Miraval: my kind of spa.

My trip to the personal growth-pushing Miraval spa included a three-hour class that I sort of glazed over in an earlier post: cooking. Now, if you know me, then you’ve already guessed that this was about as out of my comfort zone as you can get. (I’ve always been way more into my career than anything domestic.) I also don’t take great food photos. After digging through my notes, however, I ran across so many tricks that Chef Chad Luethje uses to cut calories in his foods, that I really wanted to include one actual recipe. Plus, the class rocked for another reason: We made friends! After our class, we headed straight to the bar for the first of many fun times with the friendly Canadians. Girls, did you ever cook your husbands the five-course dinner you promised?!

45-calorie Caesar salad

I love a good Caesar salad but rarely order it because it’s so notoriously high in calories. If you’re willing to make it yourself, you can reduce that down to just 45 calories per serving!

And I assure you, it’s delicious.

I was skeptical when Chef said he uses tofu in his dressing to get a thicker consistency — but my hope was renewed when he said he doesn’t particularly like tofu but that it works wonderfully in this case. His second trick: Ditch calorie-heavy croutons for parmesan crisps and homemade tortilla strips to get crunch.

Dressing:

For 20 (!) servings (you’ll have to do the math to make a smaller batch!), puree the following ingredients in a blender or food processor:

1 1/2 T minced garlic, 2 T lemon juice, 2 T lime juice, 3 anchovy filets in olive oil, 1/2 chipotle in adobo canned pepper, 2 T Dijon mustard, 14 oz soft tofu, 1T parmesan cheese, 2 t Worchestershire sauce, pinch of toasted ground cumin, 2 t red wine vinegar.

Calorie count: 20 calories per 2 tablesoon serving.

Low-calorie parmesan crisps:

Preheat oven to 350F, and grab a nylon baking sheet. Take one teaspoon of finely grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle into a small pile on the pan. Press down in a circular motion to make a round about the size of “a 50 cent piece.” Bake for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan.

Calorie count: a whopping 5 per four crisps.

Tortilla strips:

Cut a 6 inch corn tortilla into strips, tossing the rounded edges. The width should be as thin as matchsticks. Toss in a bowl with 1/4 t (barely any, I know!) of olive oil. Spread on a sheet pan and bake (if you made the parmesan crisps, the oven should already be heated at 350F) for 3-4 minutes. Toss with a pinch of ground cumin.

Calorie count: twice as that of the Parmesan crisps (harhar). At only 10 per teaspoon, maybe it’s ok to double the serving size?

TOTAL CALORIE COUNT: 45

Click here for more of Chef’s healthy recipes.

Life lessons from cleaning a hoof?

When I called Miraval a “summer camp for adults” I wasn’t kidding. It offers life lessons workshops via everything from zip-lining to primal drumming, plus more traditional activities like hiking and yoga. While I did make it to yoga, I also wanted to try some things way out of my comfort zone. I eased into that with a class called “It’s Not About the Horse,” by the world-renowned Wyatt Webb. Last fall, I overcame my fear of horses enough to ride a very tame one at the Grand Canyon Ranch. So I figured I could handle whatever they threw at me. Every single person I talked to about Miraval told me I had to take this class. So off I went.

I climbed into the white Miraval van bound for the stables. Upon arrival, we met Elvis, this beautiful horse. Wyatt gave the most uplifting speech about regaining control over how others treat you. He has a steady, down-home demeanor that makes you sit up and listen. And man, as he talks about society and how it’s taught us to internalize all of the wrong stuff and not take accountability for the right stuff, you know he’s right…

Elvis

Some soundbytes:

“Not everything has to be a damn crisis.”

“Never let someone else control your discomfort again.”

“Your heart doesn’t make up stories. It’s the brain that creates the problems.”

“We’re not trained in accountability. We make it about everything but us.”

“I teach people how to treat me.”

“We’re born human but trained not to be. Learn to ask for help.”

Then it became clear that this was not your average equine experience.

We were going to have to talk about feelings. 

In public.

Watching everyone go up there one by one to complete the task (getting the horse to raise his hoof and clean it) was a truly eye-opening experience. As stirring as Wyatt’s monologue was, seeing our human fears acted out with the horse is something I’ll never forget.

One woman grew visibly frustrated when the horse wouldn’t immediately lift up his hoof. “How many kids do you have?” Wyatt asked without missing a beat. “Do you get annoyed the second they don’t do what you want? Are you sure you’re telling them exactly what you want?” The woman got more and more frustrated until Wyatt finally interjected, “Would you like some help?” Another woman’s entire body indicated that she was so sad, and she said up front she didn’t think she could do this minor task. Defeated by a bully of boss, she’d learned, down to her body language, to admit defeat before it began.

Don’t know what to do? Ask for help. Try again. Yes, you can do it. It was amazing how we all fight these basic concepts!

Wyatt talking to my friend Aaron.

When it was my turn, I admitted that I’d been scared of horses for a long time. He told me to go stand next to the horse. I did. The horse didn’t move. I couldn’t have felt more ridiculous.

For me, fear of the unknown or of what is going to happen next has always been my biggest setback. (It’s why I’ve fought public speaking anxiety for years.) But learning — not by reading about it or having someone tell me, but by standing next to something I thought I was scared of — that the horse would not do something to hurt me unless I did something to scare it made me see how irrational that can be.

There’s something about physically walking through the motions of a personal fear or setback in front of an audience that makes you see how easy it could be to end it right then and there.

I was worried in the beginning that the class would be too hippy-dippy for me, but it was anything but. I’d learn life lessons from Wyatt any day.

Wyatt has appeared on Celebrity Rehab and has written a book, It’s Not About the Horse. Check it out!

Low-cal filet mignon.

Lest you think we deprived ourselves, Miraval is not that kind of spa. After a delicious three-course meal at the Cactus Flower restaurant the first night (yes, with wine), we opted for the “Cooking with the Chef” class on the second night. Five courses with wine pairings! Starting with an amazingly healthy, crisp and delicious Caesar salad, we were amazed at all of the things you can do to cut calories in the kitchen. The girls at our table diligently took notes, vowing to cook the whole shebang for their husbands when they returned home to Canada. But only the travel blogger took photos! Pictured here: angus beef filet mignon with roma tomato, basil and shallot salad, drizzled with vinegar reduction and topped with a goat cheese ball.

Chef lightly coated the pan with olive oil from a spray bottle to cut calories. His reduction took 45 minutes on extremely low heat. Looks like I need to improve my patience and lower the heat, as mine has never taken that long!

Calorie count: a whopping 305 per serving.

For some of chef Chad Luethje’s recipes, click here! He covers everything — including desserts and cocktails.

First, I want to show you the grounds.

After my tropical retreat in Costa Rica, the desert landscape was a refreshing change of scenery. My friend Aaron flew in from NYC to come with me. If anyone needed a relaxing spa-fueled weekend, it’s the two of us: a workaholic journalist New Yorker, and moi, the workaholic editor from Sin City. We had great weather: crisp sun during the day, with colder nights…

And nothing but blue skies!

Like all of the famous Arizona spas, Miraval is designed to have a calming effect, which isn’t hard to do with the sunshine beating down on the neutral colors of the desert. A stream rushes through the center of the campus…

And bright cactus dot the property.

Aaron and I each had a cabana at the edge of the resort, so that we had uninterrupted views of nature. Aaron woke up one morning with a wild bobcat on his patio! Here is the view from my room and patio:

My room had an outdoor shower, in addition to spa-worthy indoor shower and oversized freestanding tub.

No complaints from me about sleeping in this marshmallow puff of a bed! I cracked the doors open for fresh air the first night — until I heard about the bobcat.

Cell phones are banned from Miraval except in the rooms, guaranteeing a peaceful visit. It was so nice to walk the grounds with not a care in the world. My mind was free to wander from the clutter that is my work stress, and I vowed this year to veer back onto a life’s path of being truer to what I truly want out of life. For me, it means working on the balance between the “good life” and the “fast lane.”

A version of the top photo of Aaron and I ran in my editor’s letter this month in Vegas magazine. Check it out!

Miraval Resort and Spa, Tucson, Arizona: 800.232.3969

I’m all about the weekend getaway. If you’re like me (on a budget), check out one of these cheap holiday offers.

How Vegas does winter: with edible treats.

We don’t get much snow in sunny Las Vegas, but that didn’t stop at least one chef in town from creating a mini-meringue snowman on a plate. Michel Richard is famous for his whimsical food designs and having pastries to die for. At his hot spot Central at Caesars Palace (open last fall), executive chef Todd Harrington had the pastry chef whip up this cute little winter treat for me. He was so lifelike, I had a hard time wanting to dig in! One forkful of the homemade chantilly creme that covered the plate, looking like melted snow, solved that. The snowman is a vacherin dessert (watch out for other fun designs throughout the year — Chef loves ‘em), meringue on the outside, soft ice-cream in the middle. As I broke through the meringue, which had been hardened and dried in the oven, the sinful vanilla ice-cream started to melt a bit, and the adorable snowman’s parts finally started to cave in, so he was easier to eat. And eat him I did — this little snowman was ridiculously delicious! As he started to look more and more like a real melted snowman, I knew my taste (pun intended) of winter was coming to an end. I’m a warm-weather girl and a foodie to boot — I’d take this version over the real kind any day!

I hear this little guy is going to be offered only until the end of this month, so if you’re in Las Vegas, hurry down! Of course, I can’t wait to see what they come up with next…

Central, in the main lobby of Caesars Palace: 702.650.5921

Click here for the website!

Meeting Simone for the first time.

I have so many trusted online friends who I’ve never met, but Simone and I got to spend some quality time together when she last visited Las Vegas for (what else?) a blogging convention. I hope you enjoy her Toronto itinerary for the perfect day trip in Toronto as much as I did. I made it to Montreal this year and have been to other places in Canada, but not Toronto.

I’ve always wanted to go!

Enter Simone:

Like Abby’s Las Vegas, Toronto has worlds within worlds: Since it is Canada’s largest city, with a population of 2.7 million and a metro area of more than 5 million, it has to. Toronto is ridiculously multicultural. I always joke that you know you’ve gone for a really long walk in the city when it feels like you’ve passed through 12 different countries! Almost 50 percent of Torontonians born outside of Canada, and a  911 service that is equipped to answer calls in more than 150 languages.  I live in a heavily Portuguese and Italian neighborhood that borders on a main artery that is lined with Latin American eateries, Greek diners and East African restaurants. A few minutes on the subway and you can easily go from Little Portugal to Koreatown to Chinatown to Greektown to Little India and still have enough time to make it back to the Westside for dinner plans at that Somalian restaurant you really like.

Simone with the Toronto skyline.

Here’s what I consider a perfect day trip in Toronto, done local-style:

Wander: Most of Toronto’s downtown core can easily be accessed by foot or by a short streetcar or subway ride. Wander around the tree-lined streets of The Annex - a student area close to the University of Toronto that is full of coffee shops, restaurants and used bookstores. Take a jaunt down to Kensington Market - a large multicultural market that makes you feel like you’re in another country all together. When you get tired of browsing the fruit & vegetable stands, taquerias, organic vegetarian restaurants and vintage clothing stores, you can walk down the street to Chinatown for some Dim Sum. Head over to the cobble-stoned Distillery District - once one of the largest alcohol processing centers in North America, all of the Victorian Industrial buildings have been converted to art galleries, shops and restaurants.

Shop: I love the Queen Street West strip – a shopping area full of restaurants, coffee shops and independent clothing stores featuring lots of indie Canadian designers. If you keep wandering west, you’ll eventually hit Ossington St – another great shopping area especially if you’re looking for high quality vintage & independent clothing finds!

Simone with friends in Chinatown.

Eat: I eat out WAY too much in my city because there are just so many good places. Here are my top five:

1. La Bella Managua - chef Jesus Morales makes Nicaraguan comfort food, and it’s delicious. His ceviche, pollo a la parilla, tamales and ropa vieja are to die for.

2. Tacos El Asador: Grab a picnic table at this tiny eatery and enjoy more Latin American comfort food and the best tacos in the city.

3. Harlem: Inspired by the 1920’s Harlem Renaissance, this cozy restaurant serves a fusion of Caribbean, Creole and southern doul food all, to a great soundtrack.

4. The Real Jerk: a visit to Toronto isn’t complete without a enjoying a meal at this Jamaican Eatery. Order a Red Stripe beer, some oxtail and enjoy the kitschy island-themed decor.

5. Marben: Farmhouse-chic dining with all locally raised & grown ingredients. If you like burgers, try theirs. It’s like an orgasm in a bun.

Drink: After a long day of walking around, nothing beats a little Vegas-style glamor that comes along with enjoying a drink and the view from the roof-top of the Thompson Hotel.

Simone is a freelance writer based in Toronto and the author of Skinny Dip — a cheeky blog about love, sex, relationships and everything in between. When she’s not writing her heart out, she loves wandering around her city, large cup of coffee in hand, in search of the next great story.

Sometimes, nothing beats a dip in the pool.

In Las Vegas, a “pool club” often means a cabana with a flat-screen TV, celebrity host in a barely-there bikini, and loads of tourists dancing to loud music. This here, is what I prefer. When I lived in Costa Rica, the Club at Coco Bay wasn’t open to the public. Now, for a small fee, you can have access to the gorgeous haven, for those days when chlorine beckons. I grew up in Florida and love the beach, especially the sounds of the ocean and gazing off to the horizon. But sometimes, nothing beats a refreshing dip in the pool. Happy Friday, everybody! I’ll be daydreaming about meeting my friend Lisa for a girls’ afternoon at this pool.

The good life: Hammock and lush greenery. Bad side: nature means critters.

Maybe by now it’s sort of obvious how I got the ridiculous nickname “Jungle Princess,” but for my last post about my recent trip to Costa Rica, I thought I’d explain — and show how far I’ve come. As with everything these days (haha) it all started online. My friend Mike had signed me up on Twitter the day before I left my Las Vegas friends for the jungles of Costa Rica. I finally got into it a few months in, but all of the travel folks were confused… Where was my blog? they asked. (My what?!) Since my tweets were all about scorpions, spiders, monkeys, rain and not wearing high heels… Diana of DTravelsRound finally publicly tweeted something along the lines of, “Come on, jungle princess, you’re starting a blog tomorrow.”

So I did.

I didn’t know what I was doing, so I stole the name and threw up my blog. I kind of didn’t realize that two years later I’d still be stuck with that name.

It made sense. My last job had been at a celebrity magazine, so I had quite literally gone from the red carpet to the most laidback lifestyle you can imagine. And I had packed a few pairs of five-inch heels “just in case.” (Those went right into storage my first trip back.)

Miami, Manhattan, Las Vegas, Los Angeles… Coco? It was a strange move, but there it was. I lived in a darling one-room house with one piece of furntiture: bunkbeds. My friend Lisa lived right across the dirt road, which was convenient since I didn’t have a phone. I could easily yell at her while sitting on my bed working. (Common question: “When will you be done with work?”) Otherwise, I had thick trees surrounding my home (hence the critters).

My tiny one-room house. (Yes, the vertical line on the left is the corner, where the house ends.)

The scorpion thing really set me apart from my friends who were more accustomed  to Costa Rica — I never, ever got used to them. My friend Denise tried to show me many times how to aim with a shoe, but yuck. During my recent trip, I saw the biggest scorpion I had ever seen. Lisa and her husband, Mau, agreed!

The biggest scorpion I have ever seen -- YUCK.

The first time I saw a tarantula, I was in someone else’s home, and I was so scared I couldn’t move. The second time, I screamed to high heaven and jumped up on a chair. The third time (during this past trip)? I calmly took out my camera and took this photo.

Small tarantula, something I somehow got used to.

At times, I get so sick of hearing “Jungle Princess”!!! But it does make sense, even if I have moved back to city life. From now on, I will always be either the girl who packed stilettos for her first trip to the tropics, or the fancy editor who moved to Las Vegas from the jungle.

Two sides, one girl.

I’ll take it.

Do you like your nickname? If you have a blog, do you ever wish you could change it?

No resolutions here, predictions about how many times I will use my passport, pounds I’m going to lose. I’m not vowing to stay dedicated to my job, or to leave it, or act a certain way or to stop a bad habit.

I have only one declaration: Once and for all, after three years of playing with the idea like a young cat pawing at a toy mouse, I am going to throw out all preconceived notions about what my life is or isn’t supposed to be like.

I am going to dig down deep and work on finding out what makes ME happy. There’s no need to keep up with the proverbial Joneses, whoever they may be. In my life, I could easily fall into a deep rabbit hole comparing myself to all my married friends, or ones who make a lot of money. I could say I don’t travel enough for my online travel world I care so passionately about, or write meaty enough stories for some of my writer and journalist friends who may think I’ve sold out by editing a luxury title, a job I love with all my heart.

My independent streak combined with my Piscean creativity side has made following my dreams something of a guiding star, as I zig-zag the world on adventures. But I am still a goal-oriented person who IS affected by what others think I should be doing.

That comes to an end right now.

I am following my own heart, where-ever it might lead in 2012.

My friends… 2012 is going to rock the house down. For me, that’s because I’m going to be pure in my intentions and figure out what makes ME happy. And if that means doing things that scare me or go against what I’ve been raised to do, so be it.

No matter what I find out, I will follow that lead. Because this year, over everything else…

I choose happiness.

If you toss aside your resolutions, what is YOUR goal for this year?

Upon my return visit, I couldn’t believe the changes. My favorite Peruvian restaurant? Now a bar called the Sloppy Pelican! And there’s an enormous something being built halfway down the “boulevard,” smack in the middle of all of the charming hammock and dress shops. But I don’t want to dwell on the negatives. The Municipality finally paid Coco a visit and made some much-needed improvements. So exciting!

Is this greenery I spy on Coco Beach? Yes, the Municipality put in some gorgeous park areas with trees, plants and pebbles, so strolling the beach is something that more people do. I was wide-eyed with excitement when Lisa took me down there. It looked so beautiful!

This deck was built on the south side of the bay in a spot that used to be overrun with twigs and, I admit, often garbage. Now it’s a stunning venue for yoga classes and more.

The north side of the bay is now anchored by this pier.

Visiting stirred up many emotions, some expected, some not. My life is so different now that being back made me long for the free time that I used to have; getting a good night’s sleep, working out, taking the dogs for a run… all easy, fun activities when you don’t have to race to the office. What I didn’t expect was to get emotional over errands such as grabbing a bag of limes at the Auto Mercado. Everything we did reminded me to slow down and refocus on the small stuff. This trip was definitely a life-changer, re-correcting a personal path I had veered off from during the past few months.

Superfluous sunset shot

I don’t want to wait 15 months again before again taking a vacation somewhere slow, where I could actually unwind and re-connect to what’s important to me. And I definitely don’t want to go more than a year again without seeing my friends.

Which begs the question: Why hasn’t anyone visited me in Vegas?!