Merry Cat-mouse!

It is a silly title but the highlight of our morning was watching our elderly kitty, Nala,  react with glee as the contents of her stocking was revealed to her.  Nala will not play with most cat toys, much preferring string and boxes, but she does delight in playing with a few small plush mice, which we call her babies.  She enjoys pouncing on her babies, batting them around, thrashing her head from side to side while clasping them between her teeth, and running around holding their tails in her mouth before she attempts to drown them in her water dish.  For this reason, we have to put her babies away when play-time is over, or she will destroy them.  Also for this reason, she sometimes needs a replacement baby.  I found a few red felt mice of the size and type she usually accepts with a while snowflake stitched on the side.  Greg and I delighted in watching her chase that little thing around the house all morning until she was so tuckered out she fell asleep in the sun shining through the dining room window.

Yes, the sun is out this Christmas in Southern California.  While it was a chilly 45 degrees this morning during my run, I did not require arm warmers or leggings for my 4 miles and warmed up rather quickly, once I got moving.  

Yesterday, Greg and I fit in our monthly hiking date.  We took that Sycamore Canyon trail that we discovered last month on our super short hike.  The trail is pretty steep, which meant that it took us 90 minutes to complete this 3 mile loop.  The Sycamore trail took us from the Thompson Creek Trail way up into the foothills of Claremont’s Wilderness area.  

At the top of the hill you can go west into Johnson’s Pasture or east toward the 5-mile loop.  We went east, as we could see trails below us that seemed to make their way back to the Thompson Creek Trail. We encountered only one dead end and needed to backtrack perhaps a quarter of a mile.  Once back on the main path, we were rewarded by seeing a family of deer munching on grasses near the hillside. 

Time to get back to the festivities.  Whether you are celebrating the holidays with your kids or your cat, family or friends, enjoy a peaceful day

Face Lift

We recently had our house repainted.  The painting only took a few days, but because our house is a vintage beauty born in 1956, she needed some work done first.  Some wood needed to be replaced along the roof line, stucco needed repairing, sanding had to be done, a few old swamp coolers that were not extracted when the central air was put in needed to be removed and patched; there were many projects that needed to be completed before new paint could be applied.

BEFORE...

I am happy to say that, after 3-4 weeks of living in a construction zone, we have achieved completion.  Say hello to 1380 Indian Hill in her new colors!  Ain’t she a beauty?! 

AFTER...

Kitty-proof Kristmas

A few blogs ago, I posed the question, “How do we decorate the house for the holiday and avoid puddles of piney puke?”  This question may not make any sense to those of you not indoctrinated into the school of Nala.  Nala is our twelve year old kitty.  We still call her a kitty because she is a diminutive old lady.  Weighing only six pounds, she must have been the runt of her litter. We feed her excessive amounts of expensive wet food and yet she stays petite.  She is a relatively healthy cat, but she has the tendency, as an indoor cat, to chew on anything green that we bring indoors and promptly puke it up. This includes the Christmas Tree.  So this year, in deference to her (and my husband who cleans up most of the kitty spew, in all fairness),  we decided to try to forgo the tree this year. 

In addition to doing away with the tree, we tried to keep all the decorations out of paw’s reach (or at least the ones she can climb to can do her no harm and no harm can be done to them).  Another positive note is that we were able to find all of these decorations in our existing stores, so no additional money was spent in this endeavor (which is excellent especially because we recently had the exterior of our house painted, so we are not eager to spend cash right now…photos of that adventure to come in a future blog.) 

So here you have it; a cat-friendly Christmas!  We’ll let you know if eliminating the tree keeps kitty healthier this holiday season. 

Running Junkie and Rainy Day Schedule

It has become increasingly clear to me that I am addicted to running.  When you are willing to get up before the crack of dawn for an activity, you get twitchy if you haven’t done in two consecutive days, and you plan your day around fitting it in…I would say you are hooked.  On Thursday, despite an afternoon meeting and dark clouds swarming on the horizon, I was itching to get in just a short two miles before dark.  Luckily the meeting ended on time and after rushing home to do a quick change, I was racing to my heart’s content.  I made it home before the last light and even beat the rain. 

Rainy Day Schedule doesn’t mean much to most folks.  Unless you are an elementary school student or teacher, you could probably care less.  Some students delight in the board games, costumes, and the treasure trove of activities that get pulled out of the closet on rainy days, while others feel cooped up and bounce off the walls wishing they could go outside and run around.  As their teacher, I empathize.  Whenever there is rain in the forecast, which is relatively rare here in So. Cal,  I try to make sure I squeeze in a run the day before.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad for the rain, with this drought, we need it.  However 34 restless students in the confines for four walls for recess is a challenge for even a veteran teacher.  I have learned that ensuring that I am a little less fidgety by getting my run on the night before, will help to maintain my sanity a bit better in the wet weather to come. 

The rain left a whisper of frost on the ground, when I went out for my long run this Saturday morning.  I even slept in until 7:15, an hour when the weather would have grown intolerably warm just a few weeks ago.  I was surprised that heading out during the 7 am hour still offered temps in the 40s, which to a Southern California girl may as well be freezing.  I noticed I ran a bit slower than my last few long runs, but with trying not to slip on wet leaves and navigating puddles from yesterdays storm, I figured safety first!  Another benefit to taking it a bit slower was avoiding the side ache I almost always experience on the uphill portion of my run and feeling like the climb was pretty easy.  I had tons of energy left to enjoy the downhill.  The views today were outstanding!  A sprinkling of snow on the mountains, green foothills, and happy oaks;  a feast for the eyes.   

Speaking of feasts, I might have mentioned before when I do my long runs on the weekend, I end up running back through the burbs just as normal people are getting up to fix elaborate weekend breakfasts.  Cheddar hashbrowns, crispy bacon, pancakes with maple syrup…yes I can smell all of that from the sidewalk as I race past.  Don’t think that it doesn’t take restraint to not come knocking on your door and invite myself to breakfast.  In fact I’ve had fantasies that the whole block would get together for a breakfast potluck at the end of the cul-de-sack, in my honor, and welcome me as I rounded the corner to a breakfast feast. But truth be told, if my dream did come true, I would most likely tell the cooks that I wanted to finish my mileage before sitting down to eat.  That is how I know I am a true running junkie! 

'Tis the season

Christmas trees in windows…all lit up, wreaths hanging on doors and windows, kids in Santa hats; everywhere I look there are signs of the season.  I keep thinking that I’ve got to get out to the garage and grab that bin of decorations out!

While I haven’t found the time with my busy schedule the last couple of weeks to decorate the house or bake elaborate treats, in my own weird ways I find opportunities to celebrate the season, even on a week day.  How about pumpkin pie and coffee for breakfast?  I know that sounds completely indulgent, but I’ve done it 2 days in a row and feel positively healthy about it.  I used this simple Paleo recipe, to make a relatively healthy, gluten-free, morning treat.

2 very ripe bananas

1 can pumpkin puree (about 15-16 oz)

½ cup brown or coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp all spice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 sprinkle fresh grated nutmeg

Put all these items in the food processor and blend until smooth and uniform.  Scoop or pour the mixture into lined cupcake pan.  Bake for 20 min at 350.  They come out kind of puddingy so I refrigerated them before serving.  I might change up the recipe and add in 1-2 eggs to help the consistency be more dense, but if you want to keep them vegan, the texture has been light and lovely, so no need to change it. 

Also I don’t believe there is anything wrong with full fat milk or cream, in moderation. So I made some homemade whip cream and used just a whisper of vanilla and maple syrup to flavor it.  I serve my mini pumpkin pies for breakfast with a healthy spoonful of cream on top and even a sprinkling of leftover candied pecans that I’ve been snacking on all week. 

See if you can find a creative and festive way to spice up your breakfast.  It puts me in a great mood all day and makes me feel jolly even on the most hectic of days. 

Holiday Magic

In my yoga teacher training program this past weekend, our teachers asked us to create hour long classes with a theme.  One group called theirs, “Holiday Magic,” I thought that was so fun!  I have been on the lookout for signs of holiday magic.  They usually appear when I least expect them.  I had been hoping all week to see Christmas lights on my predawn runs.  Very few folks keep their lights on all night or are up as early as I am to turn them on, so that didn’t work out too well.  On the contrary, I decided to squeeze in a 5 mile run on Friday afternoon, knowing I would be physically spent from yoga this weekend and unlikely to run in the mornings.  The trails were nearly abandoned at dusk and as I made my way through the neighborhoods on the way home at 5pm, all the Christmas lights were coming on!  Another sign of holiday magic that I’m trying to achieve is a clever alternative to a Christmas tree.  Our elderly cat, Nala, eats the evergreen needles each year and leaves unwanted presents around the house, in the form of  piney puddles of puke. So we’ve been brainstorming holiday décor that won’t make her ill.  Perhaps, a garland way up high, a wreath or two out of her reach,…just some lights?  Any thoughts or suggestions on how to create some holiday cheer in our house without making our kitty nauseous would be greatly appreciated.

I am still very excited, nervous, and practically giddy when one of teacher training weekends rolls around.  I am enjoying going deeper into my practice, learning more about expanding my body’s limits, and working with others to stretch their practice as well.  In addition to my love of learning surrounding this topic, I also have to mention that it is extremely hard work.  Not only are two days of intense physical activity after a full work-week physically exhausting but the intellectual piece should not be underestimated.   We practiced for 2.5 hours on Saturday morning.  Your average yoga class is 75 minutes in length, so this was pushing it even for those who were attending classes regularly.  Certainly we have breaks during our 8-hour day; we get time to eat, digest, and use the restroom.  When we are not practicing the physical part of yoga, the asanas, we are learning the Sanskrit names of poses, how to link them together, the philosophy and anatomy behind the practice. 

By the end of the day, we are all a little loopy and most of us are pretty tired.  In one of the final poses that was taught on Saturday, one of our instructors prompted a teacher in training, “And…What are the legs doing?”  The teacher in training responded with clear and cunning wit, “…shaking.”  We all got a good laugh, all of our muscles were twitching up a storm.  I learn so much during each session, that by Sunday evening I feel like my brain is overfull and I might even bee leaking yoga knowledge out my ear and onto my pillow when I go to sleep.  (That would explain the bizarre Sanskrit dreams!) 

I have a built a relationship with yoga over the years.  It is one of love and respect.  It allows me to engage in this challenge.  Many would say to me, if it is so hard you should quit.  Why do you put yourself through all of this?  That is a good question.  In response I might say, “I like to do hard things.” My husband often puzzles over why I want to run 3 miles before dinner after a long day teaching, or why I get up before the sun to run , or why I look forward to getting up early on Saturday to go on a long trail run.  I delight in returning home sweaty and tired, desperately in need of a shower and thoroughly having earned my dinner.  Many thing worth doing are hard.  Stay strong in the struggle and keep fighting for those things that are worth fighting for. 

Cooking up a storm

The rainy weather today has forced me inside. Too wet and cold to run, I am grateful that I got 7 miles under my belt yesterday as it looks like there is more rain in the forecast later this week.  Greg and I also managed to squeeze in a short hike this weekend (when the weather was still warm and fair) to count as our November hiking date.  We returned to the Thompson Creek trail and found a path called the Sycamore Trail that headed into the foothills, it seems this path links up to Johnson’s Pasture, which perhaps we will explore during our December hike. If you continue a few hundred yards beyond the junction, you will find your hike cut short, so next time we'll take the steep path up the hillside when we have more time and see what we find.

Glad to have had an active Saturday, which ended with an awesome 90 proof show (Greg’s band) at the local pub, we were glad to have an excuse to spend a lazy day indoors today. As the skies darkened and the clouds burst, I fired up the oven and set to preparing a plethora of tasty treats.

I started by trying out a recipe for brunch.  I’ve been craving pancakes but I still feel lighter and more energized when I stay gluten-free.  So I tried this recipe for Paleo Pancakes which I found on Pinterest.  I tried to follow the link, but it was no more.  So I can’t give credit to the author of this recipe but it is very simple.

1 ripe banana (mashed)

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp cinnamon

Stir all of the ingredients together with a fork.  Heat a skillet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. (I used the coconut oil version from Trader Joe’s.)  This mixture made about 4 pancakes, they were not easy to flip but even as messy torn discs they were delicious.  I served them with fresh blueberries and raspberries from the Farmer’s Market and a little real maple syrup. 

As the wet weather persisted throughout the day, I took the opportunity to prepare many delicious dishes for the busy week that lies ahead.  I baked my usual cereal to serve as our breakfast for the upcoming week.  I also created some gluten-free mini cheesecakes of the salted caramel variety to delight us for dessert. While the oven was hot, I roasted some beets for an autumn salad to take for our lunches, along with the leftovers of the cauliflower cheddar soup I cooked up for supper.  

I think I was inspired to prepare all of this food for several reasons.  First of all, we had watched The Hobbit earlier in the week and as the rain poured down this afternoon, we cued up The Fellowship of the Rings.  I am always delighted by the hobbit tradition not only to consume second breakfast but several other meals throughout the day; elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, supper and dinner.  Even after consuming plentiful meals at two Thanksgivings, I find that with all the yoga and running I am doing, that I often go to bed and wake up rather hungry.  Knowing that I’ve got a yoga teacher training to gear up for next weekend, I figured I would embrace my inter Hobbit and stock the larder.

In fact I’ve been so wrapped up in this Hobbit ideology of multiple meals today, as I was typing this blog entry tonight, my husband went so far as to call me, Bilbo Bloggins.  As a Tolkien fan,  I can’t think of a better nickname. 

Indulgences

One of the joys of being a teacher is enjoying a well deserved vacation.  I feel so lucky to have the entire week of Thanksgiving off and I decided after mailing off my report cards that I was really going to indulge during my fall break.  Many of us plan on indulging on Thanksgiving and that usually refers to eating heaps of delicious food.  While enjoying food unique to this season certainly is part of my plan for the week, I have other indulgences in mind that I hope will bring balance.  I plan to indulge in a long run on a weekday, when I would usually be too busy to run more than five miles. I will delight in being able to run when it is light out, instead of having to sneak in my run during the predawn hours before work.  I am aiming to take a yoga class during the hours I would normally be working at least once this week.  I'm going to treat myself to some extra sleep each morning. Instead of making my usual gluten-free oat bran cereal, I'm treating myself to these delicious and mostly nutritious pumpkin bars for breakfast this week.

Bars:

2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree 
1/4 cup honey, warmed

½ cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 t cinnamon, ¾ t ginger, ½ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp ground cloves, a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Frosting:
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
4 tsp  maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

 Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Combine the eggs, pumpkin puree, honey, sugar,  coconut oil, and vanilla and mix using a  hand mixer).

In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, corn starch, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time until combined.

Pour the mixture into a square 8×8″ pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is set. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract together until light & fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use and soften before spreading on the bars.

I am thankful for having this time off to indulge myself and the people I love.

Brief Escape

Even in the midst of overwhelming demands from work, report cards coming due at the end of the week, when it seems I am glued to the keyboard of my laptop and not for the reasons that I want to be; I did manage to escape briefly this weekend and go on a 7 mile run.  I know that sounds crazy, my break from school work was physical work.  3 gut wrenching miles uphill; slow and steady.  2 miles flying, zooming, soaring down the tree-lined trail; quick and easy.  2 more miles dragging, struggling, pushing; difficult but necessary.  As challenging as it can be, running is freeing.  It is time away from work, from responsibilities, from stress.   The meditative focus on the breath, form, and effort is a release from the mental chatter of daily life.  When I am at my busiest it would be easy to skip my run, because I just don't have the time.  But when I am at my busiest is when I need running the most.  It might mean getting up at 5:15 on a school day or going to bed early on a Friday night but creatively finding this time for me is never something I've regretted.  Sure there are sore muscles, stomach aches, side aches and all of the other obstacles you can imagine, but there are also beautiful views, hard-won victories, and feelings of utter elation.

I haven't seen too many signs of fall here in Claremont, California yet.  Sure the weather is growing cooler and November is creeping to a close but the physical evidence of the season has been lacking.
On my long run this Saturday,  I saw this solitary tree that said, "Hello, autumn!"  I'm sure you can see why this was the highlight of my weekend.

Chasing Rainbows

A rainy All Hallow’s Eve gave way to a dreary Dia de los Muertos.  I love running when it is overcast, so I was jogging toward my favorite trail by seven am on Saturday.  The air was cool and the ground was moist.  Grey clouds shrouded the foothill but nothing could dampen my spirits, as I saw my first rainbow since Maui.  Just before I reached the trail, about 2.5 miles into my run, it began to sprinkle.  I didn’t even consider cutting my run short because I had already been reminded that running in the rain means the chance of seeing a rainbow.  Now double arches were visible in the distance.  The next 5 miles were pretty wet, a steady rain fell, but my speedy movement kept me warm if not dry.  When I arrived at my door step, having run 5 miles in the rain, I realized just how slick I was.  As I stepped out of my soggy shoes to let them dry on the porch, the door opened and a friendly arm offered me a warm towel.  My husband had been thinking of me as the rain fell and was ready and waiting when I returned.  After a hot shower, I dressed warmly to have coffee on the couch with my cat.  It was perfect start to my Saturday. 

Here are some photos of our weekend.

Friday night at Greg’s Halloween gig at Dale Bros. Booery

The beautiful rainbows I saw on my Saturday morning run.

The caramel pear cheesecake I baked on Sunday afternoon.

Another hiking date

So I guess we started this in June when we hiked 10 miles in Yosemite the day before Greg’s  38^th birthday.  My husband and I remembered, “We really enjoy hiking…we need to make a date to do this at least once a month.”  Well, that is way easier said than done and super easier said by two folks who have the summer months off and were embarking on a season of less work and more play.  But still, we’ve managed one hike a month since then.  July was a local hike on the wilderness loop at home in Claremont, 5 miles.  August was 4 miles, Kapalua to DT Fleming beach on our trip to Maui.  (Man, if I could beam myself back to Maui for a few days I swear I would try to hike the circumference that island, only to be interrupted with meals of fish tacos and the occasional Mai Tai).  Back home and back to work in September, we managed to hike a 2 mile stretch of the Thompson Creek Trail (locals are thinking this is more of a walk than a hike, but hey there is a “trail” and trees, so I say it counts).  Today, I realized we had better work in our October hike, as the end of the month is neigh my friends.  I told Greg this morning, this is the only afternoon I don’t have meetings and you don’t’ have rehearsals or gigs so we are going on our hike date, decide where you want to go. When he picked me up from work today,  I was delighted that he had a plan.  He wanted to walk over to Towne avenue and approach the Thompson Creek trail on the uphill and finish the trail at Indian Hill, walking downhill to come home.  It was a lovely afternoon for a hike.  A cool breeze, that acted as air conditioning, kept me feeling fresh but not chilled in my shorts and tank top (only in So Cal and late October, folks!).  This stroll/ hike/ long walk rang it at just under five miles.  What a lovely start to the week and so far we are keeping up with our new tradition.

We had worked up quite an appetite after walking for nearly 2 hours.  Back in the kitchen, Greg did the dishes (from last night, yes we are dirty filthy folks) while I chopped onions and garlic and softened them in a buttered skillet.  Adding some Arborio rice , I prepared to make a risotto (like the one we tasted many years ago in Paris). A splash of white wine moistened and flavored the grain, then I continually added ladleful after ladleful of veggie broth to the rice, until it was soft and creamy. Fresh asparagus from the farmers market were stirred in at the last minute to maintain their crispness.   A dollop of homemade pesto with basil from the garden and handful of toasted pine nuts finished the dish. 

A long beautiful walk and flavorful meal, life doesn’t get much better!

Barefoot and in the kitchen

Even when my garden is having a poor season, I dart out the backdoor at least once during each cooking session (sometimes through the front door as well) to snip some herbs, grab a lemon or toss the peelings into the compost pile.  Tonight I made soup from beautiful butternut squash from the farmer’s market.  As the squash baked (in my newly repaired oven, thanks handy husband!), I added the peelings and core of the onion I had diced for the soup and some leftover celery from the crisper to a pot of water with a few cloves of garlic.   This very basic broth begged for some flavor enhancement.  So out the to the garden I go, returning with a fist full of thyme and two bay leaves.  The broth now finished, pleasant chartreuse, strained and steaming, left limp celery and onion trimmings in its wake, once again out the door to visit the compost heap. 

It occurred to me with all this in and out as I cook, I would be well served with a holster of some sort for my slippers at the backdoor.  I shared this thought with Greg, “Couldn’t we have a hook, just inside this cabinet by the kitchen door that would hold my flip flops, so I wouldn’t have to go searching for shoes in the middle of creating a meal?”  “Or,” my brilliant husband offered, “You could just keep your shoes on, until you are finished cooking.”  I tried to explain, “I’m a LaLone we don’t wear shoes.  We have to be barefoot as often as possible, it’s in my blood.”  Yes, I know I sound like a crazy person.  But seriously, I can’t be the only person who likes to cook elaborate meals barefoot, then needs something from the garden and wants makeshift shoes at the ready?  It sounds like a million dollar invention to me.  I can’t figure out what you would call it though.  “Kitchen Shoes” doesn’t have much zest to it. “Garden thongs” could be misconstrued.  Perhaps I just need to stow a pair of flip-flops in my apron pocket and get over it already. 

Other than the lovely butternut squash soup, I made an autumn salad with pomegranate seeds (from our tree in the front yard, see…another reason to go outside?!), goat cheese, candied pecans and an apple cider vinaigrette.  I served some cheese, crackers and olives along with the salad, just because it seemed more delicious that way.

For dessert, I am trying to recreate something we ate in France near the Eiffel Tower at a restaurant called FL (which is funny if you are French and that is how you pronounce the tower.  The FL tower.  Get it?)  I had one of my favorite desserts of all time there.  Rice pudding with salted caramel ice cream topped with caramel corn.  I made this way simpler by getting the rice pudding at Trader Joe’s and discovering that they currently have a salted caramel gelato.  One scoop of rice pudding with a touch of vanilla stirred into it, a tiny drizzle of caramel sauce, followed by a scoop of the gelato and a few kernels of the popcorn on top for crunch = close enough to relive a Parisian night. 

Yoga and dessert

Many of my readers have asked for some details on the yoga teacher training program that I started last week.  So here is the low down.  I will have teacher training classes once a month through May on a Saturday and Sunday from 9-6pm.  During our off-weeks I am expected to attend at least one class at the studio, teach a lesson to a family member or a friend, and read about yoga from selected texts.  The first weekend fell on my birthday weekend and it was the perfect way to usher in a new year of life.  On Saturday, we did introductions with our fellow yoga students, enjoyed a challenging class on standing poses, dissected the standing poses and taught them to our classmates.  We did teach in front of the group of 19 other students on our very first day and while it was a little nerve wracking it was good to know we already had enough knowledge at the end of day one to pull it off.  Sunday was more of a workshop where we learned how to do modifications for each of the standing poses we practiced on Saturday and the afternoon was an intensive but fascinating anatomy class focusing on bones, joints and introducing muscles.  I enjoyed both days very much and yes, I was quite sore on Monday!  I had a chance to teach Greg a series of stretches for joint health and I taught my elementary school class a lesson called “The anatomy of yoga” where we used yoga poses to learn the names of bones and muscles as the human body is our focus in science right now. 

I returned to the studio this weekend to take a restorative class, which was just what the doctor ordered after my 7 mile run on Saturday.  Any week that results in the majority of laundry being work out clothes, is a good week!  

All of this physical work makes me hungry.  Sometimes I forget to eat more when I’m working harder. So anticipating the morning runs and yoga practice that this week has in store for me, I decided to premake dessert for the week.  The only problem is our oven broke.  The range still works as does our outdoor bbq and Greg has ordered the part and is confident he can fix it, so we are in no danger of starving.  Just no baking for the next few days. That said, I experimented with a no bake dessert that came out de-li-cious! 

Pumpkin cheesecake parfaits

Pumpkin cheesecake filling

15 oz can pumpkin puree

16 oz cream cheese (whipped) 

tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves and allspice

a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg

6 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp milk

½ tsp vanilla

Using a hand mixer blend together all ingredients until smooth and creamy

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Using a hand mixer whip the cream to soft peaks and then mix in the vanilla and sugar until dissolved. 

Ginger snap Crumbs

About 20 of any crunchy ginger snap type cookies (I used TJs gluten free)

(Place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and crush with a rolling pin to make crumbs)

\

Assembly

Choose mason jars or wine glasses.  Layer cookie crumbles, pumpkin filling, more crumbles, whip cream, more crumbles, pumpkin filling more crumbles, whip cream and a tiny sprinkle of crumbles on top. 

Still running

So, just because I've recommitted to my yoga practice doesn’t mean I’ve lost my love for running.  Here is how you know you are hooked on running.  Your husband gives you new running shoes for your birthday and you are so desperate to try them out that you wake up at 5am to beat the heat and squeeze in a run on a weekday.  

Actually this running before dawn thing has become quite a habit.  Our early autumn weather is mimicking late summer and it seems these 90 degree days are not likely to stop soon.  While I long for winter running where I could sleep in on a weekend day and manage a run after 10 am and the effort would warm me, I know those days are far off in the distance. 

For now, I’m enjoying the peace (if not the visual challenges) of running in the dark.  On the fortunate occasion that I get to run with a running buddy or when Greg meets me for my last mile, I get to create a dream like memory of my breaking dawn run that hovers in an unreal memory in my mind all day.  Most mornings as I run alone, I make up  elaborate spooky tales of  coyote clans and haunting stories to occupy my mind as this Halloween month advances.  Someday I hope to have the time to write down these fictional pieces that unwind in my mind as I pound out the miles on the pavement in the dark.  But for now, running in my new shoes is enough to keep me happy.