tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58852204276170931672009-01-23T11:38:20.096-06:00Just try and peg me. It's a mix.arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-8257679334140994672009-01-15T13:21:00.002-06:002009-01-15T13:23:43.387-06:00

I can't take the pink anymore, nor any of the other Blogger templates. From now on, my updates will be here at the Wordpress location. I may keep the posts mostly photographic in nature.

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-26844431336697857932009-01-11T16:24:00.002-06:002009-01-11T16:36:21.614-06:00

Back Stoop Steppin'Originally uploaded by arahbahnThe photo does NOT depict the tracks I left today, while wearing Yak Trax on my running shoes, for my trail run. But I'm going to talk about them.They're quite wonderful, at least for today's trail conditions on the Jensen Lake loop, at Lebanon Hills Regional Park. Full disclosure: the trail is in great condition. It has a decent amount of hard

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-77791040164294403352009-01-07T09:50:00.003-06:002009-01-07T09:53:13.811-06:00

Plato in the gardenOriginally uploaded by arahbahnI got about 300 words into an email message to a more experienced trail runner than I, asking for advice on whether I should plan on a 25k in April - in Minnesota, when I decided to just suck it up, pick a first race and a plan, and get out running.Complaints that got me writing included "it's too damn slippery," "yo my lower limit is positive

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-55507448845654025692009-01-02T09:21:00.001-06:002009-01-02T09:21:51.090-06:00

IMG_2786.JPGOriginally uploaded by arahbahnIt's going to be good.

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-79330094831694127292008-12-30T08:50:00.002-06:002008-12-30T22:37:27.238-06:00

IMG_2778.JPGOriginally uploaded by arahbahnI love YouTube.Last night I attended a showing of this year's best British Ads at the Walker Art Center. Here are some of the best ones. The unfortunate thing about viewing them in YouTube vs. seeing them at the Walker is that the YouTube titles give away the advertisers before the ads do. Ah well:"Circuit""Interview"Effortless"Cake""Gorilla Drummer"This

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-4385913921697337562008-12-24T10:03:00.002-06:002008-12-24T10:11:30.179-06:00

IMG_2761.JPGOriginally uploaded by arahbahnI've ended my trial use of Wordpress, and decided I don't like it. The uneditable templates bit was the nail in the coffin; here's a useful page detailing the differences, some of which I noticed. So! I'm glad you're still here, to enjoy my backfill of a photo of the muffins I made last weekend. Blogger it is, for a while longer!Merry Christmas!

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-73680125388269305762008-12-11T16:36:00.003-06:002008-12-11T16:40:14.956-06:00

IMG_2702.JPGOriginally uploaded by arahbahnHEY, I'm trying out a new weblog publishing system. For years now I've been meaning to try a totally do-it-yourself arrangement for the design and content, but once again, time is limited, and I've just picked a more robust free templated product to try. You can go check out the test site here. If I like it enough, I'll kill this one & redirect y'all to

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-29917732039708888772008-12-05T10:43:00.002-06:002008-12-05T10:53:37.891-06:00

IMG_2689.JPGOriginally uploaded by arahbahnWe're back from our trip. Highlights:* 5 days of visiting with Grandma Thelma* a fun road trip with my most awesome husband* a yummy Turkey Day feast with Bill and Mary, plus hours of conversation that just flew by* pumpkin pie for three days in a row* hikes in a few beautiful parks: Effigy Mounds, Sam A. Baker* two trail runs in a beautiful park: Lake

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-43479641485928533922008-11-23T22:15:00.003-06:002008-11-23T22:37:41.332-06:00

IMG_3200.JPGOriginally uploaded by arahbahnNothing too exciting, but still plenty to give thanks for. These things include, but are not limited to, the following: We've had snow. A few times! But none that makes driving difficult or snowboarding fun. I ran a 5k pre-holiday race today, and evidently won my division! No wonder it hurt so bad, even if for just 24 minutes. 7:45 for my first mile,

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-75222672739784943802008-11-10T12:36:00.002-06:002008-11-10T12:39:03.448-06:00

Cinnamon BurstOriginally uploaded by arahbahnI'm taking a sick day, today, because I am sick. Darn that little coughing climber, next to me, at the gym, yesterday! Or, perhaps more realistically: darn me, for doing 2 hours at the climbing gym in the morning, then a 75-minute power yoga class, in the evening. Silly rabbit.The photo is of the Blueberry Cinnamon-Burst Muffins that I made on Saturday

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-3266842796742147882008-11-08T21:34:00.005-06:002008-11-10T12:40:23.130-06:00

Saturday's MoussakaOriginally uploaded by arahbahnThis is the type of edge we live on: this morning I realized that we had raw (but shrink-wrapped, at least) ground lamb in the refrigerator, and it's been there since I bought it about 6 days ago. Somehow it didn't make it into the freezer on shopping day last weekend. So! Today's lunch would be the Potato and Lamb Moussaka that we'd planned to

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-8671314054861398562008-11-07T09:44:00.005-06:002008-11-08T21:28:46.852-06:00

Around 11:30 yesterday I was faced with a decision: yoga, walk, or run? There was a light rain. I'd get wet doing any of the three options (I'm still on the heated power yoga kick). By 11:55 I'd narrowed it down to walk or run; lately I'm not as keen on power yoga 2 days in a row. By 12:05 I had my gear on, and had set foot outside. Brr. It was chilly enough that my calf-length tights would not

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-73637087758343296522008-10-29T21:25:00.004-05:002008-10-30T16:55:36.079-05:00

Yesterday was the 7th and final consecutive day in which I practiced yoga in an hour-long "power yoga" class format. Tonight, I went for an easy 4-mile run along the river. That week of yoga did some great things for me, I feel. My run tonight was fabulous. The weather helped (clear skies, dusk, no wind, 50 or so degrees), but I felt both light on my feet and limber. Kind of like Tigger - I

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-23910466577871635512008-10-24T18:31:00.006-05:002008-10-25T08:33:00.689-05:00

I'm taking a short break from running; I still haven't decided whether or not to plan on the Memphis half-marathon in early December. I've been following a training plan for it, but a week off from it would be a healthy break. While I ponder that, I'm taking advantage of a great offer at the local Core Power yoga studio: newbies to the studio get a whole week for free, to taste the waters of

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-19204810429854632722008-10-18T17:38:00.004-05:002008-10-18T21:25:29.691-05:00

Why is it that when I'm running or driving, with no way to carry a decent camera, is when I really want to take photos? At 7 this morning, Kyle and I headed south on Interstate 35 toward Faribault, to run in the Big Woods Run 10k race. We had fully expected the scenery on the way down, as well as during the race, to be stunning: it's mid-October in Minnesota, we're driving southward, and that

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-33553967634017261012008-10-12T21:24:00.008-05:002008-10-14T20:19:11.397-05:00

Above is one of the marvelous plants in my brother and sister-in-law's backyard, in Phoenix: an ocotillo. In spring, evidently, it looks much more alive (that orange bloom that is using one of its thorns as a hat-rack is from the flowering plant that sits next to it). Here, it's sporting more of a glass sculpture look. I spent this weekend in Phoenix; I'd read a good review of an area trail race

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-42683179297909511322008-10-07T11:48:00.003-05:002008-10-07T12:31:50.503-05:00

I have simply GOT to get a phone with a camera in it. All this trail running I've been doing, and no fabulous photos to show for it - my smallest camera is too large, and if I'm going to bother carrying small electronics, said electronics had better involve telephony. The beastie above was in my garden a few weeks ago. I wish the photo were of some of the sights on last Saturday's run in

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-1731474820163445512008-10-04T10:27:00.003-05:002008-10-07T13:05:18.339-05:00

Popovers are indeed the perfect combination of crispy and eggy-gooey textures. Their transformation from a placid yellow liquid batter to a golden, drunken minaret is a joy to the eyes. Plus, they are finger food! Axel's in Mendota brings a neverending stream of them to your table - and then gives you a bag of what's left in the basket, when you leave. Sadly, that's all that's memorable to me,

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-30985431678958409912008-09-28T15:58:00.007-05:002008-09-29T09:31:58.241-05:00

Above, you should see two of the four forms of chocolate that are in the batch of what I'll call Double Malted Chocolate Cookies that I baked yesterday, from a recipe I found on the internet. Pretty good, but as is, it's not a keeper. They needed to be more chewy and less poofy/risen (here's a photo of them, baked); perhaps I'll try one of the suggestions here. The main travesty is that the

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-41477348429265051572008-09-22T22:17:00.004-05:002008-09-25T15:09:09.717-05:00

This is what's currently in our biscotti bin: Mincement & Walnut Cantucci. As an American, the first time I heard the term "mincemeat" was probably from dialogue in a cartoon of some sort, maybe Popeye. Luckily, a visit to the British Isles sometime in my late teens fixed that, and I got exposed to mince pie. YUM. Still, I'd never baked with it until last week. You can buy mincement in a

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-84111839505333294402008-09-21T11:25:00.006-05:002008-09-22T22:16:05.163-05:00

How can a race go poorly, when it starts with a teenage girl grabbing your butt? This did happen to me, within the first mile of the Trail Loppet Half-Marathon, yesterday. The first 2 miles were pretty much a conga line, as the trail was fairly narrow, and even with only about 250 people running, the effect was still similar to that of 5+ highway lanes, attempting to enter the Boston tunnel. The

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-20616670756440648082008-09-19T20:10:00.004-05:002008-09-20T15:34:08.024-05:00

Well, perhaps not so wee: he's about the size of my thumb. This creature was waiting for me on the back stoop, when I got home. This cicada -the first I've ever seen!- is far more welcome than those charming feces-ejecting rock doves who sometimes congregate back there.

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-34692255600464265932008-09-18T19:43:00.005-05:002008-09-28T18:41:10.815-05:00

One of our favorite weeknight meals is to make pizza; invariably we take one of two pretty simple recipes and adapt it a little, based on what's in the fridge. Tonight's was based on this Triple Jump Pizza recipe. Normally -per the guidance from the other recipe- we slice up the prosciutto, and tonight we found out why. It may be easy to cut the whole pie into 8 slices, using the pizza wheel (

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-18051027079823827982008-09-16T16:44:00.002-05:002008-09-16T17:02:48.840-05:00

It's not fall: I haven't put away my sandals, yet. Some of my sunflower are still in bloom; my cosmos sure are. As is my Golden Wings rose. The basement isn't done yet. The maple sure as heck hasn't dropped its leaves (that'll happen in November). The Honeycrisp season is not in full swing yet. The climbing gym is still using its "summer" hours. It's fall: look at the date! I want to go clothes

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5885220427617093167.post-81943273800674731682008-09-08T21:51:00.005-05:002008-09-28T18:42:44.945-05:00

A food stylist I am not (no, that's not Shrek, melted in a Pyrex dish), but if you think Mexican food, this photo looks better. Tonight, hubbie and I made & ate Chicken Chilaquiles, using a recipe we adapted from Cooking Light. Our adaptation: soy milk for the milk (it's all we had); Jack cheese with habanero, rather then with jalepeno, peppers; and blue corn tortillas for the tortillas. Yum!

arahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744213206943102469noreply@blogger.com0