I'm training for another Half Marathon. I did one in January 2009, pretty much because our friends dared us to and it was in Disney. Duh. No brainer. Since then we've done some short local races but nothing that long. So in December we signed up for the Providence Half Marathon in May. Seemed like a good idea. Then.
It still is but I've slacked on the training program for sure. Cross training has been ignored and I haven't gotton in all the weekly runs I should have. But I think I'll be okay. I did 7 yesterday and haven't run that far since the Disney race. It felt good actually and I only stopped a few times for a short walk break. Today my legs are sore but in that good sore way.
Why do I run? It is funny, friends always say things to me like "That is so great, I'm so insprired by you" and I just have to laugh. Why do I run? Really? To go on trips. Yup that is a big one. For this Providence one R and I have a room at the Westin the night before, no kids, no dog. Heaven. For that I will train for weeks and weeks. I mean I like the benefit of having a healthier body and I like saying I'm part of the club that has run a Half, that is a cool thing to be able to say you've done. I don't however love to run. I have never woken up and thought "Gosh I can't wait to run". For me I usually have to get my running gear on to sort of inspire me and even then there have been days I've worn running clothes all day and never run. I'm very good at talking myself out of it.
But promise me a trip the Mouse or to anywhere that has room service and someone else makes the bed and I'm so in. I'll sweat and stretch and torment myself all for that carrot of a getaway hanging over my head. Everyone needs something to motivate and that my friends is mine.
Run on friends and if you have an interest in starting a running program Google the Couch to 5K. It is a great way to begin incorporating running into your life.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Fruit Coffee Cake
The urge to bake swept over me tonight. I think it was really because my other option was tackling the linen closet in the kid's bathroom and I'm just not quite up for that. Plus we are low on "sweet" snacks for the kids to take to school tomorrow. I'm pretty routine about what I pack in their lunch. Must be a sweet, a salty/crunchy and a fruit in addition to the main course which could be anything from a sandwich to cereal to soup in a thermos. But I'm low on sweet and I just didn't have the oomph to run the half mile to the grocery store, lazy I know, so baking it was.
An old cookbook was on my counter from C and her friend perusing it yesterday. They are bakers in the making those two. Anyway I opened it up and found a Fruit Coffee Cake. Hmmmm, interesting. It could double as breakfast AND the sweet snack. I like multi-tasking. Looked through, had all the ingredients, it was a go. The beauty of it is that you can use a variety of fruits. I had apples on hand so that is what I used but peaches would be tasty or berries.
It was a breeze to prepare and in the oven it went for 40 minutes.
1-1/2 to 2 cups pitted and sliced apricots or peaches; chopped, peeled apples or pineapple; or blueberries or red raspberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
1. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine fruit and water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer,* covered, about 5 minutes or until fruit is tender. Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more; set filling aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, the 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spread half of the batter into an ungreased 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Spread filling over batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds over filling.
4. In a small bowl stir together the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in the 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over coffee cake. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.
Music to bake by:
Matt Nathanson, Wedding Dress
Goo Goo Dolls, Iris
Michael Buble, Everything
Joshua Radin, Free of Me
An old cookbook was on my counter from C and her friend perusing it yesterday. They are bakers in the making those two. Anyway I opened it up and found a Fruit Coffee Cake. Hmmmm, interesting. It could double as breakfast AND the sweet snack. I like multi-tasking. Looked through, had all the ingredients, it was a go. The beauty of it is that you can use a variety of fruits. I had apples on hand so that is what I used but peaches would be tasty or berries.
It was a breeze to prepare and in the oven it went for 40 minutes.
I probably should have let the topping brown more you think? Impatient. And I didn't want the cake to burn.
The middle layer is where the tasty apples are and they really are tasty.
So you have a layer of cake, a layer of apple goodness, another layer of cake and then the topping. I would change the topping next time. Instead of white sugar I would use brown and add cinnamon. Otherwise this is a keeper and I'll make it again I am sure. Though I guess the real test is tomorrow to see what the kids think.
Here is the recipe if you want to try:
Fruit Coffee Cake
Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
Ingredients
1-1/2 to 2 cups pitted and sliced apricots or peaches; chopped, peeled apples or pineapple; or blueberries or red raspberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
1. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine fruit and water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer,* covered, about 5 minutes or until fruit is tender. Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more; set filling aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, the 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spread half of the batter into an ungreased 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Spread filling over batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds over filling.
4. In a small bowl stir together the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in the 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over coffee cake. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.
Music to bake by:
Matt Nathanson, Wedding Dress
Goo Goo Dolls, Iris
Michael Buble, Everything
Joshua Radin, Free of Me
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Brinner
When R is away, and even when he isn't, we like to occasionally have breakfast for dinner, or Brinner as it is affectionately known. I think because mornings are generally so rushed that Brinner allows us to enjoy it more, take our time and not be just scarfing it down as we grab for bookbags or soccer cleats and head for the door.
Tonight it was Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pancakes. She is not kidding. These are perfect! I've used Bisquick, I've used Krusteaz (better than Bisquick), I've made from scratch but nothing comes close to this recipe. They cook up just so, well, perfect. The secret ingredient that makes them just so deliciouso has got to be the cake flour. Mmmmm Mmmmmmm.
Try them next time you are in the mood for pancakes, you won't be disappointed!
Tonight it was Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pancakes. She is not kidding. These are perfect! I've used Bisquick, I've used Krusteaz (better than Bisquick), I've made from scratch but nothing comes close to this recipe. They cook up just so, well, perfect. The secret ingredient that makes them just so deliciouso has got to be the cake flour. Mmmmm Mmmmmmm.
Try them next time you are in the mood for pancakes, you won't be disappointed!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Yeeee-Haw!
The kids and I went away this past weekend. R is in China, yes it is March, that means he is off for a few weeks to somewhere far, far away. While he is gone the rest of us are sad and mopey. The vibe is thrown off and we just miss him something fierce. That plus I think we have a bit of jealousy that he gets to go on a trip and we don't. We are stuck in the routine of work, school and small town living. So we try and do some fun things to liven things up a bit.
This year we booked a weekend at The Ridin' Hy Ranch . We had never been but the reviews online that I found were all very, very good. I'll admit, I was nervous. About a few things really.
1. Going somewhere we had never been, what if it was awful? What if we hated it?
2. Driving 3+ hours alone with just the kids.
3. What if we hated it again, this was a big one in my mind.
Well I'll tell you, we loved it! I can't say enough. It was just the right size (small), all inclusive (love that) and the weather was perfect (upper 60s). They had snow on the ski and tubing hills and had made a track for the snowmobiles. We did 4 trail rides over the weekend, won the BINGO coverall on Friday night, went swimming, tubing, rode snowmobiles for the first time, learned to ski, ate really well, played Apples to Apples and just had a really great time. No one wanted to come home. We really are aiming to return for a late summer weekend with R and see what summers are like there. I think that now that we've all found our inner cowboy and cowgirl we'd be hard pressed to stay away too long.
And we'd really like to see R on a horse. :)
This year we booked a weekend at The Ridin' Hy Ranch . We had never been but the reviews online that I found were all very, very good. I'll admit, I was nervous. About a few things really.
1. Going somewhere we had never been, what if it was awful? What if we hated it?
2. Driving 3+ hours alone with just the kids.
3. What if we hated it again, this was a big one in my mind.
Well I'll tell you, we loved it! I can't say enough. It was just the right size (small), all inclusive (love that) and the weather was perfect (upper 60s). They had snow on the ski and tubing hills and had made a track for the snowmobiles. We did 4 trail rides over the weekend, won the BINGO coverall on Friday night, went swimming, tubing, rode snowmobiles for the first time, learned to ski, ate really well, played Apples to Apples and just had a really great time. No one wanted to come home. We really are aiming to return for a late summer weekend with R and see what summers are like there. I think that now that we've all found our inner cowboy and cowgirl we'd be hard pressed to stay away too long.
And we'd really like to see R on a horse. :)
Monday, March 22, 2010
Whoa, its been a really long time....
since I've been here. I'm actually kind of suprised its still here and Blogger didn't delete me for lack of use.
I've been thinking about blogging a lot lately. Why? I'm not sure. But it's been on my mind. I have been doing less painting, less knitting. I think my creative side is sad and crying out for some attention. Maybe writing will curb that for a bit?
What is new in the last, oh, year? Hmmm. I have a child in Jr High, I have a child with a boyfriend (gasp!), I took a Disney trip with said child, I won a really cool exciting contest with a seriously awesome prize (free groceries for a year, ka-ching!) and signed up for a few more road races. Still working part time, still shuffling kids here and there in my minivan, still trying to "Master the Walk" with the crazy dog and really just looking like the insane woman in the neighborhood when we go on our jaunts. See, some things never change?
I watched "Julie and Julia" last week. I loved it! And it coincided with cleaning out a cabinet in my kitchen that had been long overdue to be cleaned out. Stacks and stacks, did I say stacks?, of old Bon Appetit magazines. Familiar with that one? It is a fabulous magazine that I got for many, many years. Wonderful recipes and pictures.I've saved almost all of them and when I cleaned them out of the cabinet and looked at the stack I thought, what do I do with these? I can't just get rid of them. It would take too long to go through and cull just things I think I might someday if I have the time make. Then I saw the movie. Then I had an idea.
No I'm not going to cook my way through Bon Appetit silly. But I do have an idea. More on that to come. Maybe keeping this dusty blog will help keep me accountable as this is something I would like to do. Sometimes if you just tell one person, maybe even just write it out for yourself, it helps you follow through.
I've been thinking about blogging a lot lately. Why? I'm not sure. But it's been on my mind. I have been doing less painting, less knitting. I think my creative side is sad and crying out for some attention. Maybe writing will curb that for a bit?
What is new in the last, oh, year? Hmmm. I have a child in Jr High, I have a child with a boyfriend (gasp!), I took a Disney trip with said child, I won a really cool exciting contest with a seriously awesome prize (free groceries for a year, ka-ching!) and signed up for a few more road races. Still working part time, still shuffling kids here and there in my minivan, still trying to "Master the Walk" with the crazy dog and really just looking like the insane woman in the neighborhood when we go on our jaunts. See, some things never change?
I watched "Julie and Julia" last week. I loved it! And it coincided with cleaning out a cabinet in my kitchen that had been long overdue to be cleaned out. Stacks and stacks, did I say stacks?, of old Bon Appetit magazines. Familiar with that one? It is a fabulous magazine that I got for many, many years. Wonderful recipes and pictures.I've saved almost all of them and when I cleaned them out of the cabinet and looked at the stack I thought, what do I do with these? I can't just get rid of them. It would take too long to go through and cull just things I think I might someday if I have the time make. Then I saw the movie. Then I had an idea.
No I'm not going to cook my way through Bon Appetit silly. But I do have an idea. More on that to come. Maybe keeping this dusty blog will help keep me accountable as this is something I would like to do. Sometimes if you just tell one person, maybe even just write it out for yourself, it helps you follow through.
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