In less than two weeks, residency placements will be announced, in a fun-but-terrifying “ceremony” held by the medical school.  Basically, the residency placement process after medical school involves you making a ranking list of all the places you interviewed at, and the programs do the same of all the applicants that they interviewed.  A giant computer locked in a super secret location (at least that’s how I envision it) combines all the data and spits out your perfect “match”.  It sounds like speed dating, doesn’t it?

Matches are revealed on March 15th.  The ceremony involves people opening their match letter and reading it out loud in front of the whole school.  As someone who doesn’t like surprises, this sounds horrifying to me!  I’m planning to open my letter in private with Pat instead, even if that makes me a wet blanket.

Mini Vanilla Bean Pavlovas

From Camille Styles

4 egg whites, at room temp – you can save the yolks for the curd recipe below

1 cup sugar, preferably superfine

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 vanilla bean

1.  Beat room temperature egg whites on medium high until thick.  With the motor running, add the sugar very slowly.

2.  Add salt, cream of tartar and the seeds from vanilla bean.  Continue beating on high until mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form.

3.  Drop 8 scoops of mixture, about 1/2 cup each, onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Use a spoon to make a well in the center of each meringue.

4.  Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees F.  Turn the oven off and allow meringues to cool in the oven with the door ajar for 2 more hours.

Blood Orange Curd

From Domestic Fits

Blood orange zest from two blood oranges

1/2 cup blood orange juice, about 3 blood oranges

1 Tbs lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. corn starch

1 whole egg plus three yolks

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed

1. Combine the zest, juices, sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a small saucepan and whisk until combined.  Add the butter and cook over medium/low heat.  Whisk until thickened, about 10 minutes.

2.  Allow to cook to room temp.  You can refrigerate until ready to use, up to three days.

Mini Pavlovas with Blood Orange Curd

Mini Pavlovas

Blood Orange Curd

1 cup whipping cream

2 T. sugar

Blood oranges, for garnish

1. Whip the cream and sugar until it holds a soft peak.

2.  Layer the homemade whipped cream and blood orange curd onto each mini vanilla bean pavlova.

3.  Garnish with sliced blood oranges, if desired.

The post Mini Pavlovas with Blood Orange Curd {Recipe} appeared first on Running Blonde.

I have wanted to try a s’mores cupcakes recipe for so long!  I’ve seen several recipes online for cupcakes with a chocolate base, but I really wanted to replicate my favorite cupcakes from Cupcakes a Go Go, a local bakery in Madison.  Luckily, I came across a great recipe from Bon Appetit. I also loved that it had a chocolate ganache on top.  I paired this with Martha Stewart’s marshmallow frosting recipe to create the ultimate s’mores cupcakes recipe!

These cupcakes will also be making an appearance on my wedding dessert table.  So far the plan is Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cake with Caramel Buttercream, decorated sugar cookies, blueberry pie, and cheesecake!  I can’t believe the wedding is less than three months away.  There is still a lot to do, but I feel like I’m making great progress.

Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Adopted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

Homemade Marshmallow Frosting

From Martha Stewart
Makes enough for 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

S’mores Cupcakes Recipe

1.  Cover graham cracker cupcakes with ganache, as above

2.  Pipe homemade marshmallow frosting on each cupcake.  I used a Wilton 1M tip but next time I will probably use an open large tip, like the Wilton 1A. I think it would toast a bit easier this way

3.  Use a kitchen torch to “toast” the marshmallow frosting.  Alternatively, you could use your broiler but you have to keep a very close eye on them as there is a very fine line between toasted and charred!

The post S’mores Cupcakes {Recipe} appeared first on Running Blonde.

We recovered from the disappointment by pretending that we were celebrities instead.  Cue sunglasses, big cameras and headscarves:

“No photos please!”

Luckily, our friend Steve is a photographer, so we were able to take our own celebrity glamour shots:   

I’m really photogenic, don’t you think?  

 All photos courtesy of Steven Knurr

The post 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Part II {Travel} appeared first on Running Blonde.

Happy Monday!  For whatever reason, I feel absolutely refreshed by a wonderful weekend and ready to tackle the week.  That doesn’t happen that often!

By February, it always seems that winter has outstayed its welcome.  One of my favorite things about winter is that citrus season.  Although grapefruit are on the way out, there is still time to pick up a bag to make this amazing grapefruit sorbet recipe!  It is the perfect mix of tart and sweet, and is absolutely refreshing.  The color is absolutely stunning too!  It’s enough to make me wax poetic.

I remember reading somewhere that if you put your citrus in the microwave for a few seconds before squeezing, it makes it easier to get every last bit of juice out.  Of course, I forgot to try it, but let me know if you do and have any success!

Grapefruit Sorbet Recipe

Adopted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients:

The post Grapefruit Sorbet {Recipe} appeared first on Running Blonde.

Pat was already out in Colorado skiing, so he drove to meet me in Salt Lake City.  We were also joined by our friends, Holly and Steve.  Thanks to some work rewards points, Holly was able to snag us a beautiful room at the  Marriot Mountainside, at the base of the Park City Ski Resort!  The best thing about the rooms is that they have full kitchens.

We decided to take full advantage of all the Mountainside had to offer.  Before Pat left, I packed his car with the spices and dry ingredients to make several meals for us, as well as lots of snacks for when we were hitting the slopes!  I don’t think the staff at the Marriott had seen anything like us.  It took two hotel carts to unload Pat’s car – it was like the Beverly Hillbillies were moving in!

We had the last laugh though – we ate like kings all weekend!  We stopped at the Costco in SLC and picked up a huge fillet of salmon, a 2.5 pound bag of spinach (!), blue cheese, eggs, and yogurt.  This was enough food that we did not have to eat out all weekend.  We had pomegranate-balsamic glazed salmon, turkey chili, egg scrambles, couscous, delicata squash and lots and lots of spinach!  It became a running joke that the spinach bag refilled itself.  Even though it felt like we had used so much of it, it never showed signs of emptying.

Our kitchen was stocked with bright yellow Fiestaware – isn’t it gorgeous? I had to suppress the urge to run out and buy a set as soon as we got home.

We also packed some homemade limoncello and some Wisconsin beer, anticipating that alcohol would be expensive and hard to come by.

We were able to see three films over the course of the weekend.  They all turned out to be in the ‘Next’ category, which is reserved for up-and-coming filmmakers with small budgets.  I wish I could say that our minds were blown by the films we saw, but unfortunately they all seemed to teeter on the brink of art and….what-the-heck?

Our favorite film was This is Martin Bonner, which won the audience favorite award.  It tells the story of a man just out of prison and his mentor, Martin Bonner, as they both help each other get their lives back on track.  It was definitely a gem.

The other two films – Computer Chess and I Used to Be Darker – were just a little too weird for our simple tastes.

Stay tuned for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Part II on Monday!

 All photos courtesy of Steven Knurr

The post 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Part I {Travel} appeared first on Running Blonde.

The race is set up as a team competition.  Neither of us had our best race, but we still managed to take 8th place out of 54 teams.  The fastest couple ran 17:51 and 16:05 races!  That is so fast.

The price was right for the race – it cost only $8 for the two of us to get out their and check our off-season fitness.  Time to get things in gear to be ready to race in May!

Here we are, tired but happy:

The post UW Running Club Valentine’s 5K {Fitness} appeared first on Running Blonde.

The rustic cake design is very simple.  You can just dollop on cream cheese icing and spread it to make an even layer.  You don’t need to level your cake layers, crumb coat, or do any piping!  Check out the cake stand – Pat made if for me with a mug and plate we bought at Goodwill for about $2.  I’ll share the full DIY soon!

Best Carrot Cake – Recipe

1 8 oz can  Crushed Pineapple – reserve 1 T. of juice

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
16 oz. Cream Cheese, softened (2 pkgs)
3 c. Powdered Sugar
4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 small pinch Salt

1.  Cream the butter with a mixer for 2 minutes until pale and light.

2.  Add the cream cheese and cream for 2 minutes, until well mixed.

3.  Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time.

4.  Add the salt and vanilla and mix well.  You can add more powdered sugar to if you want it sweeter.

To assemble the cake:

1.  Place on cake layer on your cake stand with the flatter end up.  Layer with about half the cream cheese icing, letting the frosting hang over the edge slightly.

2.  Place your second cake layer, flatter end up.  Spread with the remaining cream cheese icing

3.  Decorate as you like!

The post Best Carrot Cake {Recipe} appeared first on Running Blonde.

Heart Valentine Cookies with Royal Icing

You will need:

• Sugar Cookies
• Powdered Sugar
• Meringue Powder – My favorite is Ateco
• Cream of Tartar
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Gel Food Coloring
• Piping Bags
• Piping Tips – I love this set

1.  Make your royal icing by hand mixing 3/4 c. warm water and 5T. meringue powder in your mixing bowl for 30 seconds.

2.  Add 1 tsp. cream of tartar and mix another 30 seconds.

3.  Add 2.25 lbs of powdered sugar and mix with the paddle attachment on slow speed for 10 to 15 minutes or until  the icing is thick and glossy.  Add 1 tsp. vanilla and mix another 30 seconds

4.  Separate out about 3 cups of icing into another small bowl.  Thin the icing, a few drops of water at a time until when you run a knife through it, it takes about 10 seconds for the mark to disappear.

5.  Add the only slightly thinned royal icing to your piping bag and pipe an outline on the cookies.

6.  Add about 10 more drops of water to the icing in the small bowl and fill another piping bag.  Use this icing to “flood” your cookies.  Tap them gently so the frosting settles.

7.  Use gel icing coloring to create different colors to pipe your designs with.  For this icing, I used a consistency that was about the same as the outlines.

8.  Pipe away!  You can use a glass with a wet paper towel in the bottom to hold the bags when you aren’t using them.  You can also cover your large bowl of royal icing with a piece of plastic wrap to keep it from drying out while you work.

P.S. – How cute is the cookie sheet I used?  I got it for $1 at St. Vincent de Paul.  What a find!

The post Heart Valentine Cookies {Recipe} appeared first on Running Blonde.

Coffee Cake-Chocolate Chip-Cappuccino Muffins {Recipe}

Adopted from The Kitchy Kitchen

Ingredients:

The post Coffee Cake-Chocolate Chip-Cappuccino Muffins {Recipe} appeared first on Running Blonde.

Brooks is far and away my favorite running company.  As a member of the Brooks Inspire Daily program, it is awesome to be associated with Brooks and I am proud to wear their products.  They are the only major sports company the focuses purely on running and they are leading the field in innovations for runners of all skill levels.  The work they put into their products shows with how long they last – I have run hundreds of miles in some of their gear and it still looks almost new.

Without further ado, here is what I wear for all different types of weather, with links to the Brooks website for you to check out the clothes for yourself.

A few caveats – this is just a guide, obviously.  You may want to “jump down” a category if it is windy, dark, rainy, or depending on the intensity of your workout.  Also, please contact your healthcare provider before starting a new workout routine.

What to Wear When Running – Hot Weather

                            Featured clockwise from upper left: Versatile Bra | Nightlife Hat | Glycerin Support Tank | Nathan Water Bottle | Infiniti Short Tight | Versatile Low Cut Socks

———————————————————————————-

What to Wear When Running – Warm Weather

                            Clockwise from upper left: Sunshield Visor | Brooks Podium Short Sleeve | Women’s Infiniti Short II | Versatile Low Cut Socks 3 Pack

—————————————————————————————

What to Wear When Running – Cool Weather

                            Clockwise from upper left: Podium Short Sleeve Tee | Epiphany Long Sleeve Tee | Glycerin Capri II | Versatile Low Cut 3 Pack | Pulse Lite Glove

—————————————————————————————

What to Wear When Running - Cold Weather

                            Clockwise from upper left: Infiniti Tight II | Epiphany Long Sleeve Top | Pulse Lite Gloves | Infiniti Headband | Nightlife Socks

—————————————————————————————

What to Wear When Running – Freezing Weather

Infiniti BeanieClockwise from upper left: HVAC Glove | Nightlife Essential Long Sleeve 1/2 Zip | Nightlife Sock | Utopia Thermal Pant | Essential Run Vest II

—————————————————————————————

What to Wear When Running – Frigid Weather

Nightlife LSD JacketClockwise from upper left: Nightlife LSD Lite Jacket III | Balaclava | Essential Run Vest II | Utopia 2 in 1 Mitten | Silver Bullet Wind Tight  | Nightlife Sock | Equilibrium Long Sleeve Top

The post What to Wear When Running {Fitness} appeared first on Running Blonde.