Baked Whole-Wheat Raspberry Doughnuts

Yes. I'm the mom sending heart shaped everything in the kids lunches! Don't hate me- join me! These aren't just pretty and yummy- they're healthy too! 

Popsugar moms posted these baked treats (yes, I said baked!) made from Weelicious. The raspberries were so appealing, I immediately knew I had to make them in heart form for V day. 

I'll be whipping up a couple of more batches because these bad boys went pretty quickly! I swapped out the buttermilk that the original recipe called for, for applesauce. I don't keep buttermilk in the house so I used something I had. They taste amazing and are kid approved! I'm happy to give them a healthier alternative to the greasy, fattening doughnut. 

LeanPops!

Have you ever read the ingredients on the back of the ice pops at the supermarket? Can be scary…and hard to pronounce! Even the so called healthy choices aren't so healthy once you read the label. We've attempted making our own in the past but the pops always seem to get stuck inside the mold. We haven't had much luck until trying LeanPops! They popped right up after letting them sit out of the freezer for a few minutes. The kids loved getting involved mixing in different fruits. We even added carrots to one. They were so quick and easy to make! I love knowing exactly what is going in them, and exactly what isn't! 

LeanPops are made of 100% food grade silicone, BPA free, latex free and non-toxic. The icing on the pop- they're dishwasher safe! Each comes with it's own lid so there are no messy leaks or spills while freezing! You can even re-cover and refreeze unfinished pops! 

We used whatever was in the house to make an assortment of pops. The timing couldn't have been better because Max had a terrible sore throat and wasn't able to eat anything but these! One didn't make the pictures because he ate it first thing in the morning. My kids love Chobani key lime yogurt so we filled one to try. It soothed his throat and he absolutely loved his frozen yogurt treat. We will definitely be making many more frozen yogurt Chobani treats in our LeanPops molds! 

 Wowza Watermelon 

• 1 cup cubed watermelon
• 1/3 cup of water

Blend in a NutriBullet or blender until smooth

Makes 2

Pineapple Express

• 1 cup pineapple
• 1/4 cup mango (3 slices)
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup of shredded carrot

Blend in a NutriBullet or blender until smooth

Makes 3

Blueberry Meet Banana

• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup of blueberries
• 1/4 cup of 2% milk (substitute milk of your choice)

Blend in a NutriBullet or blender until smooth

Makes 3

You can order your own by visiting www.LeanPops.com Mine are coming out of the dishwasher and getting refilled right away! Save $2 off of your July order.

Books to Belly: We're Going on a Bear Hunt & Trail Mix

The kids and I love a good trail mix. We make our own, mixing in our favorite healthy snacks. We make a big batch that's easily accessible- a great solution to grabbing a quick, healthy, satisfying snack on the go. You can even pre- bag it. We keep it simple by mixing up a granola, a nut, chocolate chips, and organic freeze dried yogurt bites. While making our latest batch, it reminded me of one of our favorite books, We're Going on a Bear Hunt. It was the perfect pairing with our trail mix.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury is about a family going on a hunt for a bear. On each page the family has to overcome different obstacles they come across in order to continue their hunt. As the family encounters each obstacle, they describe it by using sensory descriptions such as; long, wavy grass, a deep, cold river, thick, oozy mud, a big, dark forest, a swirling, whirling snowstorm, and a narrow, gloomy cave. By using a range of descriptive vocabulary, the reader can imagine themselves on a hunt. 

After reading the story, the kids and I threw on our jackets, grabbed our trail mix and set out for our very own hunt! Of course ours was not for a bear, so we completed the part of the story that is repeated throughout with our own animal we were hunting!

We're going on a squirrel hunt.
We're going to catch a big one.
It's a beautiful day!
We're not scared. 

Trail Mix

• 1 11oz bag of KIND or Bear Naked granola (I find the clusters bigger & easier to grab than other granolas-best for little hands)
• 1 bag of Happy Family Happy Yogis (look in the health/organic aisle in your supermarket)
• 1 cup of Hershey's mini milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup of cashews, almonds or nut of your choice

Happy hunting!!

Pure Barre

Pure Barre Experience

I've been a member of a gym since the age of 19. I go hard, then fall off the workout wagon at times! I'm like a yo-yo gym go-er! I was excited when Pure Barre opened in Oceanside to try something different and to mix up my usual spin/ weights and cardio routine.  The studio is absolutely beautiful and private. I like that passerby's cannot look in! It's so clean and the staff is warm and welcoming. I didn't feel intimidated at all. 

There was a good mix of woman in the class I took. There were both big and small, young and old. Using light weights and a small ball, Amanda (who was an AMAZING instructor) led us through exercises consisting of small isometric movements. I liked the use of the ball- I felt it aided in focusing on the area we were working on. We also positioned it behind our lower back during the ab portion of the class and it was just the support I needed. 

There were some parts of the class that I found difficult. Not a can't breathe- I'm going to pass out kind of difficult, more of a burning, shaking difficult! Some of the movements were hard for me to perfect but I believe that will come with time and practice. The instructor corrected my form a few times when I couldn't make my body do what my mind was telling it to! A beginners class is highly recommended. 

I was sore for a few days after the class. My ass hurt in places that haven't in all my years of squatting! This is a GOOD thing ladies! My abs were sore, also a very good thing! The old exercise motto, "no pain, no gain" promises greater value rewards for the price of hard or even painful work…Pure Barre delivers!

If you're looking to tone up for summer, Pure Barre is for you. I believe with consistency and determination, you can transform your body practicing Pure Barre techniques. Give it a try. I took one class and I cannot wait to go back again, sore ass and all! 

Visit Pure Barre of Oceanside at 3563 Long Beach Road/ Sands shopping center (516) 766- 0465 and mention Secrets of a Momaholic for 15% off any purchase by 3/31/14. Use coupon code OceansidePB.