I Run for Tailgating and Crack Brownies

Latest Workouts: 

Between the Hedges at Sanford Stadium.
Student section is behind me.
1.5 hours before the game.

Thursday: 6.01 mi/56:03
Friday: 3.52 mi/35:32
Sunday: 9.0 mi/1:31:32

My knee is feeling so much better. Anyone with runner's knee will tell you that your knee feels great when you are running, but is incredibly painful when you're just sitting around. I've had a lot of success with Advil 3x a day for the past week, ice 3 to 4x a day, wearing my knee strap on all runs, wrapping my knee in an ace bandage post run for about 3 hours, elevating, stretching and finally rolling.

KC and I enjoyed an awesome Saturday at the University of Georgia to see the Dawgs play the Vols. I love a good tailgate. In fact, I probably like it more than the football game itself. When you live in SEC country football Saturday is an event. The game might not start until 3:30, but you are in a parking lot with your e-z up tent set up, chairs out, tables full and a drink in your hand (bourbon preferably) by 8:30a.

Women of all ages worry about their cute game outfit all week. The boys continue to debate the best set up of the travel DirecTV dish and television that someone sets up so you can watch all the other games while you prepare for your own.

Oh, and the food. I find that it is best to select a tailgate theme. It helps to make sure your tables aren't just covered with chips and dips and no actual food to help soak up some of that bourbon you've been enjoying since 9a. Without a theme you end up with an outdoor version of the Golden Corral. We did BBQ this past weekend. It is traditional. Most Southerners like it. You can dress it up with fixin's like slaw and the sides are easy to make, transport and serve without worrying about giving someone food poisoning by the fourth quarter.

First two layers

And don't forget to plan for the post-game tailgate. Who wants to sit in traffic when you can kick back, have some supper while you watch all the crazy people fight to get out of the parking lot. Wait an hour and you'll have no problem making it out of town - with a full belly.

This week's dessert of the week is my Crack Brownies. You can't eat just one - or two - or three, for that matter. I get requests for these on a regular basis, but I only make them when we will be with more than six people to avoid any left overs coming home with me.

Dessert of the Week: Crack Brownies

Ingredients
1 package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package of Double Stuf Oreos
1 brownie mix - prepare following either the fudge or cake directions. I like fudge, personally.

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF

Finished product

Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. I use the disposable cake pans because I am always taking these to events and I got tired of losing my plastic wear.
Layer 1: Press in the cookie dough to make the crust. I just flatten it out by hand as even as I can.
Layer 2: Line up the Oreos on top
Layer 3: Pour prepared brownie batter over the top of all of that
Bake based on your brownie mix's instructions.
Cool and cut.

This is a pretty popular Pinterest recipe, but I've tried my own variations on it layering the following together:
Peanut butter cookie dough
Marshmallow cream
Nutter butter cookies
Brownie Mix

Sugar cookie dough
Peppermint Patties
Brownie Mix

Really any cookie dough flavor and just about any candy or cookie would work as the second layer. I've not tried subbing out the brownie mix for a cake mix, but its on my list to try. The key part of this recipe is save yourself one or two because they go that fast! Now go run a few miles so you can have seconds.

I Run For Apple Crisp

Latest Workout:
Monday: 3.5 miles/ 33:10

Apple Dump Crisp

Well, it's official. I have runner's knee. I don't know if my "fat knee" was just the start of it or if my fall 10 days ago jarred my knee off track. Maybe it was both. But, despite me wanting to get up and run the last two mornings, I haven't. Not because it hurts when I run, but it burns like hell-fire when I sit with it bent or go down stairs. Crap.

I've been icing like crazy for the last two days and taking Advil like it is going out of style. The burning has eased off quite a bit, so of course I'm going to try and run tomorrow. I wanted to do six miles tomorrow, but it isn't going to happen. I must think long-term. I'll do three and see what happens. I have a new brace and I got new insoles for my shoes to give a bit more support. Fingers and toes crossed.

Dessert of the Week: Apple Dump Crisp

It's called a dump cake because that's all you do - dump it in the plate and put it in the oven. I took this recipe and added a bit more spice to it because you know I'm spicy and all.

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
2 (21 oz) cans apple pie filling
1/2 cup of butter, cut into 1/2 Tbsp slices
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray
3. Pour both cans of apple pie filling into the dish
4. Spread the dry cake mix on top of the pie filling. Try to get this as even as possible.
5. Evenly place the butter cubes on top of the pie filling. This is important to avoid a lot of dry cake mix in the finished product.
6. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top of the butter.
7. In a bowl combine the oats, brown sugar and melted butter and sprinkle on top of the cake
8. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. It should be bubbly and golden.
9. Cool on a wire rack.

I Run for Butter

Latest Workouts:

Brooks Pure Cadence

Wednesday: 5.34 miles/ 51:28
Thursday: 3.54 miles/33:59

I ran in my pink shoes for two days in a row. I don't know if the shoes are the issue or if my feet really hate me. Both? While my left foot (not the movie) seems to be improving in these new shoes, my right foot has gone and shown its ass. The inside arch of my that foot, especially around the ball of my foot and the joint of my big toe isn't liking something. I'm sucking it up and keeping up the ice soaks, taking Advil, and wearing compression socks. I'm not sure there's much else I can do. Eventually it will get better or I'll have to gnaw it off like that guy in 127 Hours.

Dessert of the Week: Gooey Butter Cake

I had a serious boyfriend when I was in high school and his mom baked once a week and made crazy good Tex-Mex. She called these golden bars of gooey goodness blondies, but every blondie recipe I've ever made tasted nothing like what I remember. That was until I tried this recipe for Gooey Butter Cake - bingo!

My research tells me that Gooey Butter Cake is a St. Louis, MO, delicacy. I almost don't believe this since the the over-use of butter was perfected by Southerners, but whatever. Warning: it is incredibly sweet. Make this recipe if you have company that likes sweets. While they are in a sugar-induced coma you can convince them to do anything for you - like paint your house or clean your cat litter box.

It is also important to have someone to give some of this cake to because you might eat the whole pan, no matter how sick it makes you.

Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients:
1 Yellow Cake Mix
3 eggs
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) of melted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
8 oz cream cheese (softened)

Directions:
1. Combine the cake mix, 1 egg and 8 tbsp of melted butter. Make sure mixture is nice and smooth.
2. Press mixture into the bottom of a greased pan. I used 9x13, but 9x9 will work too.
3. Whip cream cheese until smooth
4. Add remaining 8 tbsp melted butter, 2 eggs, vanilla to the cream cheese
5. Once smooth, gradually add in powdered sugar one cup at a time
6. Pour mixture over cake mixture already in the pan
7. Bake for 40 minutes

Check the cake so it doesn't over brown. It doesn't cook all the way through, so the knife test doesn't apply here. It should be gooey. Allow cake to cool before serving or else it will fall apart on you when you attempt to cut it.

Experiment with different flavors of cake mixes or add chocolate or pumpkin to the cream cheese mixture for a different flavor.

Link to Original Source: Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

I Run For Cobbler

Latest Workouts:

It is shocking that my size 10.5 feet fit in anything.
Thank goodness you can't see
how badly I need a pedicure. 

Wednesday: 5 miles - 3 mi tempo run with 8:24, 8:21, 8:13 splits, 1 mi each warm up/cool down
Thursday: 2.20 mi recovery run/ 19:38

I totally shocked myself with the tempo run on Wednesday. I really pushed it and I'm happy with the results. Today, "the plan" said to do 2 mi at 10:25. That's a tad slow for my tastes, although I didn't really intend to run as fast as I did. It was horribly humid out today and after 20 minutes I looked like I had been in the pool.

I'm fighting tendinitis in both of my feet. On my left foot, it's on the top of my foot and runs up the ligament from my outside three toes and up across my ankle. Changing how I lace my usual running shoes has helped the burning I feel in that foot a lot. In my new shoes, the current lacing pattern seems to be putting pressure on a nerve and I'm losing feeling in those toes on that foot.

On my right foot, the pain is in my big toe. I've had tendinitis there before and a doctor has given me a giant shot in that joint before - an experience I'd rather not repeat. The way the joint itself is swollen, it is probably the start of a bunion. It was bound to happen as much as I abused my feet dancing and wearing pointy toed stilettos. I'm using my yoga toes at night to help reposition that joint and it helps some.

For both feet, I've started doing ice baths post-run instead of the usual ice packs. It's not fun. I have no idea how in the world elite athletes submerge themselves in bathtubs full of frozen water on a regular basis. I do think it has been more effective than those blue gel packs. We'll see if I have to go to the doc and get a big needle stuck between my toes again.

This Week's Dessert: Best in Show Blackberry Cobbler
KC loves fruit-laced desserts, so we're working our way though the berry family this month. This recipe would work great with any berries for sure. It reminds me of the quick cobbler my grandmother used to make and I chose to sprinkle the finished product with a little sugar like she used to do.

I doubled the butter in the original recipe because I'm southern and adding butter is never a bad idea. It is weird to put the batter in first and top with the berries and then pour water on top of that, but people who write recipes are way smarter than I am, so just embrace the weirdness. It all works out in the end.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups blackberries (I used frozen because that's what I had and it worked out fine)
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Preheat an over to 350ºF, grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish
2. Whisk 1/2 cup sugar together with the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk and melted butter until a batter forms. Scrape into prepared baking dish.
3. Add blackberries on top of batter and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Pour in the water on top of the berries and sugar.
4. Bake until the batter has risen and the top is brown - 45 min to 1 hour. Cool before serving.

Recipe source: All Recipes

I Run for Pie

Latest Workouts:
Wednesday: 5.1 mi/ 49:17, speed work
Thursday: 2.2 mi/ 19:28, slow run

I'm still not sure what these two mile runs are supposed to be doing for me, but I almost feel like I shouldn't even bother putting on shorts and a tank top because I'll be done so quickly. I guess I could actually do something else to make the effort of putting on clothes worth it. Don't even get me started about the effort involved in showering and washing my hair.

I loved everything about my speed work on Wednesday. On the three 800m repeats, I ran a 3:52, 3:52 and 3:44 which was a pleasant surprise. I like picking up the pace a bit. That's really all there is to it. I've not mastered the long run, zone-out yet. But, I better start figuring that one out.

To celebrate my swiftness, I made my aunt's Blueberries and Cream Pie as the dessert for the week. Blueberries are a super food, right? I'm sure Dr. Oz would approve.

Just a word of warning on this one - use fresh berries and not frozen. There's just too much liquid in frozen berries and my pie never sets up correctly when I use them. If you know a trick of how to add more flour or whatever to help it set - you'll need to use it if you use the frozen fruit. This pie is good with fresh peaches or a mix of raspberries and blackberries if blueberries aren't your thing.

Blueberries & Cream Pie

Ingredients: 
1  Frozen pie crust - or you can make your own if you are BFF with Martha Stewart
1.5 to 2 cup  Blueberries or other fresh fruit (see note above about frozen fruit)
2/3 cup  Sugar
1 cup Whipping Cream (do not whip)
4 tbsp Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400ºF
Line pastry dish with pie crust
Pour berries/fruit in bottom of the pie crust
Mix together all other ingredients and pour over fruit
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes
Let cool to allow the pie to properly set up

I know you will want to dig right in as soon as you smell it, but believe me you want the pie to have time to cool so it doesn't run off of your plate. We put it back in the microwave for l0 seconds to warm it up and serve with fro-yo on top. Enjoy!

Ruby Berry Run

Latest Run:

3.36 mi/ 29:22 min

A nothing special run on Wednesday. I worked while I ran, brainstorming about a theme for a client campaign and it made the time go by faster. The humidity was horrible so just thinking about anything other than the weather was what I needed. 

Also on my run I thought about what I would cook for dinner for the next few days. It's only been about 9 months since I made the commitment to really changing my lifestyle where eating and exercise are concerned. KC and I ate out entirely too much. It is almost embarrassing to admit how frequently we went to a restaurant. I now cook dinner two times a week at a minimum, sometimes three. We eat leftovers or have a "do-it-yourself meal" the rest of the week and go out to a restaurant once or twice at the most. 

In sticking with this plan, I've found that I'm a pretty good cook. I can't do fancy meals, but I've learned how to make a number of different dishes that have become fast favorites. I like that I have control over what goes in it and how much I put on my plate at each meal. 

I've started making one dessert a week as a part of my menu planning. Cobblers and pies are popular this summer as I try to take advantage of the fresh fruit of the season, but I plan to add in cookies and brownies as the weather gets cooler.  The goal is to do everything from scratch. No box mixes. Our desserts last as long as we allow - again portion control and self-discipline come into play here. 

Yesterday, I decided I must make my favorite cobbler of all time - Ruby Berry Cobbler. Strawberries and rhubarb with an oatmeal topping and it's made in the microwave in a total of 15 minutes. I grew up eating this as it was my dad's favorite too. Served warm with some vanilla fro-yo and it might be my favorite dessert in the world. 

For the record - I know this it has sugar in it. Feel free to doctor it up as you would like with honey or agave or Splenda. I know it isn't great for me, but other than partaking in a bite or two of dessert throughout the week, I don't eat sugar in anything else. Moderation has worked for me and I'll stick to it until it doesn't. 

Ruby Berry Cobbler

3/4 cup of sugar

3 tbsp of all purpose flour

1 10 oz pkg of frozen sliced strawberries

3 cups of rhubarb, chopped 

1/3 c butter or margarine

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup unsifted all purpose flour

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

In a 2 qt baking dish, combine sugar and flour. Add frozen strawberries and cook uncovered 4 minutes on high (microwave), stirring once to mix in thawed berries. Stir in rhubarb. Prepare topping by melting butter in mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients until crumbly, sprinkle evenly over berry mixture. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes on high or until mixture is bubbling toward center. For crisper toppings, place under broiler for a few minutes. Serve warm