We’re Baaaack (Sorry!)

We have just arrived back from a nice 5-day vacation on the magical East Coast! We went out to visit Chris’ family (he’s from New Jersey/New York) and also see some friends. We had planned to prepare posts for each day ahead of time…but obviously that didn’t work. We have a little pathetic excuse, that there was no wifi we were able to get onto in the house…but still, sorry! I hope this post of deliciousness and friends will help you forgive us. It will be picture-heavy and text-light.

It was an early start to the Wednesday of us flying out–6:30am flight called for a 3:15am wake-up. We drove the car over to the airport and had a nice smooth ride, stopping briefly in Minneapolis before arriving at Newark. Since everyone who could pick us up were working, we decided to take it slow and just take public transportation back to Chris’ town, Midland Park, New Jersey. We got to the train station, his mum picked us up and we had an early first dinner of some good Chinese food. Two hours and a chiropractic appointment later, we had another dinner with his brother at a great thin-crust pizza. We finished that night off with some great Van Dyk’s ice cream and played video games all night with a good friend, Po.

Po & Chris, ice cream buds

On Thursday, we wake up bright and early (not getting much more than 5 hours sleep…who sleeps on vacation, right?) and pack in the car with Chris’ mum to visit Chris’ sister in Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia. And grabbed delicious bagel sandwiches on the way! It was a great day of relaxation, visiting Chris’ niece, adorable puppy, spending quality family time, and watching movies like Hotel Transylvania and Puss in Boots. We didn’t get home until around midnight and collapsed right to sleep.

Chris and his niece on a walk

Puppppyyyyyy

On Friday, it was another early-wake-up day for us because we were visiting the city–New York! We had a great day seeing lots of friends from college. We found our way to my friend Mary Kate via bus and had a great breakfast with her before she headed into her super awesome 60 Minutes work. Then we took the good old 1 train uptown to the college where we met, Manhattan College. We got to meet up with some friends who still are attending, some who drove in for the day just to see us, and our old bosses. Chris got to fit in a leg workout while I hung out with my old JustPeace (a social justice club I led) club while they held an event. I got to see Kathleen and Hilary here.

Times Square, crazy to be back

Yum

hi!

Roomates 4 lyfe

My boss (Lois), Kathleen, and I

Quad livin’

Sweaty buds

After that (still Friday), we grabbed Kathleen and kidnapped her back downtown where we forced her to see The Grandmaster (review coming soon), which was pretty epic at one of our favorite indie theatres at Lincoln Center. We walked around Central Park for a bit before walking down to the famous Halal Cart which came from humble beginnings but is now 3 carts deep. We chowed down on some platters and then met up with Allan to go to the Yankee game. It was a lot of fun and we got great seats! Pretty good game too–2 of Chris’ favorite players hit homers. We then got a ride back to New Jersey, had some ice cream, then went to sleep.

Central Park walk

Chowing on Halal–thanks for the pic, Kathleen

DROOL.

Yankee game

On Saturday, we actually slept in! All the way until 9am! I know–crazy. While we waited for our friend, Allan, to wake up, we went and visited Abma’s Farm for some baked goods and sheep humor. After that, and he still wasn’t up, we went to the local Wildlife Conservatory which has beautiful paths and only animals that need rehabilitation. We finally met Allan, Jane Kim (a friend of Chris’) and her boyfriend at a new place in town for “brunch” (…at 12:30pm). Although we were wary about prices and reviews, it turned out to be delicious and a great time! We walked around town afterwards, got some boba, and hung out at the Ridgewood Park. We then grabbed a Tony’s Pizza to eat the next day (because they would be closed on Sunday). Later that night, Chris’ whole family went out to hibachi and it was delicious! Then after, we of course got more ice cream and went to sleep.

This sheep had the deepest voice ever…creepy

Beautiful nature walk

My delicious breakfast burrito at brunch

Friends

Best pizza I’ve ever had

Hibachi!

We have another late morning wake-up on Sunday, this time around 8:30. I decide to go for a easy-paced run in the morning while we get started on the day. We basically spent the entire day visiting Chris’ many aunts and uncles–it was really nice to meet all of them as I hadn’t met many before. That night we met up with Pablo and Brit (Chris’ close friends) and we drove 15 miles to go to East, a restaurant with sushi on a conveyor belt. Delicious! We then watched Here Comes the Boom (surprisingly awesome movie) and, of course, got some more ice cream.

Nom nom nom

Now it’s Monday, and we’re wondering how this vacation is already over! However…our flight wasn’t until 7pm so we had a good amount of time to spend with friends before we took off. We had a nice breakfast with Pablo and Brit that morning while we waited for Allan and Po to roll out of bed. I got way too much food…brie-stuffed french toast, eggs, home fries, and toast! We then meet up with everyone else and to everyone’s disappointment, Chris coerces us to go see the Percy Jackson movie. Okay maybe not coerced, but reactions were definitely amusing. After that movie, we all piled into cars and rushed to Mitsuwa (which will be getting its own post), which is a magical place that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into Japan. Once we gobble down some delicious food, Allan is nice enough to take us down to JFK in Labor Day traffic. We owe him a big one.

Brie-stuffed french toast. yup.

And that was our trip! We had a pleasant flight and watched Great Gatsby (review coming soon) to make the 4.5 hours go by quickly. We are still catching up on sleep, and apologize again for the lack of posts, but here we come on full throttle! I’m probably forgetting a lot in this post, but I did what I could from memory! Make sure you travel to stay hungry and fit!

Thunder storm below us

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Kathleen and I ^.^

Aug162013

Recipe FAIL and a Pick-Me-Up

We’ve had this cauliflower in the fridge for some time now, and we’ve just been so busy moving, house-sitting, being sick, and getting our stuff together that we haven’t done as much at-home cooking as I would like. Sure we’ve done easy peasy meals here and there like quesadillas, muffins, and ramen, but not new recipes I’ve wanted to try. Well this was about to change (or so I was hoping)! I was so successful with my other no-yeast whole-wheat pizza recipe, I was like SURE I can do this cauliflower pizza recipe from here. WRONG. It called for a food processor, but I don’t have one really. So I just chopped into lots of bits. Anyhow, as you will see below, IT DIDN’T WORK OUT. I made the crust too thin and didn’t balance the cheese ratio me thinks.

YIKES-and a blurry pic to boot, nice, Alana

I kind of knew it went wrong after 5 minutes in the oven, but went through some self-denial until after, 25 minutes it was a burnt mess. Determination squashed, I told Chris that my dinner attempt was done and that it was his turn. He debated making a gourmet mac and cheese, but as we are both sick (who gets a cold in summer?!), we didn’t need more congestion, ESPECIALLY since Warrior Dash is this weekend. So eventually, he decided (I wouldn’t give him any input like a brat) on his favorite Chinese place in town, China Gourmet (I can’t believe we haven’t done a post about that place).

I got a delicious Pad Thai and he got Chicken and Broccoli

We enjoyed a nice sunset and spent some good time together sitting down and eating food we didn’t have to prepare. The motto of this story isn’t to get Chinese food after a recipe fail, but I wouldn’t be mad if that’s what you got out of it. What I want you to get out of it is to not be hard on yourself for everything and accept that you’re not perfect and you can’t be good at every little thing you do. I screwed up a recipe–who cares, we made a solution and are happy for it. So next time you burn that batch of cookies, either cook up something easy that you love, make your partner cook for you, or go out for a cheap meal! I promise you will forgive yourself. Use this advice to stay hungry and fit!

Beautiful Boulder sunset

We got a ping pong table! And Nymeria is absolutely adorable with us playing. Need to get a video

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BONUS KITTY PIC

^_^

Aug152013

Happy 1st Birthday, Hungry and Fit!

Happy Birthday to us! Happy Birthday to us! Wow! We made it one whole year of posting and you actually listened to us that whole time! Starting and continuing this blog has been an absolutely treasure for us and we appreciate our followers so much for their support and willingness to try new things. I can’t believe a whole year of blogging has gone by already! Time flies when you’re busy and having fun.

We originally started this blog to share our food and fitness knowledge and to discuss our journey–all which we’ve done with flying colors I believe. When we first started this blog, we were broke and jobless–using the public library to get our blogging needs done. Now we’ve moved to a new apartment (bigger and nicer than previous), gotten several jobs and moved up the chain in those jobs, becoming directors and coordinators of departments.

Chris has Bell’s Palsy here…

Hungry and Fit! Our pose

We’ve been through some rough times and some great times and we’ve both grown in our first year here in Colorado. We’ve achieved great fitness goals and killer recipes. There was the point when we hit 1k followers, and now we’re up to 1,500! We’ve expanded a great deal with different social medias in our Hungry & Fit Nation. We’ve extended our services as personal trainers and become friends with other businesses. We get 400 views a day! Pretty good first year I’d say. And tons of “bonus kitty pics” (obviously the best part of our posts).

And let’s look at the very first post we wrote…”Welcome to Boulder“. Awww, isn’t that cute! It’s fun to look back and see our journey from Day 1 to where we are. Fresh out from college (me anyhow–Chris was one year out), living on our own, and creating a life together. Pretty exciting stuff to think about. We’ve now surpassed a half million views and we are ecstatic about how well our blog has taken off. We’ve gotten some attention from sponsors and ad agencies, but we do this for the love of creation and helping others. And we plan to keep it that way.

It’s a lot of work to blog every day (or so we try), but it’s something we think worth doing and we truly do enjoy it. You gotta do what you love and love what you do. But YOU guys help us keep going. So thank you so much for supporting us! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah has become such a cuddle bug

Aug102013

Fit’s Food Review: La Vecchia (Santa Monica, CA)

La Vecchia has always been a “treat” or “very special occasion” for my family and I. Most of you know I grew up in Santa Monica, California, and that’s where this gem is located. Whether it was birthday dinner, graduation dinner, or someone special from out of town visiting. I always have fond memories of being so excited and sitting in the restaurant devouring their delicious warm perfectly-cooked bread. It’s my mum’s favorite Italian place in town.

On this day, our last day in town during Memorial Day Weekend, my mum wanted to take us somewhere special for lunch before our flight. She would take no refusal on HER paying for lunch and she decided on La Vecchia’s. So we went RIGHT at opening–11am. It was hard to even get in because tree cutters were blocking the entrance. Finally, we got seated (first ones in so we knew everything was going to be OH SO FRESH). Chris didn’t know what he was in for but I was so excited, basically drooling for what was to come. The waiter came right up to us and gave us water and…yes, you know it, BREAD. And their amazing dipping sauce. I was in heaven.

Each slice was as warm, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside as ever. Just as good as I remembered it. And that garlic-basil-olive oil dipping sauce is out of this world. Basic ingredients, but they do it right. Now another food I always remember from La Vecchia is the fried calamari. My mum really wanted to treat us so we got the calamari and a tuna salad. The calamari was just as good as I remember and the tuna was fresh. Awesome appetizers.

Calamari

When I was little, I would always always always order the angelhair pasta. It was the only pasta I would eat from here. With olive oil and garlic. Mmm! However, I wasn’t in the mood for that today and actually had a really tough time deciding. Eventually I landed with the margherita pizza which I of course could not finish. My mum got fish and roasted vegetables and Chris got spaghetti and meatballs (classic Italian dish–he always has to go for this or chicken parm to try new Italian places out).

My pizza

Spaghetti and meatball

Close-up!

Overall, we were very happy with each of our dishes. The veggies were roasted to perfection for my mum and the fish was seasoned beautifully yet subtly. The pizza had a nice thin, crisp crust and the cheese wasn’t overwhelming. Great balance of flavors. Chris really enjoyed the spaghetti and meatballs because it was fresh, the flavors were wonderful, the tomato sauce wasn’t too heavy, and the pasta was cooked just right. The only tragic thing about this meal was that we couldn’t eat our leftovers since we were going on the plane! I’m still regretting that. If you’re in Santa Monica, stop by La Vecchia on Main St. for a bite to remember and a great way to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

The only way of seeing Nymeria in pictures at night is with the flash on

Aug092013

Sport Discovery: Disc Golf

Boulder is known for many physical activities including rock climbing, bouldering, triathlon, and more. There is another sport that we recently discovered in town that may be less physically exhausting then those already listed, but just as fun for some. Disc golf, or frisbee golf, is a game that blends golf with frisbee. Seems simple enough right?

You take your discs (that are crafted specifically for the sport), step up to the tee, and use a driver to launch the disc anywhere from 100 feet to 100 yards. Then you switch to other discs that float and curve less as you approach the “hole.” The hole is actually a basket that stands about 5-6 feet tall and has chains that help you sink the final shot. If you hit the chains properly with a straight shot that is not too hard, you typically will get the rebounding effect to knock the disc into the basket, effectively allowing you to move on. Every hole has a suggested number of throws that determines what your score should be. At the course we play at every hole has a par of 3. The last two times I finished two and one shot over par, which I was happy about. Alana doesn’t count her throws, or strokes. Let’s talk more about the physical aspects of the sport.

Some might argue it isn’t a sport and is more so a hobby, but we could do that for everything. It’s a combination of two sports and requires some physical skills, including serious hand-eye coordination. If you just go onto the course and try to launch the discs, you’ll score horribly. If you try to take short straight throws to be safe, your result will be similar. You need to practice proper throwing and release techniques in order to get distance while maintaining the right position relative to the hole. It’s a delicate balance of power and finesse, which is not easy. A great way to generate power is by snapping your wrist, but this needs to be done with precision. Otherwise you will snap the disc into the area code next to you, when you want to throw the disc in front. Those are some basic tips if you want to improve your game. But I’ll tell you why you should play.

It’s not going to necessarily be a workout and help you lose fat, build muscle, or anything along those lines. However, it’s something active that could lead to playing Ultimate Frisbee, hiking, biking or another outdoor activity. Here in Boulder, the course at Valmont Park has all kinds of trails and just watching other people move on by while playing frisbee golf can be a motivating factor. It can help you develop some specific muscles in your shoulders and arms if you throw the disc enough. Plus, walking from hole to hole is a workout in itself for some more than others.

Trying out disc golf is a way to get outside and motivate yourself to be more active. It’s not very strenuous so it can be a good way to ease yourself into more intense exercise and fitness routines. Or it’s a great way to spend some time with family and friends and enjoy life. I do not recommend playing alone. It’s nowhere near as fun. And family, friends, fun and sun are all a major part of being hungry and fit!

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Jul262013

How to Choose the Right Dentist for Your Kids

Having the right dentist for your children is important. Choosing a dentist for your child is like choosing a doctor; taking the time to research your options to decide on a specialist is the best way to make sure everybody has a good experience.

If your child is reaching the age where it’s time to start seeing the dentist regularly, or you’ve moved to a new area and find a new dentist for your kids, you likely understand how stressful it can be finding a new dentist. It isn’t a process to be rushed, however, because if you don’t get the right dentist for your child, there could be problems down the road. Check out these tips on how you can find a good dentist for your kids.

Ask for Recommendations

One of the best ways to find a dentist for your kids is to ask friends and family for recommendations. You likely have some family friends with kids that are going to the dentist, so asking them which dentist they go to and whether they like the services is a good way to find a dentist.

If you’re moving to a new city, you can ask your current dentist for recommendations or referrals to a new dentist. Even if you’re moving to some far away city like Olathe, your dentist might have a recommendation for a Kansas City cosmetic dentist that he or she knows through conferences or conventions. If you like your child’s current dentist, this can be a great way to find a new dentist because you’ll be getting a valued opinion on a new dentist.

Find Out Policies

If your child has trouble going to the dentist, you likely know the nightmare that it can be whenever a checkup is required. Before settling on a dentist, check out certain policies that relate to your situation to see if the dentist is a good fit for you and your child. For example, if your child is too scared to sit in the chair by his or her self, see if you’ll be allowed to go back there to hold hands. Some dentists might have a policy against parents doing this, which is why it’s important to check policies before making a decision.

On the flip side, some dentists might require the parents to be in the back room. Whatever the situation is, make sure you double check the relevant policies so you can find a dentist that fits your and your child’s needs.

Check the Accreditation

This should be a no-brainer for parents searching for a dentist for their kids, but sometimes it’s often overlooked. Check to see if the potential dentist you’re considering is accredited with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This is the most respected accreditation for child dentists, so make sure that the dentist has this accreditation before agreeing to any sort of agreement. All it takes is a simple question to find out if the dentist is accredited.

Image credit: http://www.bcdentalcare.ca

Jul252013

A Beautiful Summer Beach Wedding (First to Get Married)

This is going to be a very happy post because it was a very happy day for everyone. One of (probably my absolute best, top 2 ^_^) my very close friends recently got married to a great guy. Memorial Day Weekend 2013, Laura and Tim Johnson were married in a beautiful ceremony at the nicest church in Santa Monica, CA.

Woohoo!

First, Laura went to college and met Tim. Then when we went back to LA, we visited them at Pepperdine University and went out for Thai food. We didn’t get to hang out much but Tim seemed like a really nice guy and we got along pretty well. So, I was actually happy for Laura, which is saying a lot because she’s kind of family. (A slightly younger little sister) Later, she tells us they’re engaged and we get the save the date. Excited! We buy our plane tickets for Memorial Day Weekend and then it’s the big day out of nowhere. Here comes the good part!

Before we got there

Getting ready for wedding…Chris the self-proclaimed French hairstylist

Alana and I show up LATE to the ceremony. That’s right. We show up after the bride and have to slip into the church through a side door. Felt horrible but who wants a boring wedding? I don’t think it ruined anything and Laura seemed so into it (and nervous) that she probably didn’t even see. Too many important people there anyway. It was a short and enjoyable traditional ceremony. The priest was very funny and made the boring parts really fun.

Yay!

It was just great seeing Laura and Tim up there. Stuff happened… and then they kissed! We cheered, they left, everyone left, we left. Then, we decide to go to the spot for the reception in a limo bus with her family and closest friends. Alana and I talked to her parents in the bus and they remembered who I was. Her mom has such a great memory and is the sweetest lady ever. Laura’s dad is super nice too. Then, when we get to Casa del Mar (nicest hotel in Santa Monica, great restaurant) we find out that the reception doesn’t start for 4 hours! Oops, we didn’t do our homework. So then we slip out the back door and make our way to Bay Cities for lunch. I texted Laura and Tim to see if they wanted any but it seems like they were too busy so no Bay Cities for them!

Leaving for the RECEPTION this time

Finally we come back for the reception and it was top-notch. Casa del Mar and the host families did not disappoint. The cocktail hour included a free open bar, SUSHI, oysters, sliders, and more. You can see the pictures, including one where Alana tried her first oyster off the shell. Then we all got moved inside and we were seated at Table #2, which had all couples that were basically all from Pepperdine. The only person I know besides those 4 already mentioned was Evi, the maid of honor. I never got the chance to say hi but she made an awesome speech, along with the best man, all the parents, etc. Really heart-felt and nice warm reception. The food was all amazing, especially the filet mignon. On to the entertainment.

Cocktail hour

NEVER AGAIN

Drool…

Alana’s stuffed veggie plate

Beautiful table

They hired a very talented band of all kinds of musicians and vocalists that covered tons of songs. We went from Motown to hip hop to country to GREECE! There was a Greek-Armenian (I think) artist who was hilarious. He had such great charisma and energy and we could tell that everyone that could understand him was loving it. So we were loving it too. They danced traditional Greek dances to traditional songs and we watched. Alana was jealous that she wasn’t Greek. It was a great mix of a traditional American and Greek wedding. Everyone had a great time and we left a little early because we were getting a ride home from Alana’s generous father around midnight (what, are we in high school?). The best part of the night for me was getting to give Laura and Tim a good bear hug and get a picture with the bride. I snuck in and out while they had ten free seconds in between events and songs. I barely made it but I’m glad I did and I’m super happy for them.

Band

Greek/Armenian singer

Father/Daughter

GREEK DANCE

Hopefully we get a chance to visit them in their new home soon! Congrats you two and we better have reunions in Jersey, LA, and everywhere else! Cant’ say enough about that day and wish everyone could have been there! Good luck Laura and Tim. We’re here for you if you need anything! The big picture is that if you are really close and care about certain people then you can just see them after years and it’s like you never missed a day without seeing them. One of Alana’s clients who is an absolutely lovely lady told us that yesterday and it’s so true. Always be there for those good friends because having those extra support systems can mean the world to people. Loving your real family and friends can give you the support to stay hungry and fit!

(P.S. – I haven’t seen any of the Twilight series movies, nor do I plan on seeing them anytime soon. However, Laura and Tim’s first dance was to Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” and that was my favorite part of the night. Love that song)

Bride & Groom

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Jul172013

July/August Giveaway (and June Winners Announced!)

Two weeks late! I apologize for the delay but it’s been a very busy month at Hungry & Fit HQ, which will be relocating to another part of town soon. We’re being very picky about the new spot and time is of the essence so we will keep you updated on the new spot. More details to come soon. In the midst of a vacation sandwiched by two thirteen hour drives and working overtime as usual, we seem to have been unable to post the winner for our June giveaway of Moosejaw sunglasses. We want to get those out before the Summer is over! We decided to name three winners thanks to the generosity of Moosejaw and ourselves. We also will be throwing in a cool Moosejaw sticker. The winners are…

Mary Lou Harris from http://stillarunner.com/
amandakhootman
Callista Meyer

Please email your mailing addresses to hungryandfit@gmail.com if you want to redeem these prizes. Any prizes that are not claimed will be donated to a local organization of our choice.

Since July is already halfway over it seems somewhat pointless to host a giveaway for July. Instead, we’re going to a July/August giveaway that is going to be much better than what July might have been. In fact, we’re going to do a double giveaway with two great prizes because we’re so excited for the month of August. We have talked with some of our favorite local businesses in order to arrange such an event and Frozen Kiss and BaliAsli, two of our favorites are helping us out with this one. Here are the prizes and here are the rules.

1. Frozen Kiss Colorado Flag Custom Tank Top – Any of the colors available in the store, any size for men or women. They fit each gender differently but are still awesome for anyone! That’s over a $30 value. Check out the Colorado Flag Tank Tops available through this link.

How to win: This product is the creation of a man who comes from one place but is influenced by his travels to another. Tell us about your most important journey and how it made you think of home differently. Maybe you saw the poverty in a developing country and it made you appreciate what you grew up with a lot more than you did before! We want genuine tales commented below and our favorite story wins! (Oh, bonus points go to anyone that likes Frozen Kiss’ Facebook page or Etsy shop!)

2. ANY ITEM on BaliAsli’s Etsy Shop! – That’s right… we’re not messing around with this one. You can have any item available in the store. Whether it’s made of wax or yarn or something else, it’s your if you win the contest. Remember, this is totally free. Shipping is on us!

How to win: This shop’s motto is “with love we create and share.” All of these goods are handmade and homemade. Even the yarn is taken from the sheep they raise in their backyard (just joking about that one). We want you to tell us about an instance in your life where you shared something incredible with someone. It doesn’t have to be something that you made or even a material good but we want to know what you shared and how you shared it. Hungry and Fit shares their advice on living a healthy life all the time. Comment your stories below for a chance to win this awesome prize. Oh… again, mega bonus points go to anyone that likes Bali Asli’s Facebook page, Etsy shop, and YouTube channel. We’re all about spreading the love and good feelings. Those clicks don’t cost you a penny.

If you are a winner for June’s giveaway, please email us your address so that we can send off your goodies! Email us at hungryandfit@gmail.com. Again the winners are:

Mary Lou Harris from http://stillarunner.com/
amandakhootman
Callista Meyer

Email us ASAP if you are one of the above. And remember for everyone else, comment below for either or both prizes and we will select our favorite story! Spread the love to stay hungry and fit!

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Jul112013

Birdsall’s: The Best Ice Cream in the West

I find it pretty funny that I’m writing this post after discussing clean eating, but who cares when you’re talking about BIRDSALL’S! We’re talking homemade, home-churned, quality ice cream from the mid-west. Yes, I’m making a big statement by saying an ice cream joint in Mason City, Iowa has the best ice cream in the West, but there it is. Many of you will never try this place because who plans a trip to Mason City? Well, we do as that’s where my dad is from and where my grandparents and other relatives live. It’s our family reunion spot and we hit Birdsall’s at least twice every day we’re there (not kidding).

Chris should be sponsored by Birdsall’s because he’s always the one demanding we go again and again…don’t mind if I do!

As you can see in the sign, Birdsall’s has been around for a long time. My brother and I (who you will see below) grew up in Mason City, Iowa every year as our parents would ship us off to our grandparents for the summer. Birdsall’s has always and will always be a highlight of our days there. What do you do in Iowa? People think it boring, but I know it’s tons of fun: movies, games, swimming, ping pong (lots of ping pong), delicious homemade food, and...ICE CREAM! Once Chris became a part of this reunion, he made Birdsall’s a priority and nobody in the family argued against him. Birdsall’s gets tons of business when we come into town. Chris even got a $13 turtle (basically a hot fudge sundae)–a quart-sized ice cream. It was as big as my brother’s head (and he has a big head!).

QUART-SIZED TURTLE. He ate the whole thing. Wow

QUART-SIZED TURTLE as big as my brother’s head. He ate the whole thing. Wow

Ping pong all day err day

Now you may think it’s expensive based on the $13 I say, but remember that’s an entire quart. Their ice cream is wonderfully-priced (perks of Iowa) and it does not match the quality of the ice cream (they should really charge more). If we were there a month or so later, we would be served with delicious, home-made, fresh peach ice cream. With real peaches in it fresh from that season. You know it’s quality when they have seasonal flavors.

Dad action shot

My last name is Powell and we all say “it’s the Powell gene” when we over-eat ice cream…every night. Sorry, can’t help it, it’s in my genetics. And although I did frequent Birdsall’s while during contest, I pretty much stuck to my macros, but still didn’t do great things for me unless you count…HAPPINESS. Some of our favorites from Birdsall’s include the Frosty Malt–basically a Wendy’s Frosty but real. Like with real ice cream and real malt. It’s so refreshing and usually my go-to.

Frosty Malt

Mum chowing down

Other great flavors include peach (duh), chippermint, pecan, and raspberry chocolate truffle. I’m drooling as I write this. I’d have to say the all-time favorite with the most overall votes from the group would have to be the turtle: vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, caramel, and nuts. Now this may sound like a typical ice cream sundae–but it’s not. We have never been able to replicate this or find this anywhere else. People may offer it or they might even custom-order for us, but nowhere can you find this amazing quality-filled turtle where the hot fudge doesn’t harden. Every other place, even beloved Glacier, hardens. It’s amazing. And the turtle was what Chris ate quart-sized.

Turtle

Don’t mind if I do!

If you’re travelling cross-country or even across the mid-west, do yourself a favor and stop at Birdsall’s in Mason City, Iowa. It’s hard to find ice cream that high-quality and the turtles and peach ice cream cannot be beat. Sorry if you’re on a strict diet right now (like I am), but hey if it hits your macros, go grab some ice cream! I cannot recommend this place enough and the joy it brings. There’s something for everyone. Birdsall’s is perfect for staying hungry and fit!

Black and White Milkshake

a version of a Blizzard

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Jul072013

The Perfect July 4th Treat: Stuffed Strawberries

Now that I think about it, it doesn’t need to be July 4th…it can be any nation’s pride day who has red white and blue. And you aren’t limited just to July 4th either because it’s a healthy and delicious treat! I may have served these on July 5th, but that’s only because we already had rhubarb pies made by my grandma. This special dish involves fruit, dairy, and happiness and doesn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes to make! I got it from here and added a bit of lemon into it and took out some sugar.

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: …non-existent

Ingredients

a tin of strawberries (I just usually get the regular pound at the grocery)
a tin of blueberries (same thing)
5 oz marscapone
juice of a lemon
lemon zest
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Wash the fruit and pat dry all of it

Beautiful sight

Take the strawberries and cut the green ends off and also a little portion of the tip so they can stand upright on a platter
Take a melon baller and ball out of the bottom, creating a crevasse.

Once your strawberries are all “pitted” and plated, let’s turn to the filling. Put 5 ounces of marscapone cheese and put it in a small-medium bowl

I would next do the lemon juice. Cut the lemon in half and squeeeeeze all that juice out.
Next, grind the lemon on a grater and get a good amount of zest (people say 1 tsp, but I eyeball it)
Then, throw the powdered sugar and vanilla in and stir! Mix it all up really well

Hard not to eat it all

Now comes the most difficult part: take the marscapone mixture and put it into a re-sealable bag and snip a corner off. Use this contraption to fill the pits in the strawberries up with the mixture

Once all the strawberries are filled to perfection, place the blueberries on top of the cream in the strawberries. And that’s it!

Yum yum yum

This is an easy, healthy treat you can substitute for pie or something else you’d like to stay away from on those holiday food feasts. Fresh fruit and sweet cheese. How could it go wrong? It’s easy to do, pretty to the eye, and delicious enough to impress. Make this recipe if you’re looking to stay hungry and fit!