I'm sensing a common theme in this blog so far..
..squash.
But can you blame me? It's the season for squash! And with the rain falling and the wind blowing, all I've been craving lately is squash. It's sweet, it's hearty, it's healthy, it's incredibly cheap right now.
Did I mention it's delicious?
Last night I got hit with another 'I have got to stop studying, for twenty minutes. I just want to bake!' urge. So I did! Again, Smitten Kitchen to the rescue! Her recipes are truly amazing. I did make quite a few changes to the recipe, of course, because I am on a constant mission to make things just a tad bit healthier. Unless it's that espresso chiffon cake I made last week... I'll post about that one someday soon! Maybe when I get a camera--what a perfect excuse to make that cake again!
Ok. Back to muffins. I substituted whole wheat flour, and played around with the sugar amounts, and overall they turned out pretty good! They have a great texture--light and moist inside, with a nice crisp top. They're pretty hearty from the whole wheat flour, and are definitely not as sweet as I was expecting, but I think they make a great breakfast muffin. I am bummed that the pumpkin flavor didn't come through more, but I'm not sure how to remedy that..
Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
1/3c canola oil (it's all i had--I'm sure vegetable oil would work just as well)
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2c + 2-3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2c raw sugar
1/8c pure maple syrup
1c pumpkin puree
1tbsp cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Yield: 12 muffins, plus I made a little muffin patty with the extra batter..could probably yield 14 muffins total, depending on the size of your muffin pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with muffin liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, pumpkin, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and sugar (minus the 2-3 tbsp extra raw sugar). Whisk in the flour until just combined. Spoon batter into cups, filling each almost to the top. Using the leftover raw sugar, sprinkle a small amount of sugar on the top of each muffin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through. They're finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Let them cool in the muffin pan for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. These are delicious when they're still slightly warm!
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Butternut Squash Soup
Oh. My. Gosh. This soup is amazing!
How amazing? Lick the bowl amazing. Lick your spoon amazing. Lick your boyfriend's bowl amazing.
..don't judge me.
It really is that good. And so far, everyone who's tasted this soup has tried a spoonful, paused, looked at me with wide eyes and said something along the lines of 'Wow' or 'That's incredible!' or 'There's no meat in that?' Yeah, I didn't really understand that last comment...BUT this soup does have amazing flavor, is filling without being heavy, is incredibly healthy, and is somehow almost better cold than it is hot! Though, as both versions are so delicious, it's hard to compare.
Am I getting the point across? About how good this soup is? About how you should make it right now? I hope so.
If not, consider this: at a dinner party last week I broke our blender! Why? Because I was unwilling to not make this soup. The bad part? No more soup until we get a new blender!
This recipe is adapted from one I found at Smitten Kitchen. The first time I made this soup I also made my own version of the croutons, but since I want this post to focus on the soup, just trust me: the croutons are really really good!
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1/4c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (I imagine canola oil would work well instead of butter)
10c 1/2in cubes of fresh butternut squash (about 1 large squash).
2 cans low sodium vegetable stock
1 large white onion, finely diced.
3 cloves minced garlic (or: 2 heaping spoonfuls of jarred minced garlic)*
3 sage leaves, minced*
1tbsp dried thyme
1/2tsp ground ginger*
1tsp salt*
1tsp pepper*
1/8c whipping cream (or half and half)
*I eyeball the spices in this recipe based on flavors I'm craving in the moment. If you like more sage, add another leaf or two! If you like lots of salt and pepper, add more! This recipe is great for adjusting to your personal flavor preferences!
Directions:
In a large soup pot melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add the stock, squash, and spices. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat back to medium and cover, stirring occasionally. Once the squash is cooked all the way through (a fork should easily spear the squash) turn the heat off. In batches appropriate for your blender, puree the soup (Note: make sure each batch going into the blender has some broth in it--otherwise the squash won't blend easily). Pour blended soup into a large serving bowl. Once all the soup has been blended, stir in the whipping cream.
Enjoy!
How amazing? Lick the bowl amazing. Lick your spoon amazing. Lick your boyfriend's bowl amazing.
..don't judge me.
It really is that good. And so far, everyone who's tasted this soup has tried a spoonful, paused, looked at me with wide eyes and said something along the lines of 'Wow' or 'That's incredible!' or 'There's no meat in that?' Yeah, I didn't really understand that last comment...BUT this soup does have amazing flavor, is filling without being heavy, is incredibly healthy, and is somehow almost better cold than it is hot! Though, as both versions are so delicious, it's hard to compare.
Am I getting the point across? About how good this soup is? About how you should make it right now? I hope so.
If not, consider this: at a dinner party last week I broke our blender! Why? Because I was unwilling to not make this soup. The bad part? No more soup until we get a new blender!
This recipe is adapted from one I found at Smitten Kitchen. The first time I made this soup I also made my own version of the croutons, but since I want this post to focus on the soup, just trust me: the croutons are really really good!
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1/4c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (I imagine canola oil would work well instead of butter)
10c 1/2in cubes of fresh butternut squash (about 1 large squash).
2 cans low sodium vegetable stock
1 large white onion, finely diced.
3 cloves minced garlic (or: 2 heaping spoonfuls of jarred minced garlic)*
3 sage leaves, minced*
1tbsp dried thyme
1/2tsp ground ginger*
1tsp salt*
1tsp pepper*
1/8c whipping cream (or half and half)
*I eyeball the spices in this recipe based on flavors I'm craving in the moment. If you like more sage, add another leaf or two! If you like lots of salt and pepper, add more! This recipe is great for adjusting to your personal flavor preferences!
Directions:
In a large soup pot melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add the stock, squash, and spices. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat back to medium and cover, stirring occasionally. Once the squash is cooked all the way through (a fork should easily spear the squash) turn the heat off. In batches appropriate for your blender, puree the soup (Note: make sure each batch going into the blender has some broth in it--otherwise the squash won't blend easily). Pour blended soup into a large serving bowl. Once all the soup has been blended, stir in the whipping cream.
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze
Last night I decided I needed to take a study break. I also decided I needed to use those cans of pumpkin I'd just bought..I also decided I needed cookies.
Enter: Travis' Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze. I found the original recipe at Joy The Baker's, beautiful site, but made several modifications to 'healthify' these amazing cookies. I wanted to at least include whole wheat flour, and reduce the amount of white sugar. Also, I'm not a big fan of butterscotch chips, so I left them out.
These cookies are amazing! I loved the slight heartiness the whole wheat flour gave them, and the slight crunch of the raw sugar. My roommate said he couldn't even tell they were 'healthier'! The maple glaze was the perfect addition. You just can't go wrong with maple and pumpkin! With how easy these cookies were to make, and how incredibly delicious they are, I have a feeling I'll be making these all winter long.
Here's my modified recipe:
Travis' Pumpkin Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
1c all-purpose flour
1c whole wheat flour
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2c white sugar
1/2c raw sugar
2 eggs
1/2c canola oil
1c canned pumpkin
1tsp vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients: (Modified from a recipe at Ice Cream Before Dinner)
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp half and half (or milk, or cream..)
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2c confectioner's sugar
1/4c light brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. In another, smaller bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars together until creamy and light (about 1 minute). Whisk in the oil, as you stir (this would be way easier with a stand mixer, I assume, but it worked fine slowly whisking with one hand and pouring oil with the other! Those of us without kitchen gadgets have to improvise!). Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly pour the wet mixture over the flour mixture, and combine with a rubber spatula. The dough will be quite runny. If you have an ice cream scoop that equals 1/4c, use this to scoop dough onto baking sheets. Or, if you don't have a scoop (I don't!) a spoon works just fine! Simply eyeball the amount. Space cookies about 2 inches apart. I got 8 cookies on each sheet.
You can bake each sheet separately, as Joy recommends, or together, as I did because I simply didn't have the patience! If you bake them separately, bake each for about 16 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies feel just slightly firm, and the bottoms are just slightly golden brown. If you bake them together, rotate completely after ten minutes (that is, bring the sheets on the lower rack to the top rack, and visa versa, and spin each sheet). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes--they will stick to the parchment paper initially, but cooling them thoroughly will alleviate this. Once cooled, transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.
While the cookies are cooling, in a small saucepan melt the butter, brown sugar and half and half on medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the syrup, and then the confectioner's sugar. And that's it! Once the cookies are completely cooled, dip them upside-down in the glaze, and return to the cooling racks until the glaze has set (of course, you'll have to try just one cookie immediately..and that's okay. I tried three.)
TIP: Place the parchment paper you baked the cookies on underneath the cooling racks, to catch any glaze drips!
Enjoy!
Enter: Travis' Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze. I found the original recipe at Joy The Baker's, beautiful site, but made several modifications to 'healthify' these amazing cookies. I wanted to at least include whole wheat flour, and reduce the amount of white sugar. Also, I'm not a big fan of butterscotch chips, so I left them out.
These cookies are amazing! I loved the slight heartiness the whole wheat flour gave them, and the slight crunch of the raw sugar. My roommate said he couldn't even tell they were 'healthier'! The maple glaze was the perfect addition. You just can't go wrong with maple and pumpkin! With how easy these cookies were to make, and how incredibly delicious they are, I have a feeling I'll be making these all winter long.
Here's my modified recipe:
Travis' Pumpkin Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
1c all-purpose flour
1c whole wheat flour
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2c white sugar
1/2c raw sugar
2 eggs
1/2c canola oil
1c canned pumpkin
1tsp vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients: (Modified from a recipe at Ice Cream Before Dinner)
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp half and half (or milk, or cream..)
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2c confectioner's sugar
1/4c light brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. In another, smaller bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars together until creamy and light (about 1 minute). Whisk in the oil, as you stir (this would be way easier with a stand mixer, I assume, but it worked fine slowly whisking with one hand and pouring oil with the other! Those of us without kitchen gadgets have to improvise!). Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly pour the wet mixture over the flour mixture, and combine with a rubber spatula. The dough will be quite runny. If you have an ice cream scoop that equals 1/4c, use this to scoop dough onto baking sheets. Or, if you don't have a scoop (I don't!) a spoon works just fine! Simply eyeball the amount. Space cookies about 2 inches apart. I got 8 cookies on each sheet.
You can bake each sheet separately, as Joy recommends, or together, as I did because I simply didn't have the patience! If you bake them separately, bake each for about 16 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies feel just slightly firm, and the bottoms are just slightly golden brown. If you bake them together, rotate completely after ten minutes (that is, bring the sheets on the lower rack to the top rack, and visa versa, and spin each sheet). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes--they will stick to the parchment paper initially, but cooling them thoroughly will alleviate this. Once cooled, transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.
While the cookies are cooling, in a small saucepan melt the butter, brown sugar and half and half on medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the syrup, and then the confectioner's sugar. And that's it! Once the cookies are completely cooled, dip them upside-down in the glaze, and return to the cooling racks until the glaze has set (of course, you'll have to try just one cookie immediately..and that's okay. I tried three.)
TIP: Place the parchment paper you baked the cookies on underneath the cooling racks, to catch any glaze drips!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Lately..
Well, only a few things to mention, I guess.
The first is the long run I went on last week that did not go so well. I hadn't run more than once or maybe twice during the week leading up to it, but decided I was going to go for it--8 miles. Also, for the last two months I've done more or less all of my running on trails. But for some reason I decided that the long run should be done on pavement. Or rather, I knew better, but also knew I have to start running on pavement at some point...the race next month is a road race, after all! So even though I knew better..I knew I should do an easy 45 minute trail run instead..I set out for a long run around town. It went well until the last two miles or so, when my knees started to HURT and at times were buckling underneath me. I stopped to walk about half a mile from home, because I couldn't justify it anymore. I should have walked long ago, but my pride wouldn't let me..Awful, I know. So I came home, iced immediately, and as to be expected the next few days my IT bands were pretty sore. I haven't run since then and they feel better! I've swam, and gone on a great ride (40 miles) but no running yet. I got scared thinking I was digging myself into another overtraining hole, and during the offseason, no less, so I backed off.
Which, I guess, leads me to the other training struggle I've encountered lately. I have a hard time accepting that it IS the offseason, and this IS the time when I can and should focus my attention on things besides triathlon and training. I'll be done with college in 6 and a half weeks, and right now that should be my main focus. Yet yesterday, when I didn't do anything active and hadn't the day before, either, I was getting so down on myself! I hate the feeling of not doing things. It's partly why I got into triathlon in the first place. So I can stay as active as I prefer to. But yesterday the hours quickly slipped away from me, and I had to accept that while I did have time for a short run, or ride, I'd be better off doing homework. So it's something I'm working on. Finding a better balance between training and other obligations, knowing where my priorities lay and accepting that, and making sure I am filling all my personal needs (training, schoolwork, and my new hobby: cooking!!) to a point where I don't feel like anything is lacking or missing in my life. Not training is definitely just as hard as training!
The first is the long run I went on last week that did not go so well. I hadn't run more than once or maybe twice during the week leading up to it, but decided I was going to go for it--8 miles. Also, for the last two months I've done more or less all of my running on trails. But for some reason I decided that the long run should be done on pavement. Or rather, I knew better, but also knew I have to start running on pavement at some point...the race next month is a road race, after all! So even though I knew better..I knew I should do an easy 45 minute trail run instead..I set out for a long run around town. It went well until the last two miles or so, when my knees started to HURT and at times were buckling underneath me. I stopped to walk about half a mile from home, because I couldn't justify it anymore. I should have walked long ago, but my pride wouldn't let me..Awful, I know. So I came home, iced immediately, and as to be expected the next few days my IT bands were pretty sore. I haven't run since then and they feel better! I've swam, and gone on a great ride (40 miles) but no running yet. I got scared thinking I was digging myself into another overtraining hole, and during the offseason, no less, so I backed off.
Which, I guess, leads me to the other training struggle I've encountered lately. I have a hard time accepting that it IS the offseason, and this IS the time when I can and should focus my attention on things besides triathlon and training. I'll be done with college in 6 and a half weeks, and right now that should be my main focus. Yet yesterday, when I didn't do anything active and hadn't the day before, either, I was getting so down on myself! I hate the feeling of not doing things. It's partly why I got into triathlon in the first place. So I can stay as active as I prefer to. But yesterday the hours quickly slipped away from me, and I had to accept that while I did have time for a short run, or ride, I'd be better off doing homework. So it's something I'm working on. Finding a better balance between training and other obligations, knowing where my priorities lay and accepting that, and making sure I am filling all my personal needs (training, schoolwork, and my new hobby: cooking!!) to a point where I don't feel like anything is lacking or missing in my life. Not training is definitely just as hard as training!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
End Of The Season
The last race of the season turned out to be the hardest. I should have known. I'll just write a quick report..
The swim was, in one word, cold. I jumped in before the race, jumped right back out, and spent the 5 minutes before my wave start panicking. I did not want to get in that water. It was a three-bouy course, and it took until the first bouy for my face to stop hurting from the cold, and for my arms to work. By the second bouy I could feel the water, and pull. In the final stretch I was cruising, but it was too little too late. I still swam a 15:26, my best OW swim of the season.
The bike was awful. I had one of those "hey, legs, where'd you go?" rides all the way out. After the turn-around I was able to put in some effort, but again, too little too late. Awful bike time of 37:-something...it should have been in the 33s.
The run went great, other than excruciating achilles blisters from my new runners! The first half mile were awful--I was limping, swearing out loud, etc. Then I accepted the fact that my heels were going to hurt, and I was able to run a decent 20:50 run (7:30 pace).
Overall, I'm thrilled with what I accomplished this season. In only five months I learned how to ride a bike, learned how to swim for real, learned how to train (though I'm definitely not DONE learning how to train!), competed in three triathlons, qualified for nationals, and learned so much more, I wouldn't know where to start. To name a few important lessons: Integrity, consistency, mental toughness, believing in myself.
I can't wait until next season!
The swim was, in one word, cold. I jumped in before the race, jumped right back out, and spent the 5 minutes before my wave start panicking. I did not want to get in that water. It was a three-bouy course, and it took until the first bouy for my face to stop hurting from the cold, and for my arms to work. By the second bouy I could feel the water, and pull. In the final stretch I was cruising, but it was too little too late. I still swam a 15:26, my best OW swim of the season.
The bike was awful. I had one of those "hey, legs, where'd you go?" rides all the way out. After the turn-around I was able to put in some effort, but again, too little too late. Awful bike time of 37:-something...it should have been in the 33s.
The run went great, other than excruciating achilles blisters from my new runners! The first half mile were awful--I was limping, swearing out loud, etc. Then I accepted the fact that my heels were going to hurt, and I was able to run a decent 20:50 run (7:30 pace).
Overall, I'm thrilled with what I accomplished this season. In only five months I learned how to ride a bike, learned how to swim for real, learned how to train (though I'm definitely not DONE learning how to train!), competed in three triathlons, qualified for nationals, and learned so much more, I wouldn't know where to start. To name a few important lessons: Integrity, consistency, mental toughness, believing in myself.
I can't wait until next season!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Longer and longer..
Today I ran for 50 minutes. Slowly.
I'm slightly tempted to map out my run and figure my pace. But I won't. It's minutes not miles that matter now!
My knees weren't too happy the last ten minutes. And my left knee threw a little fit at about 15 minutes.
Next long run: 2 laps around Greenlake in one week! That's been a goal of mine for so long!
I'm slightly tempted to map out my run and figure my pace. But I won't. It's minutes not miles that matter now!
My knees weren't too happy the last ten minutes. And my left knee threw a little fit at about 15 minutes.
Next long run: 2 laps around Greenlake in one week! That's been a goal of mine for so long!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Distance Running
I'm not a distance runner. I think since starting this blog I have only run 5 miles once. 4 miles is a 'good' run, usually.
Therefore, obviously, I'm training for a 9-mile race in November.
Today was Long Run #1. I spent all morning researching trails, picked the trail, and ran. 41 minutes. That's nearly five miles. And, there were hills. I'm calling it a success.
I could get used to this long, slow running stuff.
Therefore, obviously, I'm training for a 9-mile race in November.
Today was Long Run #1. I spent all morning researching trails, picked the trail, and ran. 41 minutes. That's nearly five miles. And, there were hills. I'm calling it a success.
I could get used to this long, slow running stuff.
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