Sunday, March 02, 2014

Run Swim Bike Cook Week 4: Cherry, Cinnamon, and Ginger Honey Scones

Okay, so we slept in our new home for the first time last night, making the move official.  Moving is complicated under the best of circumstances.  Moving into a house that is 114 years old can be particularly challenging.  Not only did the home need some serious deep cleaning (hey prior owners, the gift card was nice, but clean toilets would have been even nicer), but we had to do some last minute demolition because our queen size box spring couldn't make the corner upstairs.  I'm also getting a new front-loading washer and dryer out of the deal because our old top-loader won't fit. 

There are certainly many other interesting details to share, but I'm sinking in boxes, not to mention the fact that we don't have internet set up yet.  So without further adieu, here's the final wrap-up to Run Swim Bike Cook 2014.

The challenge: cherry and honey.  The result?  Kind of a flop.  I found a recipe for Cherry, Cinnamon, and Honey scones that looked interesting, although I should have been wary since the recipe differed drastically from my favorite go-to scones.  Fresh cherries were out of season, and the only dried cherries I could find were in a combo pack with cranberries and blueberries.  The recipe called for full-fat yogurt and mine was fat-free, but still I forged ahead undaunted.  With all of the kids home from school, an extra trip to the grocery store was out of the question. 

And so one frigid morning, I surprised the kids with homemade scones for breakfast.  Thrilled, they ran to the table, sighed contentedly because the kitchen smelled great, posed for a picture, took one bite, and left the rest untouched.   They probably could have overlooked the heavy texture and general lack of flakiness.  Unfortunately, they couldn't get past my "special" ingredient--the inclusion of a gourmet ginger honey from Lithuania.  While I personally love ginger, the flavor is admittedly quite intense and didn't mellow during baking.  Note to self: in future baking ventures, the combination of cherry, cinnamon, honey, and ginger is just one flavor too many.

Always prepared with a creative solution, Talia came to the rescue by suggesting we sample the special food Papa K brought home the day before: garlic mustard pickled eggs.  (By the way, the henna painting on her hand came from Girl Scout World Thinking Day.)

Back to the eggs, I was supremely grossed out by the concept, let alone the unnatural color.  When my daughter offered me one, I nearly turned my nose up completely before remembering how willingly our kids eat all the strange and unusual things we throw on their plates.  It was only fair that I also try a bite with a good attitude.

And so, we all summoned our courage and sampled the delicacy.  After finally getting the rubbery morsel down, we decided to let Papa K finish the rest.

And so, I guess Week 4's culinary challenge is all about risk-taking.  Whether the results are tasty or not, it's rewarding to be brave enough to try.

Other news:  I finished!  2.2 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles running, and not a moment too soon.  At 10 pm on February 28th, I lamented to Jason that I was still 2 miles short on the run.  Life had gotten complicated, and I'd missed my last trip to the gym.  Amazing man that he is, he climbed out of bed, got into his running clothes, and insisted on running the last two miles with me, despite the freezing cold and snow.  It felt so rewarding to actually finish--thanks, love. 

After such an intense month of training, I'd love to take a break, but it's time to start training for June's Utah Valley Marathon.  Thanks to the help of RSBC, I'm off to a good start.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

There may be a special place in the hereafter for those who not only tolerate, but actually enjoy the taste of pickled eggs, buttermilk, and perhaps vegemite.

Congratulations on finishing your RSBC and for adapting well to your terrific new, 114 year old, home. It has a real family-friendly feel, and you are a real family!

Susie said...

The scones really do sound interesting. I am very impressed with how willing your children are to try new foods and how broad their culinary taste buds have traveled! I think my reaction to the eggs would be the same!! Looking forward to seeing your "new" home!

Erin Gibbons said...

I love your adventurous recipes! They sound so overwhelming to me but I wish I had the ambition to attempt some of your creative meals!
The summary of your schedule the other day reminds me of one my mission president's wife spoke/wrote about. It went along the lines of feeding this child, helping this child find such-and-such, helping another child with his music, cleaning up after another child's upset stomach, all before 8am! I couldn't find it online for you but I know it's in her book "A Mother's Influence" (by Margaret Nadauld) which is a quick and fulfilling read.
I'm also dying to know which house you ended up getting! I hope the cleaning is done (sometimes I wonder: would it really be all that bad to have given mothers a magic cleaning power in the snap of her fingers?) and you are thoroughly enjoying your new family home!

Brittney Richards said...

Kudos to your kids who eat just about everything. I never doubted that you would finish, you are amazing. Congratulations on the new house. Miss you.

Chou said...

So, so amazing!