runnerwithahunger

Your story…

December 22, 2017

Word press says: Share your story here

It must always say that, in this space where I begin typing; but today was the first time I noticed it. It’s funny because it coincides with the title of one of the books I’m reading, a devotional by Matthew West (a well known Christian singer and song writer), The Story of Your Life.

(Good song too… Story of your life.)

We all have a story and life experiences that have shaped and are currently continuing to shape our story. I often pray that God would use me and its exciting when He does. You don’t always realize it at the time, but then you look back and have one of those ‘aha’ moments and you realize that God knew exactly what he was doing (duh) even if you had no clue. Sometimes your story involves some sort of struggle or adversity and we all find ourselves asking Why!? Well I like how Matthew West put it, instead of asking ‘Why, God?’ we should ask ‘What are you up to, God?’ So instead of focusing on the negative that we’re going through, we should shift our focus on Him and trust that He has a greater purpose for us and our lives and there is a reason for what we are experiencing. It may not be easy; it probably won’t be easy, but I trust that if God brought me to it, He will get me through it. Cling to Him. “The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of the greatest purpose in the universe.” What He has planned is much bigger than us and much greater than what we are going through. And I have hope that by doing this, shifting my focus, He will bring forth the joy that He promises; like Paul who was filled with ‘unshakeable joy’ despite being in prison.

West goes on to quote C.S. Lewis, “God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks in our conscious, but shouts to us in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

My husband and I have our own story that began with us growing closer to God and resulted in a total transformation of our marriage and a renewing of our vows this past summer. At first I thought it was just an awesome thing for us, but every so often (at least 6 times in the last 4 months) I’ve had people mention it to me or ask about it and I realized that this is Our Story to tell, to give God the glory; it’s exciting to see God working, in us and others. I’m thankful for Our Story, one that perhaps I’ll share more about another time, and how God continues to work in our lives and marriage.

Do you have a story of how God is working in your life? You should share it with others! Are you currently experiencing a struggle or adversity? Ask God to show you more about it or ask Him how he wants to use you and trust that He will get you through it. ❤

No-bake recipes…

December 16, 2017

I’m normally not a huge fan of ‘no-bake’ recipes…unless it’s something like strawberry pretzel salad; that’s a classic and a summer picnic staple. But I can probably count the number of times I’ve made no-bake cookies on one hand. I remember when my husband, before we were married, thought ‘no-bake cheesecake’ was real cheesecake!?
Anyway, I normally opt to bake something yummy…until it’s 9pm and you have spent the entire last two days in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies and you still have to make the dessert you volunteered to bring to a get together tomorrow. It was at that point I decided bringing an easy no-bake pie was a good idea. But not just any no-bake pie would be acceptable; this pie/recipe is special to me because it’s my grandma’s cherry cheese pie and a family favorite.

cherry pie.jpg

Cherry Cheese Pie
(Recipe from ‘Grandma Downtown’)

1 prepared\baked pie crust or 1 graham cracker crust
1 8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup confectionery sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipped cream (heavy cream already whipped)
1 can cherry pie filling

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into pie crust. Then spoon cherry pie filling over the cream cheese layer. Chill until set. Enjoy!

Just a simple recipe; although I like it for sentimental reasons, you may enjoy it because its quick and easy and will allow you to spend more time with your friends and family, rather than in the kitchen! Also a good starter recipe for a young baker in training! Enjoy!

More Christmas baked goods recipes on the way….stay tuned! Scroll down and hit the follow button! Share with a friend! Thanks!

Busy, busy…

December 15, 2017

It’s been a busy week, busier than normal for a busy time of year! I’m busy baking today! I always enjoy taking a vacation day to help get my Christmas goodies done. Stay tuned for some Christmas baked goods recipes in the near future! I tend to make the same thing every year…What are some of your favorites?

Been some cold, snowy runs this week but today was the coldest I believe, at 4*. This is what dressing for 4* looks like:

Thankfully there wasn’t any wind, so it really wasn’t that bad. The snow and wearing the yak traks on my shoes really slows me down, but at least I got the miles in…today I actually got more miles in than number of degrees outside! :-p

Looking forward to to a warm shower and a day of baking!

The Power of Prayer!

December 12, 2017

I’m so ecstatic right now… God is so awesome!
Never underestimate the power of prayer! God wants to know the desires of your heart.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
I like to ‘Go Big or Go Home;’ I pray hard for miraculous things to happen and for all the glory to go to God. It is hard, to say the least, when you pray really hard and whatever you were praying for doesn’t happen the way you wanted it to, especially when it’s a request for healing. I find comfort in Romans 8:28 (NIV): And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. It doesn’t mean that everything is going to be roses and sunshine, but it means that you can trust that even when the answer is No, or things don’t go as YOU planned, He has a greater plan and that there is a purpose for everything.
But today, there was an answer to prayer that was a YES! And that is why I am ecstatic and so full of joy that I have to share it with you! I have been praying for a couple weeks now, for healing for my friend’s mother, and someone who is also dear to me as well. I requested her permission to share this with you. She was having some issues, and then a lump was discovered in her neck area that needed a biopsy. The biopsy was scheduled for today; I told my friend from the time she told me of this lump, a couple weeks ago, that I was going to pray that it would be completely healed and gone and that there would be nothing there to biopsy when the time came. Well, I received a message this morning that read: “Nothing there to biopsy this morning!! God is good! Thank you for praying!!!!” I got chills and my eyes filled with tears of joy! I was and am still so excited for this answer to prayer! God IS so good!
So please, never under estimate the power of prayer! Talk to God! He wants to hear from you and know the desires of your heart! Not all the answers will be what you wanted or hoped for, but we can rest assured that He knows what is best! We are certainly praising Him today for this answer to prayer! Amen!

My 5 best tips for making cheesecake…

December 11, 2017

Many people feel intimidated about making cheesecake. It’s definitely one of my favorite desserts to make (and eat)! There are soooo many different variations and creations you can make… and let’s face it; it tastes way better than cake! (I’m not much of a cake fan at all.)

More often than not I tend to bring desserts to get-togethers because I love to bake; and I often choose to bring cheesecake. Some of my favorites include: Triple citrus cheesecake, German chocolate cheesecake, grasshopper (mint/chocolate) cheesecake, and most recently, white chocolate peppermint cheesecake. You can find more information on the white chocolate peppermint cheesecake below.

First, I want to share with you some tips for making cheesecake that will hopefully make the process seem a little less daunting. Please keep in mind that I do not have a culinary degree or any formal training related to baking/cooking; all of what I know, and am sharing with you is just tips that I’ve read and learned along the way from my own experiences. For any professionals reading, feel free to leave further comments with your own useful information for us to all benefit from. Thanks!

Tip #1: Follow the recipe. Yes, some of you – you know who you are – tend to improvise or not completely adhere to the recipe. There is a reason it says to mix things a certain way or in a certain order; if you want your cheesecake to turn out, please do as the recipe says. A perfect example is to add the eggs in one at a time. Which brings me to….

Tips #2: Do not over mix the cheesecake batter, especially after adding the eggs, as most cheesecake recipes will tell you. Normally mixing the eggs in is one of the last things you’ll be instructed to do, one at a time, and only mix just until incorporated. Over mixing will lead to a cracked cheesecake.

Tip #3: Most (not all) of my cheesecake recipes call for a tablespoon or two of flour; this helps with the consistency and to prevent cracking as well.

water bath.jpg

Tip #4: Using the water bath baking method will help achieve that perfect creamy consistency. Make sure you thoroughly cover the outside of the spring form pan (yes, extra tip – a spring form pan is a must!) with a couple layers of foil. I crisscross the layers and bring them up the sides to ensure it’s entirely covered; you do not want water seeping in the bottom of your pan and making your crust soggy. Ick. Then place prepared pan full of contents in a larger baking pan; I use my large roasting pan. Fill with hot/warm water surrounding the cheesecake until it reaches 2/3 or ¾ way up the sides of the spring form pan. (If your recipe didn’t already call for a water bath, you may need to adjust the baking temp and/or time. You may also need to pre-bake the crust depending on what you’re using.) I typically bake in a water bath at 325* for 1 hour. Then rest in the water/oven a little longer with oven turned off to allow further cooking. Depends on how big/thick your cheesecake is as well…. And how it looks; which leads us to …

Tip #5: The hardest part can be determining when the cheesecake is done or when it is time to remove it from the oven, as there isn’t a simple test like inserting a toothpick. Unfortunately, with cheesecake, it needs to be removed from the oven before it looks like it is completely done; it will still have a ‘jiggly,’ unset appearance in the middle. The outside 2-3 inches (depending on the size of your cheesecake) should be set, or more firm. If it starts to appear like it is becoming dry or you see a small crack start to form, or any type of separation occurring – I would remove it from the heat. It is also best to remove it from the heat gradually, for example turn off the oven and possibly even crack open the oven door. It is also best to let is cool before moving to the refrigerator.

Now for the recipe I promised to share with you: White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake (adapted from ‘Baked by Rachel’‘s recipe). It’s funny that I love this cheesecake, because I am not a fan of white chocolate at all and I’m not in love with peppermint either. However, the white chocolate taste is very subtle and the combination of the chocolate crust and peppermint bark throughout the cheesecake is like a refreshing candy cane dipped in chocolate. This is the perfect dessert for the Christmas season!

white peppermint.jpg

White chocolate peppermint cheesecake
(Adapted from ‘Baked by Rachel’)

First you will need to make the peppermint bark:

5 oz white chocolate
5 oz dark or milk chocolate (I used dark)
2 tsp vegetable oil (divided)
½ tsp peppermint extract (divided)
Crushed candy canes (approx. 2-3)

Place dark chocolate and 1 tsp vegetable oil in microwave safe bowl, microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring occasionally until melted. Stir in ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract. Spread on cookie sheet lined with wax paper and sprinkle with approximately half of the crushed candy canes. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Then repeat process using the white chocolate chips. Spread on top of the chocolate mixture, sprinkle with crushed candy canes again, and chill.

pepp bark.jpg

For the cheesecake: Use a 10” spring form pan; prepare for water bath by covering outside with foil.
Crust:
30 chocolate sandwich cookies (not double stuffed), crushed
4 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Cheesecake:
4 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese (I use 1 regular and 3 reduced fat; no one ever notices)
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
5 oz (or 2/3 cup) white chocolate
2 ¼ tsp peppermint extract
4 eggs
Dash of salt

Topping:
1/3 cup (or 5 Tbsp) white chocolate
5 oz cream cheese
2/3 cup cool whip topping
2 Tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Prepare the peppermint bark ahead of time (best if the day before).
Preheat oven to 350*. Use food processor to crush cookies. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. After preparing 10” spring form pan with foil, add cookie crumb mixture and press into pan. Bake for 10 min. Set aside.
Reduce oven temp to 325*
Chop peppermint bark into small pieces and set aside.

Mix cream cheese and sugar until creamy and smooth. Melt white chocolate in microwave or double boiler; let cool a couple minutes then mix into cream cheese mixture. Then add flour, cream, salt, and peppermint extract. Mix well. Then being careful to not over mix, add one egg at a time, beating after each addition, just until incorporated. Stir in half of the peppermint bark pieces, by hand.
Empty mixture on top of crust and then place into larger pan and prepare water bath as directed above.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, then turn oven off and leave in oven and water bath for another 15-20 min. Then remove and allow to cool. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

For the topping combine all ingredients, starting with white chocolate, cream cheese, and sugar; then add in the cool whip and vanilla. Mix well, until smooth. Remove outer edge of spring form pan and frost with topping. Chill for another 4 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with bits of crushed peppermint bark, crush candy cane pieces, and top with whipped cream.
Enjoy!

Do you have questions or tips you can share with us? OR cheesecake recipe requests? I’d love to hear them! Please leave a comment!

Dressing for the weather…

December 10, 2017

From a lot of experience running in every season and the varying weather we have in the area where I live, I’ve come to know exactly what I need to wear for different temperatures/forecasts. I usually lay my clothes out the night before, but sometimes, more often than not, you never quite know if you can trust what it’s telling you about the forecast 6-7 hours from then. (What!? You can’t trust the weather forecast? Shocking, I know!)

So, normally for 20-30* I wear a semi-heavy shirt, light underneath and my normal running headband/earwarmer and gloves. For the teens I wear a hooded fleese and hat. You just have to figure out what works for you. So often people think I’m crazy for running in the cold temperatures but I actually prefer them. I’d run in 20* weather over 80* weather any day; you’re moving and if you dress appropriately you can manage to stay quite comfortable.

But the reason I had multiple things out this morning was because that ‘real feel’ temperature can be a real crap shoot. Actually if you look up the definition of crap shoot, the example sentence given is regarding the weather -lol. I’ve found the ‘real feel’ is either the real deal and you’re freezing cold or it can also be pretty bogus. You just never know; hence the crap shoot. Today, headed out of town I found it was pretty bogus, as I opted to wear a hat and added a vest layer, just in case it was windy and the real feel was accurate. Thankfully I was pretty warm; however when I turned around to head back towards home there was a little more wind in my face and I was thankful I wore the added clothing; but I still didn’t feel it was as cold as the said real feel of 15*.

Once it finally got light out, it was a beautiful morning, with the first fresh snow fall (well second, but first that I’ve ran in). It was a little slick in spots, requirng mindful short shuffling steps rather than nice long strides; but I knew heading out that the snow was definitely going to slow my pace down. Thankful for this quiet start to my day and the beauty of the snow as we enjoy the Christmas season.

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Hunting and Running…

December 8, 2017

It’s currently deer hunting season and so far I’ve seen way more deer running in town than my husband has sitting out in his tree stand for hours and hours. (He’s not too happy about this fact.) On my early morning run today, I stumbled upon 5 deer (all doe I believe) right in town near our Elementary School; all within 15 yards of myself. I’ve seen them there before; and in the winter when I’m out running before the snow plows have come through, I have been able to follow their tracks often enough to know where they regularly come from and where they are normally headed. A few weeks ago, during archery deer season Whitney and I counted 11-13 deer in town one morning on our run!! In town! I love seeing wildlife on my runs…everything except skunks that is!

I honestly never used to understand why people liked to hunt so much – like eat, sleep, and breath hunting…in nearly every season. I couldn’t imagine getting up before the crack of dawn, to sit in the woods, in the cold, wind, rain, snow, etc. and call it fun. Then about two years ago it hit me, while I was out running during hunting season, in the very early morning, before the crack of dawn, in the cold, wet, somewhat icky weather…and loving every minute of it. It was then that I realized how much some people must love to hunt because that is exactly how I feel about running. Rain or shine, I’m out there because I just love to run. Hunt on, boys (and girls)… do what ya love, love what ya do, right?

Not my best stats this morning, I had some kinks, aches & pains but it was still better than not running at all! 🙂 (21* clear morning; didn’t feel as cold as it sounds.)

I have a sign in my office that says: Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. For me that’s God and running! What makes your heart race or gets you out of bed in the morning? What do you have a passion for?

My little chef…

Over the past year my daughter Lila has become increasingly interested in cooking and baking, and often wants to ‘do things on her own.’ A couple months ago, Miss Independent wanted to surprise us and make us all breakfast. I knew she was up to something when I heard her feet pitter-patter down the steps and then instead of hearing the tones of the TV turning on, I heard the kitchen stool sliding around and cupboard doors opening and closing. Knowing she wasn’t allowed to use knives or the stove, etc, I found her doing her best to prepare ‘trail mix’ for each of us on the four paper plates she had laid out. I tried to nicely explain that none of us wanted to eat trail mix (made out of stale cheerios) for breakfast, but that she could help me make something. (If I’m being real, I’m pretty sure it ended in her grumping off to watch cartoons and sulk because she couldn’t make anything herself. :-p #keepitreal )

So anyway, this past weekend Sis got her chance to pick out her very own recipe, create her grocery list of what we needed, and then do nearly all the preparation; the dish she picked was Pasta Salad with Cheese, Tomato, and Pesto from her own Do It Myself Cook Book (PBS Kids, 2015). She did a great job and everyone loved it!

We can’t take credit for the recipe but we felt it was worth sharing with you. (We doubled it.)

Pasta Salad with Cheese, Tomato, and Pesto

3 cups bowtie pasta

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup frozen peas (thawed but not cooked)

1 cup grape tomatoes (cut in half)

1/4 cup vinaigrette dressing (we used a little more)

1/4 cup pesto (we used a little more)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix the pasta, cheese, tomatoes, and peas. In a small bowl combine dressing and Pesto; pour over pasta mixture. Then sprinkle with parm cheese and serve.

Enjoy, this ones from Chef Lila 🙂

Goals…

I’m very thankful for my ability to run; I try to never take it for granted. I enjoy setting goals for myself and feel better when I have something ahead of me that I’m striving for. I’m not sure if that’s always a good thing but I guess as long as you don’t let it ‘become your god’ or your only focus, it’s OK. Most of my goals are geared towards running, however I have had other goals related to education and parenting, etc.

I was bummed I didn’t reach my goal of a second marathon for the year but I felt better knowing that 1. I had completed the training for it, even if I was crazy running 20 miles for no reason, and 2. I was still striving to reach my milage goal for the year. Last year I had set a goal to run 1000 miles in a year, for the first time. It came down to a very snowy day in late December but I was able to reach the mark. I felt I had to improve upon that number and was going to strive for 100 miles a month or 1200 miles for this year.

I honestly only set these goals for myself; not having a care in the world what anyone else thinks of them. I was thrilled with the 1000 last year but honestly didn’t feel like it was a big deal… people do it all the time, including my running partner who had well over that last year. It wasn’t a huge deal but I was thankful to have met my goal.

I am thankful to have met the goal I set before myself again this year. I enjoyed a celebratory run with my partner in crime, Whitney, who has been by my side for many of those 1200 miles this year. Thankful to have met her on a random early morning run last fall!

I run in the dark, the cold, the wind and rain and snow…not just to reach goals but just because I love to run that much! Do what you love, love what you do!

Good food…for the most part…

December 4, 2017

Well, sometimes you win some – like grand slam, out of the park – and sometimes you lose some…like big fat flop. In reference to food, we had some of both this weekend. It had been a while since I had such a baking flop! I was so excited to make Carrot Cake Cheesecake for a special birthday this weekend, as I’ve made it in the past and its super yummy! I put a teaser on Facebook and couldn’t wait to share a picture of the finished product with you all… but perhaps I was a little too proud of my baking abilities. It definitely was NOT picture worthy…edible, but not picture worthy. Honestly, it could have benefited from a few extra minutes in the over (as if 15 extra minutes wasn’t enough already). Oh well, like I said, ya win some, ya lose some…live and learn. Thankfully the celebration was with my family and they were all kind and said it was delicious; but I have tasted it when it was delicious and this did not measure up! Hopefully it will be share-worthy next time I make it!

On to the things that were share-worthy:

Fresh sautéed pears over French toast for Sunday morning breakfast hit the spot after a quick 10 mile run. It was a crisp, beautiful December morning at 30* and another beautiful sunrise. They aren’t all brilliantly vibrant in color, but they are all beautiful. The run was exactly what I needed as I felt God ‘fall fresh on me;’ needed to feel renewed and to destress.

For the birthday celebration my hubby was firing up his new smoker that he built himself a couple months ago. His tastiest creation so far has been this melt-in-your-mouth, super tender and moist, bursting with flavor, beer-can-chicken. It is seriously so good- like the grand slam, out of this park good I mentioned earlier; by far the best chicken I’ve ever had. Honestly, he doesn’t really ‘know his way around the kitchen,’ so for him to prepare two rubs and a marinate to inject into the chickens, all by himself – and have it taste this amazing, I am super impressed! I’m going to have him share more details on his homemade smoker and beer-can-chicken recipe in the near future….stay tuned. In the meantime, this is for your viewing pleasure (and if there was only a way for you to smell the aroma that lingered around the outside of our house)…

I also had the pleasure of helping my little chef, Lila, create her own pasta salad side dish to go with dinner…stay tuned for more on that later in the week. And lastly, my sister-in-law brought the tastiest oven roasted, maple glazed mixture of vegetables; they were so good everyone, including the kiddos asked for seconds! I might be able to share that recipe in the near future as well! Lots of yummies to be on the lookout for!

Finally, here is the recipe for the pears we enjoyed for breakfast. The recipe was adapted from Annie’s Eats, which is one of my favorite food blogs (she now offers more than just recipes…). In her recipe the pears are intended for a homemade granola, which I have made before and is very satisfying as well; I would recommend it! They would also be a great topping for waffles or in a ‘stuffed French toast,’ perhaps on pancakes as well….or even ice cream (sweet after thought)!

Sautéed Pears

2 Tbsp butter

5 pears (I used bartlett)

2-3 Tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

Melt butter, add pears, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until pears start to soften, edges begin to appear translucent, and juices are released. Then stir in the honey, vanilla and cinnamon until well combined. Continue to cook a few more minutes. Enjoy.

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