Quality Run and Green Tomato Muffins

I was determined to put the hamstring to the test today with a quality paced run.  It held up.  There was a little bit of ache in the hamstring but nothing that prevented a good run.  I was able to do 7.32 miles at 8:42 pace.  There was no way to avoid the hills since I went through the golf course and up to the eagle.  The run down from the eagle is always a blast.  Love that down hill.

Since it’s such a gorgeous morning, Ted and I are taking the bikes to breakfast and then log some cycling miles.  There’s only a little bit of hamstring involved in cycling so I’ll depend on my quads for strength. 

Are you doing any exercise today or is Sunday your day off? 

MUFFINS TODAY

If you have your own garden and it is growing great guns this summer, then maybe you are over whelmed in tomatoes.   After all, most garden growers have tomatoes in their crop, right?   Now the bushes are heavy with fruit.  You want to relieve the bush of some of the burden and you pick the green tomatoes. 

Do you ripen them in your window?  Do you make fried green tomatoes? (that’s another post ) or do you make Green Tomato Muffins for the upcoming Labor Day picnic with family and friends?    MAKE THE MUFFINS!  

The following recipe looks like a whole lot of ingredients but you only use one bowl and use a spoon, NOT your electric or hand held mixer.

Green Tomato Muffins – Makes 12 large muffins plus 1 mini loaf.

• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg *or simply increase cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp.
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup raisins *remember, if you have anyone who doesn’t like raisins in the family, puree them and THEN add to the mixture.  You really should use them in some form in this recipe.
• 2 cups green tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a large mixing bowl and using a spoon, mix together the sugars, oil, milk,  eggs, and vanilla.

When the above is well blended, add the flours, baking powder, salt, spices.  Just stir until blended.  Add the pecans, raisins, and green tomatoes.

Spray large muffin tins with non-stick spray and a mini loaf pan.  Add batter to tins and pan, about 3/4 full, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes for the muffins and about 35 – 40 minutes for the loaf.  Make sure your knife, when inserted in the middle of the baked goods, comes out clean.  This will mean the green tomato treats are done. 

The other night we watched…

The Joneses.  It is what it implies, a movie about keeping up with the Joneses.  I’ve never been a fan of David Duchovny, but in this movie, his character was my favorite.  He played the roll well.

The story line takes a little bit to finally get the gist of what’s going on.  It gets slow in the middle but overall, because it’s so different, it’s worth watching.

Joanne