Kelocity.com

A runner with an appetite for adventure!

Yangshuo: The Cooking School May 13, 2014

Filed under: China,Cooking,Food,Travel,Yangshuo — Kelocity @ 2:57 pm
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I don’t like to cook. I like to eat. This is a fact. I hate everything about cooking… which is why I was excited to go to Cooking School! Maybe I’d learn a thing or two and make it seem more fun! And you know what, it was awesome. I loved the class and now I’m excited to be home so I can try out some of these recipes again!

The class was taught by a very talented chef who spoke in perfect English. She was very nice and even catered to my vegetarian preference.
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The first part of our class was visiting a local market and seeing the ingredients we’d be cooking with. Lots of great looking produce and then everything else you’d expect to find including all kinds of fish and fresh meat. We had to the option to visit the meat side of the market, but Irving and I decided against it…. for those who are interested, yes, there were dogs and cats in there. But we chose not to see them.IMG_2015

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After the market, we had a short walk back to the school to begin our class! (I loved this Billboard because as much as it looked like propaganda, we actually found it to be true! “The Police Community Relationship is Harmonious”. =)IMG_2021

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And then it was time to start cooking! Each of us got our own cooking station, complete with all the ingredients we would need to create a delicious meal!IMG_2023

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And we all got huge, awesome knives to dice those veggies with! I need to get one of those, you wouldn’t believe how easy it was to crush garlic with that thing!IMG_2030

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Look at these dumplings I made! We learned how to fold them two different ways. I was so proud of myself! They looked almost professional!IMG_2051

Irving’s were looking quite dapper as well!IMG_2052

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Everyone else made Kung Pao Chicken, but since I chose the vegetarian option I made pan fried noodles. HECK YES! IMG_2057

The best part was being able to eat them all when we were done! Everything smelled so good!

The final products! Here was Irving’s Dish:IMG_2059

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And my dish! You had to roll us out of there at the the end of the meal, we were stuffed! That was a TON of food! All that on my plate PLUS seven dumplings!IMG_2062

 

The view out of the window during the class was beautiful Yangshuo… and a McDonalds. We thought it was funny in comparison. But I’ll take that delicious authentic Chinese food over fast food any day. Healthy food for the win!IMG_2031
If anyone is interested, I have all the recipes if you would like a copy. Send me an email (kelocity at gmail dot com).

Anyone want to come over for dinner soon? I’m dying to make this all again!

 

 

The 9-Hour Easter Baking Marathon April 11, 2012

Filed under: Cooking,Food,Friends — Kelocity @ 7:20 pm
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This past weekend, I was supposed to run the Hollywood Half Marathon. I had signed up last summer with a killer coupon code and it just sounded like a good idea at the time. I had wishful thinking of being a pregnant runner, but that just didn’t happen. But I still went to the expo anyways and picked up my bib and I surprised myself by how sad I was that I wouldn’t be running. I really miss the running scene, more than I thought I would. I miss the camaraderie, the runner’s high, the good-for-your-heart training sessions. I am more motivated than ever to get back out there and make my running comeback. Hoping for a 10k in the fall and a half marathon in the spring! Fit Mama, here I come!

So while we were supposed to be running 13.1 miles, my friend Erica and I decided that having a NINE hour baking session would be a good substitute instead. So we trekked over to the market and got all of the essential ingredients. This day was going to be epic.
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We had big plans on making FIVE dessert recipes and one savory dinner entrée. Ready….set…GO!

First up were Hilton Waikoloa Village Shortbread Cookies .
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They came out so good! But they seemed a little boring, so we melted down some chocolate and dipped them. Mmmm. Perfect.
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Next, we whipped up a batch of Birthday Cake Batter Popcorn.  I know, how amazing does that sound?
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Happy Easter!!

It was white chocolately, rainbow-sprinkled, salty-sweet goodness. Delicious!
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Then we started on what would become the KING of all things chocolate…. S’Mores Stuffed Brownies!!! Uh, hi.
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Inside this bad boy are layers of brownie, graham crackers, hershey’s chocolate and marshmallows. Yep. That just happened.
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Next up was a little detour from chocolate…. let’s hear it for Bananas Foster Bread Pudding! *clap clap clap*
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I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical of this one since it’s not a dessert I’d normally choose… but it was awesome! And super easy to make. I’ll have to remember this when I need a recipe for brunch.
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PS… I bought this pie dish especially for this recipe and I felt like such an adult! Adults need fancy pie dishes, right?

And our fifth and final dessert recipe for the day was a batch of Oh Baby Bars (basically a homemade Reece’s peanut butter cup).
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Before we could sample ANY of our days-worth of treats… we dove into making dinner! We chose a recipe for Chicken Palava (African Peanut Stew). Something totally different than what I would make or order, but it was really really good.
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Dinner was enjoyed over a game of Bananagrams.
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I’ve never had a day in the kitchen just for fun before and I really enjoyed it! Maybe next time I’d swap some desserts for more entrees that we can eat throughout the week, but I was encouraged by how easy it was to prepare so many dishes once we had recipes and ingredients on-hand.

I’m so excited for the many bake-sales that might be in my future in five years or so. Watch out!

 

Baking with Bieber December 13, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Cooking,Friends — Kelocity @ 5:06 am
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Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

 

I love to bake. I’m not very good at it per se, but I really like it. Especially this time of year! When my friends Erika and Timmy invited us over for a holiday soiree, I was psyched to have a reason to break out the pans and get to work.
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I found a super easy recipe on Duncan Hine’s website that only had FIVE ingredients: The Apple Cinnamon Cake. I usually go for chocolately desserts or anything with frosting, but I was intrigued by the Apple Filling. I knew there would already be cupcakes, brownies and chocolate already at the party, so I was happy to make something a bit different for variety.
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The recipe was so simple and it came out pretty good! **pats self on back** It was definitely sweet, but had a savory feel to it as well. Perfect for an evening get-together with friends.
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There ended up being almost 20 people at the party! Lots of new faces we hadn’t seen before, and so much great conversation. I love that the holidays give people an excuse to get together, share a meal, relax, and celebrate.
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Once everyone had a pretty good sized sugar coma, it was time for the annual Yankee Swap gift exchange. And with so many people, it was a blast picking numbers and swapping gifts… though there wasn’t too much swapping this time! The gifts were so good, almost everyone was stoked with what they ended up with!
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What did I score? A Puppy Calendar, Justin Bieber Notepad and a giftcard. I was laughing so hard. Awesome!!
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Now in addition to the baking itch… I have Bieber Fever!

Irving scored an awesome photo ornament that holds 100 pictures.
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Such a fun night! We stayed up way past our bedtime, but it was totally worth it. It’s our last Christmas just the two of us, so we’re totally soaking it all up and doing everything we can to make it special.

 

Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

 

Mom’s Buffalo Chicken Dip August 3, 2011

Filed under: Cooking,Food — Kelocity @ 7:00 am
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My mouth just watered just typing the title of this post!

I’m going to do the world a favor and post a very simple, extremely delicious recipe for the most amazing Buffalo Chicken Dip you’ve ever tasted. You must be careful though because it’s so good that sometimes it makes other dishes around it feel bad.

I made it for Super Bowl Sunday this year and people loved it! (You have to understand that I don’t cook well and I don’t cook often, so when people say they actually like something I make…. I make sure I save the recipe).
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I have no idea where this recipe came from, so maybe I’m just the last to find out about it. But I’m sharing it for the greater good of mankind. Trust me. (But beware, it’s definitely not healthy.)

I bought a rotisserie chicken and Irving de-boned and chopped it for me. Then just mix away!
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BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

2 Cups Shredded Chicken
1 Cup Mayo
1/2 Cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
1 TBSP Onion
1 TSP Lemon Juice
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Crumbled Blue Cheese

Mix Together Chicken, Mayo, Hot Sauce, Onions and Cheddar Cheese in a casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the Blue Cheese.
Bake 20 minutes at 375*. Serve with chips!

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When it comes out of the oven, it’s all ooey gooey and delicious. (Note: I doubled the recipe to serve 8 people and it was perfect).
I brought this to the Hollywood Bowl this weekend and served it with Homeboy Chips.
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Delicious!

 

Nothin’ Like a Fresh Tomato June 20, 2011

Filed under: Cooking,Food — Kelocity @ 9:10 am
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Have you ever smelled a fresh tomato plucked that day from somebody’s garden? It smells earthy, and tastes heavenly. You can’t really buy tomatoes in the store that have that aroma. There’s definitely something different about greenhouse produce. I grew up eating goodness from my mom’s garden. A handful of fresh cherry tomatoes with a sprig of fresh mint was the perfect afternoon snack. I crave those tastes and smells sometimes.

Well I’m not sure why, but I found some tomatoes in Ralphs this week that had that same fresh appeal. They almost tasted like mom’s tomatoes.
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I squealed and said “Irving, smell this!” He looked at me weird, but it’s the little things in life that make me happy.

Paired with some freshly sliced pickles…
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And you’ve got the makin’s for a fantastic homemade burger. (On a fresh whole wheat roll, no less).
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I love summer. Bring on the tomatoes!

 

 
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