Lemon Blueberry Bread
January 31st, 2011 § 1 Comment
I recently got a bunch of lemons in my CSA basket and was looking for something to use them in (other than lemonade). I love blueberries and marrying them with the tartness of the fresh lemons made for a wonderful bread that’s great for breakfast with a warm cup of coffee. That said, I don’t limit myself to breakfast to enjoy this bread! It also makes a delish afternoon snack or a dessert.
Ingredients
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan.In a mixing bowl, beat together melted butter, 1 cup sugar, lemon juice and eggs.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan and drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack.
Like this:
Digging Deep
January 17th, 2011 § 4 Comments
Where does the will and energy to finish a marathon come from? The internal battle of mind over matter is different for everyone and I am still struggling to find that piece of me that pushes through the pain, loneliness and desire to stop. This weekend was a true test of my ability to find the determination and will to keep going.
Despite forgetting my Garmin for the race – which I have never done before – I felt good. I got plenty of sleep the night before, I had a nice sized spaghetti dinner and I made sure I rested most of the day to reserve my energy. As I headed into the corral I kept telling myself, “you can do this”. I knew I could do it. I’ve done it before; I just wanted to be a bit faster this time. Is that so much to ask? Apparently so.
The first half felt great. I found a nice pace to settle in to and I had a decent 13.1 split (2:08). But around mile 14, something didn’t feel right. I felt lightheaded and my breathing was getting shallow. Knowing that I had a goal finish time in mind, I had to keep going, but by mile 15 I was really struggling and by mile 15.6 I staggered over to the medic tent where I proceeded to faint. Faint? Really? This was NOT how this race was supposed to go. I sat in the chair while the medics gave me salt and water and took my pulse. As I watched the runners go by my heart sank. “There goes my goal”, I thought to myself. My heart was broken. This meant a lot to me and the only person who could have made it happen was me and there was nothing I could do.
After being cleared by the medics to head back out, I felt deflated and then I saw my parents. I stopped and gave my mom a hug and while trying to hold back my tears, I told her what happened. I had a decision to make – do I stop or do I find it in me to finish. My health was obviously jeopardized, but the finish line (no matter what my time) was waiting for me. The mental battle that went on in my head was painful in its own right. I needed to find it in me to push through and finish the next 10 miles.
I saw my husband and sister at mile 18.5 and stopped to fuel up on the encouragement. Still trying to hold back my tears of utter disappointment, I told them that I was going to finish and I’d see them at the end. It was going to be slow, but I was going to finish. The next 7 miles were lonely, painful and trying. With each step I had to find it in me to keep going, but my journey wasn’t over yet. By mile 23 I was starving! Apparently my usual routine of toast with peanut butter for breakfast and my gels on the course weren’t enough to keep me going. Out of nowhere, hunger seemed to take over and I felt really weak. After passing mile 24, I started to feel faint and running in a straight line was becoming difficult. My eyes felt heavy and it was almost like I had to fight to keep them open. I was almost done. I had to keep going. At this point, I was walking… a lot. I was honestly afraid I might pass out if I pushed my body much more, so I was trying to be cautious. Then I saw it. The end was near. I waited a bit more and then started my painful shuffle-jog. I saw my dad and he ran some of the finish with me and helped keep me going, then I saw my husband and sister right before the home stretch and I tried to turn on any bit of “speed” I had left in me. I finished.
My mind is still reeling over this race. I found a place in me that I didn’t know I had. I am disappointed in how the event turned out, but I learned a lot about myself. There’s a fighter in me. Now if only I can find that fighter when the situation isn’t so grim.
So what happened and what’s next?
In the last two months, I have lost quite a bit of weight. I wasn’t trying to lose any, but with my extra training I lost more than I had thought. Unfortunately, I didn’t change my eating habits to compensate for the weight loss and extra calories I was burning and it was a likely contributor to my downfall for my last two marathons.
I have some learning to do to workout a good eating plan if I am going to continue running, which I plan to. I’m going to take it easy on training for full marathons for a while and focus on my shorter distances. I’d like to hit 2:00 for my half and work on adding speedwork to my runs. I’m not going to let these setbacks keep me from lacing up. Running is in me and I can’t imagine my life without it.
New Year’s Resolutions Aren’t for Me
January 3rd, 2011 § 1 Comment
I tried to think about what I wanted to write about as a conclusion to 2010 but for some reason, I couldn’t gather my thoughts enough to say something that mattered. That’s why it’s a few days into the New Year and I’m just now getting around to posting something and instead of the pressure of recapping my year in some meaningful way, I’m just going to look forward and hope for the best.
Goals and Resolutions
Call me chicken or indecisive, but I don’t like to make New Year’s resolutions any more. I have found that I like to create goals and resolutions as my year progresses. So much can happen and change in 365 days that I find it’s easier on my mind and confidence to take the year in chunks rather than all in one lump.
What’s on my plate for the first few months?
Go get ’em!
My attempt to beat my marathon time was crushed by my performance at the CIM, so I am back at it and will try my hardest to reach it at the P.F. Chang’s Rock n Roll Marathon on January 16. I have kept up with my training after my last marathon in December and officially registered for the event today. This will be marathon #3 for me…third time’s a charm, right?
Join a running group…?
I’ve wanted to try this for a while and I’m not sure what’s been keeping me from doing it. The support and encouragement I have found from my DM and twitter runner friends has made such an impact on me and I realized that there’s so much more to the running community that I could be enjoying!
Read more
I hate to admit it, but I can’t remember the last time I read a book. I participated in the DM Secret Santa gift exchange this year and received a copy of Born to Run, which sparked the reading bug in me. Carving out a few minutes each night to read should be pretty easy to fit in. (Man, I don’t know even want to know what my schedule is going to be like when I have a kid!)
I think this is a good start to the year, but even as I type these out I feel lame. These are nice goals and all, but I feel like the substance just isn’t there. My thoughts are all jumbled into a big mess and I can’t decide what I want from this post, or myself. I guess I need to accept the fact that this post was not meant to be. Perhaps I’ll have a moment of clarity down the road and an inspiring and impactful post will miraculously appear on this page. Time will tell. Until then, Happy New Year!
