Worlds Are Colliding!

Hello my loves!!!! I hope ya’ll had a great Thursday! The weekend is almost here, WOOHOO!!!!!!

Thank you for all the sweet comments ayer in regards to my grandma =)

The prayers went really well, about 40 people showed up. It’s nice to know that people still care enough to join us every year to pay respect to my abuela.

Before the prayers my mom, sis, homefries, and I went to Empanadas Cafe for an early din din.

Here is a little info about them, courtesy of their website:

“Empanadas Cafe, a place that opened as a sort of "United Nations of Empanadas," has become the dream caterer for New York's social, corporate and cultural events.

This small an intimate cafe, located on the border of Corona and Forest Hills Queens, is transforming this traditional dish into a gourmet, sophisticated and healthy choice.

The secret formula: rigorous quality control and the use of fresh ingredients.

Atmosphere: Empanadas Cafe is a family business where every detail counts. The decor is embellished by original paintings and photographs from renown Latin American artists; the furniture is hand made and it has the rustic feel of a Latin American country side.

Details to note: This team of two sisters and one brother have made the Empanada preparation into a gourmet trip in which the traditional recipes: shredded beef, shredded chicken and shredded fish pave the way to the non-traditional such as broccoli and mozzarella, spinach and ricotta, mixed vegetables, chop pork and shrimp. The more exotic combinations include the Hawaiian (ham, cheese, and pineapple), sweet plantain and mozzarella and the latest introduction: empanadas for desert--dulce de leche (caramel) and cheese, nutella chocolate and banana, guava and cheese.”

Empanadas Cafe has been featured in various publications…and they deserve all the acclamations!   

The Empanadas come in three different styles; White Flour, Corn Flour, and Organic Flour.

 

Since I am not eating meat, I chose 1 Plantain and Cheese empanada and for dessert I got a guava one…if you look close enough, you can actually see the names of the empanadas, imprinted on them…this makes it easy to differentiate them when you order a large amount.

Inside of the Platano and Queso….

This is the Guava one…I like that they are NOT too big…it’s fairly easy to watch your portions when you eat here…

Inside the Guava empanada…so yummy!

    

I also enjoyed some Cafe Con Leche…

After din din we went to my aunts house…while we were there my “new” phone broke down…I could not hear anything on it. My cousin was nice enough to drive me to Sprint (again!)…they had to order me another phone which I should be getting mañana. I then had to run back to my aunts house so that I would not miss the prayers…by the time I got there I was super sweaty (about 15 blocks)

After the prayers, my aunt put out all the yummy eats that she baked! I felt like I was on a temptation challenge on The Biggest Loser…Thank God I wasn’t because I would have failed!

I enjoyed some Mini Dominican Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Frosting…

And 1 Dominican Cupcake with Dominican Frosting…

AND a couple of pieces of Bread Pudding

Thank God my phone broke down and I was forced to sneak in a mini cardio session before I indulged in these treats lol

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Two of my favorite things have come together…Jillian AND Yoga!!!!

“Jillian introduces a new yoga workout unlike any other. Combining hard-core yoga power poses with her dynamic training techniques, Jillian will get you real weight-loss results fast. YOGA MELTDOWN includes two complete 30-minute workouts that include a warm-up and cooldown. Begin with the Level 1 workout which focuses on quickly flowing yoga sequences to burn mega calories. Then progress to Level 2 which adds twists and balance poses for an even greater burn.” Courtesy of Jillianmichaels.com

I was able to try Level 1 this morning on Exercise TV. I enjoyed the routine, perhaps I am a tad bias since I love Jil Jil but I think if you are a Vinyasa Yoga fan, you might want to give this workout a try. The whole practice lasted about 35 minutes and it included Sun Salutations, Chatarrungas, Balance Poses etc. It kept my heart rate between 60%-70% and I managed to burn a little over 200 calories.

After my workout I refueled with Oikos Honey Yogurt mixed with 1 Banana and PB and my usual cafe con leche

I also snacked on a Luna Lemon Zest Bar during the day…

I had to run some errands today and then headed into the city with my sister to pick something up. On our way back, I talked her into going to 5 Burros Cafe for Linner… first I mentioned the Steak and then said Margarita and I managed to persuade her lol (It was pretty easy haha).

We started off with some Chips and Salsa…

I of course had to get a Piña Colada…”say hello to my little friend”

I ordered the Shrimp Fajita din din plate…which came with Grilled Veggies, Shrimp, Salad, Rice, Beans, Guacamole, and Sour Cream…this was a party in my mouth, delish!

And a side of flour Tortillas (I only had one)

My sister ordered the Nachos Con Carne which I just had to sample! (didn’t touch the meat). This was SO FREAKING GOOD! The next time I go to 5 Burros, I am going to order this with Shrimp!

It was really nice to have some one on one time with my sister…we rarely get to spend any solo time with each other (besides the gym lol).

Check out Amanda’s Yoga Mat Giveaway!!!

Stay Tuned for my next post, I have some exciting news!!!!

Namaste…