My First Tough Mudder

At some point during the summer, I decided it would be a great idea to take on a Tough Mudder race. I was at a point with my workouts where I needed a new goal, something to work for. Tough Mudder had been suggested to me previously, so I figured why not? Also, I like to prove that I can do things people wouldn't expect me to do. And most people know me as someone who would NEVER voluntarily play in mud (like, I would not even finger paint as a child…it's too messy). But I signed up. Recruited a couple friends. And had the best time ever!! Seriously, I'm already looking forward to another one in May. 














I think the biggest thing in training is running. Get comfortable running at least 12 miles. And do hill running. I was unfortunately having troubles with an ankle and knee, so I didn't run at all the whole month before. Obviously, I could not walk the next day. But it was worth it. 

Obstacle wise, people are going to help you out. There's a ton of teamwork that goes on. The hardest one for me was probably Mt. Everest. It's not easy running fast up a steep, slick ramp when your legs are already quite wasted. Electro shock therapy? I recommend sliding under, if you're thin enough. And the Arctic Enema is actually kind of refreshing (once you're out…). 

Seriously, I had so much fun! It's a blast, despite all the scratches and bruises. I got dirty and thoroughly enjoyed it. And I also challenged myself a couple other ways: (1) I like to know what to expect, to have a plan in place. I really had no idea what I was getting into. And you can't slow down at the obstacles to strategize. You just have to go. No thinking. Just do it. And trust those around you to help. Which brings me to (2) I do not like having to rely on others. You can definitely be the crazy fit person who completes a Tough Mudder alone. But I'm not that person. And I think you lose the integrity and camaraderie of the experience by doing so. 

I definitely recommend Tough Mudder, if you're looking for a fun challenge. If the 10-12 miles is too overwhelming, there are several shorter races that are similar in nature…Off the top of my head Conquer the Gauntlet, Mudderella, Savage Race, Super Hero Scramble… I encourage you to push yourself. You can do the things you thought you couldn't. Train dirty. Have fun!

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving dinner came a little early this year. I really can't complain. Now I get to go ahead and start listening to Christmas music. And decorate…although I still need to get a tree…Anyways, I made our pie. I did some Pinterest-ing and Google-ing, and somewhere I came along this Pumpkin Pecan Pie with, what I'm calling, an Egg Nog sauce. It's completely perfect. My most favorite holiday flavors all in one bite. Bonus: I physically cannot digest it, so the absurd amount of calories don't count. Perks of not having a gallbladder? 

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Filling:

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 TBSP granulated sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 TBSP unsalted butter, softened

1 TBSP vanilla 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp all spice

Pecan Filling:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

1 pinch cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325*F.
• Prepare your favorite pie crust or use a pre-made pie crust dough. Grease an 8-inch springform pan. Place the dough inside, pressing it up the sides. Place in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the pumpkin filling. Mix and set aside.
• In another medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the pecan filling. Mix and set aside.
• Pull your crust out of the fridge. Pour the pumpkin mixture in, spreading evenly across the bottom. Pour the pecan mixture over that. 
• Place in the oven and bake for about 2 hours or until set.

Egg Nog Sauce

4 TBSP unsalted butter

1 large egg

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 TBSP very hot water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey

Nutmeg & cinnamon to taste

Directions:

• Melt the butter in the top of a double broiler set over gently simmering water.
• Beat the sugar, egg and vanilla in a small bowl until blended. Add to the melted butter.
• Add the hot water and stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 7-8 minutes).
• Remove from double broiler and cool to room temperature.
• Mix in the cream, bourbon, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

If you want to avoid the alcohol, but like egg nog, I'd recommend serving this pie up with some egg nog ice cream. Yum! 

Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting

The mother's birthday is tomorrow, so we celebrated this afternoon. I decided to put a fall twist on The Best White Cake Ever by making a chai spice buttercream frosting. It was heavenly. I mean, anything with 4 sticks of butter tastes amazing, but it was rich and creamy with a perfect hint of chai. The brother said it tasted exactly like a chai tea latte he had the other day. Yum…

I'd imagine this frosting would be just as wonderful on say a spice cake, or even a pumpkin cake. I just opted for white because I'd actually had the cake in my freezer for the past several months. Thankfully, this particular cake freezes very well. It was still perfect. 

Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

Pinch of salt

3 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

5 cups powdered sugar

1 TBSP milk

Directions:

Beat the butter, salt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the rest of the spices and mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add about a TBSP of milk. Beat for about 5 minutes on high or until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Apply a thin layer of frosting to your cake (crumb coat). Put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Finish frosting your cake and decorate as desired. I simply sprinkled a little extra cinnamon on top!

Enjoy!

Salsa Tuna Skillet

It's not much to look at (and it doesn't help that I'm currently using an iPhone 4 to take pictures…) but this salsa tuna skillet is super tasty and super fast and easy to make. It's become a go-to for me.

I tried this one night after a work friend suggested it. I was skeptical. Tuna is not generally my thing. But this girl always brings food that looks and smells good, so I went for it. 

What you need:

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

A little butter or EVOO for sautéing 

2 cans of tuna, drained

Salsa

Salt

Pepper

Cumin

How to do it:

Heat up a large skillet with some butter or EVOO. Place the onions and garlic in the pan and sauté to your heart's desire. Add the tuna, salsa, and spices (to taste). Sauté until everything is warm. Serve over brown rice, couscous, or quinoa. 

Easy, cheap, and delicious. It's about 2-3 servings…although, you could probably make it 4. I just eat a lot!

Human Again

I can hardly believe that just over a year ago I was heading in for my first night shift. Last week, I worked my last. That year was an adventure to say the least. It was challenging in ways I didn't imagine. It made me grow a lot as a person. I went from being the newbie to the "experienced" one, even charging a few nights. I learned a lot about nursing. There were things about night shift that I really liked. But something's gotta give when you stop sleeping. And while I will miss my amazing team of night-shifters, I'm thankful to be back in the land of the living…and writing. 

It's been a long time since I've written. And a lot has happened. A lot I intended to share, but never got around to. I've literally been at work, at the gym, or trying to sleep. Seriously. That has been my existence. Like I'm so far behind on my TV shows, it's embarrassing  Occasionally, I've gone out to catch up with friends who'd wondered if I was still alive. And somewhere in there, I managed to go on vacation, buy a house, and complete a Tough Mudder race. I have been in the kitchen a little bit. Today, I got extremely domestic and hemmed curtain panels and made roman shades. Thank goodness for hemming tape. Life saver.

I should be getting more posts up (including one of my favorite new go-tos for dinner), so check back soon! 



  

Oatmeal Breakfast Cupcakes

Bananas have this habit of going from green to black. There is no in between. Maybe like a 5-minute window when I can handle the taste of a fresh banana. So, I find myself baking things that call for very ripe bananas. The oatmeal breakfast cupcakes are one of those things. 

These were a pretty great find from Chocolate Covered Katie (via Pinterest, of course). You can do a lot with them as far as add-ins go (I opted for raisins and cinnamon). They're easy to make ahead and freeze. Great to grab on your way out the door.  No processed sugar (unless you're the person who adds chocolate chips). Easy to make gluten-free and/or vegan.

I was actually kind of surprised by how they turned out. The outside texture is more of a cupcake/muffin, but the inside is like oatmeal. Not runny, but like sticky, gummy oatmeal. It was weird. Good, but weird. And I was shocked that the brother loved them. Seriously. He usually disses my healthy "chick" food. 

Oatmeal Breakfast Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups Rolled Oats

3-4 Bananas, mashed (overripe) 

1 tsp Salt

5 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar

1 cup Water

1/8 cup + 1 TBSP Coconut Oil

1 1/4 Pure Vanilla Extract

Optional add-ins: Cinnamon, Raisins (or any other dried fruit), Shredded Coconut, Chopped Walnuts, Ground Flax or Wheat Germ, Chocolate Chips, etc.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 380*F and line a 12-cup muffin pan. I personally recommend spraying your liners with a non-stick spray as well…
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir well. 
• In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients.
• Mix the wet into dry.
• Pour the batter evenly into your prepared muffin cups. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. 

They're really good warm with butter…or peanut butter! Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Is it really June?! Time flies. It's crazy to think that I've been out of school for a little over a year and been working as a pediatric nurse for 8 months. It's amazing how much has changed. 

The brother has one year left as a teen. We had to celebrate a little early since he'll be off at camp on his real birthday. This year, he opted for a lemon poppyseed cake. I swear, the kid picks the weirdest things for me to make. Every other guy I know likes chocolate. But for the brother, I've done strawberry, white chocolate with raspberry, and now this. Gotta love him. 

The recipe is from Apple & Spice via Pinterest. I didn't change much, other than using whole eggs instead of just whites. And the brother vetoed the flaked almonds for decorating, so I used some extra lemon zest. Also, the original is all in metric units, so I'll give you the converted version. You're welcome. 

Basically, it tastes just like a lemon poppyseed muffin with frosting. It's pretty delicious if you're into that. It's moist, sweet, lemony, not too heavy. The brother was pleased with it, so I think that makes it a winner! 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBSP poppy seeds
3/4 cup unsalted butter
zest of 1 lemon
275ml buttermilk
5 large eggs

For the sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
75ml water
juice of 1 lemon

For the frosting:
8oz cream cheese
3/4 cup butter
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1 TBSP almond extract

• Heat the oven to 350*F and prepared 3 8-9" cake pans. 
• Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gently mix to combine.
• Add the butter, lemon zest, and 200ml of the buttermilk. Beat on low until completely mixed. Raise the speed to medium and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine the remaining buttermilk with the eggs. Whisk to blend thoroughly. 
• Add the egg mixture to the batter in 2-3 additions. Beat only enough to incorporate.
• Divide the batter between the three pans (it may seem a little thick).
• Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of your pans), until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. 
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before turning out.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the lemon sauce:
• In a small sauce pan, combine sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
•  Generously brush the cakes with the lemon sauce while they are still warm. 
• Allow the cakes to completely cool before frosting.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter & cream cheese until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides & beating well between each addition.
• Add the almond extract and continue to beat well for 3-4 minutes, until light & fluffy.
• I trust you can figure out how to assemble the cake!

Enjoy!

I seriously need to get back to cooking more. I've been eating like an unchaperoned 5-year-old at a birthday party. However, I've actually made some breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal cupcakes recently. They were pretty good... I'll TRY to get those posts up soon!