Return to running....

I really need to get back into running.  It's such a great hobby and an amazing stress reliever.  It's really what got me through my breakup last year.  Now that I'm in a new healthy relationship and I'm happy I've unfortunatetly neglected my running.  My current goal is to run a 5k next month hopefully not in 100 degree weather.  I would like to finish this one with a 10 minute mile.

Here's week 1:

Day 1: Run 5 minutes, walk 1 min - repeat 3 times
Day 2: Rest or cross-train
Day 3: Run 6 minutes, walk 1 min - repeat 3 times
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Run 7 minutes, walk 1 min - repeat 3 times
Day 6: Rest or cross-train
Day 7: Rest

Only 3 more weeks until I get my iPhone.  I think it will be easier to plan my training with all of the great running apps out there.

 It's the season for apple pie! Today I made my FIRST apple pie Ina Garten style.  The pie just came out of the oven and now my condo smells amazing.  Ina uses all granny smith. I went with a variety using 6 apples. It was just the right amount.  I didn't go to the trouble of making pie dough from scratch as Ina strongly suggests. I'll eased into the first one. Here's the recipe and a video how to.


http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/tv/Barefoot-Contessa/96465/2151860641/Ina-s-Deep-Dish-Apple-Pie/videos?cmpid=syn_rss

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered and cored
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Perfect Piecrust (see below)
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

Roll out half the pie dough (see right) and drape it over the pie pan to extend about 1/2 inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.

Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom piecrust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1 inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the two together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and cut four or five slits.

Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.

Perfect Pie Crust

MAKES: two 10-inch crusts

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
• 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

Happy 3rd Birthday Ella

Happy birthday to my niece Ella who turned 3 years old on Wednesday, January 12th. Ella is such an amazing little girl, so full of life, and she has plenty of energy to go around. She cracks me up! It's amazing how much joy she's brought into our lives along with my adorable, sweet, funny, smart little nephew who turned the big 1 on September 2nd, 2010, and my sweet, beautiful, little niece Ava who was born on November 26th, 2010. I get the most joy in life spending time with the little cherubs, and watching them grow. They truely are the center of our universe, and I'm just the luckiest aunt in the world.

Ella the big 3 year old

Jake the big 16th month old

Ava the almost itty bitty 2 month old

New to the Blog World

I've been wanting to create my own blog for sometime now. So here goes it'sofficial I now have my own blog. I'm not sure yet how my blog will turn out, but I'm excited to get started writing and tracking my day to day experiences if time permits. I will include my travel adventures, love for family, and food, circumstances, people, and items I find interesting as well as tips and advice I receive along the way! Wish me luck.