With the exception of the cold front that rolled in over the weekend, temperatures are on the rise which means my miles will be tapering down. As for races, I have a few more 5Ks and then one last longer distance (5 Miles for Moffitt) until the cooler weather returns this fall.
Since summer weather brings shorter distance races and triathlons, over the next few months I’ll be focusing on lots of cross-training (swimming, biking and strength training exercises) and speed work.
Yeah, it’s time to pump it.
On the subject of speed work, Ricole Runs and Run DMT will be hosting a new linky party every Tuesday called Track Tuesday. We’re hoping a weekly blog hop and little peer pressure will keep us motivated to do weekly sprints. I definitely need to focus on speed and I could use some virtual running partners encouraging me to stay focused. If you’re a runner, I hope you join us tomorrow for Track Tuesday.
And there’s one more thing for me to be pumped about! The lottery for the NYC Marathon will happen this Wednesday at noon and I will be watching the tweets and the live streaming selection process with bated breath. You can watch it live too at http://www.nyrr.org/media-room/nyrr-tv.
God, I hope I make it. I’ve got my fingers, toes and laces crossed that I make it this year. Wish me luck and link up and share what music is moving you this week.
Visit Xmas Dolly , Hairbows & Guitar Picks and Jade Louise Designs for more Music Monday fun.
Martha Stewart’s Shortbread Candy Bars
I married a snob, but I knew he was a snob when I married him. He’s been turning his nose up at Dunkin’ Donuts coffee for years and when it comes to beer, only craft beer will pass his palette. Like I said, I’ve known this for years, however, I only recently discovered that he is a shortbread snob.
Growing up in the UK, Iron Chef Allan probably had his share of wonderful homemade Scottish shortbread, especially since his Granny and Mum make some delicious buttery, crumbly shortbread, which may explain why he refuses anything other than traditional Scottish shortbread.
When I told him about this Martha Stewart shortbread recipe I found on Pinterest, he immediately replied, “Well that won’t be good.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because it’s Martha Stewart. She can’t just do traditional shortbread. She’s got to change somehow.”
“Well, she does use brown sugar instead of white sugar.”
“See.”
“And she uses coarse salt. What’s coarse salt?”
“See, it just can’t be traditional Scottish shortbread. She has to add coarse salt because everyday table salt just won’t do. Totally f*cking Martha Stewart.”
I have to admit. I was a little nervous about this recipe. I’ve never made any Martha dishes before this one. But before I began baking, I had to learn why she used coarse salt. So with a quick Google search, I stumbled upon Baking Bites which explained the reason for the substitution.
Coarse salt (also known as Kosher salt or sea salt) has less sodium than table salt.
Coarse salt adds a dramatic contrast the sweetness.
Of course, I immediately reported my findings to Iron Chef Allan. “Coarse salt is just Kosher or sea salt and it adds contrast to the sweetness of the dish.”
“Well, she couldn’t just say Kosher salt, now could she? Totally f*cking Martha Stewart.”
He continued grumbling over Martha Stewart as I began to bake her shortbread.
I originally found this recipe around Halloween as an clever way to use leftover Halloween candy. Since I have piles of Easter candy in my pantry, I decided to add some springtime flare to the recipe.
For the baking portion, I followed the recipe as is, however, I got a bit more creative with the toppings. I used my kids’ chocolate bunnies for the chocolate spread.
By doing so, I believe I may have traumatized my children in the process.
Yep, I boiled the bunny. Using a double boiler, I melted their bunnies to create a chocolaty layer to spread over the shortbread.
Then, I smashed some Cadbury Mini Eggs and sprinkled them on top.
The results were surprisingly delicious and the coarse salt really was nice contrast to the sweetness. BUT, it doesn’t taste like traditional Scottish shortbread. These bars have a blondie-like texture and therefore, they did not pass the Iron Chef Allan taste test.
Whatever. They are incredible and all mine.
Damn you, f*cking Martha Stewart.
Martha Stewart’s Shortbread (but certainly NOT Scottish Shortbread) Candy Bars
(Adapted from marthastewart.com)
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 ¼ tsp coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used approximately two small 4 oz. chocolate bunnies, chopped and a ½ cup of milk chocolate chips for the chocolate layer.)
2 cups assorted chocolate candies or roughly chopped candy bars or pieces (I used Cadbury Mini Eggs.)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. With mixer on low, add flour in three additions and beat until combined (dough will be crumbly).
Press dough evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake until golden brown and firm, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven a set on cooling rack.
While shortbread cools, melt chocolate in double-boiler. Once melted completely to a creamy and smooth texture, pour over shortbread. With a spatula, spread chocolate evenly over shortbread. Scatter candy pieces over top.
Refrigerate briefly to set chocolate. Cut into 16 bars.
Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!
*Also submitted at*
Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge: Eggs
This week’s Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge is Easter/Eggs. Given that Easter was just a few weeks ago and I still haven’t shared those photos, I hopped on it.
Like most , our Easter our was full of eggs from decorating and dying…
…to four different egg hunts. There was one egg hunt with Emmalynn’s class. Chugging along with a train basket in tow, Little Lion Man tried to keep up with the big kids.
We always love our annual egg hunt with our Moms on the Go friends.
On Easter morning, the Easter bunny left some jellybean-filled eggs in the yard. Did you know that dump trucks make better Easter baskets?
Then later that day, Grandma hid some eggs in her gorgeous garden, which is perfect for eggs hunts and wanna-be photographers.
After a long, “eggs”hausting hunt run in Grandma’s huge yard, we rewarded ourselves with the Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes I baked for dessert.
Yep, it was a truly “eggs”elent Easter.
Lessons from The Lorax
Then he grunts, “I will call you by Whisper-ma-Phone,
for the secrets I tell you are for your ears alone.”
SLUPP!
Down slupps the Whisper-ma-Phone to your ear
and the old Once-ler’s whispers are not very clear,
since they have to come down
through a snergelly hose,
and he sounds
as if he had
smallish bees up his nose.
“Now I’ll tell you,”he says, with his teeth sounding gray,
“how the Lorax got lifted and taken away…
But those trees! Those trees!
Those Truffula Trees!
All my life I’d been searching
for trees such as these.
The touch of their tufts
was much softer than silk.
And they had the sweet smell
of fresh butterfly milk.
Then I chopped down a Truffula Tree with one chop.
And with great skillful skill and with great speedy speed,
I took the soft tuft, and I knitted a Thneed!
The instant I’d finished, I heard a ga-Zump!
I looked.
I saw something pop out of the stump
of the tree I’d chopped down. It was sort of a man.
Describe him?… That’s hard. I don’t know if I can.
He was shortish. And oldish.
And brownish. And mossy.
And he spoke with a voice
that was sharpish and bossy.
“Mister!” he said with a sawdusty sneeze,
“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.
And I’m asking you, sir, at the top if my lungs”-
he was very upset as he shouted and puffed-
“What’s that THING you’ve made out of my Truffula tuft?”
“Look, Lorax,” I said.”There’s no cause for alarm.
I chopped just one tree. I am doing no harm.
I’m being quite useful. This thing is a Thneed.
A Thneed’s a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need!
It’s a shirt. It’s a sock. It’s a glove, It’s a hat.
But it has other uses. Yes, far beyond that.
You can use it for carpets. For pillows! For sheets!
Or curtains! Or covers for bicycle seats!”
The Lorax said,
“Sir! You are crazy with greed.
There is no one on earth
who would buy that fool Thneed!”
From outside in the fields came a sickening smack
of an axe on a tree. Then we heard the tree fall.
The very last Truffula Tree of them all!
The Lorax said nothing. Just gave me a glance…
just gave me a very sad, sad backward glance…
as he lifted himself by the seat of his pants.
And I’ll never forget the grim look on his face
when he heisted himself and took leave of this place,
through a hole in the smog, without leaving a trace.
And all that the Lorax left here in this mess
was a small pile of rocks, with one word…
“UNLESS.”
Whatever that meant, well, I just couldn’t guess.
“But now,” says the Once-ler,
“Now that you’re here,
the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.
Excerpts from Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax
Photos taken at Universal Studios’ Island of Adventure - November 5, 2011
Random Thoughts about Sweets, Sweats, Burpees and Track Tuesday
For my New Year’s resolution, I swore off sugar and was doing really good with it. I survived Valentine’s Day without going overboard. I even made some delicious brownies for St. Patrick’s Day without falling too badly off the wagon.
Then, Easter came and all the stores were stockpiled with scrumptious Easter candy like Peeps and chocolate covered Peeps and Robin Eggs and Cadbury eggs and not-so-great- generic store-brand jellybeans and oh-so-delicious Starbust jellybeans.
I’d like to say I ate all of the above in moderation, but I didn’t. In fact, I fell so hard off the no-sugar wagon that I got a headache from the volumes of sugar I ate. Man, I was jonesing BAD, like a crack addict.
I seriously had no idea that sugar and sweets could affect me like that. I was a mess. I had successfully eliminated sweets from my diet and in a matter of days, I couldn’t get enough of it. I would eat one Peep after another followed a fistful of jellybeans, followed by countless numbers of Cadbury’s mini-eggs. It was CRAZY how fast I was ingesting it all!
So, guess what I did with all that candy?
No, I didn’t throw it out. There are children starving in this country, for heaven’s sake! I hid it, so the temptation is no longer in my line of sight when I open the pantry. It’s a mind-over-matter thing for me, you see or don’t see. Whatever. The point is this works for me.
I’ve also been making Easter trail mix with pretzels and the leftover jelly beans for my kids’ lunches. Don’t judge. I know it’s not the healthiest lunchtime snack, but I’d like to believe their sharing it with their friends at school like good little sugar pushers.
But then guess what I did? I found Cadbury mini-eggs 50% off at Target the other day, so I simply had to buy two bags. Don’t you worry! I hid them in pantry, too. As long as the bag stays sealed, I’ll be all right. Truth be told, I think I’m going to bake some Candy Bar Shortbread Bars with the mini-milk chocolate candy coated eggs for a brunch I’m going to this Saturday. I pinkie-promise to only test them one.
The burpee challenge is going well. What I mean is it’s getting tougher but I can definitely feel myself getting stronger. At the end of the challenge, I’d like to perform another push-up exhaustion test, but with real push-ups not alternate push-ups to see how many real ones I can do. At this point, I can do 17 push-ups as part of a burpee, then I should be able to do at least than many or more.
And let’s not forget the running! Last Wednesday, I wanted to run 6 miles but my legs hurt so bad from Amy Dixon’s ass Kickin’ Strength work-out that I could only manage 5 miles.
5 miles
Time 52:56
Ave Pace 10:36
Max Pace 8:33
My legs were still sore on Friday when I tried to run 3 miles, but I ran with my stroller for what I like to call resistance training. Running with a stroller is like running up a hill…both ways.
3 .1 miles
Time 33:30
Ave Pace 10:49
Max Pace 8:25
All that soreness and a stroller may have slowed me down a bit, but I made up the time on Sunday when I finally did run 6 miles. I inserted a lap at mile five just because I was curious if my time had improved from Wednesday.
6.2 miles
Time 1:02:13
Lap 1 – mile 5 – 50:05
Ave Pace 10:03
Max Pace 7:42
Today, I decided to do some speed work instead of subjecting myself to another Amy ass kicking and then I ran a couple of easy miles with my kids’ running club.
1 mile
Time 9:46
Ave Pace 9:47
Max Pace 5:53
Lap 1 – 0.25 miles – 1:49, Ave Pace 7:12
Lap 2 – 0.25 miles – 1:52, Ave Pace 7:30
Lap 3 – 0.25 miles – 1:47, Ave Pace 7:11
Lap 4 – 0.25 mile – 1:54, Ave Pace 7:37
1.1 miles
Time 10:55
Ave Pace 9:56
Max Pace 7:47
Speaking of speed work…Starting next week, Ricole Runs and I will be hosting a running linky party called Track Tuesday and we are so super stoked about it. Well, not about the sprints, but we’re definitely excited about what we believe to be the first speed work blog hop ever!
Calling all runners!
Every Tuesday, Ricole and I will perform some sprints and we’d like you to join our torturous Track Tuesday efforts. To join our Track Tuesday Team, do your speed work (at least 4 quarter mile sprints) on Tuesday or any day you that works best for you, blog about your times and remember to add our cool Track Tuesday button to your post. Then, link up your post at either Ricole Runs or Run DMT to share Track Tuesday Speed Work Sessions. To show support for our other virtual running partners on the Track Tuesday Team, be sure to visit the other blogs listed in the linky party. Give them a virtual high-five and leave some comment love too.
So, I hope to see you back here next Tuesday to join our new runner’s linky party, Track Tuesday!
*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*
Let It Grow for Earth Day
With Earth Day less than a week away, a song from The Lorax for Music Monday seemed like an appropriate choice. Although videos from The Lorax soundtrack are not available on You Tube, I found a wonderful adaption to Let It Grow by PS 22 Chorus. These kids are amazing!
The PS 22 Chorus preformed the song as part of NEA’s Read Across America with a reading of The Lorax by Danny Devito and Zac Efron.
Though the lyrics are simple, an all too important message rings loud and clear. With their sweet, yet powerful young voices, these kids remind us how we can make the world a better place by protecting, nurturing and growing the gifts we have to give the world.
“UNLESS someone like you
Cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Visit Xmas Dolly , Hairbows & Guitar Picks and Jade Louise Designs for more Music Monday fun.
Potato Balls
You know how I’m always stealing permanently borrowing cookbooks from my MIL? Well, I’ve taken it another step further. Now, I’m stealing her balls.
Last Sunday for Easter, my MIL threw together a gorgeous spread, which included three meats (lamb, ham and chicken), a number of veggies and two kinds of potatoes. Yes, you heard me right. Two kinds of potatoes! One was a delicious cheesy layered scalloped potato casserole. The other spud she called “French-Style Potatoes” to sound all posh, but to the rest of the family, these potatoes will be forever known as “Potato Balls”.
Obviously, French-Style Potatoes has a nice ring to it, but there’s no disputing the salty, heavenly taste of these balls in your mouth. (Sounds like the infamous Schweddyy Balls from Saturday Night Live, doesn’t?)
A few days later, I decided to try my hand at these balls. Although my MIL preferred to handle hers with butter, I chose to lather mine in olive oil.
Ok enough with the innuendoes! To start, I par-boiled the potatoes until a bit firmer than fork tender. For portion control, I only boiled 6 medium sized potatoes for my family of five.
Then, using the larger end of a melon baller, I scooped and rolled out some potato.
Then, I tossed those bad boys into some pre-heated olive oil in an electric griddle and cooked them until crispy.
These potato balls present well and are a tasty companion to any meat dish. For this meal, I served it as a side dish to my Mojo Chicken. And don’t worry. I didn’t serve two potatoes. That’s mashed cauliflower as the other side dish, but more about that lovely carb substitute another day.
Elizabeth’s Posh Potato Balls
(serves 4)
Ingredients
1-2 lb medium size baking potatoes
¼ – ½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Par-boil potatoes until slightly firmer than fork tender. Drain and allow potatoes to cool. Using a melon baller, scoop out small amounts of potato.
Heat about ¼ – ½ cup olive oil at 350° in a electric griddle. Toss in the potato balls and occasionally flip potatoes as they sauté in the oil. Cook until crispy and golden brown (about 20 minutes).
Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!
*Also submitted at*
Sunny Spring Break Snapshots
And now, as promised, here are a few sunshine and light photos from spring break for the Leap into Spring! Photo Challenge
*Sharing my photos at Live and Loud Out Loud.*
Random Thoughts about Skipping a Beat, 10 Burpees, Some Shoes and a Few 5Ks
I’ve spent the past two days recovering from Spring Break which has been mostly spent sweeping and tidying away the fallout from Easter and Spring Break. It’s amazing how dirty and unkempt my house looks even though we spent so little time in it over the past week.
I’ve been so busy trying to play catch-up to my housework that I didn’t even blog yesterday for Music Monday. Gasp! I had a post in my head complete with photographs showing all our fun in the sun which I was going to link up at Kristi’s Leap into Spring! Photo Challenge at Live and Love Out Loud. However, time just escaped me while one Little Lion Man wouldn’t leave me side, so I couldn’t swing it. Maybe I’ll work on it for Wordless Wednesday, minus sunny day song.
We’re on day 10 for the 30 Day Burpee Challenge, which means we’ve moved hit double digits. Truth be told, ten burpees about did me in today. I am so out of shape, which why I need to do burpees. It’s a vicious cycle.
Have I ever mentioned that I assist with my kids’ running club after school? Every Tuesday, I run about 3 miles with my stroller and close to 50 kids. Besides spending quality running time with my girls, it’s all part of my evening training plan to help me train for upcoming evening races in warmer weather. And you thought I was trying to be a good mom! Nope. I’m just trying to be a better mother summer runner.
I officially registered for my first summer race: Oldsmar 5K (formerly the Oldsmar Taphouse Run) in June. Even though it’s hotter than hell, this is one of my favorite races. I love the flat course and its beautiful view of the bay. It’s not chipped, but the first 50 finishers get “Das Boot” and since that will never be me holding Das Boot, I’m just going to have fun with it and get my drink on after the race. I get to do my thing, taking photos running happy and snappy as usual and I’ll have a beer or two or three when it’s all finished. Did I mention that there is free beer for all runners at the finish?
My new Brooks Trance 10 running shoes arrived last Thursday afternoon and I unfortunately didn’t have the chance to break them in before the race. In other words, I wore brand-spanking new shoes for a race, which incidentally was 5K trail run. I had no idea it was a trail run! So not only was a panicking about not running for over a week due to plantar fasciitis, I began panicking because I hadn’t trained for a trail. And on top of it all, I worried that I would dirty my pretty new white shoes. Such a girl! I’ll tell you more about the race in another post.
Speaking of shoes, our new pup chewed through my pink Spenco flip-flops. Son of…! They were about a year old anyway and I was long overdue for a new pair as they had lost some of the support in them, but still. UGH! Thank goodness it wasn’t my new Abeo shoes but I’ve been hiding those out of the dog’s reach. Oh well. Now, I have an excuse to buy a new pair. Maybe I’ll go for the pink (honeysuckle) cork shoes?
Before I forget, WordPress is hosting a Automattic Worldwide WP 5k. The WWWP5k is set for Sunday, April 29, but you can do your run/walk anytime from April 23rd-29th, which means you’ve got a week to fit it in. If you’ve never done a 5K, the WWWP5K is the perfect no-pressure 5K, because like the Automattic gang put it so eloquently, “you can run, walk, or skip the 3.1 miles. It’s up to you. There’s no time limit and there’s just one requirement: that you participate! You can do it inside or outside, on a treadmill or on a track, or even do a swim or a bike ride instead of running/walking – just get moving!”
So, will you join the WWWP5K on April 29? Of course, I’m down with WWWP5K. Yeah you know me. It should be a lot easier than 10 burpees.
*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*
Pushing Our Luck Challenge: Final Exhaustion Test
On Wednesday, I finished the March Pushing Our Luck Challenge (also known as the Hundred Push-up Program) by performing my final exhaustion test. I completed 70 push-ups. Not, quite one hundred but pretty good, I suppose.
I vlogged my final exhaustion test for your amusement and yes, I did 70 alternate girlie push-ups. Don’t judge.
Although I only completed 70, there has been some definite improvement. At the initial test, I could only do 30 alternate push-ups, so I’ve more than doubled my maximum set, which means I’ve increased my endurance and strength. In the end, that’s what it is all about, isn’t it?
How did you finish the March Pushing Our Luck Challenge? Did you show some improvement too?
For our next challenge, we’re springing into April with Run DMT’s 30 Day Burpee Challenge. We’re only on Day 5, so there’s still plenty time to join the fun. Found out more about the burpee challenge and join the linky party here. Also, follow #30burpees on Twitter track everyone’s progress.
