at the local school for many many years. I hear of stories, the good old 'back in the day' stories...across the street was the Tennessee Boys Club, ie drinking saloon. My grandfather (Vovo) used to bring me there, prop me up on a chair and give me enough change to play pinball while he did his socializing. Needless to say...my mother's family is well rooted in this neighborhood.
To make a long story short--after over 1 hour of trying to fish it out, one of the guys, Manny, went to his house and got a water pump. They pumped almost all of the water out of the sewer and onto the street...I got down on the ground and spotted my wristlet. Monkey used one of the curved metal bars to fish it out. Thank God! I was so happy it was saved. I couldn't thank those guys enough--it was freezing and windy and they didn't complain. It is an example of some regular guys helping strangers out of the kindness of their hearts.
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I will also keep my blog updated--I challenged Jay to another Biggest Loser competition last night. Although I lost the last one (by 1 lb), I have a strong will to win this round. We did our weigh-in this morning, and we will do they final weigh-in on March 31st before our trip to the Caribbean. The PRIZE: whoever loses needs to pay for the 2 most expensive excursions we go on during the cruise. GAME ON!
I am ready to rock--my personal goal: lose 10 pounds by then.

New Year Catch Up!

2010-01-06T11:27:00.006-05:00

WOW--I can't believe it's been more than 2 weeks since I blogged! I am happy to report that I had a fabulous holiday season..no complaints here! I will post some pictures...

I had a great time on New Years Eve, even though I was sick. There was 6 of us that went to the Franklin Southie for dinner, which was excellent as usual! After dinner, we stayed around the bar area and enjoyed ourselves!

I normally do not 'do' New Year's resolutions, but this year, I have decided that 2010 is my year--I am turning 30 (yikes!) and time to get with it. So I do have some New Year's Resolutions:

1.) I will continue boxing as frequently as I can. We have a boxing bag downstairs now so it will be convenient for days I can't go to the gym.

2.) I will take on my dirty 30th birthday just like it's any other--i.e. I will escape to a Caribbean destination...cruise booked!

3.) private resolution--sorry!

Not much happening in January...stay tuned for updates!

Tired, Stuffed, and Wiped

2009-12-18T10:37:00.004-05:00

I have been busy baking, shopping, boxing, and working this week, I am so wiped. I was sleeping by 9:15 last night.

I baked my first round of cookies for my co-workers. (see picture).

I ended up baking molasses ginger, chocolate hazelnut, pecan butterballs, and maple walnut. It was a lot more work than anticipated, so I will be better prepared for the next round. Also, to my pleasant surprise, I was given an early Christmas present--a combination hand/stand mixer, so it made Wednesday night baking a smooth process!

At work on Thursday, we had a potluck and yankee swap. I was so busy baking, I made a simple holiday popcorn. The recipe came from my neighbor, Dawn. It came out great and it's very easy--melted chocolate, marshmallows, peppermints. There was so much food at the potluck. In true Jackie style, I digged in and helped myself to everything! The gift I received at the yankee swap is a fab bottle of white wine, pousilly fume. Can't wait to dig into that this weekend :)

Last night we went to Barlow's, a new restaurant that opened up on A Street last week. It was pretty good--a lot of people at the bar and eating dinner. It was evident that our waiter was new, which was ok, but Jay had to wait 15 minutes for a Cobb Salad after Carolyn and my pizza came out. The salad was comped, so it was ok! I would go back again. I look forward to that area of South Boston prospering--

Christmas Cookie class at the BCAE

2009-12-06T20:45:00.003-05:00

Thursday night, Erin, Carolyn, and I went to the BCAE to take a Christmas Cookie Class. The BCAE recently moved to the new location on Arlington Street in the South End. Our teacher, Lisa Zwirn, was very knowledgeable about baking. We were split into teams and each team made 2 kinds of cookies. My group made Ginger Coins and Chocolate Crinkles. Our group kicked ass-the Chocolate Crinkles were sooo yummy! We burnt the 2nd batch of Ginger Coins (something smells like it's burning??!!) but that's ok. We had a lot of fun--it was a lot of chaos running around trying to find ingredients (felt like we were in a competition like Top Chef). Other groups made Maple Walnut Cookies (delicious!), Molasses Ginger Cookies (surprisingly good!), and Pecan Butterballs (another pleasant surprise!). I am now in the selection process of what cookies to bake this year! Now, if only I had an electric mixer and didn't have to rely on Jay to be my butter whipper!

Thanks

2009-11-30T18:58:00.004-05:00

Thank you for the life I have, thank you for the friends I meet, thank you for the food I eat;

thank you for good times with friends, and thank you for my loving family;

thank you for the doggies, their playfulness and love; and thank you for my boyfriend, who shows me much love--

thank you for my job, although it's a bore, and thank you for boxing that works me to the core;

thank you for my vo who I love so much, and thank you for my mom who puts up with my stuff-

thank you, thank you, in this wonderful season!

Thank you for all the goodies I made...and ate

Thank you for apples to apples...I won it was fate

Thank you for tea, hot chocolate, and coffee-God that stuff's so delicious and yummy

Thank you for my car it gets me from A to B, and thank you for the lights that sit on the tree;
there's so much to be thankful for this year, thank you, thank you into the new year!

Medicinal Tea Class

2009-11-15T17:04:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, I beared the horrible weather and drove to Natick, Ma for a medicinal tea class. The instructor's name is Cindy Cheever. The instructor made about 4 different teas--I will share the recipes.
My favorite was very simply made:
8 slices ginger root
1/2 fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
--add water and simmer for 20 min, strain and sip.
This recipe is good for colds, fevers, and sore throats.

The next recipe was my 2nd favorite:
1 part lavender
2 parts lemon balm
1 part feverfew (also good for migraines)
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups water
steep for 5 min

The next recipe is Fruity--and I don't have what parts to use, but as Cindy mentioned in class, if you play around, you will be able to figure out what parts you like for each ingredient:
Rose petals
Rose hips
Lemongrass
Spearmint
Orange peel

Here's another recipe for chest congestion.
2 parts licorice root
1 part cinnamon
1 part echinacea
1 part ginger
simmer for 15 min, strain, and drink.

Overall this class was great--a lot of liquid to consume in 2 hours, but enjoyable. I'm hoping to incorporate what I learned in some of the Christmas gifts I give this year.

Best of Back Bay 2009

2009-11-11T11:22:00.004-05:00

OH what a night!
The Best of Back Bay 2009 event was awesome. While at work Tuesday afternoon, Jay surprised me with the news that I too would get to go to this event. I was supposed to be on a business trip to New Orleans this week, but it was rescheduled because of the hurricane down there. The event was at the Four Seasons hotel in Boston, and it was magnificent. As you walked in, you were immediately greeted with white gloved servers asking if you would like 'tuna tartare' or 'duck liver' or 'smoked salmon'. Although a lot of the food was raw, there was a delicious lobster truffle--it was to die for! On to the drinks--there were multiple stations around the room. You could order anything you wanted, beer, wine (red and white), hard liquor, etc. They even had champagne stations--you could mix with organge juice or raspberry puree. I had a few glasses of champagne with raspberry puree---soooo good!
Jay and I cheered to the fact that we were there because of his store-Essence-and the success of the store. You never know the opportunities life will give you, and for me, I never would have imagined I'd be at the Four Seasons-EVER. Jay looked marvelous in his suit, and I didn't look so bad myself in a dress I bought from a boutique when I lived in NYC.
Although I am tired and hurting at work today, I am so glad I went and experienced the Best of Back Bay 2009.

Fall WineFest @ Vinalia

2009-11-08T20:51:00.005-05:00

On Saturday night, Jay and I went to the Fall Winefest at Vinalia in Boston. The event was put on by Boston Event Guide, which is a group that puts together a lot of young professional events, from fashion to food. Although we met nice people at the event, overall, the event was horrible. I am glad we only paid the half price amount of $59--because if I paid the full price, I would have been upset. Initially, we had to wait about 15 minutes for the coat check. After we registered (which was quick), we entered a large room with the food and wine. The event was marketed as a 10 country tour. There was a food and wine item at each station. None of the stations were marked and all of the stations were around the perimeter of the room. It was a cluster of people--once you got up to a table, you were stuck. The amount of wine poured at each station was negligible. To top it off, there was a lady there that seemed to be with the 'in crowd'--she kept taking red wine bottles from the staff and pouring her friends 1/2 glasses. How ridiculous! And, just as a nit picky thing, there were no napkins!
Jay had plenty of red wine from Spain to last him awhile (we'll keep it at that!). And, I did have a couple of sips of some really good Portuguese red wine. The food was nothing special, and the rest of the wines were either really really dry or really really sweet. To this end, I will not go to this event again because of the poor organization and poor selection of food and wine.
We ended up at Lucky's at the end of the night. That place is always fun and low key.

Jax's Blog about Lung Cancer

2009-11-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

For the 2nd year in a row, I attended Shine the Light on Lung Cancer with my boyfriend, Jay. This event is held to raise lung cancer awareness. The event is put on by Lung Cancer Alliance-MA Chapter. It is very moving to hear all of the stories, from survivors to family members. Dana Reeve's sister, Deborah Morinsini, and Heather Unruh, Channel 5 anchor were among the attendees. I wondered where's Jerry Remy?!

My godmother (and aunt) died of lung cancer almost a year and a half ago. She was diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Stage IV lung cancer in February 2007. In a very freakish occurrence, my aunt passed out in her bathroom in the middle of the night, bleeding, and was rushed to the local hospital. As part of the work-up the doctors performed, a chest xray found the lung cancer. I was in the hospital room with her and my uncle when the doctors gave her the horrible news. My aunt didn't cry; she took it like a warrior-so brave and ready for war. At the time, I was living in Tampa, Florida--enjoying the good life as a travel nurse. I was supposed to stay in Florida for another assignment, but I felt strongly that I needed to come back up to Massachusetts and be with my family and help out. My aunt fought a very difficult battle--she ended up also having throat cancer and having to go through radiation for that on top of her chemo for lung cancer. She had to get a port-a-cath for her chemo treatments because her veins couldn't hold up to the toxic effects of the chemo any longer. At the beginning of 2008, she had a PEG tube placed in her stomach for tube feeds. She could no longer swallow anything besides liquid, and needed to receive liquid nourishment through the tube.

I love and miss my aunt everyday. There are times when I just want to call her on the phone and tell her about what's going on in my life. She was always there for me. I could count on her to be home at night, drinking Miller High Life's and watching Red Sox games. She was tough as nails, but loving and caring of her family.

Jax's Blog about Boxing

2009-11-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

This picture gets me everytime! One of my co-workers took a picture of me at work, and forwarded it to one of the software engineers. Earlier in the day, they were ragging on me because of my boxing prowess. They thought it would be funny if they got me in the ring with Mike Tyson....hence this picture was created by the software engineer. The GSL on the shorts stands for 'Gorgeous Shining Lady'--one of the engineers at work calls me her gorgeous shining lady. I thought it was short for Gisele--oh well, we can only wish :)

I love boxing! I have been going since June 2009 to Peter Welch's Gym in Southie. I realized in May that I really needed to shed some lbs. I committed to going to classes 6 times/week during the summer, in addition, one of the boxing coaches lifted weights with me 2 days/week. I felt great. My waist has slimmed and I can do real pushups!! No more girlie pushups for me!!

At class we do a number of drills, jump roping, coordination exercises, pull-ups, chin-ups, skipping, shuffle, jogging, star jumps, squat thrusts, jumping jacks, etc.. But the best part is being able to punch the heavy bags like I am going to knock someone out--there are some days when I need to release stress. Whether it's stress from life or work, it doesn't matter--I feel so good afterwards.

Since I started classes this fall, I only go 5 times/week, and no more lifting with Derek. But, I do have another goal set for Christmas and I hope to maintain this level of enthusiasm and intensity for awhile.

My first blog

2009-11-03T20:55:00.001-05:00

This picture is from one of my favorite places on earth...Aruba! I have come to love the island over the past couple of years, and enjoy bringing others to the island.

This is my first blog post, and I am excited to start. I don't have a plan on what I am going to blog about specifically, but I am sure things will come up! Welcome to Jax's Blog about Nothing.