Chester Woods

Chester Woods 10-mile and 5K 2009 has come and gone. Jim Mason and crew do a great job with this race. Participation numbers appeared to be very good despite the persistent rain and 50-degree temps. Pretty nice for running, actually. Kind of miserable for standing around. :-)

Nice handmade awards--pens/pencils and etched holders.


Thank you to Laura Lenz and Todd Rowekamp for hosting a lovely Muffins and Mimosas gathering today after Chester Woods. Carbs were plentiful and delicious.



TCM has recently introduced a 10K run to the race lineup for Saturday, October 3 which is the day before the marathon and 10-mile.


I've been asked why I always use unsalted butter when I bake. This month's Cooks Illustrated says it best: "We advise against cooking with salted butter for three reasons. First, the amount of salt in salted butter varies from brand to brand--it can range from .25 percent to 1.75 percent of the total weight, making it impossible to offer conversion amounts that will work with all brands. Second, because salt masks some of the flavor nuances found in butter, salted butter tastes different from unsalted butter. Finally, salted butter almost always contains more water than unsalted butter. The water in butter ranges from 10 to 18 percent. In baking, butter with a low water content is preferred, since excess water can interfere with the development of gluten. In fact, when we used the same brand of both salted and unsalted butter to make brownies and drop biscuits, tasters noticed that samples made with salted butter were a little mushy and pasty; they preferred the texture of baked goods made with unsalted butter." (Tomorrow, I'll give their answer for using unbleached vs. bleached flour.)


Well, that's all I have to report on for today. I appreciate getting the nice rain today. We sure need it, but it really makes for a dreary day.


Thought for the day: "A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are."


Happy trails.