RBSC Challenge Week #4

This week's challenge was to create a dish using barley. This hearty, sticks-to-your-ribs grain can be used for so much more than making bread or booze! We decided to go with the dessert theme, since we can't seem to get enough sweets lately. Our concoction was inspired by the delicious Thai treat, coconut mango sticky rice.

Cardamom & Coconut Barley Pudding

1/2 Cup barley (soaked)
1 can coconut milk, separated
1/2 tsp salt
3 T sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 T powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 cup shredded coconut
mango, sliced

Soak barley overnight or for a few hours to decrease cooking time. Open can of coconut milk, skim off the thick white layer of coconut cream, set aside. Pour coconut water and soaked barley into a sauce pan. Add salt. Boil until soft, add more water if needed.

While barley is boiling, whip the thick coconut cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a blender. According to multiple posts on Pintrest, it in theory should whip to a consistency like whipping cream. Ours, however, decided to stay smooth and thick rather than light and fluffy.

When barley is slightly chewy and excess water has boiled off or soaked in, add sugar, shredded coconut, and cardamom. Fold coconut cream into barley mixture. Garnish with sliced mango and sprinkle with cardamom. Serve warm or chilled.

RBSC Challenge #3- Peppers in Dessert

This weeks challenge was to combine chocolate and peppers. I ended up going the "Chili-Choco" route for two reasons. First, to pay homage to a Brazilian dessert I encountered when living in Sao Paulo. Second, to honor the annual Chili Chocolate Cook-off we used to participate in each February with our church congregation when we lived in Columbus. Here's the recipe:

Chili Chocolate Cupcakes

Start with your favorite chocolate cake recipe. In the interest of time, I used a cake mix!
Put part of the cake batter in the blender with a Serrano pepper
Blend! (with love)
Pour into cute cupcake cups and bake

My favorite chocolate frosting recipe:
1/2 cup butter
6 Tbs cocoa
1/3 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar (or a little less)
1/2 Tsp vanilla

Melt first three ingredients in saucepan and boil until thickens and separates. Add to powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Stir in vanilla.

Not too much kick, but enough to make things interesting! Enjoy!

RSBC 2012 Citrus

Well it is that time of year again. Time for RSBC - Run Swim Bike Cook challenge. (See our previous Februarys or visit http://balancefood.blogspot.com/ for more information). We have been a little MIA in the blog world recently but all it takes is a little food to bring me back. We were a little late with our first entry, I blame it on being sick the last few days, but here it is.



Barbeque Orange Chipotle Chicken
1/2 cup fresh orange juice, divided3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon molasses
2 garlic cloves, pressed
zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper 1 pounds chicken
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch

Combine 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, oil, molasses, garlic, zest, chipotle and chicken in a ziplock bag. Marinate for 10 minutes. Grill until delicious. Meanwhile, whisk together 2 tsp. brown sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce in a small saucepan. Whisk together cornstarch and water, and whisk into orange juice mixture. Bring mixture to a boil and thicken. Serve over the chicken.

A little jaunt to Utah

Two weeks ago (you can see I am not a very active blogger) Justin and I used his single weekend off in September to travel to Utah for Justin to run in the Top of Utah Marathon. Justin had been working nights during the week leading up to our trip. He came home Friday morning, slept for two hours, and then we boarded our plane to Salt Lake City. After a short flight (with no nap) my three sisters picked us up in SLC. We swung by Pat's BBQ for lunch, an award winning/somewhat shady BBQ joint in south Salt Lake. The number of goatee-sporting, chunky middle aged men attested to the fact that this was a legitimate meat-lover's destination. Probably not the greatest pre-race meal for Justin, but he insisted that meat has been helping people run fast for centuries.

After a whirlwind tour of Ashley and Caitlin's new house/apartment (respectively) and spending some quality time cuddling with Kevin the Cat, we were off to Logan. Along with everyone else in the greater SLC area it seemed, given the maddening afternoon traffic. We finally made it to Logan, snagged Justin's race packet on our way through town, then we were off to the Wheeler homestead in Hyde Park. We ate a traditional marathoner's last meal: spaghetti. Then Justin was in bed by 10 pm so he could get up again at 4:30. Even with so little sleep Justin did amazingly well in his race.

Here's Justin's short description of the race: "It was wet. And long. And I got tired at the end. But I did pretty good. I'm glad I was wearing Band-aids, or my nipples would be really sore."

Here's Justin's long description of the race (if you are not a runner you can just skip this part): It was around 40 or 45 F at the starting line when the bus pulled in at 6:15. It started pouring rain about five minutes before the race began. Just enough to get everyone good and wet. The starting guns fired, and within a few minutes the rain stopped. I ran with the 3 hour pace team. Right around mile 8 when we were starting to dry off, the heavens opened again. By mile 14 when I emerged from Blacksmith Fork Canyon, it had started to hail along with the rain. (It was exciting for me (Brianna) to see the runners splashing down the road, especially since Justin was among the first few groups.) I stuck with the 3 hour pacers until mile 18, when I "bonked". I think the lack of sleep caught up with me. I slowed down a bit, but soldiered on and ended up finishing around 3:08. I had been hoping to get under 3:05 so I could qualify for Boston again, but was still pleased with my time.

It was good enough for a cute little moose trophy for placing 4th (or was it 5th?) in his age division. He finished 53 overall out of almost 2000 runners.

Anyway, it was a fun weekend. We loved seeing Justin's parents and my sisters. Logan is beautiful in the Fall, even when it's raining. Justin is already scheming about running another marathon so he can get back to Boston. Runners really are different.

Summer in Phoenix

While other places are starting to cool down and feel more like fall, here in Phoenix summer is still in full swing. We have been enjoying the constant sunshine and the occasional crazy dust storm, but I think we are ready for the temperature to drop below 80, even if it is only at night. With all the heat, here are a couple of things we have been doing to stay cool.

Drink lots of water.

Go out to dinner (or breakfast). We went to a yummy Mexican place for breakfast on our anniversary. Justin was working nights so it was my breakfast and his dinner.

Float the Salt river. The water is cool and refreshing.

Take a cake decorating class (air conditioned). This was my first cake.

Go on vacation somewhere cooler. I got to spend a long weekend in LA hanging out with two of my old roommates from college. I love these girls.

Afterwards, I meet up with my family to spend a week in a house on Newport Beach. It was fun to be together and Justin even got the week off.

If you do go outside, go really early. Lance came to visit and Justin hauled him up Camelback Mountain at dawn. The sunrise and view were amazing.

Do indoor activities. We spent an afternoon in the cool science center. If you live in the Phoenix area check out culture passes.

Go to the mountains. Justin and I have been up to Payson, Arizona twice this summer to go camping. It is great to escape to cooler and greener areas. Most recently we camped on the rim.

Justin is preparing to run a marathon and he did his 20 mile run the morning we were there. He did a great job especially since he was running 5,000 feet higher than he is used to.

Happy Fall and stay cool!