Rhubarb Crisp

If you even remotely like rhubarb you should keep on reading this.

My friend gave me this recipe years ago for peach crisp.

And because its spring and rhubarb is my favorite I decided to make it into a rhubarb recipe!

I promise this will be hands down the best rhubarb dessert of your life.

Yes it is full of butter and sugar and all things wonderful in life.

But just live a little and give it a try! 

 

The Best Rhubarb Crisp Of Your Life

 

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 tablespoons butter

 

Rhubarb:

3 cups rhubarb chopped

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

 

Topping:

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter

 

Combine flour, brown sugar, salt and cut in butter to make the crust. Put in a 9x9 inch baking pan, greased, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Bring to boil in saucepan rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch and water, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes or until thick. Pour into crust. Mix oats, brown sugar, flour and cut in butter. Top rhubarb mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 35-30 minutes.

 

Because there wasn't enough fat and calories in it already, I enjoyed my rhubarb crisp with a healthy dose of ice cream. Hey, June is Dairy month, so I'm just doing what I can to support my local dairy farmers!!!!



How To Burn 8,125 Calories In 5 Days

Remember that goal I had last week to burn at least 7,000 calories?

P.S. 7,000 calories = 2 pounds. 2 pounds is what I always strive to lose each week. I promise there is a method behind my madness!

And remember how I was an idiot and took not only Sunday but Monday off meaning that I had to accomplish this in 5 days?

Well I nailed it.

And by nailed it I mean I far surpassed my goal.

Curious how I did it?

Let me tell you what my week of workouts last week looked like!

Sunday: Rest.

Monday: Rest.

Tuesday: 5 am leg workout with my trainer, then 40 minutes on the step mill and 20 minutes on the elliptical. (1480 calories ... The step mill you guys, I'm not kidding when I say I'm glad I don't really know people that well at my gym. Because that thing is covered in my sweat when I'm done and I probably look like something terrifying when I get off that thing. WHEW!)

Wednesday: 6 am spinning class at my gym. Then after work I went back to the gym for a back and triceps workout followed by an hour of kickboxing. (Spinning class: 720 calories. Lifting and kickboxing: 1250 calories. I love punching and kicking the crap out of a bag!!!)

Thursday: 5 am shoulder workout with my trainer, then 30 minutes on the step mill. After work I went back to the gym for kickboxing class. (AM workout: 810 calories. PM workout: 635.)

Friday: 5:30 am bootcamp followed by a 2.5 mile run. (950 calories)

Saturday: 8 am (because I'm an adult now and I can never sleep in...annoying!) chest and bicep workout. It was too nice to stay in the gym so I headed outside for a run. I ran about a mile then found my favorite hill. And by favorite hill I mean this thing makes me want to die, but I know its good for me so I have learned to embrace her. Said hill is about a quarter of a mile long and steep! The picture doesn't even do it justice.

 
It is no secret that there is no better way to burn calories, get your heart rate up, and tone your butt and thighs simultaneously than when you run hills. And because I'm a gluten for punishment and was feeling like a badass at the moment I decided to run this hill 5 times. Yep, FIVE TIMES, guys.

 
My heart rate got as high as 187 at the top of the hill the 5th time, but I was too busy gasping for air/slightly dying that by the time I recovered a little bit to take a picture, by heart rate had already fallen a bit. 

The secret to hills (especially long ones like this one) is to stagger your intensity. I like to jog the first third of the hill, run the second third of the hill, sprint the top third of the hill, then walk for about 30-45 seconds at the top before jogging back down the hill. We called this fartlicking in cross country, and it's a good time!

I then ran another 2.5 miles.

Then mowed my lawn for an hour as a cool down.

Most would not consider mowing their lawn as a workout, however, most have a self propelled push mower. Me? Absolutely not. That would be too easy! :)

Result? 2279 calories.

 

#killedit.

 

You may be wondering why I spend so much time at the gym or why I make myself run up hills until I almost can't breathe.

 

Simply put: I love the way exercise makes me feel. I feel tighter, toned, muscular and like I could take on the world. The soreness afterwards makes me feel like I accomplished something great. It makes me happy. And the best part about exercise? I get to eat more than I would if I didn't workout. Because I really, really like food. More specifically? Good food. Like really good food. And really really good food is worth busting your ass for!!!!!

 

And on that note: I can't wait to tell you about one of my most favorite desserts. Which I indeed made and had on Saturday afternoon! :)

 

I'll give you a hint: it involved butter and sugar and more butter and a little more sugar and maybe a little rhubarb, too! YUM!!!!!

NYNM: Week ???

 

So, I've been MIA for a bit.

 

I know.

 

Life happened.

 

And my weight loss, well it really hasn't been happening.

 

You know where you hit that point where you are tired, sick of eating carrots, and annoyed that you aren't further than you actually are?

 

Yep.

 

That happened.

 

Don't worry, I'm not giving up.

 

I'm a hell of a lot smarter than that.

 

But I've been doing dumb things, like eating pancakes two days in a row. 

 

You know what happens when you do dumb things?

 

The scale doesn't go down.

 

Shocker, right? :)

 

So this week I am focusing on getting back on track.

 

My goals this week: 

 

- Burn 7000 calories. I was an idiot and took yesterday off...so stay tuned because I now have a shorter time frame to accomplish this...this will be fun! (My weeks start on Monday and go through Sunday night.)

 

- No cheats. It seems I've allowed myself countless days with a cheat here or a cheat there or a whole meal of sugar (aka pancakes!) so its time I buckle down and focus on feeding my body good foods to get back off the sugar train. It is becoming so glaringly apparent to me that my body doesn't like sugar. It makes me tired. It makes my joints hurt. And it just makes me feel crummy. So instead of looking at this goal as it is going to be complete torture, I'm looking at it like my body is going to like me when I go running again. Because I'm going to make smart choices.

 

- Sleep!!!! Holy cow I need sleep. My goal is to be in bed, and asleep, by 9 pm this week. I don't know why this has been so hard for me lately, but it's something I really have to re-focus on this week.

 

That is plenty for one week. My brain can only handle so much!

 

So, Michelle, you may ask. What HAVE you been doing besides slacking off??!?!

 

I've been on the farm!!!!

 

Playing with these cuties.

 

And snuggling these cuties!

 

And soaking up every minute of how absolutely precious my nieces are. LOOK AT HER BOOTS!!!!!!!! Gah!!!!

 

We even got a couple first timers on a horse!!!!!

 

My SIL was a champ!!!!! I think she's a natural! :)

 

We went on 4-wheeler rides and let the wind blow in our hair! :)

 

I love everything about this place. And while yes, the scale doesn't typically go down when I have long stays back at the farm, it's ok. Because in the end, life is all about balance. We need to have some fun and take time to enjoy the fine things in life instead of constantly obsessing about our diets or how many minutes of cardio we've done that day. Farming is good for my soul and I won't be sorry about it for a minute!

NYNM: Week 20

You know what happens when you eat too much birthday cake with a side of cream cheese frosting?

I'll give you two guesses but I bet you only need one. ;)

You gain weight.

2 pounds to be exact.

Writing was on the wall for that one.

I've felt like a pile of poop all week.

Sugar will do that to you, right?

That much sugar threw off my whole week, because guess what?

I craved more sugar.

And because I craved more sugar I made bad choices.

Everything was just off.

And I felt gross.

So the lesson to be learned here?

While I will always eat a ridiculously awesome cake with way too much cream cheese frosting all over it for my birthday, I don't have to make the "birthday hangover" if you will last for a week.

I need to eat my cake, then move on.

Not keep eating cake for 2 days after my birthday.

Because it is just not worth it.

It gave me a headache.

It made me feel gross.

My whole week has just been blah because of that damn cake.

This birthday hangover has overstayed its welcome.

But I do know one thing...

Cheers to a better week ahead!

The Best Birthday Cake Of My Life

Have any of you ever met Ree Drummond?

Me either.

But I want to be her!

So I make her food.

Because it's so freaking delicious.

Like you guys, I'm not kidding.

Every time I make something of hers I drool. 

Because I had been dreaming of eating cake since the moment I realized my birthday was a month away, I started looking at her cake recipes for the perfect one.

And then I found it.

And then I thought about it for an entire month (wish I was kidding about this part.)

And then I made it.

 

Everything that is good and perfect in this world starts out with "cream butter and sugar together..."

 

Don't ever try to debate this fact of life with me.

 

You will lose. 

 

It turned out quite perfect.

 

And because I'm a kid at heart and love the color purple I had to decorate it.

 

I would have taken a picture of the inside of it, but I was too busy eating it.

 

Like you guys, I may have eaten in or around half of this cake over the weekend.

 

Which I am now paying for.

 

Because my stomach hates me.

 

I don't think it's ever had to handle that much cream cheese frosting in it's existence.

 

But I'm not sorry about it.

 

It was my birthday.

 

And it was THAT good.

 

And have I ever told you that frosting is my love language?

 

More specifically cream cheese frosting.

 

I die.

 

And beef.

 

Gahhh, I love beef.

 

#foodieproblems

 

Anyway, if you want to make the best cake of your life, or make someone like me fall in love with you, make this cake.

I followed her recipe, but did bake the cake in two separate round cake pans because mine wasn't deep enough. When/if you do this you should reduce the baking time. I almost didn't realize this in time and therefore almost over baked them. I think I would have cried had I burnt these beautiful shorty-short-cakes.

I would also suggest using more than 1 pound of strawberries. Next time I make this, because I will make it again, I will probably use up to 2 pounds. They soak into the cake and make it sooooooo wonderful and delicious.

Now go make yourself your own Strawberry Shortcake Cake.

You won't be sorry!

Sowing Seeds

This past weekend Mother Nature played nice and my Dad and I got to go to the field to sow some seeds.

I spent a long time staring at this computer screen trying to come up with words in sentence form that would describe how happy this makes me, and I just can't.

So, instead, I will leave you with pictures.

Is this not the prettiest black dirt you've ever seen?

 

I had a serious case of "buddy seat butt" so I talked my Dad into letting me plant a few acres while he suffered in that awful seat.

To the makers of John Deere buddy seats: I will consult for free if you try to make those things more comfortable. Please?

 

We ran cows on this field this past winter so we did some extra tillage work in some areas. We had to make sure the seed depth was consistent throughout the field so the corn would come up even.

 

I ran to get seed for my Dad, and was seriously impressed with how good the old farm truck smelled. So my eyes started wandering. And then they stopped on this thing hanging from the rear view mirror.

I started laughing out loud.

Farmer jokes....get me every time!

If you're the praying kind, pray for a few days of sunshine so we can continue to sow some seeds.

And in a week or two, pray for a couple rains to make them grow. :)

NYNM: Week 19//Twenty Seven.

Twenty six was really great.

Like reallllllllly great.

I made new friends.

I tried new things, even some scary things!

I traveled.

I reached goals.

I went from a brunette, to a spicy ginger, to a darker brunette, to even spicier ginger, to a ....I have no idea what this color is on my head... (my mother is really proud of this adventurous side of me, by the way.)

I laughed.

Boy, did I laugh.

And I had oh-so-much fun.

Yesterday I closed out my twenty sixth year by stepping on the scale and seeing that I made my goal of losing 35 pounds by my birthday.

I screamed.

At 5 a.m.

In all my glory.

Then I went to see Farmland with my friend Ryan last night.

I laughed.

I cried.

And I fell in love with Agriculture all over again.

And then I ate dessert.

Because that is just what you do when you are about to turn a year older.

And you don't feel bad about it for a minute.

Twenty six was full of love, laughter, family, good friends, joy, sweat, tears and smiles, to name a few.

I am blessed far more than I deserve.

So today, I welcome twenty seven.

If the first 10 hours of it were any indication of how this year will go, it has awesome written all over it.

And that, my friends, is something I can get behind.