Oct072013

Chocolate Chip “Cookie Dough” Dip

I have been wanting to try this one for a while since my friend from college, Mary Kate, made a batch and I got to try it. Oh, it is heavenly. I’m not sure if this is the recipe she used, but it’s what I based mine off of. Now this isn’t actually cookie dough, it kind of is more like cannoli cream. Chris isn’t all into sweets, so I knew I had to make this where I could bring it with others to share (bad news bears if I left it all for myself–helloooo tummy ache). So my cousin’s birthday get-together was last night and I decided to trial it then. I made it after we FINALLY caught up with our new obsession, Castle.

^_^

Prep Time: 15 minutes tops
Cooking Time: …none

Ingredients

almost 1/2 cup whipped butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
7/8 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese

Directions

Alright. Real simple. Let’s start by heating up a pot and throwing the butter in and then the brown sugar. Whisk it up until it bubbles, then put in the vanilla extract. Take off heat.

Now in a medium-sized bowl, cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar.

Then add in the butter mixture. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

Finished product with some chocolate-covered pretzel thins

Yeah. It’s really simple. I would suggest serving it with something like pretzels. I tried using graham crackers but it was too sweet. I think the sweet and salty provides a nice balance. It is a sweet treat to enjoy with friends and family. Refrigerate if not using right away. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria loves Castle marathons because she gets great cuddle spots

Oct022013

Whole-Wheat Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

So one of my clients gave me a RIDICULOUSLY big zucchini. Enormous. Like an elephant trunk. I wish I took a picture of it. So what to do with this unholy piece of vegetable? At first I would cut it up and roast or fry it…but then I was still left with half of the zucchini (I would probably measure it at 2 feet). So I say to myself…why not bake something you’ve tried before? Whole-wheat chocolate chip zucchini bread, of course! I got the recipe from here and tweaked it. And I may have added a few dashes of things to make it more Fall–like. This is one delicious and healthy recipe! Let’s get to it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a bread pan
First off, let’s peel and shred that darn zucchini. Remember you only need 2 cups worth, so don’t get too crazy

Mix all the wet stuff (honey, oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs) until nice and smooth

Whisk away

Now add the flour, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg! Mix it well
Now stir in the zucchini, nuts, and chocolate chips!

Could eat this batter allllll day

Now scoop this batter into that greased up bread pan and make even

Now let’s put it in the oven for 55-60 minutes. Test it by sticking a fork or toothpick in it.

Nom nom nom

And that’s really it! The zucchini adds a wonderful texture to the bread. This is one great way of tricking your kids into eating zucchini by hiding it in this beautiful bread! Make sure to let cool for a little bit before serving, I know, it’s hard. Pretty simple recipe and instructions, perfect for leftover zucchini. After the first day, put in the fridge to keep the zucchini from going bad. Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Oct012013

Our Weekend in Pictures

Sorry for the no-Monday post, but I was busy studying and Chris was busy scuba-diving. I thought I would share the weekend in pictures…enjoy!

Chris getting his scuba certification

Great start to a Saturday…

Visited tons of farms and went pumpkin picking

Little Salvation Army visit…

Obviously visited the Humane Society…

Chris almost took this guy home

Awwwwwwwww

Video games

Castle marathons

Going to the Flatirons Mall and enjoying some Sarku

Grocery shopping

Some home-cooked meals

Study snacks (totally stole this from Chocolate Covered Race Medals)

Not to mention WORKOUTS

Chris surprised me with a 3-course meal from one of our favorite restaurants, Dagabi Cucina

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BONUS KITTY PIC

^.^

Sep292013

Easy Peasy Oat Bars

This has been on my recipe to-do list for a while now. An easy, healthy snack to bring on the go if I needed to. And to share with friends, of course. I also love recipes that are very customizable, you can add anything to this…within reason. Chris also really liked these, so I know they’re a good hit. Try this recipe out and play around with it, have fun! I got it from here, a famous blogger, but tweaked it for my own needs.

Square of happiness

Serves: 9
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

2 cup oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (I will probably play around with this one too–using honey or trying without!)
3/8 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cherries

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease up a baking pan that’s a few inches deep
Mix up the wet ingredients first and then mix in the dry. Stir it up until smooth

Scoop the smooth mixture into the baking pan and make even

Get ready to bake

Pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Mine was ready in about 23 minutes. Let it cool for a bit and then cut into squares

Cut it up!

Yes, that’s how easy it is. I’m already planning to bake another batch tonight for the upcoming week. They are the perfect snack, below 250 calories and full of fiber and healthy fats. They’ll keep you satisfied for those busy hours when you don’t have time to put together a good snack or meal. And like I said, feel free to play around with it! I’m going to try chocolate chips, maybe throw some nuts in there, use honey instead of sugar, etc. Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria watching Spongebob…obviously has good taste like me ^.^

Sep272013

The Most Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

So we ran out of salad dressing. I had collected a bunch of sungold tomatoes from our farm (the Longmont YMCA where I work) so I wanted to put a nice salad together with the fresh goodies. All my life growing up, my mum made a delicious dressing. It wasn’t balsamic, I think it was more red wine. But her work inspired me. Why go buy salad dressing when I could just easily make one right here in my kitchen for half the cost? I looked up a recipe from here to steer myself in the right direction and then let the ingredients flow! This recipe is incredibly easy, quick, and tasty.

My gorgeous salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
a bunch of twists of black pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

Prepping

Directions

Beat everything together except the oil. I used a fork to do this

Oops, blurry

Then, slowly pour the oil in, mixing furiously the whole time

Un-mixed

Don’t forget to shake it up before serving!!

Shaken, not stirred

And, ummm, that’s it. Really tough, huh? I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I made this dressing along with the salad, listening to some La Vie En Rose (Louis Armstrong version) alongside a glass of red wine. It turned out delicious. Simple flavors bringing the salad to life, with that extra kick of vinegar and garlic to give that lingering taste. YUM. I say don’t refrigerate because the oil may get hard. I keep it in the pantry where it gets used very often. Must make a new batch soon. Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

End result of the salad. Couldn’t resist going for more

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BONUS KITTY PIC

CHIN RUBBBBBBBBBB

Sep262013

iOS 7 Review

This is a personal review. It is not professional. Although I have a lot of experience with technology and cellular devices, I want to talk about this update as a “real” person.

I have never been happy with Apple operating system updates at first. iOS 6 grew on me but I always regretted updating. One of the major issues that I faced was a battery bug that resulted in my phone randomly turning off whenever it was under 40% charged. At that point, despite having battery power, it would not turn back on until it was plugged in again. When it was plugged back in the phone would have the same charge that it had when it shut off randomly. You can imagine how frustrating that must have been for a 4S in perfect condition.

With that being said, I have had a Macbook since 2007 and it is still my only laptop. I broke the logic board when the computer fell off of my bed, but it is still fully functional with the exception of the built in speakers. I have never had a problem with any of those operating system upgrades although I can’t say that I certainly got leopard, snow leopard, lion or mountain lion yet (The purpose of this paragraph was to show that I don’t automatically hate all Apple operating system changes).

This is the point where I start to actually talk about iOS7 for the iPad and the iPhone. I currently have an iPhone 5 and a 4th Generation 64GB iPad. I updated the two at the same time and the update took nearly 15 minutes for each. I had them attached to a strong wifi signal and they were also plugged in at the time. I decided to not use them in order to hopefully speed up the process and it may or may not have worked.

Upon resetting the devices after the download and the installation, there was a setup that included basic questions such as: do you want to enable location settings, do you want to set up airdrop and iCloud, do you want to register with Apple, what language would you like to use, do you want to enable passcode restrictions, etc. Nothing too complicated but make sure you think about the passcode restrictions since it makes it much more difficult to quickly access features.

Oh, quick side note, you NEED 3.1 GB of free space on your hard drive before you can start the download.

In Colorado, it seems as if talking and texting while driving is not illegal. This is a stupid law. It needs to be changed. Nevertheless, if you are driving and using your phone and now need to unlock it as well that may increase the risk of accident or mishap. Just a warning.

The layout is much smoother and more attractive, in my opinion. With that being said it does take longer to move from one screen to another. It may look smoother but it takes longer as a result. I haven’t timed it but it seems pretty obvious. That doesn’t mean that it’s a painfully slow process, I just notice the little things.

You no longer need to swipe left in order to get to the screen to search your device. You can simply swipe down so that eliminates a pointless screen. If you pull the top menu down it is relatively similar but much less cluttered. If you pull the bottom up you receive a new menu that is quite clean and useful. My problem with that is now you can access the flashlight (you get a new FREE built-in flashlight! which is worse than the one I have always had), calculator, camera, and clock multiple ways. You can access the camera three different ways. It makes your device more cluttered! The nice part of that swipe up menu is that it gives you very easy access to changing the mode of your device. You can go into airplane, silent, locked, sleep, wifi, and bluetooth mode easily now.

Speaking of the camera, it has some new features and it laid out in a much more organized manner. It includes built-in filters and allows easy access to video, panorama, and more. Safari also presents an interesting interface when you have multiple tabs open. I think it is quite attractive and practical enough.

The only other practical change involves closing out your apps that are open. You can still double tap your home key on the bottom of your phone but now your screen is taken over so that you can swipe the apps upwards in order to close them.

Other than this I have not found other practical changes that are worthy of me mentioning. A lot of the changes are just aesthetic, some work for me and some don’t. All in all I like iOS6 for my personal use on my iPhone but I prefer iOS7 on the iPad. I don’t think this new setup works for people who have very streamlined efficiently working phones that they use at work and in the gym and on the go. It is slower which is why I do not mind it on the iPad. If I could, I would go back to iOS6 for my iPhone and keep iOS7 on the iPad.

My recommendation for you is to find a friend that has the update and see if you like it first. I told Alana not to get it on her phone and she has not yet decided. Half the population loves it and half hates it. I’m sure people will get used to it but we all know the old saying, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

My FAVORITE part of the update pertains to a matter I have been bothering Apple about for years. The newsstand is a waste of space, especially since it is not collapsible and cannot be put into a folder. WELL NOW IT CAN! Technology is a complicated way that can or cannot help you stay hungry and fit!

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Kitty pile on Alana for Castle marathon!

Sep252013

College Student Fitness and Nutrition Guide

We were recently contacted by an individual who asked us to take a look at a graphic and a link you will be later in this post. It is a somewhat long but simple and comprehensive guide to basic fitness and nutrition for college students and those who live a similar lifestyle. I read the post briefly and after realizing that there was nothing wrong or harmful in its contents I decided to share it. I think it is a very useful resource for students to print out and hang up in their rooms.

During our last leg workout, beasted calves hamstrings, and jump squats!

The credit for the post is given to the site which is linked below. I will keep the woman’s name who contacted us anonymous. Here is a Hungry&Fit generally-approved article and–more importantly–graphic that individuals can use as a basic guide for creating a great regimen for college fitness and a healthy lifestyle. (It doesn’t say much about nutrition and diet.)

As the page states, “Starting out at college is a time of excitement, anticipation, and oftentimes, extreme nervousness. There are a whole host of prospects that can leave any freshman filled with anxiety, from making friends to maintaining good grades to knowing which classes to take. One of the biggest sources of anxiety for students, however, is unrelated to academics: A large percentage of students greatly fear the famous and dreaded freshman 15. The truth is, this isn’t an irrational fear: Most college students will gain between 15 and 25 pounds by the end of their sophomore year. One of the main causes of the freshman 15? Lack of exercise: Not only do the majority of college students not get the recommended amount of exercise, one in three just don’t exercise at all. To be fair, finding time for exercise in the midst of busy college life can be challenging, but there are some great ways that that particular hurdle can be side-stepped. Today’s infographic takes a look at the best ways for college students to stay fit—even in the middle of a dorm room. From cardio to strength training to flexibility, there’s a myriad of ways in which even the biggest of couch potatoes can beat the freshman 15.”

http://www.thebestcolleges.org/the-best-regimen-for-college-fitness/

That is the image and below it is the link. Credit goes to TheBestColleges.org who we enjoyed working with and look forward to working with again in the future. They originally posted it in early August of 2013. Being hungry and fit is a lifestyle so creating a solid regimen is one of the best ways to stay hungry and fit!

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Saturdays are obviously for family naps

Sep232013

Our New Obsession: Castle (TV)

We do not watch very much television and we certainly do not follow series. The only non-Food Network, Animal Planet, or anime based television series that I have ever really followed have been Spartacus Blood and Sand/Gods of the Arena and Burn Notice, which I stopped watching due to college.

Firefly is one of my favorite television series of all time but it only lasted a season before it cut short well before it deserved to be. Nathan Fillion was the rock on-screen that made that show what it was and he has never had the opportunity he truly deserved, until now.

Even though Castle has been out since 2009 and we have known about it for years, it was only recently that we started watching it. Within the past two weeks we have watched all of Season 3, most of 2, some of 1, and just began 4. The 6th season begins today and there are many loose ends that will need to be tied up but we need to catch up first.

The show is about an author who begins working with the NYPD in order to research the character for his new book series. He develops feelings for the detective and decides to stay even though she never returns his feelings. She has a wall that cannot come down until her mother’s murder is solved. Unfortunately, she needs to take down “The Dragon” in order to solve the case and he is very dangerous. At the same time Castle deals with his feelings for her, his daughter’s growth, and a serial killer who is determined to ruin Castle’s life.

It may sound like another NCIS, CSI, Bones, etc but for us the addition of Nathan Fillion is all we need to watch it. We think the stories are well-written and humorous, the cast is perfection, and the romantic struggle keeps us curious what will happen.

Part of the reason that we have not been posting so much is because we have been watching so much Castle but we will catch up soon and then just watch the new episodes as they come out. We’re excited so let us know what your favorite television series of all time or right now is! Couch potatoes are not so hungry and fit but a little bit of relaxation helps!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria looking ridiculously sleepy

Sep192013

How to Use Meditation to Heal

These past few days have been very stressful and painful for a lot of people in Colorado (due to the floods and storms). People are dealing with death, injury, loss of homes, and devastation. Even for those of us who didn’t get homes damaged, it’s been rough. It takes a toll on you when your city is suffering and people cannot continue with normal life. I definitely find this to be so. It’s easy to get distracted by all the devastation and certainly to get emotionally involved. I teach a Monday Meditation class every week and it was the Monday right after the big flood and I knew we all needed some healing and good energy after everything that has happened and everything that we’ve seen.

End of the day...that used to be a back yard

Colorado flooding

Meditation is one of the best ways to find closure, peace, and to spread good energy throughout yourself and others. Please take 3-10 minutes today and do this for yourself. I promise you will not regret it. Just start slowly. You can be seated or laying down. Get comfortable. Here are some simple steps to healing yourself and others through meditation.

1. Start breathing slowly, feel your chest and stomach–the diaphragm. It has a jellyfish like shape. Now, think about all the muscles that are in that area. If your muscles are contracted or stressed, your diaphragm will be too, and thus, your breathing. It is very important to focus and relax all the muscles of your chest, stomach, pelvis, and even throat. Do this now. Ease off a little more stress from those muscles.

2. Now it’s time to ease the mind. Push all other stress or worries outside of this room and out of your mind. Let go of what should or needs to be done. This time is for you and the time is the present. Silence the mind by turning off your internal dialogue. Just stop talking to yourself about particular thoughts, and instead let the stream of consciousness flow naturally in the background of your mind Take a few moments to visualize anything that is nagging you and imagine it fading away.

3.Let’s start with some sinus breathing. Hold one nostril with your thumb and inhale. Switch and hold the other nostril and let the air out. This is a great way to get focused in your meditation as you are actively participating with your breath. Do this for a minute or so. Now release your nose and let’s start counting the breaths. This is another active form of breathing and is excellent for getting into your practice. Inhale for four counts, hold it at the top for four counts, and exhale for four counts. Repeat this for a minute or so.

4.Great, so now you’re relaxed. Let’s proceed on to the healing part! Gather up all your good energy–your gratitude, your joy, your love, your kindness. Feel all those emotions inside of you and feel that positive energy start to grow. Gather it up like a ball of sunshine and let it spread to the rest of your body. Feel that radiating good energy. Now focus it and send it where you want it to go. Whether that be towards healing yourself, your friends, your family, or even strangers who have lost everything. Send that good energy towards them or yourself, give strength. Focus on that.

5. Lastly, focus on gratitude. Think of a person or thing that you’re absolutely grateful for. Perhaps, sometimes you take them/it for granted, but this is the time to focus on this person or thing. Hold the image of them in your mind and the gratitude in your heart. Feel that good energy flow from the gratitude and allow it to spread. Concentrate on it and be at peace with it.

6. To end, let’s do 3 big dramatic breaths. I want your shoulders to raise up as you take a big inhale and forcefully let out the air, slumping the shoulders. This should come out like a huge sigh. Do this 3 times. It is wonderful stress-relief.

Please take the time to do this, I promise it won’t take more than 10 minutes. Spare the time in order to give yourself a sense of peace and healing through tough times. Use meditation to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah and Nymeria waiting patiently

Sep172013

Opt for the Walk

Needless to say, this has been a very interesting few days. Yesterday was the first day back to work after the Boulder Flood (#boulderflood) and it felt surreal. At first, I wasn’t even sure I could get to work (I work in Longmont and live in Boulder) but after some steady driving in the rain, I made it. Sure the highway was a bit beaten up and there were floods beside the road, but I made it perfectly safe and sound. However, yesterday more than any day, I felt mentally exhausted. Weird that it had come after all the catastrophe. Chris woke me up last night because I was having some sort of bad dream and all I remember is rain. It was nice to take a nap when I got back from work. Anyhow, back on point. Walking.

Central Park walk

Especially from that Thursday, if we wanted to go anywhere, it was safer to walk than to drive. We then did a lot of walking on Friday and even on Saturday too. Sunday, we were landlocked again (another storm). It got me thinking…I want to do more walking. Not because there’s a chance my car might get toted away by a flood, but because it should be more a part of everyone’s lifestyle! Even if you don’t have time for a workout, walk where you need to go. The whole concept of moving and staying active is what is going to keep you healthy for life.

So from now on, especially in the coming Fall, I plan to walk more places. To the grocery (we live 2-3 blocks away from one), instead of picking Chris up I will walk back with him, and walk to the gym. Those are just a few examples. You’d be surprised how just that extra bit of moving can make a big impact in your life and your health. So as life slowly falls back into place after the flood, I will find myself walking more and more and exploring new places. Who’s with me?! Take a walk to stay hungry and fit!