Culture

Hotel Hopping: Back To School and Staycation September Specials at The Diplomat Beach Resort

Culture, Editor's Journal, Lifestyle

Image courtesy of Diplomat Resort

By: Aurora Dominguez

 

Summer is almost over, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. In fact, you deserve to enjoy what’s left of it.

 

Image courtesy of Aurora Dominguez

Recently, this teacher and journalist had a chance to experience The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. And, I must admit, it was one of the highlights of my summer.

 

Image courtesy of the Diplomat Resort

From fresh-prepared cocktails at the Hotel Bar, to perfectly prepared sushi rolls at Monkital, breakfast at Point Royal and even a poolside day by a cabana and signature facial at the resort’s Spa, all of these experiences can be your right in time for back-to-school or even for a quick weekend Staycation.

 

Image courtesy of Diplomat Resort

Conveniently located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood Florida is a safe haven of relaxation. Once inside, you’ll be enveloped by a soothing environment, exceptional service and huge rooms full of enough space for you to chill and enjoy the sounds and views of the ocean from your very own balcony. I actually did some back-to-school prep from the balcony and sent some e-mails while enjoying the gorgeous view, so if you are a couple looking for a unique getaway or a teacher needing that last hurrah before summer ends, this hotel has it all.

 

In September 2019, the “Style Saves Back to School Splash Sale” & “Weekend Staycations” include $149 a night stays at the resort. Yes, you read that right. What are you waiting for? It’s time to treat yourself. You can thank us over here at Worthy Magazine later for encouraging you to relax, rest and rejuvenate in one of the best resorts that South Florida has to offer where you can dine, lay-back and play!

 

 

The Diplomat Beach Resort is located at 3555 Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL. For more information, visit www.diplomatresort.com. 

 

Big taste in half the space: Tips to garden great in small areas

Culture, Editor's Journal, Featured

When it comes to cooking and eating the freshest vegetables and herbs, we recommend growing your own. Make the most of your harvest this year by selecting plants that will thrive in your space. Container gardening is a great option, perfect for those who want to plant on patio or deck spaces. You can use containers to grow favorite herbs and vegetables, so you can harvest fresh flavors right outside your door.

Whether you have a condo patio, a high-rise rooftop, a quaint sunny corner of your yard or even a window box, the experts at Burpee Plants know anyone can be a successful gardener no matter their level of experience or space available. Here are top suggestions for plants perfect for small spaces that bring the performance and flavor:

Confetti Pepper: Petite peppers pack a lot of punch in a little 2-ounce size that can be eaten fresh at any stage, from green to ruby red. The eye-catching leaves are beautiful, too. Kids especially enjoy watching the fruit change colors over time and snacking on the bountiful harvest.

Atlas Tomato: If you want a big slicing tomato for sandwiches or a stacked caprese salad, the Atlas Tomato is for you. This container-friendly beefsteak tomato is disease resistant, which means healthy plants all season, and features impressive, extra-large tomatoes that are as fun to grow as they are to eat.

Jungle Parrot Pepper: Named for its adorable, beak-like shape, this pepper is perfect for patio containers. It ripens to a beautiful, rich red that adds a pop of color to your space. Enjoy this sweet and delicious pepper fresh from the vine, displayed as a table centerpiece, sliced for a sauté or as stuffed appetizers.

Merry Mint Fresh Flavors Herbs: Add healthy flavor to all types of cooking by planting your own herbs. Merry Mint and other favorite flavors can be snipped as needed for salads, marinades, garnishing and more. From parsley and basil to sage and thyme, herbs are easy to care for — both indoors and outdoors — and easily expand your recipe possibilities.

Discover more garden inspiration, DIY projects and new recipes, like this Fauxjito, by visiting burpeehomegardens.com:

The Fauxjito

Ingredients: Merry Mint from your herb garden, Still water, Sparkling water, Glass carafe

Directions: Chop and muddle a few sprigs of Merry Mint and add to the carafe. Next, fill carafe full with one-third still water and then two-thirds sparkling water. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Simple ways to curb carbs when eating on the go

Culture, Featured

Whether you are trying to reduce carbs or eat more protein, eating well on the go can be a challenge.

Quality carbohydrates like whole-grain breads, milk, yogurt, fruits and legumes are an important part of a balanced diet, especially for children and teens. For adults, reducing the amount of empty carbs you eat can be a great way to meet your personal wellness goals. It’s important to replace those carbs with lean meats, healthy fats and nutrient-dense vegetables.

Here are a few simple suggestions to eat on the go while still following your current diet.

Keto-style

A ketogenic diet, also known as keto, is a popular diet that balances protein, fat and carbs roughly in the following breakdown:

* 10 percent or less of their calories from carbs

* 70 to 80 percent of their calories from fat

* 10 to 20 percent of their calories from protein

One good way to follow a ketogenic diet is with a salad starting with a lean meat such as rotisserie-style chicken, turkey breast, steak or roast beef. Add in some veggies like lettuce, spinach and onions. Then top it all off with a dressing that has less than 2 grams of carbs like ranch, savory Caesar, oil and vinegar or Chipotle Southwest.

Carb-conscious

If keto sounds too ambitious for you, there are other simple ways to reduce carbs in your diet, like asking for a lettuce wrap instead of a sandwich. You can make any Subway sandwich into a nutritious salad with five servings of veggies.

Visit subway.com and use the nutrition chart to see how your favorite salad stacks up, or try these favorites:

* “Spicy” Steak Salad: Order a steak salad with your favorite veggies plus jalapenos, shredded Monterey Cheddar and Chipotle Southwest sauce. This has 380 calories, 17 grams of carbs and 21 grams of protein.

* “Cobb-style” Oven Roasted Chicken Salad: Try a salad with oven roasted chicken, guacamole, your favorite veggies and top it off with ranch dressing. This has 420 calories, 20 grams of carbs and 21 grams of protein. You could also add a strip of bacon for an additional 35 calories.

If you’re in the mood for a sub but would like to cut down on carbs, you can always ask to have your bread scooped out.

Quality carbs

Trying to improve the overall nutrition quality in your diet, but don’t want to cut carbs? Try these easy swaps:

* Swap white bread for wheat. Select whole grain-certified 9-Grain Wheat

* Swap sweet sauce for savory. Try mustard, oil and vinegar or mayo

* Swap sweet drinks for water. Choose bottled water or unsweetened fountain drinks

Working While Feeling Broken

Culture, Editor's Journal, Featured

I have decided to keep a simple promise to myself. To sit down at my computer and reclaim my love for writing. My love for it started out of such a simple belief that I liked it and that I had something to say. That was all it took to pledge my allegiance to a craft that has since become a fixture in my constant battle with “imposter syndrome.”
The more I liked it, the more I wanted to be great at it. The louder you declare yourself a writer, I quickly learned, the more people will come out of nowhere to critique it. I think the most annoying thing I have observed strictly speaking from my own experience is the readiness people have to accept that someone is a writer when they are not a person of color. 
But when a person of color says that they do anything in a professional capacity there is an instant request for their credentials and a readiness to critique their work. That has mainly been my experience. I am not speaking for the entire community. I am speaking of my experiences and my observations. I have been reciting my resume since high school. 
I have been critiqued since high school. And I learned pretty early on that it is an insanely subjective trade. My means of survival through college was to write to the interests of whoever was critiquing my work. It worked for a little while. But eventually my desire to grow as a writer became difficult to ignore. I mean I am going into debt here. I might as well try to experiment and learn while there is no obligation to taking care of a family or (student loans). I wanted to do more than parrot revisions of established opinions that were being taught to me. I did want to be able to tell the stories of others.
But I wanted to expand my voice as well. I can honestly say that my skin was not thick enough for the critiques that I knew would follow committing to such a venture. Nevertheless, I tried it anyway. I graduated by the skin of my teeth. Ego bruised, confidence non-existent and in the kind debt that inspires panic attacks that feel eerily similar to my asthma attacks. My final lab professor (reporting class) looked at me one evening during her office hours and said words that I am just accepting now (to quote the Queen of the North, “I’m a slow learner. But I learn”).

“Ju’lia, it feels like you are defeated. It even shows in your body language. You shrink up when we discuss your writing.”

In that moment, I became cripplingly loyal to being defeated. I would eventually believe that I was broken. 

You hear so many stories about people who lost so much of their lives building up a dream that never happened. That at some point they had to walk away and painfully start over. Most of the times it enables them to accept the very things that they use to passionately reject. I spent years wondering if that was my intended journey. Why couldn’t I go with a practical major? Why didn’t I have the mind for engineering or science? 
If you actually read all of this, I respect you. And I am guessing you are wondering how I worked with this energy while creating Worthy Magazine. My answer is cheesy. I hate typing sentences like this. I always question the authenticity of these words whenever I see them or read them. But my discomfort and distrust of these next few statements can’t make them less true. These are cheesy facts.
Every issue of Worthy was just as much for me as it was for my desired readers. I needed those messages. I needed to write some of those words. But I still found myself trying to create content that I thought people would read. I was still trying to tell the stories of others while not even believing in my ability to do so. It took me years to realize that I stopped writing for me even in the most intimate sense.
What I liked about writing all those years ago was the freedom to get out what I needed to say. I lost it in the pursuit of being a “gatekeeper of history,” which is a popular journalist mantra. And then I let the critiques on my ability to do that corrupt and convert my passion into fear. I became voiceless, by CHOICE. I think it is important to say that it was a choice because I still had critiques that spoke favorably of my ability to write. I realize now that there were honestly just as many positive critiques as negative critiques. But I have no problem admitting that my mind has always had a unique ability to absorb the negative much easier than anything positive. 
I hate that my intro to starting something new has to be buried so close to the end of a growing text but to sum everything up that I am trying to say, I am now creating as a release and a way to reclaim my voice. I can’t say that I will be doing this with confidence. I am still insecure. I still see myself as broken. I can still quote verbatim some college critiques that surpassed reviewing my work at the time and tried to predict my professional future. So I can’t say that everything will be flawlessly executed. I do hope I get to see that day though. What I am certain of is that there is a place for my voice. And if the things I create never mean anything to anyone else, they will mean something to me much like this piece that I am writing and sharing. 

I am currently working while feeling broken and while my anxiety originally flourished in such a space, and after years of being afraid to move and too sick to create, I have realized what most people who break and don’t die realize, which is that my obstacles forced me to adjust just to endure them, which forced me to evolve. 

I have never been more effective in knowing how to take care of myself and understanding the NEED to do so. I have never been more calm when telling someone, ‘No’. I have NEVER been more at peace with not taking a call. I have never been more kind to myself. So while some people would think it is a terrible thing to admit to, I would say the fear of speaking about it betrays a lack of understanding of what it means to be broken and how it can inspire change if you let it. I would accept that claiming brokenness while not trying to change could be bad thing. But transparency and vulnerability have taken on a powerful meaning to me. 
And I can assure you that this isn’t a selfish “creative” declaration about creating for myself exclusively. I know that I will still have to write pieces that are not strictly just for my own interests. This is a declaration about returning to a practice that I abandoned years ago. This is about working on my confidence. And getting back to loving something that means so much to me. And while my skin is getting a little itchy ( I scratch when I am nervous) as I write this long promise to myself, I have a small glimmer of hope about the success of this commitment. I have found that the things I did with a casual attitude and a sincere interest have always ended up getting more interaction from people who I wouldn’t even guess were paying attention.

So if you were looking for an unexpected but direct sign that your interests matter and that your efforts are seen, you can take this as your confirmation. We never know who is listening, watching or reading. You never know who references you as motivation. Keep going predominantly for your own sake. 

But get acquainted with the fact that there is real intention behind your existence and your creative contribution to the space that you occupy. 
– Ju’lia Samuels

Three ideas to freshen up your favorite summer treats

Culture, Featured

Summertime brings lots of picnics, barbecues and pool parties, along with tasty treats everyone loves to share. Want to make yummy desserts your friends will rave about, but with your own unique twist?

Add exotic new fruit.

Whether you’re making a fruit salad, a pie or another tasty fruit-forward delight, consider making a colorful statement with exotic fruits. Why settle for the usual grapes, oranges or bananas? There’s a world of amazing fruit out there!

Adventurous fruits to try: the bright pink dragon fruit, juicy passion fruit, orange and spiky horned melon, yellow Buddha’s hand or large green jackfruit. You can find these types of fruits more easily than you might think, but if they’re not at your usual grocery store, check your local specialty grocery stores and farmers markets or order them online.

Simple ingredient swaps can be your best-kept secret.

Consider creating a better-for-you version of your summer favorites with a few ingredient swaps. These tried-and-true simple substitutions will boost nutrition and even enhance the flavors of your favorite recipes.

For sugar (or artificial sweetener) use natural options like honey, agave, maple syrup or applesauce instead. You can substitute unsweetened (about 100 calories) applesauce for sugar (about 770 calories) in a 1:1 ratio, but for every cup of applesauce you use, reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup.

Boost nutrition and texture of home-baked bread or muffins by swapping out some flour with oat bran. Rich in fiber and protein, oat bran will help keep you full, and the fiber can also help lower cholesterol; your guests will have no idea, because oat bran holds moisture well so your baked goods won’t be dry.

Top it to the next level.

Elevate your dessert with a dollop of deliciousness. To make your creation even better, use a topping that’s so good, everyone will think it’s homemade. To upgrade a classic dessert, try a whipped topping like truwhip original, truwhip skinny or truwhip vegan. Use it to top your fresh fruit salad, dip your favorite cookies or swap it for old-fashioned whipped cream.

For a fresh summer recipe using truwhip, try this Blueberry Ginger Vegan Cheesecake.

Blueberry Ginger Vegan Cheesecake (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 cup coconut butter (NOT coconut oil)
3 ounces (approximately 1 cup) fresh blueberries

Filling:
2 cups cashews, soaked in water for a few hours
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
3 ounces (approximately 1 cup) blueberries
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 container truwhip vegan
Blueberries for garnish

Directions:

1. Spray cake pan with cooking spray. Completely line the bottom and sides with plastic wrap, letting excess plastic wrap hang over the sides of the pan. Spray a little more cooking spray on bottom and sides and line with parchment paper.

2. Make crust. In a food processor, process coconut butter and blueberries until they form a paste. The mixture doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth; a little texture is good.

3. Press crust into bottom of cake pan and up sides. Make sure to create a smooth and even bottom. Set in freezer while you make the filling.

4. Using a blender, add filling ingredients. Puree mixture for a few minutes to be as smooth as possible.

5. Pour filling into the cake pan on top of crust. Set cheesecake in freezer for three hours, or until completely hard.

6. Once the cheesecake is frozen, pull it out using the plastic wrap overhang. The cheesecake should come out easily.

7. Place on cake plate or stand. Top with vegan truwhip and blueberries. Enjoy!

To find truwhip products in a store near you, use the store locator at truwhip.com.

Nutrition trends and fads explained

Culture, Editor's Journal, Featured

Dr. Nicole Avena, assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and visiting professor of health psychology at Princeton University, explains six popular nutrition trends including sustainable snacks, new plant-based milks, prebiotics and probiotics and the latest on gummy supplements vs. traditional vitamins:

1. Matcha vs. coffee? A premium green tea powder from Japan, matcha is used for drinking as tea or as an ingredient in recipes. While coffee and matcha have about the same amount of caffeine, matcha packs lots of great antioxidants. Check the label to make sure it has been tested for heavy metals, as some matcha can contain lead from the soil where it was grown.

2. Shelf-stable probiotics vs. refrigerated? Only two strains of probiotics are shelf-stable, whereas different and diverse strains can be present in refrigerated probiotics. But, shelf-stable probiotics have the advantage that they can be used in other food products, like granolas, butter, soups, etc. Just don’t mess with the packaging or open blister packs until you want to use them, as they are packed for preservation. Dead probiotics won’t harm you, but they don’t have any health benefits either. Remember there are different probiotic strains for different issues: i.e., you don’t want to take a digestive or immunity probiotic for vaginal health issues. Instead, try Pro-B as it contains two strains of lactobacilli, which are optimal to promote vaginal health.

3. Algae oil, fish or olive oil? Algae oil is vegetarian and a source of omega-3s and DHA (good fats to support brain health). Algae oil is safe to use in pregnancy (when eating too much fish can be harmful because of mercury) and is heart healthy (studies show it lowers cholesterol and triglycerides). It also has more monounsaturated fat than olive oil.

4. Cow’s milk vs. almond milk? Despite its popularity, almond milk often has less than 2 percent actual almonds in it, has a lot of added sugar, and is not necessarily better for the environment because it takes five liters of water to grow one almond.

5. Make sure to start taking a prenatal dietary supplement like OB Complete that contains 1,000 mg of Folate, 40-50 mg of iron and 1,000-1,200 IU’s vitamin D when you’re trying to conceive right through breastfeeding.

6. Gummy vitamins are just as effective as pills and chewables. The best way to get needed nutrients is through food, but, people don’t always have eating habits that provide them with all the nutrition they need. Others have deficiencies that diet alone can’t resolve. Supplements can fill the gap, but people are more likely to take their supplements regularly if they taste good and they’re convenient. Gummies can be a good option, and clinical tests show that their absorption is equivalent to traditional vitamin pills. vitafusion offers more than 30 types of gummy vitamins, with no artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, gluten or dairy.

Nicole Avena, Ph.D., is a research neuroscientist and pioneer in the field of food and nutrition. She is also the author of What to Eat When You’re Pregnant.

Karl Largefeld’s Final Project

Culture, Design, Editor's Journal, Editorial, Fashion, Featured

In yet another convincing argument for the greatness of YouTube, a beautiful ‘Behind the Scenes’ video created by Jason Momoa (On the Roam) dropped an interesting detail about the signature pink Fendi suit boldly paired with Lisa Bonet’s pink and purple dress for the Oscars. The two looks for the award ceremony and the Vanity Fair after party might have been the last looks personally handled by the creative genius, Karl Largerfeld. While Jason’s Fendi scrunchie was the scene stealer of the moment, this detail creates a new level of appreciation for the customization and attention to detail in both of our celeb crushs’ looks. You have to take a look at the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyxpghMXfaY&feature=share

Worthy Approved Art Basel Event: The Muse Experience

Culture, Editorial, Fashion, Lifestyle, Miami Life

On December 8, 2018 1PM-6PM,  The Muse Experience will convert SeaFair Mega Yacht into a floating art installation designed to celebrate the supreme power of female creativity. The art installation will be showcasing a collection of artwork from both influential and emerging female artists. The featured artists, or the “muses,” will consist of internationally acclaimed artists such as Sarah Bahbah, Stepanie Bascone, Ashley Martelle, Kaylin Garcia, Tanaya Henry, Sukesha Ray, and Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmit.

muse 2 event

While ‘The Muses Experience’ may be open to those who RSVP during the day, a private invitation-only gallery cruise will take place during the evening. The cruise will culminate in the commencement of the first annual “Doyenne Award.” In French, a doyenne is a woman who is the most respected or prominent in a particular field.

 

For more information:  TheMusesExperience.com

RSVP :https://themusesexperience.splashthat.com

Free Art Basel Events You Should Know About

Culture, Featured, News

FREE! At Brickell City Centre (Open to the Public)

December 6-9, 2018

Miami’s massive shopping and dining district, Brickell City Centre, is back for its second alternative, large-scale art fair, open to the public and once again completely free, where none of the art is for sale. Following the blowout success of last year’s FAIR., this year’s theme is entitled FREE! and will showcase artwork that addresses now, more than ever, is the time for healing – of the environment, of our nation, of our communities. Curated and produced by Anthony Spinello in partner with Swire Properties Inc, FREE! will activate and disrupt the public spaces within Brickell City Centre, acting as a non-commercial art fair where radical artists will create site-specific works in a non-traditional venue. Sponsored by Swire Properties, FREE! consists of three sectors: Free Public! Free Play! Free View! FREE! runs concurrently with Art Basel Miami Beach from December 6-9, 2018.

BAKEHOUSE ART COMPLEX OPENS “COLLECTIVITY” CURATED BY 17-YEAR-OLD QUINN HARRELSON (PUBLIC)

561 NW 32nd Street, Miami, FL

November 3 – March 2019

Bakehouse Art Complex launches its latest exhibition, COLLECTIVITY, curated by Quinn Harrelson, the art world’s emerging it boy in training. Free to the public and opening on November 3rd, “COLLECTIVITY” features site-specific works by Bakehouse’s resident artists. This “made in Miami” must-see exhibit focuses on the power of the individual and the collective and each installation interprets the theme in a different way. Works by Bakehouse Art Complex resident artists: Domingo Castillo, Robert Chambers, Cara Dodge, A.G., Christina Pettersson, Midnight Thrift, Michelle Lisa Polissaint, Midnight Thrift, Sterling Rook and Nicole Salcedo, and Troy Simmons. Bakehouse Art Complex is a representation of what is making Miami a hard city to beat for its arts and pop culture. It’s a one-stop shop with galleries, exhibition space and full of local artists working in their on-site studios.

ASSEMBLAGE: AN ORGANICALLY GROWN EXHIBITION (PUBLIC)

Just a quick ride from Miami on the new Brightline train, Downtown West Palm Beach’s burgeoning experiential retail and arts district is home to Culture Lab, a former Macy’s store turned public arts space that’s debuting the completion of a new transformational exhibit, ASSEMBLAGE: An Organically Grown Exhibition, on Dec 1. The exhibit has expanded each month with the addition of artists like Olek, Ivan Navarro, and Bruce High Quality Foundation whose works play off of each other to provoke social commentary on the function of public spaces. Visitors can also enjoy massive outdoor installations by international artists such as Steed Taylor, Michael Craig Martin, Franki Cihi and RETNA while shopping or dining at CityPlace’s various locales.

Zuma Miami will be offering a specialty Art Basel

Culture, Featured, Miami Life

Zuma Miami will be offering a specialty Art Basel menu starting at $395 per person. Zuma will also offer a suggested beverage pairing menu at an additional cost.

Pork Belly Japanese Zuma_Butternut Squash 2 Zuma_Lobster_Yaki_0002 (1) Zuma_Sashimi-2 Zuma_Steak

Zuma’s 5-course “Art Basel Truffle Omakase” will include modern Japanese signature items as well as authentic plates featuring suzuki no sashimi, seared wagyu tataki with white truffle ponzu, crispy pork belly with mustard miso, scallop tartar with wasabi ponzu, grilled Chilean seabass with green chili and ginger dressing, barley miso baby chicken with white truffle, rice hot pot with wild mushrooms, roasted lobster with shiso ponzu butter, US prime steak and ribeye and Zuma’s famous deluxe dessert platter.