Transitioning to other forms of media, look me up on Amazon Books and Quora! :)
Scottish bannocks are mentioned so often in the Little House in the Highlands series I've been rereading lately, that I decided I just had to make them. Historically, bannocks were a staple "quick bread" in Scotland, ranging from heavy, flat cakes to light, spongy bread packed with raisins, depending on the time period. The type of bannock I prepared was just a typical bannock, with a floury crust and a soft, thick inside. Honestly, it tasted a lot like a thick biscuit. I added dried cranberries and chopped fresh cherries to some bannocks, for variety. Although the bannocks were not as flatbread-like as I expected, that is probably because I baked the bannocks instead of frying them. Scottish Bannocks Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cups water optional: dried cranberries or raisins Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Then pour melted butter and water over the mixture. (Optional: add dried cranberries, raisins, blueberries, or other fruit to the dough for added flavor.) Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead gently. You can either roll out the dough into one large circle or make small individual circles. If you wish, you can fry the bannock(s) on a greased frying pan, about 15 minutes on each side. Or you can bake the bannock(s) on a greased frying pan at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. I baked my bannocks as individual buns. The bannocks with fresh cherries were the first to go, and in my opinion, the most flavorful. Enjoy! :)
You in the mood for some cheesecake? Then you're gonna love this post ;-) Fun fact I learned a few days ago: Eli's Cheesecake Factory in Chicago, IL, offers free tours every day at 1 PM! These tours include complimentary samples, a video presentation, and the chance to win a cheesecake! Guess who just went to Eli's? :) That's right...me! I just couldn't resist. Besides, I had never even been to Eli's Cheesecake before. I can't believe how much I was missing out on! So, lately, I'd been wanting to bike the trail where I ran my first marathon...kind of just to celebrate the fact that I will hopefully never run that particular marathon again (Gravel and lots of hills..ugh.) And I always like to include a treat with athletic activities, especially biking, when with my sister Emma and my Mom. We'd been planning on Culver's, but when I heard about Eli's Cheesecake tours, I knew where we were headed! So first, we biked. It was a really beautiful trail, and not as miserable as running, but I still have to confess I was pretty happy to be done. Mostly because it meant cheesecake was closer! Then we headed to Eli's. We started off by sampling strawberry cheesecake. For free samples, the slices were really big! Everyone who came in got one, sometimes two. Who can resist? :) Next, a friendly factory worker took us through a video presentation of the factory's history, accomplishments, and fun facts. Did you know that New York cheesecake is dense and rich, using cottage cheese, while Chicago cheesecake is light and fluffy, using cream cheese? I think I prefer the fluffiness, especially with Eli's famous shortbread crust. After the presentation, we were given free samples. Pictured below: original cheesecake, Reeses peanut butter cup cheesecake, and raspberry white chocolate cheesecake. They were all amazing! Then there was a raffle for a free cheesecake. I am not normally a very lucky person, and I've actually never won a raffle in my life. So I was pretty shocked when my raffle number was called! Can you believe I won a free cheesecake?! I chose the key lime, a flavor I've been curious about, and in addition, we also bought a cherry cheesecake to bring home and share with our dinner guests. But I guess we still hadn't enough cheesecake! We also bought a slice of Honey Mediterranean cheesecake from the bakery there. This cheesecake was light as a feather, infused with sweet honey and vanilla mousse. The topping was sprinkled with pistachios and toasted almonds, adding that needed crunch. It tasted amazing! Well, if you're craving cheesecake, now you know just where to go! :) Toad-in-the-hole is a delicious traditional English recipe, consisting of muffin-sized servings of golden Yorkshire pudding, each with one a mini sausage "hiding" inside. Although the recipe does require handling hot oil, it is relatively simple, and the result is delicious! Mini Toad-in-the-Hole Recipe (Makes 12) Ingredients 12 mini sausages 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying) 1 cup flour 1 cup milk 2 eggs handful of lemon thyme pinch of salt For the sausages, I used Meijer Cheddar Smokies. I have found that the miniature sausages do not pop out of the pudding while baking, while halved full-size sausages have a tendency to. Instructions Preheat the oven to 435 degrees Fahrenheit. It needs to be hot!! Prepare the sausages and set aside. Then pour 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over the 12 holes in the muffin tin. Place the tin in the oven for 10-15 minutes to heat up the oil. While it is heating, prepare the batter by mixing the rest of the ingredients thoroughly. Then remove the hot pan CAREFULLY from the oven, and be aware that the oil is very hot! Working quickly, place one sausage in each hole and then pour the batter into each hole. Do not put too much batter in each tin, as it will rise quite a bit while baking. Then place the pan back into the oven for 20 minutes. The pudding should come out fluffy and golden! The unique texture and taste of Yorkshire pudding is what makes this treat so good :) If possible, serve the toad-in-the-holes while still hot. The Yorkshire pudding will deflate a little if it is allowed to cool. Hope you enjoy it! I know Memorial Day is the time for grilling out and barbecuing up some patriotic American meat. But this year, the holiday was a little different for my family! In honor of our upcoming trip to the UK (in just 3 weeks! Yikes!!), my sister Emma and I prepared a traditional British dinner for the family! I love trying recipes from other countries, so this was really a treat for me. I got to bake something from 3 different countries- all in one meal! For England, we made mini toad-in-the-holes. This is a mix of a Yorkshire pudding and traditional toad-in-the-hole dish. These were really a hit! For Scotland, we made traditional Scottish bannocks. I was really curious how these would turn out, as I have heard bannocks mentioned often in the Scottish books I've read lately. The bannocks were really more like biscuits than the flatbread I expected. For Ireland, we made spritzed shortbread cookies. I've never made piped cookies before, so I certainly learned a lot while baking these! (And they all went, so I was satisfied.) Recipes coming soon! :-)
Ah. Today was such a nice summery day. I guess I'm just one of those people who really enjoys an easy, relaxing day. I went for a nice long run with my sister, talking about everything under the sun; found 12 four-leaf clovers in my own backyard; finished the application process at my number one college; and then biked the prairie trail where I train for my marathons in the fall. (I was so happy to be biking and not running that horrible gravel path!!) I also had some nice alone time this evening to read some of my "blow-off" books. ("Blow-off" books are my favorite books-- ones with no historical content that are purely fun to read- and that I've read like 1000 times before. Today's was Little House on the Prairie.)
That "alone time" was what got me thinking. I actually do really enjoy being on my own sometimes. And often, I need some time by myself to "unwind" or "recharge." So does that make me an introvert? What has been on my mind lately is a pretty serious personality test I took over the weekend. My results weren't really what I expected. According to the test, I am a "quiet and mystical person, yet very inspiring and tireless idealist." Now, I know that I am relatively quiet and reserved, especially on those occasions that I feel uncomfortable or out of place, but I have to admit that at first I was rather disappointed to be 13% introverted. I think I felt that way because in today's culture, it's the extroverts who are "cool." I imagine an extrovert as the life of the party and everybody's best friend. I mean, everybody wants to be a super-social extrovert, right? All my friends who took the test were decidedly extroverts, and it left me wondering, Why am I the only introvert? And is this something I should be ashamed of? So I read up a little on introverts. Did you know that introverts actually often make the best leaders? And that some of the the world's influential heroes, including Abe Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein, were also introverts? (I'm not in such bad company after all, am I?!) In fact, 40% of today's executive leaders are social introverts. Sometimes it's good to not be the one doing all the talking. Sometimes it's better for a person to have their own quiet time to recharge. And sometimes a calm, reserved demeanor can be a person's greatest strength. Suddenly I didn't feel so bad about myself. Maybe being an introvert doesn't make me a crazy cat lady or a social outcast. Maybe, being an introvert is something I should be proud of, and something I should use to my own advantage in my life. And also, the fact that this test named me an introvert does not mean that I hate people, social gatherings, and crowded places. On the contrary, I love working with people, which is why I am studying to be a physical therapist assistant, so that I can interact with people on a daily basis. (And I love crowded places! I live in a city, for goodness sake!) So I have decided to be proud of my introvert status! Both introverts and extroverts have strengths and weaknesses. There is not one personality type that is "cooler" than another. As the saying goes, "It takes all kinds of people to build a world." If everyone was overly social, can you imagine how loud and confusing the world would be? :) What I hope you can take away from all this is that we shouldn't let words and labels define us. We can be whoever we want to be, no matter what the stereotype is. And if you're interested in the test, the link is: http://www.16personalities.com/personality-types You might want to check it out. I thought it was pretty cool! Since my last track season is now officially over, I've been thinking all the good times I've had and all the lessons I've learned. It's been a great experience, and I've made some wonderful memories. Overall, running on a track team has really helped shape me as an athlete and as a competitor. So here are seven things I've learned over the seven years I've run track! 1. Your team is your family. It might seem intimidating to run track, and at first, you might even feel afraid of your teammates. But at the end of it all, they are the ones you depend on. They will support you, advise you, and hopefully, become amazing friends! :) 2. Be confident in yourself. When I started track, I was never brave enough to go "all out." I figured there would always be someone better than me. So I told myself I was slow and hung back in my races, and my times suffered because of it. But then I learned that as soon as you start believing in yourself, you can lead the pack-- every race. You have it in you. (And yes, that's me below, in the red. Dorky uniforms, huh?) 3. Run hard. It's going to hurt, guaranteed. You can see the pain in any runner's eyes; it's not an easy sport. But it's worth it to push yourself. Then, even if you don't win the race, you'll still know you did your best. And knowing that feels good. 4. Don't be afraid to try something new. You'll never know if you don't try. I've tried almost every track event, and I am embarrassingly bad at quite a few. But I'm so glad I tried them, because if I hadn't, I might never have discovered how perfect some events were for me -- like hurdles. Don't let your fear hold you back from discovering something new. 5. Finish strong. It's all about that ending. You might be in last place almost the entire race, but it's what place you finish in that counts. So remember to give all you've got when you see that finish line. 6. Invest in good equipment. If you're serious about running, you must seriously consider "gearing up." A good pair of shoes or proper athletic wear could change the way you run, and maybe even turn an average athlete into a champion. 7. Remember to have fun.
Contrary to what many coaches might say, track isn't just about winning or scoring points. It's about challenging yourself to become a better athlete, and consequently, a better person. It's about disciplining yourself to make the best out of the gifts God has given you. And it's doesn't hurt to have some good times along the way! To welcome the summer, I would like to share one of my favorite recipes with you -- a no-bake peanut butter and jelly pie!! This amazing, gooey pie is bursting with flavors, with a sweet cherry jam sandwiched between a nilla wafer crust and a peanut butter topping. This was my indulgent celebration treat after my friend and I won first place in the ICTM State Math Contest Orals Competition. Enough math, now time for peanut butter! Now, to be honest, this dessert isn't very photogenic, so I borrowed the picture from a website. But I promise you, what these bars lack in looks, they make up in taste! Ingredients:
1 15-oz box of Nilla Wafer cookies 1 12-oz jar of creamy peanut butter 1 18-oz tub of Cool Whip 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 jar Smuckers cherry preserves Several spoonfuls of powdered sugar (optional) Begin by grinding up the Nilla wafers inside a Ziploc plastic bag. Then mix the crushed cookie bits with the butter until well coated. The recipe I originally read called for a pie pan to be used, but there seemed to be too much crust for the pan, so I used a 8x10 glass baking dish. Press the cookie mixture down with a spoon until well molded. Then spread a thick layer of cherry preserves on top. A full jar might seem like overkill, but I thought it was necessary for really tasting the sweetness of the jelly. Place the pan in a freezer to chill. Then mix together the peanut butter and cool whip. At this point, I added a few spoonfuls of powdered sugar to add to the texture and taste of peanut butter mixture. This is purely optional, but it certainly adds a little more sweetness to this scrumptious dessert! The last step is to spread the peanut butter mixture over the jelly and crust. Now just place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, to help the dessert to become firm. It can be eaten right away (that's what happened when I made it!) or last several days in the freezer! I hope you enjoy this recipe! I certainly did :) I don't know exactly when the change was, but when I woke up this morning, I looked out the window and knew it was officially summer. Under a bright blue sky, the trees were rustling in a warm summer breeze, and the lawns of the neighborhood were luscious and green. Can you believe it? One of the few perks about weather in Chicago is that when it is warm, we appreciate it.
It's been a busy last few weeks. College finals, preparations and applications for the fall, as well as the final competitions, recitals, and parties for different extracurricular activities. I've spent each weekend somewhere far from home, whether it is participating in the state math competition in Champaign, competing at a track meet in St. Louis, or running a half marathon in Schaumburg. But now that I'm done with all of it, I want to touch each leafy tree and nuzzle each blade of green grass. Just to fully appreciate it, you know? :) I want to enjoy every bit of the warmth and relaxation of summer while it is here. During the long, cold winters, these are the days that I dream of. There are so many wonderful little things about a summer day. I love the warm rush of air I feel when I open a door to leave a building. I love the sound of the fan going in my room, keeping the house cool. I love the softness of light summer clothes I can finally wear. I love the sound of the birds singing every morning outside my open window. I love the feeling of soaking in the sunlight and truly feeling warm. I love the sound of lawn mowers and sprinklers as other people enjoy outdoors with me. I love the feeling of the summer breeze in my hair when I drive with my sunroof open. The list could go on and on :) But I'll stop there for now. Just remember as you go about your day, remember the little things in life that make everything so beautiful. Whether it is a blade of grass, or a bird's song, or the wind in your hair, it is something special. |
AuthorHi! Carrie here, nursing student, writer, and runner living in the Windy City. ArchivesCategories |