Monthly Archives: December 2014

Mini New Zealand Pancakes: Pikelets

As many of you know, my mum is a Kiwi, meaning she comes from New Zealand. This means that I grew up with lots of different food items than most American children like spaghetti sandwiches (sounds weird, but actually works). Other yummy Kiwi items include scones, banana fritters, and more. My brother and I also grew up with a wonderfully delicious breakfast item, very similar to pancakes. We always looked forward to them whenever mum would make them. When I was little, she would make us shapes like the letters of our name and Mickey Mouse. I am talking about Pikelets. Yes, a strange word, but these were more normal to us than pancakes were. They are very similar to pancakes, but have different qualities. We would enjoy it with butter and Golden Syrup (New Zealand syrup) or maple syrup and we always ate too many. You can thank my mum for this recipe! Oh I forgot to say…this recipe is ridiculously easy so have no fears in trying a new breakfast item out!

Beat that egg

Beat that egg

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Came out wonderfully!

Came out wonderfully!

Never under-indulge

Never under-indulge

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Pikelets
Serves 2
A wonderful New Zealand alternative to pancakes
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Prep Time
7 min
Cook Time
7 min
Total Time
14 min
Prep Time
7 min
Cook Time
7 min
Total Time
14 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup flour
  2. 1 tsp baking powder
  3. 1/4 tsp salt
  4. 1 egg
  5. 1/4 cup sugar
  6. 3/4 cup milk (or as needed)
  7. Butter
  8. Syrup
Instructions
  1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl
  2. In another bowl, beat the egg and sugar until thick
  3. Add milk to the flour mixture and mix in the other wet mixture so that everything is combined
  4. Heat up a skillet or a frying pan and make sure to grease before every pikelet you cook!
  5. Place them (around a tablespoon or more of each) and turn over when bubbles start
  6. Cook the other side until golden
  7. Keep warm and serve with butter and maple syrup
hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/
See? Simple ingredients, simple instructions, simply delicious. This recipe can be doubled or halved, depending on who you are serving. Sifting the flour just makes it a bit smoother. Make sure to keep an eye on it while it cooks, so you don’t burn one side. Usually we make many pikelets, so when we pull the ones that are done off, we wrap them in a tea towel to keep them warm. I wish I still had them in front of me! Best enjoyed with a nice cup of tea. As always, stay hungry and fit!

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How Movies Inspire Us

Hungry and I are creative people. We use our creative juices and energy to create ideas, stories, concepts, and so on. With creativity, comes the need for inspiration. Lately, I haven’t been as creative as I’ve once been. I’m not writing much (besides blogging) and I don’t feel that pull to create, even though I know it would be wonderful once I start. Sometimes the best way to do it is just to start, period. However, there are other ways as well. 

This past weekend, we FINALLY saw the last installment of The Hobbit movie series. We were a little late on seeing it because of conflicting busy schedules and whatnot. The Lord of the Rings trilogy on both paper and screen holds an incredibly special place in our hearts and minds. Even though The Hobbit movie series isn’t as good as the book (duh) or doesn’t come close to the Lord of the Rings movies, we still appreciate and enjoy Peter Jackson’s heart and humor. How pure Bilbo can be in the face of greed, danger, and death and how brave and understanding Gandalf can be after all things. 

As I watched, I got a twang of inspiration from the whole thing as a picture. The backdrop, the setting, the story, the characters, the heart, the battles–everything. Someone had thought of all this, someone had created this entire world, this entire story. You become inspired by a hobbit’s willing to risk the worst in order to help others, to watch good triumph evil, to see what really lies beneath people’s actions. It was a wonderful stroke of inspiration that made me want to go create my own stories and my own characters.

We don’t just watch movies because we enjoy them. We don’t just go to the movies for the popcorn, candy, and drinks. We go to the movies because they inspire us. They make us appeal to greater things and strive higher to become who we want to be. This may not apply to Love Actually (though, love can be a wonderful muse) or comedies, but next time you’re at the movies, really think about it. Let yourself become open to the experience and try to draw some inspiration from the story, the characters, the setting and see what happens. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What movie inspires you?

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Noke being a silly sleeper

Noke being a silly sleeper

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Our Christmas in Pictures

 

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We got my dad a puppy!

We got my dad a puppy!

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Great loot for Fit (Hungry got a PS4!)

Great loot for Fit (Hungry got a PS4!)

Noke loves her new bed

Noke loves her new bed

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Good eats

Good eats

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Fit Over 40

As you can probably tell from previous posts and our Pinterest, we really love infographics. Not just any infographic, of course, but solid ones with good information and great visual content. Fitness and health are great subjects to put into infographics. It breaks down fitness techniques or health studies into relatable and understandable content that the reader can digest. We can totally get behind that. And they are just so fun to look at! We recently found Fit Over 40–an awesome infographic explaining what happens when you age and how you combat those aging effects. 

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I suggest–even if you’re not 40 or beyond–to take a gander at this infographic and article. We wouldn’t share things with you that didn’t have good grounding or that we didn’t think had good information. This one does and everyone can learn a thing or two from it. I really like the above picture, explaining what changes in our bone mass depending on what age we are. When we think of fitness, we often think of outside appearances. This is a huge “inside” health issue that can completely change your life. Pay attention to these types of things! It also talks about a range of different effects of aging like what happens to your hormones and more.  Let us know what you think of the full infographic. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

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Our Weekend in Pictures

Hilarious freezings of kongs

Hilarious freezings of kongs

Christmas shopping

Christmas shopping

Getting funny Christmas cards

Getting funny Christmas cards

Great soccer matches

Great soccer matches

Chris following his December goals and bringing home-cooked meals to every work day

Chris following his December goals and bringing home-cooked meals to every work day

Core workouts

Core workouts

Cute kitties

Cute kitties

Cute puppies

Cute puppies

A beautiful view

A beautiful view

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The Truth About Supplements

Every day we hear something new in the media about different supplements. This one can stop Alzheimer’s and this one can prevent you from getting fat! It’s hard to know what to trust or what to believe in. You become hesitant with everything OR you simply start trying everything. Recently, my coworker showed me this incredible infographic on supplements and correlating studies. I got really excited about it because I am a firm discourager of fads. Most often, many supplements (I’m talking health supplements so things like coconut oil and garlic extract are included here), are popular fads without real grounding. Take a look at the Interactive: Snake Oil Supplements (no it’s not about snake oil, it’s just the title).

Screenshot

Screenshot

So how does this infographic work? It’s hard to understand at first. If you’re starting from the top, you’re looking at supplements with the most studies behind them which make them “Strong.” And if you scroll to the bottom, you’ll find “Slight” or “None” meaning there are very few studies behind it. This provides a wonderful foundation for the infographic–it’s all based on research. In addition, to keep this infographic fresh, the bubbles are all tied to a google doc. So when more studies come in, the infographic gets immediately adjusted. Pretty freaking cool, I think! 

There’s also the size of the bubble which–at first–could be misinterpreted. We usually think big is better, but not necessarily. You’ll notice garlic high at the top in the “Strong” field yet its bubble is smaller than, say, copper, which is at the lower end of the spectrum. The bubble simply represents the popularity of the supplement. So even though egg shell membrane is a tiny bubble, it is backed by many strong studies. 

love infographics. I love health and fitness. And I love when they come together to provide free information to the masses. What do you think of this infographic? Are you going to start taking garlic extract now? Don’t forget your probiotics or B3! It’s always fun to learn more about supplements and I believe this infographic is a great way of doing so. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS ANIMAL PIC

Nymeria keeping an eye on Noke

Nymeria keeping an eye on Noke

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A Few Things You May Not Know About Us…

We got tagged by Dani California Cooks to do this fun post…you should go over and read her post about it, you are sure to laugh. We love these kinds of posts, so we were glad to jump on it! We loooove lists. You’re gonna get trouble from Hungry AND Fit!

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Hungry

  1. Worth the wait: A big bowl of ramen  No patience for: Bad driving
  2. Better than I expected: College graduation  Worse than I expected: Moving again
  3. Would Always: Finish everyone’s food at the table Would Never: Finish everyone’s dessert
  4. Picky About: Eggplant Not So Much About: Milk or cheese 
  5. I feel for: People who think they have to stop eating to lose weight No sympathy: Bad fitness coaches 
  6. Glad it’s ahead of me: Being financially stable Glad it’s behind me: Undergraduate degree 
  7. Early for: Everything Late for: Places I don’t want to be or don’t have to be at 
  8. Would pay good money for: A nice romantic dinner Wouldn’t take even if free: Crappy processed food snacks 
  9. Fear conquered: Pennywise the Clown Not quite there yet: Stationary heights
  10. Getting better at: Being an adult Getting worse at: Cooking and playing video games 
  11. Moment of triumph: Getting referred by clients Epic fail: Losing Valedictorian based on a technicality 
  12. Skills mastered: You never master anything Can’t quite get the hang of: Bowling, ever.
  13. Risky when it comes to: Playing with animals  Play it safe when it comes to: Dealing with strangers 
  14. Always up for: A trip to the movies Never up for: A trip to the club
  15. Lie about: My career as a bouncer Honest about: That would spoil all the fun. 
  16. Too much in my life: Signing up for but not finishing the… Not enough of: Taking things one step at a time 
  17. True believer: Superpowers Major skeptic: Important people.

Fit

  1. Worth the wait: Getting a new computer  No patience for: Pigheadedness (harmful ignorance)
  2. Better than I expected: Being engaged   Worse than I expected: Wheatgrass shot
  3. Would Always: Jump in the ocean  Would Never: Do gross things for a dare or money
  4. Picky About: Tea  Not So Much About: Chocolate
  5. I feel for: Helpless suffering No sympathy: Selfish greedy people
  6. Glad it’s ahead of me: Paying for a wedding  Glad it’s behind me: Roadtrip with 4 animals
  7. Early for: Dessert  Late for: Parties
  8. Would pay good money for: Food  Wouldn’t take even if free: Straight tequila or vodka
  9. Fear conquered: Public speaking  Not quite there yet: Spiders and squished-face cats
  10. Getting better at: Science  Getting worse at: Exercising
  11. Moment of triumph: Becoming a Certified Personal Trainer with NASM Epic fail: Ability to touch my toes 
  12. Skills mastered: Not getting bothered on the street Can’t quite get the hang of: Not making a mess in the kitchen
  13. Risky when it comes to: Food expiration dates  Play it safe when it comes to: Letting Noke out to pee
  14. Always up for: A good laugh Never up for: Horror movies 
  15. Lie about: How much crap I eat  Honest about: What I believe in
  16. Too much in my life: Stress and not slowing down   Not enough of: Meditation and writing
  17. True believer: The heart of humanity Major skeptic: Big corporations

These lists were a lot of fun to make. Now you make YOURS and post in the comments below! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

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Hungry Meets TRX

It might seem weird that after all these years in competitive sports and then the fitness industry, I haven’t really come across TRX before. None of my coaches, trainers, or sports medicine staff ever had me use it for my sports performance and I never felt the need to take a class or take a course to be an instructor. Well, that changed when we moved to LA and I found myself working at a new fitness facility where all three of the personal training staff were also TRX instructors. After some pressure was applied by my boss, I said… what the heck, why not?

In TRX, you don’t get certified; instead, you obtain qualifications for every course you take. With one TRX qualification, you are considered an Equipped TRX Instructor. (That’s me.) With three or more, you are Advanced and so forth. The system is based on the number of qualifications you have and the points that each is worth (Level 1s are worth 8000, Level 2s are worth 16000). The tiers also are color coded, like belts in Martial Arts.

All of this information is on the TRX database on their website, www.trxtraining.com. It’s a great system and free as a resource. If you want to pay a little bit every month, you can be a member of TRX Core, which gives you access to every TRX resource online, including a library of workouts, live chats with Master level trainers and Gurus, etc. 

Fitness training courses

Fitness training courses

As for the qualifications, I took the Group Suspension Training Course, an introductory course to teach group exercise classes. Now, I’m signed up for their RIP trainer course and their level 2 TRX TEAM. It’s something different and it’s effective. It’s more challenging than elite athletes think and less challenging than health-seekers feel it might be. They find the straps intimidating but it can be scaled to hit any fitness level.

I would recommend beginners and people recovering from injuries do a few TRX personal training sessions before jumping into a group class, but since you’re on your own straps, you can go on your own pace. If your instructor is pushy and tries to make you go at the class pace when you shouldn’t, get a new instructor. Once you grasp the fundamentals and trust the straps, it’s fun. And while you should still be doing strength training to get stronger or practicing your sport to increase your skill, this is a great addition to any exercise regiment. It keeps you humble, builds balance, increases stability, and eventually mobility.

It has a lot of benefits, just be mindful of your knees and shoulders. Make sure you warm up properly, even before your instructor starts class. And make sure you change your grips so that you aren’t constantly squeezing the handles like you’re going to fall off a cliff. You don’t want to stress those forearm muscles.

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Stay in touch, I’ll keep you updated as I teach more classes and get a few more qualifications under my belt. Still, feel free to ask any questions about TRX and I’ll let you know if you should give it a shot! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

 BONUS PUPPY PIC

Little wet face

Little wet face

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Cafe Ugo Review

The sun is down and it’s a cool night in early December. The allure of downtown Culver City draws us in and after parking, we walk Main Street. It’s a hip area for that demographic that loves small plates and craft beers but we LOVE food and we want a meal. After checking out a few menus and feeling the auras emanating from each location, we are seated at Cafe Ugo.

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Service:
It was impeccable. 4/5. We wanted to sit outside and they brought us our own heating tower. It wouldn’t work so they got someone to fix it on the spot. We were slow to decide and our waiter put down the load he was busing in order to take our order when we looked ready. We didn’t even call him over. He had recommendations (and they weren’t based on price), he had patience, he had class, and he had a personality. My water was almost always filled, and if it wasn’t for a lapse near the end of the meal I would have given a perfect 5. When our heater went out, they immediately swapped out the propane tank for a new one. Just excellent.

Atmosphere:
A large restaurant with indoor and outdoor options, busy bar fronts and quiet back rooms. 3/5. The tables were just not a comfortable size. It was awkward but everything was clean and orderly. I didn’t love the makeshift walls for the patio but recognize their convenience for weather changes. While I had no major issues, there was nothing to set this place apart from a normal restaurant, dare I say, even a Cheesecake Factory.

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Food:
There are always faults when you aren’t at a Michelin restaurant but they aren’t significant here. 3/5. The ravioli needed more sauce. They were dry and the spinach filling did not compensate for the somewhat dry pasta. Still, they had flavor. The pizza was a true delight to eat. It hit every flavor profile. Salty cheeses with acidic tones from balsamic that were tied together nicely on a well made crust. The structural integrity was questionable, but this is pizza from Naples and not New York so that can’t be taken into consideration. The fried calamari was well cooked but the sauces were a necessity because the breading was not seasoned.

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Pricing:
Let’s just say they could have easily charged us more and while the portions were not massive, the food quality made it a good value. 4/5. It’s downtown Culver City, it’s a prime location, and it’s a specialty. Authentic Naples style pizza is not a common dish around here, especially with an 1000 degree oven and serving it uncut. We were more than happy to pay the price on the bill and tip accordingly.

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We were glad that we stopped by Cafe Ugo that night. It was enjoyable, we were relaxed, well fed, and left happy. We recommend it to groups of 2, 4, or 6 that are passing by or in the area. It might even be worth a little drive in non-peak hours. We’ll be back if we’re in the area and we’ll bring some family next time. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

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Sweet Holiday Treats with Silk

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and you’ve worked your bottom off for almost twelve months! Now is not the time to deprive yourself… take full advantage of the Holiday Season and reward yourself for everything that you accomplished in 2014. Relax. Read. Watch a movie. Sit by the fire. Have holiday treats. You’ve earned it. Make a mug of hot chocolate, your favorite blend of coffee, or a cup of tea. But let’s make this one special. Before you put in your cream and sugar, try this different little something. 

Take your ice cube tray, walk over to the sink, and empty all the contents down the drain. (Or you can give it to your dog… Noke loves ice cubes!) Then, pull a carton of Silk Holiday Nog (or your favorite Silk product) out of the fridge and start filling those empty ice cube trays with the Silk! That’s right, we’re making these into Silk cubes. Let them sit overnight in the freezer and you’ll have a batch ready for your next favorite hot drink. Once you pour that boiling hot liquid into your container of choice, drop a Silk cube in, and enjoy. You know when you make a warm drink, that usually you make it too warm and you can’t start drinking it for a while? This is your quick fix! Cubes of iced deliciousness that will cool down your drink and make it taste better! Win win!

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Remember, you should make this your special treat. I love to put some ground cinnamon in the trays with Silk Vanilla Soy Milk and add that to my hot chocolate (milk-chocolate based). It always puts a smile on my face when I throw my feet up at the end of the day. So give this little treat a try this Holiday Season and let us know, below, how you make Silk your own. We love to hear everyone’s different combinations! For more ideas like this one, visit Silk’s Facebook page. They are constantly providing everyone with fun recipes and good lifestyle tips! Also, don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter–there are many chances to win tons of Silk products and more! Signing up is free and it’s worth all fifteen seconds it takes!

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Watch them spin!

Watch them spin!

Look like marshmallows!

Look like marshmallows!

We hope you enjoy our idea of creating little special moments by creating Silk ice cubes and we hope you try them! Celebrating the Holiday Season is a great way to stay hungry and fit!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

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