one week in... and banana bread

I wanted to wake up early to send nice, encouraging messages to some of my friends who ran in the Baltimore Running Festival today, but then I realized it was Saturday and that I ran my own 5k a week ago and that I haven't slept in in about a month. So I slept until 8:51AM, lazied downstairs, and made some banana bread. Better late than never - Michelle, Rachel, Jaime and Meg, I hope y'all stayed dry and ran like the wind!

Well, I've been 30 for a whole week now and what a week it's been. I had one of the most wonderful and happy birthdays I've had in a very very long time. I started out by waking up extra early for my big 5k, a banana and some coconut water for breakfast, running shoes on, Britney pumping through my headphones, and I was off. Would you believe I finished that race in my best time ever? Because I totally did! Even though there were moments when I thought to myself 'Ugh, I hate this, I just want to walk; why are there so many people around grr grumble grumble' I kept on truckin' and finished those 3.1 miles in 27 minutes and 9 seconds, coming in 121st place! That's pretty damn awesome among over a thousand runners (441 of whom were timed like me,) especially since it was my very first 5k. Afterwards I enjoyed what Honey cleverly referred to as a Runner's Mimosa - 1 can of sparkling white wine and a fresh orange - before heading out to a giant, delicious, waterfront brunch of a fried egg and crabcake sandwich with avocado and sriracha on Texas toast with a giant, spicy Bloody Mary on the side.

basking in the glow of completing my first 5k - a healthy happy birthday!

After a long nap (I'm allowed to take naps now since I'm old,) my honey made me the most amazing supper ever - apple brined thick-cut pork chops, spicy bacony collared greens, and a root vegetable mash with thyme and rosemary infused cream. Holy cannoli was it delicious; seriously, the best at-home pork chop I've ever had in my entire life. I'll make him type up the recipes so I can share them because that's the kind of meal that deserves to be shared. After our early supper we headed off the the movie theatre for some 3D IMAX space action. Gravity is the scariest movie I've seen in a long time. Since we got there late the only seats available were in the very front row so it was pretty much like we were drowning in space. My hands were gripping the seat, I jumped a few times, spilled popcorn all over myself (though to be fair, I do that in almost every movie because I'm a popcorn slobollahead.) Go see it. It was terrifying.

you're never too old to make a wish

Home again home again for cake and ice cream and champagne and presents. And not just any cake, a scratch cake! And one that completed the theme of my homemade meal - that everything gets better with age. He whipped up a Caramel Apple Redemption cake. I'd never heard of it before either and thank goodness because I pretty much ate the entire three layer, fluffy, gooey confection on my own. Now that I'm 30 I have an excuse for being an old frump and going to bed early and boy, did I take advantage of that. 11PM bedtime on my bday, yes please! Between the fabulous day of and the wonderful weekend before I can safely say that this was one of my best birthdays yet. Thank you to everyone involved. Let's make sure this year is the best one ever... until 31!

Side note: Even though I didn't sign on for the Baltimore Running Festival today, I did take myself out for a quick little jog through the park which coincidentally is part of the marathon route. So I guess I technically ran part of the marathon. Like, maybe an eighth of a mile or so. And because bananas are good running food, here's that banana bread recipe to get you all pumped and energized - 

perfect for canceling out the calories burned while running

elise's friend heidi's friend mrs. hockmeyer's banana bread 
adapted from simply recipes and spiced up by me
ingredients
4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 c salted butter, melted
3/4 c dark brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp bourbon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 tsp roasted cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp garam masala
equal sprinklings of cloves, ginger, allspice
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c flour
directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl, stir melted butter into smashed bananas using a wooden spoon. Mix in sugar, egg, vanilla and spices making sure to blend completely.
2. Sprinkle in the baking soda and salt before mixing in. Lastly, mix in the flour being sure to incorporate completely.
3. Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack before serving.