Muffintastic
I'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!
Labels: food
Turkey day week
Nothing 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, yow. Yay for Great Harvest bread & cookies as post-race nosh. And yay for co-workers who run races, too!
- I've decided to run the Memphis 5k, in two weeks. I may have wussed out on a winter half-marathon, but I'm still enjoying running. And, I'm excited to visit a new town!
- Hubbie and I are finally taking a road trip with my new car. Southward, ho!
- We might even try a night or two of camping, during that trip. We like camping, but haven't found time to do it in a long time.
- We have a short week, ahead. Yay! Or, a normal length one that includes a turkey dinner and visiting with relatives. Double yay! Pumpkin pie! Sweet potato casserole! Buckeyes! Nom nom.
- I tried a new pose in yoga, last week: bird of paradise. It was scary, and wobbly.
- Today I went to an inspiring lecture by Dr. John Francis, who teaches us that we can change the world by changing ourselves. Here's more info on what he's up to.
- Yesterday I made a batch of tomato chutney dip, and took some to Tim's party. We stil have the other half of the batch here, to enjoy, this week.
- Mom continues her courageous work, keeping beachcombers away from beached sea lions on the Oregon coast.
- It's almost time for our new year's day party, again!
Labels: food, running
a waste of Whoppers
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 malt balls don't have that fabulous crunch any more. IT'S JUST WRONG. Ah well, I hope the coworkers enjoy them on Monday.
Notably, I didn't use Whoppers; SuperTarget was out of them. But they did have chocolate malt balls in the Jelly Belly bins, and the chocolate on them is
far superior to what's on Whoppers.
Labels: cooking, food
I'll make mincemeat outta you
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 rather large jar, or in a condensed vacuum pack, which is what I chose when the recipe called for a fairly small amount. These cookies are quite tasty, even though they are cantucci of the butter variety, so they are softer, but not as crunchy as I generally prefer.
For these, I adapted the recipe of the same title, in
The Best 50 Biscotti Recipes. This little cookbook has a nice collection of pretty creative concoctions.
Labels: cooking, food
not much left for tomorrow
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 (Steve's weapon of choice) or the butcher's knife (mine). However, biting into it makes eating pizza an even more interactive experience. Not necessarily a bad one... just a potentially messy one. And, most likely we exceeded the healthy limits of cured meat volume. The flavor was definitely worth the cost of the experiment!
Tonight's variation proved to be quite tasty; today's notable substitution was the Mama Mary Thin and Crispy Crust (and, not burning it, this time). Thus far, in terms of crust, we've most liked the refrigerated pizza dough you can buy at
Cossetta.
Our favorite substitution (one we used tonight, as well) is a bottled artichoke-garlic bruschetta spread, in lieu of minced garlic.
Labels: cooking, food
blue and green
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!
Yesterday, I did my last long training run before my half-marathon race. My training plan called for a 12-mile run; I'm estimating my pace at Afton to be an 11-12 minute mile, so I did the math & ran for 2 hours & 20 minutes (that last 4 minutes seemed trivial- esp as combared to last week, I was adding 30 minutes to my run.
It was pleasantly chilly, and I got rained on for about a half hour. I LOVE THIS WEATHER, FOR RUNNING. I adjusted my course in order to swing by my car for the Gore-tex jacket, but by the time I got there, the ran had long stopped, and I was half-dry, and certainly warm enough. So, I got a Fig Newton out of the trunk (I'd eaten my packet of gu about 45 minutes prior), refilled my water bottle, and headed to the southern part of the park. My favorite part! The terrain seems more varied in that area, and it doesn't feature long spells up on the hot prairie. Actually, yesterday's run didn't feature any long hot spells. Suddenly, I liked the prairie areas better. The grasses are getting so tall, at this time of year. It was pleasant to run along the side of the trail, letting the wet brushes hit my legs.
I used the occasion to test-drive my new
Dirty Girl Gaiters, which performed swimmingly: not a speck of grit got into my shoes or socks. And, I looked like a fabulous freak with my blue leapard-print spats. Victory! This, in combination with the red
buff around my head: I was the lycra weird-clothing item poster child. The rest of me had fairly normal running attire on. Shorts, tech tank, long-sleeved wind jacket. Short Smartwool running socks. Sunglasses. Which sadly got too fogged up, in the rain. I was relying on their prescription, so for the 20 or so minutes before I got the fog under control, I was risking life and limb against tree roots that I couldn't see. Luck was on my side, however.
I finished up with a half-loop in the wildflower loop near the parking lot - it's a funny trail that feels like a dude with a mower and some booze had a joyride- it meanders a bit. It's s good way to knock of the last few minutes of a timed run. Reminds me of the figure-8's I had to do, when I was rehabbing my knee, after my surgery: nice ankle workout. Which frankly, I was surprised I could handle, after 2+ hours of running. My left ankle in particular was speaking to me; it's been a little stiff lately and I've been icing it at night.
Otherwise, things went quite well. About an hour into the run, I started to feel like a sort of [wet] Energizer bunny: I had a stream of energy, not high-powered energy, but steady endurance, that just kept me going. There were several moments when I didn't seem to feel my legs; they were stumps that just kept pumping up and down. I'm still trying to decide if I'm okay with that feeling. I've always had a particular knack for endurance in general, I'm very drawn to more powerful types of energy movement. In comparison, they are so
rewarding, at least, in an instant. But this, this is weird. It's very... yin.
Why am I running? Weight control, fitness, vanity... A need for attainable, short-term goals. A competitive need, to a degree. Presently, as I'm not walking as much, it's the way I'm getting out and seeing the streets or the stuff on the trail. It's time to think. I work at a computer all day, so my runs are my opportunity to experience time and space in a more lively and linear way.
I read a few articles recently that give me other ideas for why people run; maybe they apply to me as well. Kristin Armstrong writes a great column for Runner's World, and in
her recent post she talks about the yogic notion of practice... how there are certain things that you do regularly that are part of a daily devotion to learning and growth.
Another post was written by a non-triathlete who
stumbled into spectating at a triathlon, and came upon these revelations: "...It's about making a promise to yourself and then making it happen. It's about being, for one minute, something more than you are during your every day..."
These are things to consider, when my Sept. 20 half-marathon is done and I'm wondering if I'll want to sign up for another race, and if so, what distance, what type of race?
Labels: food, running
The Omnivore's 100
So, this fellow Andrew has posted
a list of foods that he thinks every omnivore should try at least once in their lifetime. Seems like a fun enough game. I've bolded the ones I've tried (sorry, the link style makes that a little confusing):
1. Venison2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros4.
Steak tartare5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich14.
Aloo gobi15. Hot dog from a street cart16.
Epoisses17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans25.
Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet peppe
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl33. Salted
lassi34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted
cream tea38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat42. Whole insects
43.
Phaal44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46.
Fugu47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear52.
Umeboshi53. Abalone
54. Paneer55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV59.
Poutine60. Carob chips
61. S’mores62.
Sweetbreads63.
Kaolin64.
Currywurst65.
Durian66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini73. Louche
absinthe74.
Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76.
Baijiu77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict83.
Pocky84. Tasting menu at a three-
Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox97.
Lobster Thermidor98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. SnakeI'd like to add these, because I absolutely love and recommend them:
101. Tarte flambee
102. Black rice pudding
103. Spare ribs roasted with just soy sauce and Lawry's seasoning
104. Socca (or farinata)
105. Grappa
106. Curried okra from this awesome Indian restaurant not far from the Museum of Natural History in New York.I'll probably think of a few more.
Want to play? Visit
Andrew's original list for the unbolded version of the list.
Labels: food
Big Eddy
Finally, Leinenkugel has come up with a beer that I would choose to drink: The
Big Eddy Imperial Stout. It's just delicious and caramelly, though maybe a little too sweet (and strong!) to have more than one in one sitting. I'm really glad
the Muddy Pig had it on tap, last night. It (and a sandwich!) made for a great treat, after my tough treadmill tempo run workout.
Labels: food
Cooking Tasty
Every once in awhile hubby and I find a great recipe and YAY such an event happened last night. We tried a
so not bland one from Cooking Light magazine (for years we've enjoyed -and amended- many recipes but have snarkily renamed it "Cooking Bland"). Go! Get the ingredients right now and make yourself some
Tequila Pork Chile Verde for dinner. It comes together in about 30 minutes. Buying that ancho chile powder at
the Mercado last weekend was a most excellent idea. The flavors remind me of the excellent but probably fatty Tacos Monterrey at
Boca Chica.
Labels: food
I'd like to do that again.
- Donnay Dairy “Granite Ridge” Minnesota cave-aged goat milk cheese
- Pecan wood-smoked Yorkshire pork baby back ribs with caramelized onions and Concord grape glaze
- Organic frisée salad with roasted sweet peppers, St. Pete’s blue cheese, toasted black walnuts and port wine-apple vinaigrette
- Maple syrup-sweet corn pudding brûlée with a Minnesota black walnut bookie, toasted Illinois pecan shortbread and Ames Farm chestnut blossom honey-glazed hazelnuts
- and a most excellent spicy and aromatic cabernet sauvignon, the name of which I can't recall
Yum: dinner last night at
Heartland.
Labels: food
Trains!
Back from New York/Jersey. Ate/visited/imbibed here:
Azucar Cuban Cuisine: a most excellent batch of Yuca Frita Cubana & a yummy mojito as well.
The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum: The National Design Triennial was exhaustive but excellent. Loved the
Josh Davis work. I'm looking forward to his session at
Flashbelt. The
Ladd Brothers' "elaborate handcrafted works" were beautiful and inventive; it reminded me of works by Holly Anderson Jorde and Erika Olson, in
a recent exhibit here in St. Paul.
Resto: A great Dutch baby and some excellent Belgian brews (check out the decor- and the great gams on that table- in the photo at left).
Blind Tiger Ale House: Mmm, the Brooklyn Wheat, with Murray's cheeses.
Robongi in Hoboken- yet another great sushi meal. With
Ben!
The Overnight: Very powerful. We miss Jenny. Many people there were missing loved ones, as well: there were a lot of great t-shirts with photos, quotes, and loving words.
South Street Seaport: Very busy. Bustling, even. Loud but fun. I love wharfs (usually).
Dodo offered a most excellent organic pinot noir from Mendocino.
Josh & Ive's: Got a smashed bagel there, and a "sober" one as well, to share with hubbie. It's funny that, for backpacking food, I choose bagels because they
can't get smashed, and yet here we pay extra to get them smashed. Odd gimmick, but still made for a much better post-run breakfast than our hotel's restaurant could offer.
That run, by the way, was most excellent. I wish I could pull off something similar at home: mark out a run that puts me at a bagel shop that is x desired miles away from where I start. Run the route, buy bagels and coffee, then drink coffee while waiting for commuter train to take me back to start, where I then enjoy the bagels with husband.
Rosa Mexicano had the tastiest salsa I've ever had.
A funny moment, near end of trip: at 10:05pm, walking to PATH train inHoboken, a voice yells from some apartment: "Tony Soprano LIVES!" (The HBO series finale had just ended.)
Labels: food, running, travel
married a year
Our most excellent anniversary dinner, Sunday at
112 Eatery:
Course 1:
boston bibb w/ fine herb vinaigrette
cold cuts w/ pickles
Course 2:
tagliatelle w/ foie gras meatballs
marinated bone-in pork tenderloin
cauliflower fritters
Course 3:
chocolate pot de crème
Wine:
rioja, tempranillo, ramon bilbao, spain 2001
Labels: food
Boast
Our Valentine's Day dinner, at
Vincent:
Amuse:
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Medley of Spiced Nuts, Whipped Bleu D'Auvergne Cheese
Course 1:
Endive Salad, Blood Orange, Golden Beets, Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Course 2:
Poached Guinea Hen Breast, Pan Seared Foie Gras, Roasted Hen Jus
Course 3:
Lobster Ravioli, Slivered Chestnuts, Mushroom-Lobster Broth
Course 4:
Roasted Beef Tenderloin Studded with Black Olive, Braised Chuck Roll, Butternut Squash Puree, Potato Anna
Dessert:
Chocolate Napoleon, Orange Marmalade
The wine:
Menetou-Salon, "Les Cris", Domaine Henri Pellé, 1996
Labels: food
