A Sinfully Sweet Sugar Cereal Recipe

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 Boy, do I have a treat for you today!

Fruity Pebble Feature

I mentioned on Monday that my friend Molly and I cooked up some delicious Fruity Pebble Pancakes while she was in town, and today, as promised, I have the pancake AND glaze recipe for you.

Prepare to be indulged.

But first, let’s stir up a little controversy on the beautiful Friday morning with this question: Why is sugar cereal food enemy #1 for most mothers of young children.

I present to you public enemy #1.

I present to you public enemy #1.

Moms, please help me understand. You see, when I compare the number of sugar grams per serving of cereals like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles (two of my favorites) to, say, everyone’s preferred brand of greek yogurt, guess what food has more per serving…You guessed it: greek yogurt! 5 more grams in fact.

Granted, greek yogurt packs a mean protein punch alongside the extra sugar, but still. Why is there such a movement against feeding children sugar cereal?

I won’t argue that there are more nutritious items to serve your child for breakfast every day, but still, do these cereals really need to be avoided like the plague?

Perhaps I’m so “emotionally charged” on this particular issue is because of my personal experience with it…

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A Crazy NYC Track Workout and Dark Chocolate Date Scones

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To celebrate our favorite day of the week, today I have both a workout AND a recipe for you. The workouts = healthy. The recipe = sinful. This combo = Sometimes Healthy!

Wednesday night I headed to NYC for a couple of meetings and to enjoy some quality girl time with my best friend, Michelle. We watched What to Expect and ate ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce AND Cupcake Goldfish. Both she and her husband were shocked at how delicious the Cupcake Goldfish tasted. Yep, this Sometimes Healthy Girl is changing lives, one Goldfish at a time.

Anyway, I planned to try out a track circuit workout at my favorite NYC running spot on Thursday morning, but the weather did not cooperate. Around 9:00, it started raining pretty heavily, and it wasn’t showing any signs of letting up.

So, I did what any hardcore/crazy running girl would do: I threw my iPhone in a plastic bag, laced up my sneakers and headed out for a very wet run. Between there and back to the track, I probably covered about 10 miles, 50% of which was completed in the pouring rain.

Rain will not stop me. I am like an airplane: only blizzards and lightening will slow me down!

Rain will not stop me. I am like an airplane: only blizzards and lightening will slow me down!

And.it.felt.amazing. There is something incredibly liberating about running your heart out as rain pours down on you. In fact, I think I do my best thinking during rainy runs. Thankfully, the weather cleared up just in time for me to start my circuit workout.

It's all good baby!

So, I washed up, took a quick “selfie” and banged out my new favorite track workout…

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Wacky Food Combos + Wacky Workout Combos

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In honor of Friday, I want to do a bit of a “throwback” to what made my blog popular back in the beginning (circa 2011).

If you read my blog the first time around, you may see a bit of a difference. Now that I’m living the “real world life” with a nice little kitchen and house, I’m cooking “real meals.” Those meals usually contain a lot of fresh ingredients and a lot less processed foods than before.

Back in NYC, sometimes it was just easier to go the processed, pre-packaged route. When you’re getting home at 10:00 at night from work, the last thing you want to do is make a nice little homemade meal. You want something quick, tasty and easy. That’s where the concept of Wacky Food Combos came from. Throw a couple of unlikely foods together and BAM, you’ve got yourself a meal or snack.

Wacky Food Combos

As horrible as the photography was, and as weird as the combinations were, my first Wacky Food Combos post was a hit. I was surprised at how many bloggers related to the post, but now I understand. As healthy living bloggers, we’re constantly testing the boundaries of food, experimenting to see what healthy combinations we can throw together and still make good food.

So, today, I’m going to feature some of my favorite Wacky Food Combos, and I hope that in turn, you’ll share yours with me. Let’s start a “culinary revolution!” (others might call it something else…but let’s go with it). As a bonus, I’ve also got a crazy Kickboxing + Strength 15 Minute Combo workout to share with you. Step 1: Try one of these Wacky Food Combos. Step 2: Burn it off with this wacky workout!

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Posted in: Recipes, Wacky Food Combos \ Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Kitchen Adventures: Popsicles Made with Love

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Recently, my BF has jumped on the health train and requested that I not bake quite as many desserts to help him stick to a healthy eating plan.

No, I’m not such an amazing baker that it’s impossible to turn down my sweet treats. He’s just not that picky.

The other night post-dinner, we decided to head out for a walk over the bridge to take advantage of the beautiful weather and take in one of my favorite views in the Hudson Valley.

The view never gets old...

The view never gets old…

Post-walk, the BF was craving some sweets. He was so desperate that he asked me to see if the local fro-yo joint was still open. It was closed, so we headed to the popsicle aisle of the grocery store, thinking a little popsicle would be much more healthy than a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

Then, the BF did what he always does when he buys something new. He carefully read the ingredients and sugar content, intensely concentrating while he compared each label (He is the epitome of an educated shopper, folks. It also takes him FOREVER to shop.) Ultimately, he left the store empty-handed after deciding that everything had too much sugar!

So, that’s when I decided to make my BF some low-sugar homemade popsicles. But, of course, I just couldn’t resist a little experimentation…

I will not let my BF go hungry! Sometimes Healthy Girl to the rescue!

I will not let my BF go hungry!

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A Simple Sometimes Healthy Summer Recipe

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I’m not feeling particularly inspired this Friday, but I do have a nice and easy, light recipe for you that’s perfect for a hot summer night. I also owe you a winner of my Sometimes Healthy Care Package Giveaway, so let’s just dive right in!

I think I’m trying to hold on for summer as long as I can, because yesterday, I was really craving a recipe that showcased some of my favorite summer veggies and flavors.

I started by setting the oven to 450 degrees and cutting up some squash from the local market. To me, nothing screams summer like some fresh summer squash.

Summer's best treat!

Summer’s best treat!

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Kitchen Adventures: Healthified Bacon French Toast Cupcakes

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Confession.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been on a Cupcake Wars BINGE. I have a new routine. Every night, I watch two to three episodes of this show. Usually, I eat a bowl of ice cream or nibble on some S’mores Goldfish as I sit in front of the tv, transfixed on all of the crazy cupcake creations. (I have a subscription to Amazon Prime, which allows me to watch all of the old seasons at no cost). It just boggles my mind how these people are able to make a great-tasting cupcake out of weird flavors, like cheddar cheese and green beans.

cupcake-wars2

As old Sometimes Healthy readers may know, cupcakes hold a very special place in my heart.

I heart cupcakes and frosting!

I heart cupcakes and frosting!

When I lived in NYC, I would bake a different cupcake every week and bring them to my lucky coworkers, who served as my taste testers.

I was the most popular girl in the office on Cupcake Mondays!

I was the most popular girl in the office on Cupcake Mondays!

Here in the Hudson Valley, both the BF and all of our friends are cookie eaters. So, recently, I’ve been baking up some tasty cookie recipes. They’re also not big fans of healthified treats, so I’ve been baking with all of that full fat goodness.

However, after watching Cupcake Wars one too many times, I could no longer sit on that couch in cupcake envy. Nope, I needed to make my own cupcake concoction. And, just for kicks, I’d try to healthify it….

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WIAW: Everything Avocado and Wacky Ideas

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Yesterday, as I was about to make breakfast, I had a thought, “What if I try to feature the avocado in all of my meals and snacks today?”

I think I’ve been watching way too much Food Network Star, Chopped and Cupcake Wars, but I decided to run with my avocado inspiration anyway. So, this edition of What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW) will star a delicious food that most of us know and love: the avocado.

The possibilities are endless, my little green friend!

The possibilities are endless, my little green friend!

As we all know, avocados are extremely nutritious. But, whenever I think of avocados, I can’t help but think of the show, Weeds. I haven’t watched it in years, but one of the most memorable lines for me came from the character U-Turn, who was supposed to be a scary drug dealer. Though he was clearly a formidable force, the first time one of the characters met him, he rattled off a bunch of frightening threats and then stated, “You want a piece of avocado. Got that goood fat.”

Get you some of that good fat!

Get you some of that good fat!

For some reason, it cracked me up! Now, whenever I eat an avocado, I think to myself, “Mmmm, gotta get some of that goood fat.” Here’s a link to the clip, in case you’re interested (if you don’t like curse words…don’t watch this clip)

So, let’s dive right into the meals that feature some of that “goood fat.”

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Posted in: Quick Dinners, Recipes, Snacks, WIAW \ Tagged: , , ,

WIAW: Snap, Crackle, Pop!

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I’m proud to report that I’m feeling much better and can finally eat more than soups and ice cream! Just in time for “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW).

This festive edition of WIAW features not only my meals, but also a workout for your holiday weekend and a tasty cookie recipe that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.

I have a lot to cover, so let’s dive right into breakfast!

Favorite Childhood Breakfast?

When I was younger, french toast was one of my favorite breakfasts. It always felt so luxurious! We never ate it at home, so I always ordered it when we went out to breakfast. I therefore assumed that it was very difficult to make it home.

Now, that I’m older, I realize that french toast is actually very easy to whip up, so easy that I can make it in a flash on a weekday! I dipped some wheat bread in a simple  mixture of 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup egg substitute and some cinnamon and vanilla . Then, I fried it up, and smeared it with a heaping tablespoon of butter and apple butter.

Sometime Healthy Chef Special...comin' right up!

Sometime Healthy Chef Special…comin’ right up!

Fancy breakfast in five minutes! I’m special.

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Posted in: cookies, Recipes, WIAW, workouts \ Tagged: , , , , , ,

Smoothies, Soups and Finding Myself in Felicity

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It’s Friday, and it’s usually time for another kitchen adventure. I was very excited for this week’s adventure: homemade pie. Just in time for the 4th of July! I’ve never made a pie crust for scratch, and I’ve heard it’s quite difficult. However, I’m in a never-ending quest to become semi-Martha Stewart, so I wanted to give it a whirl.

However, instead of baking a pie on Thursday, I found myself practically glued to the couch with a sinus infection. I barely had enough energy to take the dog for a short walk, let alone make a pie. So, instead, I felt sorry for myself and waited for the pity party and violins to show up. Woe is me.

It never happened…and Cole glared at my all day, as if to say, “If you’re going to just sit there, don’t be useless. Play with me!”

Slide1For the past two days, I’ve done nothing but watch useless reality television, search for meaning in nostalgic 90’s tv shows and experiment with smoothies and soup. We’ll get to Felicity at the end, but first, let’s talk smoothies and soup.

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WIAW: When the Cat’s Away…

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It’s that time of the week again! The time where I try (but usually fail) to make my meals look pretty and appetizing for WIAW.

The BF is away on business at the moment (but luckily I have lots of friends coming to keep me company in this big house!), so I decided that this week I would cook and bake all of the foods that the BF doesn’t eat. I also wanted to keep it pretty healthy after all of the fried food and candy we ate in Nashville.

Unfortunately, I’m a bit under the weather today, so this post may be uncharacteristically short (you’re welcome).

Let’s start with breakfast, where I brought back an old favorite…

Guess what these are??

Guess what these are??

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