ultimate throwdown: the cat's out of the bag

Just in case you're not on Twitter, don't follow @thepioneerwoman, or for some reason don't know who Ree is, she finally made an important announcement following a significant Food Network commercial.

And now, the cat's out of the bag. I had the opportunity to be a part of this special day, and I cannot say thank you enough to Meseidy, who was asked by Ree personally to attend a mystery function at the Drummond Ranch and graciously invited me to tag along. It was so surreal to see the gorgeous rolling landscape of the Ranch, the gigantic kitchen at the Lodge, and the characters and flavors of this awesome blog up close and personal. Talk about knocking two things off the bucket list: Food Network + Ree Drummond!

I can't tell you who wins the challenge, but you can check out the deets about the show on the Food Network website. Be sure to tune in Wednesday, November 17 at 8 p.m. central. After that, I'll be sure to post a recap from an insider's perspective. What is Ree like in person? How does Food Network make it happen? Does all that butter really make a difference?

Okay, fine. I'll give you one tiny spoiler: Bobby Flay TOTALLY touched my shoulder. I cannot tell you how shocking it was when he appeared from out of nowhere and announced the Throwdown. Can't wait to tell you all about it!

PS: If for some reason, the questions I answered on camera make it to television, or, um, I am hypothetically captured on camera dancing -- just hypothetically -- please find my awkwardness endearing.

PPS: If you haven't previously heard of The Pioneer Woman, I love you, but please crawl out from beneath your rock and visit her website. Brush up on the basics, then watch Throwdown next Wednesday night!

confessions of a writer

 a picture taken during college (in the era of AOL IM)

to demonstrate my burnt out brain

In my full disclosure post, I mentioned that JT is incredibly supportive of my writing.

It's so true.

About once a week, he sends me off on writing nights, during which I pack up my laptop and writing gear -- notebook, pens, Post-its, headphones, etc. -- and set up shop at a coffee shop, where sometimes I am so distracted by college kids that I facebook stalk the entire time I listen to mood music, get inspiration from people watching, drink caffeinated beverages, and hammer out pages.

I can do this because we don't have kids yet, though I fully believe it will continue to happen after kids. Maybe a little less often, but it will happen! I think he knows I need nights like these to be whole. That I have so much more to offer him when I'm firing on all cylinders.

The other night, I was sitting at a coffee shop, zoning out while I decided what to work on next, and I was struck with the sudden realization how random and no-holds-barred "writing mode" can be. There really is no telling where an inspired brain will travel next.


For example, here are some of the random things I googled in my research:

French names female

Bible verse "life abundantly"

knee hyperextension

child that gets sick a lot

hyperbaric chamber

how to make a latte

recessed lighting

intuitive eating

Off the charts, right? My friend Amanda, one of the most talented writers I know, said that while she was working on a forensics script, the little creatures inside the computer that generate Google and Facebook sidebar content gave her the strangest ads because of what she'd searched.

If you can believe it, the thoughts that go through my mind are even more astronomical. But that's a post of a different color :)

the tulsa run recap

My Tulsa Run experience began the night before, of course, with carbo loading. Throughout the day, I wondered what kind of light, filling pasta I could make that would give me energy, but be easy on my stomach. When this idea hit, I couldn't get it out of my head. Whole wheat pasta, roasted shrimp, lemon, olive oil, and basil. It was delicious!

The race started at 9:00 a.m., which is pretty late compared to the others I've been in. The Route 66 start time is 7:30! I had JT drop me off so he could go to breakfast with his friend and meet me along the course later as I was running. It was really cold downtown where the tall buildings blocked the sun. 

 

I ran into my friend, Lili, whom I have known since high school. We hadn't seen or talked to each other in quite awhile, so it was nice to catch up with her. She and her sweet family let me be their lost puppy dog before the race since I was hanging out by myself. By the way, she is getting married in ONE WEEK! I got to meet her fiance and I'm so excited for them. Always love seeing a couple who clearly loves each other so much!

Right as we lined up at the start, I ran into a guy I went to high school with. It was his first time to do the Tulsa Run, and I heard he rocked it! Lili and I started the race together but ended up going our own paces. There were so many people there, it was crazy. At about the one mile marker, I ditched my jacket and had to dodge the throwaway gloves of so many people who'd had the same idea as I did. Right when we got out of downtown, it got hotter.

The first few miles were rolling hills, I think. I briskly walked up a few of them because I wanted to save my energy for the rest of the race. At this point, my feet started killing me. I think my socks were bunched up, and I was definitely feeling it. Even though I'd trained with those socks before, I will definitely not be using them again for a race again!

Besides the pain in my feet, I really felt great. I was getting really encouraging messages from my friends from Runmeter the entire time. Just when I hit a wall, I'd get a really nice message that literally put a spring in my step!

I remember feeling awesome when I hit the 10K marker. "We just have a 5K after this!" I said to a random woman next to me. "We're rocking this!"

The last parts are kind of a blur. At some point, I ran out of Shot Bloks, hit a wall, and kept saying, "Certainly they've skipped a mile marker. Certainly I've gone another mile by now." My lungs were awesome, but my feet hurt a lot because of those silly socks, and then of course, there's the whole issue of the monster Denver hill that words cannot describe. My best portrayal is: imagine you're going up a huge, monster hill and are so relieved to get to the top. Then there's an even worse one waiting for you.

There was also the matter of this punk 16 year old kid who thought he was racing me. I passed him at about 12-13K, and for the rest of the race, he'd alternate between sprinting past me and throwing a smirk across his shoulder at me, and slowing down to walk because he'd just overexerted himself. I just tried to ignore him and go my own pace. SO not worth it.

Eventually I saw the finish line, where my handsome husband and wonderful yellow puppy were waiting for me! It was a great feeling, such relief to see the finish line.

At this point, I'm thinking, "I'm relieved to be finished, but how am I going to run this plus four miles in three weeks!?!?" Some say running is like birth: you never remember the pain once it's over, and you sign up for another one anyway!

Oh, and then that 16-year-old boy showed up again and sprinted past me at the finish line, stepping in front of me to smirk right as they were snapping my official finish photo. So not cool, dude.

You'll be relieved to know I accomplished my goal; there were still plenty of post-run snacks left, like this Snickers bar!

Love my supportive family and friends, and I can't wait for a strong 13.1 in TWO WEEKS!

I will definitely be partaking in more of this action. Thanks to the OU Physical Therapy program volunteers from the bottom of my quads!

cornmeal crusted ratatouille tart

 

original recipe by Ellie Krieger found here

This recipe started out with my last Farmers’ Market trip of the season.

The second I saw the eggplant, I thought back to the time I made ratatouille (after watching the movie). We really liked it! So I began googling different ratatouille recipes and was set on Ellie Krieger’s tart from the moment I laid eyes on it!

Even though I didn’t have a tart pan, I improvised and used my springform pan. Which reminds me: I need to make cheesecake.

The recipe is really pretty simple to make!

First you mix together your crust ingredients: cornmeal, pastry flour, salt, water, butter, and oil, according to the recipe’s directions. I improvised making my crust, too. Since I don’t have a huge food processor and didn’t want to mess with batches, I made the crust old-fashioned by hand kneading it with my pie dough blender.

Then, press it into the pan, making sure it’s pretty even so it will cook evenly.

Blind bake it in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes using aluminum foil and hopefully something a little more substantial than orzo pasta, but it was all I had on hand at the time. Then remove the foil and bake it for another five minutes.

While the crust is baking, thinly slice and prep your veggies for roasting, combining them with olive oil and salt and pepper until coated. You can use this method to roast all kinds of veggies. My favorites are mushrooms and sweet potatoes, but not in this recipe with these ingredients. Ew.

Increase the oven to 400 degrees once your crust is ready and removed from the oven. Set it aside and put your veggies in to roast for about 15 minutes. Watch them so they don’t burn, but you shouldn’t have any problems. While this is happening, sauté your shallots (or use onions if you don’t have shallots) and ready your basil and cheeses. We’re about to start layering. Take the veggies out of the oven, reduce back down to 350 degrees, and let them cool so you can handle them later.

When you’re ready to start layering, remember to make each layer as flat and evenly distributed as possible so as much surface area is covered as possible. You want to get a little of everything in every bite!

The order will look like this: eggplant, then 1/3 of your mozzarella cheese and an even sprinkle of basil on top of the eggplant; zucchini and shallot layer, then another 1/3 of your mozzarella cheese and more basil on top of them; then tomatoes and the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese at the very top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The beauty of this dish, is that you can potentially have your kitchen clean by the time it comes out of the oven. Or, you know, you can facebook stalk, play solitaire, take a power nap, or something equally productive during that time. It’s up to you, my friend.

     

Serve up a slice and enjoy another wonderful meal you can be proud of! YUM! Thanks, Ellie!

long run letters

Dear 11.4 Miles, You're the furthest I've ever run, and you were good to me. Thanks for being my last long run before my half mary and most fun and interesting run to date. Nostalgic, LB

Dear City of Tulsa, Thank you for investing in Tulsa runners by redoing the Riverside trails. There are plenty of water fountains and restrooms on the trail now, and I am pretty sure there will be gravel running strips in heaven. Saved from early arthritis, LB 


Dear Disappearing Water Fountain, I was so happy to see you at mile 4ish when it was getting super hot for November. You were such a relief to me, but on my way back, I couldn't find you. Were you a mirage? Perplexed, LB


Dear @Garrettdanz, a) Was I seriously Rick Rolled during my run? b) Did you really type out the lyrics to the song so that RunMeter would speak them to me in the British robot voice I've grown to love so much? c) Did I receive strange looks from fellow runners because I laughed out loud? The answer is d) all of the above. Thanks for keeping me on my toes, LB

Dear Adrian Peterson lookalike, Thank you for respectfully expressing your appreciation for my looks. Even married girls like to hear that sometimes. Sorry I was so awkward and told you I'm sure you'll find a great girl someday. Just trying to be encouraging, LB

Dear Legs, Proud of how strong you are. You have had to put up with a lot. I really am sorry I make you hurt. I'll make you a deal: you may be a little slow right now, but let's see how much faster you are with several less pounds on you. Teammates for life? LB


Dear Route 66 Marathon, You and me. Two weeks. Prepare to be owned. LB


Dear JT, So happy I "ran" into you on the trail today while you were biking. Not gonna lie, you + spandex = hubba hubba. Even though I'm not the most athletic, I'm very happy that at least our children have hope.  Proud of my favorite soccerstudcyclist, LB 

*Letters inspired by Emily of Today's Letters. Love her and her wonderful blog!

full disclosure, novel writing, and bravery

One of the main reasons my blog posting has been so sporadic is because most of my extra computer/creative time is devoted to the project of all projects. If you've read my 25 for 25, you know that my goal is to finish my manuscript's first draft by my 26th birthday.

So now it's out there: I'm writing a novel.

This admission is something I've always been hesitant about. My proud husband tells anyone and everyone about my aspirations, and his pride is backed with so much support and expression of confidence that I can accomplish this daunting task.

I appreciate his vote of confidence, but when people ask me about my aspirations, I'm somewhat hesitant to open up about it. Being in the book business has taught me one thing: almost everyone thinks they have a book in them. And many of those people think their book is the next bestseller if Oprah has anything to do with it.

The reality is, I've been reading and telling stories since before kindergarten and writing fiction since I learned basic handwriting. There are notebooks full of short stories in my tentative new handwriting (I may be young, but this was before the age of computers). I've been known to stay up all night typing away at a story, and have learned that inspiration can strike anywhere, at any time, so I keep a notebook and Post-it notes with me almost all the time. There's even an almost shameful YA manuscript saved on my computer. (Let's just say if you found it, I'd awkwardly joke that One Tree Hill writers hacked my ideas.) And fellow writers know these common symptoms: thinking in narrative language and the agony of being literally or figuratively far from a writing utensil when inspiration strikes.

Writing is ingrained in my blood. Yet for some reason, I'm hesitant to admit I'd like to be an author, hesitant to label myself a "writer," even. It's not so much that I'm embarrassed or ashamed, that writing is somewhat of a taboo subject for me. I think it's the fear of failure. That if I put myself out there as an aspiring novelist, and either lose steam on my project and never complete it, or like many, never get published, I will fail the innate part of myself that comes to me like a second language (often at the most inconvenient times). Or worse, there's that hovering dark cloud of doubt that sometimes fills my mind with the belief that my dream is anchored in quicksand -- that I'm wasting time and energy on flawed, talentless writing that's simply not interesting to anyone but me.

But for now, I have a story to tell. And I think not telling it is the worst scenario of all. I think my sanity would seriously be compromised if I didn't put it on paper. So I'm going to try to do better at putting myself out there and being more confident about it.

Because sometimes you just have to stop thinking about something and be brave.

bringing back a classic

Have you seen the latest YouTube sensation? You know, the news footage heard 'round the world to the tune of "Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife?"

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to remind you of an old favorite in this "genre," good ole' Bubb Rubb and Lil Sis. To me, it doesn't get any better than them. Inner city journalism at its finest, first seen at the 0:44 mark:




Please don't tell me I'm the only one who's ever witnessed the beauty that is Bubb Rubb and Lil Sis?