Green Velvet Cake

Sometimes I miss my unemployment days. My usual day would consist of swimming, biking, bodyboarding or running in the morning, eat breakfast, nap and look for jobs. After lunch, I'd work on small projects or bake something if I was in the mood. Good times. Anyways, I was off for a few days and decided to try this Red Velvet Cake I saw on Foodjimoto. 

So why green instead of red? Well, it's because I ran out of red, didn't want to pay $7 for 24oz and green was one of the colors I had left in the 4 color pack. According to some friends it looks like "Oscar the Grouch" or like x-mas trees with snow on top.

Green Velvet Cake 

1. 1c shorting

2. 1 3/4c sugar

3. 2 1/2c sifted flour

4. 1 1/4t salt

5. 2 eggs

6. 1c buttermilk (substituted with 1T vinegar added 1c of milk)

7. 1t baking soda

8. 1 1/2t vinegar

8. 1t vanilla extract

9. 1/4oz green food coloring

10. 1 1/2t coco powder

In a using a mixer combine 1 and 2 till mixed well. 

In another bowl, combine 3 and 4. Set aside. 

Mix 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 together. Add to the shorting mixture 1c at a time alternating with the flour/salt mix.

In a small bowl, mix 9 and 10. Add to batter and mix till combined. 

Line the bottom of two round cake pans with parchment or wax paper. 

Divide the batter between the two cake pans. 

Bake at 350deg for 25min or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Icing

1. 1 1/2oz cream cheese (I used 1 block)

2. 3/4c softened butter

3. 1 1/2lb powdered sugar 

4. 1/4t salt

5. 2t vanilla extract

Combine well. 

Enjoy! 

Would I make this again? Sure. I might cut the amount of sugar needed in the icing since I thought it was a little sweet.

Read More

Previews

Been a little busy lately but fear not, I am working on it. 

It's like winter green velvet cake

Cute Chinese masseuse alternative

Never to old for stickers

Read More

Tomato Corn Chowder

So I was feeling a little sick the other day and didn't feel like chicken noodle soup. Since the slumlords made their monthly collection, I needed to make do with what I hand. After seeing this recipe for Tomato Corn Chowder on Foodjimoto, I decided to give it a shot. 

Tomato Corn Chowder 

Peeled Tomatoes

Minced Garlic (she used roasted garlic, I didn't have or was in the mood to make any)

1 Can of unsalted non-creamed corn (She used fresh)

2 slices bacon

1 small red potato

1 can chicken or vegetable broth

1 small onion, diced

Salt, Pepper and Tabasco for taste 

Chop and crush tomatoes and set aside. 

Slice and fry bacon in a pot till crisp. Drain fat. Add in onions and cook till soft. Add in garlic and potato. Saute for a few minutes. Add in tomatoes, corn and broth. Let simmer till potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper. It came out pretty good despite having no roasted garlic or fresh corn. I'm sure it would taste even better with those.

Read More

New hydration/gear setup

So I've been thinking about changing my setup for sprint and Olympic distance races my current setup isn't very aerodynamic. Currently, I have one water bottle on the frame, a tool kit bag under the seat and a bento box. After reading a few articles on ST, I've decided to give the horizontal mounted and under the seat mounted styles a try.

Chris McCormack rocking the horizontal setup in the 2010 Kona Ironman.

Chris Lieto with the under seat setup.

The setup:

Apparently I didn't have zip ties long enough to work with my HED basebar, I used the a Profile Design aerodrink bracket instead. I attached the top of the cage to the bracket while the bottom was attached to the basebar. Since I'm on a budget, I had to use what was available. 

With water bottle. Computer is mounted right behind bottle, somewhat blocking it from the wind. 

 Front view. Computer is blocked by the bottle. 

For the rear setup, I used the Minoura cage holder which can be found on eBay for under $12.

Depending on seat construction, this may or may not work for you. 

The cage can be bent to insure a tighter fit.

 Front view of rear cage. Pretty minimal.

With this rear setup, I can place my flat kit, tools, tube and cell phone all in a water bottle.

The whole setup. 

I'm sure you're wondering why I don't use the PD aerodrink. Well, since my front end is really low, there isn't much space between the basebar and the front wheel. Because of this small space, the aerodrink rests upon the front tire, thus making it useless for me. Here's a good review by Tom D from Trisports.com Aerobar Drink Systems Review.

Read More

2011 Cholo's Waimea Bay 1.2 mile Swim

 Waimea Bay

I know it's a little late. Anyways, on with the report. 

Never deprive yourself of sleep. Listen to your body if it's tired. Rest and do it another day. I however, didn't listen and paid the price. Since Mondays are my sort of recovery days from working late on Sunday nights, I had every intention to be out cold by 8:30. So after a great 2K open water swim in my new SLS3 Fobic Speed suit. Little did I know, my post-workout high would be short lived. Two frantic voicemails, 3 call backs and a very quick drive home I found myself in the ER. Six hours later, starving and really grouchy, we finally got to go home. Times like this, I really wish I had a smart phone. Oh, I'm alright, it wasn't me that needed to go to the ER. The rest of the week was pretty rough. Slum lords upstairs had a visitor that would not STFU. So a good sleep was out of the question. So I woke up on Saturday morning, feeling tired as hell but decided to go do the swim. 

Stars and numbers indicate order and buoy placement.

Found parking a 1/4mile away (I'm too cheap to pay for parking) and walked to the bay. So for this race, females were to start first while males go second. I'm not sure on the whole reasoning behind this but it wasn't fun. Our wave starts and I'm feeling alright, got a good draft and started to get into a good rhythm. So somewhere between points 1 and 2,  somehow got stuck behind a slow female and blocked in by two slow guys on both sides and then it hit me. I felt really really exhausted. Almost to the point where I was having trouble breathing. I had to stop. Yes, that's right, I stopped. I dunno how long I was there trying to get my act together but it must have been a while. Anyways, got my act together and managed to finish in 37:32.9 for 20th in my AG. It's a far cry from the week before where I finished 8th. On another note, it was my second time wearing the SLS3 suit. All I can say is "Amazing". Don't forget that I stopped, I was tired and my previous time for 1.2 mile swim was a 38.04.

 

The guy in the back had a ridiculously strong kick which equaled great draft

For those who aren't familiar with Waimea Bay, some vids on how it looks during the winter. 

It's pretty crazy to see this in real life.

Read More

Veggie/Bean Herb Chicken Rice Bowl

Well I had every intention to do a write up of my Waimea Bay swim fiasco, but I forgot to load some pics onto my jump drive so you'll have to wait a bit longer. In the meantime he's one of my creations. The veggie/bean herb chicken rice bowl. 

Veggie/Bean Herb Chicken Rice Bowl

2C Cooked brown or white rice 

1 Can black beans

1 can yellow corn

 Cucumber

Tomato

1T Olive oil

Garden Herb Chicken Breast (pre-cooked package from Safeway) 

Ground black pepper (adjust to your liking)

Chili pepper flakes (adjust to your liking)

Pinch of salt 

In a large bowl, combined rice, washed black beans, corn, olive oil and chili pepper flakes.

Place mixture on a plate or bowl. Add rest of ingredients. Drizzle with more olive oil. 

Since this was a multi-day meal, I added the cucumber, tomato and chicken separately rather than all at once. I found out that the tomato and cucumber tend to get soft and make the whole dish kind of gross. 

Read More

Crock Pot Chicken

Crock pots are awesome. I won't lie, sometimes I don't have time to cook quality meals every night. With my crock pot, I just put some things in the morning, set it for x hours and forget about it. It's such an awesome thing coming home, to a house that smells like someone has been cooking for you all day. One thing I really like to do is cook a whole chicken. 

Crock Pot Chicken

Whole chicken

Garlic cloves (optional)

Lemon slices (optional)

Salt (optional)

Pepper (optional) 

Olive oil (optional) 

Place whole chicken in crock pot, no need put oil or anything else on the bottom. Place garlic and some of the lemon slices in the cavity. 

Place lemon slices on top of chicken, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. 

 

Cover and set for 10 hours on low. Set and forget. 

10 hours later...mmmm

You can debone chicken right in the pot. I tried to remove it once, but it pretty much just melted. Once done, you can toss the bones and skin or you can leave in the pot, add water to top it off, set on high for 4 hours and make broth. It's up to you. Enjoy!

Read More