Tales From the Starting Line

Last weekend I headed down to Eugene to do the Eugene Half-marathon. This was a little bit of a redemption for me. Two years ago I did the full marathon there and did not have fun at all. By the 5th mile in that race I knew that it was going to be a long, long, long day. As we rounded the corner to head to the finish line, both my training partner and I were, literally, seeing stars.  After we crossed the finish line, my sweet hubby remarked, in all innocence, "You didn't look too amused out there." No Honey, it had not been a good day...

Thankfully, last weekend erased all that with a fantastic race that proved why I do long distance. As I was running the streets, I gathered some thoughts to share with you.

1. I still to this day, even though I have done many races, do not enjoy waiting at the start line when it is early and chilly. Brrr! I think my knees were even shivering that morning!

2. I love the minute the race starts and you run past all the cheering spectators, run over the timing mat, and head off on your adventure.

3. The best sign that a spectator was holding that day, "I am so proud of you complete stranger!"

4. Strangest thing I saw? A man wearing a red, curly wig and a crop top (yes, crop top), playing a loud cowbell. I think I counted seeing him 3 times. Lucky me...

5. Word to the runner in front of me, if you are going to do the "farmer's blow" to clear your nose, watch out for your fellow runners (a.k.a me) coming up on your side to pass you. Never knew I could jump out of the way so quickly after mile 9! (Wondering what the "farmer's blow" is? Plug one nostril, lean over, and blow hard out the other. Classy, huh? But gets the job done, I guess.)

6. I love, love, love the last 3 miles of a race when all the stars align and the pace is great.

7. Most fantastic moment? Running onto Hayward Field, down a chute of spectators screaming madly for you, and seeing the finish line just around the bend.

8. I still enjoy crossing the line and having a medal placed around my neck. Yeah, I like collecting those medals...

9. Best reward? A trip to Sweet Life Patisserie for a coffee and cinnamon roll. Would do that race every weekend to get that reward.

Now that the medal is hung with the rest of them, I am starting to think of training for a full marathon. The great debate about that one is should it be an August race or October race. Utah or Michigan? Hmmm....

Thrifty Days

Yesterday, I did a little retail therapy. We are just turning the corner on a long stretch of rainy days that have seemed to go on forever. I contemplated driving an hour and a half to find sunshine yesterday morning. I was that desperate. But, instead, ended up driving to the thrift store to find some goodies to bring home. Seemed a little more logical even though I was longing for that sunshine!

I love thrift stores. There is something about the hunt for those goodies that draws me in. I love stepping into the store without any knowledge of what I am going to walk out with. A cake plate, a funky pair of shoes, and other odds and ends.

Throughout the years, I have contributed to my collection of handmade pottery that just calls out to me from the shelves. Rescued many needlepoints and cross-stitch pieces that someone took hours upon hours to create and, yet, I find it stuffed amongst the frames at the store. Even my favorite coffee mugs and small plates have all come from the thrift store.

Yesterday was a great day in the world of treasure hunting. It seemed the stars aligned to reveal all the goodies I would be walking out with. Along with finding my daughter's Easter dress (score on the price!):

And my son's handsome sweater vest, tie, and shirt (can't wait to see him in it!):

I found these amazing treasures that made me giddy with delight:

These babies were only $5.00 each and normally go for $20-$30 so imagine my happiness when I realized what good condition they were in. Into the cart those babies went! Of course, you know what this meant. Cake time!

I had just the recipe in mind; a Dulce de Leche coffee cake from the book Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. When I got home, I rounded up all my ingredients and started baking away. Here is the end result:

Add a little drizzle to that cake and I can see it hanging out in the front window of the future bakery. Sigh... The best part of the cake? The inside:

I call this shot the "come-hither and have a bite" shot. I love how you can see the butter glistening off of the crumbs. Oh butter, how we love you in our house!

Now, if I have you wanting a slice of this cake, you are in luck. I decided to post the recipe because it is a must for us coffee-lovers. Enjoy and have fun savoring this sweet bite!

Dulce de Leche Coffee Cake (adapted from the book cake keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (I used pecans. All good!)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups dulce de leche (available in most grocery stores)
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 T. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour.

For the Streusel

1. Combine nuts, chocolate chips, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix in the dulce de leche and stir until combined. Set aside.

For the Cake

1. Combine the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a bowl and beat lightly. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Place butter in mixing bowl and beat slightly to soften. Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time, taking care to thoroughly cream after each addition. (I set a timer for 1 minute each time I add a 1/2 cup of sugar. Takes time but worth it to get it nice and fluffy!)

3. With your mixer on medium-speed, pour 1/3 of the egg mixture into the bowl. Mix until just combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Continue alternating between the egg mixture and flour until all is incorporated. Beat for 1 minute on medium-high.

4. Add 1/3 of the batter to the prepared pan. Dot a 1/3 of the dulce de leche mixture over the batter. Repeat two more times.

5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes then flip out onto a wire rack. When ready, transfer to your serving plate, slice, pour your coffee, and devour!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Check back later this week because I have a cupcake creation just waiting to be made. It involves these guys:

Hmmmm...wonder what it could be?!?

Hellooooo Babycakes!

Babycakes, you are so beautiful!

This weekend I fell in love with a new cake recipe. A cake that smelled delicious while I was mixing the ingredients together, while it was baking in the oven, and while I was eating a piece. This cake recipe came from the book, "All Cakes Considered" by Melissa Gray. I have been working my way through this book each weekend. I bake for a group at my church and have affectionately named this job my butter fund. Each weekend I chose a recipe from the book and, since the author had included many baking tips along with the recipes, perfect my baking techniques while baking a new treasure to share.

The author created this book as a result of baking every Monday for her co-workers. Throughout the year, she researched recipes, baked cakes, and even re-baked recipes to perfect them. So, readers get the benefit of well-developed recipes that result in many oohs and aahs when done.

This weekend I chose a cake called Coffee Spice Cake. This cake is a mix between gingerbread and a mocha cake. The cake itself has cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in it while the frosting is pure chocolate fudge delight. Bonus? Both have strong coffee added to them to add an extra delicious element. So good!

As I was mixing the ingredients together on Saturday, the smells took me back to Christmas morning with the gingerbread ingredients. Then to my morning cup of coffee with the addition of the coffee. Then to Christmas again. Then to morning coffee. And so on, and so on. What a great experience!

When I was mixing and baking it all together, I realized that this is a recipe I had to share because it was truly delicious and one to have in the recipe book. So here we go. Take some time, make this cake, and enjoy it with your cup of coffee. It will be a wonderful moment!

Coffee Spice Cake (from the book All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray)

3/4 cup cold strong coffee
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (Omit this if you are doing the chocolate frosting)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Brew your coffee nice and strong. Cool.

2. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan. (Grease the pan then dust with flour, tapping out the extra)

3. Cream the shortening with the mixer on medium speed, and add the brown sugar gradually. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high speed and beat until fluffy, roughly 3 minutes.

Added note: My mixer, named Ramone by my hubby, gets a true workout when making these cakes because you spend a lot of time creaming the shortening and sugar together. Take your sweet time here so that it truly is fluffy.

If you haven't met Ramone yet, here he is!

4. Shift the mixer to low speed. Add the molasses, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. In a separate bowl, dry whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together.

6. Add a third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beat, then add 1/4 cup of the coffee and beat on medium until well blended. Repeat 2 more times. (Here's where I was having the flashbacks to Christmas morning vs. my morning cup of coffee!)

7. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the cake tests done. (Your house will smell divine at this time!)

8. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, unmold onto a cake rack, and cool completely.

Waiting for the chocolate drizzle.

Chocolate Drizzle (Yes, a must!)

2- 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons cold strong coffee

1. In the top of a double boiler (or improvised one), melt the unsweetened chocolate over water at a medium boil until smooth.

2. Add the sweetened condensed milk. Stir until fully incorporated, and continue stirring for about 5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Then add the coffee.

3. Remove from the heat and stir occasionally until it's time to drizzle over the cooled cake. 

4. Use a teaspoon or a soup spoon and (here is my favorite quote of the book!) let your inner Jackson Pollock take over to the extent that your inner Martha Stewart doesn't freak out about the kitchen mess. (Love this author!)

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did and let me know what you think. Did it become your favorite too?

The Core of It All

I went back to pilates this week after a much longer break than anticipated. Halfway through the hour long class, I remembered what it meant to have a stitch through ones entire body. I think even my forehead had a stitch in it! I kept telling myself that it is good for my core (aka: my stomach), good for my core, good for my core...over and over again.

I managed to survive the class with a little bit of grace and a little bit of style, not much to be honest. Style and grace do not come easy when your feet are perched on an exercise ball, your on your back, and creating a bridge with your body. I know, even reading it now, I am confused as to what Sally the instructor had intended for us to do! An even bigger issue during the class was, when the going got tough, I got a case of the giggles. I've been known to laugh during a long run at the insanity of what I was doing, so this was not something new. A little embarrassing, but not new.

But, like I said, it is good for my core. Once you go past a certain mileage in running, your little imbalances in your body become magnified. You realize that your right side might be stronger so your left side kind of flails out beside you as you merrily run down the street. Not a big deal if one is running 3 miles but take that imbalance out for a 20 miler and you have yourself some issues. The next day you might not be walking too straight or with ease.

My focus this year has been to bring strength to my core, strength to the center that holds me together. It hasn't been easy. I think the cupcakes have something do with the subtracting of all the good I do for my core in a pilates class, but I could be wrong. (Probably not!) I mean, how could you resist this:

This one has a cookie dough filling in it...yum!

Going back to pilates this week had me thinking about the core of life, not just in the running world. Things in my life that center me and ground me. Things such as; my family (hands-down number one!), a good laugh with a friend who understands, a dose of sunshine (finally!), knowing you have a great church community to be a part of, a good cup of coffee in the morning, and, of course, for me finding the perfect vanilla cake recipe to create with. The possibilities are endless with that recipe...

So, I think I will keep up with that pilates class even though it humbles me more than my long runs do. Keep up with taking care of the things in my life that create my center and that ground me. It's all good now that sunshine is here in the Northwest! Finally!

Grumbly Gus

I have to come clean. I have been a bit of a Grumbly Gus lately. I am usually a girl that can roll with the punches. Take life as it comes. Just go with the flow. But, here it goes, the rain is getting to me. Never before I have a grumbled so much about the rain. I mean, I chose to live in the Northwest! I could have stayed in the Midwest with it's snow, cold temperatures, and humidity. But I chose to move here and now, I am just begging for a little sun. Just a little itty bitty bit, please!

Someone told me this morning we have been setting records in the number of days we have had rain (last time I checked it was 30 out of 32 days. Yikes!) Setting a record in the fact that we haven't reached 60 degrees at all in March (sigh). Is this why, whenever there is a tiny bit of sun peeking through those clouds, my whole family runs to the patch of sun and stands there soaking it up?!? I think I'd rather set records in the number of sunny days in the month of March instead!

To try and cure my Grumbly Gus attitude, I've made myself run outside just to be outside in the fresh air instead of the gym. This theory proved to be interesting last Sunday as I ran through sunshine (yay!), rain (boo!), and hail (ouch!) all in a 50 minute time-span. But, I have perservered and taken to drying my shoes over the heat register every night.

I have also been baking away madly in the kitchen, continuing to test my recipes for the day Cupcake Tuesdays becomes a true bakery (still daydreaming of that day!).  Testing out recipes such as:

Chocolate Cupcake with Malted Buttercream Frosting

Testing out a pumpkin cake recipe that developed into a yummy, fall-inspired cupcake:

Don't you just love those pearl decorations?!? So fancy!

And my new love: Whoopie Pies, a fun concoction that brings a lot to the table. I just found a whole cookbook devoted to Whoopie Pies that looks like it will give me a whole year of baking fun!

So simple but oh so good!

So I will try my best to not be such a Grumbly Gus as the weather looks like it will continue to be rainy. But, just so you know, I just might give up, pack the kids up, and hit the road. Paint the words, "Sunshine or Bust!" on my mom-van and go on a mission to find a sunny patch. I can feel the sunshine on my shoulders now!

Did You See That?!?

I keep a training log of all my marathon training. Each training season, I write down everything related to my runs. How tired I was, what I ate, what hurt, even what was special about a particular day. These training logs help me when something is hurting or when I need to know what worked and what didn't. It is also fun to look at how many miles I have logged over one season.

Yesterday, I wrote this in my training log:

5 1/2 miles with 3 miles tempo.
Run: Good, happy to be out
Body: Stiff here and there (not unusual these days!)
Knee: Good
Left Foot: Achy tonight
Weather: Rainy and sunny at the same time (Go Northwest weather!)
Double Rainbow: AWESOME!

I had waited all day for my run, watching the weather to see how wet it was going to be. No rain all day, maybe just a drizzle here and there. As soon as I put my gear on, it started dumping buckets. Not a mild soaker, but a full out drenching downpour.

Obviously, I grumbled and complained as I headed down the stairs but once I got out there the sun came out, while it was still pouring. Such a Northwest thing! When I hit the busy, main road, I looked over and saw the most amazing rainbow I had ever seen. A double rainbow so vivid that it was striking against the dark sky. To boot, the bottom rainbow had little rainbows underneath. Wow!

There I am standing, in the pouring rain, in the full sunshine, amazed at the beauty. I looked at all the travelers going by and thought, "Do you see that?!? That fantastic beauty behind you? Look everyone! You are missing it!" I am sure they were thinking, "Why is that crazy runner standing in the pouring rain looking at me? Crazy runner girl! Go back inside!"

I continued on my run and was blessed by the rainbow, the rain tapering off, and the warm sunshine on my shoulders. In my last post, I talked about these moments of beauty as temporary bandages for the sadness in the world right now. I kept looking for them this week and caught some of them on camera. Sadly, I did not have my camera on me yesterday so I couldn't capture the rainbow. Bummer!

Here are the ones I did capture. Enjoy!

More Daffodil Beauty

Raindrops Perched on a Lily Leaf

Chocolate Macaroons. So yummy!

My Favorite: A Raindrop on a Hydrangea Branch

Enjoy your moments of beauty. I hope you find some real treasures these next few days.

A Temporary Bandage

A Moment of Beauty

I am not quite sure what to make of the world right now. Watching the events unravel through the news has been unnerving. Listening to people's reactions and reasons for the events has been puzzling and disheartening, to say the least. Our God is a kind and compassionate God, I have to believe. 


My 'desire to fix it all' personality has been challenged these past few days. From afar, I feel a bit helpless. I can't physically fix, right now, what is going on but I can pray for those involved, think of what they will face in the future, and be thankful for friends who are home instead of overseas, like they usually are at this time. 


This morning, as I was listening to my husband read the daily news updates, I looked outside and saw that my daffodils had finally bloomed. Through rain storms and dreary days, they managed to put forth their beautiful blooms. They were reminding me to take notice of the beauty around me as I pondered the sadness that is here in our world.


So, each day this week, as events continue to unravel, I will look for moments of beauty around me. Maybe it will be in the words my children say or the way a run lifts my spirits. These moments of beauty might be seen as a temporary bandage but, until I find away to help from here, they will remind me to have faith in my world.