When we say, ‘cold treat in New Orleans,’ we bet you think of a snoball. And you’re spot on for what New Orleans is known for during the summer. But New Orleans has been hiding a cold treat from y’all, specifically the Westbank of New Orleans.
Recently, a Facebook friend shared the featured image on this post, which is a millennial food quiz. This friend lives in the New Orleans area and most of the people who commented on the post had relatively low scores, which I mention in tomorrow’s video. I can only imagine what the results for someone in Los Angeles or San Francisco would look like. My score wouldn’t have been nearly as high if we didn’t live in Hollywood for three years.
In tomorrow’s video, I go over the list one item at a time. I’ll also reveal if I know what it is, if I’ve eaten it, and where I’ve eaten it… if I remember. I know, this would’ve been a much better video if Alana and I recorded it together… maybe we’ll do a part two!
No matter how much disposable income you have, and whether you’re in the middle of a pandemic or not, you should never pay a meal delivery service for fast food.
We were out to dinner at Dune (review coming soon) with our videographer when the snow-cone looking logo caught our eyes. Everyone knew that dessert was across the street, but we had no idea just how good it would be. We’d never heard of Wanderlust, but we wish that we had sooner! Watch us enjoy Wanderlust in this video.
The server quickly explained that the flavors were inspired by places the owners have been and others they want to visit–all over the world. Well, a few of the spots were ones that we’ve been to (Cafe du monde, for example) and a few others were ones that we’re going to soon (Ireland, Iceland) so there was an immediate connection that was thrilling. Plus, our videographer (Juan Esguerra, Iron Fortitude Media) is from the Philippines, and the server told us the owner was too, so even more bonus points. But who cares about all that… get to the ice cream!
Up next on our Must-Visit LA Restaurants of 2018 is actually a dessert spot! Surely, if you’re reading this review, you’ve checked Holy Roly out on Yelp. If you haven’t, we’ll summarize the criticism on Yelp in two words: overpriced and parking. Nearly all of the complaints come from a lack of familiarity of the LA food scene, especially Koreatown. So, to debunk those myths… any dessert under $10 is normal and never think you’ll find parking in K-town.
Maybe we have an unfair advantage, having lived a few blocks away. We knew where to park and when to go. As a result, we didn’t spend thirty minutes parking and wait in any line here, so we weren’t in a bad mood before we started eating. We found out about Holy Roly from Maneet Chauhan, since it didn’t actually exist yet when we lived here. We actually discovered our love for rolled ice cream, in all places, at a Thai-owned and operated location in Montgomery, Alabama.
Here is a super simple recipe for a somewhat natural/healthier but still insanely delicious topping for your ice cream sundaes. (Because we all know how much Hungry & Fit love their ice cream sundaes.)
Ingredients
We always buy clearance…
Before
and after!
yum
*Question of the Day: What are your favorite toppings for ice cream sundaes?
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 ^.^
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 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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I noticed we had five drafts waiting for us to finish. Two are interviews between myself and Fit (those are going to be amazing) and then there are two others I already forget and actually put in the trash bin. We either did them or aren’t going to do them. You’ll find out what those are soon enough. This is the final one and I cannot believe I have not published this yet.
I have many recipes for post-workout protein shakes. I cycle supplements even though I have my favorites. I try new supplements when they are released so I can recommend them and, depending on my fitness goal at the time, I have different blends of mass gainers and protein. I also often purchase depending on price and deals. The base ingredients of my shakes are consistent and simple. I often combine my post-workout shake with a meal… typically dinner. Therefore, I don’t make them massive because I would not risk ruining my appetite. With that being said, here is my base shake with potential deviations.
1. MILK– I am almost always bulking or maintaining and I love dairy products. Milk is one of my favorite foods period. In a bulk, I might have whole milk. In a cut, I might have 1%. It’s not set in stone but I always use two cups of milk, which on average is about 16 grams of protein and 300 calories. I NEVER calculate fats or carbohydrates. Sorry. This is the shake’s foundation.
2. ICE CREAM– That’s right, more dairy. More fat. More calories and slightly more protein. My go-to ice cream I use 95% of the time is Breyer’s Natural Vanilla. It’s expensive so I wait for it to go on sale and buy, buy, buy. It’s been rated by Men’s Health as the healthiest ice cream for men year after year. I also have eaten Breyer’s since I was a kid. A serving is half a cup so I typically use a full cup in my shake. It’s somewhere around 300 calories and 6 grams of protein. Somewhere around there. This makes the shake rich and smooth.
3. Protein- This is the ingredient that will differ the most depending on everything I mentioned above. Right now, I am using Cytosport’s Whey Protein, which is a blend of whey concentrate, whey isolate, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It’s low in calories and very high in protein. I use two-three scoops depending on what other food I eat throughout the day. My go-to is two scoops, however, which comes out to 54 grams of protein and under 300 calories, I think. I use regular chocolate because I think a lot of the other flavors in the industry are disgusting, especially vanilla.
4. Banana- I love fruit and like to make sure my potassium intake is high enough for when I actually start swimming and playing sports again. Banana and chocolate is also the perfect mix. It may only be about 100 calories and 1 gram of protein but it’s delicious. Also, many primates eat bananas and they’re strong as heck so of course I’m going to eat some too.
5. Creatine- This one isn’t always present but when I am taking extra creatine (my pre-workouts often have it too, plus I do) I usually throw in two teaspoons in my shake during creatine loading cycles and one during creatine maintenance. I use Optimum Nutrition’s Creatine Monohydrate. It can be extremely grainy so mix well or be ready to deal with the texture. It is calorically void.
That’s about it. I have been known to mix in other fresh fruits, especially strawberries or blueberries. I used to add peanut butter until I got sick of cleaning it off the blades afterwards. I used to add chocolate syrup but that’s long gone. And more. So there you have it. My typical protein shake measures out to a liter. It currently has about 75-80 grams of protein and between 1000-1200 calories.
If you have any questions about post workout meals, supplements, or anything related feel free to comment below! Stay hungry and fit!
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While we were back in my home town (Santa Monica, California), we traveled to where my brother lives–in Downtown Los Angeles. Not exactly my most favorite part of LA, but what are you going to do! He shares a really nice apartment with his awesome girlfriend, Sophie. And there’s two Famima!!s right underneath them–you really can’t do better than that. Anyways, onto the good stuff-THE FOOD! Sophie works at a fantastic local ice cream shop called Peddler’s Creamery, and that, my friends, is where the magic happens.
She works there as a “Maker,” meaning she literally develops and creates ice cream flavors. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Best job ever, am I right? And Peddler’s is special because not only is it locally-owned, but the ice cream is made by them using a bike to churn it. Get a workout and then eat ice cream–sounds like a good day to me. I love how unique this place is and that they literally churn their ice cream by using a bike. And not only do they use organic ingredients, but they use fair trade ingredients too! A huge plus for me.
Sophie, my brother, and my mum
It’s a small little shop with some outdoor seating–very cute. You can see an old-fashioned bike in the front and the one they actually use in the back. We met the owner, who gave each of us a handshake and a genuine greeting–it’s not often you get that from the owner of a food joint, very nice guy. When we visited, the scooper was patient and very friendly as we all (my family and Chris) took awhile to decide between all the unique flavors.
The inside…there’s Sophie!
Now the flavors. These flavors change daily and are subject to season (another awesome) and are probably the most unique ice cream flavors I’ve seen to date. Some special ones are Mexican Chocolate, Chile Mango, Honey Lavender, and Kumquat. I got the cinnamon (I have a crazy obsession with cinnamon-type desserts, see: CHURROS) and boy did I make the right choice! Each bite was infused with the creamy “spicy” flavor of cinnamon. It was a melt-in-your-mouth kind of deal and also a where-did-my-ice-cream-go moment too. I was reluctant to share with my family, but I did. They got some yummy ones too like the Honey Lavender and a Mocha one.
Cinnamon flavored ice cream…SO GOOD
If I worked there, I would be as big as a balloon and probably get fired for eating too much on the job. If you are anywhere in the Los Angeles area, GO HERE. I have linked the website with the address and everything several times throughout this post, but here it is again. This adorable, eco-friendly local shop serves top-notch quality ice cream with interesting flavors and great service to boot. You’re missing out if you don’t find this gem! I will always be hungry (and fit!) for Peddler’s Creamery!
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