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Archive for May, 2011

Whenever I think of marzipan, I’ll always think of you

Posted in Friends, Uncategorized on May 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Heather left today.  Like, for real.  Like, completely, officially, not-coming-back gone.  It definitely has not sunk in yet.  I don’t think it will for a couple days.  Unfortunately, I’ve had my own craziness going on (home inspection, upcoming house-hunting trip), so I didn’t really have a chance to process her going-away like I wanted to.  There may not have been any tears today, but oh there will be.  Just give me a chance to think.

Rewind a week or so ago.  One night Heather found this in my fridge:

It was, I’m sure, a leftover Christmas stocking stuffer sent by my mom.  She always sends foreign-branded chocolates.  When we were kids, she always brought the best goodies back from her trips, like kinder eggs (Germany) and Hob Nobs (London).  Anyway, I must have thrown this in the fridge and forgotten about it.

I don’t know if Heather just wanted to try it or if she already knew she liked marzipan, but boy did she die over this!  I had to try it as well when I saw how much she liked it.  Oh yes, it’s good.  It’s really good, in a not-sickly-sweet sort of way.

So, I tucked one of these in the goodie bag I sent with her on her trip today.  And I’ll always think of Heather when I see one of these.  Next time I’m at the store, I’m buying one.

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finally, a runner

Posted in Exercise, Running on May 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »

I went for a run yesterday in Carmel on the Monon trail in my new, expensive shoes (see yesterday’s post).  I had anticipated doing about five or six miles and waved goodbye to grandma at 7:40 saying I’d be back in less than hour.

…Ten and a half miles later…

I just didn’t want to stop!  This has never happened to me before.  I mean, I’ve really grown to love running and I’ve had my share of great runs, but I’ve never, EVER, just ‘kept going’ against my better judgement (hello Holly?  you’re wearing brand-new shoes…) for such a distance.  But this was EUPHORIC.  Seriously.  Despite my still paltry amount of sleep, I felt well rested and the weather was beautiful.  The shoes on my feet felt like pillows and I had all sorts of energy.

The Monon trail is about 1.25 miles from grandma and grandpa’s house, so by the time I got there and had done just a couple miles, it would have been time to turn around again.  But it was just so beautiful!  The trees provided almost complete shade, there were tons of people out running and biking and walking their dogs.  I even saw a girl wearing the same purple top as me–I called out “nice shirt” as I went by.  I also started paying attention to the mile markers that were counting down to the start of the Monon.  It was only a couple miles away.  I quickly did the mental math and figured out it would be about 10 if I made it to “0.0.”  So, the competitive side of me came out and I surged ahead, all the while feeling the most amazing runner’s high I’ve ever felt.

And the run just went so fast!  It was a combination of my actual speed and comfort (about 9-minute miles, I think–a pretty easy pace for me) and being so distracted by everything around me.  The quarter-mile markers just whizzed by.  This was especially nice on the way back, as I was starting to get a little antsy that the rest of my family might be worried I was taking so long, or (gasp!) up and breakfasting without me!  I was back to Main Street in Carmel before I knew it, and just had to chug back to the house.  I’ll be honest, the rising temperature and sun coupled with the very slight incline up the road to grandma’s house was enough to slow my pace a little on the last mile, but I still felt drugged I was so happy.  And God must have been smiling on me yesterday, since all I ended up with after a 10-plus mile run in BRAND NEW SHOES was a slight rub under one toe–praise God!

I have considered myself a runner for awhile now.  I started running in high school for fitness, then in college for ROTC, but never more than three miles or so.  My friend, Betsy, and now-husband, Andrew, introduced me to long-distance running and I challenged myself to do more.  Both of them had run cross-country in high school (I hadn’t even known it existed…) and continued running in college.  Before long I could do six miles slowly.  Despite completing a marathon (VERY slowly) my senior year of college, I still didn’t fee like a true runner.  It was still a chore.  Something to check off.

Fast-forward four years: I’ve upped my running, gotten a bit faster and completed another marathon.  I gladly ran at PT before work in the mornings and maybe some Saturdays as well, but I still didn’t LOVE it.

It wasn’t until I got out of the military and met Susy at the gym that I truly began to ‘find myself’ in my running.  She challenged me to go faster and longer than I ever had.  She is the most dedicated runner I’ve ever met.  She faithfully runs six or more miles every day but Saturday, her rest day.  Not that everyone has to follow her formula; I find running every other day works better for me.  She did the math the other day and figured out we’d run more than 2,000 miles together in the last two years…TWO THOUSAND!  Holy cow!  I just wonder how many words that was…

Both becoming a runner and feeling like a runner has been a struggle for me.  I’d been putting in the miles for years, but I hadn’t yet found any joy in it.  Part of that probably has to do with how “easy” running is at any point.  Part of it was my body.  I was a bit of a chubby kid and I’ve never really “looked” like a runner.  Even my dad said so once… that’ll scar you for life.  And no, do I look like the skeletal, fat-less, boob-less (well, that part might be true), muscle-less women in tiny tops and running underwear competing on tracks all over the country?  Not in the least.  But am I a runner?  Yes.

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a (very long) list

Posted in Lists on May 28, 2011 | 1 Comment »

I’ve been conspicuously absent these last couple days…things have been busy around here this last week!  So much to blog about, so little time…  So, in honor of efficiency, here’s the short version:

1.  We sold our house!  We got an offer last Saturday morning during the yard sale, spent two days going back and forth, and just signed our paperwork Friday.  Our packers and movers are scheduled for the 16 and 17th of June, and then we’ll drive away Sunday the 19th.  It’s not really enough time for me; I had wanted (and anticipated) being here through the end of June, if not into July.  Pray for me!

2.  I turned 28 yesterday.  While I realize this is not old, by any stretch, I’ve officially moved into the “late twenties” bracket.  The question “what do I want to do with my life?” rears its ugly head more and more.

3.  My friend, Emily, and I are “Irish twins” one year removed.  We celebrated Thursday by going on a three-mile trail run and then brunching (post-parking lot baby-wipe bath) at the Blueberry Cafe.  They’re famous for their pancakes and their muffins.  We split an M & M and pecan pancake and the spinach, bacon and sun-dried tomato quiche.  YUM.  Then the ”muffin man” came out.  Seriously.  A giant black man in a painter’s cap wearing a shirt emblazoned with “The Muffin Man” on the back paraded around the dining room with a tray full of beautifully decorated muffins and stopped by each table to sell his wares.  I almost died because I didn’t have my camera.  Or rather, Andrew’s camera.

4.  We held Heather’s promotion to Captain at our house Friday morning.  While incredibly unconventional (no one gets promoted at their house…they do it at work or the club), it was exactly what Heather wanted: casual and intimate.  The house smelled of cinnamon rolls and everyone gathered was truly someone special to Heather.  We decorated with flags and red, white and blue ceiling hangings.  I was honored she wanted it to be at my house and so glad we did it just the way we did.

5.  Later that same day, we held our “Bon Voyage Bash” at the house for Heather and ourselves.  At the time we planned the party, it was intended it to be a joint celebration but we hadn’t yet sold our house.  Glad we did!  We’re going to be out of here before we know it!  (sniff, sniff)  The movers and packers are scheduled for 16-17 June and we drive away on the 19th!  TIME FLIES.

6.  I had to throw away a whole batch of lemon bars and start over.  Not to toot my own horn, but this does not happen to me very often.  If ever.  I don’t even think I remember anything turning out so badly that I had to throw it away, except for those cookies I made in high school with a bad stick of shortening…  Anyway, I should have listened to the voice in my head that said, “hmm, this crust doesn’t look quite right” when I took it out of the oven after the pre-bake and it was unevenly cooked and cracked all over.  But no, I proceeded with the lemon curd-like topping.  Again, when I heard and saw it bubble all over the place, I should have known I was in for a big disappointment.  The next morning, after allowing them to cool overnight, I realized what had happened.  Because of all the cracks, the topping leaked UNDER the shortbread crust and cooked there, so the next morning I basically had an upside-down lemon bar mess.  I decided I needed to master this. Gosh darn it, we were going to have lemon bars at our party!  I attempted the same recipe again, this time paying special attention to crust preparation.  Unfortunately, after checking on it during the pre-bake, it had already started to crack!  Ihad  thought we were home free!   Thankfully, Heather is a whiz and helped me push all the cracks back together and quickly pour the topping.  I ended up with awesome tasting (and looking), if not a little underbaked, lemon bars for the party.

7.  Andrew and I are in Carmel right now visiting with his grandparents and his immediate family, who came down for the long weekend.  I forgot my running shoes.  There is a great paved walking trail here on which I love to run, and I need to keep exercising!  I’m taking these couple days off of calorie counting since it’s my birthday and it would be impossible, really, so I at least need to do SOMETHING to mitigate the extra calories in cake and ice cream and who knows what else I’m taking in…  So, I bought new shoes.  Yup.  A bunch of us piled in the car and headed to the local running store.  I’ve been wearing ASICS Foundations for the last four or five years (not the same pair, just the same style), so I’d actually been thinking of getting re-fit and trying whatever else is out there that would fit my feet and pronation.  After watching myself run in a neutral shoe first, then again in each of five mild-stability shoes, I decided on the Saucony Pro Grid Hurricanes.  Very happy with them.  NOT with the price tag.

8.  I.  AM.  SO.  TIRED.  Heather and I have been staying up so late and getting up so early.  I don’t require a lot of sleep on any given night, but after five days (or weeks!) of this, I get grumpy.  Sorry Heather :(

9.  Andrew helped out and dropped Hadrian off at what we call “puppy camp” Friday morning before Heather’s promotion.  I wrote him a list of directions, phone numbers and everything he needed to bring (food, bowls, leash, bed).  We crossed paths on the road as I was returning from the gym at 7:15 and he was driving out.  When I arrived home, I noticed he’d forgotten the food and the bowls.  Later that afternoon while we were in the car together, he popped the trunk (of his rental Civic), and realized there was a dog bed in there.  Good grief!  I’m amazed he made it with the dog himself! 

10.   The end.  More to come, and some photos from our party, next week when things die down just a bit.

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sushi newbie

Posted in Food on May 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

The other night I went to a local Japanese steakhouse for a friend’s goodbye dinner.  I’ve never been a huge hibachi fan (I know, I’m majorly in the minority here); I feel like it’s a lot of show, but come on, it’s all the same.  They all do the steaming volcano of onion rings, the egg toss and fancy knife tricks.  I don’t want to pay more for my teriyaki because someone is lighting things on fire just inches from my plate.  Maybe I just don’t like strangers at my table when I’m out trying to enjoy dinner with someone…

Anyway, ahead of time I decided it would be a great opportunity to order sushi since I don’t go places that have it very often and I’m attempting to broaden my horizons.  I’ve probably had it on only five or six occasions in my life.  I also didn’t work out that day, so I wanted to make sure I had something light for dinner anyway.

Photo courtesy of Nicole

Three of the six of us ordered sushi platters!  I’m still what I’d consider a “sushi newbie,” so if I get any at all, it’s typically just a roll with my dinner.  I figured this might be a good way to just jump right in with both feet!

The wasabi was HOT!  Not that I didn’t know that already…  I usually don’t even touch the stuff, but I figured with all the “non-rolls” (is that what you call those?  sashimi?) on my plate, I’d want a little extra flavor.  Whew, no!  This chick can’t handle wasabi.

Thankfully, my friend Nicole was sitting next to me and is much more knowledgeable about sushi, so she was able to help.  I definitely prefer the rolls that have fish plus an assortment of other things, as opposed to the plain fish on rice.  I ate almost the whole platter and still wasn’t uncomfortably full.  (If I remember correctly, I think Heather and I probably munched on chips and dip when I got home that night, so to heck with the “keeping dinner light” idea.)

Bottom line:  If you haven’t tried sushi yet because you’re freaked out, or you aren’t a big fish-eater to begin with, start with something cooked.  Look for the word “tempura” in the name.  Or shrimp or crab.  You can always just stick with California Rolls (rice-coated pieces with crab and avocado near the top of the plate) for awhile–that’s what I did.  I’ve really gotten a taste for it, although I don’t love it or have to have it that often.

Here’s to my trip to Thai 9 tonight with Heather and her mom!  I’m thinking that because I had a whole platter of sushi a couple days ago, I’ll stick with my usual: Pad Thai ZERO HOT!

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best tea EVER

Posted in Food, Things I LOVE, Weight-loss/Nutrition on May 24, 2011 | 2 Comments »

I would not call myself a “tea person.”  Nine times out of ten, I’d much prefer a steaming cup of coffee with just a little too much flavored creamer stirred in.  I love the slightly creamy, sweetness of such flavors as French Vanilla, English Butter Toffee, Caramel Macchiato and Creme Brulee, just to name a few.

I read a magazine article once that rated just how bad for your health some things were, like binge-eating on the weekends, skipping breakfast and skipping a workout.  Flavored non-dairy creamer was one of them.  And it was bad.  Surprisingly bad.  Basically, the article said if it’s possible to kick your creamer habit, do it.  Like, yesterday.  (They, of course, recommend replacing it with a ‘splash of skim milk and a teaspoon of sugar.  Or, better yet, skip the sugar and add some cinnamon.’  Seriously?  Creamer makes coffee worth drinking!)

While I’m all for implementing the various health-related tidbits of wisdom I pick up here and there, this is one I will not.  WILL NOT.  I LOVE flavored creamer.  LOVE.  I have got to run enough to deserve at least one vice.  (Or five.)  So, I will not be giving up my creamer any time soon.  In fact, I just might add another flavor to my arsenal today.  (Yes, I’ve been known to keep 3-4 different flavors in the fridge door at any given time, especially during Christmas.)

ANYWAY…all this to say, I’m not a huge tea-drinker.  I do, however, like to keep a stash of “before bedtime” and energizing teas around just for those times I’d like a warm drink but not coffee.  (I can’t do caffeine past about 4 p.m. or I turn into a gremlin and toss and turn until 3 a.m.)

However, in the midst of my current weight-loss campaign, I’ve begun to drink more and more tea as it’s only an expense of 15 or so calories for a teaspoon of honey.  A nice pick-me-up in the afternoon that won’t break the caloric bank.  I currently have peach, peppermint (leftover from Christmas), a green and white combo tea and a nighttime relaxing blend (which I just pitched the last couple bags of as I’ve figured out I’m not a huge fan of chamomile).

Then I found this:

I LOVE it.  I am completely obsessed with ginger right now, so when I saw it at Kroger, I just had to get it.  Bonus that it aids in digestion!  Seriously, if I could only have one tea for the rest of my life, this would be it.  It’s just slightly sweet with a hint of warmth from the ginger.  I must have gotten it a couple weeks ago; I just finished my last bag today!  I’ve already purchased a new box for myself, and one for a special friend who just happens to have a birthday coming up…

If you like tea and ginger, go get this.  Now.

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the cinnamon rolls come out at midnight

Posted in Food, Friends, Fun, Uncategorized on May 24, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Literally, they did.  At exactly 11:53 p.m. last night, Heather and I sat down to enjoy the fruits (or rather, breads) of our labor.

Heather’s getting promoted to Captain this Friday (yay!) in a small ceremony here at the house in the morning, followed by brunch.  She really wanted to make Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls, and since cinnamon rolls of any kind are a pretty drawn-out process, we decided to make them early and freeze them.

Thankfully, PW includes handy freezing instructions in her cookbook for busy times such as these.  Lord, help me get through this week!  And really, who has time to make cinnamon rolls, FROM SCRATCH, the morning of?  Even the most adept pastry baker (which I am NOT) has to wait for bread to rise.  And, I’m sorry, but I’ve done the whole refrigerate-overnight-and-rise-in-the-morning deal, and it’s never the same.

I digress.

We didn’t get started until Maggie went to bed, and by the time we’d warmed and cooled the milk mixture, added yeast (not sure if we got the right amount…Heather forgot whether she put one scoop in or two!), flour and let it rise for an hour…it was pushing 10 p.m.   Part of this was my fault, as I’m trying to place an order for a “Scentsy” warmer and spent much of last night with my nose in about a million tiny scent pots trying to figure out what wax I want to buy!

Again, I digress.

Thankfully, I actually remembered to get the camera out.  I’m still trying to get used to “documenting” as a blogger.  All too often, I realize AFTER the fact that I should have brought my camera.  Rather, Andrew’s camera.  The one that’s really big and bulky… I’m asking for a new digital camera for my birthday–fingers crossed!

This is why I love Heather:

She makes me get a laugh out of life here and there.  (Disclaimer:  this photo is posed.  However, she really did toss the flour bowl on my head after HAND-SPRINKLING eight cups of flour into the larger bowl while I mixed.  This was a miscommunication on my part…)

Check out those arms!  (I had to…) I also love Heather because she really likes to take pictures.  This comes in handy for a blogger so that I can actually APPEAR in some of them every now and then.  Check out the silicone pastry mat, too–incredibly handy for dough, although this recipe calls for you to roll it out in such a wide rectangle that it kinda defeats the purpose…

Here we are at 11 p.m. and no cinnamon rolls have made it to the oven yet.  It’s going to be a long night.  Heather busted out the chips and dip (again)…  She is RUINING my diet!  Oh well, at least I’m having fun :)

This could be called “Ooey, Gooey Goodness” by Heather A. Simone.  Such a great photo!

Frosting….yum!  I may have gone a bit heavy on the coffee and maple flavoring, but it’s still REALLY good.  I like that it’s not that bright white, sickly sweet icing that comes in those cans of cinnamon rolls you buy at the store.  PW also gives an orange variation in the book–definitely trying that next time.

At this point, we’re getting tired and goofy.  But still having fun!  I swear, in the month Heather’s been here, I think I’ve gotten the least amount of sleep in my life (including field training!), but it’s so worth it.

Loading cinnamon goodness into the oven.  Again, please take a moment to appreciate all my hard work these last few weeks. I’ve finally lost enough weight to show off the arm and shoulder muscles I earned in the pool all those years ago.  That, and my current lifting routine doesn’t hurt, either.  (Side note:  I’m planning a full “weight-loss” post once I reach my goal, which WAS only 4 pounds away but now might be more like 5 or 6 since Heather keeps pulling out the chips!)

Finally sitting down to enjoy!  Heather’s “before” face, above.  Her “after” face, below:

Now those are some well-earned calories!  I have to admit, we both thought the rolls themselves were a bit “bready.”  And we both swear the first time we had them, courtesy of Sara’s first time at house church, they were much “doughier.”  Does that make sense?  How can we make sure our bread comes out doughier next time?  Does anyone know?  Would really appreciate some help on this one…

And because Hadrian is a dog and has a nose and can reach the table…

…we spent the next few minutes giving him dirty looks (which didn’t phase him a bit) and shooing him away.  The poor guy…he’s always smelling such great stuff (he seemed really interested in all the Scentsy pots!) and he can see it but can’t quite have it.

I hated putting our freshly baked rolls directly into the freezer, but I’m SO GLAD we have them taken care of for Friday morning, and I’ll get to make a note in my cookbook about how they turned out from the freezer.

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Goodbye Ohio, Step One

Posted in Exercise, Moving on May 24, 2011 | 2 Comments »

I cancelled my gym membership today (well, yesterday since it’s now 12:53 a.m.).  Because our membership included the last month’s dues (like rent) and because it’s looking more and more like we’ll be out of here earlier than expected (more on that once it’s official), I hurried up and sent my cancellation form via certified mail to Irvine, CA, home of L.A. Fitness headquarters.  Let’s hope it gets there before they charge me for July…

While it may not seem big to anyone else (some people don’t even HAVE gym memberships…), it was big for me.  I joined right after exiting the Air Force and it’s where I met some of my very best friends here.  It has truly become my ‘home away from home.’

There is just something about arriving at the gym and meeting a smiling face already sweating it out on the treadmill (Susy!).  While I would consider myself a highly self-motivated person, especially about working out, having a group of friends you can count on to join in the sweat-fest is amazing.  I mean, how else would we get through 10-plus milers on a treadmill if it weren’t for each other?  Not only have we trained at the gym together; we’ve entered and run local races together, cheered a newbie through her first marathon and met up for countless lunches (runners have got to eat!).

If I hadn’t been so rushed today between running errands, the post office and getting to the library for work, I might have taken a moment to actually let the finality of it all sink in.

I’ll really miss my running friends when we leave.  Something tells me Hadrian won’t be such a talkative running buddy…

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Yard sale and late-night noshing

Posted in Food, Friends, Fun on May 22, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Our neighborhood held their annual yard sale yesterday.  Why I participate in these things I don’t know.  Seriously, it’s so much work and takes up your ENTIRE Saturday…is it really worth it?  I suppose the $183.15 sitting in my “Holly’s Savings” envelope says it was.  And we’re moving.  And I’m a clutter-phobe anyway, so a yard sale is just a way to profit (literally) from my quirkiness.

All I can say is, mom, I now know why you balked at our cries to have “yard sales” (a.k.a. us kids trying to sell our stuffed animals for pennies in the driveway of our less-than-well-traveled street).  They are a bunch of work!  But, like all things worth doing, after the fact we can all breathe a sigh of relief and whisper to ourselves, “I guess it wasn’t that bad.”  My mother used to say that God makes you forget the pain of childbirth, otherwise, you’d never have another kid.  I think that’s true of yard sales, too.  Otherwise, there would be no “annual.”  There would be once.

But before we get to yesterday’s day-long money-maker, here is this:

Heather and my Friday night post-yard sale prep feast while watching Beaches.  I’d never seen the movie and it’s a favorite of Heather’s, and very appropriate (a tale of deep friendship and loss–the friendship part, not the loss part, unless you count moving), so we popped that in after organizing, cleaning and pricing our junk in the garage.

We enjoyed wine (Muscato), hummus, figs, orange-flavored dark chocolate, goat cheese and crackers.  And wavy Lays and french onion dip.  We’re high class like that.  Seriously though, it must have been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a good chip and dip.  They weren’t kidding when they said you can’t have just one!

As usual, Heather fell asleep about half-way through, but I stayed up until the bitter end (literally and in the movie), shed a few tears and then cleaned up our mess.

The next morning, we were up at 6 a.m., enjoying coffee and Bible study together by 7 and out moving our wares to the driveway by 8.

Our hard work the night before paid off; we had everything set-up with more than enough time to spare!  (A miracle in and of itself, really.)

We plopped down on some camping chairs armed with loose change, water bottles, a notebook and our Bible studies (that didn’t really get done, but a valiant effort).

Margaret did incredibly well and only shed a few tears as yard-salers started picking through her toys.  Only one item was “un-yard-saled” (a purple bouncy ball) and brought back into the garage.

Hi Margaret!

We were blessed with great weather and all our big items went to new homes.  We called it quits around 4 p.m. and donated our leftovers to a Susy, who is having a yard sale to benefit Team In Training.

And then, after dinners, putting the youngster to bed and taking Hadrian on a nice, long walk, we did what Heather and I  usually do to celebrate no small achievement:  we grabbed the remainder of our Muscato, heated up some spinach and artichoke dip, grabbed the blue corn tortilla chips, some Ritter’s dark chocolate with marzipan (a huge hit, by the way) and popped in a movie.  And, as usual, Heather didn’t quite make it to the end.

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KAF whole-wheat pizza crust, step-by-step

Posted in Food, Friends, Things I LOVE on May 19, 2011 | 2 Comments »

As Heather and I have been eating our way through the pantry and freezer, we decided to make homemade pizza, since we had all the ingredients on-hand.  Instead of using the dough recipe that came from my breadmaker (not bad in a pinch, but made with all white flour, which I don’t prefer), I decided to take a peek in my King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook.

This was a book withdrawn from the Carmel, IN, library (libraries withdraw older, outdated books all the time and often sell them for 50 cents or so all the time) that Andrew’s grandmother gave me awhile ago.  I LOVE it.  I treat it kind of like a whole-wheat baking “bible” of sorts.  If I have something I’d like to make, or something I’d like to make in a whole-wheat version, I just open to the index and wha-lah!  There is a recipe for it!

I found this recipe:

Sounds yummy, huh?  Well, before you start salivating too much, I just used it for the crust.

It called for the water, honey, yeast and some of the flour to be mixed and then given a rest for an hour.

Disregard my crappy photos…my kitchen has almost ZERO natural light (something I MUST change in the next house!) and I’m still a beginner on Andrew’s fancy-schmancy camera.

After the rest, it called for 1 tbsp each of dried oregano and basil (a teaspoon probably would have been fine), as well as salt, cayenne pepper and olive oil.

After mixing the herbs in, the dough shrunk way down and was really wet.  Then I added the remainder of the flour, and this is what I got:

Doesn’t look much like dough, yet does it?  I should have used my KAF pastry mat here–would have made a better photo, and the measurements on it are so handy.

After 5 minutes of kneading, this is what the dough turned into:

Nice!  I did think this was one of the better photos, by the way.  I got two of these softball-plus size balls of dough, then gave them a 20 minute rest while I prepped ingredients.

A pineapple (how appropriate), leftover ham that had been frozen after our Easter feast, green peppers and mozzarella cheese.

I LOVE hawaiian pizza.  LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Unfortunately, neither Andrew nor Heather share this love, so I kept the pineapple pieces to 1/4 of the pie.

I rolled each ball into about a 12-inch round crust, then pricked the bottom with a fork and into the oven it went.  This was one of those recipes that calls for you to pre-bake the crust, which I have to admit, works best.  All too often my pizza crust is doughy in the middle from all the sauce and toppings.  Pre-baking ensures a nice crispy bottom and top before adding all the goodies.

Our topped pizza.  With two pizzas, this was a bit of a process.  Pre-heat pizza stone.  Slide crust #1 onto hot stone (tricky, to say the least), roll out crust #2, remove crust #1 and find somewhere to put it, then load #2 onto hot stone (trickier this time) and into the oven.  Top crust #1 while #2 is baking, then remove #2 from oven, crank up the heat and load topped pizza #1 onto hot stone AGAIN (this time, the crust was crisp, so very easy).

Our finished pizza!  YUM.  Verdict on the crust:  Heather wasn’t a huge fan, but it wasn’t bad.  If you’re in the mood for total splurge-worthy pizza, go with a white or half-white flour dough instead.  This is not pizza hut pizza.  While not cardboard-like in any way and very flavorful, it’s definitely a wheat crust.  I really liked it, mostly because of the texture.  It was a cross between a “hand-tossed” and a “thin and crispy” crust, which I loved.  And for me, a lot of the joy of eating is knowing I’m having something really good for me.

And because it made TWO crusts, I have one topped and in the freezer ready to bake for later :) .  Half hawaiian and half green pepper and ham.

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I’m back!

Posted in Andrew, Exercise, Family, House, Moving, Weight-loss/Nutrition on May 16, 2011 | 4 Comments »

I spent the weekend in East Aurora, NY, visiting Andrew and doing A LOT of house-hunting.  I rode up with Andrew’s mom and sister, Abigail, who were returning from a visit to Carmel, IN, and then flew home today.  Who knew a one-way plane ticket would be cheaper than renting a car?!

Here’s a recap:

Hi Abigail!

Andrew’s mom drove most of the way.  I got to sit and read and talk.

That was a good thing, since I was SO TIRED.  Can’t you tell?  I had stayed up until 1 a.m. the night before to listen to one of our Bible study sessions.  I almost fell asleep multiple times in the car.

As usual, we had Pasquale’s pizza and wings for dinner the first night there.  YUM!  I was never into Buffalo wings (I’m a mild kind of girl) until I met Andrew and was introduced to these wings.  They are the perfect blend of buffalo flavor, hot sauce and a crispy crust.  None of that gooey, slimy, overly spicy stuff here.

This is Andrew’s FAVORITE pepperoni pizza.  He loves how the little pepperoni slices curl up and form “boats” to catch the grease.  Yes, you heard that right.  I have to admit, I usually have at least half a slice with my wings.

Here is the view from the Layer’s kitchen:

I love it.  So scenic and quiet.  They’ve lived on the same street for 20-something years.  The deck is off their kitchen and this is the backyard and creek.  Deer are regular visitors.  Our cats have taken to hanging out here as well…

We went for a run Saturday morning.  It poured Friday evening and the forecast called for rain every day, so I didn’t have high hopes for good running weather.  Boy, was I wrong!  We were blessed with a mild and dry morning to start the run, and then got drizzled-on about halfway through.

Look mom!  I’m skinny now!  Thanks to Abigail for letting me borrow her clothes since what I brought would have been too warm.

Aww!  He loves me :)  Andrew was in a very good mood despite me kicking his butt the whole way.  That, and we went AFTER he got to sleep in a little.

Andrew and Odie in their natural states:

Andrew and I scheduled a same-day showing of, apparently, our dream house (LONG story, but it was as if God himself wanted us to see it and designed it just for us).  I’ll disclose more later if it looks like we have a chance to own it ourselves!

We went to Taste for dinner.  It’s a relatively new (five years or less?) cafe with wireless internet on Main Street.  It’s close to the open-air ice skating rink (also relatively new) and draws a crowd whether the weather is warm or cold.  Don’t you love the steam coming up out of the mug??

Here’s the inside.  Very cozy and comfy.

Here’s the breakfast menu–does it not look amazing?!  Oh, and they have s’mores on their menu!  You can get an order for two or four people, and it comes with grahams, marshmallows, chocolate pieces and a little burner to toast your own!  This is, obviously, a hit in the winter.

I splurged and treated myself to a coconut cream pie latte.  YUM!  Since I’ve been watching what I’ve been eating, I’ve really cut back on the “froufy” coffee drinks.  One benefit is that I’ve really lost my taste for the sickly-sweet beverages, and prefer them just slightly sweet.  Sweet enough that they aren’t just plain coffee, but not overloaded with sauce and whip and flavor.  Anyway, this drink was WONDERFUL.  Worth every calorie!

To balance out my calorie-laden beverage, I ordered the “Nutty Albacore Salad.”  Nothing to write home about, but I felt good eating light and getting protein with a hint of sweetness from the raisins.  (Not sure why the picture is so blurry…)

Andrew got a roast beef sandwich on a bagel, no cheese, mayo or horseradish.  That, in my opinion, is sacrilegious.

After dinner and our visit to our dream house, we joined the family for an evening showing of ‘Thor’ at the local theater on Main Street.

Check out the trash cans!  Aside from being full of, well, trash, aren’t they just darling?  I love this place.

Andrew and I went to breakfast Sunday morning.  We’ve been to Charlie’s before and really like sitting on the porch, but the weather wasn’t cooperating, so we settled for a table inside.  It was the worst table ever.  Just not a good location.  Good thing the blueberry pancakes I ordered MORE than made up for it!  Seriously… BEST. BLUEBERRY. PANCAKES. EVER.  Again, because I’ve been watching what I’ve been eating, I haven’t exactly been ordering pancakes or french toast or anything super “carb-y” at restaurants lately.  However, I was having a craving and after staring at the menu for 15 minutes (yes, it’s true–I am the most indecisive person on the face of the Earth), I finally gave in.  Blew Andrew’s french toast out of the water.

Andrew’s family had tickets to see “Wicked,” which was playing downtown, so they did that while we hit up a bunch of open houses.  We didn’t come away loving anything, which was a good thing.  And it wasn’t because we were comparing anything to our dream house, because I honestly wasn’t.  Nothing felt like “us.”  Thankfully, we have plenty of time.

We heard from our realtor last night and our open house here went incredibly well.  To quote her, “it was grand central station,” so that’s a good thing.  She said everyone loved the place and there were lots of babies.  Let’s hope that means some second showings this week!

I flew home Monday morning after seeing Andrew off to work and going on a quick run.  Two one-hour flights later, I was in the car with Heather and on our way to pick Hadrian up from puppy camp.

What a weekend!  Even though Andrew is already in New York, this is still my home until we sell our house.  East Aurora is starting to feel like home, especially when I go on my runs around his parents’ house.  There just something about the back roads, the cute homes, the trees and the fresh air.  And I’ve been going on runs there for the last nine years or so.

I’m looking forward to another jam-packed week of errands, odds-and-ends, working at the library and prepping with Heather for our Saturday yard sale!

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