Chocolate Cherry Walnut Bread (thanks, Real Simple!)
3 cups all-purpose flour (half white, half wheat)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda (make sure this is fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into thin slices
grated rind from 1 orange (don't despair, this MAKES the bread!)
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a fabulous KitchenAid mixer, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the orange rind, cherries, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Stir in the milk, eggs, and vanilla until well blended.
Pour into pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack.
After this beauty came out of the oven, I decided it was finally time to clean the house. I can't complain. I can vacuum the entire house without unplugging the vacuum. Hello heaven. There are just those days when you just HAVE to clean something. It's good for your soul. This weekend held none of those days. This task was a daunting one on my To-Do list and saved for the very last - when the excuses ran out. I felt so silly cleaning because my heart was so ungrateful for this great house, hair-shedding puppy, and cleanly husband who, after mowing the yard, came in to help me. Gutted. (That's what they say in New Zealand when they mean, well I don't know exactly what the American equivalent would be. It just fits at the end of that sentence.)
November Half Marathon. I ran for the first time in like 3 weeks on Sunday evening. It brought me back to the one month deadline before my very first one in which a heated moment I decided to sign up. Sidenote: Colin and I were not dating at this point. My freshman year roommate brought it up when we were at dinner with a group of friends and Colin immediately challenged me and signed up the next day. So brought a sweet second beginning to our new relationship and 13.1 mile runs. Did you know that we cannot play on opposing basketball teams? Although my husband has yet to beat me in a game of street ball, he can kick my butt at pretty much anything else. We are so competitive. Sometimes it's dangerous.
It was actually cold this morning. My husband only laughed when my teeth wouldn't stop chattering when I stepped outside to leave this morning. I am such a "coldie" though. I always have a jacket. I even tested my heater on the way to work. It works very well FYI.
Recipe numero dos.
[[Shrimp]] and Grilled Corn Salad with Manchego-Black Pepper Breadsticks. (thanks, Cooking Light)
[[shrimp]] is written like [[shrimp]] because it was supposed to be crab. I guess ignorance is bliss because the recipe looked great up until we saw the $24 price tag on the lump crab meat. HEB brand. Negative. Shrimp started to look fabulous. Especially since I have a husband that can devein and peel them.
6 ears shucked corn (we also grilled ours for extra flavor)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 lb. shrimp
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
12 Boston lettuce leaves
Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Place corn in pan; cook 8 minutes or until slightly charred, turning frequently. Cool slightly. Cut kernels from ears of corn; place in a large bowl. Add celery and next 4 ingredients (through shrimp) to corn; toss gently to combine.
Combine lime juice, mayonnaise, black pepper, salt, and ground red pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour dressing over crab mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve salad over lettuce leaves.
Manchego-Black Pepper Breadsticks (easy, peasy)
Preheat oven to 375. Separate 11 oz can refrigerated breadstick dough to form 12 dough pieces. Twist each dough piece and press ends down on a ungreased baking sheet. Combine 1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese and 1 tsp cracked pepper. Gently press cheese mixture onto tops of breadsticks. Bake at 375 for 13 minutes or until breadsticks are browned.
It even look delicious to Onesie. He had a hard time stopping his sniffer.
My husband made this all by himself. It was waiting for me when I got home. In love.
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