Goal Update: 26 X 26

I've been updating my original 26 X 26 post with links whenever I complete a recipe, but for those who haven't been checking back I've decided to do a quick update as I think of it.

I have now completed 5 out of 26 recipes on my list. I think I'm going to focus on cheese making next, followed by pastry. 

1. pie crust
2. lemon meringue pie
3. puff pastry
4. beef wellington
5. souffle
6. hollandaise
7. jam and/or jelly
8. dill pickles
9. chicken kiev
10. croissants
11. macarons
12. baked Alaska
13. sausage patties
14. New York cheesecake
15. tortillas
16. french bread
17. ricotta cheese
18. donuts
19. marshmallows 
20. pudding
21. crock pot roast chicken
22. yogurt
23. sugar cookies with royal icing
24. the perfect vanilla cupcake
25. mozzarella
26. pretzels

Goal Update: Running

I haven't updated my running progress in a couple of weeks, but unfortunately I don't have anything good to report on. I am ashamed to admit that I've only run *three* times in the last two weeks. 

This run is from August 27th. It felt awful the entire way, but I managed to run that entire 3.10 km distance (despite the red, slow-poke section in the middle!). 

This run is from August 28th. I'm not going to lie to you, my lovely readers, I tried to give myself the best chance of running 5 km on this day. I ran downhill for as long as I possibly could, put as soon as I had to turn around to come back home (therefore running UPhill) I was done. The hills killed me that day, but I was happy to even get out and stay active for close to an hour.

My third run was on August 31st, my last chance to hit my goal of 5 km before September 1st. I didn't do it. I am so disappointed to admit that I didn't hit my goal, and that I haven't run since then, but I hope to get back to it when I get home (I'm currently visiting A in Saskatchewan, and it has been *way* to hot to even think about running). I still think my 10 km goal is realistic (still two months away), but I guess we'll see!

Layered Chocolate Pudding

I have a little secret for you... I don't really like chocolate. I mean, I like it but it is never ever my first choice. I'm a vanilla girl through and through. 

But pudding? Pudding has to be chocolate.

I love chocolate pudding and have been craving it for a really long time. Honestly, that's the main reason I added it to my 26 X 26 list - just so I could have an excuse to make it! This recipe is super easy and the layers allow for a little bit of wow-factor (mine don't look that pretty, but I didn't mind because it tasted so good)!

For the pudding:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (note: I used salted butter and omitted the salt further up in the recipe. It turned out fine!)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (note: again, since I live in a small town, high-quality chocolate isn't really available. I used Dove bars for both the dark and milk, and it was still yummy.)

2 oz. high-quality milk chocolate (see above)

1 tbsp. cocoa powder (optional)

Place the dark and milk chocolates in separate, medium-sized bowls. Bloom the cocoa powder, if using, with a little hot water to make a paste and add to the bowl with the dark chocolate.

Put the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine.

Slowly add the milk and whisk to combine, making sure to dissolve all of the cornstarch and removing any lumps. Whisk in the egg yolks.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. This took me about seven minutes.

Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for one more minute, continuing to whisk. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter. Divide the pudding evenly, through a fine-mesh strainer, over the chocolates. Whisk to combine the melted chocolate.

Spoon even amount of each pudding into a serving dish (I used mason jars). Press plastic wrap to the surface, if you don't like pudding skin, and chill for at least one hour.

Source: Serious Eats

26 x 26 : 5 / 26

Tortillas

I'm not sure why I've never attempted homemade tortillas before. I don't even think I've looked at a recipe for them before. I didn't think they would be hard or anything, they just were never on my radar.

They're on my radar now!

Homemade tortillas are simply amazing. They're simple to prepare, take minutes to cook, and the resulting taste is like nothing you'll find at the grocery store. I have been converted to the homemade-tortilla side and I can't see myself ever going back.

Rolling it out. Excuse the stripe of pink polish on my thumb!

Cooking in cast iron. I would use a griddle next time.

For the tortillas:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

A scant 1/2 cup lard or shortening

3/4 to 1 1/4 cup boiling water

Place flour, salt, powder, and lard in a medium bowl without stirring.

Add your boiling water in parts, incorporating it as you go with your hands or a rubber spatula. You want all of the ingredients to incorporate without being too sticky.

Knead the dough with your hands for 5 minutes, then form into a ball. Cover and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

After the dough has rested, divide into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Roll each piece into a thin circle. Heat your pan or griddle to medium heat.

Place a tortilla into your pan or on your griddle. It should begin to bubble within 30 seconds; burst them with your spatula as they form. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Source: Style Me Pretty

A couple notes: I wasn't able to roll out my tortillas as thin as I would have liked; I think the dough was a little bit too dry. Also, in the cast iron skillet, the tortillas barely needed a minute on each side to cook; keep that in mind if you you choose that method.

So, what did my mom and I do with this lovely tortillas? Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa. Yum!

26 x 26 : 4 / 26

Envelope-Style Cushion Covers

If you're just learning how to sew, like I am, this is the perfect first project for you! I used this tutorial from Teal and Lime and am shocked at how simple it was. Four straight lines and voila! You have a completed envelope cushion. I'm not even joking when I say that I whipped out my last cover within 15 minutes.  

Step-by-Step

1. Cut your fabric to size. For a 20" by 20" pillow like I made, cut a rectangle 20.5" by at least 44"; this will result in a small 6" overlap. I wanted a larger overlap, so cut my rectangle 20.5" by 54"; this resulted in approximately a 16" overlap.

2. Hem the short ends by folding them over by 1/2 an inch, and then 1/2 an inch again. Iron and stitch.

Pinned and ready to sew.

3. With the fabric turned right side up, fold over one side to the center. Because I was doing the larger overlap, I folded mine in 16" from the hemmed edge.

Folded over.

4. Fold the other edge over so that your resulting square is 20.5" by 20". Pin the edges and stitch.

Almost there!

5. Once you've stitched both sides, turn the pillow cover inside out and you should now have a 20" by 20" envelope-style pillow cover.

See how simple that was! Now I want to make cushion covers for every person I know and every room in my home! Here are some additional pictures, just for fun.

All four together.

A not-so-great picture of all four, plus my DIY chevron artwork.

20" by 20" cushion covers are all over Etsy for right around $25 dollars, not including the insert or shipping. I made mine for an average of $7.15 PER CUSHION! That's a savings of almost $18. If that alone doesn't encourage you to give these covers a try, I don't know what will.

Goal Update: 20 books by 2014

I know I just updated you guys regarding my reading list, but I did some serious reading over the weekend and managed to cross five (FIVE!!) books off my list. 

1. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
3. Lord of the Flies - William Golding 12% completed
4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling 12% completed
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Secrets - J.K Rowling
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
12. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
13. Lamb - Christopher Moore
14. Moloaka'i - Alan Brennert
15. We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
16. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
17. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
18. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
19. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
20. Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares

I finished the first three Sisterhood books on Saturday, reading them one right after the other, and wrapped up the series early Monday morning (like, one-ish!). It's been a long time since a book, or series of books, have grabbed me the way these books did. I find myself already missing the characters, and wishing there were five, ten, TWENTY more books to read so that I knew what was going on in their lives right now. I was apart of the Sisterhood for two glorious days, and now I'm sad it's over.

PS. Just a reminder - bold and blue(tiful) means complete!

PPS. I promise I'll be back with some recipes sometime this week. Just trying to figure out what I should make!

Weekly Goal Update: Running (August 19th to 25th)

I ran three days this week: Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I am super pleased with my weekend runs especially, and am feeling confident that I'll run 5 km before my goal date of September 1st (which just happens to be this Saturday!!).

Thursday's run was not good, not good at all. I didn't feel great before I started but thought to myself, "If anything will make me feel better, it's fresh air and exercise." I was wrong. I managed to run 2.22 km before stopping, but I was extremely unsatisfied with that. I ran an easy route, with almost no incline, and should have been able to get to 3 km at least. However, I felt very dizzy and faint so I figured it was probably best if I walked the remainder.

Saturday's run was so good, for distance at least. I was tired from the get go, probably because my pace was too fast (for me). I really had to push myself to get to the 3.4 km mark, but that is all running (I walked the rest of the way, without the app running in the background). I was really pleased with that.

You guys.  This run is why I'm so confident I'll hit 5 km before Saturday! This is the run that changed my life. This run turned me into a runner. I get it now. I felt so good the entire time. I loved my pace (7 minutes per km is a happy place for me right now) and didn't feel tired at all until the last half kilometer or so (where the picture starts turning red on the left hand side). I think I could have ran further, that's how good I felt, but the hill was just too much for me.