The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep ...

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep." --Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

The woods were indeed lovely last night. And I sorely wanted to capture them on my camera, but it chose to not cooperate. : ( But I did get a few pix on my phone. There were about a dozen of us that gathered at Oxbow for a 5.35 mile run on the hilly trails on a spectacular evening. The sky was brilliant blue, just a slight breeze blowing through the trees, all the foliage was brilliant green and blooming, ... it was wonderful. Let's see if I can remember all the names: Paul M, Roger, Kris, Andy and Tracie, Adam, Andy, Paul C (late), Chelsea, Matt, Emily, K-P, me, ... I think I'm forgetting someone.

We had a little potluck supper. I brought a salad and some Quick Cheese Bread (recipe from Cook's Illustrated.)

It went over pretty well and there were a couple requests for the recipe. Here it is:

Makes one 9 by 5-inch loaf. Published May 1, 2004.

If using Asiago, choose a mild supermarket cheese that yields to pressure when pressed. Aged Asiago that is as firm as Parmesan is too sharp and piquant for this bread. If, when testing the bread for doneness, the toothpick comes out with what looks like uncooked batter clinging to it, try again in a different—but still central—spot; if the toothpick hits a pocket of cheese, it may give a false reading. The texture of the bread improves as it cools, so resist the urge to slice the loaf while it is piping hot. Leftover cheese bread is excellent toasted; toast slices in a toaster oven or on a baking sheet in a 425-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, not in a conventional toaster, where bits of cheese may melt, burn, and make a mess. Our cheese bread is best made with whole milk, but it will taste fine if you have only 2 percent milk on hand. Do not use skim milk.

Ingredients
3 ounces Parmesan cheese , shredded on large holes of box grater (about 1 cup)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese , cut into ½-inch cubes, or mild Asiago, crumbled into ¼- to ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1 large egg beaten lightly
3/4 cup sour cream

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 5 by 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan evenly in bottom of pan.

2. In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper to combine. Using rubber spatula, mix in cheddar or Asiago, breaking up clumps, until cheese is coated with flour. In medium bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, egg, and sour cream. Using rubber spatula, gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (batter will be heavy and thick). Do not overmix. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; spread to sides of pan and level surface with rubber spatula. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan evenly over surface.

3. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes; invert loaf from pan and continue to cool until warm, about 45 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Freezing Instructions: Although the recipe title Quick Cheese Bread is no misnomer (the batter is in the pan in 15 minutes), when you add time for baking and cooling, the recipe does require a total of two hours. Luckily, like many of our other bread recipes, a baked loaf of cheese bread freezes beautifully, meaning a warm loaf need be only minutes away.

To freeze the bread, wrap the cooled loaf tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and place in the freezer; it will keep for up to three months. When you’re ready to serve the bread, place the frozen, wrapped loaf on the middle rack of a preheated 375-degree oven and heat for eight to 10 minutes, until the loaf yields under gentle pressure. Remove the foil and return the unwrapped bread to the oven for five minutes to crisp the exterior. Take the bread out of the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes to make slicing easier. Enjoy.

Interested in a long Saturday run? And not running Med-City, but are volunteering? Meet at Brothers on S. Broadway at 5:30 AM. The max distance will be 23 miles. Run whatever distance suits your fancy ... and I'll join you for breakfast afterwards. Unfortunately, I will not have earned a Brothers Walnut Pancake (one entry on my My Favorite Things list). So it'll probably be oatmeal.

Med-City: The course for the full marathon has changed a bit. It utilizes Salem Road rather than Mayowood Road. Here's a map. Packet pick-up starts at 4 pm today at Running Room, where there is also a sidewalk sale going on. Andy said he picked up a new pair of shoes the other day at a great price and really likes them.

Today I swam for an hour. Yesterday I lifted and swam for an hour. I've swam 4 hours during the weekdays this week, which is a new record for me. No sore shoulders. Not even tired, actually. I just get bored after an hour. I'm saving my legs for Sunday, hoping to pace Mr. Melby to a 1:30-something half marathon. :-)

Make sure you cast your votes on the emotions displayed in the Melby/Woo photos on the Team R.E.D. blog. : )

Marilee emailed me this morning that one of my favorite Twin Cities haunts, Trader Joe's, is coming to the Apache Mall area yet in 2010. Whoo hoo!! That would be FAN.TAS.TIC. She heard it on the news and she said it was on the KTTC website as well. Sounding a little closer to official this time. I'm pumped!!

I put the screen on the front door the other day. It's wonderful to have a nice breeze and fresh air blowing through the house. Man ... that glass panel was HEAVY. Yesterday, Eric and I washed two of  the cars.

I did the Accord and he the Civic. I love a nice clean car. Inside and out.

Well, I'm off to get my hair cut and run some errands. Enjoy the day!