With every healthy choice, there has to be a less healthy alternative. Enter the pumpkin chocolate cheesecake bar. The recipe is found here with a beautiful photo (let's pretend mine look just like those).
It was a lot of steps to create the layers and a lot of different bowls mixing parts. Graham cracker crust. Chocolate cream, cheesecake layer, sour cream topping. I came to the conclusion that my kitchen isn't big enough to support a recipe like this all of the time. Bowls and measuring utensils on every surface.
I think that pumpkin and cream cheese were born to be together. And chocolate, a total value add. It ended up like an LDS plural marriage going on in my oven. Pumpkin and his sister wives chocolate and cream cheese.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pumpkin Recipe #1
When we went to a local pumpkin patch last month we brought home lots of pumpkins. Several were painted, one was carved, and one was baked. I ended up with countless 1 cup bags of pumpkin puree in my freezer. I am just now getting around to making things with it. I hope to venture into the realm of pumpkin soups and other savory dishes. It will take some courage.
Recently a good friend of mine and co-worker was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. We think it's just unfortunate genetics, she's otherwise thin, healthy and somewhat active. She's been adjusting her diet and seems rather sad about some of the changes.
I reached out to my sister-in-law, which is cool to say because I only have one of those amongst a multitude of brothers-in-law, and asked her for a low sugar pumpkin cookie recipe. She pointed me to a great website and recipe here for pumpkin spice cookies. Of course I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. I had to pick up some whole wheat flour, raisins, and molasses with my regular weekly shopping. It was such an easy recipe to throw together. And they came out great. The texture is cake-like. One comment on the site equated them to muffin tops which is very accurate. No one would know they are low fat (no butter) and low sugar (only 1/3 cup light brown sugar). I didn't tell Adrian and he kept coming back for more.
I sent my friend a text and told her she had to come into work because I made a treat she could eat. She was so excited after suffering through an evening with her kids' youth group making s'mores but not eating them.
They were a fairly good hit at work. Pumpkin and spice isn't a favorite of everyone's. One lady didn't really like the cookie as a stand alone but thought it would work nicely as part of a whoopie pie. Now that might need some consideration and could work.
Recently a good friend of mine and co-worker was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. We think it's just unfortunate genetics, she's otherwise thin, healthy and somewhat active. She's been adjusting her diet and seems rather sad about some of the changes.
I reached out to my sister-in-law, which is cool to say because I only have one of those amongst a multitude of brothers-in-law, and asked her for a low sugar pumpkin cookie recipe. She pointed me to a great website and recipe here for pumpkin spice cookies. Of course I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. I had to pick up some whole wheat flour, raisins, and molasses with my regular weekly shopping. It was such an easy recipe to throw together. And they came out great. The texture is cake-like. One comment on the site equated them to muffin tops which is very accurate. No one would know they are low fat (no butter) and low sugar (only 1/3 cup light brown sugar). I didn't tell Adrian and he kept coming back for more.
I sent my friend a text and told her she had to come into work because I made a treat she could eat. She was so excited after suffering through an evening with her kids' youth group making s'mores but not eating them.
They were a fairly good hit at work. Pumpkin and spice isn't a favorite of everyone's. One lady didn't really like the cookie as a stand alone but thought it would work nicely as part of a whoopie pie. Now that might need some consideration and could work.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Rumble Fish
I returned to the trails in late summer. And immediately fell in love with it all over again. My trail running friend, Steve, sent me a link to a local trail race, Raven Rock Rumble. He and another friend were planning to do the 5 mile option. Since I knew I would have a flat 10 miler and a hilly half marathon under my belt by race date, I selected the 10 mile option. Silly, silly girl am I.
Leading up to the race I was very relaxed and excited about it. Not nervous and feeling unsure of myself like I get with a road race. I was looking forward to running with a crowd on new trails. My biggest concern was getting lost or missing a trail marker. Trail races seem to have more stories and a special camaraderie that is different from road races. And there's less focus on records and speed. It's more about finishing it in one piece and enjoying the scenery.
Race day came. We carpooled down to Raven Rock State Park in Lillington. The parking area was in a field 3/4 mile from the park so we had a chance to stretch our legs after the car ride. We milled around - went to the bathroom, got our bibs and chips.
Then it was time to line up for the start. The start lines were staggered and started 5 minutes apart. The 10 mile course was a figure eight (the 5 mile course was the left hand loop of the eight) and we started with the right hand of the eight so theoretically when you came to the intersection of the loops most people were off the 5 mile course.
The first half was pretty amazing. I paced behind a guy with neat red shoes for the first mile. As soon as the single track opened up a little, I passed him and two ladies who were clearly planning to walk even the smallest of hills. I paced behind another guy for the next couple miles. The course was beautiful. I kept thinking, "wow, I'm actually doing a trail race, finally!". I had to keep reminding myself to pay attention. Rocks and roots abound. And the leaf cover made it tricky. Mile four was ugly. Big downhill made with stairs - you get no rhythm on these - and slick rocks. The advantage here is that it's a turn around section so you can see the people ahead of you making their way back up. At the bottom of this hill is a gorgeous overlook of the river, but you can't take too long. That hill is waiting for you to ascend somehow, someway. Steve was done with the five mile race which I had been hoping for. I gave him my gloves and he snapped a picture at the midpoint.
He gave tips on the last half of my course - which was the course he just finished. Super helpful advice! I saw Jessi finishing up her race, she looked positive. I told her Steve was waiting and kept on moving. Because this race is at a state park it remains open to the public. I did encounter people out on hikes with their dogs and such. A group of teens was on a hike, moseying (spelling?) their way along the trail. The guy in back would yell "runner!" and they'd scoot out of the way for you to pass. They were not deterred from their mission by the 200 plus runners that would have to pass them that day.
I cruised along through my last few miles with no one around, I couldn't see anyone ahead of me or behind me. The trail followed a creek. I felt like I was exactly where I belonged. That this was what I was meant to do. At the same time I also felt like I missed a sign. I was feeling uncertain in my solitude. And then I recognized the hill I had come down for this loop. Once out of the woods and into the open area I had a surge of energy. The finish line! And Steve yelling my name. I'm sure Jessi was too but she doesn't have quite the same volume. First trail race done. And I felt fantastic.
I grabbed a PB&J and banana from the post race area. We walked the 3/4 mile back to the car and cracked open some homebrew. A very delicious way to toast our hard work. I couldn't have asked for a better experience - good trails, beautiful weather, and friends to enjoy it too.
Leading up to the race I was very relaxed and excited about it. Not nervous and feeling unsure of myself like I get with a road race. I was looking forward to running with a crowd on new trails. My biggest concern was getting lost or missing a trail marker. Trail races seem to have more stories and a special camaraderie that is different from road races. And there's less focus on records and speed. It's more about finishing it in one piece and enjoying the scenery.
Race day came. We carpooled down to Raven Rock State Park in Lillington. The parking area was in a field 3/4 mile from the park so we had a chance to stretch our legs after the car ride. We milled around - went to the bathroom, got our bibs and chips.
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| Jessi and me zip tying our chips. |
Then it was time to line up for the start. The start lines were staggered and started 5 minutes apart. The 10 mile course was a figure eight (the 5 mile course was the left hand loop of the eight) and we started with the right hand of the eight so theoretically when you came to the intersection of the loops most people were off the 5 mile course.
The first half was pretty amazing. I paced behind a guy with neat red shoes for the first mile. As soon as the single track opened up a little, I passed him and two ladies who were clearly planning to walk even the smallest of hills. I paced behind another guy for the next couple miles. The course was beautiful. I kept thinking, "wow, I'm actually doing a trail race, finally!". I had to keep reminding myself to pay attention. Rocks and roots abound. And the leaf cover made it tricky. Mile four was ugly. Big downhill made with stairs - you get no rhythm on these - and slick rocks. The advantage here is that it's a turn around section so you can see the people ahead of you making their way back up. At the bottom of this hill is a gorgeous overlook of the river, but you can't take too long. That hill is waiting for you to ascend somehow, someway. Steve was done with the five mile race which I had been hoping for. I gave him my gloves and he snapped a picture at the midpoint.
 |
| Pretty scenery. |
He gave tips on the last half of my course - which was the course he just finished. Super helpful advice! I saw Jessi finishing up her race, she looked positive. I told her Steve was waiting and kept on moving. Because this race is at a state park it remains open to the public. I did encounter people out on hikes with their dogs and such. A group of teens was on a hike, moseying (spelling?) their way along the trail. The guy in back would yell "runner!" and they'd scoot out of the way for you to pass. They were not deterred from their mission by the 200 plus runners that would have to pass them that day.
I cruised along through my last few miles with no one around, I couldn't see anyone ahead of me or behind me. The trail followed a creek. I felt like I was exactly where I belonged. That this was what I was meant to do. At the same time I also felt like I missed a sign. I was feeling uncertain in my solitude. And then I recognized the hill I had come down for this loop. Once out of the woods and into the open area I had a surge of energy. The finish line! And Steve yelling my name. I'm sure Jessi was too but she doesn't have quite the same volume. First trail race done. And I felt fantastic.
I grabbed a PB&J and banana from the post race area. We walked the 3/4 mile back to the car and cracked open some homebrew. A very delicious way to toast our hard work. I couldn't have asked for a better experience - good trails, beautiful weather, and friends to enjoy it too.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tracked Out Together
Nicholas is currently tracked out. With year round school they get 3 weeks off between quarters. He goes to the Y for the day, pretty much like your standard day camp. I took the day off work (to recover from my race, which surprisingly wasn't really needed) to spend quality time with just him.
We started the morning at It's A Grind - the coffee shop Nancy Botwin goes to in Weeds. Pumpkin latte and hot chocolate, yum. Then off to Durant Park. Travis and I went last weekend and it seemed like a place that should have lots of geocaches. I checked the site earlier this week and of course the park was loaded with them. And some clearly marked as kid friendly.
Nicholas and I made our way to three caches. The GPS I have is sucky at best. One time I was 40 feet away and standing practically on top of it. Another time I was 400 feet away. So either the coordinates are off or I need a better GPS that can handle tree cover. I have found more than a few over the years and have a general idea of standard hiding places. In a nature park a clue of "near a fallen log" is kind of cruel. There are 8 more in that park that we will tackle another day. No sense in rushing through them. Nicholas was very happy to leave better prizes than the ones he took. He hopes the next finder likes it.
Next we went downtown for lunch. We went to Adrian's favorite restaurant, Spize, to make him jealous. And it didn't disappoint. We attempted to go to Marbles Kids Museum. Um, it was closed. What? I never thought to check. And Nicholas was not pleased. We decided to go to the state museums instead. We walked around the Capitol. Nothing makes that boy happier than old canons. He ran from one to the other. Checked out statues and the veterans memorial. Over to the history museum. Luckily NC has a lot of history. We started in the NC Sports Hall of Fame. Then through military section. He loves weapons and uniforms almost as much as canons. By the time we got to the recreated old pharmacy he was getting creeped out by all the old stuff. That can only be cured with retail therapy in the gift shop. I made notes to myself for lots of Christmas ideas.
We had a great day spending time together, just the two of us at our own pace.
We started the morning at It's A Grind - the coffee shop Nancy Botwin goes to in Weeds. Pumpkin latte and hot chocolate, yum. Then off to Durant Park. Travis and I went last weekend and it seemed like a place that should have lots of geocaches. I checked the site earlier this week and of course the park was loaded with them. And some clearly marked as kid friendly.
Nicholas and I made our way to three caches. The GPS I have is sucky at best. One time I was 40 feet away and standing practically on top of it. Another time I was 400 feet away. So either the coordinates are off or I need a better GPS that can handle tree cover. I have found more than a few over the years and have a general idea of standard hiding places. In a nature park a clue of "near a fallen log" is kind of cruel. There are 8 more in that park that we will tackle another day. No sense in rushing through them. Nicholas was very happy to leave better prizes than the ones he took. He hopes the next finder likes it.
Next we went downtown for lunch. We went to Adrian's favorite restaurant, Spize, to make him jealous. And it didn't disappoint. We attempted to go to Marbles Kids Museum. Um, it was closed. What? I never thought to check. And Nicholas was not pleased. We decided to go to the state museums instead. We walked around the Capitol. Nothing makes that boy happier than old canons. He ran from one to the other. Checked out statues and the veterans memorial. Over to the history museum. Luckily NC has a lot of history. We started in the NC Sports Hall of Fame. Then through military section. He loves weapons and uniforms almost as much as canons. By the time we got to the recreated old pharmacy he was getting creeped out by all the old stuff. That can only be cured with retail therapy in the gift shop. I made notes to myself for lots of Christmas ideas.
We had a great day spending time together, just the two of us at our own pace.
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| That's my boy! He's picking trash out of the lake. |
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| Whale Rock. The creek has carved a channel over a bazillion years. |
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| Yummy lunch. I heart sweet chili sauce. |
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| Doesn't everyone do a mirror pose with a statue? |
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| A Civil War dude. First fallen, I think. |
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| WW I, WW II, and Korean War memorial. |
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| Never Give Up! |
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| Did you know football jerseys used to be onesies? That gave us a big laugh. |
Monday, November 8, 2010
City of Hills, I mean Oaks
I signed up for City of Oaks Half Marathon back in the summer. This was before one of my race buddies injured herself dancing at a wedding reception. Then my local Y announced their fall season endurance running program. This race was the goal race for the program. Coincidence? Maybe.
I pursued the goal knowing I would be doing it alone. A little awkward. Hi! I'm the loner girl wandering around pre-race with no friends.
Well technically I did know one person who would be there. One of the girls I carpooled with in the 10 mile race. She volunteered as a pace leader for the 2:20 group. So the plan became: I should only see Amy before and after the race, but not during.
I arrived early to get a parking space. I sat in my car to stay warm for as long as possible. 36 degrees is just a little chilly. I made my way to the start line and chatted with Amy, as planned. Then I made my way to the pace group I wanted to aim for. For the first time ever I had my ipod for a race. I only use one ear when I run just in case. (I have only used an ipod for one training run - ever.) And off we went.
Mile 1 - 10 seconds too fast
Mile 2 - 20 seconds too fast
Then my friend Steve is on a random street corner with his bike. Yay! A familiar face and a real spectator who shouts my name.
Things are moving along fine but there sure are a lot of hills.
Halfway through the pace is averaging 15 seconds too slow.
By mile 8 I was not feeling great. Muscles were good, no pain there. I just wanted to puke, that's all. I started taking short walk breaks, only about 50 - 100 feet. And then I was off again at normal pace for another mile. I tackled the remaining 5 miles like this. It was manageable even though I was becoming really cranky with myself.
I saw Steve again. I told him I just wanted to finish and be done. He assured me a PR was in the bag. I was no longer checking my time. I didn't care anymore. The goal had passed long ago. I told myself I was never doing another road race ever again. The pressure to meet a time goal and set a PR was stupid. I enjoy long training runs for the joy of running. (I think is normal self-defeating thoughts processes that occur during long races.)
Going into Mile 12 passes the Y water stop. Finally my people. It was very uplifting to see people I knew. I was much happier. I wanted to tell the random lady next to me, "those are my people."
Mile 13 - Yes! The final mile. Something took over. Those walk breaks had allowed me to build up a reserve of unknown strength. And I suddenly remembered - I get a medal! I think this mile was my fastest of the whole race. No one passed me. I was picking off people left and right. Rob Zombie is a good motivator. Finally...done...thank god it was over. Got my medal. Got a bottle of water, banana, and bagel quarter. I waited for Amy to come in with her pace group. That part of the plan did work out. And I did have a new PR on a much more difficult course too. So it wasn't all bad. I'm sure I could've done better if I hadn't let those evil self-defeating voices take over and allowed myself to be comfortable with nausea. Maybe there will be another time. Or maybe not.
I pursued the goal knowing I would be doing it alone. A little awkward. Hi! I'm the loner girl wandering around pre-race with no friends.
Well technically I did know one person who would be there. One of the girls I carpooled with in the 10 mile race. She volunteered as a pace leader for the 2:20 group. So the plan became: I should only see Amy before and after the race, but not during.
I arrived early to get a parking space. I sat in my car to stay warm for as long as possible. 36 degrees is just a little chilly. I made my way to the start line and chatted with Amy, as planned. Then I made my way to the pace group I wanted to aim for. For the first time ever I had my ipod for a race. I only use one ear when I run just in case. (I have only used an ipod for one training run - ever.) And off we went.
Mile 1 - 10 seconds too fast
Mile 2 - 20 seconds too fast
Then my friend Steve is on a random street corner with his bike. Yay! A familiar face and a real spectator who shouts my name.
Things are moving along fine but there sure are a lot of hills.
Halfway through the pace is averaging 15 seconds too slow.
By mile 8 I was not feeling great. Muscles were good, no pain there. I just wanted to puke, that's all. I started taking short walk breaks, only about 50 - 100 feet. And then I was off again at normal pace for another mile. I tackled the remaining 5 miles like this. It was manageable even though I was becoming really cranky with myself.
I saw Steve again. I told him I just wanted to finish and be done. He assured me a PR was in the bag. I was no longer checking my time. I didn't care anymore. The goal had passed long ago. I told myself I was never doing another road race ever again. The pressure to meet a time goal and set a PR was stupid. I enjoy long training runs for the joy of running. (I think is normal self-defeating thoughts processes that occur during long races.)
Going into Mile 12 passes the Y water stop. Finally my people. It was very uplifting to see people I knew. I was much happier. I wanted to tell the random lady next to me, "those are my people."
Mile 13 - Yes! The final mile. Something took over. Those walk breaks had allowed me to build up a reserve of unknown strength. And I suddenly remembered - I get a medal! I think this mile was my fastest of the whole race. No one passed me. I was picking off people left and right. Rob Zombie is a good motivator. Finally...done...thank god it was over. Got my medal. Got a bottle of water, banana, and bagel quarter. I waited for Amy to come in with her pace group. That part of the plan did work out. And I did have a new PR on a much more difficult course too. So it wasn't all bad. I'm sure I could've done better if I hadn't let those evil self-defeating voices take over and allowed myself to be comfortable with nausea. Maybe there will be another time. Or maybe not.
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