I can run!

The last week has been one full of movement.

Last Saturday was the Rhythm Race, which sounded so cool. A 5K at Rentschler Field, with live music along the course and tailgating after. I've done 2 other races there, so i knew the terrain could be gravel, but would be flat. Mich, Aimee and Ian were signed up, and Duncan was going to join us as a spectator. 

It was a fail. There was hardly any music and the course was lots of loose gravel that hurt and made running a real challenge. We had split into pairs, Mich and Ian walking and Aimee & I running with the stroller, except around Mile 1 Connor just wasn't having it. We tried carrying him, walking with him, everything. No go. Aimee headed back with him, and i saw Mich and Ian as i went around a turn. They were calling it quits too, the loose gravel was just too much. I finished, 41:44, and it was hard. Tailgating after was fun, being with friends, but this race was not one i'd do again. Not even water on the course or at the finish line. I've been spoiled with HMF events.

Thursday was the 3rd Extreme Scramble (5K) with Aimee. I had field work earlier in the day, so i wasn't at my best, but the course was masochistic fun. We went across the Connecticut River twice, once across the Bulkeley Bridge and once across the Founders Bridge, both of which involve a lot of stairs. The sections along the river were nice - shady, pretty, cool, and even under the Founders Bridge there was small up and downs that were kind of fun, even if they were a challenge. When we crossed the river a second time the sun was setting and Hartford looked pretty. We ended with a time of 41:21, walking the stairs and a bit of the second bridge because i was tired. 

These two scores had me nervous, as Sunday was the Old Wethersfield 10K. But how could i avoid a race in my own town? There was a 5K too, but this big kid option... i knew i could walk the distance easy, but run it? I anticipated a time around 1:20. I was afraid we'd be last, looking at the 2011 results. 

Mike lectured Aimee and i on not starting too fast, pacing ourselves, all that jazz. Well, we did, and at Mile 1 i think the clock said 12:45, which was reasonable. After that, we actually made up time on each mile, so that we hit Mile 5 at almost perfectly 1:00:00 according to the marker. The course was great, through the historic areas, along the green, and the fact that we were doing a double loop wasn't even that bad, because it was so cool and flat. We walked the three water stations and that was it. Our final time was 1:12:43, meaning we averaged 11:43 per mile! It took me a little to recover at the end, but i had run a 10K! 

It's worth noting, if i had stopped to walk, i'm not sure i would of been able to run again. I felt like a machine, as long as i kept running i would stay running, but if i slowed down i was doomed. The last mile was HARD. And that afternoon i was exhausted and sore. I need to be training more and for longer distances. Of course, i also managed to bruise my right instep, so running today isn't going to happen. Probably not tomorrow either. 

I'm so thankful for Aimee, i could find so many excuses not to do these things, but they are rewarding and fun. In just under a month we'll be doing the Warrior Dash, another big challenge. And then, maybe the half marathon. 

Yeah.

Corn Chowder

Friday is CSA pick up day.  Once again, Fair Weather Acres did not disappoint, and i came home with a giant muskmelon, a dozen ears of corn, more peppers, giant scallions and more.  

I'm not a huge fan of corn on the cob.  Maybe it's the childhood punishment of having to shuck ear after ear, or the 6+ years of having to pick it out of my braces.  Even if i was, Duncan and i couldn't possibly eat a dozen ears of corn ourselves in just a few days.  The last time we got this much corn, I froze it, so that we could have some ready to go for recipes or a side.

This time, i decided to try my hand at making corn chowder.  It's not something i've made before, but i have enjoyed it.  When Duncan said it was one of his favorites, i decided to go for it.

I decided to start from Corn Chowder with Chilies from The Pioneer Woman.  Her recipe seemed flavorful, easy and i'll admit it, her photography could probably make anything look delicious and amazing.  I wanted to go with more items from my CSA, however, so i made some modifications.

some of my ingredients

• 6 ears of corn, shucked and cut off the cob 
• 2 slices of bacon (i tried her trick with just cutting the end and it came out great)
• 1 onion
• 1 large scallion (these were giant,you'd probably need several regular sized ones)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper
• 4 cups vegetable stock   You could use chicken stock if that's what you have on hand.
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Salt to taste
• 3-6 Tbsp corn meal
• 1/4-1/2 cup water

Over medium heat, place the bacon in a pot or dutch oven (yay i got to use mine!) and let it cook down so the fat starts to be released.  

Add the onion and scallion, stirring occasionally until the onion starts to become transparent.  (You could also add the peppers at this step if you wanted them to be more cooked in the final product).

Add the butter to the pot and allow to melt.

Add the corn and stir.  I added the peppers at this point as well, and they stayed fairly crisp in the chowder.  Allow to cook for a few minutes, so things start to get bright, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetable stock and cream.  If your vegetable stock is dark, don't panic, the cream will lighten up the color.    

Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

In a separate bowl, mix the corn meal and water, starting with 3 Tbsp of corn meal and 1/4 cup water.  Add to the pot, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.  

If the chowder is not thick enough, mix the remaining corn meal and water and add to the pot, simmer for another 10 minutes (approximately).  

veggies before adding stock and cream

We ate this with a sweet sausage and bread.  It was good enough Duncan told me to keep the recipe, which may be a first.  

Strawberry Jam!

After attending the great class at Billings Forge, i decided to give making jam a go on my own, and properly can and everything.

It went great!  First I hulled and sliced 2 lbs of very ripe strawberries.  Then i threw them in a pot and mashed them a bit over low heat for about 10 minutes.  Then i added about 4 cups of sugar and a few tablespoons of lemon juice.  I also added 3 tablespoons powdered pectin.  I let come to a steady boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.  Once i got a good thickness, it came off the heat, and i filled 2 8 oz and 1 4 oz jars.  I added a few chopped up  mint leaves, stirred and filled another 2 8 oz jars and 1 4 oz jar.  All the jars went into the boiling water to keep them properly preserved.

While it was definitely easy to do, it wasn't the neatest work.  I spent a decent amount of time cleaning up bits of strawberry red from drips and drops as i went.  I also steamed up the whole kitchen with so many pots boiling!

There are so few pictures because the camera on my phone kept steaming up.  This was hot work, but definitely not hard.  I'm glad i did this, and am looking forward to tasting things in a few weeks.