Savory Pancakes

I love pancakes.  I am, in fact, plotting a Pancake Fest, in which I will whip out several varieties of pancakes and feed lots of people.  (Booze, waffles, and breakfast meats will also be available).  Pancakes, however, are something that I can't eat daily for breakfast.  Something about all the sugar or something--basically, I end up hungry two hours later.

Lately my breakfast routine has been a bit rushed or dull.  I eat some fruit, and then I get a muffin from the coffee shop.  Not exactly healthy, so I obviously needed to shake up my breakfast choices.  I read somewhere that eating more protein keeps you fuller longer.  Since I'm a vegetarian, I can't really eat any meat, and while I like eggs, I usually want something else with them and too much animal fat (eggs, butter, etc) upsets my stomach. (Yes, I'm picky)

Then I remembered The Hungry Tiger had posted about breakfast lentils. Interesting!  I was lacking in many of her ingredients, but I liked the idea of something involving legumes and vegetables for breakfast.  I grabbed out my How to Cook Everything Vegetarian to see what Mark Bittman had to say about breakfast lentils.  Which was nothing.  However, he did have a recipe for lentil pancakes.

I didn't want to soak my lentils overnight, so I decided to use his recipe as more inspiration.  I'm pretty happy with what came out--it turns out that savory pancakes are almost as good as the traditional ones.

First, I cooked lentils and brown rice until they were done.  I had some leftover tomatoes from the shakshuka from dinner the night before, so I added a few scoops of that to the lentils/rice.  Then I added some spices, onion, green onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic and pureed it in the food processor. It needed a bit more texture, so I added some oats, oat flour, and one egg.

Using my cupcake scoop, I scooped out portions and cooked them on the griddle until brown and toasty on each side.  I tried one, and they were delicious and, I imagine, infinitely customizable.  We tried one with salsa.  I imagine they'd even be good with a poached egg on top, if you're into that kind of thing.

Breakfast food experiment, success!

I also made this chickpea pancake (or socca) from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for dinner.  It was kinda odd, but tasty--eggy, even though it didn't have any eggs.  It was also amazingly simple and contained relatively few ingredients.  I imagine it'd make a great base for a pizza-like dish.  Seriously, this book will never get old.  If you don't own, I highly recommend it.

Lentil Pancakes
Makes 10-12

This is a VERY rough recipe. Feel free to make substitutions like mad, depending on what you're in the mood for.  I'm sure you can skip the egg if you're after a vegan dish.  (I really should measure stuff when I experiment in the kitchen, especially when it's delicious.)

• 2/3 cup uncooked lentils 
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• diced canned tomatoes (~1/3 cup or so)
• onion and garlic, to taste
• celery
• nutritional yeast
• mushrooms
• spices, such as cumin, curry powder, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper, to taste
• ~1/2 cup rolled oats
• ~1/2 cup oat flour (to thicken)
• 1 egg

Cook the lentils.  When the water begins to boil, add the brown rice (I just tossed in a handful).  Cook until lentils/rice are done.  Drain off excess liquid, if any.  Add the tomatoes.  Let mixture cool to room temperature, then puree in a food processor with onion, garlic, and celery (I'm sure some carrots would be good--I tossed in some chopped mushrooms).  Add oats, flour, and egg, and puree.  Add salt/pepper and spices to taste.  Scoop out and cook on a griddle like a pancake and eat with whatever you think will taste good.  I suspect ketchup, chopped tomatoes, a poached egg, greens, a mixture of the above, or anything else would go well.

Chickpea Pancake (Socca or Farinata)
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Feel free to substitute other flavors for the onion and rosemary.  The original called for regular onion, but I used that in my lentil pancakes.  It makes a pancake that is eggy in texture and would be a good pizza-like base--simply cook, then add toppings and finish baking, instead of broiling.

• 1 cup chickpea flour (also known as gram or besan flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper, to taste
• olive oil
• green onion, whites and greens, sliced
• fresh rosemary leaves

Put 1.5 cups warm water in a bowl and sift the chickpea flour into the water (else it'll be super lumpy).Add the salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp of olive oil together.  Cover with a towel and let stand for a few minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450.  Put ~2 tbsp olive oil into a cast iron skillet (oh, skillet!) and heat on the stove top until the oil and pan are hot (just like making cornbread, if you're a good Southerner).  Stir in the onion and rosemary (or whatever) and pour the batter into the hot skillet.  Put in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the pancake is firm and the edges are set.

Preheat the broiler.  Brush the top of the pancake with a bit more oil (which I forgot, and it totally turned out okay) and broil for a minute or two, or until brown spots appear.  Cut it up and eat it with salsa or whatever you want!

13.1 Miles

On Sunday, April 11th, after about 4 hours of sleep, I crawled out of bed.  My stomach was jumping and I felt nauseated and nervous.  I choked down a bit of toast and peanut butter (before Lance ate it all) and drank some sparkling water.  Then Lance and I headed down to the square because the big day had finally arrived: the day of my first half-marathon.

Since December, I have been training for this day.  I have logged roughly 300 miles since the start of the year. I may have not always run happily or even as much as I could have, but I ran consistently, and it showed.

I honestly had no idea what to expect, so I simply planned to run it in under 2:15.  I didn't really even look up to see what my mile splits would be.  When I arrived, however, I discovered that Fleet Feet had pacers, and that one of my running buddies was the 2 hour pacer.  He asked, "Do you want to run with me?" and I said "Sure," thinking I would slow down if the pace was too intense.

At first, it was, but I kept J and his balloons in my sight until my legs adjusted to the faster pace, and I caught up.  I held that pace for about 9 miles or so, or until I hit the hills (if you look at the graph, you see that it begins and ends with some mean hills).  Then I hit a really ugly hill, and I had to walk.  (But then again, so did most people).

I rounded the corner on the last mile to be greeted with cheers and offers of a beer, not to mention pirates.  Fleet Feet was manning the first/last water stop, and they were amazing and so encouraging.  From that point on, I had a giant grin on my face. Even though I had woken feeling poorly, even though I got a crappy nights' sleep, even though this was my first half and I had no idea of what to expect, I knew I was going to finish and finish extremely well.

I crossed the line at 2:02:47, way under my initial goal of 2:05 and my revised goal of 2:15.  I was ecstatic.  Lance had cheered me on at the very end, and they announced my name as I crossed the finish line, and someone handed me a neat finishers medal.  I did it!

And now I'm completely hooked.

Too Cool For School

In Act III of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, the first song has three groupies singing about Captain Hammer's dry cleaning bill, "Four sweater vests!"

I do not possess four sweater vests.  I like sweater vests, however.  So I made myself one (Ravelry link).

 (Oh yeah, and I cut all my hair off.)

 This is the Back-to-School U-Neck Vest (Ravelry link) from the book Fitted Knits.  This book has so many cute projects, and the speed and ease with which I completed this project means I may pick out a few more to do from the book.  In fact, I finished it in three weeks, and I feel like I could have finished it in a few days if I had focused on it.  It's knit with Cascade Lana D'Oro, a soft alpaca-wool blend that I love.

Though I'm not in school (yet! Though I am accepted at UA...) anymore, this vest is perfect for work.  It's soft and comfortable, and I want three more in different colors, so that someone can sing about my four sweater vests, if I ever gain any groupies.

Super Special Birthday Cake

Today is Lance's grandma's birthday. We were supposed to go up and take her to church and have lunch on her, but then we got a foot of snow:


Crazy. Anyway, with all the snow, we postponed special meal until (probably) tomorrow, though I have to fit my 12 mile long run in there somewhere. She requested a chocolate/coffee flavor combination, which gave me lots of options. I've made this espresso chiffon layer cake before, but I wanted something different. Fancier.

So I pulled out my awesome baking book, In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley (a great resource for bakers, FYI) and found a recipe for a walnut layer cake (note to self: make this cake later) with espresso buttercream. Not a chocolate cake, so it didn't qualify, but I liked the idea of the frosting. So I consulted another cookbook and found a recipe for an intense chocolate cake. I decided to bake that cake with the espresso buttercream and decorate it with melted chocolate and chocolate-covered espresso beans. It turned out extremely well, and the buttercream is amazing--not a "quick buttercream," (which is just butter and powdered sugar and is usually way too sweet for my tastes) but instead one that involves meringue and obscene amounts of butter.

The beautiful, lovely buttercream:


Spreading the beautiful buttercream on a layer:


The layers all stacked up:


The finished cake:


The cake was lovely (I tasted the bits I cut off to somewhat level the layers), the buttercream is not too sweet and is also lovely (I may never make a quick buttercream again), and the cake looks beautiful and special. And as soon as the roads are clear, we'll be heading up to share it with her!

And in case you want the recipe, here it is!

Super Special Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream

Chocolate Cake (from The Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook):

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup freshly brewed coffee, cooled
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 3 cake pans. Line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper and lightly grease the papers (can skip this step, but it helps to get the layers out of the pan)

In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa, coffee, water, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Set both bowls aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the eggs one a time, then beat in the melted chocolate. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the liquid mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, in three additions. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter among the three pans and bake 20-25 minutes, until cakes are done. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, the remove from pans at let cool completely on the wire rack.

Espresso Syrup (adapted from Smitten Kitchen):

• 1/3 cup freshly brewed espresso or strong coffee
• 1/3 cup brandy or rum
• 1/3 cup sugar

Mix all together until the sugar dissolves (I had to heat mine slightly).

Espresso Buttercream (adapted from In the Sweet Kitchen):
NB: good quality butter and eggs are a must, since they'll really add to the flavor of the buttercream.

• 4 large egg whites (be careful not to allow any yolk or fat to drop in)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1-1/2 tbsp hot water, cooled

In a pot, bring an inch or so of water to a simmer. Lightly beat the egg whites, the add the sugar and whisk until frothy. Set the bowl over the water and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is very warm (but not hot), about five minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl and whip the egg whites until it is cool to touch, about 8-10 minutes. If it's not cool enough, the heat will melt the butter and give you issues, so don't be afraid to beat it. The meringue will be stiff and glossy.

Beat in the butter, a little at a time, making sure it is completely incorporated before adding more. Don't be afraid to beat it and make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Once all the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla, then add the espresso mixture a little at a time, beating well.

The frosting should be glossy and smooth. If it's not (and it wasn't for me) or if it starts to separate or look funny, put the bowl over some hot tap water and whisk it until it gets smooth. It smoothed out beautifully for me (as you can see from the pictures).

To assemble the cake:

1. Brush extra crumbs off the layers, and level them off. Brush the top of the cake with some of the syrup (I didn't use all of it--it is optional and helps to keep the cake moist.)
2. Put a dollop of buttercream between the layers. Brush off crumbs.
   
3. Frost the cake (Smitten Kitchen has some good tips--I like putting the crumb coat on, chilling briefly in the freezer, then applying the top coat.)
4. Melt 2 oz. dark chocolate and use a fine tip on a pastry bag to make the criss-cross. Put a dab in the center of the diamonds and place a chocolate-covered espresso bean on the chocolate dots.

A perfect cake to share with a loved one for a special day.

The First Day of Spring

Last Night:




This morning:





And it's still snowing!

Bag Lady

I made a bag:


It's the French Market Bag, and it was my first felted project. Also my first use of the Kitchener Stitch, which was surprisingly fun.

I started this bag a few years ago, and when I decided to start working on projects that were languishing in my project bags, I picked this one back up. It's a fairly easy pattern, and I finished it quickly, once I focused on it. I'm pretty pleased with it.

Felting was quick and easy: throw thing to be felted into the washing machine with some towels, hot water, and soap. Let agitate until desired level of felt. Dry. Tada! Felted object.

I use this for my lunch sack currently because wool is awesome and this keeps my food pretty cold if I decide to leave it out. It's also handy for toting things generally.

Stay tuned for another FO: a sweater vest!

Dinner Quandries

You all know that I love to cook. Lance and I both are passionate and adamant about cooking and eating good food, shopping at the local market and natural foods co-op*. We prepare most of our own meals and love nothing more than to share our creations with others.

Lately, there's been a discussion going on in Google Reader on shared items involving food, food choices, food regulation, and how socioeconomic status plays into it all. Of course, I was vaguely aware that my ability to purchase fresh, organic produce or to buy from the Farmers' Market on a regular basis was a privilege. I don't make tons of money, but I make enough to afford good quality food, and we make it a priority to spend a bit more on it (instead of, say, paying for cable or eating out a lot).

I'm lucky to be able to have both the financial means to purchase organic produce and to have access to it. I realized, however, that not everyone lives where they can easily buy organic goods or can even afford them if they did have access. When I was growing up, my parents couldn't afford to purchase enough fresh fruits and vegetables to feed all seven individuals all the time (two adults and five children), and so we ate lots of spaghetti, ground beef or turkey, cheap lunch meat, white bread, peanut butter and jelly, and macaroni and cheese. We had canned or frozen vegetables mixed in (but not always), and I don't think we ever had a big green salad with our meals (which I eat almost daily now). We generally had bananas, and sometimes oranges or apples, but not always. I used to hate fresh green beans because I only ate the canned ones. We had our free school lunches, but as this blog points out, school lunches aren't exactly the paragon of good nutrition. We had plenty of food growing up, but now when I go to my parents' house, I have to bring my own food or I'll have a bad case of indigestion from the food I grew up eating. (Not to mention that they don't exactly good vegetarian-friendly dishes, so I just cook for myself and share with them, if they like).

People who are poor and live away from a good grocery store where they can buy anything fresh (let alone organic) don't have the same level of access that I now have to good quality food. They have to rely on the cheap, processed products they can afford and have access to for nutrition. Those in higher socioeconomic groups ignore the base problem of access, and insist that poor people are ignorant of their health and just need to be better educated**.

Another problem is that the government subsidizes the foods that have been shown to lead to obesity, diabetes, and cancer. If the government would switch to subsidizing salads and ensuring better food access for poor people, then maybe they would be able to afford to eat better and make better food choices.

Food and politics and morality are all tangled up in very wrong ways in America. Eating isn't a simple act. I'm fortunate to be able to be picky and shun processed foods, but not everyone has that choice. Sometimes all my parents could afford to buy us for dinner was a 25 cent box of macaroni and cheese and a package of hot dogs. They were sharply aware that it wasn't very healthy, but they didn't have a choice.

*We do, of course, occasionally eat something that might not fall into this category, like fried potato wedges on a road trip. But we try to mostly eat the good stuff, since too much junk/fast food makes us feel like crap.
**I do think that some education needs to happen, but poor people are not the only ones who are ignorant--middle-class children raised on pre-packaged food because the parents are too busy to bother cooking a real meal certainly need to learn that they need to change how they eat to be healthy. And a thin person who eats burgers and won't touch fruit or vegetables falls into that same category.

A Miscellany of Items

• I really need to just do my taxes. It's ridiculous that I keep putting it off, especially when the government will give me some money when I'm done.
• I had a weird sense of satisfaction in listing my and Lance's relationship as "unmarried partnership" on the census form.
• I didn't get into University of Illinois.
  
• I have three more chances to get into a Ph.D. program (with funding, please).
• My race this weekend (a 20k trail race) was cancelled because someone got lost in the woods on the 50 mile race the day before. The runner was eventually found and was all right, I believe.
• Our weekend road trip started off ominously with a sick child (we were riding with friends), but it ended quite nicely with flea market shopping, games, and good food and a trip to Serenity Farm Bread (NOM) on the way home.
• Cilantro is gross, and Taco Tuesday was nearly ruined by its presence.
• Still running lots--I even got a Garmin!--and I signed up for the Hogeye Half-Marathon.
• Leaving for the weekend means I have way too many items to catch up on in Google Reader. Might be time to thin the subscriptions down a bit, since I've acquired so many sharebros, and they keep Reader pretty busy.
• I have things that I have made and would like to post about...sometime.
• Happy birthday shout out to my sister-in-law!
  

Running Doldrums

A few weeks ago, I was in the midst of the running doldrums. I was dutifully running, but I wasn't super excited about doing so. I almost (or did) skip some runs, and I even failed to go to a race I signed up for. I couldn't get out of bed for the Sunday early morning group long runs, though I somehow still manged (grudgingly) to get them in later in the day.

I think that the combination of cold, increasing mileage, and lack of sun contributed to this feeling. I have to say that I'm very glad it's gone, since I'm now excited and motivated when it's time to go for a run.

Today, I meant to get up early and go run outside but failed to do so. I really wanted to get that run in today, and since I'm unable to run tonight (which I normally do with the group), I just didn't know when. The weather promised to be lovely, so I grabbed some workout clothes with the thought that maybe I would run at lunch.

And I did. And it was great. I did a 30 minute tempo run, which felt wonderful. The sun was out, the temperature was perfect for running, and the sky was so blue that I couldn't help be feel the pleasure of moving myself outdoors. I walked for a few minutes to cool down, the stretched/sat down on the lawn to finish. I came back to the office refreshed and energized.

I think I'm going to make a habit of going for long walks or short runs when it's nice. It's a great way to move more during the day (since sitting will kill you, even if you work out regularly), and it's a good break from the office. Yay for fantastic weather!

Climbing the WALL

One year, when I was still an undergrad, I overcame my fear of heights (well, falling, actually) and climbed a rock wall. It was exhilarating, I loved it, and promptly forgot about it.

A few months ago, I visited my brother. He's a big fan of rockclimbing, so he took us to his climbing gym. We climbed for a while, and I really, really liked it. When I returned home, I promised myself that I would use the wall at my gym to climb more often.

Then I forgot about it.

Yesterday, I was at the gym with some time to kill until a fitness assessment. I had forgotten my ID, so by the time I made it back, the class I planned to attend had started. I played a game of racquetball with Lance, but then S. showed up to play with him, so I had to go find something to do for 20 minutes. Then I walked by the rock wall. So I went in and climbed it.

It was so much fun that after my fitness assessment, I went back and climbed some more. I can't explain why I--girl who is terrified of climbing tall ladders and is deeply afraid of falling off of things--really enjoy climbing. It's exhilarating--trying to figure out where to go next, keeping my grip on the rocks, planning my next move. And getting to the top. Even if I miss and "fall", I simply dangle there securely until I either try to grab back on or am lowered down.

I left the wall satisfied and content, knowing that I will be making regular time in the future to climb the wall.

The Difference

Last year, I tried training for a half-marathon and ended up injured and unable (or afraid) to run for six months. Last year, when I would return from my long runs, I would be exhausted and sleepy. Sometimes I would end up gobbling down whatever I could eat and would either feel nauseated or (occasionally) threw up. My long runs left me wiped for the day.

This year, everything is different.

I'm sure part of the difference is that I've been training consistently since August, whereas last year I was inconsistent and lazy about running. I'm smarter about my runs, more experienced, and in much better shape this time. And I can really feel the difference.

For example, the last two weeks we've had 10 mile runs. Last year after an 8-10 mile run, I felt horrible. Exhausted, nauseated, and I just wanted to sit in the bath tub or take a nap. This year, I feel energized. I come home and eat something non-sugary (part of my problem last time was that I consumed a lot of sugar--now I make sure to eat something with protein and complex carbs), stretch, take a hot shower, and maybe take a nap. I think my sleepiness has more to do with the 6am alarm rather than feeling completely beaten down.

The runs themselves also feel completely different. I feel strong and maintain a good pace. Last year, I was bringing up the back of the pack, this year I'm in the middle-front. That feels nice. My body hurts a little toward the end, but it's a discomfort that fades quickly after resting and stretching.

My motivation is definitely higher. I know that if I don't run consistently, I'll get hurt. So I go run even when I don't want to, which makes me feel great in the end.

I only have six more weeks until the half-marathon, and I'm starting to realize that I'm going to do it this year. And my next challenge? An actual marathon this fall. The rest of the spring and summer will be spent strengthening my body and building up my mileage so that I can tackle marathon training with the same dedication and vigor that I have had for the half-marathon.

Ruffle Slayer

The ruffles, oh the ruffles! I like a ruffle here and there, but I cannot abide an over abundance of them. And this top that I picked up a couple of years ago was overrun with ruffles:

Now, I found this shirt in a thrift store a while back and tried it on and liked it in spite of the ruffles. It had some great style points, like the buttons to one side and the color. But if I was going to make this shirt part of my wardrobe, those ruffles would have to die.

I got out my handy seam ripper and took out the faux-Shakespearean neck ruffle and the two ruffles that ran from the front to the back, while leaving the comparatively tasteful ruffles around the sleeves. When I pinned it back together, I stopped--it needed more work, but I was too afraid to just jump in and cut into the fabric. What if I messed it up?

After the inspiration of reading New Dress A Day and my weekend thrift adventure, I felt bold enough to tackle this shirt again. So I busted it out of the project bag and finally sewed the seams back up.

What had been stopping me from completely finishing was that I wanted to change the neckline. Once the ruffles were gone, the neck was boring and plain and didn't really fit with the style of the de-ruffled top. So I took a deep breath and cut into the fabric. Then I seamed it up. Then I tried it back on--and I really like how it turned out.

Not a perfect fix, but it helped me see that I have nothing to lose by trying something. I like the asymmetrical neckline with the buttons to one side, and I like that I turned a ruffled monstrosity into a sassy, interesting top. That's what I get for taking a chance!

*Edited to add: I have to think my fellow thrift adventuress, AW, for spurring me to haul this out of the bucket. I think she said something along the lines of "Just finish the darned thing." And that's what good friends are for.

Old Things Made New

My parents bought a lot of my clothes at thrift stores when I was a kid. Now, I didn't mind that so much (when I found things I liked), but some of the things my mom would buy for me were hideous or just not very trendy. I can vividly recall a pair of pants straight from the early eighties with a floral pattern in blues and greens and pinks. It looked like someone vomited a bouquet, and I refused to wear it, causing my mom to swear she'd never buy me clothes ever again.

When I started making my own money, I stopped going to thrift stores as much, preferring new clothes that were in style and new.

Fast forward a few years, and now I love finding things secondhand. For one thing, they're so cheap! And I can often find good quality clothing for a mere fraction of the price. While I would willingly purchase secondhand clothes if they fit, I never really thought about buying something with the goal of making it into something else.

Last week, a friend sent me a link to the New Dress A Day blog. The author's goal is to create a new outfit out of cheaply ($1 or so) thrifted clothing. Some of the outfits are a little out there for my own style, but I loved her ideas. She is creative and often completely transforms an ugly article into something adorable.

After reading through her backlog of posts, I promptly planned a Great Thrift Excursion with a friend and hit up many of our area thrift stores. I found lots of adorable things (that wouldn't need work) and several pieces that would need a little work, and a few that would need a LOT of work before they would be wearable.

One item was a cute corduroy blazer. While it fit perfectly in length and fit, the sleeves were too short.

The jacket is a petite. Apparently I have a petite upper body except for my long arms. This jacket is no good without a littl help, so that's exactly what I decided to do.

I wear a lot of 3/4 sleeve sweaters, shirts, and little jackets (because of the long arm problem, even "regular" lengths are often a little short on my arms), so I simply lopped off the jacket sleeves to an appropriate 3/4 length, hemmed it up, and tada! new jacket.

It's great what a little creativity and $2 can get you. I also fixed a couple of belts to wear over outfits, but that's pretty boring (I punched new holes or cut off some of the length so they fit me better).

I look forward to showing you some more of my transformations--I certainly have enough projects to keep me busy for a while!

Crossing Over

I have officially crossed over to being a runner. (Officially because I recognized that I'm a little obsessed with running now).

What led me to this conclusion? When I found myself setting out for a 5 mile run yesterday at 6am even though my brain didn't really want to, running up hills that I'd normally avoid, and being really, really happy about it all, I realized that I'd become a runner.

That is just one sign, however. I've also become part of the running community in my town, running with them two or three days a week. I have different kinds of runs for different days (this morning was a tempo run, which means run faster, yeah!) and I get antsy if I miss one of my runs. I even fell asleep last night thinking about running.

I love being a member of a running group. I have other people to talk about training, events we're looking at, progress, tips and training aids. (Several of them have Garmans, and I think I kinda want one now...) I've also been picking out runners in the group who are a little faster than me and trying to keep up with them so that I can end up running faster.

A few weeks ago, I fell on some stairs, and my first thought was not "Ouch, I fell down," it was "My knees! My running!"

So, yes, I am a runner.

Soup School

I made another soup this weekend to eat on throughout the week. A big pot of soup easily lasts us the entire week for lunches with a dinner or two thrown in. I don't mind eating the same thing for both lunch and dinner; if I do, I'll vary what I have with it (salad? bread? cooked greens?) so I don't get bored.

I realize that one reason I can just whip out a soup without a recipe is that I use the same "base" recipe for soups and just vary what I put in it, based on what's in my fridge/freezer. Since I figure some of my intrepid readers might like to experiment with making delicious, nutritious, and filling soups of their own (without much fuss!), I thought I'd post a short course on soup making.

I like to start my soups with a mirepoix, which is just a fancy way of saying onion, carrots, and celery. If I don't have celery or carrots, I simply start with onion, but I prefer celery and carrots for my soup base. Finely dice the mirepoix and saute in butter or a splash of olive oil until the vegetables begin to soften and get fragrant.

For those who are meat-eaters or like a little meat flavor in their soup, feel free to add a ham hock or bit of chopped stew meat, a smoked turkey leg (really good with split pea, incidentally), or something like a venison neck bone that is lurking in the depths of your freezer (yes, that would be us). Searing the meat helps release some of the flavors into the soup base.

The liquid part of the soup can be plain water, a bit of flavorful stock (you really should try to make your own occasionally, or at least buy good quality stock free of MSG or preservatives), or a bit of bouillon and water. We have a salt-free vegan vegetable bouillon that is nice to use if we don't have any vegetable stock on hand. (I use a salt-free bouillon because I can add my own salt, and I'm after the vegetable/herb flavor anyway. I'm planning on trying my hand at some homemade bouillon soon.)

Now here's the hard part: what are the main components of your soup? As a (mostly) vegetarian, I obviously want gobs of vegetables and beans. There is nothing wrong with a bit of meat or dairy, of course, for those who want something a bit heartier. I find the best soups showcase the vegetables and use the meat as a flavor rather than primary component. You can use a mixture of fresh vegetables or frozen, whatever you might have on hand.

The soup I made this weekend was a freezer clearing soup: I used frozen squash and a partial package of peas, a lone can of green beans I needed to get rid of, some beans we'd tossed in the freezer a while back, a frozen pepper, frozen leek tops leftover from another recipe, and some frozen celery. I also thawed out a couple of cups of pumpkin puree to add to the liquid, which was a delicious way to add flavor and thicken it a bit. My primary seasonings for this one were an Italian herb mix, parsley, nutritional yeast (which ups the umami quotient without using animal products!), and salt and pepper.

Other ideas would be to add more legumes (like lentils or split peas) for a legume-based soup, or adding more vegetables if you want a mixed vegetable soup. Potatoes, squash (winter or summer), greens, etc. make great soups. You could even roast cubes of vegetables to change the flavor profile. Adding milk, cream, or cheese (or a combination) would make the soup creamier and thicker. Adding a vegetable puree (like potato) would also thicken it up. Adding a bit of rice, oats, bulgar wheat, or any other grain lends a different texture to the soup.

Add your vegetables, legumes, and/or grains to the pot (after the liquid) and let cook until the vegetables are done and everything is tender. You'll want to taste and adjust your seasonings, since salt levels can vary wildly, depending. (And if you accidentally over-salt, just throw in a cubed chunk of potato to simmer until tender! Potatoes absorb salt like crazy.) If you plan to add cheese/dairy, wait until towards the end of the cooking time.

Making a good soup is largely a matter of taste, what you want in a soup, and (at least for me) which ingredients are available. I would just take the soup base and experiment with adding different ingredients and seasonings to see what you can come up with!

Pumpkin minestrone

As I just learned from Wikipedia, a minestrone is a thick vegetable soup, Italian in origin. So I can officially sorta call the soup that I created the past weekend a minestrone.

It's the season for soup: when I'm craving something warm and healthy and filling (but generally light), I reach for soups. I'm not normally very good at just making up recipes, but soup is one of the things that I do easily by feel. I usually start with a sense of what I'm looking for in a soup, scour my cabinets and freezer/refrigerator to see what ingredients I have, then throw it all together. This soup was one such concoction (with Lance's spicing help).

I wanted to make a pumpkin and bean soup. I had frozen pumpkin cubes and plenty of beans. I almost leaned toward a curried-coconut milk based soup, but veered toward the lighter minestrone feel. It made a huge pot of deliciousness--I just finished off the last bowl with half an avocado chunked into it. With a hunk of crusty bread and/or a salad, this soup makes for a satisfyingly wholesome winter meal.

Sorry about the approximations on the ingredients--I really did just throw things together. The good thing about soups, fortunately, is that there is plenty of wiggle room for ingredients, so feel free to add a vegetable or three (or even some grains or a little meat, if you're into that) or make substitutions like mad! (I thought that it might be especially good with a little chopped chard for some greenery).

Pumpkin Minestrone

• olive oil
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1-2 lbs cubed pumpkin or squash
• 4 cups vegetable stock or water
  
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (I heartily recommend Muir Glen canned tomatoes)
  
• roughly 3 cups (or 1-2 cans) beans (I used baby limas, but I imagine that navy beans would be good. I put in about 1.5-2 cups uncooked lima beans in the pressure cooker and let them cook lightly, finishing them in the soup)
• salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, Italian seasonings to taste

In a big pot, heat the olive oil on a medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute until the vegetables soften some. Add in the garlic and cook a little more.

Add the pumpkin, stock, tomatoes, beans to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the pot to a simmer and let the vegetables cook. Add some salt and pepper and other seasonings to taste.

When the pumpkin begins to lose the corners on the cubes and gets soft, mash up a few of the cubes to thicken the soup (if you so desire--this was Lance's idea), taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

So simple and so good! I think this soup is delicious, and since it makes a lot, you could probably freeze some of it for later or share with several friends.

A Joke

Q: What does a vegan zombie eat?
A: GRAAAAIINS!!!

(I love cheesy jokes, incidentally. Love them to pieces. Really bad puns are also infinitely amusing. I don't know why, but this one has been making me giggle all weekend, especially as I was eating my bowl of GRAAAIINS!!! this morning.)

Just What I Needed

Several months ago, I encountered a pair of the loveliest boots when I was browsing for new footwear. I own a pair of black knee high boots, but they aren't always practical and comfortable for walking, so I was on the hunt (like Donna before me) for practical, beautiful boots. Then these Keen Bern High Boots came across my radar:Just...look at them. Don't they look lovely? They were everything I wanted in a new pair of boots: good quality, highly functional, warm, and purportedly comfortable. Lance owns a pair of Keens and raves about how awesome they feel on his feet and how well made they are. When I saw this review of them, my decision was made. I must have these boots.

Oh, but they are expensive. Quality shoes usually are, and these oh-so-durable and comfortable boots were outside my budget. So I sighed longingly and visited various sites that sold them each week, hoping for a sale, but alas, no such luck. I showed them to various people, eliciting opinions on which color I should get (the brown? the black?), finally deciding that I like the reddish brown color the best.

Several months later, I stumbled across them again on REI. On sale!! The stars had aligned. I had just taken the GRE and greatly improved my score, so I talked myself into them as a reward for my hard work (oh, the studying! The application process!)

And I must say they were one of the smartest shoe purchases I've made.

They are soft and comfortable and durable and quality. They fit like a dream. I tramped through snow on Christmas night in them, and my feet were cozy and warm. I've been wearing them all this week as temperatures reach dangerously low temperatures, and they keep my feet happy. They are the perfect mix of style, comfort, and walkability, and they are mine.

The lesson? Delayed gratification is sometimes more satisfying than impulse purchasing, especially when it results in cute and comfy boots.

A Challenge!

Last October, I joined the Social Workout Eat, Sweat, Blog challenge, which was super fun. It turns out that I'll willingly deprive myself of things if it's a game. I had tons of fun and even got a cool t-shirt out of it. So I joined the Emergency Holiday Challenge, which was also fun (although I didn't complete enough challenges).

Then I saw the New Year's Edition Challenge, which runs from January 11-February 12, and figured it would be a fun way to challenge myself to keep working out regularly and to accomplish daring feats! I think I even convinced my co-worker to sign up too. Feel free to join in the fun, if you wish!

The Challenge requires one to workout 20 times in the 33-day period and to accomplish at least 10 feats of strength. I like to figure out which feats I plan to attempt, and so I shall share them with you here. I selected 15, so that if a few don't work out, I still accomplish what I'm after.

• Jan Plan Plus: No booze from January 11th-January 31. Not always the most fun, but definitely a good challenge.
• Sugar-Free: One week, no sugar--always a challenge for me! I shall attempt extend this one for the duration of the challenge
• Whole-Grainy: no white foods for the duration (white rice, white flour, etc)
• Swap Meat: Well, since I'm a vegetarian, I'm going to try to do Vegan Mondays (or a vegan day once a week). Shouldn't be too hard...
• Home Food: four meals a week at home? Easy as homemade pie. :)
• Sun Salute: sun salutations, every morning--a great way to wake up and tone my arms!
  
• Stand Up: on the hour, every hour, at work. Because sitting kills.
• Home Workout: create a workout space and use it once a week. This might be difficult because I can't create a dedicated workout space--I just have to use my office or my living room. For me, the challenge will be utilizing a home workout resource: videos, yoga mat, etc.
• Take a bath: ohhh, yeah. This is a good one--since I'll be doing longer and longer Sunday runs, taking a bath afterward will aid in recovery and warm me back up!
• Sleep log: keep track of when I go to bed and when I get up...because I really should be sleeping more with the increased running.
• Sleep discipline: for seven days in a row, get up and stay up by 6:30am. Yikes!
• Worm and Fuzzy: Compost! (Which we already do, so this one's a freebie for me)
• Energy Sabbatical: twice during the challenge, shut off all inessential electronics. This will be tough, but Lance thinks it'll be a fun challenge too!
• Plant Friendly: possess plants. Um, double check on that one. Another freebie!
• DIY Feat: I'm challenging myself to simplify my life. This means working to get rid of useless/excess belongings and other simplifying measures, such as reducing the number of Google Reader subscriptions...

Should be a fun time all around!

Fruits of the Press

Yesterday, I discussed making tofu. When I posted, I had yet to actually try any of the fruits of our tofu press. Today we had both something made from the leftover soybean pulp (or okara) and the freshly made tofu.

For breakfast, Lance fried up some soysage patties. If you like sausage, you definitely will not be fooled, but these little mock-breakfast meats were pretty satisfying with a fried egg and piece of homemade bread. I like them and will most likely continue to use the okara (soybean pulp) to make a batch every now and then.

Dinner was also soy based, as I wanted to eat the tofu while it was still fresh, since all of the tofu making guides claim it is most delicious when fresh. So I busted out Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, my go-to guide for cooking, well, everything vegetarian. (A note: if you are looking for a comprehensive guide to vegetarian cooking, buy this book. Seriously.)

I decided to make Braised Tofu and Peas in Curried Coconut Milk, which while it might seem to be something to mask the flavor of freshly made tofu, it in fact proved complimentary. Luckily it made enough for many meals for the next week. Since I love peas, curry, and coconut milk (not to mention tofu), it was a recipe that pleased me. A warning: the recipe calls for quite a lot of tofu. If you are new to tofu or are uncertain if you like the texture of braised tofu, try a bit less, add more vegetables, and see how you like it. You can also freeze and thaw or press and fry the tofu beforehand to firm up the texture.

And yes, the fresh tofu definitely tasted better than the packaged stuff, but if you're new to tofu, definitely don't be intimidated. I like the ease and convenience of the non-homemade tofu as much as anybody and will probably still buy it on occasion because making tofu is sort of a pain, even if it is cheaper and tastier.

Soysage
adapted from Sam's Mom's recipe

• 4 cups soy pulp
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cup water (original called for soymilk, which I didn't have)
• 2 cups nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp black pepper (or more, to taste)
• 2 tsp sage
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (or more for spicy soysage)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp liquid smoke
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, if you love garlic), or 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3/4 tbsp mustard powder

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Put into a loaf pan and steam in a wok or a covered pot on a rack for at least half an hour. Let sit until cool, then scoop out to make patties to fry.

Braised Tofu and Peas in Curried Coconut Milk
adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

• 2 large onions, quartered
• 1 28-oz can tomatoes with their liquid (I prefer the Muir Glen canned tomatoes)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp garam masala or curry powder, or a combination--to taste. (I mixed them, and added 3 tbsp)
• 1/4-1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
• red pepper or other heat (we like it spicy in the M-M household)
  
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
  
• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs (1-2 packages) firm to extra firm tofu, cut into 3/4-in cubes
• 1 1/2 cups peas (I ended up using two 10-oz pkgs because I LOVE PEAS)
• 1 can coconut milk plus a little water
• Chopped cilantro for garnish (unless cilantro is vile to you like it is to me, then I garnished with some cashews instead)
• brown rice (or other grain) for serving (optional)

Place the onion and the tomato in a food processor and puree. Put the oil in a pot and heat, adding the puree. Add salt, pepper, and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Add the tofu and peas and cook for another 5 minutes, until the tofu swells slightly and the peas are tender. Stir in the coconut milk and bring back to almost a boil, stirring occasionally (though not too much, or you'll break up the tofu). Taste, adjust seasonings as needed and serve with (or without) garnish.

Homemade Tofu

I love tofu. I really do. Even before I declared myself a vegetarian, I ate tofu regularly with delight and enthusiasm. I think it's versatile and tasty, when prepared properly.

Because I love tofu so much and because homemade tofu is apparently much better (and cheaper) than store-bought, Lance bought me a tofu making kit. It sat, dusty and forlorn atop my refrigerator for a year, until finally we decided to use our Sunday to use it. I don't know what the heck took us so long.

Using this post as our guide, we dutifully soaked our soybeans, ground them, and pressed them. The first batch didn't turn out as well as expected because we didn't grind the soybeans finely enough--Lance used a hand blender. The recipe was supposed to make one tofu mold full, but we got a thin little brick instead.

Wanting to figure out what was wrong, Lance got another batch of soybeans soaking, and today we tried again with a blender. Our results were MUCH better.

Here's a picture of the mold lined with muslin and the soy curds...














And our high-tech pressing system (a jar of cherries)




















After it presses for about five hours, we'll have a nice block of firm tofu! It's all very exciting. I think we may have to invest in a soymilk maker, however, if we want to make it regularly because the most time intensive part of the process is making the soymilk. We're going to make soy sausage from the leftover soybean bits (called okara), so I may post that tomorrow.

Making a Bed

For Christmas, my dear friend AW bought me One-Yard Wonders, a sewing book with over 100 projects that only require one yard of fabric. I'd been eye-balling the book since she showed me her copy a few weeks before Christmas, but luckily I decided to hold off until I had, you know, more money. Which worked out in my favor--thanks AW!

Anyway, the first project that caught my eye was the "Better than a Box Pet Bed," which looked nice and snuggly. Cats are notorious for shunning beds that are purchased/made especially for them, but my cats LOVE fleeces (or "fuzzy blankets" as they are known in the M/M household). How could they possibly resist a cushy bed made entirely of soft, warm fleece?

Hobby Lobby had a sale on fleece fabric; I had Hobby Lobby Christmas giftcards, and thus the fates aligned for me to make this:

As you can see, the cat does not shun it. She in fact loves it. And since I have two cats, I shall make another one to lay in random places around the house. This way the cats have warm comfortable places to lay when we're not home and they can't snuggle under the covers with us, which is how they've been coping thus far with the cold weather and our reluctance to turn on the heat above 68.

As soon as Rory vacated the bed, Neko jumped right in, so I'm sure the beds will be popular with both kitties.

And, I'm already working on one of my resolutions! Small sewing projects like these will help me hone my skills so that I can then move on to more advanced items, like dresses. Such as this one. And let's not forget this one. So pretty, and they so need to be in my closet.

A New Year

It's that time of the year, you know, the beginning. When we're all congratulating ourselves for making it through Christmas without bodily harming any relations, even when they blare Fox News in the background. (Oh, wait. I didn't see my family on Christmas this year...)

Regardless, it's always nice to feel that beginnings and fresh starts are possible. I try to resist the urge to make resolutions, but the fact is that I like making lists, and resolutions are really just the things I think about the rest of the year anyway, so why fight it?

Jewish traditions have a period of reflection and repentance at the end of the old year and a fresh start to the new one. While I don't really go for the whole confession of sins to expunge them from my conscience sort of activity, I do think some reflecting on the year past is in order. You'll see this in another form when I post my Archies.

2009 was an exciting year for me. I graduated with my MA in English after defending my thesis, I job hunted (and interviewed but was not successful, alas), and I moved in Lance to a new place. I now have steady access to a washer and dryer. I saw the Decemberists twice and love them more passionately than ever before. I watched the other building in my apartment complex explode and lived through Ice Storm 2009 and survived to tell the tales. I got a new cat, who is cute and fuzzy. I watched as close friends graduated, bought houses, and moved on to new jobs and places and exciting new prospects. I quit running for six months, only to pick it up again with a renewed love and devotion. While feeling increasingly isolated from my parents, I feel that I'm growing closer to my brothers and my extended family. I cooked and entertained and became a full-fledged vegetarian (well, pescatarian). I took the plunge and applied for Ph.D. programs.

It was a good year.

What does 2010 hold for me? What am I planning, hoping, and wishing for? My goals for the next year are as follows:

1. To post here more often.
2. To do less in general (i.e. no running around like crazy all the time)
3. To foster my creative side more
4. To continue running regularly, culminating in a half-marathon in the spring and a full marathon in the fall
5. To start my Ph.D. somewhere awesome!

I think those five will do at present. Lance and I are thinking of the possible move ahead of us (but of course, nothing is certain), so we are working to purge some of our excess belongings waaaay before packing it up is an issue.

I'm exciting about 2010. But then again, when do I not delight in my life? It's a pretty good one if I do say so myself--I have awesome friends, a fantastic partner, fulfilling interests, and a strong sense of where I want to go. Happy New Year, friends!

Starting the Year Off Right

The new year is a time of celebration with friends and loved ones. It's also a time to think of new beginnings and assess the year gone by and examine hopes for the year ahead. At least that's one way of looking at it.

In this spirit, I found myself awake a bit earlier than my bedtime would indicate, standing in the freezing cold weather, waiting to run 6.2 miles. Why, do you ask, would I put myself through this? On a holiday, nonetheless? Not to mention that I paid for the privilege of (what some may believe, anyway) tormenting myself?

This morning, I ran the Twenty 10k. In October, I had signed up with a training group, subsequently trained for 10 weeks (mostly sticking with the plan!), and registered for the race. It was my first race over a 5k distance, and I felt a good way to launch myself back into the running lifestyle.

After being injured last March training (inconsistently) for a half-marathon, I thought I would tackle something between a 5k distance and 13.1 miles. Hence, the 10k.

It went really well: it was chilly, but I was ready for that since I'd been training in chilly weather a few days a week, and even though I didn't run Wednesday when I was supposed to, I managed to get my last long run in and even ran consistently through the Christmas holidays. And my hard work paid off.

My goal was to finish in under 60 minutes, and I accomplished that. I also placed third in my age group, which makes me feel even better about my running--and makes me want to be faster. I've already signed up for a half-marathon group along with several of the Twenty 10k training group.

So here's to starting the new year off right--and hoping that I am able to keep running and have a great running year.

Chilly Running

My 2010k training is nearing the end. Just two more weeks until the race--but I'm really excited. I feel pretty good about my running, and I'm looking forward to continuing to run through the winter to get ready for a half-marathon!

The problem with running in the winter is that it's dark and cold. I would probably be in on the treadmill sporadically if I weren't training with a group, so I'm glad I joined up. I own one good cold weather outfit: my running tights and two Patagonia Capilene layers. I don't like to wash them every time I run because it'll decrease the wicking fabric efficacy, so I just wash them once a week or so. After running three or four days outside, they get pretty stinky, so I'm hoping to get a few more tops for Christmas.

Another cold running problem is that my nose runs along with me. You can't exactly stop to blow your nose when you're charging up a hill, so you have to make due the best you can, using a sleeve in a pinch. Ever hear of snot rockets? You have to get that out of your nose somehow, else you can't breathe and can't run! I generally avoid those because I can't bring myself to be that gross, even as I'm coughing and hacking.

Last night we did hill repeats, which were tough, and my chest felt the cold, dry air I tried to suck in all evening. I kept coughing all night until finally I drank some hot tea. Hopefully that won't be a repeat occurrence.

It's going to be tough training through the cold and dark, but if I can stick with it, I'll be in great shape come spring.

It Begins

The holiday season approaches, which means my mad dash to make lots of handmade things also grows near. Last night, my pal AW hosted a craft night, and I worked on knitting washclothes and making the cutest ornament ever. Here, let me show them to you:
The half-eaten gingerbread man! Deliciously morbid, and morbidly cute!

Now, the not so exciting washcloths (to be paired with nice soaps for a good gift):


Really, though, the whole post was to show you the cuteness of my gingerbread man. I'm going to make like 17 more of them--so very cute!

Cupcake Review

I dressed up as a Cupcake Queen (or fairy, depending on how you look at my costume) for Halloween this year. The cupcakes in the photo are ones that I made especially for Halloween--Caramel Apple Cupcakes.

Imagine: an apple cupcake, frosted with a caramel cream cheese icing, and topped with a mini caramel apple (with tiny toothpick sticking out of it). They were brilliant and tasted really, really good. Next year I might take a stab at making my own caramel or putting caramel in the middle of the cupcakes.

My point is, of course, that I make really tasty cupcakes (I promise I have testimonies to back me up!). And there aren't really tasty cupcakes to be found commercially in Fayetteville. So when I heard that Bliss Cupcake Cafe was opening in our small town, I got excited. Cupcake shops are something that one usually finds in places like New York City or Washington D.C.

Bliss opened yesterday afternoon; since I was at work, I did not get to experience it directly, so I will only be giving a partial review based on the cupcake that was brought to me. (I plan to go experience for myself and post another review in a week or two.) I got the Pumpkin Maple cupcake: a pumpkin cupcake topped with a maple buttercream and a few toasted pecans. Lance got the Cinnamon Toast, and JH got the Chocolate Marshmallow. They told me that it was a long wait because it was busy, but I'll blame that on opening day problems--I'm sure they'll get it figured out.

Lance tells me that both the Cinnamon Toast and Chocolate Marshmallow were a bit crumbly on the cake--he wanted a moister, denser cupcake. Some folks like the crumby cake, but I prefer a tender, moister crumb myself. The marshmallow topping was really, really good, but the chocolate cake itself was fairly standard. The cupcakes were a bit small but definitely fresh.

My own cupcake--the Pumpkin Maple--was pretty tasty, but while I was eating it, I kept thinking of how my own cupcake would be better. I've made pumpkin cupcakes before, and the ones I've made are full of flavor while still being moist and a little more substantial. The cake was very moist and tender and light as a cloud--but I felt it could have offered more on the flavor end. It disappeared too quickly and didn't encourage careful, contemplative bites. I've made pumpkin cupcakes before, and the ones I've made are full of flavor while still being moist and a little more substantial. I like a cupcake that you can savor, and the cake was too airy and not flavorful enough to do that.

The maple frosting was good in concept--but I'm not a huge fan of buttercream (all sweet, not much flavor); I think a maple cream cheese frosting would have actually been better on this particular cupcake. Since the cake itself was so airy and insubstantial, a heavier and creamier frosting would have balanced it out. The pecans on top was a nice touch, though cinnamon candied pecans would have taken it up to the next notch. My overall impression of this cupcake was that the flavor was too subtle, the sweet was the major note, and it disappeared far too quickly.

Lance, JH, and I think that Bliss definitely has some potential--but they need to work out their kinks. Apparently some of the cupcakes overflowed their cups a bit or were flat--signs that the bakers didn't vary how much they filled the cups based on which recipe there were using. If we're paying roughly $3 for a cupcake, we want something special. And I want something that would inspire me to play around in my own kitchen. I look to the Cupcake Bakeshop blog for inspiration for the kinds of cupcakes I would pay good money for (I'd probably pay $4 or more for one of hers!), and I just don't know if Bliss is at that level. I will, of course, be trying again in a week or so after some of the opening kinks have (hopefully) been worked out.

Any readers try out Bliss Cupcakes? What are your thoughts?

Winning Day

At the beginning of November, I ran a race--the Veterans Memorial 5k. It was fairly close to the beginning of my 10k training, but after I had discovered that I could run a bit faster than I thought. I recruited my friend to run the race with me, since he'd never run a 5k before.

This was my first 5k in a long time, so I was pretty excited about it. I decided that since I'd been running so strongly lately, that I would try to run it in about 28 minutes, which I had done before.

Not only did I accomplish my goal--I smashed it to smithereens by finishing in under 27 minutes--I believe a PR (personal record) for me. I knew that the last bit of the race was downhill (the first 2 miles were pretty hilly), so I budgeted my energy and ran the last mile at a good pace. I was so happy and proud with my finishing time, but since I knew that there are lots of women much faster than that--Lance told me about the winner who came in under 20--I didn't dream that I would win anything.

Well, I did. I won my age group (25-29). And not only that, but I came in 11th overall. I'm so happy with the results, and I'm also determined to keep running--and keep running faster. I'm running a 5k on Thanksgiving with my brother, so I'm setting my goal to run between 26-26:30, provided the race course is flat (this one was pretty hilly).

Yay for running!

The Hills!

Have you ever had the feeling where something just clicks? Where everything lines up, and what you're going after (or have been pursuing), just falls into place?

I feel like that with my running.

I took a six month break from running (March to August) because of a mild injury. The less I ran, the less I felt inclined to run. The less I ran, the more depressed I became. It was obviously a mild depression, but when I put my running shoes back on in August, I became keenly aware of what I'd been missing. And I began to run regularly again, with far more dedication and motivation than before my injury.

At the end of October, I started running with a group: Tuesday nights we run drill, hills, and intervals; Thursday is a "fun run"; Sunday is our long endurance run. I'm going into my fourth week of training, and I'm feeling stronger and faster.

The Tuesday night runs have been both challenging and enjoyable. This Tuesday was a hills run: we sprint up a hill, then run down it and repeat three more times. It's hard. I was able to run at a good pace and not feel completely whipped, so I know that I'm getting better.

Running has been clicking. I've been keeping up with the training plan, and I'm going to sign up for a half-marathon group to run in the spring. I just hope that I find a Ph.D. program that clicks as well as my training has...

So Many Words, So Little Time

In approximately three weeks, I will be sitting down to take the GRE. Again. When asked why I would torture myself again with this obnoxious test, my reply is that I would like a good stipend/fellowship/shot at admission to an awesome PhD program.

You see, my scores were good but not stellar. I'm close to the minimum score needed to get a better fellowship should I remain at the University of Arkansas (not my top choice, though not a bad one), and I want to do whatever I can to improve my chances at getting into a top program.

So, for the next three weeks, I'm going to be memorizing vocabulary words and taking practice tests in addition to gathering up my application materials, obtaining letters of reference, and editing my writing sample and statement of intent.

Why do I put myself through all this torture? Why am I not just done with school already? Because I belong in a PhD program. The GRE studying has been, well, fun in one sense because I'm studying something. I'm learning and absorbing and filing information away, and I love how that feels. I know in my bones that I'm meant to be in the classroom, both to learn and to teach, and the only way I'm going to get there is to take a jump. And there's certainly no time like the present.

Which Witch is Which?

Today I was reading papers for the "grammar" side of things, and one of the writers kept using "witch" instead of "which".

The first time it popped up, I underlined it and said "ooh, witch!" and drew a picture of a witch's hat and broom.

The second time, I underlined it and said "a witch! scary". Then in the margin I wrote "witch/which" and using arrows to indicate the word to which I was referring "This one is a noun" and "This one is a subordinating conjunction". I'm sure you can guess where the arrows went.

I circled a few more misuses. The last instance of "witch" in the paper, I drew another witch's hat and broom. I almost drew a black cat, but then I thought maybe it was going over the line.

I wonder if the writer ever confuse the two again...

(PS: Rory returned tonight! Yay for returned kitties).

Have You Seen My Cat?

LOST:

One adorably fat tabby named Rory, aged 3 years:


She went missing sometime Saturday, October 31st, after 7pm. She had a collar but lost it earlier that afternoon, so she'll have distinct collar marks. If you've seen this kitty, please let me know!

Poor thing--she's very attached to me and rarely strays too far from home. I just hope someone didn't cat-nap her or pick her up to be their new pet...