Jaffa Cakes

Monday, April 21st, 2008

10:14 pm - Whitewater

This past weekend, I hosted a seder for non-jews, attended by various PHPS friends and one set of PHPS parents. Maybe I'm strange, but I love hanging out with the parents of my friends, mostly because I want to search out clues for why my friends turned out as awesome as they all are. Passover rolls were a hit, as was the apricot matzo kugel, and AH's rendering of matzo ball soup. The prize for finding the Afikomen was a bottle of Manishevitz, which I'm sure will be duly appreciated by the recipient, and if not her, then her boyfriend :-)

AP had the weekend off, which meant lots of little mini-adventures around Atlanta. Friday night we went for sushi at Harry and Sons, which was very good, and followed that up with Martini's and Imax at the Fernbank Natural History Museum. Basically, they turn the rotunda area of the museum into a cash bar and you get to drink while watching an Imax movie of your choice. We saw "Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk" about the Colorado River, which was very good. Even better was the people watching. Martini's and Imax is supposedly one of the best "first date" spots in Atlanta, and AP and I definitely spotted a few awkward couples among the crowd :-)

Sunday, we drove 3 hours to North Carolina to go whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River. We listened to the audiobook version of A Walk in the Woods as read by Bill Bryson on the drive up, which was a great selection for our day outdoors. AP has been several times, but I never had. We rented a 2-person kayak (called a duckie) and set on down the river. I had a standard kayaking paddle, while AP had a rafting/canoe paddle that he used to steer us along the right water lines. At the class III rapid at the end of the line, there's a place where they take some action pictures--here's ours!

current mood:

chipper

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

3:58 pm - Vegetables

In January, JL and I signed up to split a CSA share. A CSA, for those not familiar, is community-supported agriculture, where for a nominal fee (which works about to about $20.00 a week for six months for those who are splitting one share), the recipient receives a weekly box of fresh produce. We FINALLY started receiving deliveries this week.

Our first box held leaf lettuce, mesclun greens, arugula, swiss chard mix, green onion, radishes, carrots, fresh herb mix, a leek and a small bunch of beets, which JL and I managed to split pretty evenly between the two of us. So of course, I was feeling creative when it came to making dinner last night.

On the menu:
Quinoa/rice mix
Roasted vegetables (the beets, some carrots, the leek, green onion, one apple and whole cloves of garlic sprinkled with olive oil and fresh herb mix)
Chicken tenders coated with a crushed triscuit/egg mixture and pan-fried in olive oil, served on a bed of sauteed beet greens.

Oh. My. Vegetables have never tasted this good. AP was even into the beets. And he hates beets.

I'm already looking forward to using the arugula as the bitter herb for Pesach this year :-)

In other news, I finished my assignment at Immunization/Respiratory Diseases and will be starting in Public Health Informatics next week. The open recruitment process for our field assignments is beginning shortly as well. STRESSFUL. Enjoying the calm before the storm while it lasts.

current mood:

tired

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

2:44 pm - Temporary

Internet is not up at home at the moment, a situation that I hope is resolved soon. Email is best, but phone is better. Mid-year training this week. Visitor in town last weekend. Fun had by all. More later. current mood: stressed
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Monday, March 31st, 2008

11:18 pm - 2008 Goals update

Because I like work plans, it is time to take a gander at the stated 2008 goals and see what sort of progress I'm making.

1. Fully fund my ROTH IRA for 2008.
2. Establish my Emergency fund of 6 months expenses.

I have funds to do #1, but am holding off to accomplish #2 first. It's come to my attention that I'll likely need to front the money for my move in September to the field, so establishing the EF first is probably a better decision for me at this point. Plus, I am putting 10% in my govt. TSP right now, so I do have some retirement accounts already.

3. Once EF is established, begin cash savings (AKA future house downpayment) or make extra car payments.

Tax returns went to the car loan.

4. Eat healthier. (Restaurant eating 3xWeek max).

Doing better on this one. Am making a conscious effort to eat out less, which is successful most weeks, and not so successful some weeks. Still needs work.

5. Become PADI Advanced Open Water Certified. Living closer to FL should make this one slightly easier.

No movement on this one yet.

6. PR in the half-marathon. 1:55 is the time to beat.

See previous post :-)

7. Take at least one day or multiday road trip each month.

January--Cohutta's, Huntsville, AL. Check.
February--New Orleans, LA. Check.
March--Blowing Rock, NC, Dahlonega, GA. Check.

Not too shabby!

current mood:

satisfied

10:20 pm - ING Georgia Recap

Sunday AM, AP and I headed to Centennial Olympic Park for the start of the ING Georgia Marathon/Half-Marathon. We found the start/finish area to be extremely unorganized. Both of us were wearing long sleeve shirts (temps were in the 40s before the sun rose) and were hoping to put them in a gear-drop bag to pick up after the race . . . but we couldn't find the drop. AP threw his shirt away, and I tied mine around my waist at the last minute, as I couldn't decide until about 30 seconds before we started running if I wanted to wear it or not.

We started out in corral 3 next to the 3:40 pace guys, and moved up as the corrals started the race . . . and were stuck between the chip mats for 2 minutes while we waited for the start command for our corral. As a result, my chip time is about 2 minutes over the watch time. I'm sure glad I wasn't attempting a Boston qualifier, as that would make me very quite ticked off....As the sun started to rise (sort of--it was a very gray day), we were off! As an early birthday present, AP decked me out in some Big Peach Running Co gear, including a singlet, socks, and arm warmers. I've never run with arm warmers before, and I now think they are the greatest thing ever. They did the job, and I didn't get overheated as my shoulders were uncovered . . . and my hands didn't get cold either. Loved them!

As stated in my last post, my goals for the race were to run a consistent pace and to enjoy the race. The idea was to stay with the 3:40 pace guys, since 3:40 is ultimately my Boston Qualifying time, and stay consistent in pace as long as I could. AP didn't allow me to have a watch, as he just wanted me to run by feel. The course snaked though the Old 4th Ward, Little Five Points, Virginia Highlands and Midtown before heading back downtown. AP handled all the water stops, which was nice. He also was zigzagging along the road, as he knew tons of the spectators and was saying "hi" and "how are you" all over the place. Around Mile 9 as we were heading into Piedmont Park, we passed a house where the owners had set up a card table with pitchers of beer on them . . . and he pounded back a glass and kept running. So proud :-)

Running a consistent pace on the course was tough, as it was extremely hilly. I honestly had no idea how fast I was running, as AP would only say, "you're right on pace" and things of that nature. It was only until we had about 2 miles to go and I heard someone running near us say the time that I had any idea how I was doing. It was at that point that AP was saying, "YOU NEED TO RUN. DON'T STOP." So, I did, and pushed all the way to the end.

I crossed the finish line, and looked at the clock . . . and knowing how long we had waited at the start, looked at AP and said something to the effect of, "Holy S***. What did I run???"

The clock said 1:52.

Previous Half-Marathon PR @ 2007 Earth Day Half-Marathon, St. Cloud, MN: 1:55.
Result at 2008 ING Georgia Half-Marathon by AP's watch (the most accurate reflection): 1:48.46.

I RAN A 6:30 MINUTE PR, AND AVERAGED 8:15 MINUTES PER MILE FOR 13.1 MILES. I ROCKED!!!!

I spent the rest of the day in euphoria, and even today, am a little bit in disbelief that I did so well. It really was a breakthrough performance, and I give most of the credit to the trail and hill/mountain runs that AP and I have been doing, as well as AP's pacing skills and his refusal to let me carry a watch during the race. I really haven't been doing any speed work, and after taking it easy this week, I'll be getting back into the swing of things with some track workouts and more hills. I have my eyes set on a 10K PR now!!!

WHEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

current mood:

excited

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

8:30 pm - What? None of you like ice cream???

I am shocked, simply SHOCKED, that no one commented on my last entry about my awesome home made ice cream cake. What, is everyone suddenly lactose-intolerant? Geeze . . .

Last night and today, I was volunteering at the ING Georgia Marathon Expo, helping out AP's employer, who happens to be one of the major sponsors of said event. I spent today fitting people for Aetrex Orthotics, and also got a free pair of them myself for doing so. Apparently they are good for people with higher arches and who are prone to plantar faciitis, both of which I happen to be. I wore them all day, and while I can't say they were initially comfortable, I think I will give running with them in my shoes a shot. I'll just wait until after tomorrow 's half marathon to do so. No specific goals other than to run a steady pace and to enjoy the race!

On a side note, after handling smelly feet and shoes all day, I have a new-found respect for people who work in the running industry, and in general retail. Sometimes, customers are REALLY awful!!!!

current mood:

tired

Friday, March 21st, 2008

7:09 pm - Mint!

This past weekend, a large group of PHPS friends and I descended on Dahlonega, GA, to spend the weekend at NK's uncle's cabin in honor of her birthday. By cabin, I actually mean something more akin to a really nice house out in the middle of nowhere near a pretty stream and no neighbors in sight!

But I digress. My latest thing is making specially requested birthday cakes (as we know from the Red velvet and chocolate raspberry experiments). NK wanted an ice cream cake, with mint and chocolate being the flavors. This is what I did:

Take springform pan.

Crumble chocolate graham crackers (one packet from a box of 3 packets) into crumbs, mix with melted butter, and press into bottom of springform pan. Drizzle crust with chocolate topping (flavored with mint!), and place in freezer for 20 minutes.

Take vanilla ice cream. Break mint chocolate wafers into pieces and mix into vanilla ice cream. Mush ice cream into pan for first layer, and top layer with chocolate sprinkles. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Take mint chocolate chip ice cream. Mix ice cream until soft, then mush on top of vanilla layer. Drizzle top of cake with same chocolate mint topping and freeze overnight.

It was pretty awesome :-) I made it the night before heading up, and was rather surprised at my ability to pack a cooler and ensure that the thing didn't completely melt on the drive up. (Thanks Mom--must be your wonderful genetics!) The only thing that could have improved it would have been making the crust out of crumbled up thin mints!! Mmmm. I now have requests for me to make other flavors of ice cream cake. A strawberry one could turn out well . . . .

Sunday, AP and I went for a long trail run at Amicalola Falls State Park , which has the approach trail to the AT trail, as well as a parallel trail called the Hike-in trail that leads to a bunkhouse where people can spend the night, get a hot meal, and use the place as a base for day hikes. Pretty neat. It's the time of year for through-hikers to start, and we saw plenty of them on the way! Yes, I know it isn't entirely normal to go for a 4-hour trail run, but the weather was gorgeous--who can't help but want to be outside???

Spring is here in GA. It was 68 degrees today. I'm going to be longing for this when July comes around.

current mood:

content

Monday, March 10th, 2008

9:19 pm - yanked from drdingbat

Can I get a Napkin Please? Click here to see! This made me happy, for some reason :-) current mood: happy
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Monday, March 3rd, 2008

10:17 pm - A little slice of heaven

North Carolina just might be the perfect state.

It has beaches. It has cities. It passes my friend AH's I-40 test (AH isn't interested in a field assignment that is south of I-40, for reasons I can entirely understand). And, it has the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of AP's favorite places. After our brief trip to Blowing Rock this past weekend, I can understand why.

We stayed at ZAP Fitness, a post-collegiate training facility for runners who want to pursue competitive running careers in a supportive environment (coached, group living and training partners, travel expenses to races, health insurance, part-time work maintaining the facility . .. provided you meet the stringent time standards and keep improving). AP knows the founders from the Atlanta running community, and generally comes up 1-2 times a year to visit and run in the mountains. ZAP is pefectly situated for that, as it is located near Moses Cone Memorial Park , which has 25 miles of carriage trails that wind up and down the mountains--making for some great hill running. ZAP also has a stream running through the property, and there is a place in the stream that is dug out so runners can soak their legs in the cold water immediately after a hard run . . . not that I wanted to do that this time since the water was so cold (there was snow on the ground at elevation), but given how sore I was today, it might have been a good idea.

Went on a couple of great runs (one up to the Firetower, a moderate 3 miles up, 3 miles down. The run is the time trial for the App state XC team to determine who makes the traveling team. We also ran up to Rich Mountain, which starts with a 1-mile downhill, then 4 miles up a gradual incline to a clearing at the top of the mountain where you can see for miles!). We ate at the local coffee shop. We read some books. We ate a really nice dinner at a restaurant that later turns into a honkey-tonk bar. We wandered in the woods around ZAP. We ate at the local ice cream shop. It was a very nice, relaxing time :-)

Sunday, we meant to drive back on the scenic route by taking the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, then head back to Atlanta. Apparently, bikers who want a nice touring experience will ride along the parkway (over 400 miles!) and stop at bed and breakfasts along the way. And by nice touring experience, I mean some serious elevation climbs. Not an easy ride! Unfortunately, parts of the parkway were closed, so we couldn't take the fully scenic route. Despite this, we decided to go to Asheville anyway, and arrived in time for dinner at Salsa, a little restaurant right off the main square that served WONDERFUL Mexican Caribbean Food. Saving the Biltmore Estate for another time, we headed back to Atlanta.

And apparently, gas stations in the sticks close real early on Sundays by the GA/SC line. We stopped off at 2 different exits looking for a gas station before we found one that was open. AP made me try a Moon Pie as a snack, which was surprisingly tasty, and reminded me of black-and-white cookies.

All in all, Western NC struck me as a very agreeable place.

butterandjelly should have a very nice time there!

In other news, the Georgia Assembly has lost its collective brain cell.

current mood:

relaxed

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

9:51 pm - Odds and Ends

First things first, an early shout out to the fabulous KF, who is turning 7 tomorrow, the fabulous leap year!!

Training for the ING half marathon has been going well. AP was kind enough to draw up a training plan for me, and I've been doing most of the running on trails. I have to say, I've never done so much trail running before moving to GA, and I really like it--supposedly, besides beautiful scenery, it makes your ankle muscles stronger because of all the extra work they do making your legs stable when you run. It's really easy to find trails without leaving metro Atlanta too far behind, thanks to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Kennesaw Mountain.

Also, the endurance component (not that I was particular worried about that) is being addressed--last Sunday, we did an 8-mile trail run, followed by a 40-mile bike ride on the Silver Comet Trail. I was EXHAUSTED. AP took the sails out of me a few times, with statements such as, "did you know I averaged 25 mph during a century ride in Florida last year?" and the fact that he rides in the 3rd ring (which is usually the hardest) ALL THE TIME. Thanks, buddy :-) The ride was completed without incident, but I was never so happy to sit down, and NOTHING, I mean NOTHING has ever tasted as good as the chicken sandwich from Dairy Queen that I consumed about 15 minutes later.

Saw There Will Be Blood last night. Without Daniel Day Lewis, there would have been no movie. Thankfully, he holds one's attention quite well!

I received my copy of Musicians for Minneapolis in the mail today, and can't wait to listen to it. All proceeds benefit Minnesota Helps: Bridge Disaster Fund, which, while I worry how Minnesota will pay for the fund, I also fundamentally think that a state fund to aid victims is the right thing to do. First listen will come tomorrow when AP and I drive up to Blowing Rock, NC for a weekend biking and running in the Blue Ridge. I'm bringing the camera and taking lots of pictures!

And now, the subprime primer.

Enough randomness. To bed.

current mood:

restless

Saturday, February 23rd, 2008

4:19 pm - In a NOLA state of mind

Last weekend, due to the long President's weekend, a group of PHPS folks and I took a little jaunt to New Orleans, just a quick 7-hour car ride from Atlanta. I had previously never been to NOLA.

I LOVED it!

8 of us (2 couples and a group of 4 girls) stayed at the Royal Street Courtyard Bed and Breakfast, located in the Marigny section right next to the French Quarter. This area was "relatively" untouched by Katrina--as Phil, one of our innkeepers told us, the B&B was home to clean-up crews immediately after residents were allowed back in. The B&B was comfortable, relatively cheap, well situated to being a tourist AND a local, and I would definitely recommend it to people!

As we drove in along Interstate 10, you could still see the devastation in the vegetation. As we were navigating our way to the B&B, the effects gradually diminished as we got closer to the river and further from Lake Pontchartrain, but they are still visible.

Anyway. Touristy activities were had by all, including the following:

*public indulgence--NOLA allows you to have open containers on the streets
*Bourbon Street--it would be fair to say that I smelled this street before I ever saw it. Worth one walk-through to people watch.
*Frenchman Street--the music street near our B&B with some GREAT restaurants and music venues
*Jackson Square--commemorating Jackson's little trip in 1814
*St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the US
*Cafe du Monde --Bitter chicory coffee and beignets covered in powdered sugar are a great match!
*Streetcars! We went on an extended streetcar ride, which was rather fun :-)

I also found a dress suitable for a wedding (not my own) that was a great bargain, and generally enjoyed the art window shopping.

Despite it being February, the air was very heavy. I would hate to visit in the dead heat of summer . . . though I'm sure there will be some field assignment options here, as Louisiana does have some rather large public health needs.

Pictures can be found HERE.

current mood:

rejuvenated
current music: This American Life--Valentines Day show

Monday, February 11th, 2008

8:54 pm - More Cake! More Vegetables!

( Birthday Cakes taste best when made with friends ) ( A Garbage pot luck also works well as a dinner party ) ( More ways to cook with Kale, sans recipe ) Sometimes recipes are good, and sometimes it's just fun to experiment :-) current mood: full
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Monday, January 28th, 2008

9:16 pm - Mmmm, more lentils

This one comes from the January/February 2008 issue of the Nutrition Action Healthletter, published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. If you don't subscribe to this now, you really should--I love their monthly "Food Porn" section! They also have a recipe section and I hadn't actually tried any of the published offerings until tonight, when I made . . . .

( Spicy Red Lentils with Spinach )

Who doesn't love a recipe that calls for 8+ cloves of garlic? It turned out very well, even though I substituted red curry paste for the red chili flakes. Goes well with poppadum chips if you've got them!

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Sunday, January 27th, 2008

10:29 pm - Food and travel adventures: the story of my life

I made this soup last week, courtesy of Eating Well Magazine, and all tasters (myself, AP and J-Raj) deemed it to be a mighty success!

( Collard Green and Black-Eyed Pea Soup )

Thursday, a PHPS group and I headed to Athens, GA, to hear Brandi Carlile and the Indigo Girls in concert. Fun to hear the Indigo Girls on what is practically their home turf! JL's boyfriend drove down from North Carolina and brought us some bar-b-q to eat before the concert, which was a delicious delight.

This past weekend, I went to Huntsville, AL, to watch AP run a trail 50K at Monte Sano State Park. The trail run itself (appropriately called "Mountain Mist") was run in extremely misty conditions--the heavy fog didn't burn off until right before sundown on Saturday. While I was waiting for AP to slog to the finish line, I got to chatting with an older gentleman (80 yrs old or so) who had come from CA to watch a friend run the race. Turns out, this gentleman was originally from Austria, but moved to Shanghai, China, as a very young boy to escape the Nazis as his family was Jewish. He grew up in China, returned to Austria, then moved to the United States in the 1950s. He was a great finish-line companion!

The neat thing about our lodgings: we stayed in cabins built on the state park land back in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps. About 10 years ago, the park put in money to refurbish/modernize them, and they are quite comfortable, as well as being close to the hiking trails on the mountain. All in all, a good weekend and I now have AL on my "visited states" list. Whee!

On the way back from AL, I was talking PR running strategy with AP, and am going to gear up my running to geat ready for the ING half-marathon at the end of March. I also had the annual meeting of the women's cycling group I joined tonight, and am looking forward to getting back on my bike very soon.

current mood:

tired

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

5:20 pm - My new piece of hardware

Today, the Atlanta area was supposed to be hit with 1-3 inches of snow. Perfect time to flee up north and run a race up the side of a mountain!

Today's race was the 17K Hogpen Hill Climb, in Helen, GA. Basically, this race course is 3 miles of moderate hills, followed by 8 miles straight up Hogpen Gap, which is one hell of a climb. Most normal folks walk some part of the course. I came into this thinking it would be an experience that I would do once, and maybe it would make a good story.

We show up, and it is SNOWING in Helen. Snowing so much, that they've closed the road up the gap that we were meant to run up. Suddenly, the race became an out-and-back course, which included only about 2.5 of tough uphill before we had to turn around and run back down.

My preparation for this race wasn't anything special, and I certainly didn't eat well the night before (although the margaritas and mexican food with KF were sorely needed!) I tried to offset this with a good breakfast (a couple of eggs and oatmeal). I am strictly treating this as a long run only.

Noon hits, and off we go at the start. About 1 mile into this, with the 30 degree weather and snow, it becames very clear (or rather, very unclear) that my glasses are fogging up. On the insides. I summarily dispatch them into the back pocket of my running shirt and continue on my way.

Goal was to not walk. I accomplish this. I think not being able to see more than 5 feet in front of my face clearly was a great assist in this. I start passing people who are walking on the hill. I hit the turn around point, and instantly wish I had worn my trail shoes. Normally I like to fly down hills, but the slick conditions + road shoes = no traction. Downhill was not necessarily easier than uphill.

And as I run, I see the snow collecting on the trees, and really, was just enjoying the day :-)

I finish in 1:40. I change into warm clothes and eat some warm broth. And I hear my name called, as I placed 3rd in my age group! For my efforts, I have a hogpen hill climb mug, which I am about to drink some tea out of. I would like to note, I have never placed in my age group EVER in a race. Clearly, I was just not choosing the right races!

Tonight: AP, JL (PHPS) and I see Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at the Variety Playhouse. A very good way to end a great Saturday!!!

current mood:

happy

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

9:32 pm - Um, this is the south, right?

I was very excited last night. IT BLOODY SNOWED IN ATLANTA!!!!.

Granted, it was just barely enough to make a snowball from what piled up on the car. And it didn't drop below freezing--which would have rendered the metro highways a bloody mess, as they just don't have the salt trucks and snow plows to deal with that here. But still. It was snow. Even if, as AJC noted . . . .

"Kent McMullen, a Weather Service meteorologist who used to work in North Dakota, said Georgians tend to see a blizzard when there isn't even a risk of a snow drift. "One little snowflake and they go crazy," he said. "They need to move up to Bismarck."

current mood:

bouncy

Monday, January 14th, 2008

9:05 pm - Nice shoes, want some cake?

Friday night, I had the pleasure of taking in a Shabbat dinner with KF and her assorted Jewish/non-Jewish friends. At this occasion, I was introduced to the world of Dump Cake.

Step 1--get yourself a 9x13 pan/dish.
Step 2--dump a can of pie filling in the dish. In this case, it was blueberry, but really, I think any kind of pie filling would work.
Step 3--dump a can of sliced peaches on top of the pie filling.
Step 4--dump a box of white cake mix on tope of the fruit evenly.
Step 5--place pats of butter even across the top of the mix.
Step 6--bake at 350 F until bubbling (I'm guessing around 45-50 minutes).

Doesn't sound like much, but it was TASTY. And the thing I like about this recipe? Endless variation. You can use different types of pie filling, different kinds of fruit, heck, even different flavors of cake mix. Add some nuts or dried fruit. Whatever is in the cupboard. Mmmm, mmm, possibilities are endless!

current mood:

hungry

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Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

10:14 pm - Arkaquah

On Sunday, AP and I drove 1.5 hours north of Atlanta to Brasstown Bald in order to do a trail run along what some consider to be the toughest trail in Georgia. The Arkequah trail is a 5.5 mile long stretch along a ridge that descends along a VERY steep switchback over the last mile. Going out was mostly downhill, which of course made it MUCH easier than our return trek, which was more like a fast hike than a jog. Conditions were muddier than expected, which made the running a bit more technical than I was expecting. Out and back, it took us about 4 hours to cover 11 miles. My muscles feel like they've run a marathon. On the plus side, I got to try out my new trail shoes , which I love!

On the minus side, I was exposed to the tourist trap town that is Helen, GA, or, as AP called it, "the place where rednecks go to vacation." It's a little tourist town in bavarian trappings, and is scary beyond all belief. Good for a meal post-run, but was glad to escape!

Also on the minus side, we were about 5 miles from Vogel State Park, the place where Meredith Emerson disappeared on New Years Day when going for a hike on Blood Mountain (part of the GA AT trail) with her dog. As someone who loves the outdoors, THIS makes me incredibly sad, and felt a little too close to home for me. I was also out hiking on New Years Day, though in a different part of North Georgia. It was a gorgeous, crisp, clear day--who wouldn't think to take their dog outdoors for a jaunt in the woods?

current mood:

sad

9:03 pm - Southern soul food done by a transplanted midwesterner

Whenever I think of red velvet cake I think of the movie Steel Magnolias and the infamous armadillo-shaped grooms cake. That, and lots and lots of red food coloring. For my friend HH (PHPS)'s birthday, I told her I would make her such a cake, sans armadillo shape, from scratch. Since her birthday is in January, last Saturday was the appointed day to begin cake baking experimentation.

Despite my love of cooking, I don't have much experience in actually baking a cake from scratch, sans box, especially not a cake with enough Red #40 in it to permanently color a small river. So, I went off in search of a recipe. And found one, in the form of my new favorite cooking blog, Smitten Kitchen. (On a side note, if I ever get myself a KitchenAid mixer, the first think I make with it is going to be the Smitten Kitchen chocolate babka recipe. But I digress.)

I must warn you, gentle reader: THIS RECIPE IS IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM AT ALL HEALTHY FOR YOU. It is quite tasty, but also might very well send you into sugar shock. Click HERE for the recipe.

And click HERE for the red velvet cake photo essay! After getting over how much sugar and oil went into this thing, HH and I eagerly went at it. Documented in pictures for you all to see are the general steps we took to create this thing. (Note to self, get parchment paper so cake layers don't stick to pans!) For the food coloring, as I decided that I didn't want to have 6 boxes of food coloring with only green, yellow and blue bottles hanging around, I went with one tube of red decorating gel dissolved in 5 tbsp of water, plus one little bottle of red food coloring. It was enough to make the cake bleed.

Our major error was purely an aesthetic one, and could be attributed to eagerness--we were too eager to frost the layers, so didn't quite wait for them to be totally cool and thus had a little crumb action mixed in with the frosting--also attributable to our decision to frost the entire thing at once, and not to let the cake sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill the first layer before adding a the second. Alas. This cake, as you can tell from the final product photo, was a 3-layer monstrosity of goodness that fed at least 10 people multiple slices. I have to say, I won't make it often, but it was definitely a show-stopper!

Another tradition in the south is black-eyed peas and greens on New Years Day. I didn't quite make that, but I did make a recipe, courtesy of Cooking Light that was quite delicious and savory. I didn't quite follow--used regular brown rice instead of the rice-in-a-bag, and omitted the cajun seasoning--but it turned out great. Made it with corn bread = YUM.

( Black-Eyed Peas and Rice with Andouille Sausage )

And in sad, food-related news, I learned that the PB Loco store, the only redeeming quality about the Mall of America, has now closed. My heart weeps for those in the Twin Cities who now must resort to local high-end retailers or online shopping to get their pb fix. But hey, I found pb loco in a SuperTarget in Atlanta, so there is hope for PB Loco yet! (And, one could argue, hope for Atlanta. But let's not go there right now!)

current mood:

accomplished