It's Just Like Riding A Bike

This morning I woke up to a very quiet and empty house. For the first time in a very long time, it was only me and the cats and dog. Jon is with his band students in Boone, NC for All-District Band and the kids are enjoying a sleepover at Nana and Grandpa's house. The house was strangely quiet. I found myself talking to my pets a lot more this morning. I'm used to a bustling house full of noise so the complete silence took a little getting used to. After feeding the animals, taking a shower, and watching a few episodes of "Empty Nest" (Hallmark is having a marathon today!), I was bored of relaxing.

Let me take you back a few days before I tell you what I did with the rest of my morning off....

Lately I have felt the urge to exercise. This is a pretty weird urge for me to have. You'd be surprised by how long I can be completely happy while sitting on the couch with the remote, my knitting, and carbs. Lately, though, I've felt like getting my rear off the couch and doing something active. I want to exercise for fun, not because I have to. (This is a very strange sensation for me) I've been maintaining my goal weight for 2 1/2 years (thanks to some great therapy that helped with my emotional eating) so weight loss isn't my goal for exercise. My goal is to have fun, get my heart rate up, and feel more energetic. This will also be a great way to get back in shape in time for gardening.

Thursday morning was my first day of exercise. I went for a walk around our neighborhood at 5:30am. I usually wake up at 6am but in order to fit in a walk before my day begins I have to begin it a bit earlier. It was 34* outside so I bundled up but by the end of my 1.6 mile brisk walk, I was plenty warm. Our neighborhood is so quiet at that time of morning. The only sounds I heard were a few heat pumps and the sound of the interstate in the distance. It was very peaceful and a great way to think about the day ahead. I found I had so much more energy after that walk and the energy lasted throughout the day.

Yesterday morning was raining so Jon and I did an AM yoga video tape to start the day. It was mostly stretching and relaxation but it was a nice way to wake up. Later I looked through our VHS collection looking for old workout tapes we could use on rainy mornings. I found a beginner kick-boxing tape from the 90's and a Pilates tape. I put in the kick-boxing video yesterday before dinner. It was fun and I like bouncing around on the balls of my feet. That's a strange thing to like about kick-boxing, isn't it?

So that brings us to this morning. It was going to be a beautiful day... sunny and mid-50's. I decided to get my bike out of the shed and cross my fingers that the tires were in good shape. I haven't been on this bike in over 5 years. Before that I'd only ridden it a handful of times. I was so glad to see that it was still in good shape and after I put a little more air in the tires it was ready to go.
I love this bike. I bought it shortly after buying my first house when I was 23. It was sitting outside of Kmart in line with all the other bikes. I loved everything about it. I loved the color, the super wide seat(it's much wider then the picture shows), the white walled tires... I just had to have it.

So, 9 years later, I pulled the bike out of the shed, dusted it off and put it in the van.

I am so lucky to live only 5 minutes away from Salem Lake. We went as a family last year in May. (I'm promising myself right now that we're going to spend a lot more time at the lake this year.) The lake has a wide, dirt "road" going all the way around it. I say road but it's really just a very wide path.

The road is very close to the water. The road follows the lake around curves and little tucked away places. The lake has so many little "corners" that it feels like many bodies of water instead of one lake. It looks different around every turn.

The path around the lake is 7 miles long. Yes, I've hoped on my bike for the first time in 5 years and I'm going on a 7 mile ride. Sound crazy? Well, I may not be able to walk without pain tomorrow but it was absolutely worth it. I had forgotten how good it feels to ride a bike. I love going down a hill... gliding down with the wind in my hair. It feels so free.

About a mile down the path is my favorite spot at the lake. This little bridge with it's fast flowing creek almost takes my breath away.



There were times this morning that I could have cried because I was so overwhelmed by it all. The sun shining through the trees, the sounds of a few birds calling, and the sound of this creek.... it was just so perfect. It sounds silly when I say it outloud. I don't usually consider myself an overly emotional person but there was just something about this ride at the lake this morning.


I watched people jog by with their Ipod's on and wanted to tell them that they were missing the best part. The sounds of this lake and the time to be "disconnected" from the world made those two hours I spent at the lake worth every muscle ache I'll be feeling in the next few days.

I took my time riding my bike. I stopped often to take pictures or to take a little rest. There were a few times when I rode up a hill that my legs burned like mad but then the fun of riding down that hill made it worth it.

So much of my thought usually goes to what needs to be done during the day... "When do I need to start dinner to have it ready in time?" "What day does Charlotte need to wear red to school?" "What day did Jon say he had that band thing after school?"

Not this morning. This morning I had no where that I had to be. There was no one waiting for me to hurry up and get home. My children were having a blast at Nana and Grandpa's and Jon was listening to music in mountains of North Carolina. It was just me, my bike, and the lake.

These two geese were about 10 feet away from me. They looked at each other, probably wondering why I was taking their picture.

I can't wait to go back to the lake. I would love to get a pretty basket with a lid for the front of my bike. When it gets warmer I could pack up some knitting in my basket and sit by the creek and knit for a while. It would be nice if we could get a babysitter and Jon could go on bike rides with me sometimes too. We could pack a picnic lunch and sit by the creek while we eat. I think I'm ready for Spring and longer days.

So, a 2 hour February bike ride around the lake... definitely a great way to spend a morning to yourself.

Evan's Monster Hat and Mittens

Let's see... the last post was about warm, spring-like weather and this post is about the winter wear that I finished knitting for Evan a month ago. Maybe I should work on the timeliness of my blog posts. I think this weekend I may have a knitting post extravaganza. I have so many projects from the past 2 months to blog about.



Back to Evan and his new winter hat and mitten set.
I found this cute Brainmonster Hat pattern on Ravelry. I followed the pattern and used size 6 needles. I knit the teeth in a garter stitch in the center instead of stockinette so they wouldn't curl. Thanks, Aunt Linda, for the suggestion. It worked like a charm.

The yarn is Iceland 253 Aran weight wool yarn in red. It is a true red though it doesn't look like it in the pictures.

I knit up some "Basic Cuff-Up Mittens" in the same yarn. I knit the Size 4/5 with longer cuff using size 4 needles and size 6 for the body of the mitten.

Evan loves his monster hat but I think his preschool teachers love his hat just as much.

I Love Punxsutawney Phil

For the past week or two the weather has been amazing. We've had two days in the low 70's and nothing much below 55*. It's been warm, sunny, and dry... the perfect weather to sit out in the sunshine and knit. The kids and I have spent every possible moment outside. I knit. They play, run, invent, and happily yell at the top of their lungs. It's been wonderful.

This sock got finished up while I watched the kids play.

Thank you Punxsutawney Phil for not seeing your shadow this year!

How To Make Your Cat Angry

Give her a bath.... her first in almost 12 years .

Sorry, Gracie. It was for your own good.

I promise I'm not strangling her. I was massaging shampoo into her face fur while trying to keep her from bolting out of the sink and over the halfwall.

Gracie has let me know that she plans to wait another 12 years before getting her next bath.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes (Dairy-free)

For Valentine's Day this year, I made these cupcakes. Moist chocolate cake topped with chocolate fudge icing. I'm pretty sure they're the best cupcakes I've ever had. The cake is moist and has a delicate texture. The icing is rich but with a hint of tang from the vinegar that gives it that perfect balance. I'm very sad that there's only one cupcake left and it's Jon's. Jon won't be home for hours and hours though.....hmm....

This cake/frosting recipe can also be baked as a sheet cake. I thought cupcakes would be a nice change of pace.
I adapted the original recipe (found here at King Arthur) to be dairy-free and I added an ingredient or two to add more flavor. If you are able to enjoy dairy, feel free to use the original recipe or use butter and milk in place of the Earth Balance and coconut milk. I can't promise the same result but it would probably work just fine.



Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter substitute)
1/2 cup oil (I use extra-light olive oil)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup coconut milk (heated in the microwave until hot to the touch)
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. instant coffee granules
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups whole grain spelt flour (or use 2 cups of all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt


Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan or line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

Melt the butter substitute in a medium or large microwaveable bowl. Stir in oil, cocoa, hot coconut milk, vinegar, and instant coffee powder. Using a whisk, mix in eggs, vanilla, and sugar until very well combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda until well combined.

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well combined. Pour into 9x13 pan or divide evenly between 24 muffin cups (filled about 3/4th of the way full).

Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes or 9x13 pan for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let 9x13 cake cool in the pan. Cupcakes can cool in their liners on a cooling rack.



Dairy-Free Fudge Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance (non-dairy butter substitute)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 Tbsp. coconut milk
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
4 cups (1 lb.) confectioner's sugar

In a medium sauce pan, melt the Earth balance. Stir in cocoa powder, coconut milk, vinegar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Bring mixture to the boil, then remove from the heat and mix in the confectioner's sugar, beating until smooth. Pour over cake while the frosting is still warm or frost cupcakes while frosting is still warm.
Yield: enough for one 9x13 cake or 24 cupcakes.

*The frosting will firm up pretty quickly as it cools though it never gets hard.
*If you frost cupcakes, you might notice the frosting starting to firm up in the pan. If you put the pan over a slightly warm burner for just a second and stir, the frosting will loosen up enough for you to continue frosting cupcakes.
*If you add sprinkles to your cupcakes, add them IMMEDIATELY after frosting each cupcake since the top layer of frosting cools quickly and prevents sprinkles from sticking.

This cupcake got dunked in the pink sugar sprinkles.

I topped them a few different ways. I found I preferred the plain ones since the sprinkles were too crunchy.

Evan didn't care how his cupcake was decorated. He ate the frosting first.

I've linked this post up with Simple Lives Thursday.

Happy Valentine's Day

Yesterday we all sat down to assemble the Valentine's Day treats for Evan and Charlotte's classmates. Charlotte wrote her To: and From: information on the back of paper hearts and then she glued her heart to a lollipop and added a leaf.

Evan had a fever yesterday and had just woken up from his nap when I took this picture. He said he felt good enough to make his Valentine's. Do you like his hair? He and Jon always wake up from naps with the funniest hair.

Evan is home sick today but he's feeling much better today and doesn't have a fever. As he bounded out of bed this morning, feeling more like himself, he said, "My fever still bothering me. I want to watch TV, lay on the couch, and drink juice." I think he's enjoying this pampering. I'm glad to see him feeling better today.

Today I'm going to make our traditional Valentine's dinner.... heart shaped meatloaf, pink mashed potatoes, and a Valentine's treat for dessert. Last year we went all out for the holiday but this year we're planning a more low-key evening. We're going to spend some quality family time this evening without TV or computer. I'm going to make cupcakes today for our dessert. Then I have plans to beat Jon at Uno again. I won 2-1 last week. I plan on staying the champion! Wish me luck.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Easy Overnight Granola

I recently found this recipe on the Alicia Cooks blog. I made a double batch this week and I've been enjoying it as breakfast cereal each morning since. It would also be a great topping for ice cream, yogurt, applesauce, etc. The best part about this granola, apart from it's slight sweetness and warm spices, is that it has clusters! All of my other granola making attempts have resulted in a loose granola that is impossible to eat without a spoon.
This will be my new go-to granola recipe. Alicia's recipe is a great basic granola so it's perfect for adding whatever flavors are your favorite. I added chopped pecans and almonds to mine. If you add nuts, put them in before baking. If you're adding dried fruit, add them after the granola bakes and cools.

Overnight Granola

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup quick oats (not instant)

Preheat your oven to 300*.

Combine oil, honey, vanilla, spices, and salt in a small dish and stir to combine. Place oats in a large bowl and stir to mix the two kinds up, then add the liquid ingredients and stir until well coated. Spread the oat mixture out on a baking sheet or large jelly roll pan. (I pressed the mixture down with my hands to help form clusters)

Place the oats in the oven and bake for 10 minutes and then turn off the oven and leave the granola inside. Do not open the oven. You can leave the granola in overnight to cool or take it out after about 3 hours.

Stir a bit to declump and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings

The Agony of Defeat

Well, the Super Bowl didn't end as we hoped. We're still working through our stages of grief.
On the bright side, we had a fun pre-game party on Sunday. We invited over some friends to snack with us while we waited for the game to start. The party ended before kick-off so we could concentrate on the game. I made a Steelers cake. I painted the logo with food coloring.

Jon hung crepe paper and Charlotte's paper chains and Steelers signs helped to decorate the dining area.

Jon and Charlotte practiced some plays.

Mini Troy sat on the cake plate cover and watched the fun.

There was food.

There was cake.

And then there was the game. Well, we can't win them all though Jon would have you believe otherwise. Here's to the Steelers who fought the good fight. Only 7 months left until the new season starts. I'm excited already!

Charlotte's Hat and Mittens

I'm shocked by how much a child's head and hands can grow in one year. Evan and Charlotte's winter sets from last year were too small for this year. I was sure I had knitted them big enough for two seasons but no such luck. Actually maybe it's a good thing. It gives me more opportunity to knit!

The orange yarn is Cascade Yarns Quatro, Color 5011. I love Quatro. It has such an interesting depth of color.

The hat is Stockinette Watch Cap Size Large maybe? I need to be better at writing down what I do for each project. I used the Quatro for the main part of the hat and then some leftover yarn I had from last year's hat, Paton's wool "Autumn Sunset".



Mittens: Basic cuff up mittens size 6/7, 2 3/4" cuff, knit 2" to thumb opening, 3" from thumb to decreases, 1 1/2" thumb before decreases.


I guess it's good that kids grow out of hand knits. I'd never get a chance to knit them new winter sets if they stayed the same size.

Peach Gingerbread Upside Down Cake

I was looking through the chest freezer the other day and saw a few bags of peaches from last summer. This peach gingerbread proved to be a delicious way to use some of last year's local peaches. The peaches are baked in the bottom of the pan but you flip the cake over before serving. The spicy gingerbread was the perfect complement to the sweet peaches...a match made in heaven!

Peach Gingerbread Upside Down Cake (adapted from this recipe from King Arthur.com)

Topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. water
4 cups peeled, pitted, sliced fresh peaches or frozen peaches that have been thawed and drained

Cake
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or almond milk with 1 tsp. vinegar)

Preheat the oven to 350*. Lightly grease a 9" square cake pan.

To make the topping, stir together melted butter, water, and sugar. Mix together with the peaches and layer the peaches in the bottom of the prepared pan. Try to arrange them in an even layer.

To make the cake: Beat butter, sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt together until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in molasses. Gently mix in the flour, then the buttermilk. Spoon the thick batter over the peaches gently in an even layer. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove it from the oven, wait 1 minute, then invert it onto a serving platter. As an alternative, you can keep the cake in the pan and flip over each piece of cake as you're ready to serve it.

Yield: ~16 servings

Mark's Scarf

(Pretend that it's Christmas and not February... I'm a bit behind with my posts)

I drew Mark's name for Christmas gift giving. I wanted to knit him something but the question was what to knit him. I knew it was going to have to be something special and something luxurious in order for him to want to wear it.

I went into my LYS (local yarn shop) and told the owner that I was looking for the highest quality, softest yarn that I could buy with my $30 budget. She showed me the Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran. It's 100% extra fine merino wool. The owner says it's just one step away from cashmere. It was so soft. I picked 3 balls of the rich red.
I knit "The New York Scarf" pattern. I like the simple rib design for men.

I hope he likes his scarf because I enjoyed knitting it for him.

Whole Wheat "Pain Au Chocolat" (Chocolate Rolls)

These slightly sweet chocolate rolls are eaten in France as a breakfast treat or an after school snack. Typically the dough is a puff-pastry style dough but I recently found a recipe for a softer, dinner roll type dough and thought I'd give it my own spin. The result is a pillowy soft roll with melted chocolate inside that has become quite a hit in this house. The chocolate provides just enough sweetness to make it feel like a treat but the dough is actually 100% whole wheat so it's a treat you can feel good about.


Whole Wheat Chocolate Rolls (adapted from this King Arthur Recipe)


1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
3 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, softened (or Earth Balance)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
1/3 cup dried potato flakes
2 Tbsp. ground flax meal (opt.)
1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. or one envelope of yeast

~1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips



In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together all ingredients except the chocolate chips. The dough should come together resembling the texture of play-doh. Use the dough hooks to knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes. This dough stays sticky so it's hard to knead by hand. If you don't have a stand mixer with dough hooks, lightly oil your counter top and hands before you try to knead it. You don't want to add more flour to keep it from sticking.

Cover the dough and let it rise for about 90 minutes or until almost doubled.



Divide dough in half. Roll half of the dough into a rectangle 9"x8". Cut the dough into 6 even rectangles.

Place some chocolate chips about 1/3 of the way down on the small rectangle. The amount of chocolate is up to you but you'll need to be able to close the dough.

Fold the top of the dough to cover the chips....

and press the seam closed.

Lay more chocolate chips in the seam....

and fold the bottom of the dough up, sealing in the chocolate chips.

It's okay if the chips show from the ends. They won't melt out during baking.

Repeat with the rest of the small rectangles and with the other half of the dough. Lay the rolls seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover lightly with a piece of greased plastic wrap. Let them rise for about an hour.

They'll look slightly puffy but shouldn't be huge.

Preheat oven to 350*

Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes. You want the edges to be just barely golden brown. Move them to a cooling rack to cool completely if you don't plan on eating them right away.

Dust with powdered sugar if you like. These are best eaten slightly warm. They reheat nicely in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

Melted chocolate inside a soft, flavorful roll... doesn't get much better then that!