In my hotel room there’s a little kitchenette with a toaster, a fridge, a coffee machine but not a stove. That means no cooking for me this vacation, which isn’t the end of the world; I get to go out and sample all the food here in Cabarete And I can tell you that I did a really good job; I’ve been to many places hunting down the best food. I wish I would get paid to eat LOL.

When I’m vacationing enjoying some unhealthy yummy food like pizza, pasta, French fries and ice cream is very much part of it. All in moderation of course, I don’t want to feel sluggish an bloated when I go home, I want to feel like a million bucks! Eating healthy and exercising is key to achieve that.

It’s always a bit more challenging to find healthy food; most menus only have a few healthy options but I managed to find some very tasty dishes. In the picframe you can see some of them: sitr-fry, soy chicken with veggies and rice, Chicken salad with blue cheese, apple and walnuts, and the most delicious grilled garlic lobster. Yes I’ve been spoiling myself  I also make sure to eat lots of fruits, veggies and I drink lots of water. ( ocean water included haha)

Kiteboarding is a great workout, it feels like I’m using every muscle in my body, burning lots of calories while playing with the elements of nature!  Laurel Eastman’s kiteboarding school has very good instructors, one of them is the Dutch Maurice. We were talking about “Models Do Eat” and he happens to be a talented cook and super passionate about his food. Thai food is one of his specialties  and guess what? He was so nice to share his Tom Kha Gai soup recipe with me! I can’t wait to try this recipe when I’m back home!  Yes, of course I’ll share it with you too!

A big smile and a perfect morning breeze from Cabarete!

XO Jill

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When I was a little I always dreamed of having a pet monkey. My parents explained to me that this was impossible, so I had to settle for a hamster. Yesterday I heard about a monkey reservation where it’s possible to feed monkeys…..it took me about 1 second to sign up! This morning we drove deep into the mountains and arrived at a location that reminded me of Jurrasic park. After a quick safety briefing the guide walked me into the jungle while carrying a basket full of peanuts and fruits.  Suddenly I was surrounded by a group of curious and hungry squirrel monkeys. The guide handed me a plate filled with food and within seconds these monkeys were climbing all over me, gently taking the soft fruits, peanuts and raisins from the plate I was holding. They were sooooo sweet, sitting all over me, munching away, leaving me with an empty plate and a shirt filled with fruit stains… Monkeys DO eat Their little faces are soooo cute….I felt like a mom for a few minutes LOL

After playing with the monkeys I strapped myself into a tight harness to conquer seven insanely long and fast zip lines over the most beautiful green and lush landscapes.  And as a bonus we ended the morning with a free fall into a bat cave, which really got my adrenaline pumping!

All this adventurous stuff made me hungry so I went to Gorditos in Cabarete, a famous taco joint that is known for their delicious fish taco’s. As I arrived they were just carrying a freshly caught 50 pound Mahi Mahi into the store. 10 minutes later I was eating one of the most delicious fish taco I’ve ever had!

Now it was time to do what I came for….Kite Boarding (or surfing). The wind picks up around 1PM and it was a gorgeous day! I took an instructor with me as I’d never been kiting in waves like this before. Boy, it was like learning how to kiteboard all over. Gusty winds, rough and deep water….I must have swallowed a gallon of ocean water today

This is an ideal vacation day for me, I feel refreshed and relaxed while writing this while watching the sun set. I’m so very grateful to be here….

What does your ideal vacation day look like?

XO Jill

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It’s a serious undertaking to go to Ikea. There’s no other store I know of in which you have to walk a mile through a showroom labyrinth before you get to pull the things you want. The way Ikea makes you navigate through the store is so smart. After walking the mile long showroom I’m overwhelmed by the amount of things a human can possibly need. I need to sit down to think through all my options, what better place to do so at the conveniently located restaurant right after the showroom. Let’s satisfy the greedy feeling with some food LOL

I always have to have the meatballs with gravy and the berry sauce. I would go to Ikea just for this; probably not all that healthy but oh-so-good. One portion of meatballs and a plate of veggies, mashed potatoes and white fish fuelled me right up to make the final decisions and to pull the heavy pieces out of the storage room.

When I finally got to check out and paid for everything I got lured into a separate food section. Can you believe this?! Here I go again.. ; Buying Swedish chocolate, lemonade, cookies, crackers.. Oh boy.. Whoever thought of this strategy must be rich.

I wanted to be in and out within an hour and a half.. Three hours later with a car full of goodies I’m driving home singing along with the radio chewing on Ikea cookies. Happy to be done and already looking forward to the next time!

Have a fun-filled weekend sweet friends!

XO

Jill

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