Like most gluttonous Americans, I have eaten enough to feed a small country in the past week. I've definitely felt the blah to go with it. Somehow in my food lethargy I was able to pull myself onto the treadmill this morning.
Shortly after hitting the one mile mark I realized that in my pre-run stupor I had neglected to put on my knee brace. (In the post entitled "Freak Bowling Accident" I described the incident that made the brace necessary.) I was a little worried that my IT Band Syndrome would flare up but decided to continue and see what would happen.
Around the two mile mark I felt the familiar and frightful twinge, but it never progressed and eventually went away. I love it when the stupid little things I often do turn into good things. I just wish it would happen more often.
***********
Speaking of food induced lethargy, hurry and make these cupcakes before your New Year's resolutions kick in because they aren't allowed in any diet I've ever heard of. They are incredibly moist and delicious.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Makes enough for 2 batches unless you are EXTREMELY liberal with the frosting.
Recipe by Paula Deen
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Boringity & Gingerbread Waffles
When I tell people that I'm a runner they often say something to the effect of "I tried running but it was boring." I have to admit, there are times when it is boring to me too. Boringest (yes, I just made up that word) of all is running on a treadmill.
And so I enter winter in Detroit. I've mentioned a couple of times how the weather outside is fittingly frightful this time of year, causing me to retreat to the basement to slog it out on the treadmill. There's not much that I can write about these runs, and if you're a person that doesn't run because of the boringity (yes, that's another made up word) of it, I'm sure reading about running is torture.
So here are some things that I have done to decrease the boringocity (that's three) of running:
- Music: whenever I run outside, and sometimes when I run on the treadmill, I listen to my MP3 player. Music comes in handy for me when I need something to pump me up. Over a long period of time, though, I find it boring because all of the songs on my MP3 player are songs that I know by heart and don't demand my attention. So I start thinking about how tired I am or just start to get bored. Disclaimer: be careful when running while lisening to music, especially loud music. Be especially aware of cars that may or may not see you.
- Audiobooks: My favorite for outside running. Besides running and creating sugar based substances I love to read. With all the demands on my time I rarely have time to read like I would like, so I load books onto my MP3 player and multitask. One drawback is that not just any book will do. They have to be captivating and fairly mindless. Tolstoy will have to wait. I have gone through about a hundred books this way. What am I listening too now you ask? The Life of Pi.
- TV: Obviously only works when running on the treadmill. It helps when something good is on.
- Running partners: Works great for other people. I've already described how I'm not a social runner. (I am, however, a social sugar consumer.)
So, if you've wanted to be a runner but found it boring, maybe give one of these ideas a try. If it's still boring, try skydiving because I hear it's very antiboring (four).
**********
Since it's just a few days before Christmas I'd better hurry and get all the gingerbread out of my system. There are a lot of complicated recipes for gingerbread waffles out there. This is not one of them. It uses Krusteaz just-add-water pancake mix but any plain pancake batter will work as a base.
Gingerbread Waffles
Ingredients
-3 cups Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix
-2 cups water
-2 tsp ground cinnamon
-2 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/4 cup molasses
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 Tbs vegetable oil
Mix all ingedients until combined but still slightly lumpy. Add more water if it is too thick. Cook it up on any ol' waffle iron. I cook them for a fairly long time because I like waffles crispy.
Serve with syrup, especially buttermilk syrup, the recipe for which you can find in another post.
Merry Christmas!
And so I enter winter in Detroit. I've mentioned a couple of times how the weather outside is fittingly frightful this time of year, causing me to retreat to the basement to slog it out on the treadmill. There's not much that I can write about these runs, and if you're a person that doesn't run because of the boringity (yes, that's another made up word) of it, I'm sure reading about running is torture.
So here are some things that I have done to decrease the boringocity (that's three) of running:
- Music: whenever I run outside, and sometimes when I run on the treadmill, I listen to my MP3 player. Music comes in handy for me when I need something to pump me up. Over a long period of time, though, I find it boring because all of the songs on my MP3 player are songs that I know by heart and don't demand my attention. So I start thinking about how tired I am or just start to get bored. Disclaimer: be careful when running while lisening to music, especially loud music. Be especially aware of cars that may or may not see you.
- Audiobooks: My favorite for outside running. Besides running and creating sugar based substances I love to read. With all the demands on my time I rarely have time to read like I would like, so I load books onto my MP3 player and multitask. One drawback is that not just any book will do. They have to be captivating and fairly mindless. Tolstoy will have to wait. I have gone through about a hundred books this way. What am I listening too now you ask? The Life of Pi.
- TV: Obviously only works when running on the treadmill. It helps when something good is on.
- Running partners: Works great for other people. I've already described how I'm not a social runner. (I am, however, a social sugar consumer.)
So, if you've wanted to be a runner but found it boring, maybe give one of these ideas a try. If it's still boring, try skydiving because I hear it's very antiboring (four).
**********
Since it's just a few days before Christmas I'd better hurry and get all the gingerbread out of my system. There are a lot of complicated recipes for gingerbread waffles out there. This is not one of them. It uses Krusteaz just-add-water pancake mix but any plain pancake batter will work as a base.
Gingerbread Waffles
Ingredients
-3 cups Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix
-2 cups water
-2 tsp ground cinnamon
-2 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/4 cup molasses
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 Tbs vegetable oil
Mix all ingedients until combined but still slightly lumpy. Add more water if it is too thick. Cook it up on any ol' waffle iron. I cook them for a fairly long time because I like waffles crispy.
Serve with syrup, especially buttermilk syrup, the recipe for which you can find in another post.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Glory Days & Mint Truffles
The list of my major running triumphs is short, mainly because I'm so slow I once lost a race to a particularly peppy elm tree. I guess that makes the victories all the more sweet.
One such victory comes from my teenage years. There was a man in my neighborhood with whom I went to church. He was a runner and when I was about 16 or so he invited me to train with him and then run a 5K. We went running together several times. I could tell that he was faster than me but I was grateful that he was willing to slow to accommodate my pace. The day of the race came and he slowed up to run with me for the majority of the race. When the end was in sight he took off and I was unable to match his kick.
A short time after that race there was another that we decided to do. We trained again. I can't say that I really felt myself getting faster or anything. But when race day came and it was time for that final kick I left him in the dust. It was a great feeling and he was very gracious in defeat.
For some reason we didn't run much together after that but I hope it wasn't because he thought that if he couldn't even beat the slow kid from around then the corner then it wasn't even worth trying.
**********
I've posted three of the recipes for the candies that we have given out this Christmas. Here is the fourth. It is probably the one that I have had the hardest time with. It has just never tasted the way I wanted it to. I think I've got it figured it out now and unfortunately, the recipe posted here is better than the one I used to make the truffles we gave out this year. My apologies to all you Michiganders that got second rate truffles.
Chocolate Mint Truffles
Ingredients
• 10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 5-8 drops peppermint extract
• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder for coating truffles (If you don’t have Dutch process cocoa you can substitute it by adding ½ tsp baking powder to regular cocoa)
Directions
Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.
Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Mix in 5-8 drops of peppermint extract according to taste. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Using a melon baller or small cookie scoop, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Place the cocoa powder a pie pan and set aside.
In the meantime, melt the 8 ounces of chocolate using your preferred method. This could be using a double boiler, the microwave or a heating pad. Any way you do it the chocolate should melted but not uncomfortably hot to the touch. The temperature should be about 90 to 92 degrees F. If the temperature goes above 94 degrees the coating will not have a nice snap to it.
Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.
This next step can get a little messy. Dip a couple of your fingers into the chocolate. Place a truffle from the clean hand into the chocolate one. Roll the truffles between your fingers until it has a thin coating all around. Drop onto the cocoa powder. Move the truffle around to coat and leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa. Remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We found it necessary to knock off the excess cocoa powder by shaking them in a sealed container. Otherwise the powder can be a little overpowering. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.
Adapted from Alton Brown
One such victory comes from my teenage years. There was a man in my neighborhood with whom I went to church. He was a runner and when I was about 16 or so he invited me to train with him and then run a 5K. We went running together several times. I could tell that he was faster than me but I was grateful that he was willing to slow to accommodate my pace. The day of the race came and he slowed up to run with me for the majority of the race. When the end was in sight he took off and I was unable to match his kick.
A short time after that race there was another that we decided to do. We trained again. I can't say that I really felt myself getting faster or anything. But when race day came and it was time for that final kick I left him in the dust. It was a great feeling and he was very gracious in defeat.
For some reason we didn't run much together after that but I hope it wasn't because he thought that if he couldn't even beat the slow kid from around then the corner then it wasn't even worth trying.
**********
I've posted three of the recipes for the candies that we have given out this Christmas. Here is the fourth. It is probably the one that I have had the hardest time with. It has just never tasted the way I wanted it to. I think I've got it figured it out now and unfortunately, the recipe posted here is better than the one I used to make the truffles we gave out this year. My apologies to all you Michiganders that got second rate truffles.
Chocolate Mint Truffles
Ingredients• 10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 5-8 drops peppermint extract
• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder for coating truffles (If you don’t have Dutch process cocoa you can substitute it by adding ½ tsp baking powder to regular cocoa)
Directions
Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.
Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Mix in 5-8 drops of peppermint extract according to taste. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Using a melon baller or small cookie scoop, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Place the cocoa powder a pie pan and set aside.
In the meantime, melt the 8 ounces of chocolate using your preferred method. This could be using a double boiler, the microwave or a heating pad. Any way you do it the chocolate should melted but not uncomfortably hot to the touch. The temperature should be about 90 to 92 degrees F. If the temperature goes above 94 degrees the coating will not have a nice snap to it.
Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.
This next step can get a little messy. Dip a couple of your fingers into the chocolate. Place a truffle from the clean hand into the chocolate one. Roll the truffles between your fingers until it has a thin coating all around. Drop onto the cocoa powder. Move the truffle around to coat and leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa. Remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We found it necessary to knock off the excess cocoa powder by shaking them in a sealed container. Otherwise the powder can be a little overpowering. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.
Adapted from Alton Brown
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Slush for Brains & Caramels
This past weekend the area in I which live was hit by a moderate snowstorm immediately followed by temperatures that would make a polar bear grab a scarf. It's so cold that the salt that the crews put down on the roads hasn't really worked so there's still slipping and sliding all over the place.
Into this scene I begin my brief narrative. I hopped in my car at 6 am this morning, immeasurably grateful for an attached garage. The temperature was right around zero with a wind chill of -10. I drove down my street in the eery pre-dawn blackness. There, ahead of me were ethereal lights bobbing yellow and white like little eskimo fireflies.
Okay, enough with the drama. The little lights were the reflectors on a certifiably insane runner out before dawn in sub-zero temperatures, running on ice. I thought to myself, I like running, but obviously not as much as that guy because you will never find me doing that. Halleluiah for a treadmill.
**********
My wife and I have been slaving away over sugar pots for the last week finishing up our Christmas chocolates. I've already posted the recipes for two of the staples, Almond Joys and Buckeyes. Today I'm posting a new favorite that we've worked on for a couple of years and finally found the perfect winner.
Notes:-Use a large pot because it will bubble up to more than double in volume.
Into this scene I begin my brief narrative. I hopped in my car at 6 am this morning, immeasurably grateful for an attached garage. The temperature was right around zero with a wind chill of -10. I drove down my street in the eery pre-dawn blackness. There, ahead of me were ethereal lights bobbing yellow and white like little eskimo fireflies.
Okay, enough with the drama. The little lights were the reflectors on a certifiably insane runner out before dawn in sub-zero temperatures, running on ice. I thought to myself, I like running, but obviously not as much as that guy because you will never find me doing that. Halleluiah for a treadmill.
**********
My wife and I have been slaving away over sugar pots for the last week finishing up our Christmas chocolates. I've already posted the recipes for two of the staples, Almond Joys and Buckeyes. Today I'm posting a new favorite that we've worked on for a couple of years and finally found the perfect winner.
Soft Caramels
1 quart heavy cream (32 oz)
4 cups sugar2 cups corn syrup
1 can evaporated milk1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract Combine the cream. sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk and salt in a large pot and heat on medium, stirring regularly until it reaches 235 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into greased 9X13 cake pan. Chill thoroughly. Cut into bite sized pieces and roll in squares of wax paper.
Notes:
-It will heat up pretty quickly until it hits about 215 degrees then it will go much more slowly. It could take an hour or more. Be patient, it's worth it.
-Works wonderfully to dip in chocolate and sprinkle with a little sea salt.Recipe from Wendy Russon. Her annual Christmas gift of caramels was the single most coveted goody in our house.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Blood, Sweat & Apple Dip
I went for a 5 mile run last night at a pace that I thought would be nice and leisurely. During the run, however, I had to slow down a couple of times because I felt like I was pushing it a little too hard. Fortunately I finished feeling pretty good.
Only after I finished did I realize that I had donated blood in the morning. That would explain the lethargy.
The experience was a good reminder to me that not every run is going to go according to plan. When I'm in the midst of training for a race I have a schedule that I follow religiously. But there are days when it's just not there and I feel like I have to take it down a level.
Obviously, if I cut every workout down a notch then I won't reach my goal, but it's okay to cut back today and make up for it tomorrow. I'm glad that I've gotten to the point in my running where I feel okay about cutting my losses and living to fight another day.
**********
Only after I finished did I realize that I had donated blood in the morning. That would explain the lethargy.
The experience was a good reminder to me that not every run is going to go according to plan. When I'm in the midst of training for a race I have a schedule that I follow religiously. But there are days when it's just not there and I feel like I have to take it down a level.
Obviously, if I cut every workout down a notch then I won't reach my goal, but it's okay to cut back today and make up for it tomorrow. I'm glad that I've gotten to the point in my running where I feel okay about cutting my losses and living to fight another day.
**********
This recipe is fool-proof and fabulous. It is perfect for any type of party.
Apple Dip
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup of melted butterscotch chips (1/2 bag) (Nestle works better than generic)
¼ tsp cinnamon
Dash salt
1 Tbs vinegar
Mix all ingredients. Heat in microwave or on the stovetop, stirring periodically until all of the butterscotch chips are melted and the dip is smooth. Great with green apples or bananas.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Wanted: Buckeyes & a Fear of Failure
As I've mentioned before, I've always struggled with my weight, which fluctuates a lot based upon the unsustainable diet of the moment. Almost two years ago I began my current effort using the low-tech "Eat Less, Move More" diet. I've lost 50 pounds and kept it off for more than a year. Although I wouldn't mind losing another ten, I'd be happy to stay where I am.
One of the problems that I've had with past diets has been that the exercise portion hadn't stuck. I’ve done a lot of things including basketball and even running but it wasn't until I started setting running goals that I was able to stick with something long enough to maintain the weight loss.
My first goal was to run a 10K, then I increased it to a half-marathon, then a marathon, then another. I'm now at a crossroads. I've finished a couple of marathons and while I know that it would take a lot of work to be ready for another, I know that I could do it. The fear of failure that has driven me in the past is gone.
So I've been browsing around for new things to challenge myself. There are several options:
Marathons or half marathons with faster time goals
Pros: Cheap. Familiar. Works well with my schedule
Cons: Might not provide enough motivation to keep me pushing
Triathlons
Pros: Something new, fun, excuse to get a bike
Cons: Expensive (see bike above). Have to get access to and arrange time at a pool
Ultramarathon (running anything longer than a marathon, usually 50 or 100 miles, but sometimes as long as 135)
Pros: Challenging
Cons: Time consuming. Crazy
For now I've decided to go the easy route and try for some faster times. My next race is the Martian Half Marathon in April. If that fails to provide sufficient motivation then I'm sure you'll read about it here. Maybe I'll eventually have to rename the blog "Will Run Until My Feet Turn Blue and Fall Off for Dessert".
**********
It must be Christmas time because people around me have started to inquire when they will receive their annual bag of homemade chocolates. My wife and I gave out about 70 bags last year to friends, neighbors and coworkers. Almond Joys are always there (see recipe in previous post) as are Buckeyes. They are awesome.
Buckeyes
1 ½ cups creams peanut butter (12 oz.)
½ cup butter, softened (1 cube)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted powdered sugar (1 lb)
1 cup rice crispies
Milk chocolate for dipping
Mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Dough should be smooth and stiff but not too dry. Add rice crispies and mix gently until distributed. If you mix too much you'll crush them. Shape into balls and place on wax paper lined tray or cookie sheet. Chill thoroughly (I freeze them solid. Seriously, in the freezer for two days.). Prepare chocolate in a double boiler and dip chilled balls. You can drop, coat, and pull out with a spoon, leaving part of the peanut butter mixture exposed looking like a real buckeye nut. What we've found works best is to stick the frozen balls with a bamboo skewer, let drip, put onto wax paper, and pull out skewer. You can press the top to get rid of the little hole later. Return to wax paper and chill to set.
One of the problems that I've had with past diets has been that the exercise portion hadn't stuck. I’ve done a lot of things including basketball and even running but it wasn't until I started setting running goals that I was able to stick with something long enough to maintain the weight loss.
My first goal was to run a 10K, then I increased it to a half-marathon, then a marathon, then another. I'm now at a crossroads. I've finished a couple of marathons and while I know that it would take a lot of work to be ready for another, I know that I could do it. The fear of failure that has driven me in the past is gone.
So I've been browsing around for new things to challenge myself. There are several options:
Marathons or half marathons with faster time goals
Pros: Cheap. Familiar. Works well with my schedule
Cons: Might not provide enough motivation to keep me pushing
Triathlons
Pros: Something new, fun, excuse to get a bike
Cons: Expensive (see bike above). Have to get access to and arrange time at a pool
Ultramarathon (running anything longer than a marathon, usually 50 or 100 miles, but sometimes as long as 135)
Pros: Challenging
Cons: Time consuming. Crazy
For now I've decided to go the easy route and try for some faster times. My next race is the Martian Half Marathon in April. If that fails to provide sufficient motivation then I'm sure you'll read about it here. Maybe I'll eventually have to rename the blog "Will Run Until My Feet Turn Blue and Fall Off for Dessert".
**********
It must be Christmas time because people around me have started to inquire when they will receive their annual bag of homemade chocolates. My wife and I gave out about 70 bags last year to friends, neighbors and coworkers. Almond Joys are always there (see recipe in previous post) as are Buckeyes. They are awesome.
Buckeyes
1 ½ cups creams peanut butter (12 oz.)
½ cup butter, softened (1 cube)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted powdered sugar (1 lb)
1 cup rice crispies
Milk chocolate for dipping
Mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Dough should be smooth and stiff but not too dry. Add rice crispies and mix gently until distributed. If you mix too much you'll crush them. Shape into balls and place on wax paper lined tray or cookie sheet. Chill thoroughly (I freeze them solid. Seriously, in the freezer for two days.). Prepare chocolate in a double boiler and dip chilled balls. You can drop, coat, and pull out with a spoon, leaving part of the peanut butter mixture exposed looking like a real buckeye nut. What we've found works best is to stick the frozen balls with a bamboo skewer, let drip, put onto wax paper, and pull out skewer. You can press the top to get rid of the little hole later. Return to wax paper and chill to set.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Drug-Dealers & Hawaiian Weddings
A few years ago I was on a business trip to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. A colleague of mine was also a runner. We had some spare time and we both wanted to go for a run. The problem was that he really wanted to go outside and I really wanted to use one of the hotel's treadmills. He thought I was nuts and teased me a little. So he went out alone and I watched something, probably a Mexican soap opera, on TV while I ran on the treadmill. But I enjoyed it nonetheless.
For one thing, even though it is much worse now, Ciudad Juárez was not the safest place in the world to be an unarmed blond guy (I guess I do feel a little guilty for letting him go out alone). For another, I really don't mind a treadmill. For yet another, I'm not a very social runner. I'm always worried that I'm holding them back and it's usually too much of a hassle to arrange times with others.
There seems to be a prevailing thought in the world of running that we're all supposed to love going out in packs and loathe those terrible weather days that force us into the basement on the 'mill.
I say live and let live! I have other interests in life besides running. Among other things I love reading and watching a little TV. One of the ways that I can fit running into what I feel is a well rounded life is by combining some of my interests. When I'm on the treadmill, I can also watch TV. When there's good running weather I get to listen to audio books while I run outside. (It's hard to chat with a running buddy while concentrating on the latest Grisham.)
The moral of this story is to run whichever way gives you the most pleasure and fits the best into your life circumstance. That, and don't get kidnapped by drug-dealers.
**********
I'm not sure how authentically Hawaiian this cake is since I first had it in Michigan (not exactly a hotbed of Hawaiian culture), or what it has to do with weddings, but it sure is tasty.
Hawaiian Wedding Cake
1 cup margarine
2 cup sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 lb graham cracker crumbs
1 (#2) can crushed pineapple, drained
6 oz (½ bag) coconut
1 cup milk
1 cup walnuts (optional)
Cream the butter & sugar, add eggs and baking powder. Mix together. Slowly add milk and the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
For one thing, even though it is much worse now, Ciudad Juárez was not the safest place in the world to be an unarmed blond guy (I guess I do feel a little guilty for letting him go out alone). For another, I really don't mind a treadmill. For yet another, I'm not a very social runner. I'm always worried that I'm holding them back and it's usually too much of a hassle to arrange times with others.
There seems to be a prevailing thought in the world of running that we're all supposed to love going out in packs and loathe those terrible weather days that force us into the basement on the 'mill.
I say live and let live! I have other interests in life besides running. Among other things I love reading and watching a little TV. One of the ways that I can fit running into what I feel is a well rounded life is by combining some of my interests. When I'm on the treadmill, I can also watch TV. When there's good running weather I get to listen to audio books while I run outside. (It's hard to chat with a running buddy while concentrating on the latest Grisham.)
The moral of this story is to run whichever way gives you the most pleasure and fits the best into your life circumstance. That, and don't get kidnapped by drug-dealers.
**********
I'm not sure how authentically Hawaiian this cake is since I first had it in Michigan (not exactly a hotbed of Hawaiian culture), or what it has to do with weddings, but it sure is tasty.
Hawaiian Wedding Cake
1 cup margarine
2 cup sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 lb graham cracker crumbs
1 (#2) can crushed pineapple, drained
6 oz (½ bag) coconut
1 cup milk
1 cup walnuts (optional)
Cream the butter & sugar, add eggs and baking powder. Mix together. Slowly add milk and the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Friday, November 26, 2010
PRs (Personal Record & Pumpkin Roll)
The traditional thing for runners to do on Thanksgiving morning is to do a turkey trot. Detroit has a really nice one that I've never done. I had looked into it this year but missed the sign up deadline.
So I decided to have my own little turkey trot and since it was raining outside I decided to do it on my treadmill in the basement. (Okay, I realize that it is sounding less and less like a turkey trot. Oh well.) I had been thinking of doing a 10K in the real race so that's what I decided to on the treadmill.
While I was at it, I decided to go for a personal record. I've only run two 10Ks before, but I've done 6 miles or more dozens of times while training for other things. My previous PR was about 54 minutes (I forgot the seconds). Yesterday I set the speed at 7 miles an hour and went after it. I was watching Man v. Food of course.
I was doing fine until mile 4. I seriously considered stopping at 5 miles but kept trucking along. I was nearly dead by the time it hit 6.2 miles. It wasn't pretty, but I set a new PR by about a minute.
I stumbled around the basement a few times in a feeble attempt at a cool down. The recovery shake helped and then there was the ice bath. I don't know if it helped, but it was cold.
I walked a little gingerly the rest of the day but felt good knowing that I had preemptively countered a small portion of the calories that ate later in the day. A very small portion.
**********
In honor of Thanksgiving, I am posting one of my favorite pumpkin recipes. It tastes great and looks cool.
Pumpkin Roll
Cake:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
4 Tbs butter
½ tsp vanilla
Beat eggs for 5 minutes. Add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice and set aside. In separate bowl, stir together dry cake ingredients. Mix wet and dry ingredients and spread into greased and heavily floured 11X16 baking pan (1/2 flat baking sheet. Make sure it has sides. Tip: lay wax paper in bottom). Top with 1 cup walnuts (optional). Bake at 370 degrees for 15 minutes. Put lots of powdered sugar on a clean towel. Take cake from oven and immediately turn on to towel. Roll up and let cool for one hour.
Combine filling ingredients and beat until smooth. Unroll cake and spread filling evenly over top. Roll up and let chill for several hours. Cut into ¾ - 1 inch slices.
So I decided to have my own little turkey trot and since it was raining outside I decided to do it on my treadmill in the basement. (Okay, I realize that it is sounding less and less like a turkey trot. Oh well.) I had been thinking of doing a 10K in the real race so that's what I decided to on the treadmill.
While I was at it, I decided to go for a personal record. I've only run two 10Ks before, but I've done 6 miles or more dozens of times while training for other things. My previous PR was about 54 minutes (I forgot the seconds). Yesterday I set the speed at 7 miles an hour and went after it. I was watching Man v. Food of course.
I was doing fine until mile 4. I seriously considered stopping at 5 miles but kept trucking along. I was nearly dead by the time it hit 6.2 miles. It wasn't pretty, but I set a new PR by about a minute.
I stumbled around the basement a few times in a feeble attempt at a cool down. The recovery shake helped and then there was the ice bath. I don't know if it helped, but it was cold.
I walked a little gingerly the rest of the day but felt good knowing that I had preemptively countered a small portion of the calories that ate later in the day. A very small portion.
**********
In honor of Thanksgiving, I am posting one of my favorite pumpkin recipes. It tastes great and looks cool.
Pumpkin Roll
Cake:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
4 Tbs butter
½ tsp vanilla
Beat eggs for 5 minutes. Add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice and set aside. In separate bowl, stir together dry cake ingredients. Mix wet and dry ingredients and spread into greased and heavily floured 11X16 baking pan (1/2 flat baking sheet. Make sure it has sides. Tip: lay wax paper in bottom). Top with 1 cup walnuts (optional). Bake at 370 degrees for 15 minutes. Put lots of powdered sugar on a clean towel. Take cake from oven and immediately turn on to towel. Roll up and let cool for one hour.
Combine filling ingredients and beat until smooth. Unroll cake and spread filling evenly over top. Roll up and let chill for several hours. Cut into ¾ - 1 inch slices.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Smell of Success & Molasses Cookies
I've made my decision. I'm going to play it safe and run the half marathon at the Martian Marathon in April. (I began this train of thought in the posting titled "Irony & Lemon Blossoms".)
I've completed 2 full marathons and neither went very well. I followed my training plans religiously but when it came to the actual races, everything seemed to fall apart. I went out way too fast for both, but especially the first, and later bonked early and hard. The second was on a very warm day for a marathon and I didn't slow down to compensate. In the end I finished both races more than a half hour behind my goal. I'll admit I was dicouraged and a big part of me wants to try again to redeem myself.
There are a few considerations though:
something I really enjoy. They are perfect with a nice glass of ice cold milk.
Soft Molasses Cookies
¾ cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup molasses
2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Stir in egg and molasses and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients and stir. Cover and chill until firm (1-2 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Leave on sheet for minute to set.
Recipe by Jan Badovinac
I've completed 2 full marathons and neither went very well. I followed my training plans religiously but when it came to the actual races, everything seemed to fall apart. I went out way too fast for both, but especially the first, and later bonked early and hard. The second was on a very warm day for a marathon and I didn't slow down to compensate. In the end I finished both races more than a half hour behind my goal. I'll admit I was dicouraged and a big part of me wants to try again to redeem myself.
There are a few considerations though:
- Time. More specifically, my lack of it and anyone that has trained for a marathon can attest to the fact that it takes a lot of time. Most of the Saturday long runs are hours long and it seems to eat up most of the day, not to mention the many days that I got out of bed at 4 am or earlier to run.
- Physiology. I'm a big guy. I'm 6'2" and at the top end of the healthy BMI. At the peak of marathon training my body gets really broken down from that much pounding. What's really weird is that my body starts to rebel and I gain some weight even though I'm running 35+ a week.
- Need to feel successful. While training for my second marathon, I discovered that the Martian Half Marathon fit perfectly into my training plan. I signed up and just viewed it as a fun workout. I had a soft goal in mind of 2 hours. I didn't want to kill myself and ruin the upcoming full marathon. I went out and felt good. I ended up finishing in 1:54 including a potty break. It felt really good to surpass my goal. (In fact, I finished so early that my family hadn't yet arrived to see me finish.)
I'm sure all you Tony Robbins types out there are saying, "Cameron, you shouldn't lower your goals to meet your ability. You should shoot for the moon..." Blah, blah, blah. I've already proven to myself that I can finish a marathon. For now I want to see how good I can do at a distance that better fits my current circumstance in life. So take that, Tony.
**********
something I really enjoy. They are perfect with a nice glass of ice cold milk.Soft Molasses Cookies
¾ cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup molasses
2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Stir in egg and molasses and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients and stir. Cover and chill until firm (1-2 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Leave on sheet for minute to set.
Recipe by Jan Badovinac
Photo by sheenbean
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Don't Call Them Monkey Nuts
When I was a missionary in south Texas there was a nice little retired couple that would often invite us over for meals. They probably felt sorry for us, and I don't blame them. My meals at our apartment usually consisted of peanut butter and jelly tortillas.
The nice woman made many wonderful things, but one of them stands out. She called them "Monkey Nuts". My fellow missionary and I would always snigger whenever she said it because we were still technically teenagers, and teenagers are supposed to snigger at things like that.
I guess the "Nuts" part of the name came from the pecans. I later found out that the rest of the world calls it "Monkey Bread", but that's not quite as snigger-worthy. To this day it is one of my favorite desserts.
**********
Monkey Bread
Ingredients
• About 30 oz refrigerated tubed biscuit dough
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch Bundt pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. (Or you can just mix the cinammon-sugar in a bowl and roll the dough in it until completely coated.) Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.
The nice woman made many wonderful things, but one of them stands out. She called them "Monkey Nuts". My fellow missionary and I would always snigger whenever she said it because we were still technically teenagers, and teenagers are supposed to snigger at things like that.
I guess the "Nuts" part of the name came from the pecans. I later found out that the rest of the world calls it "Monkey Bread", but that's not quite as snigger-worthy. To this day it is one of my favorite desserts.
**********
Monkey Bread
Ingredients
• About 30 oz refrigerated tubed biscuit dough
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch Bundt pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. (Or you can just mix the cinammon-sugar in a bowl and roll the dough in it until completely coated.) Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Strollers and Liquid Gold
Yesterday was jam packed and I had a hard time figuring out when I was going to cram in my run. In the end the only time available was while my wife was away and I was watching the three kiddies. I could run on the treadmill, but it seemed like such a waste of a beautiful fall day.
So I bundled up the kids and loaded the two youngest in the double stroller. I made my eldest daughter hop on her bike and away we went.
Whenever I try something like this with the kids I keep my expectations very low. For some reason they have the tendency to go into cosmic meltdowns whenever I have the audacity to hope they'll just chill out for any period of time.
I thoroughly expected the outing to turn into a nightmare but it actually went well. My oldest on the bike didn't complain too much and the two in the stroller stayed put for the most part.
One small portion of the run took us through a bustling shopping center. The stroller kids started waving to the cars as they passed and even if the people didn't wave back they at least smiled. It was pretty cute.
All in all. it was a good run. I'd prefer to run without pushing a stroller, but sometimes you just do what you can. Maybe it's time to have a higher hopes for my kids, or maybe waiting until they're in their thirties would be safer.
**********
This time of year I always feel like having long, filling breakfasts, then I make a note to run extra the next day. There's a restaurant we used to go to all of the time before we moved that had the best syrup to go with all-you-can-eat french toast. It's not maple syrup. It's a golden concoction of buttery, creamy and sweet goodness. Most of the time I wished they'd skip the french toast and just let me drink the syrup.
Buttermilk Syrup
So I bundled up the kids and loaded the two youngest in the double stroller. I made my eldest daughter hop on her bike and away we went.
Whenever I try something like this with the kids I keep my expectations very low. For some reason they have the tendency to go into cosmic meltdowns whenever I have the audacity to hope they'll just chill out for any period of time.
I thoroughly expected the outing to turn into a nightmare but it actually went well. My oldest on the bike didn't complain too much and the two in the stroller stayed put for the most part.
One small portion of the run took us through a bustling shopping center. The stroller kids started waving to the cars as they passed and even if the people didn't wave back they at least smiled. It was pretty cute.
All in all. it was a good run. I'd prefer to run without pushing a stroller, but sometimes you just do what you can. Maybe it's time to have a higher hopes for my kids, or maybe waiting until they're in their thirties would be safer.
**********
This time of year I always feel like having long, filling breakfasts, then I make a note to run extra the next day. There's a restaurant we used to go to all of the time before we moved that had the best syrup to go with all-you-can-eat french toast. It's not maple syrup. It's a golden concoction of buttery, creamy and sweet goodness. Most of the time I wished they'd skip the french toast and just let me drink the syrup.
Buttermilk Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 T corn syrup
1 cube butter or margarine
1/2 tea vanilla
1/2 tea baking soda
Directions:
1. Boil sugar, buttermilk, corn syrup, and butter for 3 minutes in medium saucepan.
2. Let the mixture simmer for another 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla.
4. Stir in baking soda.
5. Serve over french toast, waffles or pancakes.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Irony & Lemon Blossoms
In an uncommon moment of thought I realized that I often eat junk food while watching The Biggest Loser and work out while watching Man vs. Food. Kind of ironic.
So, while watching Man vs. Food last night I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. We've had a lot of company lately so my workouts have been very sporadic. I have my eyes on the Martian Marathon in early April. It's a fun local race that I've done the last couple of years. My only problem is deciding between a half marathon or a full.
After finishing my second marathon in May in near dead condition I vowed I'd stick to half marathons. I reasoned that I just have too much mass to run that far without doing damage.
However, the last few weeks I've started considering it again. I think it's generally the same phenomenon that happens to women after giving birth to a child. After seeing my wife give birth to our first child naturally I'll never understand how she brought herself to have another. It's like we get amnesia after doing something that is supremely unpleasant but ultimately good for us.
I'll let you know what I decide. I just hope I don't end up deciding to have another kid.
**********
I'm back on the treadmill because Detroit is awful... in the winter. Today's recipe is like eating a little bite of sunshine. Somehow I always end up eating 15 bites of sunshine before my wife manages to pull me away from the plate.
Lemon Blossoms
Ingredients
18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix
3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel.
Glaze:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.
With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.
From Paula Dean
So, while watching Man vs. Food last night I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. We've had a lot of company lately so my workouts have been very sporadic. I have my eyes on the Martian Marathon in early April. It's a fun local race that I've done the last couple of years. My only problem is deciding between a half marathon or a full.
After finishing my second marathon in May in near dead condition I vowed I'd stick to half marathons. I reasoned that I just have too much mass to run that far without doing damage.
However, the last few weeks I've started considering it again. I think it's generally the same phenomenon that happens to women after giving birth to a child. After seeing my wife give birth to our first child naturally I'll never understand how she brought herself to have another. It's like we get amnesia after doing something that is supremely unpleasant but ultimately good for us.
I'll let you know what I decide. I just hope I don't end up deciding to have another kid.
**********
I'm back on the treadmill because Detroit is awful... in the winter. Today's recipe is like eating a little bite of sunshine. Somehow I always end up eating 15 bites of sunshine before my wife manages to pull me away from the plate.
Lemon Blossoms
Ingredients
18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix
3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel.
Glaze:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.
With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.
From Paula Dean
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Squishy Shoes and Candied Nuts
I had a lot of fun last night running with my wife and a couple of friends of ours. We did a local 8K to see the lighting of a community holiday lights display… while pushing 6 kids in 4 strollers… in near freezing temperatures… in the pouring rain.
By the time we were done we were all soaked to the bone. With every step came the squish, squish noise of saturated footwear. My fingers had turned into deathly pale raisins inside of the gloves. Surprisingly, there was very little complaining from the kids. I think a combination of hand warmers, glow sticks and the promise of post-race goodies kept them (slightly) above the meltdown threshold.
**********
As I tried to connect this with some sort of sugary concoction for purposes of this blog I started thinking about a couple of times in grad school when I sat through football games in absolutely miserable weather, in many cases long after the result of the game was no longer in question (because I refuse to be one of those pansies that leaves early).
I'm still trying to decide which I liked more, watching the game (even in the rain) or smelling the cinnamon almonds. Turns out they are super easy to make yourself, and much cheaper.
Candied Almonds
Ingredients
½ cup water
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
¼ tsp ground ginger (optional)
2 cups whole roasted, but not salted, almonds (other types of nuts or cuts such sliced or slivered will work)
Directions
Combine the water, sugar, and spices in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; add the almonds. Cook and stir the mixture until the liquid evaporates and leaves a syrup-like coating on the almonds. Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Separate almonds using forks. Allow to cool about 15 minutes.
These are great for a snack by themselves or as a topping for ice cream or salads, especially when using sliced almonds. Spices can be omitted, or changed based upon your preferences. If I'm going to use them on salads I reduce the amount of spices by about half.
By the time we were done we were all soaked to the bone. With every step came the squish, squish noise of saturated footwear. My fingers had turned into deathly pale raisins inside of the gloves. Surprisingly, there was very little complaining from the kids. I think a combination of hand warmers, glow sticks and the promise of post-race goodies kept them (slightly) above the meltdown threshold.
**********
As I tried to connect this with some sort of sugary concoction for purposes of this blog I started thinking about a couple of times in grad school when I sat through football games in absolutely miserable weather, in many cases long after the result of the game was no longer in question (because I refuse to be one of those pansies that leaves early).
I'm still trying to decide which I liked more, watching the game (even in the rain) or smelling the cinnamon almonds. Turns out they are super easy to make yourself, and much cheaper.
Candied Almonds
Ingredients
½ cup water
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
¼ tsp ground ginger (optional)
2 cups whole roasted, but not salted, almonds (other types of nuts or cuts such sliced or slivered will work)
Directions
Combine the water, sugar, and spices in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; add the almonds. Cook and stir the mixture until the liquid evaporates and leaves a syrup-like coating on the almonds. Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Separate almonds using forks. Allow to cool about 15 minutes.
These are great for a snack by themselves or as a topping for ice cream or salads, especially when using sliced almonds. Spices can be omitted, or changed based upon your preferences. If I'm going to use them on salads I reduce the amount of spices by about half.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Chocolates from the Sky, Literally (Including Recipe for Almond Joys)
Well, yesterday I had a fantastic time with my sisters completing the Veterans Half Marathon in Columbia City, IN. It was great to take it easy and just enjoy the time together since we all had complications with our training that stopped us from going all out.
So I bet you are wondering what that has to do with chocolates falling from the sky. Well, I’ll tell you. Last night, to reward ourselves for the run we decided to make homemade Almond Joys. When we were done we couldn’t find room in the fridge so we put them on top of the van in the cool garage to have them set. (Some of you may already see where this is going.)
Early this morning I got up to take my mom to the airport. When I got home my wife asked me where I had put the chocolates. I said I didn’t know anything about them. A minute later she asked again, “No, really, where did you put the chocolates that were on top of the car?” I told her, “I’m serious, I don’t know anything about them”.
I quickly got into the van and retraced the route to the airport looking for a tray full of chocolates scattered over the interstate, with no luck. After church we gave it one more shot. (Okay, if you know my wife you’ll know that she gets a little obsessed when she loses something, but in addition to the chocolates and the pan, we had used our new silicone baking mat.)
There, rolled up on the side of the freeway entrance was our baking mat and a bit further on were a dozen or so Almond Joys mixed with the roadside debris. The pan was nowhere to be found. It must of taken off like a kite when I began to pick up speed.
I can just imagine some poor unsuspecting motorist, minding their own business early on a Sunday morning, suddenly getting pelted with Almond Joys. That'd wake you up!
Almond Joys:
5 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups powdered sugar (not packed)
14 ounces shredded coconut (can use flaked as well)
¾ cup roasted slivered almonds
Almonds to top chocolates- slivered or whole
Chocolate for dipping
¼ cup milk
Blend the condensed milk and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Stir in the coconut and almonds. Mixture should be firm. When you stop mixing, you see some slight settling but it should not be too sticky or runny. Add a little milk if needed to get it to the right consistency. Pat the mixture in a greased 9x13 pan and chill until firm. Cut into 1x2 inch bars to dip. OR roll chilled mixture into walnut sized balls and then chill (chilling before making balls makes it less sticky to hands.) A cookie scoop is helpful for getting uniform ball sizes. Chill again if necessary, the colder, the better. Use a double boiler to melt chocolate. Dip chilled bars or balls. Top with almonds. Chill on wax paper. Recipe makes 25 balls with medium scoop.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Freak Bowling Accident
The setting: mid-August, just 5 weeks before the Run Woodstock trail half-marathon. A man, his pretty wife and three cute kids walk into a 70s era bowling alley (somehow, all bowling alleys are 70s era).
Important fact: the man is a horrible bowler.
The man miraculously begins the game with a turkey, then the law of averages kicks in. The game is no longer going well. He stands with the bowling ball poised for action. He visualizes the perfect throw, begins his approach, takes a deep breath and swings the ball back. Then, disaster… and pain. Somehow his knee managed to insert itself into the forward trajectory of the ball.
The ball gives a hearty chuckle as it rolls down the gutter.
The man stifles walrus-like moans of pain while his wife ponders whether or not what just happened is physically possible unless the swing had actually been aimed at the snack bar. He shakes it off. His knee is tender to the touch and occasionally sends a shot of pain, probably to remind him of the extent of his suckiness. Game over. The mostly happy family exits the building.
Two days later he goes for a long training run. The side of his knee starts aching, then hurts in earnest at around mile seven. He toughs it out, because he's way too manly to give in to something so trivial.
Diagnosis: IT Band Syndrome (irritation leading to inflammation of the iliotibial band, a tendon that runs on the side of the leg from the hip to just below the knee)
Recommended treatment: A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Mostly rest, ice, ibuprofen. Maybe an occasional visit to a local voodoo practitioner. Nothing works. The man is frustrated. Weeks pass, and so does Run Woodstock, with no improvement. Every time he runs his knee starts hurting after a mile and a half. It doesn't hurt him except when he runs, which on the one hand is better than being in constant pain, but on the other, serves to repeatedly trick him into getting his hopes up until they come crashing down as the pain mounts during the same stretch of Snow St.
He's come to his wits end and contemplates the uncontemplateable; going to see the doctor. He knows that the doctor is going to tell him to stop running, and he can tell himself that without having to pay a deductible, and that would mean missing the next race, the Veterans Half Marathon. He returns to the internet to dig deeper, like Columbo with broadband. There, tucked into some of the shadier running injury sites are claims that some people find relief of IT Band Syndrome with a certain type of knee brace. He immediately orders one, tentatively tries it out and, to the sweet music imagined choirs of angels, feels no pain.
He's back in the game, baby.
Important fact: the man is a horrible bowler.
The man miraculously begins the game with a turkey, then the law of averages kicks in. The game is no longer going well. He stands with the bowling ball poised for action. He visualizes the perfect throw, begins his approach, takes a deep breath and swings the ball back. Then, disaster… and pain. Somehow his knee managed to insert itself into the forward trajectory of the ball.
The ball gives a hearty chuckle as it rolls down the gutter.
The man stifles walrus-like moans of pain while his wife ponders whether or not what just happened is physically possible unless the swing had actually been aimed at the snack bar. He shakes it off. His knee is tender to the touch and occasionally sends a shot of pain, probably to remind him of the extent of his suckiness. Game over. The mostly happy family exits the building.
Two days later he goes for a long training run. The side of his knee starts aching, then hurts in earnest at around mile seven. He toughs it out, because he's way too manly to give in to something so trivial.
Diagnosis: IT Band Syndrome (irritation leading to inflammation of the iliotibial band, a tendon that runs on the side of the leg from the hip to just below the knee)
Recommended treatment: A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Mostly rest, ice, ibuprofen. Maybe an occasional visit to a local voodoo practitioner. Nothing works. The man is frustrated. Weeks pass, and so does Run Woodstock, with no improvement. Every time he runs his knee starts hurting after a mile and a half. It doesn't hurt him except when he runs, which on the one hand is better than being in constant pain, but on the other, serves to repeatedly trick him into getting his hopes up until they come crashing down as the pain mounts during the same stretch of Snow St.
He's come to his wits end and contemplates the uncontemplateable; going to see the doctor. He knows that the doctor is going to tell him to stop running, and he can tell himself that without having to pay a deductible, and that would mean missing the next race, the Veterans Half Marathon. He returns to the internet to dig deeper, like Columbo with broadband. There, tucked into some of the shadier running injury sites are claims that some people find relief of IT Band Syndrome with a certain type of knee brace. He immediately orders one, tentatively tries it out and, to the sweet music imagined choirs of angels, feels no pain.
He's back in the game, baby.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Toffee Scones
These scones have been a real hit every time that I have made them. Scones are a lot like cookies, but more fluffy in texture and normally less sweet. They are perfect with hot chocolate.
Toffee Scones
Makes 8 big scones or 16 little scones . Preheat oven to 400°.
Ingredients:
• 3 C. Flour
• 1/3 C. Sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 C. Chilled Butter in tablespoon-sized chunks
• 1 C. Chilled Sour Cream
• 1/2 C. Toffee Chips
Toppings
• Glaze (preferred): Mix 2 cups powdered sugar with ¼ cup milk (after baking)
• Sugar Crust: small amount of milk and sugar (before baking)
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixer or food processor and mix until combined. With the machine running, add the chunks of butter until mealy. Add all of the sour cream and mix but do not over mix. Remove from machine and place on floured surface. Knead in toffee chips using dustings flour to moderate the stickiness. Divide in two equal balls of dough make discs of each about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 small wedges each for a total of 16 (or one big disc cut into 8 big pieces). If using Sugar Crust topping: brush the wedges with milk and sprinkle with sugar before baking - use plenty of sugar, it makes a wonderful crust on top.
Put foil on a cookie sheet and spray coat it, spread out the wedges (about 8 small ones to a cookie sheet). Bake until lightly golden on top about 12-15 minutes. If using glaze topping: Using a pastry brush, coat top and sides of scones. Repeat until desired amount of glaze is achieved (2 coats recommended). Let sit until glaze is dry.
TIP: These freeze really well. Follow the recipe up to the point where you would bake them and pop them in the freezer instead. After they are frozen put them in a freezer bag. When you are ready to bake them, put them in the oven frozen - increase the cooking time by a few minutes.
Adapted from Steever House Bed & Breakfast
In the beginning...
In the beginning there was food, and then there was sugar, and food became totally awesome. And then people got fat.
I was one of those people. I have always struggled with my weight, mostly because I love eating. I like all good food, but especially sweets. In the years before getting married I had worked (and I mean WORKED) my weight down to the very top end of the normal range of the BMI (we'll save the discussion about the accuracy of the BMI index for another day. Is it okay to refer to myself as 'we'?) but then as happens in most marriages I put on some weight. About 50 pounds to be exact.
There were a couple of diets that took off 40 pounds before it came back on. Then about 3 years ago I found a diet system that worked for me and came to love running. I ran a half-marathon and followed that with 2 full marathons in the last year.
With the running and moderate eating I have found that I can still eat good food and keep shedding the pounds. So far I have lost 55 pounds and have kept it off.
This blog will chronicle my running and provide some of my most loved recipes, usually on the sweet side.
I was one of those people. I have always struggled with my weight, mostly because I love eating. I like all good food, but especially sweets. In the years before getting married I had worked (and I mean WORKED) my weight down to the very top end of the normal range of the BMI (we'll save the discussion about the accuracy of the BMI index for another day. Is it okay to refer to myself as 'we'?) but then as happens in most marriages I put on some weight. About 50 pounds to be exact.
There were a couple of diets that took off 40 pounds before it came back on. Then about 3 years ago I found a diet system that worked for me and came to love running. I ran a half-marathon and followed that with 2 full marathons in the last year.
With the running and moderate eating I have found that I can still eat good food and keep shedding the pounds. So far I have lost 55 pounds and have kept it off.
This blog will chronicle my running and provide some of my most loved recipes, usually on the sweet side.
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