12 Months of 2012 – pt. 2

Read  Part 1, my January to June recap here.

July

This epic month involved two and a half glorious weeks in Greece, which has been my dream vacation for so long.

We explored the labyrinthine streets of Chania, hiked the gorges of Loutro, visited the Minoan palace of Knossos in Heraklion, saw the blue domed churches and whitewashed buildings of Santorini and took in ancient Greek culture at the archaeological sites of Athens.

Matt and I had our 4th wedding anniversary.

I had my champagne birthday – 27 on the 27th.

And for my birthday Matt and I went to Chicago to experience the best new restaurant in the US, Next, and their Sicily menu– 13 courses including this roasted pork shoulder, the most delicious piece of meat I’ve ever eaten.

August

I was an extra in a movie.

I’m ready for my close up!

I was inspired by the summer Olympics to start incorporate Olympic Weightlifting (Cleans, Jerks, & Snatches) into my workouts and I’ve been loving them ever since.

And I started a plan to lose 6cm from my waist, which is still in progress right now, but may have stalled a bit over the Christmas holidays. I’m tracking my progress in the right sidebar.

September

I cooked up a big batch of my favourite soup ever: Fire Roasted Corn Chowder.

My ciabatta bread won second place at the sham show otherwise known as the Harrow Fair. The judges must have taste buds in their eyes since they managed to pick a winner without even tasting the bread.

I kicked off the long and boring football season by going to the Detroit Lions home opener at Ford Field with my dad, his girlfriend Silvia, and Matt. I admit it was an exciting game with the Lions scoring the winning touchdown in the last 10 seconds.

Matt and I in Ford Field

October

I captained a team in the Run for the Cure for the 7th consecutive year in honour of my mom who passed away from breast cancer in 2006.

I went Apple Picking.

And I dressed up as Mary Poppins for kicks Hallowe’en and handed out full-sized chocolate bars.

November

I ran the Hot Chocolate 15K race in downtown Chicago with Vicki and Tina that culminated with a hot chocolate and fondue party in Grant Park.

Tina, Vicki, and me post race.

I got a personal record on my deadlift with a 225lb lift.

I watched Matt coach his football team to their first ever division victory.

Lasers Coaches. Matt is second from the left.

I baked these amazing Filipino date & walnut bars appropriately named Food for the Gods.

Photo Source

December

I did 14 straight days of Moksha Hot Yoga.

I switched up my weightlifting routine to build strength in 2013 with Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 programme.

I finished the year with yet another wonderful Holiday Season where I cooked a lot, got together with my family, watched my stunning cousin marry her perfect match, and ate fondue with friends.

Read Part 1, my January to June recap here.

12 Months of 2012 – pt. 1

Yes, I’m still recapping my 2012.

It was a good year in that it wasn’t a bad year and sometimes that’s the best we can hope for, right?

You can read Part 2, July through December here.

January

I start 2012 off with a bang in January by accomplishing my biggest goal for the year: a marathon. I never thought that running a marathon would be so much fun, but Disney knows how to plan an epic event, that’s for sure.

In spite of having a terrible bout of runner’s trots (naturally) and stopping at every mile for photo ops with Disney characters, I managed to finish in 5:15. Not too shabby!

You can read all about it here.

Of course the marathon also meant travel to Orlando where my friend Tina and I hit up Magic Kingdom, and both Universal Studios parks. I finally got to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but it was Seuss Landing that really captured my heart.

Later in the month Matt and I went to Niagara-on-the-Lake for his birthday and the Icewine Festival.

Busy month!

February

In February I started learning to play the guitar somewhat spontaneously after years and years of wanting to do it. The hobby stuck with me and I pick up my guitar to practice nearly every day.

I also went to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago while on a trip to visit my sister Vicki.

March

I went bowling with Matt and saw a private screening of The Hunger Games premiere.

I also wrote a post about a poll indicating that Black Women are Heavier and Happier with their Bodies than White Women which got a lot of attention.

(source)
“F.A.T. means fabulous and thick, full and tasty, fluffy and tender.” – Mo’nique

April

I celebrated Easter with my favourite Lebanese foods.

I made my own Homemade Fig Newtons. . . multiple times. And ate them all.

And I wrote about how “Athletic” is a stupid way to describe female body types; my favourite body image post this year.

May

I started more seriously swapping out my steady state, moderate intensity cardio exercise for more Interval Based Conditioning exercises like Terrible Twenties and Gut Busters and Sled Push Substitutes. Later I also started doing more tabata sprints as well.

Matt and I went on a date to Colasanti’s a greenhouse/petting zoo/amusement park/banquet facility hybrid. (I know, the concept really doesn’t make much sense unless you’re from Essex County).

And I made Homemade Clotted Cream for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee which I thought was a disaster but it actually tasted really good. I consulted Joe Pastry who called it a success, so I stopped worrying about it and enjoyed my tasty butterfat.

Of course I had to make cream scones to go with it.

June

I went to the Freedom Fest – one of the biggest fireworks displays in the world – which is right on the Detroit River.

And I actually didn’t fuck up a batch of granola for once! I baked this dangerously good granola and didn’t even burn it.

Top 10 Posts from 2012

My 2012 posts with the most pageviews were really versatile and included everything from body image to recipes to travel to weightlifting. I’m a veritable Martha Stewart.

Turns out that in 2012 people really liked when I wrote about naked women and baking soda. . . but not necessarily together.

10. Women and Nudity and the Awkwardness of it All

The post where I talk about naked women and how I appreciate the changing room’s token nude.

The more effort we put into covering up our imperfections by hiding our bodies from other women then the less real, unaltered images of female bodies we are exposed to.

9. Best Homemade Soft Pretzels

The post where I declare Alton Brown’s soft pretzel recipe the best ever and talk a little about baking soda chemistry.

The key to making soft pretzels with a chewy interior and a crispy, deep brown crust is an alkaline bath.

8. Top 5 Things To Do in Chania, Crete

I juuuuust realized now that I blogged about my entire trip to Greece this summer except Athens! Woops. Loutro was my favourite stop in Crete, but Chania was also very charming.

Chania is a beautiful city. It’s old town area has really quaint winding alleys that are great for tourists to explore.

7. Grenadian Oil Down

The post with a recipe for a delicious coconut curry with vegetables and dumplings. I’ve made this recipe several times and it is really good! I’m glad it made the top 10.

Oil Down is the national dish of Grenada and is usually made at a big party on the beach, or so I’ve read. I made this in my kitchen, so it’s not quite as fun, but it still tastes awesome.

6. 6 Day Full Body Lift and Circuit Routine

The post where I offer up a workout plan with 3 strength exercises followed by a circuit of 3 exercises. This wasn’t my favourite routine from 2012, (this Olympic Routine was) but it was pretty popular with readers

With a circuit workout I think I need to change it up more often to keep myself motivated and excited.

5. Irish Soda Bread

The post where I bake Irish Soda Bread. Again I find myself talking about the chemistry of baking soda. Apparently alkalis are popular with the readers.

Matt said that this was the best soda bread he’s had, even though he didn’t like it. And didn’t want to eat it. Not exactly a raving review, but I’ll take it I suppose.

4. DIY Marathon Medal Frame

The post where I make a framed collage of my marathon medal, bib, and pictures.

So after a very minimal time commitment and minimal cost I ended up with a sweet homemade collection of my marathon memories. Fun times.

3. Garbage Can Pizza Oven

The post where I eat pizza out of the garbage build a wood fired oven in my backyard out of garbage can and a pile of dirt. True story.

Matt called me at the office, to ask me a very important question after spending much of the morning with Zack digging up our crab grass infested lawn:

“Umm… I got a whole bunch of dirt here, you want to make a garbage can pizza oven?”

DO I EVER!

2. Girls and Lena Dunham’s Body

The post where I talk about nudity—again—and how much I like seeing Lena Dunham naked. Although I think most people came to this post looking for Lena Dunham porn.

Lena Dunham isn’t terribly fat. Her body is imperfect, so basically she looks completely normal, like most of the women I know, and not at all like the stereotypical ‘perfect’ Hollywood body that we’re exposed to.

1. Fitspo is Not Inspirational

The post where I talk about how ‘inspiring’ images of fit women can be damaging to our body positivity.

Fitspo images aren’t any better for our self esteem than glossy magazine images of dangerously thin models. They’re photoshopped. They’re not attainable. And, quite frankly, they’re not all that healthy either.

Date Nights: Basement Tailgating and Movie Night

Props to Matt and I for getting in 2 date nights in one month! One weekend as a matter of fact. (I guess it was a slow weekend on our social calendar.)

Our October date night didn’t actually happen until November, so we were pressed to have 2 dates in the ever-so-hectic month of December.

These date nights were very low-key and involved staying in and chilling in front of the TV. Sounds like most people’s weeknights, but we don’t really watch TV together so, yes, it was an event.

On a Saturday night we had a movie night where we made popcorn and tea and settled into watching The Dark Knight rises together.

Except The Dark Knight didn’t rise since the version we downloaded was a dud. So instead we watched The Muppets’ Christmas Carol!

I swear I didn’t sabotage the Batman movie. (Really, I didn’t!) But I can’t say I wasn’t thrilled to watch the Muppets instead.

Date night and knocking off an item from my Winter Bucket List? Peeer-fect!

The next day, Matt and I had an afternoon date of a home tailgate party. I cooked up some mini grilled cheese sandwiches, and some baked chicken wings, which Matt loved (yay!). . .and we watched the Lions game.

I’ll reluctantly admit that football is growing on me now that I’m learning more about how the game is played, and who the players are, and which teams are good and which ones are crap. Weeks ago, I even called Minnesota to make the playoffs, which BTW, they did.

I used to not give a shit at all and now I’m mildly interested. But only in the last couple of minutes. And only if the score is close.

You all should be impressed (and by ‘you all’ I mostly mean Matt. . . and maybe my dad).

It’s funny the things you can learn if you actually pay attention when your husband talks about football.

The Lions lost. Surprise, surprise.

It’s nice that we got in our date night in December because now that the playoffs are coming up I’ll be a football widow for the next couple of weekends.

Date of the Month Club

Check out other posts in the Date of the Month club, where Matt and I go on one special date every month of 2012:

January – Bookstore Scavanger Hunt
February – Board Game Night
March – Bowling
April – Detroit Walking Tour
May – Colasanti’s
June – Picnic
July – Next Restaurant
August – Detroit Tigers Baseball Game
September – Detroit Institute of Arts
October – Wine Tasting

Books I Read in 2012

21 Books. It might be a new record.

I can’t say they were all hits, but a lot of them were very good.

This was the year of the historical novel for me. I read a book set in almost every decade of the 20th century. I think I’ve discovered my new favourite genre.

It’s a lot of reviews so I’ll keep it brief. Here we go. . .

Women – Charles Bukowski

Pathetic story and a terrible waste of my time. Recap: a sad old man wakes up, gets drunk, has sex with someone, (anyone), passes out, repeats.

Atonement – Ian McEwan

The author manages the impossible: formulating an extremely well written and intriguing story centred around the word CUNT.

Plain Truth – Jodi Picoult

Picoult books. If you’ve read one you’ve read them all.

The Red Wing Sings – Tom Omstead

I read this because it was written by a local author. I appreciated his effort, but the writing was amateurish.

Left Neglected – Lisa Genova

Does the world need yet another clichéd story of the stereotypical ‘overworked’ woman who rediscovers the importance of family after a big accident? No.

Snuff – Chuck Palahniuk

Pro: I did learn a lot of facts about the porn industry. Con: It was so ridiculously over-the-top that I can only describe it by rolling my eyes.

Eating the Dinosaur – Chuck Klosterman

A fabulous series of essays reflecting on such critically important world topics such as the complexities oftime travel and the awesomeness of ABBA.

Moloka’i – Alan Brennert

Life as a Hawaiian leper ain’t so bad after all. I loved this story about how small pleasures make the long life in exile of a young leper worthwhile.

Before I Go to Sleep – S. J. Watson

I should read more great thrillers like this one. I’m now officially terrified of my family manipulating my memory when I develop amnesia. ‘Cause amnesia is super common. Soap operas say so.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake – Aimee Bender

Weird. But also totally unique. A girl can taste people’s emotions in the food they cook and her brother has an equally bizarre power.

On the Road – Jack Kerouac

Why is this book so acclaimed? Sal drives all across the country and does stupid things. That’s it. Am I missing something special?

The Given Day – Dennis Lehane

I wouldn’t have picked up this book if it weren’t on sale for $2 when Borders closed. I’m glad I did. Dennis Lehane is a great writer and a good story-teller.

Moonlight Mile – Dennis Lehane

Not as good as The Given Day, but still kept me interested.

The Bonesetter’s Daughter – Amy Tan

This might be my favourite book all year. An American woman discovers the scandalous and intriguing family history of her mother’s life in China in the 30s and 40s.

The Alchemist – Paul Coelho

It’s got a lot of good messages but I won’t give it the rave reviews it’s been getting for years. If I wanted a parable I’d read the Bible.

The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson

Wasn’t convinced that I liked it until the very end. It’s creepy but not mind-blowing.

The Christmas Wedding – James Patterson

Hated it. It was like reading an author’s brainstorm (ie. incomplete).

Rules of Civility – Amor Towles

Love, love, loved it. Mostly because I feel a strange connection to 1930s New York. Maybe I was there in a past life.

The Casual Vacancy – J.K. Rowling

I liked it more than I was expecting. Now, if only J.K. can rewrite Harry Potter with just as much sex and swearing.

Fall of Giants – Ken Follett

Highly recommended. Well researched and well written historical novel about the first world war. My only complaint is that Follett’s sex writing is boring and dry.

Winter of the World – Ken Follett

This sequel to Fall of Giants didn’t spark me quite as much as book 1.

The 2012 Holidays Recap

I ate a lot of food and cooked even more.

Christmas Eve was the main event hosted by my sister and I at my dad’s place. We made sushi, spring rolls, pulled pork sliders, mini grilled cheese sandwiches with shooters of tomato soup, baked brie, and a bunch of other tantalizing appetizers.

Turns out, these Pear, Blue Cheese, and Toasted Walnut Salad Spears? Seriously good.

Lots of Hot Yoga and Weightlifting

I started up my new 5/3/1 weightlifting routine of presses, squats, and deadlifts. It has been keeping me in the gym slightly longer than usual with all the reps on the accessory exercises.

My friend Jasmine got a pass for the hot yoga studio while she’s in town for Christmas so we went together a couple of times and I went without her too. Ahhh… I’m loving yoga.

I got what I wanted for Christmas

. . . a tea infusing travel mug from Matt.

It has a lid I can use to rest the mesh insert when my tea is done steeping and better yet, this one is a thermos to keep my hot stuff hot.

I also scored some gift cards to SportChek (I see hiking boots in my future!) and a nice cash-infusion.

I Experienced the Awesomeness of Fondue, again.

My girlfriends and I got together for a FUN-due evening while everyone was home for the holidays. We hit up The Melting Pot for the cheesy, meaty, and chocolatey goodness of fondue.

I love going here for dinner. It’s makes for a nice, long night out where you can chat while your skewers of meat simmer away in the pot.

I saw my cousin get hitched

I went to the bachelorette party last weekend hosted by my cousin’s seriously fun friends and then came the rehearsal on Thursday where I met more of her seriously fun friends, and finally this weekend was the wedding. . . which did not disappoint.

And I’m so happy for my amazing cousin and her new husband, whom I very much adore.

I filled up on cake and a lot of cookies so I couldn’t even try the late night poutine bar (umm. . . how cool is that?!) and then I literally danced for hours.

Gettin’ low is my specialty.

. . . And it’s not even New Year’s yet!

Oy. What a jam packed holiday.

5/3/1 for Women

I’ve been working on the same workout programme for about 3 months now, incorporating lots of Olympic style lifts and high intensity, cross-fit style lifting into my daily workouts read more about it here and here. It’s been great so far because my workouts have had a tonne of variety and I’m completely spent after almost every session (all that intensity!). I’ve been noticing more definition in my traps and biceps, and my legs are stronger than ever. All in all, it’s been great.

But I rarely stick with the same programme for more than 3 months. I like to keep a lot of variety in my workouts to keep my body guessing. My focus for the next programme is strength and body building. Normally I put together my own thing but this time I figured I’d try someone else’s programme: Wendler’s 5/3/1

5/3/1 Programme

This programme created by powerlifter Jim Wendler uses the basic principles of strength training and has been getting lots a good feedback on the internet for being a great plan for increasing strength. Says Wendler about the programme: “I want be able to do a bunch of different activities and still kick ass in the weight room. I want to be as mobile, flexible, strong, and in as good a condition as I possibly can. That’s how I came up with 5/3/1.”

5/3/1 revolves around the basic multi-joint lifts: squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press.

The theory is to start with weights lighter than what you’re doing now which gives you more room to progress slowly and build strength.

I’m concerned that my inflated ego will bust and lifting less than I’m used to might bring me down and psych me out of wanting to lift. But eventually I’ll be hitting will be better than what I’m doing now, so that’s what I’ll have to look forward to.

The plan is based on slow progress. You can’t progress quickly. It just doesn’t happen. I know this.

I had delusions of grandeur in January when I published weight training goals to increase my squat by 70lbs (to 225lbs) and my bench press by at least 50lbs (to my body weight). Umm . . . yeah right, Sam.

So I’m hoping this programme will allow me to progress a little more reasonably while still seeing some motivating improvements.

Here’s how it works:

You can do as many cycles of the programme as you like. You could practically cycle this programme forever.

Each cycle is 4 weeks long and you’re training 4 days per week—one of the major lifts (bench, squat, deadlift, overhead press) each day. The sets and loads used for each of the major lifts are:

Week 1: Warm-up, 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5+

Week 2: Warm-up, 70% x 3, 80% x 3, 90% x 3+

Week 3: Warm-up, 75% x 5, 85% x 3, 95% x 1+

Week 4: Warm-up, 60% x 5, 65% x 5, 70% x 5

+On the last set each week means really push for as many reps as you can get.

The base number used in your calculations is actually 90% of your 1RM (one rep max).

So if your 1RM is 100, then you’re calculating based on 90 so 65% would be 58.5lb(=65%*90%*100lb) not 65lbs. I calculated my 1RM from here.

Use this lovely spreadsheet to calculate your daily lifts for 3 cycles of 5/3/1: 5-3-1 Training Calculator

After 4 weeks, you repeat the cycle adding 5lbs to the 1RM for your presses and 10lbs to the 1RM for your deadlift and squat and then recalculate your loads. (again you can use this spreadsheet to calculate your daily lifts: 5-3-1 Training Calculator)

For a more detailed explanation check out this link

Accessory Lifts:

The core lifts aren’t the only thing you work on though. You also do additional exercises that supplement the major lifts and assist with your goals with plans like these:

Boring But Big. Main lift, the main lift again @ 5×10 (50% 1RM), and another accessory exercise for 5 sets.

The Triumvirate. Main lift, and two assistance exercises – 5 sets each.

I’m Not Doing Jack Shit. Main lift, and nothing else.

Periodization Bible by Dave Tate. Main lift, and 3 exercises – 5 x 10-20 reps each.

Bodyweight. Main lift, and 2 bodyweight exercises such as the pull up, sit ups, dips, etc.

For myself I wanted a “bodybuilding” style so I planned:

- Main lift

- Main lift in a different form (eg. squats + front squats, bench press + dumbbell bench press)

- 3 accessory exercises with a higher rep range (10-15)

What I’m digging:

I like the specificity of it. I know exactly what I should be lifting before I even get into the gym (or I should know, otherwise I’ll be hauling a calculator with me to the squat rack every day) and there is clear progress every week.

Lately my progress has been stalling a bit, especially on squat and bench, so I’m excited to see what happens on this programme even if it means starting lighter to get there.

What concerns me:

Wendler seems very specific about using 90% of your 1RM as a base for calculations but I’m not convinced. The loads that I calculated for my last set in week 3 (the one rep set) are weights that I can crank out for 4 to six reps of right now. What’s the point? Even after 12 weeks I won’t hit my current one rep max even once.

So instead I tried calculating my lifts based on my 1RM alone but the result seemed a lot more difficult in the second and third cycle of the programme and I wasn’t convinced I’d be able to hit the numbers.

95% of my one rep max looks like the magic number here. It’s offers the most reasonable progress. I’m going with that as the base of my calculations, at least for cycle 1, and then I’ll reassess from there.

My Variation of the 5/3/1 Plan:

Click the thumbnail for a Workout PDF of my 5/3/1 Variation.

P.S. It prints best as a booklet.

Cycles: At least 3 cycles (ie. 12 weeks) to start with. I’ll reassess from there.

Schedule: Mon: Bench Press, Wed: Push Press, Fri: Squat, Sun: Deadlift

Load Calculations: Base cycle 1 lifts on 95% of my 1RM then reassess the base number for my calculations (maybe I’ll drop to 90% of my new 1RM for cycle 2).

Accessory Lifts:Main lift , main lift in a different form (eg. squats + front squats, bench press + dumbbell bench press, etc.), 3 accessory exercises of the same muscle group with a higher rep range (10-15) varying from week to week.

Cardio: Tue & Thu: HIIT (sprints on the treadmill, spin bike, or in the pool)

I plan to start this week. I’ll keep you updated with my progress after cycle 1. (added: Read my cycle 1 recap here)

P.S. I called this 5/3/1 for Women because I am a woman and I couldn’t find a tonne of info online on women using this programme (here’s one and here’s another). It’s identical to the 5/3/1 plan because the programme isn’t for men only. Women can lift like the best of them.

Zucchini Rösti

It’s time for another Eating the Alphabet recipe link-up where each month we make a recipe featuring a fruit, vegetable, legume, or whole grain from a different set of letters of the alphabet.

So far I’ve done:

(A or B): Buttercup Squash and Artichoke Pasta

(C or D): Grenadian Oil Down with Cassava (Favourite)

(E or F): Homemade Fig Newtons (Favourite)

(G or H): White Chicken Chili with Hominy

(I or J): Juniper Berry Bechamel

(K or L): Kamut Brioche

(M, N, or O): Caramelized Onions

(P, Q, or R): Pomegranate Glazed Eggplant (Favourite)

(S or T): Fattoush Salad with Sumac

(U, V, or W): Food for the Gods – Date and Walnut Squares (Favourite)

This month we are at the end of the challenge with letters are X, Y, or Z. My ingredient of choice this month was Zucchini.

I’ll admit that what I really wanted was Yuzu, a tart Asian citrus fruit used as flavouring in Japanese dishes. I’ve never tried it before (at least not that I know of) so I wanted to give it a whirl in my kitchen. Unfortunately my local Japanese grocery store didn’t stock any and the clerk told me she didn’t know where I could get any this side of Toronto.

So I had no choice but to go with my fallback ingredient: Zucchini.

Also known as courgette, marrow, or summer squash, the zucchini is one of the many fruits-eaten-as-vegetables. It can have many culinary uses, but my favourite by far is in zucchini bread (preferably with chocolate chips!).

But I decided to stick with a healthier, and nearly as delicious, option this time around: Zucchini Rösti

A rösti is the Swiss answer to hash browns. It’s a big pancake made out of shredded potatoes, cooked slowly in a pan so it is crispy on the outside and soft in the centre. In this version I added some shredded zucchini to the mix to ramp up the flavour and the nutrients of this typically potato-only dish.

I served this one with a mushroom ragout and it was a totally delicious vegetarian dinner.

Zucchini Rosti with Mushroom Ragout

Zucchini Rösti

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes

2 zucchini

2 T butter

2 T canola oil

1 t kosher salt, plus more to taste

Directions

Peel the potatoes and place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boils and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain potatoes, and set aside until cool. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Grate potatoes using the large holes on a cheese grater.

Meanwhile, grate the zucchini into a sieve using the large holes of a cheese grater. Sprinkle lightly with a little salt and let sit for about 15 minutes to draw out the moisture. Gather the grated zucchini into a cheesecloth and wring out as much moisture as possible. (Alternately you can squeeze out the moisture with your hands, but it’s a little more difficult).

Heat butter and the oil in an 8″ nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add potatoes and zucchini, sprinkle with salt, and mix well, coating potatoes with fat. Using a spatula, gently press potatoes, molding them to fit the skillet. Cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until edges are golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Cover skillet with a large inverted plate, invert the rösti over onto plate, then slide it back into the skillet, cooked side up; cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, sprinkle with salt, and cut into wedges to serve.

(Click for more info on Eating the Alphabet)

Plum Cake

It’s time for this month’s Baking Partners Challenge. The theme for this month was Christmas Cake.

There were 3 cakes to choose from in the challenge. I passed on the Brazil Nut Cake and the Neapolitan Cake because they both were frosted and pretty-looking and as you know, I don’t bake pretty things.

So I went with the Plum Cake which, curiously, has no plums in it. The ingredients included lots of dried fruit and nuts so I was expecting (and excited for) a really dense fruitcake (I honestly love fruitcake).

This cake is actually a bit lighter than I expected it to be so if a super dense fruitcake isn’t your cup of tea, then this might be a better option. It has the texture of a dense muffin instead of a dense fruitcake.

All the booze, dried fruit, and nuts in the cake make it a pretty expensive endeavour so it’s a ‘once-in-a-while’ treat instead of a regular one.

Matt was a fan of it, surprisingly; I didn’t think fruitcakes were really his thing.

I took this cake to a house-warming party at the beginning of the month and got quite a few compliments on it. But, then again, almost everyone there was wasted and doesn’t everything taste good when you’re drunk?

So I liked this cake, but next time I might make a panettone or even Food for the Gods instead.

If we’re being frank, I still prefer a really dense, loaded fruitcake that’s been regifted 18 times. But, that’s just me.

Plum Cake

Ingredients

1 c Raisins
1 c Chopped Dates
1/4 c Candied Orange/Lemon Peel
1/2 c Brandy or Rum
1 c Unsalted Cashew Pieces
6 T Sugar
3 T Water
Lemon Juice ( a few drops)
1/2 c Boiling Water
8 oz Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 1/2 c Powdered Sugar
3 Eggs, separated
1 t Vanilla Extract
2 c All-Purpose Flour
1 t Baking Powder
1/2 t Ground Cinnamon
1/4 t Ground Ginger
1/4 t Ground Clove
1/4 t Ground Nutmeg

Directions

In a medium pan, add Brandy/Rum, Dates, Raisins and Orange Peel. Cook for 1 minute on
medium heat. Add Cashews and continue to cook for 1 minutes until heated through. Keep aside.

In a small pot, add 6 Tbsp Sugar and 3 Tbsp water and few drops of lemon juice. Swirl pan to
mix – do not use spoon. Heat until sugar changes color and becomes caramelized. (approx 7-8 minutes). Add 1/2 cup boiling water and swirl pan again to mix well. Keep aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and powdered sugar and beat with hand
blender.

Add one egg yolk at a time to the mix and blend well. Add Vanilla Extract and blend.

Combine all dry spices, baking powder and flour and sift it into the bowl, adding little at a
time and blending.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 9×5” loaf pan with spray cooking oil or regular oil.

Add caramelized sugar syrup a little at a time into mixing bowl and blend. Add fruit/nut mixture into mixing bowl and mix with a spoon.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they are fluffy and soft peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites into the cake batter.

Pour batter into greased baking pans and bake for approx 1 hour at 325 dgrees F. For
smaller pans, baking time may vary.

Regroup, Refocus, Reflect

Get Your Workout On – from Etsy

I’ve been feeling a bit bloated lately in a way that always makes me totally uncomfortable with how I look and how I feel.

It makes me start to second guess myself and all my healthy living progress and think things like

I’ve probably been eating too many cookies

I must be slacking in my workouts

I shouldn’t have cleared my plate at that restaurant

So before I start on a downward spiral toward fat talk and bad self-esteem I need to regroup, refocus, and reflect on all my healthy lifestyle habits as a reminder that, hey, I’m doing ok!

I eat breakfast every day.

I load my cart with vegetables at the grocery store.

I cook dinners from scratch at least 4 days per week and I eat leftovers for lunch every day.

I eat out once and maybe twice per week.

I prioritize exercise and do it regularly and consistently.

I keep variety in my workouts with heavy weightlifting, interval training, yoga, and steady state cardio.

I life-hacked a standing workstation at my office to reduce my sedentary time.

Given all that, I think I’m doing a pretty good job at maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Of course, no one is perfect and some bad habits have been starting to creep up that might need to be nipped in the bud:

I have been drinking a lot more caloric beverages lately– lattes, sweetened coffee, hot chocolate, or beer (umm… ’tis the season?)

I haven’t been taking the dog for as many long walks.

My fat consumption lately has been more bad fats (mmm. . . butter) than good ones (still mmm, but not quite so much. . . avocado)

Slowly I’ve been incorporating more processed grains into my diet whereas I was trying to focus on solely unrefined ones.

It makes me feel better to pause and say, this is what you’re doing right and this is what you’re doing wrong, rather than just flying off the handle and telling myself I’m a failure at being healthy just because I feel a little bloated. I’m not a failure. I’m doing a lot of the right things.