Sunday, June 17, 2012

Success...deserves some Mac & Cheese


Well, two days ago, I was lamenting the fact that once I get something in my mind, I just feel like I have to do it.  Today, I am glad that I stuck with it.  For those of you who know me, I have just never really been that big of a runner, just for the sake of running.  I would rather run to make it around the bases in a softball game, or run across the court to steal a pass or make a layup, or run to continue the volley on a tennis court, but just to run to run, never really been my thing.  However for some reason, over the past 1 1/2 to 2 years I have started running 5K's, I prefer sprinting to long distance running- so why do I do it?  Who knows, probably mostly just to compete with myself, it is much easier to go out for a run by myself, then to find someone to play tennis with at a time when we are both available and even harder to find enough people to play softball or basketball, besides my friends aren't really in to that, so I run or bike or swim.  I prefer the biking and swimming, but running I can compete in, well not really - I am not the fastest distance runner by any means, but I finish and I try to improve against myself, and so I compete with myself.

This year, for some reason I got it in my head I was going to run a 10K, but when I crashed my bike and ended up with a cast my training went to almost non existent, not quite, but almost.  But wouldn't you know it, I signed up anyways and two days before the race, I started to get cold feet, my shins were bothering me and I was starting to wish I hadn't signed, but there was a part of me that would have signed up again, that part that makes it so hard to change what I have set my mind on....and today when I crossed the finish line at 1 hour and 22 minutes, I was glad for that part of me - didn't quite run the whole thing....but I finished my first 10K.  Don't worry I still made it to church, and when I got home I made a simple white sauce and added some cheese, cooked up some whole wheat penne, and enjoyed some mac and cheese - truthfully it could have used a little more cheese, but with some of Penzy's Arizona Dreaming mix it was really good.

Cooking up a white sauce and adding some cheese.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Mom's Birthday Tea

Mom turned 70 this spring, so we wanted to do something special.  We decided on a tea party with some of her friends.   


A few of the things on the menu were Strawberry Soup, Cucumber Canapes, Scones with devonshire cream and lemon curd, and chicken salad sandwiches.




Scones
           
Cucumber Canapes spread

Cranberry Chicken Salad
We also had fruit kabobs...


and of course desserts....

Baking the orange cakes
The orange cakes with whipped cream


       




























  
We also had some mini brownie bites for the chocolate lovers.

And they all seemed to have a good time, drinking tea, eating delicacies, and enjoying good company.