Donuts for Breakfast and the Power of Running

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I think I need to institute a new Sometimes Healthy ritual for my Friday mornings: Semi-homemade glazed donut holes and coffee.

Is there a better combination?

Is there a better combination?

I can’t think of a sweeter way to start my weekend than with these pretty little babies. And, I can’t think of a better combination than coffee and donuts.

But, before I share the secret behind these delectable creations, I want to start your Fridays with a bit of running motivation. I’ve talked on this blog a few times before about a charity organization called Girls on the Run.

GOTR_2C_jpeg

Back in NYC, I volunteered with the organization, helping with PR and marketing, as well as participating in the 5K race as a “running buddy.”

Posing with my little running all-star, Makoyan.

Posing with my little running all-star, Makoyan.

I wrote about my experience on this blog and how inspiring it was to watch all of theses young women (3rd – 5th grade) finish a 5K with a giant smile on their faces.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with this incredible organization, here’s what you need to know…

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Posted in: Girls on the Run, Semi-Homemade \ Tagged: , , , ,

WIAW: When Melted Chocolate is the Worst Part of your Day

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Another Wednesday, another chance to share my meals from the day.

But first, I’m happy to say that so far I am really enjoying studying for my NASM certification. While there’s so much to learn, the information is so interesting to me that sometimes it doesn’t even feel like I’m studying!

My head is about to burst with new workouts I want to try. Check out this new workout, which really illustrate my whole POV when it comes to fitness: “Fit Fitness into your life” and not the other way around. (Please ignore the mess in this picture)

Pull...then squat!

Pull…then squat!

After i got home yesterday, Cole was feeling a bit rambunctious and kept following me around with toys. He was pulling so hard trying to get the toy back that I actually had to plant my feet to keep from falling over.

So, I decided to squat. Pull toy 3 times and squat for one minute (unless dog gives up) Doggie Play Time Exercises, coming to a gym near you.

But, it’s WIAW, so let’s talk eats. For breakfast, overnight oats made a triumphant return to my life last night, and the BF even requested that I make a jar for him.

OOIAJ for Two

OOIAJ for Two

On Monday night, I filled 2 mason jars with about 1/4 cup oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup dry figs, 1/2 banana 2tbsp of PB2 and some cinnamon. The result?

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Posted in: Uncategorized, WIAW \ Tagged: , , , , , ,

When Dogs Fly and Oreos Fry

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This weekend I had an opportunity to experience a cultural phenomenon that I had never seen before: the county fair.

I had always wanted to attend a county fair, and visions of endless amounts of fried food, farm animals and fun carnival rides flooded my mind. Luckily, the Dutchess County Fair did not disappoint.

Fried dough? Sometimes Healthy? You bet ya!

Fried dough? Sometimes Healthy? You bet ya!

Before we ate our weight in fried food, Cole got to participate in his favorite activity: dock jumping. Sometimes, the BF jumps Cole in what are called “dock diving competitions.” I had never seen this “sport” before meeting the BF, but after seeing it for the first time, I must say, it’s a whole lotta fun!

Jump, Cole Jump!

Jump, Cole Jump!

This was Cole’s “practice jump,” but for the real competition, the stands were actually packed full! There were a lot of small children in the crowd, who obviously enjoyed watching the dogs “fly.”

And, even though Cole was out of practice, he still walked away with a 3rd place medal. What a dog!

Proud puppy!

Proud puppy!

I had bought some fried pickles before the show, so the BF said we could reward him with a couple of bits of delicious fried pickles.

Fried pickles, topped with nacho cheese. #bam!

Fried pickles, topped with nacho cheese. #bam!

This was my second time eating fried pickles (the first time was in Nashville), and it seems like they taste better every time!

If you think the adventures in fried food ended there…you’re wrong

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Posted in: Hudson Valley, workouts \ Tagged: , , , , ,

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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Posted in: Kitchen Adventures, Recipes \ Tagged: , , ,

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!

Posted in: Uncategorized

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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Posted in: WIAW \ Tagged: , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , ,