What I have made and am making

Well it has been a busy week!  With 4:45 a.m. mornings at the gym, running club, softball with coworkers, it has been hard to find time to blog!  and after a 17 mile run last Saturday (which was REALLY hard), I took a day off from cooking and it was a great day... we went by some tag sales and I scored some plates, a beautiful old white tablecloth with lace work, a mini muffin tin, and some heart shaped bakeware... fun!  Then we went to my favorite consignment store where I got a cake cutter (Sara if you are reading - i had you in mind!) and some really nice and very affordable work clothes.  Score again.  Then it was batman and yes, my favorite food, popcorn :)

So Sunday I woke up with dreams of baked goods swirling in my head... it was like withdrawal... images of muffins roused me from sleep at the late hour (for me) of 7:30...  I spent the better part of the day in the kitchen... among other things, I made...

blueberry muffins with crumble topping...  these were really good... I took a bunch to work because I had to get them out of the house!  (oh.. and then i had this dream... this IS TOO FUNNY... that someone was attempting to destroy my blueberry muffins... yes, a muffin monster... but in the dream this was like, not funny, but very upsetting... I must get mental help!)

... and pickles!!! With cucumbers from the garden. This was so fun and so easy!

For the brine, I used white vinegar, water, salt, a little sugar, hot pepper flakes, coriander, fresh dill sprigs, whole peeled garlic... I think that's it... they have to sit in the fridge for another week and then I get to eat them! Can't wait to see how they turn out!

... a free form peach tart with local white and yellow peaches.... YUM... 

This is sooo simple to make!  It is just a simple tart crust (I will post the recipe), and the filling is just sliced peaches (1.5 lbs),  2 Tbs. sugar and a pinch of salt.  I cooked it at 425 for about 40-45 minutes on a baking sheet.  Perfect with a scope of vanilla ice cream...

So this morning I ran 15 miles...  and it felt great! (and I maybe burned off some of those blueberry muffins and peach tart!)  I think I am getting closer to being ready to tackle the real thing... still almost 2 months away but I am running a half marathon in 2 weeks, just to get a race under my belt (no one in my running group can believe I've never run a single race and am doing a full marathon!). 

Anyways, I have a full schedule of cooking for the weekend.  Tonight I am making shrimp summer rolls and chicken pad thai... I found an AMAZING Asian grocery store nearby and have pledged to make more Asian food.  I also got a bamboo steamer which I am totally pumped to use...

Tomorrow is fried green tomatoes with some of the MANY giant green tomatoes growing on my COLOSSAL tomato plants.  They are huge!  Followed by shrimp tacos... I also picked up some beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the newly opened Trader Joe's here (about which I am very happy) that I must work into the menu somehow...  I will also be baking bread... and probably something sweet!

OH, I also have been on a mission to find the perfect flaky biscuit... and I think I may have found it, or come really close!  I will need to post that recipe.. although I forgot to take pictures (travesty!)...

OK, so there is much food blogging to come... even if it takes me a while to get it up here!  I hope everyone is enjoying the days of summer... even as the days start to get shorter...

until next time...

-- Anya