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Sometimes It’s Enough Just to Show Up

November 6, 2021 No Comments

Today was a frustrating morning. I woke up, and before I even got out of bed, I decided that I was going to go to the gym. I proceeded to get dressed and gather my things. I grabbed a lightweight jacket since I am usually hot by the time I finish running and don’t need one coming back. As soon as I stepped outside the wind hit my ears and I shivered a bit. Despite that, I proceeded to walk over to the clubhouse. I was looking forward to going inside to escape the chill, but suddenly realized that I had grabbed the wrong key, and had my car key instead of the clubhouse fob. So back home I went, trying not to think about how cold I was.

Once home, I exchanged keys and stopped to talk to M. He suggested that I treat myself to a warm drink from the food truck when I finished my run. That sounded really good, and I headed back out the door. As I neared the clubhouse, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to take some money for my post-workout treat. Ugghhh! Back home I went, with the wind hitting my face the whole way. I grabbed some cash and decided that this time I was going to drive over. Finally, I walked into the gym. I wiped down the machine and started settling my things when I realized that at some point I had set down my water bottle and no longer had it with me. I told myself it would be okay as I wasn’t planning a long run and proceeded to start up a podcast on my phone. That’s when I also realized that my headphones weren’t pairing. At that moment, I thought, “This is ridiculous, I’m just going to go home.”

Photograph of Eliud Kipchoge (2021) Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/08/ sport/eliud-kipchoge-olympic-marathon-spt-intl/index.html

I have been running for approximately five years now. I have had periods when I ran nearly every day, and I have had periods when my running was more sporadic. Time and time again I have found is that my running becomes much easier and more enjoyable when I commit to doing it at least three times a week. Whenever I run less than that, I find myself with injuries or not able to maintain my fitness level.

Eliud Kipchoge, one of the greatest runners in the world, once said, “I’m confident in saying that consistency is key if you want to grow in a new profession. Be it sport. Be it law. Be it all sorts of professions. If you are not consistent you cannot go anywhere. Consistency makes you to grow.” Considering that Eliud has won 2 Olympic gold medals and can run a pace of 4:33 per mile, I think he knows what he’s talking about.

So even though I really wanted to just go home, and think about running another day, I didn’t. I knew that I had a busy week ahead and that I likely wouldn’t get back to the gym for several days. I knew that the feeling of going home at that moment wouldn’t feel nearly as good as going home after a workout. So I stayed. I didn’t run as far as I originally planned, but I ran . And I checked off another day of running for the week. Sometimes it’s enough just to show up.

References:

Cathal Dennehey (10/29/21). Eliud Kipchoge: Inside the camp, and the mind, of the greatest marathon runner of all time. Retrieved from https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/othersport/arid-40732662.html

NN Running Team (n.d.). Meet Eliud. Retrieved from https://www.nnrunningteam.com/team/eliud-kipchoge/

Sweat Elite (n.d.). Eliud Kipchoge – 15 Motivational Quotes About Training and Life. Retrieved from http://sweatelite.co/eliud-kipchoge-motivational-quotes-about-training-and-life/

World Athletics (n.d.). Eliud Kipchoge. Retrieved from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/eliud-kipchoge-14208194

Photograph of feet running on treadmill (n.d.) Retrieved from’https://www.123rf.com/profile_pascalk’>pascalk</a>

Photograph of Eliud Kipchoge (2021) Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/08/sport/eliud-kipchoge-olympic-marathon-spt-intl/index.html

Blog, Bouchon Bakery, Bread

Demi-Baguettes

November 1, 2021 No Comments

About a week ago I decided to try making Bouchon Bakery‘s master recipe for Batardes. It had taken me a few weeks to assemble the materials needed to generate oven steam but I was finally ready. I couldn’t wait to bite into a beautiful artisan loaf that had been baked by yours truly. Long story short — my first endeavor was a big disappointment. Not only were my loaves much smaller than anticipated, but the bottoms did not brown up at all. I felt extremely discouraged and quite honestly, I once again considered giving up on baking bread.

After a few days, I picked myself up and decided to figure out where I could make improvements. My husband had liked the flavor of the bread, so I felt like the recipe had hope. I googled a few things and discovered that too much water in the oven may have prevented the bottom of the bread from browning. The book had suggested using about a cup and a half of water for the steam. I had used two or more cups of water, thinking that more must be better. As far as the size of the loaves, I suspected that it had to do with my proofing time. Although the bread had proofed for the prescribed 60 minutes, it did not proof in a warm area, and it had not risen much. I had been rushing to get the bread baked in time for dinner, so I had gone against my better judgment and put it in the oven anyway. There is a small section in the book that talks about common mistakes people make when baking bread. It says that usually when people are unhappy with their bread, it is because one or more of the steps was not fully executed. As I think back on my bread baking, I can see that this is probably true.

For my second attempt at baking the master recipe, I decided to make demi-baguettes. The recipe uses the same ingredient ratio as the batarde recipe, but in smaller amounts (about a third of the master recipe). I mixed up the poolish the night before as it must sit for 12-15 hours prior to making the bread. A poolish is a type of preferment that is used for most french breads. A preferment is a small part of the recipe that is mixed ahead of time and allowed to ferment. This creates a better structure as well as a more complex flavor. I added extra water to mine since the recipe describes it as having the consistency of pancake batter. I really appreciate the additional information provided in the recipe which helps me determine whether things are on track.

Due to running errands the next day, the poolish sat for a full 15 hours before I started the bread. I mixed the rest of the ingredients and after the 3-hour fermentation stage, I pre-shaped and shaped the dough as instructed. After proofing the dough, it again seemed like it had not risen much. This time, I decided to give the dough more time, and I moved it to a warmer location on top of the stove. After another 20 minutes, the dough had risen more and when I pushed a finger in it, it did not bounce right back. I used semolina flour on my bread peel which helped the loaves slide onto my new pizza stone. (For my first endeavor I had used a rimmed stoneware baking sheet but that proved problematic for the transfer.) Before closing the oven door, I threw 1-1/4 cups hot water into the hotel pan which was filled with lava rocks.

I baked the bread for the full 20 minutes at which point the demi-baguettes were nicely browned. I tested the internal temperature of the loaves and they were at 206 degrees so took them out and cooled them on a metal rack.

One the the loaves had cooled, I eagerly cut into one of the loaves. I was very pleased at the crunch of the knife slicing through the outer crust. It truly felt like a loaf that I would have purchased from a fancy bakery. The inside of the bread had a nice texture and was very soft yet maintained its shape. And finally, the flavor was exactly what I hoped for. The only thing that I would change is I would like a slightly loftier shape that would be more round than oval. Barring that, I was very happy with the results. And considering that the loaf disappeared that night, I can say that my family heartily agreed.

References:

Jampel, Sarah (October 11, 2020). A preferment is your ticket to baking better bread. Bon Appetit. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-a-preferment

Blog, Bouchon Bakery, Cook Books, Nourishment

Bouchon Bakery

October 24, 2021 No Comments

As I’ve said before, baking is my happy place! Over the years I have baked everything from brownies to cream puffs. I started out baking small birthday cakes for family and before I knew it I was decorating large wedding cakes for the local bakery. I have always enjoyed developing my baking skills and rarely felt intimidated trying new recipes and techniques.

But I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve never been good at baking bread. I’m not talking quick breads, I’m talking REAL bread. The kind that uses yeast, and bakes up with a beautiful crust, and tastes delicious. This confession is shocking, I know. It’s not that I’ve never tried, because over the years I actually have made several wholehearted attempts at baking bread. But inevitably, it just never works out.

Several years ago I took a fun little weekend getaway with my husband to Portland, Oregon. One of the things that we did while we were there was go to Powell’s book store, or more formally known as Powell’s City of Books. Now if you have never been to Powell’s, you have really missed out. Powell’s is the largest independently owned new and used book store in the WORLD and they have been in business for 50 years. The Burnside location covers an entire city block and is estimated to have approximately one million books. The books are a wonderful mix of both used and new books, all intermingled together in what must be thousands of shelves. The organized by subjects within nine color-coded rooms that are connected by odd stairways and passages. In fact, Powell’s even provides maps at the front counter so that you can figure out where to locate your book. It’s extremely easy to get lost in this book store, which is exactly why you need to go.

Photo of image by Jones, Deborah. “Bouchon Bakery”, 2012, p. 289.

Anyway, while wandering through stacks and stacks of books, I happened upon a beautiful book by the name of Bouchon Bakery, written by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxe. Bouchon Bakery was founded in 2003 by renowned chef Thomas Keller in Yountville, California. It was originally opened to provide artisanal breads for Chef Keller’s nearby restaurants. However, the bakery became a popular location to visit in it’s own right. This is absolutely no surprise given the exquisite breads and desserts shown in the many gorgeous photographs in the book.

I had every intention to start baking my way through that book right away, but one commitment after another kept taking priority. Before I knew it the book was being packed away for a long-distance move and then it remained in storage for nearly a year. I kept thinking about improving my bread baking, and of course the Bouchon Bakery book is what I knew I needed to use. I’m happy to say that I have finally managed to procure my book. I have begun my bread baking journey and I’m excited to start sharing my adventures with you.

References:

Powell’s City of Books. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.travelportland.com/attractions/powells/

About Bouchon Bakery, Yountville, CA. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.thomaskeller.com/bouchonbakeryyountville

Powell’s City of Books. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.powells.com/locations/powells-city-of-books

Blog, Body, Running

A Run in the Rain

March 15, 2017 No Comments

It’s been a long, cold, wet winter. I heard today that there have only been five days of sunshine so far this entire year, and I’ve got to tell you that I’ve really been feeling it. Last year I ran outside pretty much the entire winter; but this year, well, it’s been rough.

Last night I told myself that I was going to get in a quick run before my mid-day appointment today. I prepared myself for the fact that it might be a bit rainy or gray, but told myself that I was going to get out there and run anyway. As soon as my eyes opened, I heard the sound of the rain on the roof of the house. It wasn’t a pitter patter — the rain was literally pounding the shingles as it came down in torrents. The motivation that I had felt the night before slowly slipped away. I got out of bed and began to get ready for the day but was overcome with disappointment. I knew that due to my schedule, if I didn’t get a run in this morning, I wouldn’t have another chance for several days.

Blog, Running

Will Run for Chocolate

March 7, 2017 No Comments

What motivates you to run? Most of the time I just plain enjoy running, so that’s motivation enough. But there are times that I need more than that. Some days my schedule has more items on it than can fit into the hours of the day, or maybe I’m just plain tired. Sometimes I go through a rough period when I’m just not feeling it, or I’m in the midst of a long, wet winter. That’s when I need to have something to get me out the door to log some miles.

I have found that it really keeps me motivated to run when I have an upcoming running event on my calendar. If you’ve never participated in a formal running event, you should really try it. I probably never would have signed up for one myself except that when I first began to run, my health insurance offered reimbursement for participation in an event. I certainly wasn’t trying to compete for a medal, but I figured that since it wasn’t going to cost me anything, it could be fun to try it. After my first event I was hooked. Now I try to keep something on my calendar every two to three months just so I have something that I’m working towards.

Blog, Body, Psychology, Swimming

How to Keep From Leaving Things at the Gym

February 20, 2017 No Comments

Have you ever arrived home from the gym only to find that you left something there? Or worse yet, you didn’t realize you left an item there until you couldn’t find it, and by that time it was no longer in the lost-and-found? I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have had both of these things happen to me. Just off the top of my head I can tell you that I have lost a swimsuit, swim bottoms, goggles, as well as all of my toiletries. It’s very frustrating not only because losing things can get expensive, but it is also a big disruption to my routine when I have to go buy something before I can go to the gym again.

Several months ago I tried to figure out what I could do to solve this problem. The more I thought about it, I realized that what I was doing at work would help me in this situation as well. I work as a phlebotomist (I draw blood for lab tests) and we have to make sure that we do specific things to identify each patient and prevent germs from being spread. The first hospital that I worked at trained us to follow a very specific routine so that we wouldn’t forget to do anything. What was great about it was that once I had the routine down, I never had to worry whether I had forgotten to do any of the numerous things that I was required to do. And if I got interrupted mid-process, I was able to go back to the point where I had left off, and I knew immediately that I had completed everything up to that point.

Blog, Cupcakes, Rose's Heavenly Cakes

Chocolate Butter Cupcakes

February 12, 2017 No Comments

I just finished baking my first assigned recipe from an awesome cookbook called Rose’s Heavenly Cakes. I have joined a group of internet bakers who are all baking the same recipe each week and blogging about their experience. The recipe this week was Chocolate Butter Cupcakes. I was grateful that I was starting out on a somewhat easier recipe because this week has turned into a bit of a challenge for me which resulted in having to cook in a kitchen that is not my own. My husband has Alpha One and needs a liver transplant. This week he was unexpectedly hospitalized for an infection and I have been staying at the Transplant House near the hospital since it is several hours from our home. I was a little worried about having everything I needed and since I left home rather hurriedly, I didn’t have time to bring baking things. I was so happy to see that they had a KitchenAid and they also had muffin pans. The kitchen actually was beautiful and more spacious than my own, but I felt like a fish out of water not being able to find things when I wanted them.

So there were a few “firsts” in cooking this recipe. I don’t know if I am strange or what, but I have never sprayed and floured my cupcake liners before. Most of the time they come right off without a problem but I have had a few times that they didn’t so I figured I’d better follow the instructions and sprayed and floured the liners. I noticed when I was icing the cupcakes later on that the papers pulled away very easily. Another first was using King Arthur cake flour. When I was in the grocery store I saw the King Arthur flour and since I had never used it before I thought I would give it a try (after all, it cost more than the other brand so it must be better, right?) Lastly, since I wasn’t at home with all my decorating equipment, I ended up decorating with some products I have never used before.

I was very impressed with how detailed Rose was about each step of the recipe. I mixed the cocoa in the hot water and let it cool. I mixed the liquid ingredients. Then I combined it all for the batter. The recipe was really quite easy to make. Unfortunately I didn’t have my usual scoop for filling the cupcake liners so I just scooped them in using a regular spoon. Into the oven they went. The first time I checked them they weren’t quite done. You will see a big dent in one of the cupcakes in the photo where I pressed in a little heavily when I checked. I gave them a few more minutes and they were done and looked beautiful.

For the icing I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to do so I used one of the recipes recommended by Rose in the introduction to the cupcake section. I started out thinking I would make the Egg White Chocolate Buttercream but somehow got confused and did the shopping for the Golden Neoclassic Buttercream and didn’t realize until I was in the midst of making it that I had switched. I was intrigued with the golden syrup that Rose talks about but wasn’t sure what it was. I’m not sure if it is karo syrup that is golden versus the light or dark syrup or of it is some other brand of syrup, but I couldn’t find any so I went with the light karo. The Golden Neoclassic was very different than any icing I had made before. The only thing that went a bit different than the instructions was that when I had the corn syrup and sugar in the pan over medium high heat, I was supposed to watch for bubbles at the edge of the pan and let it cook a few more minutes until there were bubbles all over. Mine went from bubbles on the outer edge to bubbling all over and bubbling out of control in a matter of seconds so I pulled it off right away. I think this was probably due to the fact that I was working on a stove that I wasn’t familiar with and it was probably cooking a little hotter than indicated. I was a little worried that it wasn’t going to be the right consistency since we didn’t use a thermometer, but I went ahead and added it to the eggs. I whipped it until the bowl had cooled, about 7 minutes, and then added the butter and vanilla. I then added some chocolate. Normally I would pipe the frosting onto the cupcake with a large tip, but I didn’t have my equipment and I’m not sure that this icing would have held up well with that. It seems to be an icing that does better for just spreading . The cupcakes would have been fine without any decoration but I decided that as long as I had all these cupcakes made I would take them to the hospital to give to the nurses as a thank you. So I tried some nifty little squeeze bottles of Wilton icing I got from the grocery store and some plastic decorating tips. (This made me laugh because only a few months ago I got mad at a friend of mine for using these instead of the regular bags and tips.) I was much more limited on what I could do, but for a little bit of quick decorating they were fine.

The cupcakes were very good. The texture was more dense than a typical cupcake and they were very chocolatey. My husband really liked the buttercream as it had a little bit of caramel undertone to the flavor. I enjoyed the unique flavor of the buttercream as well. All in all I consider this project a success.

I’m really exited about next week’s assignment – Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake. And I’m really looking forward to being home in my own kitchen.

Blog, Running

Ignorance Was Bliss

February 7, 2017 No Comments

We’re all familiar with the old adage, “Ignorance is bliss.” More and more I am finding this statement to be true. It is particularly true as it relates to my love of running. When I first began to run, I was blown away by how it made me feel. I loved to feel the air in my lungs. I loved to feel the rhythm of my feet on the pavement. I loved how the complexities of life seemed so far removed from what I felt that very moment. I loved the beautiful atmosphere and the sun on my face. All of those things together made me feel so alive. It was, in a word, blissful.

In the early days, one of my favorite running routes took me to the edge of town where I would run on a nice little country road. It was a wooded area and the houses were on large parcels of land and set way back from the road. I would hear the birds singing in the trees and would see squirrels, bunnies, and even the occasional deer.

Blog, Running

New Shoes

January 29, 2017 No Comments

Guess what was delivered today — my brand new running shoes! I can hardly wait to take my first run in them. I picture myself running down the road with the speed and stride of a cheetah, springing forward almost effortlessly. Of course the sky will be blue and the warm sun will be on my face as I run harmoniously through nature.

Blog, Psychology

Patience can be a Superpower

January 27, 2017 No Comments

When I was at work not too long ago, I had to keep a patient waiting for quite some time. Not only was I having computer issues, but I had to give my attention to another problem as well. When I finally called the patient back to the room, I apologized for making her wait so long. I was completely blown away when she calmly told me that it was no problem, and that if there was one thing that she was good at, it was being patient. Being a very impatient person myself, I was intrigued and I asked her to tell me more. She described how even as a child, it never bothered her to wait for things and she was always told that she had the patience of Job. The more she told me, the more convinced I became that patience was this woman’s superpower.

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