Everything has its time...

To be honest I thought that my first post back after my vacation home to Louisiana would be exhaustingly chipper and optimistic. Turns out that wasn't quite going to happen but I hate to go into too much detail, especially when the wound is so fresh. I want to get back to blogging about things that now seem so unimportant like eating healthy and working out, but I don't think I can do that until I acknowledge one thing.

Last week my grandmother passed away. 

She was really more than a grandmother. She was my Maw-Maw and an important fixture in my childhood, adolescence, and certainly my adulthood. At different points in my life she was also my roommate, my confidant, and a willing participant in my comedic ventures.

I've come to terms that I was wrong about a lot of things.

I thought I had said goodbye. It wasn't enough.

I thought that the comfort of having almost 28 years of memories and the knowledge that she was ready would carry me through this. It hasn't. 

It's only been a week but looking into the near future I can only see how difficult this holiday season will be and how every step of the rest of the life I hope to lead will be missing an important piece. 

Hopefully I will find some way to carry on. At the moment I really don't know how that will happen but I'm trusting that it will because loss is a part of life and my family is certainly not unique. I do know for certain that you cannot continue about your life while sobbing every time you're left alone with your thoughts.

I'm sure this blog will return to it's intended purpose someday, but for now I guess the radio silence is necessary as I try to navigate the change that has taken place. I'm in good company as my Maw-Maw left many wonderful people to mourn her passing and they are a great comfort to me now.

If there is a lesson to be learned here I guess it's this: there is no corner of the world that holds anything more valuable to me than my family. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Where yat?

No post since November 13th? What the heck is going on!?

Well, a lot actually.
I started a job. 
Applied to go back to school. 
Planned a trip back home. 
Discovered a local donut shop and yet lost 1lb the week of Thanksgiving.

Wait. Pretend you read only half of that last one.

Needless to say, I've been really busy. Surprisingly being busy isn't even my excuse for not posting. What is my reason? 

We broke the internets!

The Twitter Fail Whale seems appropriate for this story.

It's strange but true. You may have read in my post about pretending not to be poor that we used a Target gift card to buy a signal extender for our wifi. It's actually not our wifi so much as it is the free wifi in our building. Long story short, our wifi extender lasted about a week before it started to fizzle out. When we reset it, it renamed the wifi for our entire complex. In a panic I unplugged it hoping it would fix the problem. It didn't. The whole wifi signal was gone pecan.

Updating from the blogger app is like hitting yourself repeatedly with a fly swatter. It's not the most painful thing but it is annoying and useless.

So we went without internet for a few days while we tried to get our own personal wifi. As with so many things in life, internet/cable companies are in a competition to see who can suck the most. We finally got the problem solved and here I am back in action (at least for the next few days before we go off on a little trip back home to the south)

I have a lot of things I'd like to talk about if they peak your interests:

1) Jessica Simpson's weight loss. 

2) Comfortable tennis shoes

3) Tricks and tips to breaking bad habits (I've stopped biting my nails...I'm hoping it lasts!)

So yeah...let's get this show back on the road!

Eat this not that OR Why You Can't Trust Pinterest

I am titling this post "eat this not that" because this is exactly what I'm going to suggest.

The two ingredient angel food cakes on pinterest are too good to resist. I'm sure I've made just about every combination possible. They are usually crazy low cal and you don't have to put eggs or butter or any of that other fattening stuff in it. Heavenly!

I've made one with great success and I'll tell you more about that later, BUT FIRST let's talk about the cake you should not make... The Blueberry & Angel Food Cake

I guess that graphic comes off a little harsh. Anyway, I followed the directions exactly and I'm too embarrassed to show you the pictures (which did not look like that) because I am certain that you'd be able to taste the tragedy through your computer. 

If you see this pin RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.

Instead, may I suggest making the same cake and using pineapple chunks instead. It's delicious and moist and everything the blueberry cake isn't. It makes me sad to even write that because I love blueberries!

How to Pretend You Aren't Poor

This post may seem silly, but in these hard economic times this is a very real thing happening in our little casa! After all, I always say Los Angeles is Spanish for "expensive." That and one of the goals of this blog from the very beginning was getting healthy without breaking the bank.

We aren't really poor and we certainly aren't wealthy, but we are really good at budgeting and are trying to be better at saving. All this adds up to times where we are trying to build our savings and not spend frivolously. Right now we are saving every penny in hopes of going on a big trip to the Philippines in the Spring.

The real tragedy of saving is not being able to just buy something unnecessary without thinking about it first. To me, that feeling of indiscriminate shopping is what makes me feel very, very rich. (Imagine I said that in Nene Leakes voice)

Gift Cards = Magic Currency

Anytime Husband or I get a gift card for anything birthday, Christmas, whatever, we always ALWAYS put it aside for a rainy day. If we need to buy something and it's in our budget we just buy it, even if we have a gift card. 

When those budget crunching times come along, as they often do, and we are in a funk we just pull out those gift cards and go wild. Almost literally.

I know it seems silly but it actually helps a lot. Using gift cards during budget crunches is a lot more satisfying than using them in times when we have the extra cash to burn. If you can hold on to them long enough the reward is awesome.

Example: last week we were in a mega crunch. We had just received our first electricity bill after living here for 3 months because of a glitch and it was a lot higher than we planned for. How can you guesstimate a 3 month bill you've never seen? We could have broken it into installments but we decided to tough it out and pay it off all at once. Once that happened all of our "fun money" was gone. After about a week we were getting cabin fever. We took our gift cards out and bought a much needed wifi signal extender at Target and both got shoes on sale at Macy's. 

It was a little trip that felt fantastic. Shopping really is a therapeutic experience.

So that's my money tip. Do you do anything kind of strange like this?

The Start of SONG SWAP!

Here's a new kind of gymspiration and I'm really hoping this works because I need and love getting new music for my workouts. When I get some songs that work out well I'll share them here and hopefully you can share some in the comments! Maybe a little 3 songs for 3 songs deal? Let me know what songs you love and if these are in your rotation. 

SONG SWAP:  THE TRIED AND TRUE

These are three songs that I've used for a while that are always, ALWAYS in the rotation for my workouts.

1. Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad
This is actually my pace when I run. Before I found other songs that were the right BPM I would listen to this on repeat during runs. If you don't like rap this isn't for you but it that beat does not let you let up!

2. Lee DeWyze - Sweet Serendipity

I know this might be cheesy but this song really motivates me and is perfect for a light jog preferably in beautiful weather. I heard this song the day before my wedding when I was running last minute errands and had to shazzam it. I've always thought it was such a good message and can help motivate you to work it out!

3. Kelly Rowland - Commander

I don't know why she doesn't get as much attention as she deserves but Kelly Rowland created this song for elliptical lovers like me. If I took aerobics I'd expect this on the playlist. It slows down and picks up just ride it out! 

Okay, so what are some songs that are always in your rotation?

Take a Hike! - All Trails App Review

One thing I really wanted to try when we moved was hiking. Louisiana has a few good hiking places, but the incline is pretty nonexistent so we never really went. Now that we are surrounded by hills and mountains it seemed like a good time to start and I really wanted to get to those amazing views!

Image from All Trails website

I downloaded an app called All Trails. I've used it for two different hiking experiences so this review is kind of a mixed bag because we had two very different encounters. First let me bust out the pros of All Trails so you can understand why and how we used it.

PROS:

• Trails are sortable by distance, popularity, and time it takes to complete
• You can specify what activities you are planning to do (walk, hike, bike, dog friendly, etc)
• Pictures! You can see if the views are worth the climb.
• Hiking burns the most absurd amount of calories. 

Happy Hikers!

Our first time using All Trails we went to Calabasas Peak on Labor Day. The picture of our little family that I've used a lot in this blog are actually from that hike. It was a pretty difficult climb for our first attempt. The description was that it would be a "good aerobic workout with a moderate but steady uphill trek for about 2 miles." Um, yeah whatever. It was pretty hard. 

There were parts where the incline was so steep we had to help each other along. I thought carrying a 10lb pack filled with water would be a good workout and it was. I did stop about every half a mile just to breathe because the elevation was totally new.

Overall it was an amazing hike and we got to see a beautiful view of Los Angeles. Julia also loved it up until we were about to get in the car and she stepped in some fire ants.

Labor Day hike was a success and we said we would try to go hiking on or around every holiday.

Now onto the cons.

CONS:

• Horrible, horrible, horrible trailhead location
• Trails are usually marked a level easier than they actually are

Husband being brave ...or crazy

Husband worked on Halloween so we didn't get to go on the actual date so we tried the next day.

We picked a relatively easy and dog friendly trail. The directions to the trailhead were ridiculous. It literally lead to an apartment building. All we saw were sidewalks around the country club which I would not consider a scenic view. We could see a canyon but no actual trails or signage. We eventually gave up circling the supposed trailhead and decided to pick another location.

Yet again the driving directions made absolutely no sense. We went up a very winding road and were then directed to turn into someone's creepy driveway. Total fail. We headed back down the scary road and it was at that point I realized the app's driving directions to the trailhead were several miles away from where one reviewer checked himself in. The directions were absolutely nowhere near each other. 

Out of frustration and driving around for an hour trying to find two trails we had never been to in areas we weren't familiar we did all but give up.

We decided to go to a lake which is not a hill or mountain or even remotely considered hiking. It's basically a dirty duck poop covered sidewalk around a lake. 

Overall I have mixed feelings about All Trails. We did have an amazing day at Calabasas Peak but the Halloween hike that never was certainly made me less likely to trust this app in the future. I'm currently looking to see if there is another app out there that is more reliable with locations. Overall I guess this is a 3 out of 5 which is more generous than I was feeling last week. 

Cruisin' - The bike shopping experience

So I mentioned last week that we had purchased bikes and were riding around town immediately. If you're my facebook friend you may have noticed that I mentioned something about a pain in the butt....which is exactly what that bike seat was on our first ride.

Despite the face he is a happy bike rider.

Why Bikes?

One of my friends immediately remarked how funny it was that I wanted to get a bike considering how much I used to be against them. I was not a fan of bikes BUT after attempting Couch to 5K before and really hurting my knees I wanted something new. One of my cousins suggested bikes. She is a long time runner and recently switched to biking for the very same reason. Now that we live in a pretty bike friendly area it seemed like a great time to invest and get ourselves some wheels! 

Why Cruisers?

This was actually the hardest part. I didn't realize there were so many choices when it came to picking out a bike. We searched online for advice and got some great tips, but ultimately it was the advice of our friends who bike regularly that we used. Cruisers, as opposed to mountain bikes, fit what we wanted. It's still a decent workout but unlike mountain bikes, cruisers are a little more gentle on your spine and neck area. If you're looking for a more intense bike for trail riding, this might not be the best pick for you.

How we picked them...

I hate talking to sales people in stores, but this was one purchase we really needed the advice and expertise of people who know about this stuff. It's not a cheap purchase so you want to make it right. We went to a large bike store by our house and asked some questions. We found out that your height and gender narrow down a lot. I was immediately drawn to a teal bike with an old school look and Husband eventually found a green one that also had a vintage look. The store actually let us take the bikes into the parking lot and around the building for a test ride. I immediately knew that this was the right bike but Husband tried out three before he went back to his first choice. 

Paying for a big purchase...

Bikes are not cheap. Especially when you're as frugal as I am, this purchase almost seems excessive. We had just moved to California and were still trying to get all our finances in order. We decided to put the bikes on lay away. This is actually the first time I've ever put anything on lay away- partially because I just didn't understand it. This turned out to be a great alternative. Instead of charging $600 in bikes and equipment on a credit card we paid a little every paycheck over 3 months. The wait was worth it and I'm glad we had already made the commitment to purchase as opposed to saving up the money and buying it flat out later. I felt like the layaway guaranteed that I wouldn't change my mind and spend the money on clothes instead- a likely alternative.

For now we are just riding them casually, going a little bit longer each ride. I am pretty pleased with our decision to buy bikes. When you ride off into this view it's kind of hard to regret that choice...

Sloppy Jacques

Everybody has seen the pins on Pinterest about the buffalo chicken in a crock pot with just chicken, wing sauce, and a ranch packet. It's good, no doubt. But I have a tiny smidge of a tip that will take it from good to great. What will make it great is that you will pay less money for it. Say what? Yeah, LESS. MONEY. FOR. IT.


These little sammies are so messy they will remind you of a Sloppy Joe, but because they are a tasty Cajun treat I am calling them...

SLOPPY JACQUES!

Basically you're going to follow the same directions as the popular pinterest recipe suggests, but you are not going to use the wing sauce that they suggest. Why? Because it costs more than a dollar which is more than the alternative I'm going to give you. In some stores Frank's wing sauce is almost $3 which is way more than I want to spend.

The recipe says throw some frozen chicken, a 12oz. jar of Frank's wing sauce, and a packet of ranch mix into your crockpot and serve on bread. Easy peasy.

One day I was nosing around Dollar Tree (a magical place where everything really IS a dollar) and I found this:

Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce

You even get more (this bottle is 17 oz. and Frank's is 12 oz.).

At first I thought, "Eh, can I trust the Dollar Tree with this?" But for a dollar, A DOLLAR, I thought I might as well give it a try.

Then I saw the last push I needed. It's made in St. Martinville, Louisiana.

I have to say, I liked it even better than Frank's wing sauce. We serve ours on a hamburger bun with celery and ranch dressing as a dipping sauce. 

This recipe is super low cal and you can keep it that way by watching your ranch dressing and bread!

We used Trader Joe's Parmesan Ranch Dressing but I normally make my own ranch to save on calories. 

So enjoy a Sloppy Jacques and let me know if you have any luck finding Louisiana Supreme chicken wing sauce in your Dollar Tree. It really is a magical find!

A DOLLAR!

Sorry I just had to! :) 

Weekend Weigh In 6

Halloween was a big success for our little family. In true "Cajun in California" form we all dressed like food. 

Husband went as a "deviled egg." I looked on pinterest for last minute ideas and found this one. I used a 99 cent bandana from Michael's and cut it into a circle and safety pinned it to his shirt so it wouldn't ruin it. We bought a $5 kids devil costume set at walmart and some $3 facial hair at a party store and voila! 

Once he agreed to it, I decided to be his opposite. I looked to my sisters for angel ideas (blue angel, angel in the outfield, etc.) but angel food cake was the winner. I used a small box and put cotton balls on top for the whipped topping and made a paper strawberry. You can search online for paper strawberry template. There are tons of printables.

That just left Julia. I really wanted her to wear the jockey costume we found at Target, but since we had a food theme going we didn't want her to be left out on her VERY FIRST Halloween with our family. So she became the only food costume they had left for dogs on Halloween morning: a hot dog. I have to say I was a proud mama. Julia's #2 fear is little kids (#1 is a bathtub) and she didn't bark ONCE! Such a little angel. Maybe she should have worn my costume! 

So let's get on to evaluating this week's progress of goals


LIVE AN ACTIVE LIFE 
I started something new this week when it comes to tracking my workouts. Once I see if it's a long term feasible goal I'll share it here. This week was week 2 of Ease into 5K and it went swimmingly! Husband has even been joining me. He runs with Julia so he can't go as fast, but the jogging and focusing on moving forward as opposed to speed has really been helpful! Add to that a couple bike rides and a two hour Halloween walk and I'd say we did pretty good!

EAT DELICIOUSLY
I have to say I'm pretty proud of us. We didn't eat ANY Halloween candy. Not even one little piece. I kept joking with our nieces that there would be a "candy tax" for us walking everywhere with them but we didn't even cash in. It's kind of a Halloween miracle! But with all the work I've been doing to be and stay healthy a piece of candy just doesn't seem worth it. <--- I can't believe I wrote that sentence.

READ FOOD LABELS  
We ate at home every night this week and usually had leftovers for lunch. We did splurge yesterday at the mall and had my favorite PINKBERRY CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT but as I mentioned before the calories in the mini are not going to break anyone's bank...

NOT BLOW OUR RENT AT THE GROCERY STORE
It's week 2 and I buy all our groceries two weeks at a time, so we are good and golden!
Week 6 of Cajun in California...DEFINITELY a great week! Much needed...

Just a sweet tip...

This is going to be real short and sweet.

Real sweet.

If you ever get a chance to hop into a Pinkberry this fall I think it's important for you to know that their flavor Chocolate Hazelnut tastes just like a fancy grown up, Wendy's frosty.

His & Hers Pinkberry

And if you order the mini it's only 144 calories.

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. So maybe another day is a better time to discuss being a sugar addict. 

You're welcome!

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

Hungry Halloween

Our whole family is going to be food tonight!
Here's a sneak...

Weekend Weigh In 5

A little late but here is the weekend weigh in. Here's what you might have missed this week...

Jogging Again

Sushi Shoutout

Workouts for the Terrified

Low Cal Classic

So on to the goals...


LIVE AN ACTIVE LIFE 
This week in addition to starting Ease into 5K all over again, we also picked up some bikes. I'll blog about it at a later date but I'm sure somewhere there was an important note about bike seats that I missed...ouch!

EAT DELICIOUSLY
Oh we ate deliciously. We could have made much better choices this week. I'm not sure how badly this will effect my weekly goals since the battery on our scale went out this week and has yet to be replaced.

READ FOOD LABELS  
Yeah...about that....

NOT BLOW OUR RENT AT THE GROCERY STORE
We stayed under our two week at a time budget and even grabbed some extra treats. I bought the ingredients for that red velvet poke cake that's all over pinterest. I'll let you know how that goes.

Week 5 of Cajun in California...a giant leap for active living! Yay!

Shamelessly Jacked Kids Menu - Grilled Cheese

When I decided to start this blog I wanted it to be about how we are fitting in here in Cali but also how I cheat the system into eating what I want by making the things I love with better ingredients.

I hate to say this is a "recipe" because it's not. What it is really is a combination of low calorie ingredients that you can use for an easy lunch or dinner. Plus, I write about things that taste good and this certainly qualifies AND it's a dinner for two so win-win. 

Last time I was in San Diego I was there for work and flew in early. I was at a swanky hotel and starving so I made my way down to the hotel's restaurant to eat alone. Because I either have no fear or my shame button was turned off, I ordered the most bizarre lunch: a glass of wine and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Now before you judge me: it was grilled cheese month AND that's a real holiday I did not make up AND if you're eating alone you better do it like a boss and have a glass of wine. I don't care if you've just ordered off the kids menu.

The PTA meeting at the table next to me was in full judge mode and I can tell you I did not care one bit. That grilled cheese was DELICIOUS.

It was so good I went home and started ordering grilled cheese everywhere. I can tell you that in Baton Rouge one of my favorite grilled cheese sammys is from The Bread Box on Essen. It's called the "Grown Up Grilled Cheese" and it's like a heavenly cheese explosion. 


So a week or two ago I started to crave it again and just knew that I'd be tossing it a lot of calories between the cheese, butter, and bread. Add to this I also wanted tomato basil soup. I'm greedy like that!

If you want a low cal Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup option pick up these ingredients:

4 slices Sara Lee 45 calorie bread
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (or less)
2 slices low calorie Pepper Jack
Campbell's Harvest Tomato with Basil 

(DO NOT get their tomato soup...you want this one! Trust me. It's delicious and I could have pretended it was homemade and Husband would have never known the difference!)

This will not, I repeat will not, taste as good as the grown up grilled cheese at The Breadbox. Lower those expectations...

Basically you make the grilled cheese sandwich the same way since the dawn of grilled cheese time and you heat the soup on the stove.

This makes two sandwiches and the soup has two servings (real servings, not pretend ones that food companies put on packaging that do not reflect what a normal person would eat. I'm talking to YOU Girl Scouts of America!)

With these options your grilled cheese AND soup will come out to be around 350 calories. That's absurdly low. And it's pretty filling. I mean I could eat another sandwich cause it is delicious, but I never have. 

I made it this week because I was sick and I couldn't bare the thought of cooking or eating chicken noodle soup. I have to say it was a winner!


If you have any other cheats to a lighter, delicious, easy meal - let me know!

XO,
Andrea

5 Scary Workout Visuals

Halloween is ONE WEEK AWAY. It is one of my most favorite holidays. Why? Because dressing up is awesome y'all! Also, I met Husband on Halloween so it's like Valentines Day for us weirdos...

As previously discussed in another post, I have irrational fears when it comes to workout machinery.

I am, however, a big believer in workout visualizations. While I can be quite content to listen to music or watch tv while in the gym, what really gets me motivated is visualizing that I'm somewhere else. Visualizations for me are usually being a part of a competition or being chased. Plain and simple.

My all time favorite workout visualization is that I am competing in a Real World/Road Rules Battle/Duel/Do any of those people have jobs outside of these competitions?

So to help get you in the mood to run like the wind (even on a treadmill if you are so brave) are some of my favorite "Scary As Heck" visualizations to scare the elastic out of your norts:

Ohhh...I'm already freaked out!

1. Being chased by Zombies.

(via zombie junky)

I know there is "an app for that." I also know people are totally into the Walking Dead. But I'd like to put it to you that the scariest of all zombies are those featured in the movies 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. WHY THE HELL CAN THOSE ZOMBIES SPRINT!?!? Isn't it a rule that they move slowly and drag their legs like mummies? No? Can we make it a rule? Imagine "the infected" chasing you and I'm sure you're heart rate will get right where you need it.

2. Saw Challenges

(via tvtropes)

These movies are dumb. We all know it. They are kind of like the "Crocs" of the horror genre. No one really understands why they are so successful yet you know like 20 people who have seen them all. What are we on like Saw 37? Anyway, pick a move you hate (go ahead and say planks cause only the crazies love those). Imagine that weird like clown is going to saw you in half if you don't hold those planks longer! You'll hold it. Why? Cause clowns are scary as heck. Fact.

3. Swimming for your LIFE!

(via fanpop)

I do have a fear of water I can't see the bottom of, so the odds of me swimming in any ocean are very low. Pools are where I like to pretend I can swim. Pools are also where I like to pretend that killer sharks are out to get me. Jaws is the go to, but what about Deep Blue Sea y'all? Spoiler alert: the shark ate Samuel L. Jackson. Sharks clearly have zero respect and thus should be feared...

4. Scary Spins

(via google images)

Y'all know there is only one truly terrifying bike moment in cinema: The Shining. Hop on that stationary bike and pedal yourself away from those two scary little girls. Need I say more?

5. Halloween Hiding Spots

(via cinema strikes back)

My favorite scary movie collection has to be Halloween. I even like Halloween H20 (maybe I shouldn't admit that). Michael Myers is the best villain. He doesn't say anything. You don't REALLY know what he looks like and he doesn't care who you are...ya dead! I like to imagine that I'm poor Jamie Lee Curtis (in her young and fabulously 70s days) hiding out in the closet. Hold those wall sits as long as you can without screaming bloody murder.



Hopefully this inspires you in your workouts. I love a good workout visualization and if you have a good one I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear it! That and I'd love to know what you're going to be for Halloween... TELL ME!

XO,
Andrea

Dreams of Sushi

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling miserable and I still managed to get my jog on. I don't know if that was a good idea or a bad one but mentally I felt better while physically I just wanted to curl up into a ball and watch Netflix which is EXACTLY what I did. 

Husband and I watched a documentary we'd been wanting to see for a while called Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

We both love sushi and initially I thought it would be just a documentary about one of the greatest sushi chefs in the world, Jiro Ono. 

It was so beautifully done. 

The visuals of beautiful works of sushi art set to brilliant music. 

I don't want to tell you the whole story because the simplicity of it is the best part. But I will tell you that people reserve 1 of 10 seats in his restaurant a month in advance...and that restaurant is in a subway station in Japan. Unreal.

At the end I had what I expected, a greater appreciation of the skill of sushi chefs. So much meticulous skill and care goes into sushi and if you enjoy trying new sushi restaurants you know it's true. 

I also got something I didn't expect. More than just an appreciation, I felt a great admiration for this man. He works hard. He expects nothing. He doesn't believe you should ever complain about your job. All he wants is to never stop trying to improve himself. And the best part is that he practices what he preaches. He's also 85 years old and terribly precious.

There's no spoiler alert but if you have netflix and you want to have an evening or afternoon of beautiful images set to classical music you should watch it. It's all subtitles but the message is so sweet you won't even care. 

While we're on the topic of sushi...

Last week Husband and I ventured to Little Tokyo for dinner at Kula Revolving Sushi. 

You may have seen restaurants like this in movies (like Jiro Dreams of Sushi) and it's as fun as it seems: your sushi is delivered to your table on a conveyer belt.

Also, how precious is Little Tokyo? 

After watching the artistry of Jiro, I don't know how I'll feel the next time we go to Kula but for the price and the taste it's worth the little drive into Little Tokyo and the little wait that is almost guaranteed. 

Most conveyer belt sushi places have a system. Certain color plates are certain prices and at the end a waiter tallies your used plates and you pay that amount.

Kula is great for the mathematically challenged because every plate is just $2. What. A. Steal.

What we both love about Kula is that Husband eats all the crazy stuff while I just eat the moderately crazy stuff. We can both get exactly what we want and as much as we want and only that. They even have the "starter rolls." 

Sushi isn't always bad but and it isn't always healthy. 

You really have to pay attention to what you're ordering because a delicious roll filled with cream cheese isn't necessarily going to be a problem unless you find yourself eating roll after roll after roll. We usually run into the trap of eating more sushi than we are hungry for because we order too many rolls. It's a deadly trap.

Husband was very proud of his work...

This night we didn't go completely off the rails which is very easy for us to do at a sushi restaurant. 

Next time we have sushi I'll certainly be thinking about Jiro and how much effort it takes. 

Maybe I'll even chew a little slower and try to hear classical music in my head. 

If you watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi let me know what you think!