Checking In, In Queenstown

Hey everyone! I'm writing from the adventure capital of the world - Queenstown, NZ! The first ever bungy jump was invented here and that's exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow! Since I last wrote, we stayed in Franz Josef where we had the opportunity to walk on a glacier - Fox Glacier. It was an awesome experience for sure and one I'm very happy I had the chance to do. This picture was taken when we were at our highest point on the glacier.

 Yesterday a few of us took a trip to Milford Sound. The ride there had some incredible views (this whole trip is filled with awesome views), but yesterday we a bit more majestic. Here's some pictures from the ride up there. All were taken with my iPhone.

 This picture is when we were on the boat in the sound. Our captain took us right up to a giant waterfall and we got soaked! I laughed when I saw this picture, so I figured I would share!

Today we'll be doing canyon singing and then bungy jumping tomorrow before we head off to Dunedin! I have over 1,300 pictures from this trip to go through, so when I get back home I'll be sure to share all of those! For now, the iPhone will do! Hope all is well! Stay strong!

Now Playing - M83 - Couleurs

Greetings from Christchurch

Hey everyone! About to call it a night here in Christchurch.  Tomorrow morning we head down to Franz Josef. The ferry ride over from Wellington this morning yielded some great photos and I can't wait to post them when I get home. For more up to date pix, check me out on instagram (MikeScic).

Tomorrow is just a travel day so there's not too much going on - possibly some hot springs at night!

The diet has been pretty good while on the road.  I packed a lot of nuts, fiber one bars, trail mix and granola to fill the gap between stops and major meals. Workouts have been limited to body west exercises, but I'm hoping tomorrow to set up the TRX.

Wifi is a bit limited down here, but I'll do my best to write as often as possible! All the best!

10,355 Miles

That's how far it is from my family in the USA to those "down under. " The last four days has been a humbling experience to see how deeply rooted we all are.  When I arrived in Melbourne this past Sunday, family I've barely talked to on Facebook were at the airport waiting for me with open arms. 

I spent the last four days getting to know my family that I've been missing out on for 28 years, and trust me when I say that four days is no where near enough to make up for the years gone by. It was a incredible experience hearing all the stories from each aunt, uncle and cousin of how the family came about in Australia and the memories they have of my grandmother and grandfather back in Sicily. This trip is only a few days old and it already has become a memorable one. 

As I write this 39,000 feet in the air on our approach to New Zealand, I can't help  it to think of how incredible it would be to untie my grandmother with her sister and my father with his cousins. Hopefully some day soon, we'll all get to experience that event. 

To anyone in Melbourne reading this who I had the honor of meeting and spending time with - thank you. This trip was a bit last minute and unexpected, but you managed to work out time with me and I am truly grateful. As we all kept saying, "I wish we had more time," but this isn't "goodbye," this is "see you soon!"

Now Playing - Grouplove - Itchin' on a Photograph

Day 2 In the Books!

So everyone will be happy to hear, my luggage did arrive yesterday afternoon. As expected, time is flying here. Two days already gone, but they have been great. When I first arrived, several of my cousins picked me up from the airport and took me to their house for an awesome lunch where I was able to meet more of my family I've never talked to before. It's wild to think that there is this whole extension of around 150 cousins in our family that we have been away from for so long.  Four days here is no where near enough time to try and make up for the years of little communication.

The fist night, some of the guys took me out to the local Casino where we enjoyed some cocktails and gambling. I actually won $150 which is better than I ever really do at home in the States.

Yesterday, two more f my cousins took me around Melbourne to see Capt Cook's cottage, the botanical gardens and St Kilda. I got some really good pictures I hope to post later this week. Today, we'll be heading south to the coast and see some of the beaches and I'm sure I'll get some nice pictures there. Tonight we have a large family dinner out at a restaurant and tomorrow we'll get to see more of the city of Melbourne.

Time to get my morning workout in before the day starts! Hope all is well!

At the gate

With an easy pass-through security I'm chillen at my gate with my Starbucks Black Eye (double shot of espresso) waiting to board the plane. Good food appears to be hard to come by so I may snack on the almonds I packed until we board the plane. Fingers crossed dinner isn't pizza. The gameplan is to not use the laptop or iPad until I get on the plane out of LAX. Posting with my iPhone is more of a pain than anything #firstworldproblems so I apologize for any typos.

Now Playing - Bayside - Sinking and Swimming on Long Island

Bags Are Packed!

The bags are officially packed! I have everything from clothes (obviously), snacks, camera gear, a jump rope and my TRX packed away. In less than 24 hours I'll be in the air on my way Down Under!

Now Playing - Foo Fighters - Times Like These

Ready to go... Almost

Last night I spent over two hours packing for the next 15 days. This is the longest vacation I have ever gone on and packing for that many days is quite the challenge. All that's really left is my camera equipment, TRX, toiletries and in-flight entertainment. I wasn't able to get a prescription for some sleeping pills, so this nearly 16-hour flight should be interesting. I'm sure I'll end up with some good writing material at least!

Today's Workout: Legs and Abs on the TRX
Days until I leave: 2
Days until my next tattoo: 38 ... Although wouldn't it be cool to get one down under?!

Song now playing in my head: Foster the People - Helena Beat

Monday Morning Musing

So in just a few days I'll be venturing off to the other side of the world for the rest of the month...that's a pretty wild thought. While I'm away, it will be difficult to exercise and eat like I do while I'm home in New Jersey, but I do plan on staying active and eating healthy while away. I'll be documenting everything while I'm gone and sharing tips of how to manage a healthy lifestyle while enjoying a vacation. I will be bringing my TRX Suspension Trainer with me - it's portability and versatility is perfect for the type of trip I'm going on.

The knee is starting to feel better, which is a relief! This week I'll be training hard ("last chance workout") before having two weeks off and also trying to see all my clients before heading out. The next few days will be long, but all worth it!

This week's experiment in the kitchen - Baslamic Chicken and Peppers. Stay tuned for that post later this week.

Stay strong.

Song of the Week

Only a few more days and off to OZ I go!

This week's Song of the Week: Linkin Park - Burn It Down

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Thai Chicken Satay With Spicy Peanut Sauce

Cooking for the roommates is becoming a weekly occurrence (I don't mind at all) and this week I gave them the choice between Thai Chicken Satay With Spicy Peanut Sauce and Chicken and Balsamic Peppers. The Thai Chicken received the popular vote this week. Here's the recipe below!

Servings: 4
Prep time: 0:30
Total time: 0:50
Calories: 286
Categories: Chicken & Other Poultry, Dinner, Lunch, Thai


Ingredients
Thai Chicken
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound chicken tenders

 Spicy Peanut Sauce
• 2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons lite coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½  teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste


Directions

1. Whisk lime juice, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and red pepper in a shallow dish until combined; add chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate in the refrigerator 15 minutes.
2. To prepare peanut sauce: whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper until smooth.
3. Preheat grill to high. Thread each chicken onto a wooden skewer. Grill until cooked through. Serve warm or chilled with spicy peanut sauce.

Deviations

Instead of using canola oil I used vegetable.
I totally forgot to buy skewers so I grilled the chicken more like fingers/tenders. They came out just as good.

I wanted to dress up the dish a bit so I used iceberg lettuce to wrap the chicken with. This worked out perfectly. Also plated was broccoli and homemade bruschetta.

 

Whisking the chicken marinade

 Fired up!

 Dinner plated.

Minor Set Back

Earlier this week I undertook a new training routine - it didn't work out so well. I've had a history of bad knees since 7th grade and I can guarantee they're not going to get any better as I get older. On my fourth set of vertical jumps, I twisted my knee. Going to jiu jitsu later that day might have been a bad idea too.

Today was my first day working out again and the knee is still not 100 percent, but there's ways to work around it. Injuries and set-backs happen, but it's how you bounce back that builds your strength.

Stay strong.

July Top Instagram Pix

If you're on Instagram, feel free to follow me - @MikeScic

Here's some of my favorite pix I took this past month.

 Naturally...

 Fight night! 

 Warped Tour 2012 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ

 The Haptons Sunset

 Stuffed Peppers

 The New Ink

 Cloudy Day - What do you see?

 5:30 AM - Rise and Grind

Skulls can be sophisticated too

Now Playing - Foster the People - Houdini

Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

Last week I cooked dinner for the roommates and the menu called for Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry (thanks, Karen for the recipe).

Servings: 4
Prep time: 0:40
Total time: 0:40
Calories: 225
Categories: Chicken & Other Poultry

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots (1/4 inch thick)
• 2 cups snow peas (6 ounces), stems and strings removed
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Directions

Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.


Recipe Nutrition


Per Serving: 225 Calories; 6g fat (1g saturated fat, 3g mono unsaturated fat); 63mg cholesterol; 14g carbohydrates; 27g protein; 3g fiber; 448mg sodium; 796g potassium


Here's the broth after the ingredients were mixed together. I think I had too much lemon juice which didn't allow the corn starch to do its job.

Everything is prepped and ready to cook.

Mushrooms and carrots cooking down.

Enter all other ingredients... smells so good at this point. 

The plated masterpiece.

Song of the Week

OZ/NZ in less than two weeks!!

This week's Song of the Week:
Moving Mountains - My Life is Like a Chase Dream (And I'm Sill Having Chase Dreams)

Weekend Recap

So this weekend tturned out to be a pretty eventful one. Saturday morning I went into work to see a few clients before heading down to my hometown to visit my two friends and their daughter - my Goddaughter. I honestly think it's been a year since I've seen her and she has grown so much from what I remembered. It turned out to be a nice afternoon spending time with them and I even got to cook for them - baked skinless chicken with peppers and onions, sweet potato fries and green beans. I keep forgetting to take a picture of my plates recently so you'll just have to take my word!

On Sunday, my cousin and I went down to Six Flags Great Adventure. The last time we went was back on August 14, 2003. You may be asking yourself, "how the heck can he remember that date?" Well it's easy...remember that really big power outage? Yeah, we were at Six Flags that day. Needless to say, we were hoping for a better trip than the last time and thankfully we got it. We covered all the major attractions and my top five rides (counting down) are:

5. The Green Lantern
4. Nitro
3. Superman
2. Kingda Ka
1. Bizarro

 This next picture cracks me up every time I look at it. Of course I had to throw out a free pass tot he gun show, but the death grip my cousin has going on is hilarious!

Song of the Week

Hope everyone had a great weekend! My Weekend Musings will be up later today.

This week's Song of the Week: Atlas Genius - Trojans

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Tatt-2s

So, yes - over the weekend I got two new tattoos bringing the total up to eight, but these two are different - they have meaning to me. My other pieces are more on the artistic side and I honestly got them because I liked the images. My skull, St. Michael and sword were all custom drawn from a friend so I'm happy to say, I'm the only person with them. The Superman S I have on my right arm was the first tattoo I got when I was 21 - become of legal drinking age, get tattoo...It seemed logical at the time.

The first tattoo I got over the weekend was for my brother who is possibly the smartest person I know. He graduated Penn State (proudly) with a major in Chemical Engineering and a double minor in Chemistry and Environmental Engineering. From there he got a free ride from NJIT to receive his Masters in Chemical Engineering and Doctorate in Material Sciences. Don't ask me what he that all means - he tried explaining it once and lost me about three words in.

A couple years ago, when the new Star Wars movies came out, Burger King was selling Star Wars toys in its happy meals (or whatever they are called). I tried to collect as many of those toys as I could thinking they may be worth something someday. Instead I gave them to my brother one Christmas since I figured he would appreciate them more being a HUGE Star Wars fan. Ever since I gave them to him, whenever I pay a visit I hide one in his room. It only made sense that his tattoo would represent the smartest Jedi master...

The second tattoo I got this weekend was for my parents. My dad busted his ass for us. He worked as a postal delivery man for 31 years - in the Bronx. For 18 of those 31 years he commuted from NJ six days a week. He worked his ass off so we can have a happy life and I'm incredibly grateful for that.

My mother is very artistic and excellent with a needle....sewing needle that is. I've been spoiled to have her make so many hats and scarfs for me (and the occasional gift for a friend when in a pinch :)) My mother has been the glue that has kept us all together and she's the voice of reason in my head.

So the next tattoo I thought of and called Rob at Times of Grace and he drew it up perfectly! I couldn't be happier with the piece. Here is is...

Weekend Recap

This past weekend turned out to be a very eventful one... unexpectedly. Saturday I had to work a few hours and see a couple of clients. Once I saw everyone I needed to I sped down to Times of Grace in Rahway and got some new artwork done! I'll post about them later tonight and give the thought behind each one (yes, there's more than one \m/ ).

After I got the tattoos, my roommate, his coworker and my coworker met up at PNC Bank Arts Center for Summerland 2012 featuring Marcy Playground, Lit, Gin Blossoms, Sugar Ray and Everclear. A true throwback to the late 90s for sure! Gin Blossoms and Sugar Ray were very entertaining on stage. All I needed to see was "Found Out About You" by the Gin Blossoms and my night was made.

Sunday was a day of recovery, relaxation and cardio of course!

Now Playing - Thrice - Firebreather

Song of the Week

In light of the impromptu concert this weekend (Summerland 2012), this week's Song of the Week:

Sugar Ray - Answer the Phone

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Mid Week Musings

Hope all is well with everyone out there. Today seemed to be a very long day - started at 5:30 am and just ending now (11:40 PM). I had some really great clients today who brought their best to each session. I'm very happy with their progress and know they will all continue to do great work.

My mid-day workout consisted of shoulders, abs and 45 mins of cardio. Everything felt really good and I continue to lift heavier weights while trying to lean out. Tonight I went to my fifth jiu jitsu session at Up Top Martial Arts Academy. Tonight was a rough and tough session. Monday's session was a bit of a confidence boost, but tonight brought me back down to Earth. I got gassed pretty early in practice and felt like I didn't have much energy left when we rolled. I went against some pretty experienced guys who definitely gave me a tough time. They were all great and helped me learn while getting my ass handed to me.

It's easy to get frustrated with this sport, throw my hands up and walk away saying, "forget this; I'll never be good at this," or just simply "this isn't for me." That's where determination and willpower come in. I have a tough time accepting "I can't" and plan on giving every challenge my best effort. Although tonight wasn't what I wanted, I'm still very new to this sport and understand it will take time to level up and become better. So my last words I leave to anyone reading this - don't give up on your goals. Just like your body, you mind needs work and training. Mental toughness comes over time; practice on pushing through the tough times and give every effort your very best attempt. Good luck and goodnight.

Now Playing - Gym Class Heroes - Ass Back Home

Monday Morning Musing

What's up, people? Monday morning and we're back to the grind. This past weekend was a very eventful one with a lot of fun with some good friends.

Friday my roommate and I went to Warped Tour down at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. There were a ton of bands who performed; we ended up seeing Yellowcard, Anti Flag, Senses Fail and Every Time I Die (to name a few).

On Saturday, we went up to Quogue, NY for a awesome time. We started off relaxing on a boat for the early afternoon, followed up by a dance and taco night (this was my cheat day :)). Here's a sunset picture I took while up in NY.

For those of you with a trained eye, yes this is from Instagram - follow me - MikeScic.

Well, that's it for now! Busy day ahead of training clients, and training myself. Have a good day and start the week strong!

Today's Workout: Chest, Abs, Cardio, BJJ
Days Until Tattoos: 6
Days Until New Zealand: 36

Song of the Week

Finally recovered from a long weekend. Back to the grind!

This week's Song of the Week:
Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

The Daily Musing

So a little while ago I met with my coach (yes, personal trainers seek help too) to see how my diet has been. Earlier in June I set a goal of getting back down to around 7% body fat. After my last show, I made up for eight months of strict dieting - all in one month. On June 13 I weighed 162 pounds and had a body fat percentage of 13. Today I weighed in at 158 and 9.7% body fat - needless to say, I am pleased with my one-month progress!

In addition to getting back on a regular diet, I changed up my workout to a five-day split and am now working on giant sets for each muscle group. Monday was chest; Tuesday was legs; shoulders today; tomorrow I'll blast my arms; and finish the week with back on Friday.

Some other upcoming events/points-of-mention in my life:

Friday the 13th - Warped Tour with the roommates!
July 21 - New Ink!
August 21 - Depart for New Zealand!

Off to do some abs, then train one more client for the day before I head to jiu jitsu tonight at Up Top.

Now Playing - Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance

Broiled Tilapia With Mustard Sauce

So the other night I made tilapia for a few guests - here's the recipe...my hungry ass ate all the food before grabbing a picture.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 0:05
Total time: 0:05
Categories: Dinner, Fish & Seafood, Main Dish


Ingredients

• FISH:
• Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray
• 4 (5-6 ounce) tilapia filets
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• SAUCE:
• ¼  cup, plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼  cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions

For the fish:
Preheat broiler. Spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

Drizzle the tilapia fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the fillets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and broil until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

For the sauce:
In a small. Owl mix together the yogurt, agave nectar and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the tilapia to a serving platter and drizzle with the sauce.

Song of the Week

Seriously cannot get enough of this song lately...

Brand New - Okay I Believe You, but My Tommy Gun Don't

Set Your Goals

For me to remain physically motivated and driven, I need a challenge. I've been putting challenges and new goals in my own path since 2010 when I ran my first half marathon - the Philly 1/2 in November of that year. Two months later I ran my second half marathon down in Disney and shaved 12 minutes off my time. From there I graduated to my first full marathon in San Diego in June 2011. After that much running I wanted to switch gears and that is how I got into body building. After completing three shows earlier this year, I'm ready for a new challenge and goal to overcome.

After speaking with my boss one random day, he suggested competing in a Brazilian jiu jitsu competition. Learning a martial arts discipline is on my bucket list and what better time to start than now.

Last week I joined Up Top Martial Arts Academy in Wayne and have gone twice already. Last night was my first time rolling in a gi and boy are those things, hot, heavy and smelly! I fear what our laundry room might smell like today since I didn't get to wash the gi last night. The next few weeks, I'll be getting a beat-down as I learn exactly what to do, but soon enough I'll be giving them out... hopefully!

I haven't found a competition yet, but I'm sure I'll get in one before the end of this year!

Song of this Post - Set Your Goal - This Will Be the Death of Us

Fourth of July Musings

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July! I certainly did!

After seeing a few morning clients at work, my roommates and I ventured down to my parents' house for a little rest, relaxation and BBQ. The holidays can be easy way to fall off of diets and miss-manage cheat meals. The key word in that last sentence is "meal" - even though it's a holiday, try to keep the cheating to a minimum. Drinking and snacking on finger foods should be kept to a minimum in a small time frame. One bad day can sidetrack the next few days.

Here's how we treated my parents' grill yesterday...

There's a wide variety on the grill there, but most of our options were on the healthier side. I went with 8 oz of salmon, sweet potatoes and chicken kabobs. I did cheat a little bit and have a sausage - the Italian in me couldn't resist!

Later on in the evening I had the privlidge to cook another meal for dinner - this time I went with tilapia, sweet potatoes and asparagus. I'll write up the recipe in a post later today.

Hope everyone had a nice mid-week break! Now it's back to the grind!

Now playing in the gym: Coldplay & Rihanna - Princess of China

The Daily Musing

Monday means back to work today and with that seeing my Monday regular clients. With summer now upon us, I'm starting to see some of my clients leave for the summer and time is becoming much more available to me. This is both a good and bad thing, but in no time, summer will be over and we'll see members return to us. This morning consisted of five clients, all who have been with me for a considerable amount of time and I am very pleased with their progress.

Today's workout consisted of chest, shoulders, abs and 25 minutes of cardio. Since completing my last show back in April, my strength has improved quite nicely. I'm pressing weights I have never done before and it feels great. My nutrition has been a big part of this progress and I have to thank my coach Warren for supplying me with a great diet plan.

This past weekend's little heat wave has definitely worn me down and was still feeling the effects of the heat. Just goes to show how important it is to be well hydrated in extreme heat. Been pounding water all afternoon trying to get myself back to normal.

Now Playing - Paramore - Careful
Days until NZ - 50

Song of the Week

This week's Song of the Week:

Anberlin - Feel Good Drag

If you're an acoustic fan, be sure to check out this version. 

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Cuban Mojo Chicken with Mango and Avocado

So this weekend I had the pleasure of cooking a real meal (something other than plain grilled chicken, rice and green beans). In an attempt to keep the meal relatively healthy and clean, I searched AllRecipes.com for a new way to prepare chicken - behold, Spicy Cuban Mojo Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa.

Let it be known that I screwed up my grocery shopping and didn't cook the recipe exactly how it's listed...

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 fresh red chile pepper, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 teaspoons orange juice
• 5 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 (8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
•  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup diced mango
• 1/2 avocado
• chopped fresh cilantro to taste
• chopped fresh parsley to taste

Directions

1. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Place the cumin seeds, garlic, chile pepper, salt, olive oil, orange juice, and lemon juice into the bowl of a blender; grind to a coarse paste. Toss the chicken with the marinade, then place into the refrigerator, and allow to marinate for about 2 1/2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until browned. Place into the oven, and cook until the juices run clear, about 8 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. While the chicken is in the oven, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lime zest, honey, and soy sauce in a skillet over medium-high heat. Simmer until the orange juice has reduced to 1/3 of original volume and is beginning to get thick and syrupy. Once thick, remove from heat, and whisk in the butter pieces one at a time until melted; set aside.
5. To serve, place chicken on the plate and sprinkle with mango and avocado. Drizzle with the sauce, and garnish with cilantro and parsley.   

My Deviations

1.  I couldn't find cumin seed at the store so I "toasted" ground cumin. NOTE - this will make your kitchen stink.
2. I don't think I had enough lime zest, but I think I had enough to have a hint of flavor.
3. I did NOT use butter.

The result is pictured below.

Also pictured, baked asparagus, balsamic roasted red potatoes, a side salad with walnuts, craisins and blueberries. Not pictured - homemade strawberry lemonade, guacamole and a very flavorful mix of shrimp and roasted red peppers.

Friday Funday

Today got a little out of hand at work, and the schedule I had planned didn't go exactly as planned. Sometimes it happens and one thing this profession has taught me is that you have to roll with the punches. So since I wasn't able to get my workout in at the gym, I decided to shift gears and go for a run (also knowing that I'm going to get my ass kicked tomorrow...more to come).

Here's all the fun specs of my short run...

And the playlist that got me going...

Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Bullet for My Valentine - Begging For Mercy
Comeback Kid - Balance
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Factory of Faith

Off to shower and make guacamole for tomorrow!

#NowPlaying Brand New - Sink

Mid Week Update

Sorry it's been a couple days since my last post. Things have been pretty busy and have had little time to write. Over the last few days, my roommate and I have painted and rearranged a room in our house, I've edited photos from a wedding I shot in May, an engagement shoot, my roommate's band and this past weekend's show. You can see some of my work by visiting these links...

Susie and Tim's Wedding

Jonesy

Bay State Natural

As I expected, being at the show this past weekend did make me want to compete again, but I don't want to rush it. My current plan is to maintain through the summer; come September I'll begin a bulking program to hopefully put on 10-15 lbs of lean muscle. We'll take it from there!

Shipping Up to Amherst

Sorry for the incredibly cliche post title, but you knew it was coming with any trip up to Massachusetts. So this weekend I'm up in Amherst, MA helping out my body building coach with a show. It will be nice to see a show and not have to deal with the stress of performing in it. I'm sure after seeing everyone on stage I'll want to do another one, but I know I need my break so that thought probably won't stick around for too long. Here's a picture from my last show to leave you with... don't get caught staring for too long!

NZ in 59 Days

Now Playing - LA Dispute - Safer in the Forest/Love Song for Poor Michigan

Is it too early to pack?

So it's been quite a while since I last posted - seven months actually. What better way to get back in the swing of writing again than discussing my freshly booked trip to New Zealand! I've decided to jump along with Contiki tours to make the trip as easy an carefree as possible. This tour is the one I'll be taking - the Scenic Southern. Ever since last November, I've been trying to book a trip and after Amsterdam fell through for September, this became my next destination I set eyes on. After making a few calls to Nadine at Vista Travel in Colonia, NZ was finalized! Let the countdown begin!!


NZ in 61 Days