Snapshots of the Season

"It's that time of year,

When the world falls in love."

Christmas Waltz

Christmas has arrived at our house. Last weekend, for the first time, we chopped down our own tree at a local tree farm. Something about loading the kids into the car, finding the tree farm, walking around a forest with a hand saw, and finding the perfect tree in the middle of a sea of trees makes you love your tree even more.

After getting the tree, we decorated it with our collection of ornaments. My hubby silently counted how many times I exclaimed, "This is my favorite!" when unwrapping the ornaments. I think the total came to seven. I obviously have many favorites on my tree!

Exclaiming that "This is my favorite!" reveals how much our Christmas tree is a snapshot in time. Ornaments from the kids' first Christmas to ornaments from special vacations tell the story of our family. That is what I love about this time of the year, it turns my focus back to my family and what has been important to us. I, literally, fall in love with my life all over again.

This year has been extra special for some reason. I haven't packed my schedule full of activities. The presents I am making are coming along smoothly. I am taking time to enjoy an extra cup of coffee in the afternoon. And I am relishing in the excitement in the kids' faces when they play around the tree. It has been a wonderful example of what this time of year is supposed to be about.

The other day I walked around with my camera and captured snapshots of parts of my life that are building this joy. I could have taken many more but here we go:

My oldest daughter's ornament she chose last year. It represents her to a T! Pink, sparkly, and full of dreams. The extra gold bling at the top can be found in any outfit she chooses any day of the week, from bracelets to rings to funky shoes. A true representation of her!

I am making quite of few of my Christmas presents this year and fabric is in many of them. I love getting a new collection of fabric (to add to my enormous stash in my craft room!) and creating a new project. Working with fabric has been such a joy lately and, my hope, is that the joy comes through in the gifts when the receivers open them.

Every year we put the garland, ribbon, and bells up outside the door. The garland, I believe, we got when we were first married at the local discount store, probably for some ridiculously low price. Every year it graces our entryway and makes me smile. When the wind picks up and you can hear the bells chime, especially on Christmas Eve, it is the best because we tell the kids that it is Santa. Oh their eyes! They get so huge and amazed that Santa is so close. It adds so much to the magic of the season.

Ah....a cup of tea. It has been so cold lately that a hot cup of tea has been what I have craved. I am so happy to sit with my hands around the cup, with the heat seeping through, chatting with the kids. Such a perfect moment!

This is the first time in my life that I can claim a bowl of oatmeal brings me joy. This is an awesome bowl of oatmeal! After changing my diet to mostly gluten-free, this has satisfied many of my cravings. It is so GOOD. I pile it high with cashews, pumpkin seeds, and chocolate chips. I think chocolate chips can make anything ten times better, anyway. But this brings me much happiness in the afternoon, especially with my extra cup of coffee or tea.

There is so many more snapshots that I could take and share with you. My new Santa that I added to our collection this year, the lights on the trees, the kid's eyes when they are huge with wonder, and so on and so on...but, ultimately, I am hoping that you are finding the snapshots of joy and love in your life this time of year. That those snapshots are staying with you even if your schedule is crazy and life feels hectic. Happy Holidays, everyone.

Time for a Change

I woke up the Friday after Thanksgiving and thought, "What happened????" My head hurt, my stomach hurt, and even my brain was foggy. What happened, you ask? I flipped my 80% to 20% rule of eating. At our house, we eat healthy 80% of the time and 20% of the time we eat what we want. Not so much on Thanksgiving. It was actually 20% healthy to 80% whatever I wanted. Too much coffee, too much dessert, and too much of everything else. It was time for a change, Amy, time for a change.

Wheat-sensitivity and dairy-sensitivity runs in my family and I did not follow the rules on Thanksgiving so my body was paying the price. Knowing that those sensitivities lurk around the corner plus being in-tuned to my body from intense training means I know when I have had too much dairy, too much wheat, and even, sorry to say, too much sugar. (Oh, sugar, how I love you! *sigh* I could write you many love poems!)

Thankfully, while I was making my grocery list the Sunday after the food-a-thon holiday, I found this food blog, Gluten-free Goddess. The author of this blog has a beautiful page, which attracted me at the start, plus wonderful recipes and stories about her quest to be gluten-free. As I happened upon this blog, I decided to follow a different way of eating. I decided to go gluten-free 80% of the day and 20% of the day enjoy wheat products. Top it off with one dose of sugar per day and it just might work (hopefully).

So how did the week go? Wonderfully. I feel amazing right now. More energy (yeah!), less headaches, more relaxed, and, overall, satisfied. That was my concern. Would a relatively gluten-free diet satisfy me, a foodie at heart. It did. We had some delicious meals that made me do many happy dances during our nightly dinners.

Here is quick view into our meals this week:

Chocolate Cake with Orange-Chocolate Frosting

This fantastic Chocolate Cake with Orange-Chocolate Frosting is a vegan cake from Bon Appetit magazine that is really satisfying if one is looking for a low-fat treat for the night. This cake is made with oil but does not have eggs in it. It is not gluten-free but there is the 20% balance I chose. The cake originally called for a thick frosting that is yummy but I opted to just put bittersweet chocolate chips on the batter before I baked it. Turned out delicious! Plus, with coffee, even better!

Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf

Next, we dined on a quinoa (a grain similar to couscous) salad that was out of this world. I wish this blog had scratch and sniff because that steak smelled crazy good that night. The picture does not do the Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf salad justice. Maybe because the steak was so good it had to be front and center but still, the salad needs to be mentioned. I found the recipe on the Gluten-free Goddess blog and am happy I did. I have had quinoa in the past and was not impressed. This time I was wowed! Very flavorful, very satisfying. Even better the next day. What more can one want from a meal?

African Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup

Our next venture into being gluten-free was an African Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup from the same blog. Spicy, happy goodness is all I can say! We topped rice with it and it turned into a dish similar to curry. It warmed the heart and made me want more. As we speak, I am enjoying left-overs for lunch and I am not a left-over person so it tells you how good it is!

When I look at ways to eat by browsing a bookstore's food section, or talking to others who are on a particular diet, I think to myself, "Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?" Typically, my answer is no and I keep searching for ways to stay healthy. After trying this 80% gluten-free to 20% gluten way to eat, I can see myself eating this way for the rest of my life. I can see the benefits that it offers me but also that it does not take away from the joys of eating that I relish.  So, I am looking forward to some new food adventures and will keep you posted. Now, I am off to see if I can make a gluten-free pumpkin bread. I will let you know how it goes! Happy eating!

It's The Little Things

Thanksgiving came and went with much delight. I have to say that it was one of my favorite Thanksgivings so far. The grandparents came it from the sunny southwest to celebrate with us. Auntie came in from the east to relish in the non-stop football games. It was good, very good.

Thanksgiving can be somewhat of a crazy holiday with all the baking and shopping that centers around that Thursday. This is year it had potential to be even crazier with the stores open on Thanksgiving day so that one would not miss out on any deals. One could choose to bake from the Saturday before until that Thursday. This year we chose to neither shop with the masses or bake until we were too tired to enjoy our feast.

For the first time ever, we ordered our Thanksgiving meal from Salty's on the Columbia. We happened upon this offering while enjoying my hubby's birthday dinner there. Looking at the menu and what they had to offer we thought, "Why not? Let's just try it for this year."

Thanksgiving week and morning proved to be very quiet in our kitchen. No large bird was hovering around in the fridge. No recipes were being pinned to the outside of the fridge for quick reference. It was quiet, almost too quiet for my liking.

That morning we decided to make turkey cookies from the Betty Crocker website, with the addition of peanut butter cups to make them extra rich, to have something fun for dessert. As we were sitting around the table, decorating funny turkeys, I realized how I was telling my kids that making the cookies with grandma and auntie was what Thanksgiving was meant to be. It was the little things that were meant to be focused on, not the shopping, the large dinner, or the endless hours in the kitchen. It was time spent together.

Other little things such as turkey hand prints for place cards done by the kids and the grown-ups, playing endless rounds of board games, and standing around in the kitchen before the feast, hands linked in a circle, and saying how thankful and grateful we were for this time together. Those moments do the heart good and say to my children, "This is what is important."

Next year, will I order my Thanksgiving dinner to-go? I am not sure because I did miss the homemade dishes that typically grace our table. Will I spend hours in the kitchen? No because I will be busy making the little things a priority on Thanksgiving day.

Random Thoughts and Candy Bars

Last week we were walloped with a nasty virus which is why I haven't posted in over a week. It was a brutal virus that took everyone of us out. Starting out on a Saturday night, it took aim at each one of us so by the time Wednesday rolled around, we were all horizontal in the living room, unable to move.

With nothing to do but wait for the next person to give up their cookies, we watched a lot television (sigh). We had to balance between kid cartoons to satisfy the kids and cooking shows to satisfy the adults. Watching cooking shows was a bit of a torture for us since we are so food oriented in our house that watching someone dish up an amazing dish made us crave the process of eating. Our stomachs, though, did not crave the process of eating but railed against it very adamently!

After about five days of this virus and once the ability to keep some food down arrived, I broke down and just had to eat something. Just to enjoy the act of eating again. I chose to eat salty popcorn and a candy bar. I know, I wasn't necessarily kind to the stomach right off but man, it sounded GOOD!

So, as I was sitting there with my book and bowl of popcorn plus the candy bar balanced on my lap, I had one of those random thought moments. Now, the book that I was reading is one of my favorite authors whose series I follow closely and collect. The character in there I like to think of as my alter-ego. One tough, kick-ass (sorry) cop who works in New York City and can take someone out with just a glare. This character wears a long, black leather coat as she solves mystery and crime. Tough (maybe a little), kick-ass (sorry again) doesn't necessarily described me but I certainly enjoy reading these books. I mean, if I was to take someone out with my glare, I would immediately feel bad, apologize profusely, and offer to take them to the closest emergency room.

In the book there is a candy thief who steals this character's candy bar stash, which I was reading about as I was enjoying my candy bar that night. This led to my random thought which I had to share with my hubby at that very moment. Looking up from my book, I said to him, "If I had to do a top-five list of candy bars, Snickers would definitely be at the top of the list." My dear sweet hubby looks at me with a perplexed look on his face like I have never done something this random before. (He has known me for 18 years and knows that I am great at random thought moments!) His reply to me was, "Thank you SO much for sharing (note sarcasm). And you were thinking about this while reading???"

Along with being the queen of random thoughts, I am also the queen of multi-tasking. Having three kids makes that an essential survival skill to getting things done in life. After saying that Snickers was at the top of my list, I proceeded to list Butterfinger, Twix, Carmello, and the good-ole stand-by of Hershey. My sweet hubby just shook his head and we went back to reading/computer browsing. 

No more than 5 minutes later, he looks up and says, "Is that commercially made candy bars only?" Aha! I am not the only one with random thought moments in our house! So grew our conversation that night about candy bars, both commercially and locally made, all because of a random thought moment by me. Maybe I can use that for my next ice breaker at a meeting or dinner party. "Quick! Name your top five candy bars of all time!" Might get a few looks like the one my dear hubby threw at me that night!

Grandma's Bread

I have heard the people say that once one thing breaks in a house, the rest of the things are soon to follow. Seems like my house is living up to that phrase. We have lived in our house for 10 years now and love being here. But I forget that my house is much older than 10 years. 30 years to be exact. That's getting up there in house years.

Our house was built in 1980. So let's see, in 1980, I was 8 years old and living it up in 3rd grade. 80's rock music was blaring out in the old Dodge van my mom could manuever like it was a Volkswagen Bug. My older sisters, who have children in high school, were just breaking into junior high. That puts it all in perspective, now doesn't it? I have to keep reminding myself that my house has been around the block and then some.

What brought me around to this post is that we have been noticing that certain things around our house are beginning to give out. Our front doors are starting to let the blustery winter wind in and some daylight too. Not good.

This morning as I was cleaning the shower, I managed somehow to put a hole in the wall. Okay, now, granted I am doing my Pilates with Sally at the gym, running, and doing what is called power yoga, I am not that strong. Which means there is something much more serious going on behind the tiles. Sigh.... It looks like I am going to be waving good-bye to some of our hard-earned money as we begin to fix what is ailing our house.

Amid my stress and surprise of being able to move a wall with my muscles, I decided this afternoon to make homemade bread to de-stress. This is my grandmother's recipe that she used to make the bread that always graced her table. This is the recipe that I distinctly remember loving as toast in the morning when we visited her house.

For quite some time, I have been asking my parents for her recipe so that I could make the bread that I grew up with. But no one seemed to have a copy and Grandma had already passed away. Then, one day, my mom and dad found the recipe. What a treasure! It was written in Grandma's handwriting from many years ago and was the bread I remembered. The recipe even had her cross-outs on it and notes of what worked and what didn't.

This is a bread that requires a little muscle because you do not use a bread machine or a stand mixer, if you do it Grandma's way. It requires one to strap on an apron and get the hands nice and messy. But it is incredibly satisfying as you knead cup after cup of flour into the dough. Ten minutes of moving a mound of dough around on the counter with the knowledge that for dinner there will be fresh bread with melting pools of butter. Ten minutes of knowing that this was the way Grandma did it from the age of twenty well into her 80's. Satisfying....

Now that the bread is rising in a warm spot and my hands are free of flour, I am in a better place about the hole in my bathroom wall and the breeze seeping through the front door. Having a home that is almost as old as I am means that there will be more and more TLC needed as the years go on. Having a home that is getting older also means there will be more and more days of making bread as more and more things decide to give. So, be ready, you might be getting a loaf of bread from me as those house moments happen more frequently and I need to de-stress myself. Not a bad deal, I think!

Eternal Instants

We just celebrated my oldest daughter's birthday last weekend. In our family, birthdays are done with style. The birthdays do not last just for a day but can carry on for the entire weekend. You are the star of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The phone rings off the hook as distant family members call to wish you the best in their own creative song. It is truly a celebration of you.

Having just celebrated my oldest daughter's birthday brought back a slew of memories for me. Memories of the day she was born, the three months following as my husband took that much time off to spend with his first child, and her first birthday where happiness was mingled with the relief that we had made it through the first year alive. It also brought back the memory of when she was a baby and how she would never want to be put down. She was a snuggler from the moment she got up until she went to bed. Those days my husband and I survived the day by watching Judging Amy and baking batches of sugar cookies. The days were long and chilly since it was fall but the house was warm and smelled delicious.

Now I look at her at age 7 and am dazzled by who she is growing up to be. She really was a solemn little baby. Always had this skeptical look on her face like she was trying to tell us that she knew what was going on the minute she got here. I look at her now and see a vibrant, loving, and kind person. I also see the amazing adult she will be in her face.  I find joy in watching her find her passions in life, such as tape (give her a roll of tape and she is happy as can be), school, learning, art, and music.

All of these memories of who she was as a baby and the glimpses of who she will be as an adult mingled with who she is now remind me of what Max Lucado described as Eternal Instants. In his book, God Came Near, which I am thoroughly enjoying now, Lucado describes these instants as :

"An instant in time that had no time. A picture that froze in midframe, demanding to be savored. A minute that refused to die after sixty seconds. A moment that was lifted off the timeline and amplified into a forever so all the angels could witness its majesty."


Over the weekend, when my daughter was opening her presents and the joy was plastered all over her face over a roll of tape, that was an Eternal Instant for me. Those are the memories that are brought forth every birthday. Even every day when I stop moving around, stop trying to get my to-do list done, and really look at my daughter, I see those moments and the moments to come. I am truly blessed by this gift of my daughter and what she has brought to our life.

So, in honor of my oldest, here is the sugar cookie recipe that makes the day a little warmer and the house smell delicious. They do not last long so savor them while you can!

Rolled Sugar Cookies from The Complete Book of Baking by Pillsbury

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and egg; blend well. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling.

Now, the traditional recipe calls for rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters. Then baking for 5 to 9 minutes at 400 degrees.

But we do it differently in our house and they are really yummy this way. Roll dough into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls; then roll dough balls in turbinado sugar which is a natural cane sugar (also called Sugar in the Raw). You can find the sugar in grocery stores in the baking aisle. This sugar is a large grained sugar that does not melt easily and provides a great, crunchy coating to the cookies when finished. We have also rolled them in the colored sugar found in the baking aisle near the birthday candles.

Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes at 400 degrees until slightly brown on bottom and firm to touch. Enjoy!

Sally and the Muffin Top

So the marathon pictures have been slowly coming back through the marathon website. Each day a new one is posted and each day I am humbled beyond belief. I mean, I have a little nugget of pride that I can run 26.2 miles and still be standing at the end. In my mind, as I am running, I see myself as fit, trim athlete running down the road with a smile on my face. Kind of like the covers of my running magazines. Poised and effortless.

And then the pictures prove me wrong. Every single time! When I look at the pictures I think to myself, "Really??? That's how I look when I run?" Not the image I have in my mind, that's for sure! In these pictures, the wonderful body part called "The Muffin Top" is accented and shouting out loud, "Look at me!" Granted I have my fuel belt, which carries my survival food, cinched on nice and tight right below this lovely body part lifting it up for all to see. And for all the pictures to catch. Sigh...

Of course, I do have to state, that the photographers at the races always seem to catch you in the down step where your entire body mass is pressing down on one foot. At this time in the running gait, gravity is at it's meanest and is pulling and highlighting every wrinkle, roll, and imperfection in your body. You look like you are ten years older than you are and in extreme pain.

At the marathon a few weeks ago, the photographers were placed after the half-way point, the point of no return as I call it. As my muscles were freezing up from the rain and cold, I tried desperately to look like I was having the time of my life. Didn't work, no, not at all! After a certain point, I just gave up. Every time I saw a man in black with a large camera attached to him, I thought to myself, "Really? You want me to smile now? When I am just trying desperately to get to the finish line whole?" Just so you know, those were the prettiest pictures of me (no, not really). Looking fine, Amy, looking fine, with my head shaking, was all I could think.

So all these humbling pictures led me to Sally. You would think that running every day, every weekend, for the length and time that I do, that my core muscles (those in my back and stomach) were as strong as steel. That the Muffin Top would be non-existent. Ummmm.....no, not in the least as I found out last week. My close friend and I decided that we should do a Pilates class at the local gym. I haven't belonged to a gym since college and then it was called an athletic center, not a gym. A few weeks ago I gave in and bought a membership, something to do after the marathon so I didn't jump right in to another marathon. This Pilates class was my first attempt at being a gym girl and proved to be another humbling experience.

We arrived at the gym, settled my youngest in at the childcare center, and went to the room where the class was to be held. And there was Sally, Deceptive Sally. Sally is about 65, beautiful white hair, and tougher than nails, as she proved in the Pilates class. Right before our class, she was bouncing around in a step class, talking non-stop as she moved around the room. Like it was no problem whatsoever to be doing it. Effortless. As the step class finished, we settled in with our Yoga mats and foam rollers, waiting for the class to start. And then the pain and humiliation begin.

There I was, laying on a mat, taking my arms and legs through various motions using only my core muscles, trying with all my might to look like I knew what I was doing. Trying with all my might to look like my core was stronger than it was. But the shaking of my leg muscles gave it ALL away! During this time, Sally was moving through the Pilates motions with ease, talking the entire time, strong and fit. What I want to be when I grow up!

Then, just as I was getting somewhat used to being on the floor and my legs were shaking only a little bit, Sally had us get on the foam roller. Really??? You want me to balance on the foam roller while doing the moves? Oh boy this was going to be entertaining! And entertaining it was! There I was, balancing on a four inch foam roller that rolled (did I mention it rolled?) with both legs and one arm in the air, trying to move as effortless as Sally. Didn't work, not at all, no way, no how! I couldn't balance on the roller for more than a second with all limbs flying around in the air.

After the Pilates class, my friend and I just looked at each other and shook our heads. I had been humbled beyond belief during a 45 minute class by a 65 year old woman named Sally. Well, Sally, just so you know, I am here for the long haul. I am here to get rid of the Muffin Top so it doesn't show itself in my next round of race pictures. I may not look like the mean, lean athlete that is in my head but doesn't mean that at 65 I can't be like Sally. Now I have another challenge ahead of me, which I love challenges and embrace them. Maybe next week, as I perch myself on top of the foam roller, I won't fall off with a resounding thud. Oh, did I mention, I almost fell off of the foam roller? Almost fell off onto a wood floor in a room that echoes? Humbled beyond belief, is all I can say....

Woman vs. GU

Yesterday I asked a lot out of my body by running the marathon in Portland. It was one of those crazy ideas that came to me after my last marathon in June, run a 2^nd marathon in one year, four months past my first one. What was I thinking??? I guess I have to admit that it was a goal of mine to complete two marathons in one year so this was the year. Unfortunately, four days after I registered for the marathon, I was injured and off the training map for a month.

But, my goal was meant to be because I was able to resume training after my shinsplints healed and there I stood at the starting line with all the other runners yesterday morning. What a morning it was! Pouring rain and blustery winds! My training partner and I were sporting the garbage bag cape to keep ourselves dry for at least a little bit. As soon as we took off at the start line, though, everything was soaked from my hair to my shoes. Nothing like running in little puddles contained in my running shoes for 26.2 miles!

Running for four hours takes a lot of strategy, from what to wear to how to pace yourself through the miles. Go out too fast and you are doomed at the end. Wear a new shirt you bought at the expo and you will be chafing in places that haven’t been chafed at all during the training months. Having to be so engaged with one's mind and body for four hours is an amazing feat but also an exhausting one. Every little twinge causes one to panic which is why this was written on my hand during the race:

Having this on my hand reminded me to physically relax every time I looked at it. And it worked.

One strategy that takes months to perfect, even years, is the art of eating on the run. (Knew I would bring it around to food, didn't you?) What one eats is as crucial as finding the perfect running shoe. Without proper nutrition during the run, that's it, say goodbye to any sort of sanity you may have before the race because you will be hurting. Been there, done that. My first marathon I did not eat properly during the race and it was brutal. It was truly a test of my entire being just to get to the finish line upright. I thankfully managed not to hit the guy in front of me as I brought everything up at the end of the race. I did hit my shoes spot on though. Pretty impressive after running for so long!

Which brings me to these little packs of nutrition called GU packs. The purpose of these little treasures is to get energy to you as quickly as possible. The sad thing about these little treasures is that they have the consistency of toothpaste. On a run, every 45 minutes or so, you rip one of these packages (see picture at top of post) open, squeeze it into your mouth, and follow it with a HUGE drink of water. It is important to practice using these GU packs because you have to practice the art of shutting your mind down completely and I mean completely. 

I am a huge foodie, as you know. I love the flavor, the texture, and the smell of food but, if my mind is not completely shut down when I consume these packs, well, my stomach gets a tad upset. My stomach shouts back at me, "What the *bleep* was that????" (Insert colorful word of your choice here.) After relishing in chocolate cupcakes, steak, and other goodies my stomach gets very upset when I send a GU pack down the hatch. But, it is the most effect source of nutrition for me out on a run, sad to say.

Now that my fifth marathon is done and I am into the heal and repair stage of training I am happy to be taking it easy. Happy to be home in the afternoon without having to head out on a 10 miler. Happy to say that in the epic battle, "Woman vs. GU", I brought it to the table and won! Five times over a course of 26.2 miles I consumed that little treasure and perservered. No man in front of me at the finish line nor did my shoes have to wear the previously consumed GU. Really happy to say that I will not have to consume that foil-wrapped, strange-textured, nutrient-dense GU for a very, very, very long time. At least not until my next marathon...

Big City, Big Taste

The Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake

We hit the city last weekend on Friday. Both of us had had one of THOSE days. Too long and too crazy to fit into one 24-hour period so we decided that a little food adventuring was in order at 5 pm that night. We piled the gang into the van and hit the road in search of the food cart pod on Mississippi Avenue. This is the pod with The Sugar Cube food cart in it, home of the chocolate cupcake topped with ganache, caramel sauce, and potato chips. Needless to say I was giddy, ecstatic, beside myself with glee, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture.

As soon as we hit the highway, which is 5 minutes away from our house, all three kids were out. That is how tired our family is. We are still trying to adjust to our school schedule so by the time Friday rolls around we have a cranky bunch of kids. Makes for interesting days, that’s for sure. Having 20 minutes of passed out kids in the car that night meant 20 minutes of catching up with each other. What a blessing!

We had no problem finding the food cart pod on Mississippi Avenue. As soon as you turned the corner, there it was, a cluster of twinkling Christmas lights, canopies, and picnic tables. A beautiful sight! I spotted The Sugar Cube right away and made a beeline for it. As I got closer, I saw that some of the desserts were out. No! It couldn’t be! As soon as I read about this cupcake in Portland Monthly I have craved it. But, thankfully, it was not true. They still had those delicious cupcakes lined up on their baking trays in the back of the food cart. I bought one right away, just to make sure, I would not miss out on this food moment.

As we sampled the food carts, we could feel the tension of the day melt away and no longer was it a crazy, long day but one that was relaxing and reviving. Throughout the night we sampled sopapillas filled with shredded, spicy pork and cheese from Nuevo Mexico. We had a classic meatball sub from the Garden State and salty, crispy fries from Magic Beans that truly became my favorite savory dish of the night. But, my anticipation grew as I ate my dinner and gazed at the chocolate cupcake sitting beside my plate, calling my name.  It was going to be good, I just knew it!

At last, my dinner was done and it was time to delve into the one thing that brought me here, the Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake. But before I could eat it, I had to take a picture of it, just so I could share the moment with you. It was truly a cupcake done with style. The cake itself was tender and could stand alone without the ganache and caramel sauce. The ganache gave the cake a gooey consistency and then the caramel, what can I say? I licked the wrapper, that’s what I can say! You know something is good when there is wrapper-licking to be done. The potato chip on top was a great contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate. Sweet and salty is one of my favorite combinations. Job well done, Sugar Cube, job well done!

The Sugar Cube Food Cart

After dinner, we hit Mississippi Avenue to explore the city and to walk off some of that yummy food we had consumed. During that walk, I realized one thing, I need to let me kids out more often. I thought I had been doing a good job of exposing them to the world around them. Trips across country to grandma’s house, trips to the zoo through the city, and so on. But to watch my kids inhale the sights around them Friday night, you would think we never left our house! They were touching everything in sight from mailbox slots (a huge hit!) to doorknobs to pressing their faces to windows, peering into restaurants and stores. What a sight, right? If you were on the other side and three little faces were peering back at you?

One door had up to 10 doorknobs on it, one of those arty stores, and they had to touch every single one. Oh my! I am usually the one breaking out the hand sanitizer but my husband, this time, remarked that he was up for a hand sanitizer break. I can just imagine how many germs they brought home with them that night. I think we would have had less germ exposure if they had just licked one doorknob and not touched every single one they came across. But, oh well, they were enthralled with the amount of new sights that it was well worth the germ fest!

Nights like that make me glad that we enjoy going on food adventures. It gives our life a boost of excitement and a dose of good food. I am so very thankful that Portland has a huge food cart business that is thriving. With very little money, our family can enjoy a wide variety of delicious food. So take some time, hit Mississippi Avenue, and enjoy a night of food, family, and fun! You might just see me there enjoying another cupcake, which by the way, I did not share with my family. Is that wrong? Or, maybe a smart move if you are a sugar-lover like me!

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

I know I just posted to this blog two days ago but last night we had BLT’s for dinner and I had a one of those moments in the kitchen where you realize how much you love something. That something was bacon. I mean, look at that sandwich! The bacon was just right, the tomatoes fresh from the garden, and the lettuce extra crispy. Wow! I just loved eating that sandwich for dinner and all because it had bacon on it.

Bacon to me is one of those foods that fall into my “bad food” category but one that I cannot see myself living without. In my house we live by the 80/20 rule. We eat healthy 80% of the time and 20% of the time we eat whatever we want. Obviously, bacon falls into the 20% category. I love bacon on my sandwiches, in my soups, on my salads, and even in chocolate. They make chocolate bars with bacon, you know. It is strange at first but quite addicting!

Now, I do have to say that I am very picky about my bacon. I really do not enjoy the thick slab bacon you find in the deli but LOVE the highly processed bacon you find near the hot dogs and other strange meats they put in plastic that shouldn’t be in existence. I know that that bacon probably has come from a very unhappy pig and has enough preservatives in it to keep me going until I am ninety but I love it. It cooks up perfect, nice and crisp, and it is what I crave when I want bacon. Am I to the point where I will put an “I Love Bacon” bumper sticker on my van next to my Runner Girl sticker? Most likely not, but if I was to find an “I Love Bacon” shirt, I just might have to buy it and proclaim my affinity to the crispy meat.

If I did find a bacon shirt, I would have to wear it to this amazing restaurant off of Morrison Street in Portland called Bunk Sandwiches. Have any of you eaten there? This place is a small hole in the wall that serves one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten, the Pork Belly Cubano. This sandwich has ham, Swiss, pickles, mustard, and pork belly on buttery, crispy bread. (Just writing about it makes me want one!) The pork belly is quite a few steps up from bacon. Just as crispy but with an intense flavor that just overwhelms you. We ate at Bunk Sandwiches this summer without the kids and throughout the whole meal, did not say one word. It was one of those moments in which the sign “Don’t talk to me, I am eating”  was thrown down on the table. The only sound that was heard was yummy noises. You know what I am talking about right? Those sounds you make when something is just too good for words but you have to state your love for the food. It was a beautiful moment!

So here’s to bacon, I love you and glad you find your way into my shopping cart. Maybe someday my love for you will be proclaimed on the back of my van. That day might be when I finally give in and paint flames on my van. Make my 'mom van' finally cool to drive. Maybe I can name it the Flamin’ Bacon Van…hmmm…now that is an idea...

Mac-n-Cheese Showdown!

Last night we made mac-n-cheese in the crock-pot from a recipe given to me by my sister. She had found it in the cookbook, "Fix-it and Forget-it". We love mac-n-cheese in our house, from the little ones to the grown-ups. We do not do much boxed mac-n-cheese, except for Annie's, which is organic and not a scary florescent orange when placed on the plate. My kids have eaten organic mac-n-cheese since they were born so, when in a moment of attempting to be All American, I place the blue box mac-n-cheese on their plates, I get looks of disdain and the majority is left behind. I, on the other hand, enjoy a dish of blue box mac-n-cheese every once in awhile. Takes you back to being a kid, that is for sure.

One of my favorite recipes for this comfort food dish comes from a Fine Cooking magazine from a grocery store checkout aisle. This small magazine filled with recipes makes me laugh every time I pull it off of the shelf because many years ago I told my husband that I did not think we needed to spend money on it and that it was an impulse buy. But now it is well worn, used often, and I am the one who uses it the most. The recipe in the magazine is the one that I use when I want a comfort food dish, need to bring a dinner to someone in need, or want to "woo" someone. It is an impressive mac-n-cheese! Definitely does not belong in a blue box. The only drawback to the recipe is that it takes time. Standing and stirring a pot of whole milk until thick and rich takes a decent chunk of time. Although well worth the effort, of course, I needed another quick recipe for homemade mac-n-cheese that would not get a look of distain from my worse dinner critics, my children. To my rescue comes my sister with a crock-pot recipe.

I was a little skeptical with how it would turn out because, at the time, I was putting all the ingredients together at warp speed (I needed to get out the door for my stress break, my run) and all three of my children seemed to have something to say at the same time at that very moment. Whoa! Brain spin! But when I got home from my run and sat down to dinner, yum! The mac-n-cheese was creamy, rich, and delicious. It had enough depth of flavor that you would have thought it was baked in the oven, not a crock-pot. Plus, even with the elbow macaroni being placed in the crock-pot dry, the noodles were cooked just right.

Now I have two recipes for mac-n-cheese that I can go to. One will be my recipe for when I have a decent amount of time and crave a dish that I can't stop eating. The other will be my recipe for when I have no time and still crave a dish that I can't stop eating. Try them out, see what you think, and have your own Mac-n-cheese Showdown!

Macaroni & Cheese with Buttered Crumb Topping

Salt

1 lb macaroni

12 Tbs. unsalted butter

6 Tbs. flour

1/2 medium onion, sliced thin

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of fresh thyme

4 1/2 cups milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

6 cups (1 lb) finely shredded sharp Cheddar

1 1/2 cups coarse breadcrumbs

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted, for the topping

Heat over to 375 degrees and butter a 9x13-baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the macaroni; cook until just tender following package’s directions and drain well. Melt the butter in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, onion, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns; cook for 2 to 3 minutes (this is called a roux). Slowly whisk the milk into the roux until smooth and blended. Raise the heat to medium high; whisking constantly until the mixture boils. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Lower the heat and continue simmering for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Strain the sauce into a large bowl, removing the onion, herbs, and peppercorns. Add 2 tsp. salt, pepper, nutmeg, and shredded cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce and pour mixture into the baking dish. Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and spread them over the casserole. Bake until sizzling and lightly browned, about 40 minutes, less time for individual dishes (cover with foil if the top browns too quickly).

Recipe courtesy of The Best of Fine Cooking Comfort Foods, 2004

Mac-n-Cheese…Fix-it and Forget-it Style!

8 oz dry, macaroni, cooked

2 Tbsp. oil

13 oz. can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

3 c. shredded cheese: cheddar, American, Velveeta or a combo

2-4 Tbsp. melted butter

2 Tbsp chopped onion

4 hot dogs

1. In slow cooker, toss macaroni in oil. Stir in remaining ingredients, except hot dogs.

2. Cover. Cook on low 2-3 hours. Add hot dogs, if desired, and cook 1 hour longer.

* I did not add the hot dogs and onion*

Crazy Days and Comfort Food

Autumn is my season. It is the season of my first daughter’s birthday. It means pumpkins, leaves, and a garden that finally starts going to sleep for the winter (which I am completely ready for!). It means trips with my family to Hood River to pick apples and pears, which we have done since my oldest was a baby.

Autumn also means a hectic, crazy schedule with the kids and my husband. Being married to a band director means concerts, parades, and football games. It also means a brand-new schedule for everyone when school starts up. When the kids were babies and September rolled around, we just picked up where we left off in June and the days were exactly the same. Now, with three kids in two different schools, it means different schedules every day.

Juggling everything has become an art form in my house. My husband and I juggle everything from long runs (I am training for the Portland Marathon) to a diabetic cat (yes, you read that right, a diabetic cat. Don’t laugh! She has been with us for fourteen years so of course we had to say ‘yes’ to the twice-daily shots!).

So when the juggling act gets crazy, I bake comfort foods. Yesterday I baked five batches of my favorite applesauce to freeze for the winter. I used Ina Garten’s recipe for homemade applesauce. It made my house smell wonderful and brought me great comfort when I sat down to eat it at dinner. Baking this applesauce also brought back good memories of when the kids were babies, the days were long, and I baked a lot. Those days we could choose not to get in the car if we wanted too. These days my car and I are best buds and see a lot of each other on a daily basis. It’s got my back, you know!

So when the days get overwhelming and all those balls you are juggling start knocking you in the head, here is a recipe to fill that desire for comfort food and to bring peace to your day. Enjoy!

Ina Garten's Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients

2 large navel oranges, zested and juiced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 6 to 8 apples)

3 pounds sweet red apples, such as Macoun, McIntosh, or Winesap (about 6 to 8 apples)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the zest and juice of the oranges and lemon in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples (reserving the peel of 2 of the red apples) and toss them in the juice. Pour the apples, reserved apple peel, and juice into a non-reactive Dutch oven or enameled iron pot. Add the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and allspice and cover the pot. Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours, or until all the apples are soft. Remove and discard the red apple peel. Mix with a whisk until smooth, and serve warm or at room temperature.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/homemade-applesauce-recipe/index.html

"Honey, I think we need more money..."

That was the comment of the night as we hit the food carts on Hawthorne and 12th before the Joshua Bell concert. We had managed to browse and sample through most of the food carts parked on the corner. Fried catfish po' boy, pulled pork sandwich, heavenly hushpuppies, and...a SWEET Korean taco from Koi Fusion! Woo-hoo! The cash quickly slipped out of our pockets but we didn't mind because this is what we loved to do, food browsing. We are the king and queen of it! Hitting Pike's Place Market in Seattle is one of the best places to go for food browsing. We manage to spend a good portion of a day there walking up and down the market, finding food goodies such a freshly fried donuts and smoky salmon. I do not think our bodies know what full is on food browsing days!

But back to the food cart night...Koi Fusion is what we had been hoping to eat at when we started this food cart adventure. We were incredibly bummed when it wasn't there at the beginning but, oh so happy, when it finally pulled into the parking lot across the way. Of course we were going to sample their food even though we had already eaten a huge amount of food. There is always room for spicy, sweet, funky tacos!

We ended up heading back after the concert to try the french fries from Potato Champion. Those are some serious fries! We did not have them with the gravy and cheese curds, which they are known for, but we had the chipolte dipping sauce that was excellent. French fries that taste like potatoes, served in a paper cone, and eaten under white Christmas lights was a perfect ending to the food cart adventure. Next time, I am hoping to hit the food cart on Mississippi Avenue called the "Sugar Cube". Are you ready for this? They have a cupcake called the Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake. A chocolate cupcake with Ruffles potato chips, chocolate frosting, and salted caramel on top. I can see a cupcake creation in my future!

By the way, the pumpkin cupcakes with Chai frosting were delicious and gone in a flash! All that is left is the lone picture at the top of this post! Enjoy!

A Worthy Boycott

I have been boycotting grocery shopping for the month of August. I haven't been since before I went on vacation to Michigan. We have been getting basics such as milk, cereal, and such on an as needed basis. I just haven't had the desire to hit the big stores and spend an hour or two attached to a huge metal cart. I haven't missed the big lights and the craziness!

In an attempt to avoid grocery shopping as much as possible I have been hitting the local fruit stands and farmers markets. Much more enjoyable than the grocery store! Last week we, as a family, headed to a farmers market where we got to enjoy fresh strawberries bought by my oldest with her hard-earned change. The strawberries were so sweet and, maybe because we all so relaxed, extra yummy!

The bonus of the night at the farmers market was the free concert that was happening in the park. A local musician named Andy Harrison was performing acoustically with his guitar. What a great time we had sitting back and listening to him perform. We enjoyed him so much we bought his CD and plan on going to one of his upcoming concerts. The kids busied themselves by doing somersaults in the grass and playing a game of tag in the park. Those are the evenings we treasure as a family. We wouldn't have had an experience like that in the grocery store, that's for sure!

We have also been diving into our garden as much as possible to fill the vegetable bin up. Our edamame are going crazy now and our tomatoes have finally ripened. Every afternoon I head out to the garden and fill my bowl with veggies. It has been so rewarding to eat a dinner that came from our backyard. It is especially rewarding since I know where it came from, my own garden!

But, my boycotting is about to come to an end. We were watching the Food Channel and saw a show on Vietnamese cooking that made both of our mouths water. Plus, my significant other has put in a request for a pumpkin cake with Chai buttercream frosting. How could I resist a request to make a cake? My true passion??? I realized then that it is time to hit the big store and start shopping again. Oh well, my boycott was relaxing while it lasted!

Lobster Butter Love!

I just spent a week in Northern Michigan with my sister and her family. We vacationed near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, which is, by far, one of the more beautiful places in Michigan. Crystal clear Lake Michigan and stunning sunsets were our treats for the week. Well, so was sleeping in since this was my week away from my family!

One of the biggest treats for me that week was to actually finish a hot cup of coffee. This is a rarity in my life! My sister and I sat on the back deck of our vacation home in the full sunshine and watched the steam roll out of our coffee cups. The sweet life for sure! Usually at home, I can tell what kind of morning I have had by how much coffee has disappeared from my cup. Typically, I come home from dropping the kids off at school and there sits my coffee, still full, but cold.

Having the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee gave me time to think about how coffee has become essential to my day. In the beginning, I did not like the taste of coffee but enjoyed the smell of coffee. Maybe it was the comfort smell of mornings at my house growing up but I definitely was not ready for the taste. Then, I found the beauty of coffee and dessert after a dinner out at a restaurant. I was on to something! Hot coffee and a warm dessert…heaven!

A few years ago, I began drinking decaffeinated coffee in the mornings (what was wrong with me???) and then; of course, I broke into the caffeinated coffee. So good! My body was hooked and so was my mind. A hot cup of coffee brewing in the morning became music to my ears.

Now, I have begun a quest to find delicious, tempting coffee to brew from places other than the big store, Starbucks. While on vacation, my sister and I relished in a coffee from an Ann Arbor store called RoosRoast Free Speech Coffee. The name of our coffee was Lobster Butter Love (hence the name of this post) and it was silky and rich. The best part of this coffee was where it had come from, a store that promoted the small businessman and focused on delivering delicious coffee. True to its word, it was worth getting up in the morning to.

One of my favorite places locally to get a cup of coffee, besides my house, is Di Prima Dolci Italian Bakery on Killingsworth Street in Portland. So worth the drive! That is where I truly fell hard for a cup of coffee. Maybe it was the fact that it was paired with a bag of hot zeppoles (Italian donuts) but their coffee was really a treat, and, honestly, I think of it often!

I do not have any plans in the future for giving up coffee. I have fallen in love with the warmth, the smell, and the feel of the coffee cup in my hands too much to say good-bye to it. For now I will just continue my search for where I can find the perfect cup of coffee, and, maybe some sweets to go with it!

It All Began with Pop-Rocks....

Years ago I saw a blip on Food Network about a chocolate bar filled with Pop-Rocks. I was instantly intrigued and went in search of the illusive chocolate bar. No luck! Many years later, on a food adventure, I came across the Firecracker chocolate bar made by Chuao Chocolatier at a local wine store. A chocolate bar made with chipotle chilies, sea salt, and, yup, Pop-Rocks. Delicious! Everything I imagined it would be. Spicy, spunky, and smooth at the same time.

Of course it could not just stop with the chocolate bar, I had to take it further. So begin the search for a dessert recipe using Pop-Rocks. After a quick search, I found THE recipe: Heston Blumenthal's Popping-Candy Chocolate Cake. Had to try it! A hazelnut, chocolate, and Pop-Rocks crust, chocolate mousse center, and a ganache to top it all off. Whoa!

Finding Pop-Rocks seemed to be an adventure in itself. I headed to our local grocery store with three kids in tow. Mind you, these kids had just finished an impromptu, pretend fashion show so one was in a winter dress with flip-flops (it's August!), one had a long-sleeved shirt on with buttons gone askew, and the last had a swimsuit on with a purple tu-tu over it. Of course, as I made my way through the grocery store with three mismatched kids and 10 packs of Pop-Rocks (and only Pop-Rocks) in my cart, I met a couple from church I knew. I am sure we were a sight to behold! I needed a disclaimer on my cart stating that I do feed my children healthy food, not just Pop-Rocks, for dinner!

Having all the ingredients on hand, I started in on the cake. It took all day to make, build, and cool the layers of the cake. The recipe was written in metric form so it was a huge challenge to measure all the ingredients exactly. I was thankful for my grandmother's kitchen scale which had grams on it that I had to bring out from the back of the pantry. Thankfully the kids were well entertained today as I measured in grams and milliliters! Not my usual way to bake!

Looking at the recipe, I was concerned that the Pop-Rocks would not hold up to the warm, melted chocolate needed to make the crust and would pop before being enjoyed in the finished cake. Amazingly enough, the Pop-Rocks held up and as I ate the cake, they snapped, cracked, and popped away! What a fun, fun dessert! Having this recipe opens many doors for exploring baking with Pop-Rocks. Where will it lead me next? One never knows!

Here is the recipe if you want to give it go. Enjoy and rock away!

Heston Blumenthal’s popping-candy chocolate cake

For the popping-candy base
85g whole hazelnuts
40g milk chocolate
2 tsp mixed spice
100g popping candy

For the chocolate mousse
350g dark chocolate
400ml double cream
Pinch of salt

For the chocolate glaze
20g chocolate (same type as for the mousse)
120ml water
8 whole coffee beans
Couple of pinches of salt
30g cocoa powder
70g unrefined golden caster sugar

To make the base, preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/Gas Mark 4 and roast the hazelnuts for about 10 minutes until lightly coloured. Blend to a paste in a food processor, then set aside. Melt the milk chocolate in a bain-marie (a large basin over a saucepan of simmering shallow water — take care that the water does not touch the basin) and stir in the ginger spice and popping candy. Next, fold in the hazelnut purée. Place the 12 cm ring mould on a serving dish and gently press in the base mixture to a depth of about 1cm. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until hard.

To make the mousse, chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a metal bowl. Bring 150ml of the cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and stir extremely gently until all the chocolate has melted, watching carefully to ensure it doesn’t take on a granular texture. Add the salt to taste. Once the chocolate cream has cooled to room temperature, lightly whip the remaining 250ml cream to soft peaks, but do not overwhip. Fold into the chocolate mix. Pour over the base in the ring mould and place in the fridge to set for two hours.

To make the glaze, chop up the chocolate and set aside. Place the water, coffee beans and salt in a pan, whisk in the cocoa powder, then set over a medium heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, put the sugar in a small pan and melt over a medium heat. Unrefined sugar will caramelise quickly, so keep an eye on it; when it does, pour over the coffee and cocoa mix — stand back, as it will bubble and spit. Beat in the chopped chocolate and, when melted, pass through a fine sieve. When cool, but still liquid, pour over the mousse to your preferred depth and return the cake to the fridge to set.

To serve, run a hot knife around the inside of the ring before removing the cake. When slicing it, again make sure the blade of the knife is nice and hot.

Recipe Brought to You by: http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/

What's in a Name?

Welcome to my blog! For those of you wondering why I would name my blog, "The Milk Carton", the name takes me back to the sweet moment of snack time in 3rd grade. My teacher, Mrs. Coleman, would break out the Roald Dahl books and we would indulge in a carton of whole milk. Not skim, whole milk. You know that delicious, thick milk that many of us have given up and replaced with skim? There was quite an art to drinking the milk in her class during snack time. First you had to take your pencil, hold it and the carton just so, and punch a whole in the top, then slipping the straw in, you had your first taste of ice cold milk. The perfect snack. It was one of my favorite moments in elementary school.

But why name the blog after something I had for a 3rd grade snack? Because that warm feeling of sitting by Mrs. Coleman's feet, listening to Roald Dahl, and drinking whole milk is brought around every time I bake a dessert, indulge in an amazing meal, or hit to road for a food adventure. This blog gives me a chance to share those moments with you. So sit back, read on, and enjoy with me!