Best of the Week #28

Phew! What a week!

Sorry about the no-post Thursday, apparently that’s becoming a thing around here…and I even have a book all set to review: Tender is the Night = awesome! (More on that next week, I promise.)

“Why so crazy?” you may wonder? Well work has been a bit intense. And the GRE’s are impending. And I’m pooling with SpeedyKate. And I need to plan like woah because guess what? I’M GOING TO INDIA!!!

For 2 weeks in August, Sister2 (who is there studying abroad right now) and I are going to travel around India. Have you been? Any recommendations of things we must see and do?

But for now I’m in DC, doing my thing…a thing that includes Best of the Week because it’s Friday!

My most popular post this week was the Weekend Report: Chix Gets Married.

This video cracks me up. One of my housemates sent it around in response to dishes left in the sink. “You kill the joe you make some mo’!” Hahahahahah!

This story brought a whole new angle into the South Sudan independence discussion: “Newest country boasts one of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles, but protection needed.”

"What Your Cube Says About You" from The Grindstone is pretty funny.

That said, some ladies have a tendency to make themselves too much at home in the cubicle. Your cubicle is indeed a personal sanctuary, but that doesn’t mean your coworkers won’t have a visceral reaction to generally unsanitary cubicle conditions…The same goes for open boxes of Chinese food or a sweaty t-shirt from your lunch hour run hanging off the back of your chair.

I wouldn’t go so far to say that my desk is unsanitary…but the running shirt drying is definitely a thing I’ve done before and will shamelessly do again.

An outdoor library sounds so nice! But what happens when it rains?

“A Tel Aviv community group set up a library in a park shunned by many Tel Aviv residents, hoping to provide a refuge for struggling migrant workers and refugees.”

Runners World Daily posted a rather hilarious “Formula for Losing Fitness.” 

[NR + (B - SS) x CF] = %FL 


Where NR = Number of Days Without a Run; B = Average Number of Beers Drunk on Each of Those Days; SS = Average Number of Hours Sightseeing on Each of Those Days; CF = Number of Visits to The Cheesecake Factory; and%FL = Percentage Fitness Loss.

Might come in handy if you are going on vacation this summer…”I could actually hear myself getting fatter.” 

Umm awesome? Broccoli House. (source)

Also in Sudan news -  amazing t-shirt, right? (source)

A brief post from Blattman about how the “Like” button is taking us towards a 1984-ish state. (Read here.)

Theme parks in Africa? Why not! (source)

However discouraging West Africa’s economics are, its demographics make it ripe for a theme park bonanza. Half the continent is under 20. By 2050, one in every fifth person on the planet will be a sub-Saharan African, according to the United Nations. Hundreds of millions of those will be teenagers with no place to go on a date.

Until last night I was the only person on the planet who hadn’t seen the first part of the last Harry Potter Movie (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1). And now that I’m all caught up, my ticket is purchased, I’ll be seeing Part 2 tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

Cake of the Week: Dark Chocolate Ganache-Filled Red Velvet Cake

"On Monday, July 12 we're baking a birthday cake. Put it on your calendar, it's got to be epic!" directed 6x6 over a month ago.

Well alright then! I'm always happy to facilitate baking, even in cases (such as this - 6x6's coworker's birthday) that I don't get to eat the result. 

After much deliberation, we settled on a simple yet delicious and slightly special cake: Red Velvet Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling and lots of Cream Cheese Frosting.

Aryan loved it! Apparently no one has ever baked her a cake before so she was super-psyched. And I'm told it turned out delicious. The cake is sweet, the dark chocolate is intense and the cream cheese frosting adds a nice tang.

There was almost a cake disaster in my kitchen. We had a major issue getting them out of the pans (despite the fact that I buttered and floured them), so it might be wise to actually do the parchment paper thing. Luckily I am a cake disaster master (not sure if that's something to be proud of). I patched them up à la the Rainbow Cake, and once the whole situation was doused in dark chocolate ganache and covered in cream cheese frosting, the "problem" was a perfect birthday cake!

Red Velvet Cake (from Alton Brown)

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray
• 5 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces cake flour
• 1/2 ounce natural cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 fluid ounce red liquid food coloring
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 1/2 ounces dark brown sugar
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 whole eggs, room temperature

Directions

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Spray 2 (9-inch) round pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom of the pan with a parchment paper round, spray the parchment with nonstick spray, and set aside.
2. Whisk the flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream on medium speed until lightened in color, 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Return the mixer to medium speed and slowly add the eggs and beat until they are fully incorporated.
4. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 installments, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl between each installment. Mix on low speed until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until the cake springs back when pressed or reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes.
6. Cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, and then remove the cake from the pans and cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 13 1/2 ounces powdered sugar
• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch kosher salt

Combine the cream cheese and butter on medium speed, just until blended, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches, beating until smooth between each addition. Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

(FYI this recipe will make more than you need. You can half it if you’re opposed to extra ganache…but why would you be???)

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 oz dark, bittersweet, or semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped)

Bring cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.

Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour cream over chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes.

Wisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed.

Let ganache cool for a couple minutes, so it’s spreadable but not liquid.

Assembly

1. Place first cake layer on a plate or stand. Cover with a layer of ganache and put in the fridge for a couple minutes to solidify.
2. Dollop a few spoonfuls’s of frosting on top of the ganache and spread evenly.
3. Top with second cake layer.
4. Frost the rest of the cake.
5. Write Happy Birthday and bring it to work/party/eat it then. You’re all set!

Power Lacing for Runners

Power lacing is a technique that will keep your shoes comfortable, stable, and tight. 

You probably thought shoe-lacing was just criss-cross, then either bunny-through-the-hole or double-bunny-ears, and you’re done. But no! Leave it to runners to come up with a slightly more complex but ingeniously better way to keep feet in shoes and shoes pounding pavement.

According to Dr. Blake, who made my orthodics way back in high school, “Power lacing gives excellent added rearfoot stability…and [makes] stability shoes function like motion control shoes…I estimate power lacing adds 10 to 20 % more stability for pronation or supination control in most patients…” (He has a blog, if you’re interested in more from Dr. Blake.)

I like my shoes to be one with my feet. No heel rubbing, and no lateral or vertical movement for this girl! I wear orthodics, which raise my heels a bit. Therefore, if I don't power lace I feel like my feet are about to come out of my shoes.

The power lacing technique is simple and easy to do, and makes a huge difference. Watch the video below to see the magic. You'll never normally lace again!

Weekend Report: Chix Gets Married!

Welp it’s official - I’m in that 20-something phase when everyone starts to get married. Luckily I love weddings! (How could you not? Friends + love + dancing + cake = fun!)

The bride was my college friend/teammate, C--- aka Chix. Chix was the first runner I met at BU, and by random chance we lived across the hall from each other freshman year. After I stopped being shy-freshman intimidated by her running awesomeness, we became great friends! Almost every night, Chix, Jess, and I met in the dining hall “late-night” to drink diet soda and split a snack as a study break. And giggle excessively, and make guacamole, and talk about sandwiches, and a certain now-Mr. Chix’s legs!

Her wedding was my second visit to Fitchburg (I spent Thanksgiving with her family one year), and as expected, the Chix family delivered and Fitchburg did not disappoint!

Chix looked absolutely beautiful, and we danced like fools all night (it’s amazing how when you reconvene old friends and teammates we suddenly lose any acquired maturity  and regress to our 2005/6ish selves…sheesh).

(Yes, that is the bride crowd-surfing. Who says runners aren't fun?)

The day after the wedding was the most gorgeous Boston day ever! Jess, Erin, and I meandered around Coolidge Corner, then walked down to Newbury and Boylston Streets to do some shopping. (I got amazing sandals. They were expensive, but I walk 2-6 miles per day, so good sandals are a must.)

Jess's boyfriend Zac met us for dinner at Mr. Sushi in Coolidge Corner. Cheesy name, but amazing food! Erin, Jess, and I all ordered the Hai Dup Bap, a gi-normous bowl of delicious veggies (daikon, carrots, sprouts, cucumber, etc) topped with big chunks of sushi grade tuna, salmon, and roe. 

It comes with miso soup, brown rice and mix-in toppings. So. Good. (I wish the pictures could do it justice…but you’ll have to use your imagination.)

(Jess and Zac. This couple can eat.)

I arrived back in DC early Sunday, enough time to get my productive-face on and do some work/studying/pool running.


It was a great weekend - Congrats to the MAX to Chix and Mr. Chix!!!!

Best of the Week #27

It’s not Friday yet, but in my mind it is! Because I’m fleeing DC and flying to Boston for my super-awesome friend Christine’s wedding! She and her soon-to-be husband are a track couple (i.e. they met when we were all running in college), so the guests list includes all my favorite usual suspects: Jess, Erin, and Amy to name a few.

I watched Say Yes to the Dress last night to get me in the wedding mood…it’s going to be awesome!

In light of my impending absence, I’ll give you Best of the Week a day early.

My most popular post this week was Lemon Filled Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (again!).

For no particular reason, this week is all about animals....

Guess what animal this is? "It can live over 30 years, which is very impressive for an animal that's smaller than a rat. Rats live for just four years." (source)

Jezebel posted about What Your Pet's Name Says About You. My pets have human names (dogs: Sarah and Amy). Here's the assessment. (source)

Human first name:
What it says about you: A crony of mine posed an interesting theory about people who give animals people first names. She thinks that people who name animals after humans give the animals names that the owners would secretly like to name their offspring if they only had the balls and the agreement from their partners. I'm inclined to agree with her. However, all bets are off when it comes to naming a dog "Molly." Another associate pointed out that there are way too many dogs named Molly, for no good reason.

Also from Jezebel, the most patient cat in the world! (source)

This one isn't animal related, but it is awesome. In 8th grade I built a bridge out of toothpicks...but nothing can compare with this! (source)

In real-world news, it's South Sudan's Independence this Saturday!!! Happy Birthday to a new nation! (More info here, and here.)

Ok, gotta run catch a plane. But I'll add more tomorrow morning if I have time! 

Happy Weekend!!!

Cake of the Week: Salty Peanut Butter Blondie Bars

They’re buttery and peanutty and ever so slightly salty – like a shortbread/blondie/peanut butter bar combination, with flecks of dark chocolate for tang and sea salt for depth. Am I in love? Yes. Yes I am.

I first made these bars for a house dinner, and then adapted the recipe (read: added more butter and cooked for less time) to bring them to 4th of July parties over the weekend. They travel and store really well, and taste so much more exciting than their modest exterior suggests.

The recipe is for a 9x13 inch pan, but I baked them in two 9 inch pans to make transportation easier. Oh, and I may or may not have eaten an entire row of bars the night I made them…you may judge me now, but I challenge you to make this recipe and not do the same!


I started with my More is More Bars blondie recipe, but then tweaked it to make the bars exponentially more awesome.

Salty Peanut Butter Blondie Bars

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup peanut butter – I used smooth, but crunchy would be good too.
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cup mini dark chocolate chunks (or you could use semi-sweet chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Add the chocolate chunks. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish.)

Bake 20-25 minutes. You really don’t want to over-cook them, so err on the side of doughyness.

This may be my new go-to bar recipe. It's way easier than cookies, has the same number of ingredients, and no need to worry about multiple sheets! Easy and de-freaking-licious!

Weekend Report: Happy 4th of July!

It was a looonnnnggg weekend, in the best way possible. In the span of three days I managed to attend two parties, two bar-b-q’s, and a picnic. Plus entire day at the pool and fireworks of course!

Friday night  6x6, LOTR-Emily and I met after work and stayed out far later than our low-key Friday night anticipated - 6x6's friends' birthday turned into a late (but fun) night around Dupont.

Saturday afternoon LOTR-Emily and I went to a friends' patio grill-out. She has the most amazing landlords ever – they’re super into gardening, so her patio is like a little rain forest in the backyard. It was perfect for grilling and sitting in the sun all afternoon. I learned that hominy is delicious, and that "Container Gardening" is a thing. 


After the bar-b-q I went to party #2 with SpeedyKate. Her friends hosted a two-house Independence Day Party. You know you’re at a DC party when you a) speak Swahili with someone, b) discuss foreign affairs, and c) see one of your interns.

Sunday I spent a semi-lazy afternoon at the pool. I say “semi” because it started with a 75-minute kinda-intense outdoor pool run with SpeedyKate (so that part was very active). But then we lounged in the sun for 4 hours – me attempting to study GREs, and everyone else (my friends met us there) reading their books.

Post-pool we walked to our favorite fro-yo place in Farragut Square, a region usually reserved for professionals and pencil skirts, but on this holiday weekend empty except for a few incongruous overheated tourists and us – three girls traipsing through the deserted city in our beach wraps and scraggly chlorine-soaked hair, looking like summer camp counselors but somehow simultaneously exuding an air of belonging in downtown DC.

It felt like we had the city to ourselves. Most DC residents leave for the long weekend, so even though the Mall and museums are packed with tourists, all the locals spots are abnormally empty.  

Monday (Happy 4^th of July!) SpeedyKate again met at the pool for a workout, then headed to her neighborhood for an afternoon bar-b-q. It was all things ‘Merca – grilling and chilling and pie and Air Force One on tv – pretty perfect. And I cannot stop thinking about the amazing sandwich I had…maybe it was because I was post-pool hungry, but either way it was great: pulled pork on a hamburger bun with SpeedyKate’s no-mayonnaise slaw (Mark Bittman’s recipe, it has vinegar and whole grain mustard), and ketchup. Soooo good! I'm not crazy enough to take pictures of my food in public places...so imagine this:

Plus this:

Yup, pretty amazing. 

At 7pm I made my way back to Northwest to picnic in Meridian Hill Park and watch the fireworks. As the name suggests, the park is on top of a hill with a view of the Monument, so it should have been a great place to watch. Unfortunately there were too many trees in the way! I positioned myself to see about ¾ of the fireworks shooting from the Mall, and of course plenty of local fireworks exploding around us (illegally?) – satisfying my yearly yearning for pyrotechnics.

And that, my friends, is that. Hope your 4^th was awesome too!


(Firework pictures compliments of PhotoMan last year.)

Best of the Week #26

I can’t believe it’s already July!

My big news this week is…dun dun dun…I’m published! I wrote an article “Running with Dogs” for the Washington Running Report’s July/August issue. For those of you in the DC area, look for a copy at local running stores (and frame it on your wall? Oh wait…that’s just me), and everyone else can read it online here – go to page 34 of the digital edition. 

A teaser:

     Looking for the perfect training partner? Someone who reminds you to run and motivates you when you’re having an off day? Someone with an A-plus attitude who never judges your style, odor, or pace? Look no further, your ideal running buddy may have four legs, a hairy coat, and be sitting at your feet…But before all six legs hit the roads, there are a few things you should consider to put the most pep in both you and your pet’s step...
 

In the Eat Run Read world, my most popular post this week was Lemon Filled Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. People planning 4th of July picnics, I imagine? I think my Red Velvet Brownies also might lend themselves to good patriotic food...

 

In other big news, Sister2 is in India for the summer! Check out her blog, Khushi in India.

"I am still on sensory overload.  Just driving and walking is an adventure here.  Each time we crossed the street successfully we celebrated.  Successfully meaning we lived."

This site asks the critical question – Hipster or homeless?

Dave Lebovitz lists “10 Goofy Foods You’ll Find in a French Supermarket.” I particularly appreciated "Les Pancakes." (source)

Interesting fact from Marginal Revolution:

NPR: The amount the U.S. military spends annually on air conditioning in Iraq and Afghanistan: $20.2 billion.

That’s more than NASA’s budget. It’s more than BP has paid so far for damage during the Gulf oil spill. It’s what the G-8 has pledged to help foster new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia.

Serious Eats tested all the cheesecakes at The Cheesecake Factory. I don't think words can do justice to how bad I want/need/MUST do this!!! (Article)

Google launched a new search engine thing-a-ma-jig, called What do you love? www.wdyl.com

The idea is to return users a single page of relevant results across many of Google’s products for whatever query is typed into the wdyl search box. The “search” button is even a heart. Cute.

And hello! This Turkish food website likes me…so that’s random and awesome! :)

 

Hope you have a great 4th of July weekend! I'll be here in DC, seeing some fireworks, attending some parties, and generally enjoying my independence. :)