Couch to 5K: Day 19

Well, I ran for 25 minutes again today... and I will do the same workout two more times. I guess the goal now is to get used to running for that time period!

I ran a tad faster this time. It took thirteen minutes for the first mile and twelve for the second. Not bad improvement over a couple of weeks.  I've noticed that the song that's playing can really change how fast I run, so I guess I should start picking out more fast songs. Any running playlist suggestions?

It felt wonderful to run on a glorious autumn morning, with the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing. My friends the geese were gone today, though. It's not as exciting when they're not around! I'm looking forward to ditching the track one of these days and giving the greenway a try. Maybe this weekend!

-Kristin

One New Thing: Pozole!

Like congee, this is another soup-y food I'm always hearing about but have never tried. Our cupboards were bare today, and Megan writhed around on the couch complaining about how I am always ordering groceries but there is never good food. So I suggested that we order in... and in order to make it special, I thought we could try something new. So we found a Mexican restaurant near us that would deliver, and they just so happened to make pozole.

I will spare you the saga of the actual delivery. There was a lot of waiting, and food shortage, and fighting over the sad, bare bones of what we had hoped would be a feast. But what about the pozole? Well, it tasted kind of like chicken and noodle soup. But instead of the noodles, there were these big, huge corn-kernel-ish things that tasted kind of like mealy tortillas. I can't say I was a big fan. But I think, based on the other food, that maybe it was just not a great pozole. So I would definitely look forward to trying it again!

Megan refused to try the pozole because she had convinced herself that the big corn-kernel things were eyeballs. Then she looked at me with hateful eyes for eating one of her enchiladas.

-Kristin

The eyes were full of hate only because I had specifically said I didn't want to share my enchiladas! Kristin wanted us to order a number of things and share. This would have been a fine idea with some people, but with this family that likes to order unpalatable items not such a good idea. So enchiladas, safe choice, all mine. Then they shorted us on food and everyone ate my enchiladas so I was in the exact boat I so tried to avoid. And to make it worse not only did everyone eat my enchiladas they all complained about how much they disliked them while they were doing it!

- Megan Leigh

Couch to 5K: Day 18

Today I ran 25 minutes. 25 minutes! Without stopping! Without walking! I am still going the same speed--about a thirteen-and-a-half minute mile--but today I ran for almost 2 miles.

It was an exciting run today because geese took over the track. At first it was funny. One goose lunged at a college track team guy and made him squeal like a little girl. But then I noticed all the goose poop. I had to weave around it, and it wasn't easy! And then I realized that a goose could turn on me just as easily as it attacked a fast-running teenager... so I got a little nervous. But I think the obstacle-course-type nature of today's jog added a whole new dimension to my workout, one that will come in handy when I take it to the street and have to weave between people. Mean New Yorkers who will lunge at me like an enraged goose. It was probably good practice.

-Kristin

Good Food: Eggplant Mykonos

I am putting this one under the good food category defiantly, since Megan didn't like this recipe. But I did, a lot!

It is from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home cookbook. It is full of eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, and dill, and it's topped with yummy feta cheese. What's not to like? I would recommend it to anyone. It is easy to make and delicious! It is vegetarian, and it could be vegan if you left off the cheese. But I don't recommend that.

Megan maintains that the eggplant tasted weird (it was some special kind called "neon" eggplant that is light purple and very pretty) and that dill is gross. But then she wanted me to make some kind of dill dip in a rye bread bowl. And everybody knows that rye bread is gross...

-Kristin

Eggplant is my favorite vegetable. I could eat it everyday! I tell you these things because I want you to know that I know my eggplant and this was no good. HAD the eggplant been normal and HAD there been no dill I could get on board with this recipe. However, things happened as they did and I could only say BLARGH.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Megan goes to Jack Rabbit!

Finally it was my turn to take a trip to Jack Rabbit! I got on the treadmill and got to see myself run. I have a slight pronation on my right foot every other stride, but not enough that I need special shoes, just 'neutral' ones. And boy are they ugly. There was a decent black and pink pair, but these ones fit better, so I ignored all fashion sense and went with it. Cat also got a pair of ugly shoes. They were all so ugly she debated on whether to even buy a pair. I convinced her that if she wanted to run with the big dogs (me and Krugs) she better get a pair of hideous, good feeling shoes.

Kristin also told me to get the socks she bought. So when I was there I texted her to see which socks she got, since there were more than one type. Instead of describing the socks, she described their location. No, not the location in the store, but 'they are on top of my dresser'. So I closed my eyes and picked a pair.

I also bought two pairs of goggles to get us going on our swimming! I tested out the goggles and they were so scary! It was like they were suction cupping out my eyeballs. I hope this means they'll work great and not that they were developed by an organ thief!

Then we went to Shake Shack because all these thoughts about being healthy made us hungry for some greased up food. Yum!

- Megan Leigh

Recipe in Progress: Thyme Chicken

This recipe came from Madison, who got it from a Jamie Oliver book. It's actually pretty fun to make: you create little pockets made of tin foil, and fill each one with a chicken breast, white wine, mushrooms, chicken broth, butter, and fresh thyme, seal it up, and stick it in the oven for about half an hour. It reminded me of going to girl scout camp, where we use to cook potatoes and things in little foil packets over a fire.

This recipe wasn't a big hit in our house though! Megan and Ben said they both like more flavor/a crust on the chicken. It was also a little bland, but I think that is my fault... there was no salt or pepper in the recipe (probably because it's self-explanatory that you should add some), but I didn't. I think if I made it again and seasoned it better, it would have been a little more flavorful.

So fine recipe, but I think I would tinker with it a little bit, at least as far as adding salt or pepper! And I think it is a fun thing for people who hate to make complicated things, because it is really simple. Also, Elliot really loved it. So maybe it is a hit with kids!

-Kristin

Pursuing Passions: Non-Profit Work

Since 2008 my goal was to work for a non-profit social work or public health organization. Working for a non-profit garden was swell, but not in the direction I was hoping to go. After moving to New York for the first time and failing horribly, I eventually gave up on this dream and went with whatever would have me.

So by the time I made my second (this) move to New York, I wasn't even thinking of non-profit work anymore, but assumed I would get a job in retail. I left my dress pants in storage thinking "I won't be needing these anytime soon. No fancy pants at Old Navy!" But the second day I was in New York, I was hooked up with an interview for a really wonderful social service organization. Weeks went by and I didn't hear a thing, so I assumed the job was a no-go. But last week I got a second interview and a call telling me I'm in!

Today was my first day of work as a part-time admin assistant in the development department. So far so good! I really enjoyed it. I even got to pack up a Curious George costume, with thoughts of what I could do with this outfit at a furry party! (I kid, I kid.) Did you know that the heads of those outfits have a metal hat contraption inside?? Although I'm still an admin assistant, it already feels much more rewarding working here than at another company! And who knows, it might lead to another, more people involved job at the same organization!

And even better--this job seems to be a casual environment where I can wear 'nice' jeans. This is great news since dress pants involve heels. The pants I wore today somehow stretched out (they aren't stretchy pants!) and ended up about three inches too long by the time I went home. Well, I hope they stretched out and that that's not how much I shrink in a day!

- Megan Leigh

Couch to 5K: Day 17

Today I ran for ten minutes at a time, two times, with a little walking between. No big deal! So I thought I would make things interesting by trying to run fast (for me)... I popped out of the apartment thinking that I would try to run a mile during each 10 minute jog. Did I succeed? No, not even close! As of today, I am running a fourteen minute mile. But whatever--I'm running! Plenty of time to become a speed demon later. It FEELS like I am going fast!

-Kristin

One New Thing: Congee in Chinatown and Zeppolis in Little Italy

Today I snuck out of the apartment and escaped downtown to try congee for the first time. And what better place to try congee, outside of China or Hong Kong anyway, than Chinatown? Congee is a chinese comfort food, a type of savory rice porridge that people yearn for when they miss their mom. After hearing so much about how good it is, I had to taste it.

I met up with Kim and we went to Big Wong. Everybody raves about this place because of the excellent food and because it is really cheap. And it really is both of those things! A big window full of hanging barbequed ducks and strips of pork greets you when you walk in, and almost as soon as you place your order the food starts piling up on your table. We tried roast duck, roast pork in rice crepes, and seafood congee. Everything was really good. The congee was a little hard to get used to. I'm used to porridge being paired with sweet things, like brown sugar and and raisins... so the peanuts, cilantro, and seafood were a little different, but also really good. I could see myself starting to love it.

We also lucked out because it happened to be the feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. So after pigging out at Big Wong, we headed over there to get Zeppolis--which I had never had, but Kim said were delicious. And they were! They are big, puffy, fried pieces of dough coated in powder sugar. Yum. Elephant ears will always be my favorite, but my heart is big enough for Zeppolis too.

So two new and delicious things today--congee and zeppolis. It was a good Sunday!

-Kristin

Good Food: Popovers Take 3

Finally, success! This time I used the recipe that Michelle posted on this blog earlier (it's her mom's). A big thank you to Michelle and her mom. This recipe was so easy, and it worked so well! The popovers popped BIG TIME. After taking them out of the oven, they fell a bit, but they were still light, airy and delicious. Kind of custardy, or dutch baby-ish. The other popovers we had made were very dense. These ones were more or less hollow inside (perfect for filling up with butter, Elliot said, and then declared that we should call them buttercups). I'm including a picture inside the oven, to show just how much they popped, and then one after they had been taken out. Yum!


Ben cooked up a "rustic applesauce" to eat with our popovers, and that was a pretty great pairing.

Mrs. Ferris's Popovers
4 large eggs (room temperature)
3/4 cup milk (room temperature)
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease muffin/popover cups- this should make about 8/6 popovers depending on size of tins.

Beat eggs til frothy.

Beat in milk and butter.

Add flour and salt to egg mixture- beat at low speed til smooth.

Divide into prepared cups.

Bake 35- 40 minutes or until puffed and firm on top.

-Kristin

One New Thing: Boardwalk Empire Special Screening

Thanks to Cat, I got to go to a special screening of the Boardwalk Empire season premiere this week!

I felt it was a very brave endeavour on my part, since Cat informed me that the theater we were going to in Union Square had a bed bug infestation back in August. I gave it some thought. If the last biting was in August they probably took care of the problem, which meant the chemicals were still fresh and I should be in the clear!

The movie theater didn't have stadium seating, which was shocking for this day and age. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get free drinks and popcorn. It would have been a nice thank you for all the crew and their very special guests. And I think they may have teased us by setting up a table of these brown paper bags that were NOT for us. What was in those bags?? But the first episode was very good. I could easily see myself getting hooked. My favorite part was when a little boy said "These eggs taste funny" and his mom answered "Maybe the chicken laughed". Good stuff! I can't wait to use that line one day!

Since Netflix doesn't seem to be getting the first season of Boardwalk anytime soon, I'm very happy Cat invited me because it may be the only episode I'll ever see! It was so nice seeing Omar again, and a happy surprise was that Kelly McDonald (Diane from Trainspotting) had a prominent role!

- Megan Leigh

Read More: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been completed. This means there is only one book left in the series and I'm getting the blues just thinking about it. I wonder if there are any blues songs out there about Harry Potter. I wouldn't doubt it, as I feel one welling up in my heart right now.

Again, J.K. Rowling did not disappoint, with great chapter titles like "An Excess of Phlegm" and dialogue such as "I take my hat off to you - or I would, if I were not afraid of showering you in spiders." I always wondered why gentlemen no longer tipped their hats...

All in all, this book wasn't such a surprise. This is the movie I had seen in the theater with Elliot that made me realize that Harry Potter could be quite enjoyable. How can you resist a movie that gets your nephew standing up in the theater yelling 'Fight me, Snape! Come and fight me!' at the screen? So I knew the whopper that was coming at the end, but it didn't ruin the book at all. So much is left out (side stories about the other Weasley boys, Order of the Phoenix love affairs) and even drastically changed (Please. Mrs. Weasley would never want to keep Ron from going to Hogwarts thus showing her lack of confidence in Dumbledore) in the movie that reading the book was almost a whole new story. Of course, with the same sad outcome.

This is the movie that convinced me that Harry was a no good cowardly weasel. At the end when the big thing happens and the very special someone dies (I'm being as cryptic as I can for those who haven't read/watched it) Harry is cowering beneath the floorboards and lets that very special someone get murdered right in front of his eyes. Who does that?? A yellow bellied Potter, that's who. "For shame..." I muttered, shaking my head as I existed the theater.

But the book tells a different story. Harry does not hide! The certain special someone paralyzes him so he can't move to help! The Harry of the books would have gladly given his life to save this man or woman! For so long I have been holding this against the scar faced Potter and now it is to myself that I mutter "For shame..." for being fooled by Hollywood. Or better yet I should direct this at the screen writer and director. I'm just so unsure what their angle is! Why do they continually take this uncommonly brave, yet nerdy boy (he reminds me a lot of myself, in fact) from the book and turn him into a whiney little turd who lets special someones die!!?? I am positive that these jerks have the 'Republicans for Voldemort' sticker on the back of their gas guzzling, earth destroying cars.

-Megan Leigh

Good Food: Tried and True Oatmeal Cookies

One of the only things that I can bake and feel truly confident about are cookies. Two kinds, chocolate chip and oatmeal. Tonight I had to bake oatmeal cookies for my son's soccer team (I know this makes me sound like a sad soccer mom), so I thought I'd share the recipe I use. It used to be on the bottom of the lid on Quaker Oatmeal containers, but the current recipe gracing the lid is not nearly as good... I think they tried to reduce the fat and sugar content, and you can tell. So here is my tried and true version!

My one biggest tip is to use margarine. I know, margarine is gross. But cookies are the one area in which I think margarine earns a place. If you want a soft, chewy cookie, margarine works so much better... If you want a hard, dry cookie, butter is a better choice. But who wants a hard, dry oatmeal cookie? Also, I think Fleischmann's in the tub is the best kind to use. I used Country Crock out of desperation tonight, but the cookies aren't quite as good.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Circa 1998)
1 c. butter
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
3 c Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
1 c. raisins
1 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat together the margarine and sugar until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.

Stir in oats, raisins, and chocolate chips (if you're using them).

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until gold brown. Cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen.

-Kristin

Couch to 5K: Day 16

Day 16! After the last workout's insane 20-minutes-long-with-no-breaks jogging, this one was easy. Jog for five minutes, break to walk, jog for eight minutes, break to walk, and then jog for five minutes again. Piece of cake! Since the run times weren't difficult, I concentrated on going a little faster. I was able to keep up a pace of between 2.5 and 3 minutes per lap (or quarter-mile). I actually ended up pushing myself harder this time than last--but it felt kind of good. It's lots of fun to see that I am capable of going way faster and longer than I ever thought possible. Jogging is one of the more fulfilling things I have ever tried!

-Kristin

Couch to 5k: Day 15

I can't believe it, but I jogged for twenty minutes today. I jogged a mile and a half! I would have never, ever thought I was capable of doing it. The last time I jogged, a couple days ago, it was for only eight minutes at a time--and that was my all time best. The only reason I even tried to do twenty minutes today was because that was what my workout said to do. And I had too much pride to not even give it a shot after working so hard on the 14 workouts before this one!

Well I am glad I tried, because I did it. And it was not even that bad. I took it very slow, because I didn't know what to expect, and by the last five minutes I realized I had so much energy left I could run much faster! The feeling I got when I ran a mile--I think it was my first mile ever!--was amazing. And for me to be able to run more than a mile comfortably... I still can't believe it.

I thought it was ridiculous for the Couch to 5k workout to jump from jogging eight minutes to jogging twenty minutes at a time. But maybe they knew what they were doing. What a confidence booster to go from struggling with eight to realizing you can do twenty! I was super proud of myself all day. I can't wait to run again.

Since I ran one mile today, I was able to time my mile for the first time. It took fourteen minutes. I have to get down to ten someday! But for today, I am proud just to have made it that far at all. I figure there is plenty of time to work on speed.

On a sad note, Megan is refusing to run with me anymore. No, it is not because I am an awful running partner. At least I don't think so. She says she is going to find her own running program, and this one doesn't work for her. I think she should just buy new running shoes and come back and jog with me! It's hard and sort of surreal to try and pace myself when I'm running alone on a big empty track. A strange and lonely feeling. Come back, Megan!

-Kristin

I'm very proud of Krugs for running for a whole twenty minutes! I could never even attempt it at this point. I am going to still attempt getting to my 3k, but am making my own plan. One day we will run side by side again!

- Megan Leigh

Good Food: Ants on Trees with Shredded Carrot Salad

I love ants on trees (the little pieces of pork are the ants, and the noodles are the trees), and we've made this a couple times for friends. Tonight we made this for Rachel and Mark. Here we are eating it--if you look closely, you can see the food on our plates. I didn't think ahead and take a close-up photo of the food! Ben made up this recipe for a carrot salad to accompany it, and I love it too.

Ants on Trees (Serves 5-6)
1 lb ground pork
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp roasted red chili paste
2 tsp corn starch
16 oz cellophane noodles
4 tbsp peanut oil
4 scallions, the white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
4 jalapenos, minced
1 c. chicken stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
cilantro, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the 4 tbsp soy sauce, sugar, red chili paste, and cornstarch. Add pork to the marinade and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Place the noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Soak 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (this part is important), then drain in a colander.

Heat oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and jalapeno and cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink, breaking up any chunks, about 3 minutes.

Add the noodles, chicken stock, and 2 tbsp soy sauce. Cook, tossing the noodles with two wooden spoons, until the sauce is absorbed and the pork is well distributed throughout the noodles. Serve immediately and garnish with cilantro.


Carrot Salad (Serves 6)
1 lb of carrots, grated and drained
1 heaping tbsp of ginger, finely minced
1/2 c. cilantro, finely minced
1/2 c. of peanut oil
 2 tsp of sesame oil
1/2 c. of rice vinegar
1 tsp of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
crushed cashews to garnish

Combine all the ingredients but the carrots in a bowl and whisk. Toss in with the carrots (which should be grated and drained first), and cover and put in the fridge to sit at least 2 hours (or as many as 24 hours). Garnish with crushed cashews and serve!

Megan notes that if you don't grate your finger, you're not doing it properly.

- Kristin

Good Food: The Best Pancakes

The last time I made pancakes, I used the recipe from How to Cook Everything. They did not turn out well. I had been dreaming of fluffy pancakes with a little crispness. What I got was thin and rubbery frisbees, a big disappointment! Now, I am not blaming Mark Bittman--I think there is a good chance that the problem had something to do with yours truly. But ever since then, I have been wondering how you make good pancakes from scratch. I mean, pancakes are supposed to be easy, right?

Well, I did a little research and found a wonderful pancake recipe. These pancakes were SO good. I adapted a recipe I found on the msnbc website, in an article on making perfect pancakes. It is worth a read if you long to make restaurant-style pancakes at home! I think one of the big revelations for me was that it's better to brush the skillet with vegetable oil, rather than throw in some butter before you cook each pancake. Anyway, here is the recipe:

--Crack 2 large eggs into a large bowl and whisk them until they foam up, and you see lots of bubbles.
--Whisk in 1 1/2 c. buttermilk, 3 T melted butter, and 1/2 t vanilla.
--Stir together 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, 3 T sugar, 2 t baking powder, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t baking soda in a separate medium-sized bowl.
--Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking them together briefly after each addition. Mix until just smooth--don't overmix!
--Heat up your skillet--medium heat works for me. If it is the perfect temperature, when you flick a little water into the pan, small droplets will bead up and bounce around. If the water evaporates immediately, that means the pan is too hot.
--When the pan is ready, brush it with vegetable or canola oil. Do this before every new pancake!
--Pour 1/3 cup of the pancake mix onto the griddle.
--Turn the pancake when the edges look dry and there are a few dry-edged bubbles visible on top. The underside should be honey-colored.
--After your first pancake, correct the mixture so that the consistency is just right. Is it too thick to spread out in the pan? I had to add about 1/4 cup of milk to mine.
--I garnished ours with powdered sugar (an excuse to use my new sugar shaker) and sliced strawberries.

Enjoy!

-Kristin

PS I realize I need to work on my food photography. Maybe another goal should be to learn how to take a good picture!

Couch to 5K: Day 14

Another lonely day of running by myself! Today I had to run 8 minutes at a time, with some walking in between. It was fine, although I don't go very fast. It takes me a little over three minutes to jog a quarter mile--that means it would take me over 12 minutes to run a mile! I try not to let that depress me, though... at least I am jogging. I'll work on speed later.

The weather was BEAUTIFUL, sunny with an autumn breeze, and it felt so nice to be outside, jogging around. I'm so glad I started doing this!

-Kristin

Recipe in Progress: Spaghetti and Meatballs

I actually already love my recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. The problem is, I would like to figure out how to make my meatballs without veal... and still have them taste good.

For the sauce, I use a secret family recipe. For the meatballs, I use the recipe from a Rocco Dispirito cookbook. Remember him? He had this short-lived reality show about opening a restaurant. I don't know why, but I watched a couple of episodes, and they were always raving about the meatballs at the restaurant. So I tried his recipe, and it really is good! The meatballs are crusty on the outside, light and soft on the inside, delicious! Unfortunately, my family criticizes me mercilessly for cooking with veal (the recipe calls for 1/3 beef, 1/3 pork, and 1/3 veal), and Megan refuses to eat them at all. I know that everyone is right and that it is wrong to cook with veal. But it tastes so good!

Does anybody have suggestions for how to kind of simulate the taste and texture of veal? My mom suggested asking the meat counter to double-grind beef...

-Kristin

Recipe in Progress: Peanut Soup, Senegalese Style

We got this recipe out of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook. It was decent! There is another peanut-y stew with greens that I love from The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home cookbook, so I think I was secretly hoping this soup would be a lot like that one, but even better. My expectations may have been a little unfair. I would have liked this soup to be a little richer and more peanut-y, like that one is. So next time, I think I will add more peanut butter and also some coconut milk. I like the addition of tomatoes and yams in this recipe though! All in all, it was quite good. The soup ended up both tasty and hearty, nice for a Fall night.

I garnished with a scoop of rice, crushed peanuts, and lime wedges. Yum.

-Kristin

Couch to 5K: Day 13

 I ran by my lonesome today, since Megan is in Oregon attending the Harper event of the decade--Cate's wedding. I am very jealous that everyone is out there having fun, so I tried to run out my negative energy and refrain from thinking about them eating delicious Grand Central Bakery sandwiches.

Today's run was nothing special. I had to run for 5 minutes at a time, three times, with some walking in between. But the week as a whole is insane! I peeked at the plan for the next two runs. On the next workout, I run eight minutes at a time. OK, that seems reasonable.  But the time after that... twenty minutes at a time. WHAT? Where is the gradual increase from eight to twenty minutes? How will I be able to do it? Will I somehow amaze myself? Because I really don't think I can jog for twenty minutes at a time yet! We shall see, I guess.

-Kristin

Recipe in Progress: Popovers Take 2

I tried making popovers again today. This time, I used a recipe that worked pretty well for my mom last week. I didn't follow it exactly, but I used it as a base... this is what I tried. Since our oven seems to cook things rapidly, I tried baking the popovers at 450 for 10 minutes, then baking them at 350 for 15 minutes. Instead of greasing the pan with shortening, I used vegetable oil. And I ran the eggs under warm water before using it, to bring them to room temperature.

The results were much better than last time--but still not great! The popovers were soft and spongy and light inside, which was good. But the pop still wasn't very impressive. So I will keep trying! Elliot says that he made them at school last year, and they used baking powder. Maybe I should do that. I also thought that maybe I should keep them at 450 for longer, and if they cook too rapidly I could take them out of the 350 oven earlier... It seems like all the popping happened at the first, higher temperature. At least there has been some improvement!

-Kristin

Read More: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix Harry and I suffered a tremendous loss. I am afraid to continue reading. Since I've seen the sixth movie, I know who the next loss will be and I just don't know if I have the strength to handle it. Maybe since I know what is coming next it will be easier to stomach. Damn you, Voldemort! One thing I am looking forward to in the next book - How did Harry do on his O.W.L's? It makes me miss school!

I've realized why I have always thought lowly of Harry Potter (the boy). In the movies they take away all of his incredible feats, either ignoring them or attributing them to someone else. Sure, he has one big fight scene per movie, but his loyalty and the constant tribulations he has to face are glossed over or ignored completely.

Another detrimental difference between the books and the movies is how Dumbledore is portrayed. In the books he is always very calm and collected, as if he's already seen everything and there can be no more surprises - there is nothing he can't deal with. However, in the movies, Dumbledore's feathers are always getting ruffled and he shows anger easily. I have even seen him run! Dumbledore does NOT run, not even to catch a train. It's undignified.

It is as if the directors don't want us to see the true face of Harry Potter and Dumbledore. I have a sneaking suspicion that they may be Death Eaters.

- Megan Leigh 

Couch to 5k: Day 12

A terrible day for running for me! I felt bad in the morning, but went on the run anyway. I ran one of the three minute segments and one of the five minute ones and then I felt super light headed and thought I was gonna puke, so I didn't run the rest of it. I did make myself walk for the rest of the time. though, so my exercise today wasn't a complete waste. Unfortunately, that didn't help things get back to normal as far as not feeling sick. Then, after the jog, I had to go watch a house full of babies not feeling well! That was a more daunting task than running a 5k!

Kristin, on the other hand, did very well! She made it all the way through without me by her side. Way to go!

- Megan Leigh

I can't believe Megan went out to run today. She has been sick all week! I'm glad she didn't puke all over the track. I didn't feel very good today either, so it was a little hard to run... But I am feeling stronger every time. I should emphasize that I'm *feeling* stronger every run. The reality is actually pretty sad. I jogged and Megan ran, and each time I only ended up about one-quarter track length ahead of her. Sad sad sad! Hopefully the speed will come someday.

-Kristin

Good Food: Gojee.com

I thought I'd share this website I recently discovered and have fallen in love with: www.gojee.com.  You go to this site, enter in an ingredient that you want to get rid of or have a craving for, and it instantly culls the web, delivering tons of recipes using that ingredient. This function alone makes it great, but what is most appealing is the big, gorgeous pictures. They are inspiring! Another great feature is that once you find a recipe that interests you, you can go to the original website on which the recipe was featured... and usually once there, you can see people's reviews and reactions. It always makes me feel better about investing a lot of time and energy in a recipe if I can see that other people have tried it and loved it.

-Kristin

Recipe in Progress: The Popovers that Didn't Pop

With my recent windfall from an anonymous donor, I bought a popover pan. A really nice one, too! Elliot and I discovered popovers last year, when we started going to the Popover Cafe after his soccer games. Actually, that's when I discovered popovers. Evidently, he got to make them at school, so he'd had them before. I thought that surely if a bunch of kindergarten kids could whip them up, then I could make them at home. So I've just been waiting for the pan.

My shiny, new pan arrived yesterday, so this morning I tried my first batch of popovers. And they didn't pop! Instead, they looked like sad, squat, bland little muffins. They actually tasted OK--kind of like light, spongy biscuits. And with honey butter (yes, I made my own honey butter to go with them) they were not bad at all. But I wanted big old popovers, so it was a big disappointment.


I took the recipe from The New Best Recipe Cookbook, and it was pretty straightforward (eggs, milk, flour, butter), so I'm not sure what went wrong. Most of the recipes I've seen on the web look very similar. Is it possible they didn't rise because I didn't use room temperature eggs? I guess I will try that next time... But could it really make that big a difference? What went wrong? What should I do differently next time? Now that I have invested in a special pan solely devoted to popovers, I've got to get this recipe right!

-Kristin

Read More: Vacation

Unwillingly, I took a break from my Harry Potters to read my library book Vacation by Deb Olin Unferth and am very happy that I did! I have chosen to read all of the books of a few publishing houses. One of these is McSweeny's, founded by the completely awesome, awesome (yes, that IS a double awesome) Dave Eggers.

Up until now I've been pretty disappointed by the McSweeny titles I've read, so Vacation was a very nice surprise. It's about a man, Myers, whose wife begins staying late for work every night. Affair, he assumes and begins following her to confirm his suspicions. It takes him a few weeks to figure out that she is actually following someone herself. The three of them wander around the city for hours on end, never knowing the others are there at every turn. Eventually this stalking, if you will, leads Myers down to Nicaragua with murder on the brain. "Chasing to Kill" one might call it.

So, not only does this book have a pretty cover, it also involves one of my favorite pastimes, stalking, and one of the only places I've been to outside the US, Nicaragua. The dialogue was unrealistic in the dream like quality that I am drawn to and the ending... well I won't spoil that, but I will say I approve!

-Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Settlers of Catan

I remember hearing about Settlers of Catan for the first time from the Kygers. Ever since then, I've wanted to try it. A friend and I kept planning to have a Settlers of Catan dinner party, but it never happened... I think we both had babies, and you know how they ruin plans. Then a few months ago, I ducked into a toy store with Elliot on a rainy day and saw the game sitting on a shelf. It was calling to me, so I went ahead and bought it. The time had come to give it a try! Unfortunately, nobody in my house seems to want to play this game with me. It's been sitting, unopened, on a closet shelf, lonely and unloved ever since I brought it home.

I don't know how it came up in the lab, but somehow we figured out that THREE of us had bought this game, and none of us really got to play! Megan and I had both had the game for a long time and never gotten to play even once! We decided enough was enough, and the time to play was finally here. So this Friday was Settlers of Catan day. We took over the break room with our board game, and enjoyed chocolate cake and lots of weird soda flavors. (I found Mellow Yellow, Tab, and Cherry Doctor Pepper at the deli next to work.) It was very decadent! Lots of people walked by and gave us envious looks. "Is it like Dungeons and Dragons?" one person asked, looking doubtful. "It looks really complicated," another said.

And the truth is, the game IS really complicated. Luckily, Brandi had played before and could tell us how it worked. I have to say that even though I lost, by a lot, the game was very fun. And now that I know how fun it is, I will try even harder to make somebody play it with me at home. The next game on my list: Bananagrams.

-Kristin

Couch to 5k: Day 11

Well we have done a really bad job at taking pictures to document our jogs. But we are still really doing them!

Megan amazed me by going out to run even though she is sick. She dragged herself to the track with a big bag of kleenexes. Luckily, she didn't really have to use them. As soon as we finished jogging, she was ready to collapse. As I got ready for work, I heard her wondering to herself how she would get up the ladder to her bed. I think she slept all day. But I am very proud of her for making it through!

-Kristin

I finally got around to making myself a jogging mix. I can't say that it helped a whole lot, but I do think it helped a little! Especially Planet of the Apes by Cibo Matto. I pretended I was hunting a damn, dirty ape. (He got away).

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Haircut!

Ages ago, and I mean ages ago, a friend told me to go to Gabriella at Blondi's to get my hair done. She is phenomenal, my friend said! She will be brutally honest about what you can and cannot do with your hair! She will make you look great! I wrote down Gabriella, Blondi's, and hair on a piece of paper, stuck it in the pocket of my jeans, and forgot about the whole thing for a really long time.

Eventually, I emerged from the black hole of recently-having-had-a-baby-dom and realized I desperately needed a haircut. I remembered that little slip of paper, but I delayed booking the appointment for a while. For one thing, I always feel guilty about spending a ton of money on my hair. And probably more importantly, there is my fear of having to speak to a stranger--the same fear that has me riding public transportation for hours rather than hop in a cab by myself for a ten minute ride that might require a little bit of small talk. There must be an entry for this somewhere in the DSM. When you get your hair cut, I feel like the stylist feels obligated to make conversation with you, and you feel the same way, so you end up having these painful, stilted conversations when you would both rather be daydreaming about something else. When I discovered lifebooker.com, though, and figured out that I could get a great haircut at half the normal price, I decided there really was no reason not to book an appointment at Blondi's, rather than traipsing all the way downtown for a free haircut of uncertain quality at the Bumble & Bumble school. Now was the time to act. So I took the leap.

After dropping Elliot off at the first day of school, I was the first customer in the salon this morning. I got the same haircut I always seem to end up getting--a bob with sideswept bangs--but I was so happy with the results. It was so liberating to see a cute bob emerge from the tattered tresses I walked in with. Like magic! That Gabriella really is great. But my neck still aches from the dumb shampoo chair. This happens to me every time I get my hair cut. Am I the only one? Why must getting pretty be so painful?

-Kristin

One New Thing: Eating at Covo

Today I was home at lunch time, so we decided to eat out somewhere new in the neighborhood. We walked down to Covo. Everybody raves about Covo, so it was exciting to finally get to see what this place is about. To get there, you have to go down a huge set of stone steps leading from Riverside Park, and it's there at the bottom--under the highway, in this cute loft-type building. It was a pretty day, so we ate outside! All of the other patrons seemed to be businessmen in suits, and they all sat inside, so we had the whole patio to ourselves.

We split Bruschetta for our appetizer. I thought it was OK--a piece of toast with chopped tomatoes on top--nothing amazing. For my entree I tried black linguine with crab and spicy tomato sauce. It was REALLY good, except for there were pieces of crab shell floating around. A lot of them! For the love of god, Covo cooks, why would you fail to pick out the shell when you are cooking? Nevertheless, I ate everything on my plate. I would go back, but I would not get anything with crab in it. I did enjoy sitting outside and sort of feeling "away" from it all. Sitting outside a restaurant on Broadway, with cars honking and garbage trucks stopping a couple feet away from you just doesn't seem as relaxing.


-Kristin

For my entree I ordered the Tagliatelli Alla Normal, which translates to noodles with tomato sauce and eggplant. I have to give props to Covo since this wasn't the worst food I have ever tasted. However, I think I could have done just as good at home. But at home I would have had to do the cooking and the dishes and the grumble, grumble, grumbling so it was much nicer to have it out on the sidewalk (or patio as Kristin says) of Covo.  What gave the meal that extra special something was the Pepsi I ordered. As I haven't been drinking soda lately it was a quite a treat. I don't know if it was more sad for Covo or for me that the soda was the highlight of my meal.

-Megan Leigh

Read More: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The Harry Potter quest continues in the action packed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. On the cover of this book he looks pretty darn excited -- like he's conjuring tons of candy or naked ladies, but I must say it was the roughest year yet for poor Harry. Ron gets a visit from the green eyed monster (I should point out I mean this figuratively since there is actually the possibility he gets a visit from a green eyed monster) and turns his back on his best friend when he needs him most. Harry's crush finds an older, more handsome beau. It seems he just can't win... or can he?

Before I started reading the books I was under the impression that Harry Potter was a sad wizard wuss who needed Hermione to bail him out of all his sticky situations, but Harry has really proven himself in book 4. I understand why the wizards and witches look on Harry as a hero. This muggle gives you two thumbs up, Orphan Potter!

This weekend Elliot and I will watch the fourth movie and then I can start on book 5! I can't wait! I snuck the first couple chapters in today before I slapped my hand until it closed the book. I'll have to keep repeating 'no cheating, no cheating' because the suspense is really getting to me.

- Megan Leigh

Couch to 5K: Day 10

What troopers we were today! We went out into the cold, drizzly day for our run. I was surprised that we were the only people at the track. Having grown up in the Midwest with farms and worms in the basement and what not I think we may be made out of stronger stuff than these sissy old New Yorkers.

Not only was the weather terrible, but the run was too. Last week we ran three minutes at a time, and I thought I couldn't do it. Today we jumped to five minutes at a time, and I definitely knew I couldn't do it. But we did! It was incredibly hard and there were moments when I debated quitting, but I managed to push through. Hopefully the next run will be a little bit better!

To spice up our run today there were a few guys playing soccer who thought it was pretty funny to kick the ball at us and then whistle until we kicked it back. I hope they enjoyed it when we did take time out of our run to kick the ball back, sending it on a wild trajectory, landing nowhere near it's target. I'd like to pretend this was done on purpose to try and teach them a lesson.

- Megan Leigh

Well, I am SO proud of us. Five minutes of running at a time! Who would have thought we could do it? A Harper girl running for five minutes at a time is like a normal person winning the Olympics. It was definitely hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. It makes me feel like I really can do anything I put my mind to! If I can do this, why not mind reading? Or card counting? Or stilt walking? The world is my oyster!

-Kristin

Read More: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I resisted reading Harry Potter for the longest time, for fourteen years to be exact. Then one slightly drunken night I picked up a copy of a Creative Loafing (like the RFT for you St. Louis folk) and began reading an article on the Harry Potter movies. The article informed me that as good as the movies were, the books were much, much better. This shouldn't have been surprising since this is the norm, but it was quite an eye opener for me. I had tried to read the first Harry Potter back in high school and gave up after the first chapter, deeming it boring as all get out. Then I got a nephew. Then I went to see #6 in the theater with him and sat next to him as he shouted at the screen, his fists balled in fury, "Fight me Snape! Come and fight me!" And I began to think, "Well, these aren't so bad." And the books? Why, this article is telling me they are better!

The following Monday at work I announced my intention to finally read all of the Harry Potters. My incredibly nice co-worker bought me a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a going away present and it was on. I was hooked. I just finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) and then watched the third movie. Although the first two movies followed very closely to the books, the third had to leave out a number of side stories and interesting tidbits and I must say that I totally agree with the CL article. The books are much better! So good in fact that I carry them around in my purse just hoping for a break in my day where I can sneak in a page or two of reading.

I'm a little disappointed in myself for waiting this long to finally read the series. I have a tendency to look down on books and movies that everyone raves about. In this instance, I admit I was very wrong for not jumping on the bandwagon. However, I still refuse to watch Titanic or read the Twilight Series.

- Megan Leigh 

Couch to 5K: Day 9

Our third and last day of running three minutes at a time. Just last week, running for three minutes seemed like such an accomplishment! But today, it didn't feel like such a struggle at all--it felt good.

But now we are headed for the week four workout. We will have to run five minutes at a time. Can we really do it?! I'm nervous and, at the same time, excited to see whether I can actually do this. What would Mr. Frink, my gradeschool gym teacher, say if he could see me now? Me, the girl who refused to run, ever, the girl who wished she had asthma so she would have a better excuse for not running than just being lazy... voluntarily trying to run for five minutes at a time. I think he would be proud of me. Maybe I should look him up!

In happy news, the biggest supporter of our happiness project--that's right, our mom--recently made a big donation to help us along the way. It will allow Megan to get a great new pair of running shoes. Woohoo! The bad news is she already runs way faster than me, so now she will probably leave me in her dust.

-Kristin

I can't wait for my new shoes! I'll make Cat go to Jack Rabbit with me and go through the process until I can find the shoe that allows me to run like Hermes. I just looked up Hermes to make sure I had the right guy... and to my enjoyment I found that he protects 'old crones'. I told Kristin my findings right away because I knew she would be glad to know there is a god looking out for her!

- Megan Leigh

Recipe in Progress: Chocolate Cake

Elliot said he would like to make a cake from scratch today, so that was our special Labor Day project. He actually had his heart set on making the "drum cake" in Betty Crocker's Cookbook for boys & girls. It involves making a double-layer round cake that is decorated like a drum using candy. Unfortunately, we didn't have the round cake pans OR the candy-canes we needed for that recipe. So we had to settle for a one-layer rectangle cake decorated with chocolate chips and mini-marshmallows. It was a big disappointment for Elliot, but he was a good sport.

We used the chocolate birthday cake from The Grand Central Baking Book: Breakfast Pastries, Cookies, Pies, and Satisfying Savories from the Pacific Northwest's Celebrated Bakery, one of my favorite cookbooks of late. Then we tried this recipe for chocolate icing from the Food Network website.

The icing turned out pretty well. It was sweet but not TOO sweet, and it tasted really chocolate-ly. So I'll count that as a success. Apparently, Megan and Ben hate icing, so I am the only one enjoyed it, though. The cake was not such a success--it was really dry. I think I overbaked it, which is bizarre because I took out the cake 15 minutes earlier than the recipe said I should! The recipe had us baking the cake for a full hour, which seems way too long. I wonder if there was an error in the cooking time... Anyway, the cake was edible, but it wasn't all that good. Elliot pushed his plate away after a few bites and said he had had enough. Seeing Elliot turn down dessert is a rare, rare occurrence. We decided we will try again, until we get it right! At least making it was fun. Anybody have a great cake recipe?

-Kristin

Seeing as I hate cake and I hate icing, I was really a poor judge of this baking project. However, I can say that the cookies Kristin brought back from Fairway for me were just heavenly - no doubt about that!

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Our New Neighbors

This weekend we did a little exploring. Megan and I attempted to go to the library yesterday, but it was closed. On the way home, though, we walked down Convent Avenue and gawked at all of the beautiful houses. My goal is to someday buy and renovate one. It floors me that many of those gorgeous houses seem to be empty or falling apart. With the beautiful, quiet tree-lined streets, it felt like we were in another world for a second. Then we walked through the City College Campus and St Nicholas park.

But today was an even more exciting day in our neighborhood! As I was walking to the market, bummed about having to go pick up milk for the 150th time this month, I saw a big crowd on the corner. Everybody was looking up and taking pictures with their cell phones. "What are they looking at," I thought. "Is somebody about to jump off the roof? And people are taking pictures?! New Yorkers are awful people." But luckily, I was wrong. Everybody was staring at a huge red-tailed hawk sitting on the fire escape. He sat there looking calmly down at everyone for at least half an hour. Everyone ooh-ed and ah-ed every time he moved. Somebody figured out that he wasn't the only hawk in residence--the rest of his family was hanging out across the street, where they apparently have a nest. Mom, dad, and baby hawk. The dad hawk stuck around until some idiot threw a bottle at him (and, happily, missed). So I guess that guy did live up to the disgusting New Yorkers thought I initially had. But I am very excited to be living so near a family of red-tailed hawks! I hope they will stick around.

-Kristin

Recipe in Progress: Chicken Korma

Today we tried a recipe for chicken korma from the Easy Indian Cookbook: The Step-by-Step Guide to Deliciously Easy Indian Food at Home. If it had just been a recipe for a chicken curry I think it would have been OK--but this didn't really taste like a korma to me. It wasn't rich or luscious the way I had hoped. Apparently you can make kormas in a few different ways, using coconut milk or cream or something else to add richness. This recipe used coconut milk. I think Ben and I are going to fiddle around with this recipe until it's just right. We decided next time we are going to add some cream in addition to the coconut milk. Also, I think I'll throw in some veggies next time, Maybe peas. Just chicken seems a little bland, like the dish is crying out for some bright colors!

-Kristin

Good Food: Strawberry and Nutella Crepes

We started the morning with strawberry and nutella crepes. This counts as both good food and something new for me, since I have never made crepes before! I'm not sure why I have never given crepes a try before, since they are one of my favorite foods. I guess I thought they would be difficult to make. They weren't at all, though--not so different from making plain old pancakes. I adapted a recipe from The Grand Central Baking Book: Breakfast Pastries, Cookies, Pies, and Satisfying Savories from the Pacific Northwest's Celebrated Bakery.

Preheat the oven to 200.

Whisk together 3 eggs, 1-3/4 cups whole milk, 1-1/4 cups flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt, until the batter is smooth.

Heat a small (10 in.) skillet over medium-high heat. Before each crepe, rub a stick of butter on the skillet--start on the outer rim of the pan and work your way in, in a spiral, so all of the inside of the pan gets covered. Then immediately pour in enough batter to cover about 3/4 of the bottom of the pan. Quickly swirl around the pan so that the batter covers the entire bottom, then cook for about 30 or 45 seconds on the first side, flip, and about 15 seconds on the second side. Be careful not to cook too long! The first side gets a little golden, the second side will be pretty pale.

Stick the crepe in the oven to stay warm while you finish the others. Remember--new butter for each crepe!

When you are all done cooking the crepes, take them out of the oven and cover each with a thin layer of nutella. Fold over the left and right sides of the crepe just a little bit, then roll up the crepe like a cigar from the bottom. Cover with sliced strawberries and dust on a little powdered sugar. That's all!

-Kristin

Couch To 5K: Day 8

This workout was the same as the last one--we had to jog three minutes at a time. But I thought it was easier this time! The first jogging part is always the hardest for me, just getting started. Then each successive one is not so bad. I actually feel good while jogging, which I never, ever would have thought possible. And my shoes and new socks were so, so comfy. Each shoe is like a little cloud.

We are still dragging Elliot to the track, in the vain hope that he might get so bored he'll get a little exercise too. Today, out of desperation, I tried to bribe him. I told him that if he could run a mile, I'd get him a new game for his DS. We got there and he ran one whole lap around the track. You could see him pushing his little body so hard! Then he promptly demanded I take him to pick out his new game. I told him that he had just run a quarter of a mile, and that it is really hard to just run a mile--and he could practice like we are. He decided to go sulk on the bleachers, and every time we passed him he would yell motivational gems such as "I want to go home!" or "I hate it here!" I'm pretty confident we are really building up a bank of great childhood memories at the track.  

-Kristin

I'm extremely envious of Kristin's shoes and realize now it is unfair that she got a new pair and I didn't. During our whole run I find myself imagining the goodness her feet must be experiencing and I feel white hot rage. I'm hoping to harness this anger and turn it into extra energy for my runs because they are still really tough. I'm not sure what is going to happen when we have to run for 5 minutes at a time!

-Megan Leigh

Good Food: Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Salad

Good food for summer, and it's so simple! Heirloom tomatoes, purple basil, and real mozzarella, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled on top. The buffalo mozzarella really is a lot richer, and has a distinctive taste that is very nice. Mmmmm. I wish you could tell from the picture how pretty the purple basil looked.

-Kristin