Unintentional Speedwork and Roadkill

I wasn't looking forward to my run on Wednesday at all. If you live in the midwest, you would know that it had been raining all day, was cold, and windy. If you know me, you know that I hate running in the rain, I hate the cold, and the wind makes me want to punt dogs. Turns out, though, that I ran better than I would have expected. I didn't get to add on an extra .5 because of time constraints, but I had two more days to make it up. I finished the day with this: 4.05 mi - 00:36 - 08:54 pace

You see, when it's excessively cold or the conditions are just terrible, I unconsciously decided I need to run faster so I finish sooner. The good part this time is that although I started off at a much faster pace than usual, I managed to maintain the effort, speeding up during the subsequent miles, and I didn't feel all too bad at all. Sweet.

Today, I got my "long" run in, running 4.55 miles. I kept the pace slow because that's what I need to do, and I also have a habit of getting ahead of myself after one good run. Also, I ran past a freshly killed raccoon, so be on the lookout for some stew recipes.

4.55 mi - 44:37 - 09:48 pace

Mile 1: 10:01 -

I forgot to take my iron today. I'm just typing this out here now so I remember to take it after posting. It has nothing to do with this mile.

Mile 2: 9:55 -

After each mile, I end up speeding up, slowing down to maintain an even pace, then trying to speed up just a little so I don't go too slow. Am I the only one who does this?

Mile 3: 9:54 -

During this mile, it became very obvious that I overdressed. It was 50°, but I expected it to be colder. Because that's how I am. Fortunately, I wasn't all that overdressed, so I wasn't dying. I also felt pretty good, though for some reason I seem to tire out trying to run a slow pace. I'm weird.

Mile 4: 9:43 -

I sped up a little. I forgot my sunglasses and I was running into the sunlight.

Mile .55: 5:05 -

This was run at a 9:14 pace. I felt alright, though I still seem to be too tired for this pace. I'm hoping that's just because this is my 3rd week back and I'm not where I used to be. Then again, I can't remember the last time a 9xx pace felt easy, even when my race pace was in the high 7s.

It's going to be in the sixties next week. I am overcome with joy.

Frozen Creme Brulee Drink

Foodbuzz Tastemaker sent me this pretty nifty Tervis tumbler. It's shatter-proof, and it keeps your cold beverages cold and hot beverages hot. I drop stuff a lot accidentally, so this is the type of cup I need!

We were asked to show a drink in our tumblers. I couldn't think of anything hot I really wanted to do, so I came up with the idea of frozen creme brulee. What is creme brulee? It's a baked vanilla custard topped with a layer of sugar caramelized by a torch! Don't get too excited -- flame torches aren't required this time. Instead, I show you how to make a very easy caramel sauce. Cool?

To begin, I prepared my custard a day in advance because it needs to be chilled before using. This custard won't resemble the consistency of a pudding becuse that would be disgusting to drink. It needs to be thin and pourable because it will thicken once blended with ice. Think of it almost like an egg nog, though more runny.

If you've never made custard before, fear not. All you do is whisk egg yolks with sugar until light in color and thick and ribbony in texture.
Milk is heated over medium heat with a cinnamon stick for flavor. I used 1% milk because that's all I had, and I wouldn't recommend going any lower than that. You need the fat to help thicken the custard. Whole milk and 2% are best.
After the milk has heated to 160°, one cup of the hot milk is slowly whisked into the egg yolks. This tempers the eggs, preventing the mixture from curdling when added to the saucepan. The tempered eggs get whisked into the rest of the milk and the entire mixture cooks for about 5 minutes, just until thickened. Make sure you whisk constantly! Finally, it gets strained to remove any bits that have been curdled.

Simple enough? Let's continue on to the caramel sauce.

I used to have trouble caramelizing sugar. I used to have trouble making custards, both of which I was able to learn when I joined the Daring Bakers a long time ago. Trial and error, folks, and if I can do it, so can you.

I mention the Daring Bakers because I'm using the caramel sauce from one of the recipes I made with them when I was a member. It's simple to do and practically fool-proof.

The two most popular ways to make caramel is the straight method, meaning you heat sugar in a saucepan, or the water method where you mix water with sugar. The latter is what we're doing today and will make the process much easier.

First, combine the water and sugar in a stainless steel saucepan over high heat. You can use any type of pan you have, but a stainless steel pans allows you to accurately judge the color of the caramel. Otherwise, you can spoon a little of the caramel onto wax or parchment paper to determine the color.
Caramel goes fast, so don't go anywhere! Once the sugar begins to bubble, it turns colors in a matter of minutes. First, it'll be a jaundice yellow. Once it develops a dark amber color, you very carefully whisk in more water to stop the cooking process. The original recipe says to pour the water through a whole in a sheet of foil because it splatters, though I just stood as far back as I could. Once the water is poured in, continue to whisk until smooth. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the caramel feels tacky. It'll continue thickening as it cools, so you don't want it too thick before you take it off the heat.

Pour it into a container and let it cool completely. That was easy, wasn't it!

When both components are ready, one cup of the custard is blended with one cup of ice. Pour it into your glass, then spoon 2 tablespoons of caramel on top. It tastes great when it's all mixed together!

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Frozen Creme Brulee Drink
Caramel sauce recipe by Shuna Fish Lydon

Serves 4-5

Custard ingredients -

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of kosher salt
4 cups milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Caramel ingredients -

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

1/2 cup water, for "stopping"

Directions -

1. Prepare the custard: Pour milk into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, and heat to 160°. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until color is light lemony, and the mixture forms ribbons when it falls from a whisk, about 1-2 minutes (I just used a whisk and arm power).


2. When the milk reaches temperature, remove cinnamon stick. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of hot milk into the egg yolks to temper. Pour the tempered egg yolks into the saucepan and reduce heat slightly. Whisk for 3 minutes. Strain custard into a container. Add vanilla extract and stir. Let cool completely at room temperature, then cover and chill overnight.


3. Prepare the caramel sauce: In a small, stainless steel saucepan with tall sides, mix sugar and 1/4 cup water until mixture feels like wet sand. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly, and the sugar turns dark amber in color.


4. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water through a piece of foil with a smallish hole in the center. Caramel will jump and sputter about, and the foil keeps it from getting on surfaces and on you.


5. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.} My note: It doesn't need to be as sticky as honey because it will thicken upon standing, but it should feel slightly tacky. Cool completely.


6. Prepare drinks: Pour 1 cup chilled custard into a blender, followed by 1 cup of ice. Cover, and blend until combined. Pour into a tall glass and top with 2 tablespoons caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Newman's Own Pizza Baked Pasta

The holidays are coming upon us quickly. This usually means despair, gloom, a loss of money, and nothing to eat because you're too tired to cook. Despair not, my friends! Today's recipe, brought to you by Newman's Own and Foodbuzz Tastemaker, is a simple dish to prepare that tastes like you've been slaving away all day.

Newman's Own Pizza Baked Pasta combines the goodness of pizza, like tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni with the ingredients of lasagna, like that creamy, cheesy layer made with pureed cottage cheese, eggs, and Italian cheese. You don't have to worry about any layering since it's all stirred together. It's also quick to assemble. Just stop at the grocery store, pick up a jar of Newman's Own pasta sauce, pepperoni, and fresh mozzarella balls and you're halfway there.

For this recipe, I used Newman's Own Cabernet Marinara sauce. The flavor of the wine heightens the taste, and lends complexity to an otherwise standard dish. The fresh mozzarella perline, tiny balls of fresh mozzarella, boost the cheesiness of the sauce. Pepperoni is everyone's favorite, and it's a standard ingredient when I make pizza baked pasta. You can really add anything you want to the mix, like spinach, mushrooms, Italian sausage, olives, etc.

Another helpful tip is that it can be prepped ahead of time, stored in the fridge directly in the baking dish. Make sure your baking dish can be transferred straight from cold to hot, otherwise place the baking dish in the oven as it comes up to the correct temperature.

Foodbuzz supplied me with Newman's Own products and a FlipCam to create a recipe video. In the video, I summarize the recipe directions. Take a look at the kitchen of the Running Foodie, then go out and make some pasta!

Recipe after jump.

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Newman's Own Pizza Baked Pasta
Recipe by Christina Provo

A delicious baked pasta recipe using Newman's Own Cabernet Marinara Sauce.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Serves: 6-10

Ingredients -

16 ounces dry rigatoni
1 jar Newman's Own Cabernet Marinara Sauce
1 cup cottage cheese, pureed
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese
pinch of pepper
8 ounces fresh perline mozzarella balls
5 ounces mini pepperoni, or chopped regular pepperoni
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 350 °. Spray a 12x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes; drain.


2. While the pasta cooks, whisk the cottage cheese, eggs, Italian blend cheese, and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in Newman's Own Cabernet Marinara Sauce.


3. Add the drained pasta to the bowl and stir to combine with sauce. Gently mix in the fresh mozzarella balls and mini pepperoni. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.


4. After 20 minutes, remove foil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Replace foil and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!