My Google Reader

RSS feeds are quite possibly the best internet invention ever. My Google Reader is my lifeline – it’s how I follow news, how I read blogs, how I find all the fun and random stuff to put in my Things I Want sidebar (look to your left) and in my Best of the Week posts.

For those of you who don’t use an RSS reader, let me enlighten you. When you come across something you like – a website, a blog, whatever – look for the little icon that looks like an orange square signal, or says RSS, or "subscribe in a reader." Click on it to add that site to your Reader feed. (Go here for directions on how to create a Google Reader account – no, Google isn’t paying me…but wink wink nudge nudge Google? I could use some incentives…)

It’s like having a magazine subscription – everything you want to read is delivered to one site (your Google Reader page). The unread items are in bold, so you know what needs to be clicked through – no need to remember which blogs you like to check or which websites you want to read.

It’s glorious. And clearly my Reader is extensive. I have 128 subscriptions. Though I definitely don’t read every single one, I like to click through and check on them. 

The following list isn’t sorted, it’s just alphabetical…I like to mix my cake and running blogs with my international affairs and humor blogs….

Eat Run Read's Google Reader

 

** Happiness Is...**

http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/EDnH

100 pounds and counting...

http://www.100lbsandcounting.com/feeds/posts/default

1000 Awesome Things

http://feeds.feedburner.com/1000AwesomeThings

101 Cookbooks

http://feeds.101cookbooks.com/101cookbooks

2birds1blog

http://www.2birds1blog.com/feeds/posts/default

A Cozy Kitchen

http://www.acozykitchen.com/feed/

A Muffin & a Muse

http://amuffinandamuse.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Africa News blog

http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/feed/

Aid Watch

http://aidwatchers.com/feed/

An Edible Mosaic

http://www.anediblemosaic.com/?feed=rss2

Atalanta's Apples

http://atalantasapples.wordpress.com/feed/

Bake or Break

http://feeds.feedburner.com/BakeOrBreak

BayUgrl Lifestyle

http://feeds.feedburner.com/bayugrl

BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_uk_edition/sci/tech/rss.xml

Beth's Half Marathon Adventure

http://bethshalfmarathonadventure.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Beth's Journey

http://bethsjourney.com/feed/

Biochemísta.com

http://www.biochemista.com/feeds/posts/default

Brookings: Topics - Africa

http://webfeeds.brookings.edu/brookingsrss/topics/africa

Brown Eyed Baker

http://feeds.feedburner.com/browneyedbaker/feed

Capitol to Capital

http://ieatdc.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Catalog Living

http://feeds.feedburner.com/http/cataloglivingtumblrcom

Chasing Consciousness

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ChasingConsciousness

Chris Blattman

http://feeds.feedburner.com/chrisblattman

Christian Science Monitor | World

http://rss.csmonitor.com/feeds/world

Clutzy Cooking

 http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Coconut Crumbs

http://coconutcrumbs.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Congo Siasa

http://congosiasa.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

cookies and cups

http://cookiesandcups.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Culinary in the Desert

http://feeds.feedburner.com/CulinaryInTheDesert

Dash's Bites

http://feeds.feedburner.com/DashsBites

Daydreamer Desserts

http://daydreamerdesserts.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

DC Ladies

http://feeds.feedburner.com/DCLadies

DC Running Examiner

http://rss.examiner.com/RSS-42197-DC-Running-Examiner.rss

Deepthroat's Guide to Washington, DC Foodie Life, and other random thoughts of a random bureaucrat

http://dclovesfood.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Delightful Bitefuls

http://delightfulbitefuls.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Dietitian on the Run

http://dietitianontherun.com/feed/

Discovery News - Animals

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/subjects/animals/xml/top-stories.xml

DISHES TO DIE FOR: Foodie Heaven in DC and Beyond

http://foodieheavendc.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Dishing Up Delights

http://feeds.feedburner.com/DishingUpDelights

drblakeshealingsole.com

http://www.drblakeshealingsole.com/feeds/posts/default

Dunk Twice

http://dunktwice.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

east coast calling

http://eastcoastcalling.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Eat, Live, Run

http://eatliverun.com/feed/

Eat, Run, Read

http://feeds.feedburner.com/EatRunRead?format=xml

Enough blogs

http://feeds.feedburner.com/enoughblog

Evil Shenanigans - Baking & Cooking Blog

http://feeds.feedburner.com/EvilShenanigansBlog

Feasty Times

http://feastytimes.wordpress.com/feed/

First Look, Then Cook

http://firstlookthencook.wordpress.com/feed/

Foodalution

http://www.foodalution.com/feeds/posts/default

France

http://andi-france.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

From the Land of Teranga

http://fromthelandofteranga.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Good Intentions Are Not Enough

http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/GoodIntentions

Green Kitchen Stories

http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/feed/

Grilled Cheese Social

http://www.grilledcheesesocial.com/feeds/posts/default

honey & jam

http://www.honeyandjam.com/feeds/posts/default

How Sweet It Is

http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp

Hyperbole and a Half

http://feeds.feedburner.com/Hyperbole-and-a-half

Ice Cream Before Dinner

http://icecreambeforedinner.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Jessi Stensland - Adventures in Endurance Performance

http://community.active.com/blogs/jessistensland/feeds/posts

Judy in Her Natural Habitat: The Kitchen

http://domesticgoddessadventures.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Katie Peterson

http://katiepetersonpaints.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Kim's Fantastic Eats

http://www.kimsfantasticeats.com/feeds/posts/default

Lentil Breakdown

http://lentilbreakdown.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Let's Dish

http://letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

lisa is cooking

http://lisaiscooking.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Liz Runs DC

http://lizrunsdc.com/feed/

Love Is...

http://aleeanddan.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Lovin' From the Oven

http://www.lovintheoven.com/feeds/posts/default

Make Every Day Chazual Friday

http://chaznasty.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Making Amends Campaign » News

http://www.makingamendscampaign.org/category/news/feed/

metrocurean

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/Metrocurean

Michael E. O'Hanlon - Brookings Institution

 http://webfeeds.brookings.edu/brookingsrss/experts/ohanlonm?format=xml

Midpack Runner

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MidpackRunner

Mowielicious

http://feeds.feedburner.com/Mowielicious

My Baking Addiction

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyBakingAddiction

Natalie's Killer Cuisine

http://feeds.feedburner.com/NataliesKillerCuisine

National Geographic News

http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/ng/News/News_Main

Needful Things

http://someneedfulthings.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Nicholas D. Kristof's Columns

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/nicholasdkristof/?rss=1

Not So Humble Pie

http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

NYT > Animals

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/science/topics/animals/?rss=1

Obsessed With Baking

 http://obsessedwithbaking.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Occasional Notes

http://leeryannotes.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

One Particular Kitchen

http://oneparticularkitchen.com/feed/

Piece of Cake: Freshly Baked Stories, Recipes and Photos

http://pieceofcakeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Playing House

http://www.playinghouseblog.com/feeds/posts/default

Popular Coffee News

http://feeds.feedburner.com/PopularCoffeeNews

raspberri cupcakes

http://raspberricupcakes.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Rockstar Rants

http://rockstarrants.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

run, janelle, run!

http://runjanellerun.com/feed/

Runner's World Daily Views

http://feeds.feedburner.com/RunnnerWorldDailyViews

ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

http://www.sciencedaily.com/rss/plants_animals.xml

Shut Up and Run!

http://twentysixpointtwoormore.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

smitten kitchen

http://feeds.feedburner.com/smittenkitchen

So Good and Tasty

http://sogoodandtasty.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Sprinkle Bakes

http://feeds.feedburner.com/SprinkleBakes

Suburban Yogini

http://feeds.feedburner.com/suburbanyogini/nTty

SWEET AS SUGAR COOKIES

http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Sweetapolita

http://feeds.feedburner.com/Sweetapolita

SwimBikeRunDC

http://swimbikerundc.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Talk Suds To Me

http://talkingsuds.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Tartelette

http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/gzrI

Tea and Oranges

http://tnoranges.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The Curvy Carrot

http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/feed/

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary http://thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The Enchanted Cook

http://theenchantedcook.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The Exclamatory Scone

http://exclamatoryscone.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

the kitchen generation

http://feeds.feedburner.com/kitchengeneration

The Novice Chef

http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/feeds/posts/default

The Pancake Project

http://thepancakeproject.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The Paris Food Blague

http://frogsandmen.wordpress.com/feed/

The Sassy Bohemian

http://thesassybohemian.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The un-Zen Runner

http://www.unzenrunner.com/feeds/posts/default

The Way the Cookie Crumbles

http://www.crumblycookie.net/feed/

These Peas are Hollow

http://thesepeasarehollow.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

UN News Centre - Top Stories

http://www.un.org/apps/news/rss/rss_top.asp

Une Gamine dans la Cuisine

http://pixie-baker.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

vanilla sugar

 http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/bRwg

We Love DC » Donna C.

 http://www.welovedc.com/author/donna-c/feed/

Welcome to Boston

http://welcome-boston.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

what megan's making...

http://www.whatmegansmaking.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Will Write For Food

http://feeds.feedburner.com/diannej/OeRK

Willow Bird Baking

http://feeds.feedburner.com/WillowBirdBaking

wronging rights

http://wrongingrights.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Zacstravaganza!

http://zacstravaganza.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Zoe Bakes

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ZoeBakes

Zoology News - Topix

http://www.topix.com/rss/science/zoology

Ricotta Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Tomatoes

Real food alert!

Yesterday I mentioned that I made mac and cheese for my house dinner. I had a lot of dairy in my fridge, so milky cheesy creamy pasta was the obvious solution.

I invented the following recipe, and it turned out quite well! I don’t know why I haven’t added ricotta to mac and cheese before – it made it extra creamy and delicious. It’s super simple and you don’t need to add the extras if you don’t want them (though I have a hard time comprehending not wanting caramelized onions and tomatoes).

Ricotta Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Tomatoes

Caramelized Onions

4 yellow onions

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

1. Peel and thinly slice the onions.

2. Add oil to a heavy bottomed sauté pan and heat until the oil is shimmering.

3. Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions.

4. Let cook for 30 minutes to an hour more, stirring every few minutes. As soon as the onions start sticking to the pan, let them stick a little and brown, but then stir them before they burn. The trick is to let them alone enough to brown (if you stir them too often, they won't brown), but not so long so that they burn.

You can cook the onions in advance. If you do, cool and store them in the fridge.

Mac and Cheese

½ lb pasta

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

12 oz ricotta cheese

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (reserve ½ cup for sprinkling over the top)

5 large tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 375*.

1. Prepare pasta al dente according to box directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking: In a medium sized pot, melt butter. Add flour and wisk for 1 minute over medium heat to make a roux.

3. Wisk in 1 cup milk and heat. Add the second cup milk, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and heat until just before it simmers.

4. Add ricotta and cheddar cheese and stir on the stove for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

5. Mix pasta and sauce and pour into a 9x13 baking dish.

6. Spread caramelized onions over the mac and cheese, and top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.

7. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until top begins to brown. If you want a crispier top, turn on the broiler for last couple minutes of cooking.

Enjoy! And I strongly suggest you chase your mac and cheese with a slice of Zingy Orange Ginger Cake!

Cake of the Week: Zingy Orange Ginger Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

Carrots.

Orange zest.

Candied ginger.

White chocolate.

It may sound like a bizarre shopping list, but trust me – this cake is actually one of the best flavor combinations I’ve ever encountered. I made it for a house dinner a couple weeks ago and it was perfect.

Dear Zingy Orange Ginger Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Frosting,

You complete me.

Love,

Mollie

I live in a group house with anywhere from 2-8 housemates. Mine is the basement apartment, and I love my cozy cave! It’s comfortably messy, with a red couch and art exhibit posters on the walls. And most importantly it’s all mine. Fabulous.

Between all the ridiculousness that I do, and my various housemates’ crazy schedules, we don’t always see each other very often. So every once and a while I emerge out of the depths and climb a few flights of stairs – baked goods in hand and happy to share! 

I made this cake for a house dinner (I’ll post my mac and cheese recipe later this week).  It’s nice to sit down together and catch up and enjoy something delicious. And of course dessert is high on my menu planning priorities.

I saw this cake on Sweetapolita and there were no questions – it had to happen. She promised a “boarderline religious” cake eating experience, and I have to say, this cake delivered! The cake itself is super flavorful and not too sweet. I adore candied ginger and it adds a nice chunky chew to the carrots. (Gushing alert - what can I say? It was that good!) And the frosting is beyond. It’s definitely on the super-sweet side of things, but balances nicely with the spicy cake.

Make it for your housemates, your family, your friends, yourself. You won’t regret it!

Zingy Orange Ginger Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Icing  (from Sweetapolita)

Ingredients

5 cups (1.25 L) grated carrots

1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped crystallized ginger or stem ginger in syrup (surprisingly cheapest at Whole Foods - look in the produce or bulk buying sections)

1 orange

2 1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger

1 cup (250 mL) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

2/3 cup (150 mL) milk

White Chocolate Frosting

1 cup (250 mL) butter, at room temperature (I did 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup cream cheese.)

6 squares (6 oz/175 g) white chocolate

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

3/4 tsp (4 mL) almond extract

Generous pinch of salt

3 cups(750 mL) sifted icing sugar (aka powdered sugar)

2 tablespoons water or milk, as needed

Garnish

Chopped crystallized ginger

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Spray or lightly oil two or 3 9-inch (1.5-L) round cake pans.

2. Grate carrots using a food processor. Measure out 5 cups (1.25 L). Finely chop ginger. Grate peel from orange. Set aside separately. Place flour in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Stir until blended. Sprinkle in orange peel while stirring.

3. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, then beat on medium for 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, then vanilla. Don’t worry if it seems curdled. Beating on low, gradually add about a third of the flour mixture. Beat until just mixed, followed by half the milk. Repeat additions, ending with flour. Sprinkle chopped ginger and stir to distribute. Stir in carrots.

4. Divide batter between pans. Spread as evenly as possible to sides of pan. To remove air pockets, bang pans on counter 5 to 6 times. Bake until centres seem set when lightly tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Place on a baking rack to cool. After about 15 minutes, turn cakes out of pans and cool completely on racks. It’s best to bake cakes a day ahead of icing and leave at room temperature overnight.

5. To make frosting, beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until very creamy. Place chocolate in a small microwave bowl. Microwave on medium for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on medium for another minute. Stir until smooth. Or on stovetop heat chocoolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir, often. Gradually beat into butter. Add vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Gradually beat in icing sugar. If your frosting is too thick, add the water or milk until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

6. To assemble, palce 1 cake, flat-side up, on a platter.Generously spread with icing, leaving a narrow border of cake around the edge. Top  with the second cake, flat-side down, and gently press down. If doing 3 layers, repeat. Smoothly spread frosting over the sides of the cake, then the top. Garnish top of cake with chopped  crystallized ginger. It’s best to refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

We didn't refrigerate the cake before eating, which is why the slices came out kinda messy...but the next day it cut very easily and cleanly. I recommend taking the cake out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving so the frosting can come to room temp (and therefore be softer and creamier). Yummmm!

Weekend Report: Trey McIntyre Project and a trip to Rehoboth Beach

Saturday night, LLC and I saw the Trey McIntyre Project, an impressive modern dance group. They’re based in Boise, but the choreography is inspired by New Orleans culture. A-freaking-mazing. These dancers can move! The performance was in three separate pieces.

The first, “Ma Maison,” featured dancers in skeleton costumes (not in a creepy way) and was inspired by traditional New Orleans funerals (imagine a combination of Day of the Dead and Mardi Gras, all set to jazz music). According to the Post, the performance “unleashes the raucous celebration of the jazz funeral, the Cajun acceptance of ghosts, the fearlessness of a population that has experienced hurricanes and hardship since its very beginnings — and all of this unspools to very hot music.”

Part 2, “The Sweeter End,” was grittier with more acrobatic moves.

My favorite was Part 3, “In Dreams.” It’s about Tennessee, “a work of intense vulnerability and pain made visible.”

The music is awesome, the dancers are amazing – if you ever have a chance to see anything by the Trey McIntyre Project do it! (Go here for a tour schedule.)

Then early Sunday morning my co-volunteer and I rented a car, made a picnic, and took our refugees to Rehoboth Beach. (In case you're confused, I do refugee assistance volunteering.)

It was quite the day. We picked them up at 8:30am, crammed all 8 of us into a minivan, and started driving. Rehoboth Beach, DE is a little over 2 hours from their apartment in Maryland. Unlike the redneck beach Ex-Co-Worker Megan and I ventured to last summer, this was the for-serious real thing! Ocean, waves, sand, and boardwalk. Picnic sandwiches, ice cold salt water, sand in your hair, sea-smelling air in your face.

I was a little concerned as we planned the trip…I didn’t know if the family (who are originally from the Congo) would take to the whole beach concept. Well, it turns out I had nothing to worry about – they loved it. They are from Great Lakes region of East Africa, so the beach made them feel like home.

On the drive they saw their first cows, and were in awe of the Maryland Bay Bridge (I was too - did you know there’s a huge bridge in the middle of the state???). Once we arrived they learned that the ocean is salty, and that Merry-Go-Rounds are fun.

Despite the partly cloudy weather, the kids splashed in the ocean and built sand castles. And of course took enough super-model-on-the-beach photos to stock an album (they love taking pictures of themselves).

We left the beach completely exhausted and happy. It sounded daunting, but Rehoboth is a totally do-able day trip from DC. And definitely worth it! 

Best of the Week #20

Look at the top of your browser. Does it say http://eatrunread.blogspot.com? Well now try this: www.eatrunread.com. 

YEAH THAT’S RIGHT! I am now the proud owner of my own domain! (And the best part is that nothing really changes for my readers – you can still access me through Blogger, and your RSS and subscription settings don’t change at all.) Best going away present ever from Boss #3.

Last night I started another trial gym membership – this one even fancier than Mint. The SportsClub LA is inside the Ritz…umm yeah…

My roommate and I did the Kukuwa Dance class (This class blends Latin, African and Caribbean rhythms into a low impact, high-energy cardiovascular workout). Aka ridiculousness. Watch the video (no, that's not us, but that is our teacher!)

There are many things in the world I’m good at…shimmying is not one of them. But we shook and jumped and flailed with enthusiasm for an hour – it was really fun! When the dancing was done, I stayed in the room to take the Definitions weight training class (why not, right?).

Then this morning I decided to hit up their fancy shmancy pool. Big mistake. I got in and realized that it’s only 4 feet deep! 

Me, out loud to no one: 4 feet? Only 4 feet? How am I supposed to pool run in 4 feet of water????

So I got creative, picked up a kickboard, and kicked for 45 minutes. Ugh. Should I just swim? Maybe….But I can’t. And I don’t have goggles. Bah, oh well. At least I got to use their nice locker room to get pretty (or something) for my last Friday at work! (Did you miss the news? Go here to catch up!)

My most popular post this week was my Weekend Report: Mother's Day and EU Embassies.

This makes me laugh every time. There’s something to be said for the amount of time and effort someone put into creating such a ridiculously realistic website. Go from pretty to kitty! Hahahaha!

I didn’t really get into the whole Royal Wedding mania…but I do enjoy this site: Kate Middleton For The Win.

Odds are, if you’re a woman under the age of 30, you had an American Girl Doll. This article will tell you What Your American Girl Doll Says About the Rest of Your Life.  I had Molly (well duh), but I’m not a huge fan of what they say about her…though I like this part, 

“If you were a Molly, and had a Molly…you were imbued, then and now, with an immutable sense of self. At least Molly could tap dance, which is frankly more talent than any of the other girls exhibited.” 

(Have I ever told you about my tap dancing skills? For serious! I was a pretty skilled tap-dancing first grader!)

LOTR-Emily forwarded me an email, and it makes me laugh out loud at my desk every time I read it. They’re fake “historical” facebook statuses. For some reason the thought of Thomas Jefferson saying “Amiright?” just kills me.  

And then Boss #2 followed it up with this! (Note that US Navy Seals “like this”!)

Rabbit dressage. Watch it. Enough said.

My book club may need to plan a movie date – this movie with Will Ferrell was inspired by Raymond Carver’s short story, “Why Don’t You Dance?” Watch the trailer of Everything Must Go here. 

This weekend I'm taking my refugees to the beach. Should be quite the venture....they've never seen the ocean! 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Tiring Track Workout

It’s kind of incredible that we ran so hard last night we’re still tired this morning, mused 6x6 as we met for Swahili at 8am yesterday.

Yeah, I suppose that is some kind of cool…I agreed as I sipped my large Americano and contemplated Swahili verbs (and my aching feet).

Oh the running crazy - how I love thee!

But before Tuesday night’s workout I wasn’t so sure. After my horrendous long run attempt Sunday morning, running and I were not exactly friends….

I warmed up by running to the track (2 miles). When I arrived Coach George asked how I was feeling. Umm, I’ll let you know 800 meters into the first mile? (All runners know, sometimes you can’t predict how you’re going to feel.)

The turnout was sparse, so to avoid running alone, I ran with a faster group. The workout was: 1600m (aka 1 mile), 800m, 400m times 2.

I got to that 800 meter mark of the first mile, and I wasn’t exactly enjoying myself. I could have backed off…but the whole point of speed workouts is to push myself - that’s the only way I’ll get faster.

So I daydreamed. I imagined myself at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston, circa Freshman year of college. Miserable. Chasing after girls way faster and fitter and generally better than myself. And hating life but terrified of failing. 

I’m not saying that’s the way you should workout. I’m 99.9% sure I overtrained for years in my efforts to catch up. But on Tuesday night it was a good reference point to remind me that workouts aren’t supposed to be pleasant. They’re supposed to be hard. But I can run fast and I can push myself and I don’t need to give up and slow down.

And the workout got better as I went! I did the first set completely, and then shortened the second 1600m (so I did 800m, 800m, 400m for the second set). (Holler for running smart!) I ran home to cool down (2 miles), and collapsed on my couch. 

I was tired at the end. But feeling pretty good about myself. 

Cake of the Week: Funfetti Cakeballs and Chocolate Espresso Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

I have a bit of a baking backlog going on here. I mention my epic weekend baking plans in Best of the Week, but then don’t deliver on the following Tuesday. What does that mean for you lucky readers today? Two for one!

We’ll go chronologically.

From Best of the Week #17:

“Guess what I'm making this weekend? Funfetti Cakeballs!!! Oooohhhh YEAH!”

Followed by the Weekend Report:

“Oh, and the Funfetti Cakeballs were amazing. Obviously! (More on those later.)”

Easter weekend my roommates and I dyed a lot of Easter eggs (which, as the only hard-boiled-egg-eater in the house, I am still working thorough). Inspiration struck me the week before Easter – Funfetti Cakeballs! 

 

Funfetti is the only box cake I really like, and cakeballs…well duh. With some sprinkles on top they’re perfectly springy and festive!

Funfetti Cakeballs

Ingredients

1 box of Funfetti cake mix

1 lb bar of milk chocolate from Trader Joes (This was awesome! It melted really well, and is cheaper than buying fancy chocolate chips or baking chocolate. I thought I might need a bag of chocolate chips too, but they weren't necessary.)

1 tub of frosting (I used vanilla, but to make these even more Funfetti-ish I recommend Rainbow Chip.)

Directions

• Prepare the cake mix according to box directions.
• Let cool completely.
• In a large bowl, crumble cake and mix in frosting.

• Let chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Use your hands (or spoons) to form cakeballs.
• Chill cakeballs for at least 30 minutes.

• In a double boiler melt chocolate (do ¼ lb at a time).
• Using spoons roll balls in chocolate, and place on waxed paper to cool completely.
• To store: refrigerate in a sealed container.

For a step-by-step cakeball walk-through, read this post. I’ve made Red Velvet Cakeballs, and Spice Cakeballs. This recipe is always a winner.

And now your two-for-one!

From Best of the Week #18:

“And I made this cake (but in cupcake form) as a going away present for one of my co-workers.”

My mama saw this recipe in my “Things I Want” sidebar and says it’s the BEST chocolate cake ever. So on my cake-loving co-worker’s last day, I brought him some cupcakes.

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake (from Sweetapolita)

Ingredients

8 oz butter (2 sticks/1 cup)

1/2 cup high quality Dutch process cocoa, such as Cacao Barry Extra Brute

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved into 3/4 cup water

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan or Kugelhopf pan. (Or line cupcake tins)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the espresso water and remove from heat. Add the sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs to the warmed cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. In a medium bowl combine the flour, sbaking soda, and salt. Add all at once to the first mixture, whisking until well blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch and has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. (For cupcakes, cook 20 minutes) Cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake with a knife and invert onto a large plate.

Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze

4 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate (I use Callebaut), coarsely chopped

1/3 cup unsalted butter,  softened and cut into 1/2 pieces

1 1/2 teaspooons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Place the chocolate, butter, corn syrup, and cinnamon in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the mixture using a rubber spatula until melted and smooth.

Assembly

Pour warm glaze over bundt cake. Keep covered in a cake-keeper at room temperature for up to 4 days. For cupcakes: Spoon glaze over cupcakes. My glaze was pretty runny, so I waited until it cooled a bit before glazing the cupcake.