The winter has been busy, and like many parents, plagued with cyclical illness. However, we’ve also had time to enjoy hiking, baking and cooking, skiing, lots of swimming, and even some pretty steady running. My furry running partner is pictured waiting impatiently, below.
While this post has very little to do with running, I’m actually running a race here later this month! I am running the Red Hot 15k in Moab with my former teammate and roommate from when I was in college at the University of Oregon. Our main goal: have fun, and have a fun weekend trip! This is my first race in….like 7 years, so let’s hope I remember how it works!
Winter Comforts
This is a “fancy” tart, but don’t be fooled: my 7 year old did all of it. She made a pat-in-the-pan crust, made a marzipan filling, and poached the pears (with supervision). So while it has a lot of steps, they are all fairly easy to do, and are perfect for a wintertime dessert. This is the recipe we used, for Pear Frangipane Tart.
In case you’re worried, we do more than just desserts. We also make bread bowls and eat clam chowder out of them! Full disclosure: My husband is the bread-master, and I buy clam chowder from Costco!
Play Outside
Winter temperatures mean lots of baking. Scones are one of our family’s tried and true recipes for a colder morning. The current favorite is chocolate chip, and we use this recipe, by King Arthur Baking. Don’t forget the sparkle sugar on top!
Winter is an ideal time for hiking in Albuquerque. Our littlest is a train fanatic, so this past weekend he literally pushed his train nearly a mile. We did finally persuade him to let us carry him to the top of a local hill to catch up to his sisters!
Grown-up stuff
We parents got away to enjoy some cross country skiing on the fantastic trails on the Sandia Crest. These are maintained by the Sandia Nordic Club, which is an awesome group of folks coordinating lessons and trips, apart from trail maintenance and grooming.
I’ve also been running more, and at times, even managing to get up and out early in the morning. Usually, the mornings are my favorite time to run, but lately, I’ve been enjoying a slower morning routine. Admittedly, having a sweet, cuddly toddler who inevitably crawls into bed for snuggles doesn’t really make me want to get up any earlier than I have to!
Our dog, however, disagrees with my anti-morning running stance, and she is always eager to head out of the door with me, no matter how cold or dark it is.
There’s a lot more to come!