BEST OF - Cabo, Part II

Hello and happy HUMP DAY!! 
Wednesdays are one of my favorite days of the week (excluding the entirety of the weekend because.... let's be real, that's everybody favorite day(s)!) because I have limited class, a fun work schedule, and I can usually bully a friend or two into going on a run with me.

Also, I get to say hump day about 27 times in 24 hours.

Okay, as promised, more of my Cabo San Lucas recap!!  Heavy on the pictures, minimal on the words!  I mean, I'm pretty sure the pictures do most of the talking anyways ;)
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THE BEST OF....
BEST DESSERTS:
Yeah, asking me to choose "the best desserts" is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child.... hard but not impossible (fyi I'm the favorite in the family....Mom?  Dad?  Nelly??)

1. Swedish Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream.  Loved this twist on a classic pie -- it wasn't filled with thick, sugary filling.  It was more like an apple soufflé?  Super light! And yummy.

2. Strawberry Tiramisu -- instead of the usual chocolate or vanilla accents, this Mexican version was all about strawberry!  It was yummy too!  The top half was traditional tiramisu.

3. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Fondu with strawberries, apples, bananas, and pineapple for dipping.

4. Fried Ice Cream!! This was like ice cream inside of a thick doughnut shell!  Not your typical crispy-shelled fried ice cream!  YUM.

5. FRIED PLANTAINS WITH EXTRA ICE CREAM -- this was hands down the winner of the trip.  And we always had a 3:1 ice cream to plantain ratio.

6. Ice cream in a fried tortilla shell bowl.  Our friends at Mole Mio had to start making up desserts for us to try because we have huge sweet tooths?  teeth?

7. Caramel Flan.  It was dense, creamy, and filled with caramel and cinnamon.  Sister and I actually added crushed tortilla chips to it for some crunch - winning choice.

8. Tres Leches cake and a Banana Split -- enough said.

9. El COOKIE TUB -- seen here next to Sister's sleeping head.  We had a container that we replenished with random cookies, treats, and candies from stores around mexico..... 7 days worth of "refills"

10. Carrot Cake -- the best ever!! Filled with coconut, raisins, pecans, hints of pineapple and the most amazing cream cheese frosting (not too sweet)!!

BEST DRINKS:
I'm actually not a big fan of alcohol...
BUT, when in Mexico... I actually tried a little of this and a little of that, but ended up sticking mostly with banana smoothies and virgin pina coladas!

1. Refreshing Diet Coke - poolside or on the beach, please.

2. Tequila tasting -- we learned the "proper way" to drink tequila!  It involves breathing, licking, some salting and liming... but the caramel colored tequila pictured above is meant to have NO chasers.  It's for savoring :)

3. Banana Smoothies at Mole Mio - best decision ever

4. "Body Rockers" - a mix of grenadine, red bull, vodka, and another unknown liquor.

5. Banana Coconut Smoothies!

6. More tequila -- we tasted some of the best in Mexico

7. Pina Coladas on the beach! Hey, it's 2 for 1 happy hour!!

BEST REGRETS:
No regrets :) Ever.....

1. Falling asleep without sunscreen on the first day... gross consequences

2. NOT getting our camel to gallop away so we could race/steal it.

3. Tequila.

4. Eating enough desserts to make me diabetic

6. Running around on the beach in a see-through dress.... should have looked in a mirror :(

7. Cold wetsuits = unhappy crotches

8. Walking into this jewelry store.  PERIOD.

9. Going out with aforementioned jewelry store owner.

11. Hungover.  7 am.  Ziplining/rappelling/rock climbing after staying out till 5:30.

12. Eating a chip off the floor.  Wiping off the dirt and taking off the hair!

WELLLLL -- there you have it.
I summed up 7 days of paradise in two posts (in case you missed the first one, it's here)

Off to run!
Catch you guys later

Post-Mexico Eats & Activities

Hey errbody!  (does anybody else immediately think of Tipsy - errrrbody in the club gettin' tipsy?)

Anyways, it's freakin' Monday.
My day started at 6:30 with an early shift at the gym.
Two words: Reality Check.

Since coming back from Cabo, I've actually adjusted pretty well to normalcy.  Minus the fact that we're smack dab in the middle of midterm season, so stress levels are pretty high!

I promise to do some more Mexico recap but I want to fill you in on my Sunday and Monday! 


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Sunday!


Breakfast:
I was surprisingly well rested and ready for action by 7:30 - I think I'm still riding that post-vacay high.  So, I hopped out of bed and realized I was starving but I didn't have any groceries in the house!


Remedy?
Berry Coconut Whole Wheat Pancakes! 

I added 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 handful of frozen berries, 1/2 tsp of baking power, 1/3 cup of liquid (I only had water but I usually use almond milk), 2 packets of stevia, salt, and some coconut extract.  SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS! and filling!

Workout & Lunch
I did some silly errands around the apartment.... unpacking a bit, some emailing, some blogging... then I headed out for a much-needed run.

You know those runs that you KNOW will kick your ass?  This was one of them.  I chose a long, hilly run for my first post-vacay exercise just to show myself how out of shape I was.  I only went 9.5 out of the 10 planned miles (because I got super hungry and decided to walk...)

It's scary how fast a weeks worth of crappy (but amazing) food + unusual exercising catches up with you.

I got back to the apartment and realized, once again, NO GROCERIES!
Fall back?  Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry!
1/4 cup of tricolored quinoa, a cup of broccoli and frozen greens, 2/3 cup of meatless crumbles and soy sauce for some flavor -- this is one of my favorite meals, hands down.

I also had a serving of Trader Joe's Sweet and Salty Trail Mix - my favorite.  I routinely eat this for snacks and dessert.

Side note: here are the purchases I made from a jeweler in Mexicoooo!
My first diamond ring (on my ring finger) - white gold band with a diamond and a sapphire.
And a platinum and Swarovski crystal ring (middle finger) for kicks.

Activities and Dinner:
I made a beeline for the door shortly after my lunch (and a few phone calls to Dad and Mom so they knew I survived my Mexican adventure) and headed over to my lady friends' apartment for some catch up and gossiping!

Took a quick break for Trader Joes:
- meatless meatball, black bean and corn enchiladas, spinach, braburn apples, eggplant, feta, almond milk, greek yogurt, more quinoa, more flour, trader joe o's.... the works!

Then I headed home for a nap and an early welcome home dinner with the girls.
Indian food -- always has a special place in my heart!

Vegan Aloo Gobi: curried cauliflower and potatoes - extra spicy!

Roti - whole wheat, over-baked bread.

GUESS WHAT: I didn't have dessert.
Okay.. well I got hungry around 10 and had more trail mix... but check out my commitment to healthy(er) eating.  My body is still recovering from Mexico...

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MONDAY:


Breakfast & Work:
I was up at 6:30 for a much-needed yogurt bowl and cup of coffee.
Hello, weekday work schedule... how I loathe you.

1 1/2 cups of MultiGrain O's, Fat-free greek yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon, stevia, and almond milk.
I'm addicted to carbs + creamy yogurt.

I was actually thankful for my early morning start, because I got to study a bit before taking one of the hardest Arabic tests of my life!  Talk about reality check: work + test?? ON A MONDAY MORNING.

Lunch:
I was debating on if I wanted to just pick something up in between work and class... but I decided to be smart and back a yummy lunch.

BLTC: Turkey Bacon, Laughing Cow cheese, Spinach, Tomato on Whole Wheat. This sandwich was so good... I haven't had a BLT in ages and it sparked a craving!  Guess what I'll be having from now on :) I also had an apple on the side -- braburns are BOMB right now.

Workout & More Work:
I had class until 2 and then a break from 2-4....

This break is usually my nap time, but since I had work at 4, I decided to squeeze in a workout.  Easy 7 mile run -- sadly I only made it to about 6 before I walked home... I don't think my body remembers how to run.  I'm a bit angry.

My anger didn't last long, because I was back at the gym to work a fun environmentally-friendly fitness festival!  My job?? To make people rappel down the side of our gym....

 Yeah, they said I scared away the customers...
What's wrong with a creepy face and some croutch huggers?

I WAS SO HUNGRY because I only grabbed a banana after my run...
By the time I got home, this happened:

Baked potato topped with veggies and black bean soup + dollop of greek yogurt. 

Looks lovely, doesn't it?
I'm actually embarrassed to admit it was kind of tasty.  But, then again, I would have eaten an old shoe at that point.  I had more trail mix for dessert and my tummy has finally stopped growling at me...

I'm off to do more work... in the form of research papers + Arabic.
Welcome back, Casey. 

The Best Of... Cabo Edition

Okay, guys -- I'm back!!

I had elegant plans to write a post a day while in MEXICO, but that quickly ended when I overdosed on mexican food and ended up in a weeks-long food coma :) 

However, I have TONS to share with you!!!! TONS. 

I was debating on if I wanted to break it all up into different recaps.... but I figured one extremely long post with a million pictures would be the best.  Be warned: if you're hungry, don't read on!

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THE BEST FOOD:

We figured we would "get sick" of heavy (but delicious) Mexican food after a few days... wrong.  We basically ate our way through the entire vacation and I'm proud to say we were able to try everything on our Mexican to-eat list: nachos, enchiladas, chips & guac, tamales, chile relleno, tacos, fajitas... 

Shout out: best restaurant was hands down Mole Mio!  We went here on day two and never left.  We ate here every night except for one when we were too tired to drag our butts into town.  5 course meals for two for under 30 dollars (total!) and it was authentic Mexican.  By the end, the waiter gave us the shirt off his back (literally) and we knew the entire staff.  

Chile Relleno - a breaded stuffed pepper with cheese and red enchilada sauce

Mexican Tortilla Soup - with avocado, sour cream, cheese, chicken, and tortilla strips

Enchiladas With Green and Red Sauce -- chicken and cheese enchiladas with half green and half red sauce - topped with more cheese! 

 Fresh Fish Tacos - loaded up with pico de gallo, beans, salsa, and guac

Corn Dough Patties topped with Beans, Salsa, Pico and Guac -- and cheese!

Que Tamal Con Mole -- enough said

 Mexican Feast (after our camel adventure) - authentically cooked in front of us!  Beans with cheese, Mexican stew, Chicken mole, Cactus salad, and eggs & hot sauce with fresh tortillas

Fresh chips & salsa -- the Mexican Bread Basket

Enchiladas Con Mole -- Mole Mio is famous for their mole!  Its a chocolate-based enchilada sauce... to die for. 

Shrimp & Cabbage-stuffed peppers with an asian twist - soy sauce!

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BEST ADVENTURES:


We got a 2 for 3 package deal with Cabo Adventures and we were beyond impressed with their activities and their professionalism :)  BUT they knew how to show us a good time!

1. Camel Riding with a nature hike, mexican feast, and tequila tasting

2. Hanging out with our Mole Mio Crew

3. Snorkeling and Kayaking Adventure

4. Jewelry shopping & getting proposed to

5. Zip Lining, Rock Climbing, Rappelling Adventure

6. Beach and Pool!

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BEST VIEWS:
Everything from our hotel resort to the street of downtown Cabo yielded some gorgeous and memorable views!!  I tried to snap a few pics to share them with you but you just gotta be there!


1. Our Resort - La Playa Grande

2. Medano Beach

3. Camel asses

4. Cabo at night

5. Inside of Mole Mio - decorated and filled with local art

6. Beach outside our resort

7. Lovers' Beach

8. The Marina

OKAY GUYS --- I lied.  I don't have room to post a million pics!!
But I'll be back with best drinks, best mistakes, and best desserts later :)

HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GREAT SUNDAY!