Thru Endurance We Conquer!

And dry air - but no fire! A few months ago, Nick and I got a lovely Excalibur Dehydrator. Why? I remember the round, plastic thing Dad got for Mom many many years ago. It made apple slices and that's about it. It also required a ton of work to rotate trays and keep things balance. So when Nick suggested the dehydrator, I was skeptical. I did hours of research and we ended up with the Excalibar dehydrator. Why that model? It has a rear fan and blows air evenly across all of the trays in the unit so technically no flipping around every two seconds. And my research proved accurate. This has been wonderful so far. I can fill up the trays, set the timer and go out for a run and my food will be done when I get back. Of course, I started with apple slices since that's what I had in the fridge and it would be a good test of how it worked. The apples came out delicious. OK! Time to practice with some more complicated things. The ultimate goal is to be able to make meals for Nick whil...

Another reason I love bread. It's a community thing - especially with Facebook and such. Make a batch of bread, take some pictures and post. And viola! Plenty of suggestions and tips from the world. After my first attempt at yeast bread, I posted up some pictures and got some useful ideas , like use some starches, honey in the yeast and such . So I encorporated some, did some more reading and rolled up my sleeves for batch two. The dough waiting to rise to my second batch of bread For this batch, I let the yeast proof a little longer, using some honey as well as the sugar and some milk in the warm liquid. It went crazy and I had some fabulous foam. I added eggs (forgot to get them to room temperature first) and some different starches to dough when mixing. That all seemed to work well - had a decent rise. Still denser then I wanted, but good. Felt like I was making progress in my attemptes at a nice, crusty loaf. Add caption On the third try, I added another egg and ...

There is something about a fresh loaf of bread - it resonates of home and love. Is it because of the effort involved in crafting a loaf of bread from scratch? The warmth of the oven and the earthy smell filling the air as it bakes? I don't know. My mom always made fresh bread - we never had store bought growing up. I can remember the light crunch of the ends, dripping with honey just after it came out of the oven. We'd fight over the crusty ends as kids and I always assumed I'd figure out how to craft my own yummy loaves. First attempt at bread - still have some work to do Before Nick had to go gluten free, I'd make bread occasionally. Not enough to get practiced at it, but enough to be dangerous. It was work, but always worth it. As I got busier with life, the effort of making bread fell to the wayside. We didn't eat that much of it before and afterwards... well not worth it for just me. While I've gotten good at baking muffins and such - the easy glute...

It's that time of year - the squash are growing wild and overwhelming home cooks everywhere. I used to have difficulty with using up the zuchinni and yellow squash. After all, there's only so many zuchinni breads we can eat and sautéed squash gets old. So I'd experimented with one of Nick's favorite breakfast foods. Potatoe pancakes - almost latkes, but not quite. They are versiitle - good for any meal. I'll serve them with eggs for breakfast, under a bed of green and chicken for lunch and with almost anything at supper. I figured that zuchinni would add some flavor and sneak in some veggies to our diet. And I was right - it's hard to even notice the squash in the potato pancakes.  Shred three medium potatoes and set aside Heat skillet on medium heat.  Combine into large bowl: Shred two zuchinni or yellow squash - or one of each.  Chop finely 1/2 cup or more fresh parsley Mince two cloves fresh garlic Mince one medium onion Chop finely any other fresh herbs you ...

This year, I've been trying something new - a CSA share full of veggies and such. More on that later - but one issue I've had is how to use up some of the awesome greens I've gotten. Example one - collard greens. I've never cooked with collard greens before and the few experiments I did with the first batch weren't all that tasty. Then a coworker suggested steaming them overnight with bacon - getting the flavor of the bacon and softening the greens to point they could be eaten. Now, I didn't see the point of just cooking the collard greens if I could make a full meal with little fuss. Hence the lentils. Cooking is an inexact experiment and art form in my house, so this is more of a guideline then a recipe. I was also trying to use up a few of the items from my box besides the collard greens... In a slow cooker or crockpot, combine: - about 1.5-2 cups of lentils - six (or more - depending on how meaty you want it) slices of uncooked bacon, chopped into sm...

It's no secret I've been using the Skratch Labs Feedzone cookbooks for the last year. I've gotten recipes for training food and living food, ranging from fish tacos to  pie and rice cakes to meat balls. Everything I've tried has been good and well deserving of the hashtag #yum. I've also taken the basics of the recipes - like the pie crust. I'll make the basic pie crust using the gluten free flour and then go crazy with fillings. From strawberry-rhubarb to banana-coconut-pecan, everything has been good and yummy on the bike. And although, I'm not an egg person, Nick is. So I've also tried the baked eggs and a few other things. Last time I made baked eggs, I chunked potatoes and tossed them under the eggs before baking. Nick liked it, but it was a little messy. So this time I took it a step further and made potatoe nests for the eggs. And viola - a nice, neat package for the eggs. So with great respect and thanks to Skratch Labs for the ideas, here's ...

I've been making more of my own food for racing and riding this year with good success . I've have fewer stomach issues and been able to stay on top of hydration better without over loading my system. A lot of the recipes I've been using - my rice bars, the peach/cottage cheese pies and my granola - have come from The Feed Zone Cookbook    and Feed Zone Portables . I got the first book on a whim last year because a lot of my friend were talking about it. Well, after making many of the recipes (and some have become staples) I got the second book right away when it came out. And that's where the pies are... There are four different crust options and both savory and sweet fillings. I've made all of the crusts, but usually stuck with a cottage cheese, peach, coconut filling, similar to the strawberry filling in the book. But then on our Thanksgiving day ride, I was daydreaming about pumpkin and pumpkin pie. Time to get creative! I made the original crust from Feed Zon...

With Nick's dietary issues, we've had to make some major changes in our food for 24 hour races. Gone are the cheap, but ohh so yummy Little Debbie cakes and other wheat filed treats that we used to get. Even I have cut back on the wheat cookies and cakes for the races - more out of convince then anything else. I don't have any dietary constraints, but we also don't want to risk contamination with Nick's food. So when I figured out how to make this chocolate cake gluten free, it was perfect. Replacing the junk food that Nick couldn't have with some high calorie, high fat rocket fuel. Chocolate cake, mmm... Or if 24 hour racing isn't your thing, this cake works great for entertaining. It's simple to start with, but can be dressed up in so many different ways. I have some ideas following the basic recipe that work for both racing and entertaining.  Chocolate cake: Separate 5 eggs, placing whites in large mixing bowl and 4 yolks in dish. Preheat o...

When we were at Fruita ( day 1 , day 2 and day 3 ), I didn't use as many gels or chews as I usually have for long rides. I used the Gu Brew and Gu Tabs in my bottles for my electrolytes because it was much hotter than what we had been used to in Colorado Springs. Yay - the endless winter with inches of snow every weekend! What I didn't do was load my bottle full of gels and take in all my calories in my liquids. I wanted to keep those separate. Eat my food and drink my fluids. I got the idea for doing this after reading the Feedzone Cookbook . There was a lot of conversation in that book about why it's important to keep fluids and fuel separate especially when it's hot out. I had already been doing something similar at the 24 hour races. Focusing on eating while I was in pit and drinking a mild electrolyte solution while out on the course - not trying to replace all the calories I was burning while I was riding. So far I've made the chocolate peanut coconut rice ca...

After the last 24 hour race where our fueling wasn't up to snuff due to the craziness around the event, I decided I needed to try something new. I had gotten most of my calories from Snickers bars and cookies and other junk food, but was never satisfied the entire event. I wanted more "real" food, but still something that was easy to digest. The chicken and rice soup always hit the spot, but was a hassle to deal with in the make-shift tent we had set up. With some big races coming up, I decided that it was time to start playing around in the kitchen. I have The Feed Zone Cookbook , but hadn't gotten more then just flipping through and looking at the pictures. This time, I pulled it out with the intent to try a few of the portable recipes. I'm not a huge bacon fan and I was looking for something with a little longer shelf life then the egg rice cakes. So I decided to try the Chocolate Peanut Coconut rice cakes. All flavors I love and the recipe was super easy... ...

This is more of a fall dessert, when the Jonathan apples are fresh and yummy. But it worked really well with the pink lady apples - nice and crisp with firm texture. The recipe is very simple and can be easily modified for additional servings. Baked Apples Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Half and core 3 apples and place in baking dish In small dish, combine: 2 Tbsp brown sugar 6 tbsp gluten free oats 3 Tbsp gluten free flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cardamom Add to oats mix: 3 tbsp melted butter Spoon oat mixture into cored apples. Top with raisins, crasins or nuts of choice Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or ginger almond whipped cream (below) Ginger Almond Whipped Cream Chill mixing bowl and beater Combine in chilled bowl: 3/4 cup whipping cream 1 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp almond extract 3 tbsp sugar Beat with chilled beaters on high speed until firm and peaks form. DO NOT OVERBEAT. Place in ref...

I took cookie duty for a holiday party, which meant time to play in the kitchen! Which was a good thing, because I had something I wanted to try and a can of pumpkin in the fridge. Ended up with a pile of cookies - enough for the party, enough to eat and some for the freezer! Nick liked the pumpkin cookies best, but he's not a huge chocolate fan. Yes, I think he's crazy... So here's two cookie recipes that were a big hit in the Thelen house. Hopefully, the pumpkin cookies come out right - I was winging it with some extra pumpkin for the recipe and forgot to write down exactly what I did! Double Rich Chocolate Cookies Preheat oven to 300 Combine and set aside                   2 ½ c flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour)                   ¾ tsp xanthan gum        ...

Cranberries are one of the joys of the fall season. There's nothing like the sweet tartness of homemade cranberry sauce to recall holidays and gatherings past. Since I don't have a huge family and the holidays weren't a big affair, I make just make cranberry sauce from the time the berries appear in the store to when they vanish come January. But I limited my cranberry adventures to just sauce - sometimes with a little orange or a touch of ginger. I'd never tried baking with cranberries before. So these scones were a pleasant surprise - combining all the things I love about cranberries in a light and yummy scone. Add in the ginger orange glaze and they are perfect for a holiday brunch or a not so sweet dessert. Pre heat oven to 375 and grease a large baking sheet In small bowl, combine and let sit: 1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries 1/4 cup white sugar 2 tbsp orange juice In a separate bowl, mix: 2 cups flour (combining types is okay) 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (if maki...

Hey, it's Kona week! And even though I'm not racing tris on the road that much anymore (my poor tri bike hasn't been ridden outside since 2010) I still think about the Big Island and how much fun I had over there. I was lucky enough to race Kona in 2008 - and while my time was nothing spectacular (being sick will do that to you) the whole experience of being out there was a lot of fun. So this morning, I decided to make some muffins in honor of Kona week and the racers who will pay homage to Madame Pele this Saturday. The melding of pineapple, macadamia nuts and coconut worked perfectly. And since we're athletes, I also used some flax seed and oats for whole grains, energy and omega-3s. Hawaiian Muffins Pre-heat oven to 375 and grease or line muffin tins. Again, I have my bar pans that make perfect on-the-road, jersey pocket snacks. In lager bowl, combine: - 1 c gluten free flour - 1/4 c ground flax seed - 1/4 c gluten free oats - 1/2 c millet flour (if you don...

Just in time for peach season to be almost over, I finally got around to making some peach muffins. Light and airy, with plenty of peach flavor and a yummy cinnamon sugar crumb style topping. I also made a few with a dollop of raspberry jam in the center - really delicious when the muffins are warm from the oven Preheat oven to 375 and grease muffin pans. Round muffin tins will work, but I always use small loaf style pans when I make muffins. The small loaf shape fits better in jersey pockets for riding :) Mix: 2 cups flour - I used Bobs Redmill gluten free blend. You can also mix in other kinds of flours like quinoa 1/2 tsp xanthan gum 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon (I might have used more) 1 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp cardamom In separate bowl, mix: 1 egg 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 cup milk Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix until just blended. Fold in 1 cup peaches. I used fresh, you can also use defrosted frozen...

Nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruit made for really good fuel I've had okay luck with yeast and the gluten free flours in the past - I have a feeling that user error and impatience was more to blame. This time I was more patient and allowed the yeast to rise. That made the difference in light cookies instead of heavy bricks. I also went with mixed dried fruit instead of raisins - more flavor. Yeast Cookies Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheets Dissolve 2 pkgs dry yeast in 1/2 c warm water Add, stirring till smooth:                     1 c gluten free flour (I used Bobs Redmill)                   1 tsp xanthan gum                   1 c warm milk           ...

With a box of peaches in the fridge, and a little extra time on my hands, I decided to attempt a fruit pizza today. And for a first attempt, it turned out pretty good. Nick actually decided to try a slice after it was done. I have some things to work on before posting the recipe, so this is just the overview. Crust - I wanted something kinda light, sweet and with a hint of spice. A normal bread dough wouldn't work for what I was looking for. After looking thru my cookbooks, I decided to try a scone recipe for the crust. Sweetened with honey and applesauce, it would take the extra spices well. But the basic recipe yielded dough that was much too thin. I had to add extra flour to achieve a dough I could roll out, which lost some of the light and airy texture and the flavor I was looking for. Next time, I am going to try a different scone recipe or modify before I start. I need an easily handled dough, but can't overwork it. Rolling the dough out will also help - I hand patted t...

I have never made doughnuts in my life. I've never even made something that required frying before. So in my overly antsy pre-race taper mode, I some how decided that I would try to make some doughnuts for Nick today. He hasn't had a doughnut since he went gluten free and has at times talked about missing eating them. It's not like we had them that regularly, but when driving up the pass to points west, we'd always stop at the Doughnut Mill in Woodland Park and get some treats. Mmmm - those were tasty! So I took a recipe that I had and modified it a little for the gluten free. For a first attempt, they turned out pretty good - Nick really liked them so that goal was accomplished. I did notice a few things though while working on the recipe. I did mix and need the dough a little too much. While Nick likes his doughnuts dense and doughy, for most people I think it would be a little heavy. So when getting them ready to cut out, be gentle with the dough. That should maintai...

I had a recipe for simple scones that I was going to make for snacking on this weekend. Well, I decided that I wanted something with a little more staying power and a little more energy. I like oats and have found that anything made with oats tends to be more filling. So just as I was cutting in the butter, I decided I wanted to add oats to my simple scones. Did I bother measuring? Nope - just threw in a few handfuls! But with the addition of the oats, that meant I also need to adjust the liquid content - so I added some milk to the yogurt/egg mixture. And it turned out really good - lighter then expected with the oats, fluffy and yummy. Of course, adding the chocolate chips helped with that - and so did eating them right out of the oven, with the chocolate all melty.... Pre-heat oven to 425 and grease two baking sheets In a large bowl, combine: 2 c Gluten free flour (any combo of flour works - I used 1 1/2 Bobs Red Mill and 1/2 quinoa) 1 c Gluten free oats 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum ...

Yes, I make a lot of pancakes. I love breakfast and pancakes are super simple when I'm busy with training and working. A pancake with some jam in the middle of the day also makes a great after workout snack. And there's always leftovers with pancakes, so I don't have to worry about breakfast later in the week. With that said, here's another gluten free, whole grain and fruity pancake recipe. Separating the eggs makes the pancakes light and fluffy, even with the flaxseed. If you are short on time, you don't need to do that step - just mix all the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients slowly. I used Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour, quinoa flour and blue cornmeal, but any combo of flours should work well. Separate 4 eggs and set aside yolks in large bowl Beat whites until stiff and peaks form. Set aside. Add to yolks and beat until pale: 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar Add to yolk and sugar and continue beating on low speed: 1/4 cup ground flax seed...