New York Feast

Tom recently went to New York City with his family. I got to stay home with my sweet kids and play with my sister while he was gone. I decided I wanted a taste of New York, so when he came home I made a New York City feast. The meal was delicious and I almost felt like I was there.

Reuben Sandwiches, Waldorf Salad, Sweet Potato Fries and New York Cheesecake

Now Reuebn sandwiches didn't actually originate in New York. They are actually from the midwest, but I figured any great deli sandwich is New York cuisine. I was especially excited to make the Reubens with my homemade sauerkraut (more on that in a different post).

But a basic Reuben is: rye bread, thousand island dressing, pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese. I grilled the meat, topped with cheese and put on bread with thousand island and grilled the whole sandwich. Oh my goodness they are awesome! 

Tom actually stayed in a hotel just a block or 2 away from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where the salad originated. I was suprised at how tasty Waldorf Salad is.

The basic ingredients are chopped apple, chopped celery, toasted walnuts, red grapes. Toss those in a simple dressing of mayonaise and lemon juice (I used lime). Salt and pepper to taste and serve over a bed of lettuce. Super delish.

And any meal finished off with a cheesecake is amazing! I use my Grandma Brownrigg's cousin's recipe. I don't think it is actually a New York Cheesecake, because I think those tend to be dry and the Fishers like theirs nice and moist and slightly undercooked.

Llewelyn's Cheesecake

Crust

1 package graham crackers, ground finely

1 cube butter, melted

1/4 c sugar

Combine and press into bottom of springform pan. chill

Filling

2- 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, room temp

2/3 c sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 t vanilla

Blend well and and pour into crust. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. You want it soft and slightly jiggly. Let sit 15 minutes.

Topping

1 c sour cream

2 T sugar

1 t vanilla

Gently pour over top and bake for 10 minutes at 425.



Mad Science

I'm very proud of my budding scientists. They both entered the science fair at school and did very well.



Porter's project was about which fruit or veggie makes the best battery. He made made a battery out of 4 fruits and veggies. He used the battery to power an LED light and also tested the voltage of each battery.  





 His hypothesis was a lemon would make the best battery because of it's acid content.

photo by Porter





His project was quite a hit at the fair. He took second amongst 3rd graders.

Eliza's project was about how a plant gets water from its roots to its leaves. It was the perfect project for a 1st grader. She understood the concept, was able to come up with a hypothesis on her own. And it didn't take too long to do.



She put a celery stalk in red water and observed it as the water made its way through the plant. 



My cutie girl took 1st place amongst 1st graders and made it to the district fair. She did not place at the district level, but I think she had fun. 



Updated Race Schedule

Here is my updated schedule and results thus far. There are a few additions.
January: St George Half Marathon (1:41:54)
February: Death Valley 10K (44:52), Dam 2 Dam 10 miler (1:17:17)
March:
April: SHAC Sprint Triathlon (1:04:18), Salt Lake City Marathon (3:35:54), Hurricane Half (1:48:20)
May:
June: Utah Valley Marathon, Utah Summer Games Cycling
July: Hurricane Trails River Run (4 mile trail run)
August: Utah Half (half iron distance Tri)
September: LOTOJA (206 miles, 3 states, 1 day on a bike)
October: St. George Marathon, Las Vegas Ragnar (200 mile, 12 person relay)
November: Butch Cassidy 10K (although deep down I want to try the Snow Canyon Half, maybe next year I can convince Tom to change the date of Butch Cassidy), SHAC Turkey Tri
Decemeber: Hostess Half Marathon

There is still room for a few races. Any suggestions?

Boston or Bust

Click here for all the glorious details of the Salt Lake City Marathon.

Crazy

So i think I finally went crazy (or just a little crazier).

i decided to commit to a few crazy athletic endeavors this summer, and it turns out they are all very close to each other. And to make it even crazier, Tom is doing them all as well. i don't exactly know how we'll train, but I am excited.

• Utah Half. Half-iron distance triathlon. Swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles. I've done this before and it's not as bad as it sounds. The bike and run courses are flat. The last 2 years have been super windy. I am excited because Tom is doing it. This will only be his 2nd open water tri.



2009

• LOTOJA. 2 weeks after the half, I am going to attempt to ride my bike 206 miles from Logan to Jackson Hole. In 1 Day! This means I have to climb 3 giant mountains, face lots of wind, and probably dig deeper than I ever have. Tom is "racing" it and I am just doing the "fun ride." It's the same except I get to start earlier and don't have the pressure he does to do well. I am excited because 1 friend from down here decided to join me for her birthday and I hope I can ride with Tom's brothers as well.



Tom at mile 80 in 2009

• St George Marathon. 3 weeks after LOTOJA is the marathon. I am not going to stress too much about it, assuming I qualify for Boston in the time I want at SLC Marathon in a week and a half.  

I ran it in 2010 with my sister 3 month post baby.

I'm not sure what I am getting myself into, but hey I'm not doing an ultra marathon or an Ironman like many of my friends so maybe I am little more sane than I thought.

Meatless Monday: Mahi Mahi

So some may say fish is meat, but for us, fish can be enjoyed on Meatless Monday (or Thursday as the case was this week).

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Mango-Cilantro Salsa
I grilled 4 oz mahi-mahi fillets with only salt and pepper. I topped them with a mango salsa (1 mango, diced, 1/4 c chopped onion, 1/4 chopped cilantro, squeeze of lime juice). So delicious.

Orange-cilantro brown rice
I cooked brown rice and then mixed in orange juice concentrate and choppped cilantro. I think I would have preffered it with lime juice, but didn't have any.

Steamed Asapragus

Chocolate Cream Pie

It was a good meal!

Meatless Monday: Acorn Squash and Turnip Soup

I received an acorn squash (which I like) and 4 giant turnips (which I don't love) in my Bountiful Basket recently. The squash sat on my counter for 2 plus weeks and the giant turnips sat untouched in my produce drawer. I finally decided I needed to use them up. I remembered a link on the Bountiful Basket Facebook page for a turnip-butternut squash soup from All Recipes. I found the recipe to get a base for my soup and then just kind of flew by the seat of my pants. I think it turned out delicious.

Acorn Squash and Turnip Soup

2 T butter

1 T olive oil

1 sm onion, diced

3 c acorn squash, peeled and cubed

3 c turnips, peeled and cubed

2 cloves garlic

3 c chicken stock

2 c water

1 t chicken base

1/2 t nutmeg

1 c cream

salt and pepper

Sautee onion and veggies in butter and oil. Add garlic. Add stock, water and base. Simmer until veggies are soft. Blend with hand mixer or in batches in blender. Add nutmeg, cream and salt and pepper to taste.

We served it with a simple spinach salad and homemade half whole wheat rolls.