2011 Colorado Cross Cup Awards

Going to a party is always fun, and going to one with food and awards is even better.

On Saturday we went to the 2011 Colorado Cross Cup (cyclocross) awards party where Ellie got to hang out with her friends from the team. She also won two awards - Best All Around Racer and Best All Around Team in the Junior Women 15-16 division.

One of my favorite thing from the evening was the fun from one of the adult teams who opted to dress up. One guy worn a fez, a red cape and a fun, animal print jacket. He happened to be the only one who showed up for his set of awards on the podium. As each other competitor was not on the box, he would jump to that box and pump up the crowds. A woman on his team wore wild black and gold sparkly tights with a gold lame and Superwoman style gold boots.

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On a completely different note, here's a recipe that my family recently enjoyed.

Parmesan Baked Eggs
via: Pinch of Yum

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 eggs
1 tablespoon heavy cream
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, heat butter and oil. Add shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add herbs and salt; remove from heat and stir to combine. The mixture should be somewhat coarse and just a little buttery.
Preheat the oven to 375. Place a small pat of butter (about 1 teaspoon) in the bottom of each of 3 ramekins. Place in oven until butter is melted.
Remove ramekins from oven, add 1 teaspoon of cream to each, and crack 2 eggs into each ramekin without breaking the yolk. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the top of each ramekin and return to the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes.
Turn up the heat to the broil setting and let the eggs broil for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven when egg whites are just set and yolks are still soft. Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes
Author's notes - I found the timing of this to be really important – down to the minute. The eggs might look like they aren’t done if they are runny on top, but that can just be the cream rising to the top of the ramekin. If you cook these too long, the yolks get hard and they aren’t as good. (I think my eggs might have benefited for about another minute in the oven.)

Also, if you want the cheese to be melted on top, add the cheese before putting the ramekins in the oven. I didn’t do this because it made it trickier to see if the eggs were done or not.

Being a Bit Artsy on a Snow Day

It was a crazy, busy week that was capped of by a lovely, sort of unexpected snow day on Friday. (I think we got about 18" of snow.) It was a nice gift of time. On my way between meetings on Thursday I went by Agnes of Glass and picked up the paperweight that I made. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

I hope to be able to take more classes at her shop.

I've also had a bit of time to sit and enjoy knitting. This morning I sat on the couch at the foot of my bed, a sleepy cat by my side, knitting and watching the snow drift down in fat snowflakes.
The fit is nice. The wool is warm, especially since there are two layers with the colorway I am knitting.

I also spent a bit of time cruising the net. I came across a fun doodling and lettering class that I decided to take. It had already started, but I decided that I could catch up easily. It is "Letter Love 101" offered by Joanne Sharpe. I've already had a good time.

One of the assignments was to write out, "Play, practice, write, repeat."

This was a quote I found on another website. I thought it provided good practice, too.

Today the sun came out and the streets were driveable again. This meant that I could make my way the art store and pick up some new, wonderful markers. (I've always had a weakness for markers, paint, etc.) This time I got a few Copics and some Primsa markers - what fun!

"Don't Stop Believing" - Ellie's Dance Competition

On Saturday we spent some time at the Denver Dancesport Jam. Her group performed their formation.

They are a cute group of girls.

And silly, too.

They can be intentionally silly.

It was at the Hyatt Regency, a really nice building with some great, artistic touches.

This is Ellie with Alia and Keira. Sometimes it is easy to mistake Alia for Ellie from the back.

Here's a little of what they were doing. They danced to "Don't Stop Believing," the Glee version.

They won first place.

The dancers are always interesting and entertaining. And they are beautiful. It is not unusual to see a dancer with her dress, the rhinestones in her hair and a fuzzy pair of slippers.


On Friday I came across this great recipe. Closet Cooking is a blog worth checking out. He made quinoa flatbread, topping it with the likes of hummus, feta cheese, pomegranate seeds and felafel. I picked up some hummas and cucumbers, intending to make these for dinner. My family did not want to wait so long, so I only got as far as the flatbread. My quinoa flatbread is much smoother than his. They are very tasty! I think they'd be great for my next party with vegetarian friends.

Quinoa Flatbread
via: Closet Cooking

1 cup quinoa, processed
1 cup whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
1 egg
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the processed quinoa, flour, egg, water, salt and pepper and let it soak for an hour.
Heat a greased pan over medium heat.
Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the center of the pan, cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 5 minutes.

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I also made a version of this lovely soup. The color is not much to consider, but it is very flavorful.

Curried Lentil Stew
via: Fine Cooking

1 large clove garlic
1 piece (1/3 inch long) peeled fresh ginger
1/2 small bulb fennel, cored and cut into large chunks, or 1 small rib celery, cut into large chunks
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large shallot, cut in half
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 qt. homemade or lowsalt canned chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more as needed
(4-6 Lamb Chops, optional)

Pulse the garlic and ginger in a food processor until chopped. Add the fennel or celery, carrot, parsnip, and shallot and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, until the curry powder is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lentils, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

(optional - I browned a few lamb chops in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil and a touch of salt. I put them in with the stew, letting it all simmer for a few hours to provide a slow cooking. I pulled them out, deboned and shredded them and added it back in.)

Transfer 1-1/2 cups of the soup to a blender or a food processor and purée until smooth. Stir the purée back into the soup along with the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency with water, if you like.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish with a dollop of plain whole-milk yogurt and chopped fresh mint or cilantro, or both.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on four servings; Calories (kcal): 330; Fat (g): 11; Fat Calories (kcal): 100; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 19; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 3; Carbohydrates (g): 43; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 320; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 14;

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Ellie enjoys a very basic granola, but many have too many pieces of dried fruit for her liking. I am working on trying to figure out a good, plain granola. I found the "Granola, Deconstructed" blog entry at Gourmande in the Kitchen very informational. I also liked what at Nourish Network concerning granola. I combined bits from both of them for the following recipe:

Granola


2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup Coconut Flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Ginger, ground
1/4 tsp Clove, ground
6 TBL Maple Syrup
6 TBL Molasses
2 tablespoons Coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole natural almonds (or other nuts of your choice)


Preheat the oven to 300 F placing the oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the 2 kinds of oats, rice crisp cereal, cinnamon and sea salt. Stir to mix well.
In a medium bowl, combine the fruit puree, honey, light brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Stir to mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones, and mix until completely blended (it’s best to use your hands to get everything evenly coated.)
Spread the mixture out evenly between the two prepared baking sheets. Squeeze clusters of granola together with slightly damp hands, allowing for space between the clumps in order for air to circulate while baking.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets, flip over the granola with a large spatula and add the almonds and pumpkin seeds. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes (or more, depending on how thick the layer of granola) until completely dry and just golden brown.
Let cool on baking sheets, and store in an airtight container when completely cool. Add in the dried cranberries just before serving.

A Little Distractions - Video Fun, Inspiration and The Like

Work is filling my days and causing stress this week. So, I have neglected my blog. I must go back to what needs to get done. So, I leave a few fun videos for inspiration:
Ikon Film, "Sound of Silence."


Night Bikes


This one might elicit an emotional response if you are a Harry Potter fan:


A bit of fun out and about:


For the book lovers:


The Sweetness of a Personal Gift:


How about this?


This is out of my realm of creation, but so cool. It makes me thinks about something differently. He certainly makes me think about second hand stores differently:


Absolute Inspiration:

Okay - is that enough? Perhaps, perhaps not... but I really should get back to work. I can be so distracted (and it all makes me want to do art. There an irony about finding artistic inspiration online and then not having the time to create anything yourself.)

What inspiration can you share?

Glass Blowing Class and Dinner with Friends (including the recipes)

Image borrowed from dreamsofglass.com

Today I attended a glass blowing workshop at Agnes of Glass in Denver. It was a Christmas gift from Larr. I thought it was wonderful and hope that I may get to go another time. You could opt for a paperweight or a shot glass. I opted for the paperweight. Really, it did not matter to me which project I did. I just wanted to do it. When we went to upstate New York a few years ago we spent some time at the Corning Museum of Glass. When Uncle Marty suggested it I agreed to go out of politeness. I thought why would I want to see a museum of cookware? However, once I was there, I found that it was amazing! (If you find yourself in that area of Corning, NY, be sure to visit. I'd even plan two days! There is the museum and a workshop with lots of cool opportunities.) While there we made slumped glass jewelry and a few sandblast designs on glass bowls. After watching a glass blowing demonstration, I knew I wanted to give it a try.

Our small group of three had a wonderful time. Agnes has been a glass artist for over 25 years. She has studied in many wonderful places in the world, including Italy. Her methods are a twist on the Italian method. Her shop is spotlessly clean and well organized. It is clear that she put a lot of thought into the design so that the workflow would be smooth. Agnes clearly knows her stuff, but she does not overwhelm you with information. She speaks in an easy to follow, friendly manner. She was assisted by Cody, a young man who is apprenticing with her.

Image borrowed from timmerdraget.com

We began by learning a bit about the process and the names of the tools. Then we picked out colors for the "flowers" that would be in the center of our paperweights. Some options included shards of glass, others looked like little piles of glass dust. Agnes or Cody puts a bit of molten crystal on the end of a punty (special metal rod) which is then heated up in the special fire kiln called the glory hole. Next, I would slowly turn the glass around to make sure that the shape is fairly even. Next, it was sort of rolled out and centered. We did this a few times. We then pressed the end of the cylinder of molten glass into our pile of colored glass. It would pick up some. We'd heat it again and pick up more glass. From there we worked at the bench to poke the hot glass a few times. This would create what would become the stems of the "flowers" and it would also put a small glass bubble in the center. While on the bench, we worked the glass to a specific, round shape with a wooden shaping tool, gravity, heat and a lot of prompting from Agnes. Once it looked good we would take some clapper type tool to begin to encourage the glass to form a ball at the end. During this part of the process it would be rewarmed many times. Before we cut it off we took them outside to see what they would look like. It was interesting to see that the colors would start out looking black when they were super hot. As they cooled slightly the colors would begin to bloom. Cody helped each of us work the end so that it was a nice ball. We would then tap the punty rod with the handle end of a butter knife. This would cause the glass ball paperweight to separate. Cody would heat it some more so that we would be able to put our initial in the bottom by pressing a metal letter stamp into the hot glass for just a quick second. Cody would then use special gloves to place it gently into a special kiln that would slowly lower the temperature of the glass from about 2,200 degrees until they are cool enough to be removed in a few days. I am very excited to go back on Tuesday and take my paperweight home.

Satisfied with my efforts and my results, I headed home to pick up Ethan and get a few things from the grocery store. At his suggestion, we invited the Cures over for a casual dinner and had a great evening with them. Our recipe choices all ended up being great. I made homemade hot dog buns,roasted fingerling potatoes, chocolate chip cookies and roasted broccoli. Ethan made guacamole. The Cures brought over marinaded beef. Ethan cut up some veggies which were used to make beef kabobs. He used some of the usual stuff, like red onion and young peppers. He was adventurous by including kumquats which roasted nicely. It is really nice to be able to have friends who can come over for a nice evening of discussion.

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Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
(using a Bread Maker)
via: Craving Comfort Food blog

1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions
(hamburger buns, if you want hot dog buns. cut 'em to that shape)
Place all ingredients in pan of bread machine, according to manufacturer's directions.
Select dough setting.
When cycle is complete, turn out onto floured surface.
Cut dough in half and roll each half out to a 1" thick circle.
Cut each half into six 3 1/2" rounds with inverted glass as a cutter.
Place on greased baking sheet far apart and brush with melted butter.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
Bake at 350° for 9 minutes.
Note: Oven temperatures vary so check after 9 minutes to see if done.


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The Very Best Roasted Broccoli You've Ever Had
via: Amateur Gourment
(Inspired by a recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa)

4-5 pounds Broccoli, washed, dried and cut into florets
4-5 Garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
5 TBL. Olive Oil
1 1/2 tea. Sea Salt
1/2 tea. Pepper, gorund

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Line your pan with foil. Toss the broccoli, garlic, olive oil and sea salt. Roast in the oven until it is kind of caramelize(some of the ends will be a small bit brown and crispy), about 20-25 minutes.

(We all thought this was wonderful!)

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Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
via: The Very Best Baking


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

Techno Gremlins - Not My Best Day

It started out just like any other day, but quickly took a turn in the road. It began simply enough with a desire to check my email only to find that my computer was corrupt. It stared me down with an ugly dark blue screen, void of any twinkle of life. On the way to school I found that my speedometer was no longer registering my speed. That was easy enough to deal with by simply pacing myself to the others around me. In the parking lot at school I came to notice that I left some of my water at home and that I was wearing not only my dirty apron, but also my slippers. (Thankfully I had another pair of shoes with me in the car.) Things are looking up, I thought. But oh no, come period 3, my school computer, which housed my lessons and digital material for the day, crashed, too. This was announced by the many error messages boxes proclaiming a doomed hard drive. I had worried how the afternoon might go as I was scheduled to run a webinar that begins a new Web 2.0 class that I started today. Thankfully, my little netbook computer was a champ and saved the day.

After a day like that I decided that I needed the stress relief that a little knitting and movie would provide. So I pulled out my mittens, the ones I started the night I watched a movie with my boy. Laying in bed that night I realized that I had made an error and that I needed to frog it. So, I pulled it out, started the movie and started the knitting again. I found "Marily Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" while browsing Netflix. It was just the ticket I needed for such a failure of the day.


I don't happen to recall the movie when it was released in 2006, but I did enjoy it. It features an unlikely hero and a wonderful cast of actors.

On a brighter note, Ethan has his first welding class at the local community college this evening. he is excited. I hope that it goes well. I imagine that it is both exciting and scary to step outside of the small world of our school into the bigger community.

Rock Climbing in Golden and a Triple Birthday Party

This weekend most of my family went rock climbing over at North Table Mountain and had a wonderful time. Each of them remarked about how much fun they had.

On Sunday we had a triple birthday celebration at my Aunt Kathy's house. She hosted a wonderful part. We had a rib roast, steamed broccoli and carrots, crusty sour dough bread, mashed potatoes and salad. For dessert we enjoyed a French Silk pie with vanilla ice cream. She also made a Strawberry sauce that had a bit of Grand Marnier which Ethan really liked.
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Aunt Kathy was kind enough to share recipes for the favorites from the meal.

Clam Dip

6.5 oz. Clams (drained)
3 oz. Cream Cheese
2 TBL Mayonnaise
2tea. Onion, chopped
2 tea. Parsley (or cilantro), chopped
1 tea. Worchestershire
Dash of Hot Pepper Sauce

Combine all ingredients and chill to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with crackers.

Yield 1 cup (double recipe for a group)

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Cold Raspberry or Strawberry Sauce
from: The New York Times More 60 Minute Gourmet Meals

1 pint Fresh or Frozen Raspberries or Strawberries (or 10 oz. Frozen)
1/2 Juice of a Lemon (or 3/4 Juice of a Lime)
1/4 - 1/2 cup Sugar
2 TBL. Framboise or Grand Marnier

If using fresh fruit, rinse and pat dry.
Put the fruit in a food processor with the lemon/lime juice. Add the sugar (use 1/2 cup sugar if you are using frozen fruit or 1/4 cup for fresh fruit) and blend thoroughly. Add the Frambiose or Grand Marnier.

Yields 1 1/3 cups.