Happy Easter!! Today was a day for a sunrise church service, a meal with extended family, and an Easter egg hunt.

Even the big kids got in on the action (Eric).

I made a ham, green beans amandine ...

a white and wild rice pilaf ...

and "strawberry fluff" for the kiddos.

Matt made a cherry pie last night. First one ever. It was a smashing success.

I usually have Easter baskets for the boys, but they're just not that into the candy. So this year they each wanted a batch of cookies to take back with them instead of candy. Eric wanted oatmeal raisin and Matt wanted the dark chocolate/chocolate chunk. So I made both of those today. And the cookies for the Cookie of the Month crew. An Easter meal is usually much easier to make than Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings, but I managed to spend most of the day in the kitchen nevertheless. :-) But I enjoy that.

Late this afternoon, I went for a run around the bottom of the hill. About 7.2 miles. No watch or GPS. Just a nice casual run. Saw Leslie walking her dogs as I was finishing up so we chatted for a bit. At the top of the hill, an older model very nice white Corvette drove by slowly from behind. I love the sound they make. :-)

I'm working on arranging a get-together in Boston for the Rochester runners that are registered. So far, it's pretty much a no-go. One no, and two have had to bail out on the race (Yvonne Hubmayr and David Nagorney). I'll keep plugging away.

There was a very nice full page article on Lace-Up Against Breast Cancer in the Post-Bulletin last week. I can't find a link to the online story, but it was full of photos.

Here's the recipe for the bars that I brought to the RAC on Saturday. A new recipe, and definitely a keeper. It's a knock-off of a bar they serve at Applebee's. There's also a maple walnut sauce that goes on top. I've not tried that, but included it here. Sounds very rich.

Blonde Brownies

FOR THE BLONDIES:
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup walnut pieces
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

FOR THE TOPPING:
1/3 cup maple syrup
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
1/2 cup walnut pieces

1. Make the blondies: Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter the foil. Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts in a food processor until almost fine (do not overprocess). Whisk the ground nuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Beat 10 Tablespoons butter and the brown sugar with amixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate and the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts.
3. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the blondies are light brown around the edges and spring back when pressed, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack.
4. Meanwhile, make the topping: Place the maple syrup and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, swirling the pan, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and continue to cook until the mixture is the consistency of caramel.
5. Use the foil to lift the blondies out of the pan, then cut into bars. (The recipe says this makes only 9 bars!! OMG.) Serve warm topped with ice cream, the maple-butter sauce and the walnuts.

Sometimes I get questions about my cookies. Here are some general tips:

• I use unsalted butter. Favorite is Land O'Lakes unsalted but I use store brands too.
• I use unbleached flour, preferably King Arthur (avail. at HyVee) or Pillsbury.
• I use real vanilla extract, not imitation.
• Use good chocolate.
• If using nuts, toast them first. 350 oven for about 5 minutes. The flavor is really enhanced.

Tuesday evening will be another hill workout in Rochester. I think I'll be starting around 5'ish if anyone would like to join me. I'm going to a movie with the gals at 7'ish. The movie has not been decided upon.

I still need volunteers for the Fetzer. If you can help out, please email me. Unfortunately, Fool's Five is Sunday, April 11 this year and that appears to be cutting down the registrations for my race. :-( But that's out of my control.

A blogger from the cities, Jean (a male), happened upon my blog. He also ran Human Race and will be running Lake Wobegon too. We'll meet up in St. Joe. Fun! The connections we make in cyberspace ...

TriRochester is having their season kick-off party at Rochester Cycling & Fitness on 4/17 from 6-8 pm. You do not have to be a member to attend. Pizza/pop/water provided. BYOB. I went last year and it was fun. This year I'll be in Boston so will have to miss it. I'm bummed.

Thursday evening, Joe Ryan was a willing subject for 20 (Or So) Questions with Renee. So ... let's meet Joe.

What's the last movie you saw? The Italian Job
What was your first car? 1977 Buick LeSabre
Do you play an instrument? Trumpet
Ketchup or mustard on a hot dog? Both
Do you weigh the same, more, or less than what's on your driver's license? Less
Do you shave with an electric razor or straight edge? Electric
Any tattoos or piercings? No
Favorite cookie? Mom's chocolate chip (good answer :-)
Favorite race? Heart of the Lakes Triathlon
Next race? Med-City
White or dark meat (poultry)? White
Where were you born? Red Wing
Have you ever broken a bone? No
Middle name? William
Coke or Pepsi? Coke
Favorite idulgence food? Beer
Favorite color? Red
Favorite fruit? Strawberries
Favorite vegetable? Zucchini
Favorite pizza topping? Pepperoni
Favorite movie? Caddyshack
Favorite book? Fox and Sox
Favorite TV show? Dexter
Favorite Rochester restaurant? Newt's
Favorite nut? Peanut
How many siblings? Eleven (wow!!)
Favorite time of day to run? Late morning
Hobbies? Triathlon (and taking care of his and Sara's 4 kids :-)

Do you sleep on your back, stomach or side? Side
Did you play H.S. sports? Football and wrestling
What's the best surprise you ever had in your life? When I found out we were having twins (Brenna and Brevin)
What would people be most astonished to find out about you? I've completed 3 Ironman triathlons (BTW: His fastest Ironman marathon split was a speedy 4:09 ... kudos, Joe!!)
Would your frinds believe that you keep secrets? No
How old were you when you experienced your biggest life regret? 18 (no further information provided)

Here's a quote from Thursday at Brothers: "I'll tell you what ... running in a skirt feels pretty good. " --Paul Melby (on the right)

Time to wrap up yet another post.  More tomorrow. Good night.