Flour, Eggs, Canning Jars?

The Fair is just around the corner. Literally... it's next week. I'm still in shock.

For some reason, it has completely caught me off guard this year. Normally, I begin my preparations weeks ahead of time. This year however, I didn't realize until Monday at 11am that I only have one week left to complete all of my entries. Imagine the panic.

I'm being pretty ambitious this year too. I'm not entering any of my cards (I just can't handle it emotionally-- I get too attached to them and then when they don't place-- it makes me so upset), but I am entering all kinds of food stuffs. Here's the checklist:

Pineapple jam (1/2 pint jar)
Hot salsa (pint jar)
Mild salsa (pint jar) -past blue ribbon winner
Dill pickles (pint jar)
Apple muffins (3 selected best)
Blueberry corn muffins (3 selected best)
Apple nut bread (1 loaf, unsliced) 
Carrot cake (uncut)
Oat bread (1 loaf, unsliced)
Pumpkin bread (1 loaf, unsliced)
Banana bread (1 loaf, no nuts, unsliced) -this was my purple ribbon winner 3 years ago and I want to see if it really is a winning recipe or if it was just a lucky year
 
On Monday, when I was in a panic, I was able to punch out all of my canning. Looking back, I can't believe I was able to accomplish it all (and successfully at that). The kitchen was a crazy mess and I was melting- standing over a hot stove for 5 whole hours. My back hurt considerably on Tuesday, but now that it is Wednesday- I feel ready to jump into my baking.

My goal for tonight is to assemble all of my recipes and take a kitchen inventory. The worst is getting halfway through a recipe and discovering I'm missing an ingredient. This has happened to me too many times to count (the last time being the great lasagna mishap of two weeks ago- I didn't have any ricotta or eggs--What was I thinking!?!)

The majority of my baking will be completed this Sunday after church. I want the bread/muffins/cake to be as fresh as possible for Tuesday judging and I have to turn my entries in on Monday (Labor Day). I've toyed with baking Monday morning, but I think it would be a disaster-- Too stressful for me and super, super stressful for Hubs who would have to deal with my shenanigans. I know myself too well.

Wish me happy baking- I need it!

Boom

I did it! It was exhaustingly awesome!

When we first arrived at the race (at 7am), I was totally intimidated because there were a lot of serious runners already warming up for the 10k. I personally felt totally lost until we found my cousin and she was able to explain what she had already done to check-in. Even so, Hubs and I got in the wrong check-in line. We were standing in the 10k line and not the 3k, so it took a while for the volunteer to find our bags. 10K- no way!

When we finally got our numbers and swag bags, we went back outside to warm-up and amp ourselves up. We spent most of the time talking about our goal to just finish the darn race running. It was hard to keep focused though because everyone walking around looked so much more capable and likely for success. I'm serious, there were some very hard core runners at this race. When all was said and done- there were 623 runners (almost all in the 10K). There were all the tall lanky guys in their too-short running shorts and then a lot of girls wearing spandex and sports bras-- all with ipods jamming their warm-up tunes. I also want to give a shout-out to the older crowd. There were quite a few older participants (by older I mean probably 70+) and the majority were in the 10K as well.... I just wish some of them had left their spandex and shorty-shorts at home (yikes).

When the announcer called for all the 3K runners to line up, Hubs, Cousin and I headed over to the starting line. We purposely wanted to stand towards the back because we didn't want to get trampled by the kids that were running. When we were all lined up, they did the singing of the national anthem and then an official countdown. I felt like we had been standing around for hours waiting to line up, but then the last moments before the horn went off were like nanoseconds.

I shot out of the gate ahead of Hubs and my cousin. My co-worker (who was participating with his wife) started out at the head of the pack and stayed there until the end. Hubs said I was really booking it when I started. I felt like I was running at a comfortable pace, but it wasn't too long before I slowed way down. By the time I rounded the first corner, I was thinking--oh crap, I can't do this. It was a total mind war the whole time. I just kept telling myself to get to the next corner, get to the water station, get to the next tree. I think at one point, I was running so slow I could have been crawling, but I never stopped running and I am so proud of that fact. It also helped that my cousin's husband was riding around to different spots in the race to snap photos. If it was going to be captured on film for prosperity - I had better be running.

When the starting line first came back into view, Hubs passed me up. I was totally peeved and it worked to my advantage because when I hit that last little section- I was able to motivate myself to fall into a fast sprint-- I gave it everything I had left. It was my hands down favorite moment of the race. When the crowd saw me pick up speed, I actually heard the spectators begin to cheer louder. One blessed, random stranger yelled out, "She's going for it-RUN!" Other people were ringing cow bells and I heard my co-worker yell, "Go Lacey!" It was a complete Chariots of Fire meets Cool Runnings moment as I half ran/half fell across the finish.

I passed the finish line at 18 minutes, 30 seconds. That means I was running 9.15 minute miles. My fastest time yet! Hubs crossed right behind me and Cousin right behind him. Each of us completed the race having run the entire thing. I know it was just a 3K and not the 10K, but I feel like a total winner!

The Corn Classic

Ready…set…go!

Tomorrow is the big {race} day. This will be my very first competitive race. As for my strategy- I’ve decided to focus just on finishing the darn thing and not necessarily on beating everyone else. I promise pictures (you can quote me on this).

The bad news is that Hubs is sick. He almost never gets sick, but when he does it always hits him hard. He officially has one of the worst colds I’ve ever seen. At lunch today I told him he might need to walk the race, but he is determined to run. Even more unfortunate is the fact that he has to work until midnight tonight. If he even gets up on time- I’ll tell him he’s a winner.

Speaking of which, we have to get up at 5:30am to leave at 6am to arrive at the registration tables by 7am. Why does running have to be such an early morning sport? My only motivation is all the hours I’ve put into training—I really despise running, but I’ve been doing it and now I want some payoff in the form of race swag (a t-shirt showing a cob of corn running down the street will suffice).

So, here I go. Wish me well, just don’t tell me to break a leg…

I need ‘em both to get my t-shirt.

Vegan Chocolate?

It will come as no shock to my faithful readers that Hubs and I have been eating a lot healthier this year. We have slimmer physiques to prove it. In fact, I am celebrating not only my birthday this weekend, but 73 pounds lost!

Did you hear that? It was me whooping with joy. I have so much to praise God for this year. So much to celebrate…

So let’s start now. I want to share a new favorite recipe with you. I got this recipe from a co-worker of mine. She brought these treats in to work the other day and after tasting one, I was hooked. They are crispy brown rice squares- similar to my old fall-back, the rice crispy treat. Only, these treats are much less sweet (which I find delightful) and they are vegan. That’s right- vegan. Or at least, my co-worker made them vegan, although she promised me they can also be made non-vegan (so if you love yourself some dairy- stay with me).

My co-worker got this recipe from a cookbook she owns, written by Alicia Silverstone (you know- from Clueless). I declare-- She may be known for being clueless, but this recipe tells me she knows deliciousness. I am whipping up a batch of these squares tomorrow, so that I can take them to the 3K race this Saturday. They will be our congratulatory treat for completing the race.

Don’t be put off by the ingredients list- give ‘em a try. You won’t regret it.

Alicia Silverstone's Crispy Brown Rice Squares
April 2008
48 servings, Prep: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup (available at health food stores)
Pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
7 cups whole grain brown crisped rice cereal (1 box)
1/2 cup carob chips (or vegan chocolate chips or regular for non-vegans)
Oil spray, for greasing

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat the rice syrup and sea salt over low heat until liquefied. Add the peanut butter and cook, stirring, until well combined and heated through but not boiling, about 5 minutes.
Pour the cereal into a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir the peanut butter mixture and carob/chocolate chips into the cereal. Make sure the peanut butter mixture is completely cooled before adding the carob/chocolate chips or you'll end up with melted chocolate and not nice, clean chips in your treats.
Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Transfer the crispy rice mixture to the baking dish, pressing into an even layer. Let cool for 1 hour before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

That's Electric!

A lot has been happening around the ‘ole homestead. I mean it. We had some serious excitement last week.

One day (I don't remember which one) I took the train home from work because Hubs needed to work late. I normally don't like to take the train home, but this night it was convenient because I needed to pick up some groceries and there is a small grocery store between my house and the station. After leaving the store, it is only a few minutes walk to the house.

After picking up some essentials in the market, I crossed the parking lot to get to my street. When I rounded the corner to approach my casa though, I was stopped dead in my tracks by yellow caution tape! Our end of the street was completely blocked off by tape, fire trucks, police, and ComEd workers. I panicked because we’ve had several break-ins in our neighborhood recently and I was convinced someone had gotten into our house. The dogs! My homework (saved on my computer)! My imagination was running wild...

I ducked under the tape and sequestered a fireman- what on earth was happening?!? The fireman explained that a concrete truck had knocked over the electrical pole right across from our house. The truck was too tall and when it tried to drive past it got caught on the wires and pulled the whole pole over--breaking it near the base and disconnecting the wires from our house (and the neighbors). So that explained the electric people swarming all over our yard and the road.

At first I didn’t think the fireman would let me through because there were wires zigzagging all over the ground, but he reassured me that I was safe (as long as I didn’t touch them—Don’t worry sir, I wasn’t going to grab them). As I walked over to my house, I could see the pole- snapped in two like a twig. Honestly, I was happy to see it down. Hubs and I always felt that pole was a death trap; it was leaning over precariously way back when we first moved in.

As I approached my front steps, another fireman stopped me to find out where I was going. I explained to him that I was headed into my house and had gotten permission at the end of the street. For a brief moment, I thought this new guy was going to tell me to turn around, but then he nodded towards the house and said that when I got inside I should walk around and see if there was any smoke or if I smelled burning. He explained that sometimes when electricity is ripped away suddenly, appliances can short circuit and start fires.

Aghhhh! I hurried into the house and did a quick tour- checking the washer and dryer, fridge, stove, every room. Goodness knows my wonderful, old house is just a big tinderbox full of 100 year old wood.

But praise God, everything was fine. Even the dogs seemed calm, despite the mayhem out the front window. Trust Judson to keep quiet and calm when there is actually something of substance going on.

ComEd was incredibly efficient. They showed up just minutes after the truck knocked the pole over and stayed until they got the electricity back on around 10pm. I thought it would take them days to get everything back up and running, but they were awesome—They had the old pole out and a new one in within two hours. Hubs and I sat outside on the front porch and watched the whole thing. I briefly wondered if we were bothering the workers, but dismissed it quickly because we had nothing else to do (reminder- buy a battery operated lantern for emergencies/power outages).

Now, we have a brand new pole. It is the straightest and tallest one on the street- not that I'm comparing... We also have new wires running to our house. The only real bummer is that we lost our Comcast connection. No more cable for me (sad face). Se la vie- I’ve been doing a lot more cleaning, reading and exercising without The Food Network to distract me.

{Insert soundtrack from Chariots of Fire here}

Here's an unbelievable announcement- Hubs and I are running... for exercise! Not only that, but we are training to run in two (you heard me- two) races.

Back in May, I got the idea to start training for a race at the end of the summer. I figured that setting a goal would help me stay on track with my weight loss throughout the summer, especially since it has only gotten harder to shed the pounds.

I immediately went online and began searching for a manageable race. I knew we (Hubs was enthusiastic about the idea of running and came on board) weren't going to be ready for a marathon. Hubs felt the same way, so he suggested a 5K. Looking online, I found a 5K on Thanksgiving day- a Turkey Trot. I love it! Instead of spending the day gorging ourselves, we'll spend an hour--hour and a half in the morning- cranking out a run. Awesome.

Further investigating found a 3K the day before my birthday (at the end of August). This race is out in the country, appropriately called The Corn Classic. A 3K is approximately 1.8 miles. We figured this race would be great practice for our Thanksgiving 5K.

What will make the 3K really fun is that I have several coworkers who are going to run with us. My cousin is also driving out to run it as her first race as well. I love that we'll all be able to cheer each other on.

I know a 3K might not sound like a lot, but I have to tell you- I used to hate running. We had to run laps every other week in school and I dreaded it. Now that I am training, we are running every other day. At first, it sucked as much as running laps during school, but now I can see improvement in my ability to recover and I can push a little farther. As of today, we have run a complete 3K twice. Just hours ago, we finished our 3K in 23-25 minutes!

Will I keep running after our races? My guess is no. I still don't love it. I prefer cycling. But, I will say this- running is great for toning. My gams are looking good.

Burned

So... last night was a complete disaster. It really was.

As I've mentioned before, I love to can. Canning makes me feel like I'm homesteading in the country somewhere. I'll throw on one of my old aprons (I collect aprons) and go to town on a jam or a tomato sauce. I find it relaxing. I enjoy the science of it and of course, the payoff of eating something I put together.

And right now, Hubs and I have enough food coming in from our garden to put my love of canning to the test. I've seriously been racking my brain and my cookbooks, trying to come up with some appetizing recipes. Then, last night I thought I hit the jackpot- a spicy cucumber salsa that would use up almost all of the cucumbers sitting on my counter.

When I found it, I wanted to make it immediately. Unfortunately, last night was also the season finale of The Bachelorette (I admit that I am hooked on that show). If I had just put a little more thought into my plan, I would have realized that the timing for canning was less than ideal. Anyone who cans their own food, can tell you that canning requires great attention to detail and a lot of patience. See where this is going?

Foolishly, I assembled all of my ingredients together- tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, banana peppers, poblanos, fresh cilantro, fresh oregano, salt, lime and green onions. I plopped my poblanos in the oven for roasting and then commenced with the chopping. I wanted to get my peppers out of the way first because I hate chopping peppers. I feel like whenever I work with hot peppers I always touch my eyes and then before I know it, I'm crying tears of fire.

Thankfully, I made it through the peppers sans tears, but by the time I began coring and peeling my first tomato, the beginning credits of The Bachelorette were already beginning to role. AGHHHH!!! Poor Hubs was sitting in the living room and I was forcing him to not only watch the show, but to relive it repeatedly by yelling out every line, so that I could hear it in the kitchen. And I didn't just want the words--"Was he smiling when he said that, Honey?" "How did he say that he loved her- was it teasing or serious?"

The poor man. He really hates that show. Perhaps that is why I was able to finally persuade him that he should be in the kitchen chopping the tomatoes and I should be in the living room watching the drama unfold. He agreed and was able to finish with all the prep--bringing me the saucepan of ingredients to mix together while he went upstairs to escape.

During the next commercial (right after J.P.'s intro to the fam), I got the saucepan heating on the stovetop and threw a pizza in the oven for dinner. All the time I'm thinking... I'm such an awesome provider.

Each commercial thereafter, I was running back and forth between the kitchen and the living room- stirring the salsa and checking on dinner. Until finally, the pizza was done. I went to the sink and washed my hands (something I do umpteen times when I'm canning- everything has to be so sanitized) and then I picked up some potholders, opened up the oven, and reached in for the pizza pan.

It took only seconds for me to realize that something was wrong. My left hand was burning. I yelped and reached for the pan with my right hand, only to have the heat sear my right fingers as well. I panicked at that point and threw the pan (pizza and all) up on top of the waterbath pot, where it remained for approximately three seconds, teetering back and forth before falling down to the floor. Pizza face down. Pepperoni and sauce everywhere.

And then I cried. I cried because I was hungry. I cried because I was in pain. I cried because I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish canning that night. And I cried because poor Ben lost his father 4 1/2 years ago and now he was losing the "love of his life" on national television.

I cried because I knew I was going to have to finish my canning today... and it's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. I really love Shark Week. I really do.