Running, Redoing, Recipes, Reading...

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Karen and me before 2010 Flying Pig Half



I have started back running on a regular basis now that the weather has cooled off.  I have a hard time running in the summer, I just don’t like the humidity and I’m not an early enough riser to do it in the morning and by the time it cools down at night, I just don’t want to do it.  I love running…not so much the thought of having to do it but I love when I’m actually running, when I’m done and how strong it makes my body feel…it is amazing what the body is capable of.  I have to get up to 6 miles by Thanksgiving so that I can do my annual Turkey Day run with Karen.  Hopefully this year, we will not get in a fight and yell obscenities to each other while running in the middle of thousands of people!  Love you Karen!

 As I said on Facebook, apparently one cannot sew just because they watch Project Runway.  In an attempt to make saint costumes for my kids for school, I tried my hand at sewing with a machine.  It was the most aggravating experience trying to work a sewing machine.  So I gave that up, time to “redo” with a different plan so used Stitch Witchery.  Even that didn’t hold.  Redo again with the old needle and thread. By the time I got to Izzy and Gia’s they just get a hole cut out in the middle of a piece of fabric!  But I am going to contact the cooperative extension office and find out when they offer sewing lessons.  I’m going to learn!

I did 4 recipes for “Thursday night dinner with Mom and Dad” with Karen and Martha joining as well.  I got a surprise guest when my brother Keith walked in the door.  No refereeing soccer last light.  Soccer is to Keith what golf is to Dad…an obsession.  No one had to bring anything because I wanted to make 4 things in the stack.  I made Cabbage-Kielbasa Chowder, Vegetable Salad, Ciabatta bread and Cherry Cheesecake Pudding Pie and I’m happy to say ALL ARE KEEPERS.  It was a good meal. 

Chowder with Crouton, Veggie Salad

Beer seemed to creep in all our pictures this night.  Not sure why we put the sweet-tarts in the picture?????

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Here are the recipes:

Cabbage-Kielbasa Chowder (I cut this recipe out of the newspaper)

¾ lb kielbasa or any smoked sausage, cut into slices

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 ½ tsp salt

Pepper to taste

2 cups water

1 small head cabbage, shredded (4 cups)

3 cups milk

3 tbsp flour

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

In large Dutch oven, stir together sausage, potatoes, onion, pepper and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in cabbage and cook another 10 minutes or until tender.  Stir in 2 ½ cups milk.  Blend together remaining ½ cup milk with flour and stir into soup.  Cook until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in cheese until melted.  6 servings.

Vegetable Salad – I have no idea who this recipe came from but it is a handwritten recipe in the stack.  I think it may be my mother-in-law; I’ll have to ask her:

½ cup carrots finely chopped

1 large can white shoepeg corn, drained (I found that shoepeg only comes in one size so I used 2 since I wouldn’t consider the can “large”)

1 large can French sliced green bean, drained (yea, I know, canned green beans, yuck, but it works)

1 large can tiny peas, drained (ok, I used frozen, I just don’t like the color of canned peas)

1 large green pepper, chopped fine (I used red pepper because I like it better)

1 bunch green onions, chopped fine

1 cup celery, chopped fine

Put all in a non-metal bowl.

Dressing:

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup vinegar

1 tbsp water

1 tsp each salt and pepper

½ cup oil

Put all ingredients except oil in pan.  Bring to boil.  Cool.  Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking.  Pour over veggies.  Cover and store in fridge.  Do ahead-improves with age.

I found that I had a lot of liquid so I drained off the liquid before serving.

Ciabatta – I LOVE baking and especially love making bread and pizza dough.  I really like the whole kneading process.  Ciabatta is a very wet dough so I did this in my Kitchenaid.  I have never used my Kitchenaid for bread, it was awesome.  But I still love kneading.  This bread did not rise as much as I thought it would but it may have been my fault.  After forming into loaves, I did not cover for the rise and it formed a bit of a “skin” on the outside which may have prevented it from rising fully.  It was good bread, the kids LOVED it.  After it was done, I sliced it and baked it at 450 until crispy and rubbed it with garlic when it came out, ending with big croutons for our soup.

Sponge:

1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup water

¼ teaspoon instant active yeast (not rapid rise)

Mix together the ingredients and let rest overnight in a covered bowl at room temp.

Dough:

Take sponge and add:

1 tsp yeast

1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

¼ cup water

1/8 cup olive oil

Dough should be between a batter and runny dough.  I mixed in my mixer with the dough hook for 5 minutes.  Shape into 2 loaves, long, rough ovals about 4x10 inches.  Form on oiled baking sheet.  Cover and let rise until light and bubbly, using your fingers poke indentations in dough all over about ½ way thru the rising period.  Bake in a preheated oven spraying with water once or twice during baking.  Bake 25 minutes then cool in turned off oven with door cracked open.  Dust with flour.

Cherry Cheesecake Pudding Pie

1 ½ cup cherry pie filling (can use strawberry or raspberry)

1 graham cracker pie crust (6 oz)

1 ½ cups cold milk

2 pkgs (4 serving size) cheesecake flavored instant pudding

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip

Spoon ½ cup pie filling into crust.  Pour milk into large bowl.  Add pudding mix.  Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until smooth.  Mixture will be thick.  Immediately stir in whipped topping.  Spoon over pie filling in crust.  Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.  Top with remaining pie filling.

Enjoy!

The family enjoying dinner!

I'm reading a great book, check it out:  One Day.