Cooking and Running and Cooking

– French fries! I’ve been wanting a big pile of ‘em, so I cut up two medium-small Russet potatoes from the cabin garden and made some. They were seasoned with salt, onion powder, and paprika (baked for 30 minutes at 425F), and they totally hit the spot. I rounded the meal out with fake turkey slices and a mini soy ice cream sandwich; they make me marvel at how far the vegetarian offerings have come. I remember the first time I found fake ‘chicken’ nuggets (in 2003, in the Lake District) — I was so excited, but they were flavorless and mushy. These days, it seems like I can pick up pretty much any veggie/vegan product and be fairly sure that it’s going to be tasty.
– I broke a three-week running hiatus with a three-mile run this evening. Whenever it’s been more than a week since I laced up my running shoes, I start to feel like I was never a runner in the first place. But I reckon even just three miles isn’t too bad after an extended break like that. My lungs were feeling rough, but word on the street is that allergies were bothering people today. I actually woke up in the middle of the night with my nose running, something that’s never happened before. I thought I might be coming down with a cold, which was why I went for a run in the first place (’cause sometimes that’s what you need when you’re lethargic and have had a headache all day?). Either way (allergies or germs), I feel perfectly fine now.
– Remember when I bought a second yogurt maker (for only $2.50!)? I wasn’t sure what I would do with two of them, but I guess the answer is make twice as much yogurt. It’s actually really convenient, since I buy a half-gallon of organic milk, but each maker only holds four cups. In the past, I’ve just done a second batch once I’ve et up the first, but this way, I only have to re-pasteurize the milk (and clean all the bowls) once. Yes! I knew there was a reason to have two yogurt makers, one that doesn’t have anything to do with hording.
– Seeing how I was on a making-stuff kick with the yogurt, I used a bunch of apple-orchard apples (Haralsons) to make apple sauce. I left the peels on (it all gets pureed, anyway), so the sauce is lovely and pink. I also chopped some up and cooked them with brown sugar and cinnamon. I might have to get some vanilla ice cream and go to town with that stuff.