Fall Dinner

We had Dinner in a Pumpkin from Dinner Studio last week.  It was pretty tasty.  I found a very similar recipe here.  Have you ever had this dish?  How was your recipe different?  The pumpkin was a very delicious addition to the casserole.  We had pumpkin in a tagine when we were in Morocco, but I have never thought to eat it here at home.

Too Soon, Captain Caveman. Too Soon.

Tragedy struck MotoGP at Sepang today, as Marco Simoncelli sustained fatal injuries in a lap 2 crash.  The YouTube images are horrific, and I will not include them.  Only one of my blog readers is a GP fan, and he and I have already spent the morning reviewing all of the coverage.  But, the gist is that Simoncelli lost control on the outside of turn 11, and as he slid across the track, his helmet came off.  Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi, traveling behind, could not possibly have avoided making contact.  Edwards appears to have gone over Marco's torso; Vale, his head.

Edwards was thrown off of his bike, and tumbled several times into the grass.  Rossi rode off track, but stayed upright.  Images of the aftermath showed Colin on the infield, obviously in pain, holding his dislocated shoulder.  Marco is lying prone on the track, inert, one arm extended.  He died of massive head, neck and chest injuries.

Simoncelli wasn't one of my favorite riders, but I am heartsick for his family and friends.  Edwards and Rossi both must be devastated, particularly Rossi, who was one of Simoncelli's best friends.

My Goal: To Take More Photos

"...the most fully realized and delicious combination of flavors I have experienced in 2011."  So says Sam Sifton, the New York Times' food critic, about a dish he ate at Le Bernadin. 

I could well say the same about a treat I was recently fortunate to sample at book club.  If only I had taken photos! 

First, take a delicious brownie made by the incomparable Marilyn White--a little more cakey than fudgy.  Top that with just enough warm Trader Joe's caramel sauce.  On that, sprinkle a pinch of vanilla-infused salt. 

It was so amazing that I felt my eyes roll back in my head a little. 

Why Don't We Do This More Often?

I always ask Rowdy that when we go out to hear live music.  We saw Foster the People and Cults at SOMA last Wednesday.  So, so good.  I'm listening to a Cults channel I made on Pandora.

This Fascinates the Crap Outta Me

Happy mail at Giverslog.com.  This reminds me that I fizzled out on my random gift-giving from earlier in the year.  It's not too late to send some cute little things in cute ways.

But My Hearing is Superior

I went to the Audiologist yesterday, because I've felt lately that my hearing is going.  Nope.  Perfect in the right ear and only slightly diminished for very low tones in the left.  No more using, "I'm sorry, I just don't hear very well," as an excuse.  It's more like, "I don't pay very close attention because I have a million things on my mind and I'm very tired". 

Never Gonna Be an Elite Athlete

In addition to an oil painting of me and my sweetie, Rowdy gave me an appointment with an exercise physiologist for a fitness assessment.  (And some awesome boots and a bike carrier for my car.)

My first visit with Ken of FitStop was yesterday.  He measured my percent body fat using the good old skin fold method, then tested my VO2 max.  That is basically a measure of my body's ability to transport and use oxygen, and is a good estimate of physical fitness. 

Basically, I have average physical fitness for a woman my age.  But the thing is, based on the information obtained, it's not like I have a world-class athlete inside me that I've been to lazy to bring out.  I really have a very average "engine", as it were.  I can be better than I am, but the frustration that I feel and the self-recrimination that I heap on myself for not being as good at running as, well, pretty much everyone I know, is useless. 

My goals are to get faster, lose weight and be fitter overall.  Ken is going to make a training plan that will help me get there, better I think, than the push-push-push, get frustrated and fatigued that I have been doing to myself. 

Ken suggested I pick a race five or six months down the road to start training for.  I'm not sure if I'll choose a tri only or do a tri and also do a half-marathon, like maybe the Salt Lake half marathon in April.  My shorter-term goal is to have this dress fit better.  It came today, and it is slightly snug.  It would be a shame to let a dress this lovely go to waste!

From us.asos.com.

As Seen on...

Here are some things that I've recently come across on Pinterest and actually tried out:

Potato bread (yum!!)

Rearranging my living room (beautiful!)

Planning a carnival game for the ward party (spooky!)

Putting my folded sheets into their matching pillowcases (clever!)

Using attractively-styled and timely quotes in a YW lesson (effective!)

Yes, it is possible to actually use things from Pinterest, and not just post a kajillion pictures of cute puppies or beautiful homes that most people will never be able to afford.

If you are already using Pinterest, don't you just love it?  What have you bought/made/changed based on the inspiration you have gotten there or something you ended up finding because Pinterest sparked your creative juices?

If you are not on Pinterest yet, oh my dear!  What is stopping you?  It's so much fun!  More fun than Farmville, I'm sure.

Misidentification

Scene:  Tri Club Swim Practice.  On the table sits three boxes of Power Bars.

Enter TriGirl

TriGirl:  Oooohh!  Food!

Let me tell ya, sister, Power Bars ARE NOT FOOD! 

I will never be one of those people who calls a taffy-like substance made of nutrients food, and I'm happy to say that.

Conference Saturday So Far

If this is just the beginning, this is going to be one of the best General Conferences yet!  So many great things were presented.

I made potato bread this morning for our snack.  I need to keep working on bread baking.  The results are so yummy.  This afternoon's snack will be Rice Krispie treats.