Yet another weakness to add to the seemingly ever-expanding list of personal demons. I am powerless over this sticky sweet confection dressed in milk chocolate and covered with nuts. It longs to take up residence on my still-cushiony caboose and I have yet to muster the strength to fight that familiar feeling of desire. To those who thought we'd successfully fought and won our independence from English rule-- beware!
I continue to fight the battle though I lose willingly and succumb to the ooey gooey goodness that is english toffee! Sighhhhh, defeated once again......
We'd had rain for a few days but the morning was bright and the rays warm as they streamed through the window. Our room is perched up high and overlooks the harbor. I peeked out and the sun glistened like diamonds scattered across the water. It was early and my family was still deep in their dreams so I dressed quickly and left for a short walk to see what I could see. I like waking early when I'm home so I can enjoy those few precious moments alone and when I'm on vacation it's more of the same. I like having the town to myself. I like the sounds of silence, of the birds just beginning to wake and the smell of coffee just beginning to brew. It's peace.
Just a few short steps down the street I came upon a retail store that is all the rage with the 20 something preppy kids. Jack Wills is decidedly British and is definitely not suitable to my bohemian style but I can appreciate their storefront and the appealing way they make use of interesting props. I loved the beach chair theme they had on display this morning. I took a seat outside of the bank on a small park bench directly across from the chair display. It was peaceful and quiet and I just took in the scene before the town awoke and the streets began to fill with vacationers in search of coffee and croissants.
Before long I made my way back the way I came and headed toward the harbor picking up coffee along the way. I passed the spa located on the resort grounds. PureTouch. I made a mental note to pay them a visit when they opened for business. Seems like a good pedicure day.
I found a seat by the harbor and breathed in the salt air. The sun was higher and warmer now and I could feel the heat of the morning. Foreshadowing of the blistering day ahead I'm sure. The flowers were fragrant and welcoming. I could see the dewdrops on each delicate petal, bees were buzzing about. The coffee was hot and strong. I just sat there, thinking. I had no particular thoughts, I wasn't troubled by anything, I just sat and let my mind drift this way and that. Therapeutic relaxation. What felt like only moments had passed but I'm sure it was longer. I was in a trance-like state from nature's cocktail of sun and sea air. Fellow vacationers began to emerge from their rooms, stretching and yawning and wanting for steaming coffee. Shops began to open. In keeping with this morning's relaxation theme, I went in search of that pedicure. I walked into Pure Touch and it was there that I met Miss Vanessa. Vanessa is a Jamaican born gentle soul who's voice is as soothing as her touch. I was in good hands. For the next hour Miss Vanessa pampered me with delightful but soft conversation and gentle massage. I emerged with softer skin, polished toes and limply relaxed. Thank you Miss Vanessa! Relaxed and at peace my day begins. Until next time..... xo Michelle +Michelle Morrissette Cucchiaro +My Baked Stuffed Life
I'm in the land of beautiful. Beautiful ocean, beautiful
harbors, beautiful boats. There are beautiful sunsets and beautiful lovers getting all ga-ga over the aforementioned beautiful sunsets.
The food is beautiful and the plentiful cocktails are beautiful too.
Then there are the men. There are men of every age, every shape and size and they all seem to have at least one thing in common. When they come to this island of bountiful beauty, they apparently feel the need to wear candy colored short pants......
These are not our beloved gay brothers (please read with the affection this writer intends) who oftentimes have a certain gift of fashion flair. These aren't just children who are at the mercy of their mother's fashion sense.
These are just average men who have broken out of their off-island mundane and muted multi-shades-of-gray style and turned to the more vibrant or to the baby nursery color scheme as it were. The soothing pastel blues, the cool mint greens, and the oh-so-baby pinks. Other popular choices include the syrupy sweet cotton candy pink, Swedish Fish reds, gumball blues, Lemonhead yellows and the sour apple greens. I really don't quite know what to make of it. I don't seem to see this sugar filled fashion statement at home. I mean I'll see the occasional guy who looks like he just dropped out of a box of Jujyfruit from time to time but the number of these sightings never seems to reach this magnitude. I guess it really adds a completely different dimension to the phrase "eye candy".
It's not just candy pants either. There have been a multitude of sea creature sightings as well. There are men in turtle pants, whale pants and and fish pants. Aquarium candy pants or plain, it's all very curious. I don't mean to judge, to each his own. I just find it fascinating.I just thank god that I brought my toothbrush!!
I'm on the road again my friends! I'll be blogging on the fly so I can share all the excitement. I've brought a great little portable workout with me so I won't lose all the strength I've gained. Lets hope I stay on plan!!
I'll be brief, a "quickie" you might say............. As you know, I've been on a quest for a bikini -worthy backside. Part of that quest includes eating healthy meals that consist of a protein, a carb and a fat ("the plan"). In some of my previous posts I've shared a recipe or two with you. In keeping with "the plan" I decided to make myself a protein shake for dinner. This wasn't just any shake, I was going to try something new, something extra special. This time I was going to include vegetables from my garden. I gathered everything I would need-- frozen banana, raspberries..... I had cantaloupe so I threw that in too.....protein powder, ice and water. Then I went out to my garden to see what was ripe for the pickin'. I picked a zucchini and then I had my choice of either a cucumber or some sort of pepper. The pepper was oddly shaped and I really didn't recall what kind of pepper plants I had purchased, all I knew is that I had two different plants of different varieties. I read somewhere that peppers were really rich is a variety of vitamins. Cucumbers are good for you but I always use cucumbers.... I chose the pepper. I went back into the kitchen and assembled the fruit and vegetables, chopped what needed to be chopped and threw it all in the blender. Shake, shake, shake and away we go. I filled my glass and started to gulp.......
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! MY MOUTH IS ON FIRE!!!!!
It's not just my mouth that is on fire, it's my lips, my mouth and all the way down to my stomach. I know what "feeling the burn" is when I'm working out but this is ridiculous!! And no..... I STILL don't know what kind of pepper that was!!! Hope this gave you a big 'ole belly laugh, even if it was at my expense! When the burn goes away I'm sure I'll be giggling about this all night!! xo Michelle
+Michelle Morrissette Cucchiaro +My Baked Stuffed Life
I was away for a few days and prior to leaving I had made the executive decision to leave my diet and exercise at home and resume when I got back. While I wouldn't label my eating habits while I was away as "healthy", it wasn't a total nightmare either. I had the kids with me so we were on the go every minute of every day and meal planning just couldn't be part of the equation. There were burgers, pizza, sandwiches and OH YES, ice cream made an appearance and.....uhhhh....a rapid disappearance as it were. Yum!!! A great time was had by all and I have no guilt but it's back in the saddle again!!
My day started with a 5am Tabata class. Tabata Interval training was developed by Japanese doctor, Dr. Izumi Tabata. This type of training in it's pure form includes intervals of high intensity exercise of a 20 second duration followed by 10 seconds of rest. This is repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. This form of exercise is said to be one of the most powerful ways to burn body fat quickly. Just what I need!!
I didn't get to bed last night much before 12:30am so getting up at 4:30am was not really my idea of a good time but I knew that I'd feel better after working out so I dragged myself out of bed and got right to it. The class was packed. This was just what I needed after my mini hiatus from the healthy scene. The version of Tabata that we practice with Chris is based on the principals of Dr. Tabata's pure form in that it is high intensity interval training followed by short periods of rest, however Chris's class is an hour long and may or may not involve weights. It's great for a metabolism boost and I highly recommend it. Chris starts out with some warm up stretches and then gets right down to business by demonstrating the first three exercises to be done. She demonstrates both a beginners method and an advanced method of performing the exercises and it's left to the participant to choose at what level they can safely perform the exercise while maintaining proper form. She sets her time keeper and we are off. I wish I had taken some video of the intervals this morning. I'll catch you next week on that so you can get a solid idea of the process.
Completely rejuvenated and with my workout for the day done at 6am, it's time for breakfast. Won't you join me...............
Have a great day!! See you next time! xo Michelle +Michelle Morrissette Cucchiaro +My Baked Stuffed Life
A few weeks ago, during a "meal off" of my GAME ON eating plan, my husband and I decided to live like tourists so we took the kids to The Lobster Pool in the Pigeon Cove section of Rockport. The Lobster Pool is basically a clam shack of sorts and offers the traditional fried seafood always expected of seaside destination towns. The tourists love it.
They have great fried seafood, chicken fingers if you are a landlubber, an array of baked and broiled items and homemade desserts for those with room after consuming the healthy portion sizes. I'm particularly fond of their hand cut onion rings.
The real attraction though is the location. Situated in a little cove on the border of Pigeon Cove and
Lainesville, and offering both indoor and outdoor seating, this is the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
Bringing your own alcohol is allowed so don't forget the wine or beer and you'll have a perfect date night!
It's really a special spot and I love taking friends here when they visit from out of town. The next time you're in Rockport you'll want to visit The Lobster Pool! Maybe I'll see you there!! xo Michelle +Michelle Morrissette Cucchiaro +My Baked Stuffed Life
It's Monday morning and the weekend activities had me exhausted so I promptly hit the snooze button when the alarm went off. My mind would not let me indulge in those last 5 minutes. I opened one eye and peered out the window--overcast and a little wet. Bootcamp is waiting and I did have fried dough at Fiesta.... hmmmm, I only worked out one day over the weekend..... I'll feel better if I go.....hmmmm. Oh CRAP!! It's 5:55am! I sprang out of bed into my shorts and a tank and off I went, water and towel in hand.
I sped out of the driveway and drove thru puddle after puddle on my way to the school--geez, I hope it isn't cancelled! As I rounded the corner into the parking lot I spied the familiar crowd of early morning Bootcamp addicts swarming around our Fearless Leader, Chris Engel. I breathed a sigh of relief, I need this this morning.
I can remember when I started this journey that it was a chore to muster the motivation to get my ass to the gym. Honestly, the only thing that got me there was knowing that Chris was waiting for me and I couldn't blow it off. Somewhere along the way it turned into a healthy addiction. Results will do that to you. I knew it would happen eventually but it was painful waiting for it to happen and I'm glad it finally materialized. I still have moments, however brief, that my mind tries to tell me to sleep in, take that extra hour of sleep, but it's fleeting at best before theaddiction overpowers it. Thank God and thank God for Chris Engel for sticking with me until it kicked in!
Bootcamp is awesome!! It's really a great way to start out the week. Chris has anywhere from 15-20 stations set up around a portion of the track. The exercises are a good mix of cardio and strength exercises utilizing a variety of bands, weighted balls and straps. What I like about it is that anyone can join in, beginner thru advanced. Chris is available to offer explanations of how to make any of the exercises easier or more challenging depending on your fitness level. She's got a great mix of music and the crowd she draws is fun and the class flies by!
No class is ever the same. Today was a partner workout. Each exercise was done with a partner and it's a very motivating way to keep things going. It's kind of hard to put it into words so I've included a few videos to give you an idea of what we do...
Triceps dip......
Mid-Row Pull......
I can't remember what these two stations were called but I think you'll get the idea....
After a rigorous 60 minutes we cool down with some key stretching and the class comes to an end. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling strong and I'm feeling charged for the day ahead!! You've got to check this out on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 6am! Hope to see you next time!
Yet another weakness to add to the seemingly ever-expanding list of personal demons. I am powerless over this sticky sweet confection dressed in milk chocolate and covered with nuts. It longs to take up residence on my still-cushiony caboose and I have yet to muster the strength to fight that familiar feeling of desire. To those who thought we'd successfully fought and won our independence from English rule-- beware! 
