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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WIAW: Replenishing After HOT Yoga

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Happy “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW)! We’ll get to the food in a minute, but first I want to cover off briefly on fitness. As you may recall, last Friday, I mentioned that I had written a post up that had somehow magically deleted.

The post was all about forcing myself out of my “fitness comfort zone” while in Boston and taking a class that I knew would be very challenging for me. I’m still going to publish that post (eventually), but in the meantime, I’m very proud to report that I ventured out of my fitness comfort zone yet again to take a 90 MINUTE hot yoga class with our German visitors.

Check out those sweat marks. HOTTT

Check out those sweat marks. HOTTT

And yep, your eyes are not deceiving you…the BF came to the class too! Clearly, out of town visitors have a big influence over us. I made sure not to sit right next to the BF because I knew I might break out laughing in the middle of the class as we admired each other’s graceful movements.

I’ve taken yoga about 6 times in my life (including 4 times for a story I wrote back in Chicago), and to put it bluntly: It’s just not my thing. Besides an extreme lack of flexibility, I generally have a hard time relaxing and focusing for long periods of time. That’s why running and circuit training are my workout “drugs of choice.” But at the same time, when I drag my restless body to a yoga class, I always feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the class that is very different from finishing a long run or lifting a certain amount of pounds.

This class was no different, and once we made it through those 90 minutes I stated, “It would be easier for me to run 10 miles then take this class again!” Now, that’s a quality workout. I have a few more thoughts on the actual class, which I’ll share later in this post, but let’s jump into the eats for this WIAW.

Breakfast was a Chobani Coconut Yogurt, topped with blueberries, figs and slivered almonds.

What's Cho Flavor?

What’s Cho Flavor?

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

Sand Cakes, Lobster Quesadillas and Beach Running

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Well, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to put my plan to open a Marylous Coffee in the Cape into action, so we had to come home.

Cape

Sigh.

I’l still hold onto the dream. We actually came home from the Cape on Saturday which gave us plenty of time to adjust to the “real world” after being gone for an entire week. I miss New England already, but rather than wallow in sorrow, I’m going to share some of my favorite parts of the weekend!

1. Oreo Sand Cake

Our vacation was very relaxing and kid-friendly, because most of the BF’s friends have kids. This is perfect for a Sometimes Healthy Girl like me, because kid-friendly involves eating lots of ice cream, making fun treats and playing with toys in the pool. Now, that’s my idea of a solid vacation!

Anyway, when we arrived, the BF’s good friend mentioned that she was going to make an Oreo Sand Cake, which involved layering crushed Oreos, vanilla pudding and cool whip into a pail and topping with…Swedish Fish! Having seen my blog before, she knew I’d be into this fun and easy dessert. I offered to be the sous chef and was in charge of crushing the Oreos and mixing the pudding.

Check out the amazing result, complete with a shovel:

Can I please dive in??

Can I please dive in??

Parents, you MUST make this recipe for your children. Here’s the link to the recipe. Continue Reading →

Posted in: Vacations, Weekends \ Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Livin’ the Dream: Cape Style!

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Hello from the Cape!

Running on the Cape! #happyasaclam

Running on the Cape! #happyasaclam

It’s my first time in the Cape, and I am just loving the laid back nautical style of this place. I think I have a new life plan: Move to the Cape, live in a small house on the shore and open up a MaryLous Coffee Shop.

This is my kind of place!

This is my kind of place!

Sounds like a great idea to me! I had my post for today almost complete, and somehow it deleted, so I’m embracing the relaxing nature of the Cape and headed to the beach to relax.

Back on Monday – have a happy weekend!

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WIAW: The Boston Backstreet Boys Edition

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Hello from Beantown!

Good morning Boston!

Good morning Boston!

I could not be having a better time exploring this city, and even though I’m excited to go to the Cape, I’m actually sad to be leaving tomorrow. This edition of (What I Ate Wednesday) WIAW will feature all of my great eats from Boston, blending together Monday and Tuesday. We ate a couple of meals with the BF’s coworkers. Apparently, it’s not professional to snap pictures of your food at a business meal. So, though the meals were delicious, I decided to spare my BF the embarrassment and NOT take pictures.

Lots to cover, but first, just wanted to say thank you for all of the comments on Monday’s post. It’s always intimidating to share such a personal story, but it almost felt therapeutic to get in touch with my emotions on this difficult topic.

But, back to Beantown food.

Breakfast: All You Can Eat…You bet Ya!

I love staying at hotels, and this particular visit is very fun because I’m with the BF and dog. The location of the hotel, Boston Park Plaza, couldn’t be better. It’s an old historic hotel, located in the Back Bay area of Boston, right next to Newbury Street (Boston’s Rodeo Drive) and the Boston Commons, a park that Cole and I are currently obsessed with.

My favorite part of hotels is exploring their gyms and all-you-can eat buffets. I know, I’m weird. While the buffet at Boston Park Plaza was a bit pricey, I still enjoyed being able to fill my plate to the brim and then go back for seconds…and thirds.

All you can eat? I CAN eat a lot. Can you?

All you can eat? I CAN eat a lot. Can you?

Turkey, cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, fruit, randomness, deliciousness. I was one full and happy Sometimes Healthy Girl.

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Let’s Talk About Breasts, Baby!

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Hello from Boston, and happy Monday! I’m here with the BF for a work conference all week, and then we’re headed to the Cape for the weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to a week of exploring one of my favorite cities on the east coast.I’ve already unknowingly walked across the Boston Marathon finish line. As a marathon runner myself, I still find it hard to come to terms with what happened here just a few months ago. I’ll write more on my Beantown Adventures on Wednesday.

A glimpse of some exploring...

A glimpse of some exploring…

But, first, today’s post. Nope, there was no typo in the title. Typically, my Monday posts are light-hearted, fun and capture the randomness of my weekends in my new home. But, today, I want to talk about breasts. Well, actually breast cancer to be exact. Unfortunately, it’s been a reoccuring theme in my life.

If you read my blog, you probably know that I rarely, if ever, get serious on the SHLB. And, while I do discuss highlights of my personal life, I prefer not to get too deep on any particular issue.

I keep it light with cupcakes, wine and margaritas 90% of the time. And Goldfish.

I keep it light with cupcakes, wine and margaritas 90% of the time. And Goldfish.

Ultimately, however, living a (sometimes) healthy life involves taking care of your mind, body AND physical health. It means getting those annual exams and suffering those miserable moments in the dentists’ chair twice a year. AND, it means taking control of your health whenever you have the chance.

Over the past few years, BRCA genetic testing has become increasingly common, especially among women who have “high risk factors.” Without getting too scientific, for those of you who don’t know, BRCA genetic testing involves discovering if you have a mutated form of the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2. Women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation have an increased risk of breast cancer – in fact it indicates as much as a 70 percent chance of developing breast cancer. That’s pretty big.

BRAC-infographicSource

Most recently, this important genetic test was in the news because Angelina Jolie found out she had the mutated gene and therefor opted for the most aggressive precaution, a double mastectomy. Well, I’m no Angelina, but I’m a woman who knew she would have to face the music and take this test sooner or later. So, here’s my story… (p.s. – if you stick to the end, I’ve got some delicious cookies to share with you! I can’t keep it serious for an entire post.)

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Posted in: Healthy Living, Life Changes \ Tagged: , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , ,

WIAW: Shameless Reality TV

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Oh, hello everyone. And happy Wednesday to all! It’s time for another edition of “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW), and, as a bonus, I’m serving it up with a little discussion about one of my favorite guilty pleasures: shameless reality television. I watch it. You watch it. We all watch it.

No sense in denying it. Let’s embrace it and talk about our favorite shows!

But first, let’s talk breakfast. Yesterday I threw together a delicious combination. I cut a wheat pocketless pita in half and topped it with honey, bananas and some dark chocolate chips.

Simple n' Easy

Simple n’ Easy

Sweet, savory and filling. This is the perfect breakfast for when I’m in a rush or running late.

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Finding a New Gym and a Sometimes Healthy Veggie Roast

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Most of my weekends in the summer are full of indulgence and a little bit of health (Sometimes Healthy). Between all the traveling and beer, food and wine festivals up here, the weekends are the perfect time to let loose and enjoy all that my new area has to offer.

Typical weekend spread. Cupcakes. Wine. Cheese.

Typical weekend spread. Cupcakes. Wine. Cheese.

However, this particular weekend had the perfect balance of fun and fitness. Usually time is an issue, but for some reason, this weekend we seemed to have enough to do it all! Instead of boring you with every detail, I’m going to break it down with the top 5 Sometimes Healthy Moments of the weekend.

1. Learning a “New Release” at Kickboxing

Yesterday, I finally got to find out what it meant to have a “new release” at BodyCombat. I’ve mentioned my newfound love for BodyCombat in a previous post, and luckily, it’s continued to grow every week that I take the class. I always enjoy the energy in the class, but on “new release day” it was at an even higher level!

I tried to capture it...but I'm not the best at sneaking pictures!

I tried to capture it…but I’m not the best at sneaking pictures!

I’ll be honest. In many ways, as you can probably tell, I’m a very low maintenance Sometimes Healthy Girl. Plant me in front of the TV to watch Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition with some Swedish Fish or a scoop of sprinkle-covered ice cream, and I’m a happy girl. No need to wine and dine.

But with gyms, I’ve always been different.

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Posted in: Hudson Valley, Weekends, workouts \ 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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