Marissa Vicario

Recent Blog Posts

David’s Homemade Chicken Soup

The morning rain has stopped and it's a slightly cooler summer day in NYC today, perfect for this this recipe. If you've been following this blog for awhile, you know I eat a mostly plant-based diet and I've never featured anything but plant-based recipes here. But when I came home to David making chicken soup earlier this week, I couldn't resist sharing his recipe. We've been dedicated to … [Read more...]

Tri Training Week 5: Fake It ‘Til You Make It

I'm in western NY for a family reunion this weekend and nothing could have prepared me for the cold, rainy weather that greeted us. To say this part of the state isn't blessed with beautiful weather would be an understatement. Yet I seemed to have forgotten and didn't bring proper running gear to keep me warm and dry resulting in an extreme lack of motivation for Saturday and Sunday's … [Read more...]

Be In Control of Your Birth Control

Last week marked the beginning of a process that will give millions of US women access to contraception without a co-pay. The media has essentially tagged the Patient Protection and Affordability Act as "free birth control." This is momentous for women and it has certainly been a long time coming. As a single woman in my early 20's, birth control became a part of my life at the suggestion of my … [Read more...]

Tri Training Weeks 3 & 4: Mind Over Matter

I'm at the halfway point and the mantra I've been tied to for the past two weeks has been "mind over matter." I've encountered more hot, humid training days than pleasant ones and when my first instinct is to skip a workout or cut one short, I remind myself that most things worth working for require more mental strength than physical. The days when I've wanted to throw in the towel, I've truly … [Read more...]

Make It Happen {why I left my corporate job}

Allow me to date myself and say that I've been out of college and working in the real world for 10 years. In all that time, yesterday was by far one of the most gratifying days of work I've ever had.  I spent the day on my feet for eight hours in heels, chopping fruit and vegetables under a bright spotlight. And I would do it all over again today. I know this doesn't sound like the perfect … [Read more...]

Three Simple No-Cook Summer Recipes

Summer is certainly not for staying inside slaving away over a hot stove. This summer I've managed to "cook" more than usual but I haven't sacrificed a moment of time spent outdoors. My secret is in simple recipes that require little to no time on the stove or in the oven. These are a few of my favorites you'll find on the Total Reset Plan, 4 weeks of done-for-you recipes so you don't have to … [Read more...]

Tri Training Week 2: No Pain, No Gain

Yes, I know it's cliche but "No pain, no gain" was my mantra this week. More about that in a second. Week 2 Training Plan: Monday – Strength Tuesday – 30 minute Bike + 15 minute Run Wednesday – 15 minute Swim + 30 minute Run Thursday – 30 minute Run + Strength Friday – Rest Saturday – 35 minute Run Sunday – 30 minute Swim + 30 minute Bike It's clear from the workouts that they aren't long but … [Read more...]

Extraordinary People: Gene Gurkoff, Founder, Charity Miles

My friends are incredible people and one day it dawned on me that many of them are doing extraordinary things that I want to tell the world about! I'm excited to kick off the Extraordinary People series with one of my nearest and dearest friends, Gene Gurkoff. Gene and I go way back to when we first met as freshmen in the dorm at Northwestern University.  He claims I had a huge crush on him … [Read more...]

5 Ways Cooking is Like Shoe Shopping

I once tweeted that the only shoes a girl needs are a pair of black Christian Louboutains and a pair of nude ones. I may have been exaggerating, because I love shoes so much that I'd most definitely need more than 2 pairs! But as much as I love wearing the perfect pair of shoes, I've actually fallen in love with the process of buying them too. If there's a means to an end, you might as well … [Read more...]