Jan262015

Simply Pho You Restaurant Review (Los Angeles)

Restaurant? In a sense. It’s not the best word I’d use to describe the atmosphere at Simply Pho You on Vermont (just off Wilshire Center–Fit things it’s a hilarious name) in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Tucked in a strip mall on a crowded corner that gets loads of foot traffic, there isn’t any space for outdoor seating. While the inside also lacks square footage, management has loaded family-style tables with plenty of seating. No over the-top-decorations, no attractive hostess at an over-sized station, no wasted space. They just want to serve you food, and I love it. Efficiency bursts out of the kitchen with one of the hardest working wait staffs I have ever seen. The food is well worth the small price you have to pay. Restaurant? Again, not quite. I’d imagine this is what a Vietnamese block party feels like and I have few complaints.

Jan162015

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I think I talked many times about how baking is therapy. Not shoving sugar in your face, but the act of baking itself. It’s the act of creation and producing something, I think. Also getting to work with your hands helps too. Bringing several ingredients together to make something completely different is fun and satisfying. The process consumes you so you aren’t thinking about the challenges or difficulties in your life. Also, another great byproduct is the delicious things themselves! However, we don’t want to feel guilty about eating this “invention,” we should instead enjoy them.

This recipe is based on of this one here. It’s an incredibly easy recipe that’s hard to go wrong (just make sure you measure). It doesn’t take many ingredients, in fact, if you bake often, you’ll probably have most of them in your pantry. Sometimes Hungry doesn’t like when I bake “healthy” recipes, but I’m thinking that this time he did because they didn’t last over 24 hours (and there were at least a dozen of them). Praise to healthy oatmeal raisin cookies! This recipe is a crowd pleaser without making you feel the guilt!

Stiiir it up

Jan142015

How to Get Your Fitness Motivation Back

People who can identify in some way to the title know that going through this is tough. Being a normally active person or simply having a goal to becoming a health nut and not having that drive inside of you hurts. It almost wounds you, if you’re someone who is usually top-notch. Whether it’s due to lack of time, lack of energy, or just plain lack of motivation, it’s depressing to not have that hunger to work the body hard. Since I’m no longer training people full-time, I have found that my fitness motivation isn’t as high as it used to be. When I was training full-time, I was an example, and my clients were my motivation. I appreciated all the hard work they were doing and that, in turn, inspired me to keep fighting hard for my health. Now that I’m not training as much, my motivation dips to what I can do to “stay in shape” or “get by.” This is the worst because just getting by is average and I loathe average.

It’s not all bad news. There’s light behind those dark clouds. It is possible to get out of that slump and the key is within your own mind. I’ve thought about this a lot recently–how I want to beat average and become my truly fit self again. I’ve thought about what has motivated me in the past or what has really fired me up. Being fit is a very personal thing. Everything is in your head–your goals, your inspiration, your drive, and so forth. Motivation is not universal. I can tell you right now that Dani California Cooks does not get motivation to workout hard while listening to a video game soundtrack like I do (she’s nerdy in other ways). We are all different–and that’s what makes humans so interesting. However, there are some tips on how to tap into your inner drive and motivators and how to get your fitness motivation back.

Jan132015

2015 Fitness Test with Gold’s Gym

We’re nearly two weeks into 2015 and you may or may not be on the right track. Your diet isn’t as clean as you wanted. You still haven’t signed up for that new gym membership. You’re so busy getting back to work from the holidays that you barely have time to sleep. No worries, take this fitness test as a wake up call.

Your health can’t wait because a healthy lifestyle is the key to success at home, with family, in school, at work, or wherever you go. Increased energy levels, decreased stress levels, a more functional immune system… don’t those all sound nice. Throw some well-built shoulders and a defined midsection and you’d be feeling pretty well.

As a member of Gold’s Venice, a staff member shot this my way and I must say, I think it’s great. We’ll see what you think about it after you put yourself through these ten grueling minutes of all out exercise targeting every muscle in your body. WAIT… remember, this isn’t made to be a workout, it’s made to see what kind of shape you’re in and what you need to start doing more (or less) of in your life!

The test itself is simple and self-explanatory. It’s an awesome system but I can’t say the push ups, squats, bench step ups, pull ups, and crunches will be quite as much fun.

Click here to take the Gold’s Gym Fit Test

Post your thoughts, or results, in the comment section below. AND if you’re a real go-getter who wants to make the most of 2015, post a video of your test on YouTube and tag our YouTube channel, HungryandFit!

Jan122015

Song of the Sea Review

Have you ever seen Secret of Kells? It’s a wonderful story told through brilliant animation unfolding Irish mythology. Its animation, graphics, music draw you in like little other animations do. Its rich story is told through an enchanting way that makes you love the characters and simply get lost in the “scenery.” The creators of Secret of Kells recently came out with a new movie: Song of the Sea, another story concerning Irish mythology, this time of a selky. As soon as I saw that GKIDS (the movie company) was coming out with another movie, I jumped on the opportunity to see it. With the same rich animation, I knew it would be worth seeing on the big screen. Luckily we have the Nuart theatre who is playing the movie all week. We ate at the Red Tiger and went to the theatre early for good seats and some popcorn.

Our dinner and a movie!

For me, the entertainment value was high. The animation, again like in Secret of Kells, was magical and enchanting. The voice actors and actresses were spot on in capturing a small family in a remote part of Ireland. I particularly loved Saoirse, the little girl who the movie focuses on. Her sweetness and pure wonder makes the world blossom for you as it does for her. You didn’t get to know the characters very well, but that is also how Secret of Kells is. It doesn’t draw too much away from the movie, but it would be nice to have a morsel more of information. However, the characters all have their quirks that make you smile because they are simply them. I didn’t like it as much as Secret of Kells, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

This movie deserves some Oscars. The layers and depths of the animation in this movie is hard to wrap the mind around, let alone describe in words. As the journey unfolds, there are multiple patterns of animation going on all around the screen. The animators use the graphics and drawings to reveal more about the story and the world without using characters to tell it. I find it absolutely remarkable. It is transfixing and your breath catches when you watch it.

Image source

If there were two “X-Factors” of this movie, it would be the animation and the music. You know about the animation, seeing as I have gone on and on about it, but the music is also part of the enchantment. With the music and animation partnered hand-in-hand, you are transported into another world of mythology and wonder. The animation is incredibly unique in style. The music has roots in the Irish culture (which is already a winner for me). The music is full of song, melody, and rhythm. It sways you and brings you along for the journey.

Hungry and Fit gives this movie a big thumbs up. If you’re in the Los Angeles area or in an area playing this movie, go see it on the big screen. The music and animation are worth it enough. Get ready to be transported into a world of Irish mythology and a child’s journey to discovering who she truly is. Enjoy Song of the Sea and prepare to have your breath taken away. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

Image source

Jan062015

Vegan Mushroom “Stroganoff”

Recently, some friends and I have been having “movie nights” (actually during the day) where we eat and watch a movie. This past time, we all brought food to share. I planned on making a vegan dish that our friend who doesn’t eat cheese or soy could eat. Now, I didn’t actually make it in time for this get-together, but I eventually did successfully complete it! And boy was it worth the wait! I made a vegan mushroom stroganoff. This dish is full of flavor, with the mushrooms giving that depth and heartiness. Since we live in Koreatown, there aren’t a lot of typical noodles, so we used udon noodles! It actually turned out well. Chris has been eating it every day for work, as this recipe makes a great deal of food. Let’s get to it.

Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

2015-01-04 10:18:52

Serves 4

A yummy substitution for its beef counterpart

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

8 oz package of any type of noodle
1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp whole wheat flour (not all used at once)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp tomato sauce
1.5 lbs mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Instructions

Chop the mushrooms into 2 inch pieces and slice up the onions
Cook the noodles as per directions on the package (undercook them slightly)
Drain and set aside
In a large saucepan, saute the olive oil and onions
Add two tbsp of whole wheat flour and stir constantly for 30 seconds
Slowly add the broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, and tomato sauce until mixture starts to become thick and bubbly
Add mushroom, sage, salt and thyme and stir
Cook for about 5-7 minutes until mushrooms have shrunk and absorbed juice
Add vinegar and continue to let simmer for 5 minutes
Now, add the noodles alongside another tbsp of flour
Serve hot!

By Hungry and Fit

Adapted from One Green Planet

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

I am very pleased with how this dish came out, and it was inspired by One Green Planet. This is a great dish for anyone and everyone because it’s vegan and has no soy. It holds well for leftovers as well as the mushrooms continue to marinate with flavor. It’s very simple, the only time-consuming part is chopping up the mushrooms and onions, and even then it’s not a very long time at all. I’d be interested to see all types of noodles work with this, so please share if you decide to make it. It’s a perfect winter dish–full of flavor and warmth. It’s even been cold here in Los Angeles with temperatures of 39 degrees in the morning! That is cold for LA, let me tell you. Please enjoy this warm dish and as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Jan052015

Our Last Week (ish) in Pics

I (Fit) have had the luck and the good fortune to have a workplace that lets us have two weeks off for the holidays! This allowed me much relaxation and re-boot time–plus, tons of time with my favorite animals. Have a wonderful week!

Lots of animal naps

Caught them cuddling!

Look at that tongue!!

A book I am SO excited to read

Lots of family time

Delicious meals with good friends

Shopped at Adidas and this made me smile

A Hungry and Fit Facebook giveaway!

Had fun baking and drinking champagne with good friends for New Years

Had fun baking cookies and drinking champagne with good friends for New Years

Enjoying a gourmet breakfast before we saw Into the Woods

Chris having too much fun at work

New Year’s Eve meal (Indian food)…with a hungry Noke nearby

Lots of home workouts

And gym workouts

Jan012015

Happy New Year from Hungry and Fit!

Happy New Year to all! We hope it was a wonderful 2014 and we hope you’re planning on an even better 2015. We want to share with you our year in stats! Click on this link to see how WE did this year!

Coming up soon…how to make your goals stick and how to take baby steps! We want to set reachable and obtainable goals this year so we can CRUSH THEM!

So tell us…how was your 2014? And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Dec302014

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

Came out wonderfully!

Never under-indulge

Pikelets

2014-12-29 19:24:09

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 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk (or as needed)
Butter
Syrup

Instructions

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl
In another bowl, beat the egg and sugar until thick
Add milk to the flour mixture and mix in the other wet mixture so that everything is combined
Heat up a skillet or a frying pan and make sure to grease before every pikelet you cook!
Place them (around a tablespoon or more of each) and turn over when bubbles start
Cook the other side until golden
Keep warm and serve with butter and maple syrup

By Hungry and Fit

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!

Dec292014

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.

Image source

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!