300 Days of Sunshine

Bananas are finicky creatures.  Our experience in the Ross household is that bananas go from green to brown practically overnight.  We received a banana holder for Christmas, which helps somewhat with the rapid bruising and over-ripening, but I still find myself with brown bananas by the end of each week. Does anyone else have this situation going on in their kitchen? Those are some baaaddd bananas... Tired of baking the exact same banana bread week after week, I did some investigating and found these delicious recipes! Banana Buttermilk Pancakes from Closet Cooking Ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) 2 overripe bananas (mashed) Directions: 1. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. 2. Mix the buttermilk, egg, butter and bananas in another bowl. 3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients making sure to not over mix. 4. Heat a...

We Santa Feans have been so blessed this season (knock on wood) to not have any fires in our area of the National Forest.  We've had more rain and moisture this year than previous years, and the wilderness is so lush and green right now, with wild flowers in bloom and colorful, tiny butterflies fluttering about.  I took Kua on a run up to Puerto Nambe yesterday, a clearing in the woods on the way to Santa Fe Baldy.  It was such a beautiful day!   View of Baldy Queen of the Mountain Winsor Trail Kua admiring the wildflowers I remember hiking La Luz last year and feeling so impressed with all the people running  to the top of the mountain.  I also thought they were crazy.  It's challenging enough to hike  up a mountain, and I couldn't imagine running  the trail!  Well I guess now I've become one of the crazies.  A lot of my hikes have turned into trail runs.  And I love it!  (In my defense, ...

I've been a little MIA lately.  I just got back from a week-long vacation to the East Coast, where I soaked up some sun at Virginia Beach, laughed with my mom and sister over Sangria and Chardonnay, and read a whole stack of good books.  I love the landscape, mountains, and (non-humid) weather in Santa Fe, but I yearn for water!  It was so wonderful to spend a whole vacation enjoying the Atlantic Ocean, the Charles River and bays in Boston, and the Saco River in New Hampshire. The Boardwalk resort, Virginia Beach View from my balcony My mom, sister and I enjoy paddle boarding in Rudee's Inlet.  We tried some paddle board-style yoga, which is way more challenging than it looks! In Boston, my sister and I spent a morning at Walden Pond.  It was so perfect!  I recently re-read Thoreau's book, and it was amazing to see the real place.  We visited the foundation of Thoreau's house, and enjoyed a run around the lake and swimming in...

I don't know about you, but I have been cranky lately!  As soon as I got home from Minnesota last week, I just had incredible road rage at New Mexico drivers, frustration about the 90 degree afternoon heat, impatience with coworkers, spitefulness toward other shoppers in the grocery store, and annoyance at my own family.  I felt super judgmental toward everyone.  Do you ever just have those days (or weeks) when you hate everybody?   When you just think, if everyone did _____ more like I do or believed in ______ like I do, then the world would be a better place?  (How arrogant! I know! But I think everyone can relate...) Then I went to yoga, and the instructor's message totally hit home.  He talked about the Pitta dosha, the biological energy dealing with the relationship between fire and water.  The Pitta dosha can get pretty out of whack with hot temperatures, causing frustration, anger, and impatience.  There is a forest fire burning near ...

Happy Independence Day!  I have many fond memories of 4th of Julys past  -- watching fireworks from my deck, listening to the Mraz Bros band play music at Grand View Lodge, walking in parades with my cheerleading squad, running the local 5 mile race with my mom, and hanging out with my fellow drum corps friends after a full day of marching parades when I was in Blue Stars.   Working in a hospital, 4th of July is just another Friday (although with a slightly higher rate of Trauma Stats), so I didn't get to golf and day drink like the rest of my household, but I am looking forward to grilling at a friend's house tonight! My contribution to the buffet is this incredibly tasty blueberry pie from my favorite cook book, The Boozy Baker: Blueberry Rum Pie BLUEBERRY RUM PIE For the Crust: 1 1/2 cups flour 1 Tablespoon sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 stick unsalted butter, well chilled and cut in 1/2 inch cubes 1 Tablespoon dark rum 2-4 Tablespoons ice water For the Blue...

Is it truly the end of June already?!  2014 is flying by!  One of my goals this year is to read 52 books again (one book per week for a year) and I'm well on my way to achieving this goal.  I've already read some really great books this year, and a nice variety of novels, poetry, nonfiction, new releases, and a few classics.  Look to the right for a complete list.  Here are a few of my favorites so far for 2014 … Cutting for Stone  by Abraham Verghese This is one of the best books I've read in a long time and I would give it 6 stars if I could.  It is an emotional and complex story about twin boys raised in an Ethiopian missionary hospital after their mother dies giving birth and their father abandons them.  In the beginning, the boys were inseparable, known simply as ShivaMarion, until complex family drama and life events tear the pair apart, only to later be reunited at a most pivotal time.  It's a story about humanity and rel...

Today I joined my dad in running his first ever 5K race!  My dad's "comfort zone" workout style is indoors on the treadmill or stationary bike, multitasking with reading or checking email as he exercises (in fact he's probably on the treadmill reading this right now!), followed by strength training.  It was definitely a big step for him to sign up for and complete a race, and he kicked butt!  I'm so proud of him, and of everyone who completes a race for the first time, for stepping outside of the routine and trying something new and challenging.  My dad probably doesn't consider himself a runner, but today he ran a 5K and can now give himself that title! I also want to take this opportunity to give a shout out to all the members of my family who completed (or will complete) races this year.  My brother ran a 5K on St. Patrick's Day with his girlfriend (along with my sister), my sister ran her first full marathon last month, my husband did a sprint tr...