Healthy Looking But Not So Healthy (Who Cares!)

Recently we’ve been talking about living a healthier lifestyle by eating more fruits and vegetables, hydrating properly and being grateful for all you have in your life. Know what I’m most grateful for this week? That it’s all coming to an end! (kidding, not kidding!) This week we’re gonna dish about food and drinks that are deceptively healthy looking (because they contain fruits and vegetables) but actually are not (too bad, so sad). This is otherwise known as cocktails and desserts!

Come on, people, who do you think you’re dealing with here?! To hell with hydrating, where’s the booze? Three weeks of meditation and lemon water calls for a drink! (And some sugar!) So, this week we’re getting crazy. We aren’t putting the strawberries in the water, we’re putting them in a pie! And those lemons? Yeah, we’re sending them back where they belong… the rim of my martini glass!

Boozy Beverages Quench Your Thirst Too!

Fruit infused cocktails remind me of summer. Which, if you’re someplace snowy right now, might be a good thing! Last year for Cinco de Mayo we tried out a Granada, which is a tangy fruit cocktail made with mezcal. Check out Mez-You-Up Mezcal Recipes for instructions and learn more about this amazing liquor known as the “nectar” (see, fruit related!) of the gods.

Want something a little lighter on the palate? This Papaya Pineapple Ginger Cooler from Girl Cooks World has a healthy dose of fresh pressed fruit juice and a tipsy little amount of ginger beer for good measure.

Does a cocktail count as a cocktail if it’s frozen and turned into a popsicle? I think, YES! We featured Fruit Loop Vodka Pops last year along with other fruity sweet treats like these Ice Cream Sandwiches Dipped in Fruity Pebbles! If the word “fruity” is in the name, it has to be healthy, right?! Uhh… don’t answer that!

I don’t know if melon balls count as beverages. But they are thirst quenching and refreshing! Especially when they’re soaked in vodka! Seriously, how healthy looking are these?! Boozy Melon Balls at your service. A side-dish MUST at any boring family gathering!

Fruit and Vegetables For Dessert

Fruit is a natural for pies and tarts, of course. Imagine getting your antioxidants AND enjoying a satisfying dessert! Now you can with this Fresh Blueberry Tart from Pinch of Yum! There’s practically no fruit that won’t work well in a pie or tart. But what about vegetables, you ask? No problem!

I could eat Pumpkin Bread year round. I love the fragrant spices and moist yummy goodness. It’s great in the morning toasted with cream cheese. It’s a good afternoon snack with coffee. And it’s delicious as dessert after you’ve deprived yourself with a light healthy salad! Don’t wait for the fall to put this in your mouth, okay?!

Speaking of pumpkin, how about doing it savory style?! There might not be any sugar in this bad boy, but there are plenty of carbs, which are also amazing! If you’re looking for a rich, succulent meal (oh, good, there’s some protein here!) before you do any more dessert, try the Balsamic Prime Rib with Pumpkin Gnocchi from Jen Reviews!

Want to feel even healthier about your vegetable dessert? Then opt for Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread! Seriously, you’re going to want to have this recipe handy in the summer when all of that zucchini you planted is ready for harvest! This masterpiece comes from Mom On Timeout and is made even more decadent with icing, but that’s optional. #notreally

Healthy Looking, But Not So Healthy For Parties!

Kids are all about color! Fill up any dollar store glass jar with Skittles or Gummy Bears and you’ve got edible party decor! Fruit jellies on a stick are another great (read: effortless!) way to make something simple look special even when it’s not!

Then, there’s chocolate dipped strawberries! Again, these are great for bridal showers, Easter brunch, fancy cocktail soirees and impromptu get togethers with the girls! If you’re pressed for time, give those juicy bites a quick dunk and you’re done. If you have more time, add a contrasting drizzle, colored sprinkles, nuts, coconut flakes, candy buttons, you name it! These here are ones we did for a 4th of July barbecue to play up the red, white and blue theme. They look elegant, and arranged on a fancy platter, create their own edible centerpiece!

Faked From Scratch Donuts are a plated dessert I do for parties when I want something that looks sophisticated and scrumptious but are really just store bought cake donuts I frost and garnish with fresh berries and edible flowers! Amazing, right?!

We’ve hosted a number of events over the years that feature an ice cream (or gelato) bar where guests can build their own sundaes with different flavors of ice cream and toppings. It’s great for kid parties and adult shindigs, especially in the warm summer months. It even gets people who aren’t normally dessert eaters in on the fun! Sundaes and banana splits (duh!) are another favorite sort-of, kind-of healthy dessert that begs for fresh fruit on top. Strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, peaches, pineapple, bananas – you name it, those bad boys probably would love to hook up with some rich creamy ice cream!

Cauliflower Pizza & Other Healthy, Not Healthy Cuisine

Now that nobody wants to eat carbs (and by nobody I don’t mean me, just everyone else!), the world’s most beloved food… yes, that would be pizza, is in a bit of a crisis. #call911 So, some clever but evil genius decided to make pizza crust from cauliflower. And then everyone lost their sh**, er…  mind. You can buy riced cauliflower frozen in a bag and make your own “crust” with eggs and cheese, or you can actually buy a premade cauliflower pizza crust ready to bake – just add toppings. There, of course, is where the not so healthy comes back into play! Ooey-gooey cheese? Healthy, not healthy. Pepperoni and sausage? Healthy, not healthy!

Finally, I love kitchen sink recipes. Recipes where anything you have available will work to create the meal. Spring rolls are an ideal way to use whatever vegetables are sitting in your bin – bell peppers, carrots, beets, jicama, cucumbers, squash, endive – it doesn’t matter. Sounds super healthy, right? They would be… if you didn’t dip them in sauce! But sauce is what MAKES the spring roll, am I right?! This absolutely gorgeous recipe for Rainbow Spring Rolls With Ginger Peanut Sauce from The Minimalist Baker is going to blow your mind! And your taste buds! Plus, you’ll get to use some of the fresh herbs you’ve been growing in your windowsill to boot! What am I talking about? Check out our recent article on farm-to-table goodness! THEN… join us next week when we offer up a month full of love! Yes, I’m dating again. So, there’s that madness! (#sigh) And you won’t want to miss my tales of romance (or lack thereof!) (#snap)!

P.S. All of this talk of yummy food and cocktails makes me want to throw a party! #shocker What about you? Want a FREE guide to save at least $200 and 2 hours of your time when planning your next party?

Are you still excited to make good on your health resolutions or are you totally OVER IT already?! Don’t worry, I won’t judge! Let us know how it’s going in the comments below!