This is the third week in a row that I’ve made a large pot of some sort of lentil soup for weekday lunches. The first two weeks were a hodge-podge pot of lentil soup, where I threw in whatever veggies were in the fridge and added some spices. Usually something Indian, like mustard seed and curry powder, or chili-like.

Edible, but nothing to blog about.

I love Laura’s blog The First Mess, and she posted a recipe last week that was of her favorite lentil soup. I thought, I’ve got to make it this weekend.

I went right by the recipe (Laura went to culinary school and gives the best instructions AND takes the most beautiful food photos), except added a few turnips from my CSA.

I liked that this recipe used:

1. A lot of garlic. I hate chopping garlic, but love it in most meals.

2. New herbs. I’ve never made anything with thyme and tarragon. Laura said it gives off a lemony flavor, which it totally did.

3. French lentils. These lentils hold their shape really well when cooked. I also like red lentils, but they cook down and almost become mushy, which wouldn’t work out so well in this soup. (I don’t like the word ‘mushy’– it sounds so inedible – but that’s really what they do, only in a delicious way.)

Rinse the lentils well, then add them to the cooked vegetables along with vegetable stock and diced tomatoes. Cover and simmer. The soup is done in about 25-30 minutes.

Dinner on Sunday night and lunch for the week. Simple, healthy yet delicious, and very cost friendly. Went amazingly well with my crusty loaf of CSA bread.

It felt very French, but in an earthy, not fussy way. I was reminded of how people dressed when I was in Paris this summer. They were striking, not because they were flashy, but because everything fit well and looked effortlessly put together. This soup has those same principles. It was a much more sophisticated soup than I’ve been making, which I liked.

More snowshoeing pics from Wiessner Woods this weekend.

We have no snow on the ground in Burlington right now. Most of it melted away in Monday night’s rain. Umm, so that’s weird for January. Even last weekend, we had to go up pretty high just to do some snowshoeing in Stowe.  And usually I’m all about warmer temps, but there’s something about this situation that feels strange.

Plus, once I got out in the snow it was so lovely. Breath-taking. Hopefully, I’ll get out a few more times this winter. Dare I say this…please snow.

Two exciting packages came today.

Laney sent me a King Cake from Louisiana. She’s the best!  My co-workers were SUPER intrigued, so much that we’re having a king cake party on Friday. If only we could really be in New Orleans.

And…

I left a few items at my parent’s house in Ohio over the holidays. In the package, they snuck in whole-wheat glazed doughnuts from Schuler’s Bakery – the best bakery in Springfield, Ohio. I’ve got a thing for their whole wheat ones, which are light yet cake-like with a crackly glaze. I’ve never had another doughnut like them.

As well as more pomegranates. I’ve been to four grocery stores in Vermont in search of pomegranates, my most recent food obsession. I found them in one store and they were about $4 a piece. We had been getting them for a $1 in Ohio. Crazy.

I’m not a great cook. I’m much more comfortable baking something, but I can’t live on cupcakes. (Sigh.) I’ve been in the habit of making soup on Sunday for lunches during the week. Then I cook about two dinners, with the leftovers usually covering the in-between days.

I’m not quite sure what to call these….turkey and bean burritos? They are sort of a hybrid between Annie’s Eats enchiladas and an ex-boyfriend’s mom’s burrito recipe.

I enjoy these burritos because they are easy to make, reheat, and freeze. And who doesn’t like a burrito? Hello!

*Keeping it real. I’ve had cans of cherry coke (from my dad) and PBR (from an ex-boyfriend) in my fridge for, like, years. Clearing ‘em out! I hate to throw them away, so PBR it is while I cook dinner. Classy, I know.

Heat about two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Cook an onion and a small can of green chilies for about 8-10 minutes.

Add three cloves of minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, or just until fragrant. Next, add a 15 oz can of tomato sauce along with:

• 2 T chile powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• pinch of cayenne

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in another pan.

Add the turkey, can of refried beans, and the sauce. (If I’m making enchiladas, I’ll save part of the sauce to use to cover the tops before baking.)  Cook until thick and bubbly.

Place a spoonful of the turkey/bean mixture in a burrito shell and top with cheese. Roll up and place on a baking tray.

Drizzle a little olive oil on the top, add more cheese, and bake at 400 degrees F. for about 15-20 minutes.

I happen to love it when the cheese gets brown and bubbly. My sisters and I used to fight over the corner pieces. Might be over-done for others.

Dinner! I like my burrito over lettuce and topped with salsa. I’ve never been a fan of sour cream.

Don’t you love the range of reading. My science knowledge sucks. I learned that when I took the curriculum class with all the science teachers last semester. Or when a friend asked how large a shooting star actually was and I had no idea. Or when I went hiking with some students and only knew one constellation. On it goes. So I’m reading up on Scientific American.

And Us Weekly.

Keepin’ it real.

Week three of Vermont City marathon training. Swimming class started. Ready…go!

Vermont City Marathon Training – Week 3:

Monday, January 16: Three miles on the indoor track. Easy. Kundalini yoga class. The university had free fitness classes last week, so I thought I’d try out a new type of yoga. Wow, Kundalini yoga is really different! No down dogs in this class. I think I liked it? If you haven’t done it before, it’s a lot of chanting and more meditative. We also did a lot of faster, quicker moves with our breath. Just….so different.

Tuesday, January 17: So, I signed up for a swimming class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. It’s a technique class. I took it a few years ago and it remains – to this day – my favorite class ever. I also realized that I need a class in order to swim. I think I’ve been to the pool less than ten times since the class two years ago. I’m just not good at motivating myself to do laps at the pool. Plus, I’ve never been a big swimmer, so it’s nice to learn stroke technique. Again. We didn’t swim the first class, but did introductions and went over the syllabus.

Wednesday, January 18: 1-hour Bodypump class (weight lifting).

Thursday, January 19: Swimming class – in the water! We spent about 95 percent of the hour doing freestyle drills. Kicking drills. Breathing drills. Hip rotation drills. Pulling drills. I think I hold my breath under water – unintentionally – and therefore create some sort of anaerobic workout. I was huffing and puffing!

Also, funny story. Pretty much everyone is an undergrad student in my class. I’m thinking that I totally look like a college student too! I even arrived to the morning class in my New Duds t-shirt and pajama pants. In my lane, I’m wearing a swim cap and bug-eyed goggles (the sleek ones hurt my eye sockets), when my lap partner turns to me and asks, “Do you work at the university?”

Hmmm, so I guess I don’t look like a college student anymore.

I’m reminded of traveling with Laney over the summer. She’s telling me this story about jogging around the LSU campus after she taught a class. She tells her husband,  “I think I still look like a college student.” He replies, “Um, no you don’t.”  Of course, I tell Laney, “Pish, pish. You TOTALLY look like a college student. What planet is Judson living on?!!”

Um, maybe we’re on the wrong planet. One-up Judson.

Friday, January 20: I meant to do my interval workout on Wednesday, but couldn’t fit it in. Or Thursday. So, I woke up early to run before work. I really need to get in the habit of morning workouts because next week my days are c.r.a.z.y busy. Morning workouts are just SO hard for me! I got a late start and could only fit in 4.5 miles of the 6 mile workout. I did a 1/2 mile warm-up, then 4 miles at 8:13 pace. After work, I went to bodypump class. Yay, twice this week!

Saturday, January 21: 9 miles outside.

I wore yaktrax (not shown), but it’s still slick outside. Thinking that I may have to run inside for long runs, which is painful for me. I can only handle running about 6 miles inside. I really enjoy getting fresh air. I love to run down near the water, even though it’s windier down there.

Oh, and it’s starting. My craving for pizza. My other craving is potato chips, but that hasn’t kicked in just yet.

And post-long run laziness has set in. Maybe it’s running in the snow that drains me? For the rest of the day, I was on the couch and this fur-ball was on his chair. 90 percent of the time, Merlin likes to sit across from me instead of with me on the couch. Cats. Always on their terms.

Sunday, January 22: 1-hour snowshoe adventure in Stowe. We actually don’t have a lot of snow for January in Vermont. Some friends and I thought we could just go on the Stowe rec path, but there wasn’t enough snow. So weird! We drove up to Wiessner Woods, just above Stowe’s upper village. It’s gorgeous!

Pretty place. Will have to go back.

Ahhhh, and I have to talk about my Sunday night. After snowshoeing, we stopped for a bite to eat and a beer. I promised my friend Rachel that I would go to this meditation class with her, so I hurried back to town to pick her up for the 6:30 p.m. class. She wanted to go last week, but we were both tired and bailed. I was thinking that this would be a 45-min drop-in meditation class. I felt like even that was A LOT, considering my goal is five-minutes a day….which I have not been doing.

No. This is like an established group. A sangha.

We did 20 minutes of sitting meditation, 10 minutes of walking meditation, 20 minutes of sitting meditation, a reading, and a Dharma circle. I actually really enjoyed the sitting and walking meditation, although the second sitting meditation was harder. My mind wandered more frequently and my back started to feel stiff. The reading and the Dharma circle were cool – although I got distracted whenever they said Dharma because I would think of Lost - but took forever. The sharing circle had no end time. We wrapped up in just over two-hours. I thought I might miss Downton Abbey at 9 p.m., at which point, I was thinking, “I might have to break the Dharma Circle. Would there be a revolt?” Luckily, I made it home just in time for the new episode. Whew.

Weekly Totals
Mileage: 16.5 miles
Yoga: 1-hour class + 2 plus hours of meditation (that might be a one-time thing)
Weights: 2 hours
Swimming: 1 hour
Random/fun stuff: 1 hour snowshoeing

Previous marathon training posts here.

I’ve started my quest for the perfect homemade salted caramel cupcake, a la my little cupcake.

This one was a worthy first attempt.

I used this salted caramel recipe, but added twice the amount of salt. It was delish – and caramel sauce is so easy to make, I had no idea?! – but I wanted more of a sticky, saltier glaze. See example here.

Regardless, they didn’t go to waste.

Ha!

Mine was a mix of the best kind.

Relaxation:

• Saturday morning curled up with a book and Merlin.  I read Where She Went by Gayle Forman. (Young Adult, but not my usual fantasy/sci-fi…..shocking!) Beautiful prose, sort of a Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist slant – but heavier. All about music and New York City. Gayle even has a book playlist, which I listened to while reading the book.
• Downton Abbey. More Mary and Matthew please. I hate waiting another week!
• Sunday snowshoeing + beer in Stowe.
• Went to see The Artist. Wow, I keep thinking about it. My first silent movie, and I went wild for it. Check it out if you can!
• Dinner at Bluebird Tavern. Burger and fries for the second time this weekend.

Productivity:

• Laundry.
• Cleaning – I fixed my vacuum. Replaced the belt. Even used tools!
• Cooking + meal planning for the week. More soup. Third week in a row.
• Running 9 miles.

Okay, looks like I had a little more relaxation than productivity. Even better.

There’s a range……

1. A young adult book that’s going to be the next big thing. 

Divergent. (Thanks Katie Lynn and Allison!) It’s fab. I swear. Gave me glimmers of the excitement I got from The Hunger Games. The second in the trilogy – Insurgent – comes out this spring. Plenty of time to get caught up!

2. Most over-hyped product that’s worth the hype.

Lululemon Wunder Under Pants. I resisted for a while. They are HOW much? But too many girlfriends raved about them. I got a pair. Now I rarely take them off. Good for running, yoga, and just lounging.

3. Weirdest dessert that’s the most popular thing on my blog.

These pink peanut butter hugs (also known as pink zebra cookies) have been the most popular post on my blog. I’d also say they are perfect Valentine’s Day treats. It’s funny because I made them around this time last year. A friend was over and I think he was a bit startled by how BRIGHT they were, but underneath it’s all peanut butter and chocolate, which is NEVER a bad combo.

4. Strangest thing I had for dinner.

Haggis.

5. Freak out moment that turned into the best thing I ever did.

I freaked out for the first few weeks I got Merlin. I read his pity story on Craigslist, and immediately took him home without thinking much about it. However, it took us a while to bond. My parent’s can vouch for Skype dates of me crying. What was I thinking? This is a big responsibility. Would we mesh? What’s his personality? He has fleas, worms, AND ear mites…. whhhhat?! (First vet appointment.) In the end, he’s so worth it. What a great companion. And he’s getting so handsome.

6. Coolest Vermont hangout.

Vergennes Laundry. So beautiful I want to live in it.

7. Best buns.

Morning buns. Orange zest, brown sugar, and cinnamon rolled up in croissant dough. I will never forget them.

8. Movie so good it made me crazy.

Like Crazy. I went to see this four times at the movie theatre. No lie. Anton and Felicity are so incredible.

9. TV show so good it’s making me obsessed.

Okay, I just discovered Downton Abbey, but it aired last year.

10. Drugstore lip gloss that I can’t get enough of.

Over the holidays, I’m talking to my uncle. I see my sister on the opposite end of the room, staring at me and shaking with laughter.

I roll my eyes, “Um, Kim do you have something to say to me?”

“YOU NEED LIPSTICK!! Your lips disappear when you talk!” she trills out, practically hyperventilating with laughter.

Later that week, as I was about to go on a run, Kim also sweetly tells me I have really short legs.

“I do?”

My mom peeks her head out of the kitchen, “Oh, you must get that from dad’s side of the family.”

“What? I really have short legs?! I’m 5’6”. That’s not that short.”

They both look at me, nod their heads in agreement and say, “Yeah, they’re short.”

After too many hours watching Real Housewives shows on Bravo over break and admiring their perfect glossed lips, I found out that those ladies like L’Oreal Infallible #406. A subtle, shimmery peach that lasts for 6 hours. Now I do too. I wish there was a drugstore buy that would elongate my legs. Sniff.

11. Best destination spot for those looking for something off the beaten path.

Northern Wales. I swear it was like I was on another planet.

12. Best destination spot for those looking to never sleep.

Edinburgh in August. Otherwise known as festival time. We….didn’t sleep. And I don’t think anyone else did either. This is what the place looked like in the afternoon…

This is what we looked like when we left.

13. Best destination spot for solo travelers or romantic couples.

Paris. I went alone. My French was pathetic, but I walked all around the city, ate delicious food, and met nice people. It rocked.

14. Best overall city.

Tie between Edinburgh and London. I liked them both for such very different reasons. Laney and I felt like we fell into a fairy tale in Edinburgh. (Um, there really is a mountain with a castle on it.) London is just grand. I mean it. There’s nothing like it.

15. Most amazing 30th birthday party.

Ashley and Dave’s combined birthday at a remote camp in Northern Vermont. The most beautiful birthday party weekend I’ve ever been to in my entire life.

16. Best use of technology at a party.

Apple Pie Bake-off. We voted via texting.

17. Most inspiring blog videos.

Everyday Musings. Seriously, can’t get enough of Olivia’s pics, videos, and desserts. The Paris video (above) did it for me. Check out her other videos on Vimeo. All gorgeous!

19. Warm and fuzzy moment.

21. Songs that made me really happy this year.

A lot of them are old…tells you how behind I am in the music scene.

Modern Man by Arcade Fire

Bach Cello Suite No. 1 by Mischa Maisky

Good Feeling by Flo Rida

Century by The Mary Onettes

Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine

Scythian Empire by Andrew Bird

23. What took me so long to eat this?

I had my first Pinkberry experience:

24. My first winning photo.

I haven’t been good at sharing what I’ve been getting in my CSA. I split it with a friend, and every Thursday we pick up a load. So fun! It’s a hybrid CSA, so it varies each week. Sometimes we get eggs, cheese, pesto, cider, beans, and/or yogurt. This is the first week we’ve ever gotten sunflower oil. We always get root veggies. ‘Tis the winter.

Nothing says happiness like a leisurely morning.

I associate those with brunches and brunches with holidays. I had something like a five hour brunch on Monday with Jen.

Really.

Waffles, fruit, more fruit, coffee, more coffee, scrambled eggs with herbs, lots of conversation, episodes of Guiliana and Bill.

It was so fab. Afterwards, I was like, “Gosh dern (sorry Lonesome Dove slang), I need to do this more often.” It just makes you feel good for the rest of the day, like pampering for the soul. So it’s our new goal. Beautiful brunches. We even started a Pinterest board. Aiming for one a month, themed if we can, which might be ambitious.

I had some cornmeal in my CSA and the citrus section is crazy good at the store right now, so I went with a lemon cornmeal waffle.

I always forget how easy waffles are to make. And fun. The little beep when they are done cooking. I love that part.

The waffles were pretty dense, but perfect topped with a pat of butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit.

Whipped cream would have been the ultimate topping, but I just thought of that right now. So, if you make them at home, try a little whipped cream.

Right?

We’re going for beauty with these brunches.

Lemon Cornmeal Waffles

Adapted from Pennycluse Cafe

I found this recipe a long time ago. It’s been collecting dust in my recipe binder (a white binder stuffed full of random recipes that’s only partly-organized…..ah, story of my life) for a number of years. I believe it was from on an online forum. I’m sure I was searching for “recipes + Penny Cluse Cafe” (one of the best breakfast places in town). I can no longer find the original source – so who knows if it really is a Penny Cluse recipe?! – but Jen and I enjoyed them nonetheless. They were dense, not too sweet, and perfect with fresh fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal (mine was quite coarse)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch of fresh nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/4 cup milk (might need more if batter is too thick)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest from one lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons melted butter, cooled to room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron. I set mine to medium-high heat, but it might be different with your iron.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: maple syrup, milk, egg, vanilla extract, zest, and lemon juice.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Add melted butter. Again, stir just until butter is incorporated. The batter will be very thick, but if you find the batter too thick, add a smidge more milk.

5. I used a heaping 1/4 measuring cup for my waffles. It made about six large waffles. To keep the earlier waffles crisp while cooking the others, I placed them on a baking tray in a warm oven.

Leftovers: I think waffles freeze so well. If you have any leftover waffles, flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Then wrap them in plastic wrap and foil. They crisp up in the toaster amazingly well.