As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was fortunate enough to travel with my team to Copenhagen, Denmark for the World Rowing Masters Regatta….and what a spectacular trip it was! Nine races over three days with my team and two international teams…lots of laughs & camaraderie, good food, wandering and making new friends from around the globe ….so incredible!
From the moment we arrived on Tuesday we hit the ground running…taking in the city landmarks and sights from a canal boat cruise and stopping for dinner near the city center.
adorable, picturesque city center area…lots of shops and restaurants
Wednesday meant practice/swing rows down the course to get a feel for the race and traffic pattern. We had grand plans that we’d be going out to dinner every night…and brought clothes for those nights…but, alas we dined in our rowing clothes (yes, at restaurants) three of the nights.
first morning walking to the metro to get to the coursethe beautiful sunrise over Lake Bagsvaerd…#whywerowThe women I won a gold medal with..minus one member…in the very first race of the regatta. If you stick with a sport long enough you end up with medals! They’re awesome!fought for third with these amazing women…so much heart and determination to get 3rd place by 3/10th of a secondanother awesome group of ladies from my team that I was honored to cox for.Crazy, fun group of women from all over the world that I was lucky enough to cox for in two races. We met on this day, hopped in a boat and raced together. It was so much fun!
Dinner with my team after the Friday races. My coach, a former Olympian, 3rd from left, won four gold medals!walking back from the metro to our apartment…bikes are everywhere and they’re not locked…clean, safe trustworthy place. No wonder they’re the happiest people!
So grateful to have experienced this incredibly beautiful place! …..to be continued!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
.…Always remember that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!
Fall is my favorite time of year and it arrives this Thursday! It isn’t quite as spectacular here in SoCal, but I found these two pics from my trip up to Carmel and Mendocino a year ago and it brought back some beautiful memories and made me happy!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
My sister in law, Ann, who is a fabulous cook and especially good at desserts (along with my brother Tim) brought this amazing pie to Thanksgiving probably 5 or more years ago and I’ve made it many times since. The recipe is from Food and Wine magazine and it’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory! Start to finish takes over 6 hours (with chilling time) so plan accordingly. Enjoy!
Salted Caramel Pie
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 5 ounces)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
Fleur de sel
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350┬░. In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and light brown sugar until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into a 9-inch glass or metal pie plate. Bake for about 10 minutes, just until lightly browned. Let cool. (I’m really lazy and substituted a ready-made Oreo crust and that extra chocolate was delish!) Increase the oven temperature to 425┬░.
Scrape the condensed milk into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish and sprinkle with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of fleur de sel. Cover the dish with foil and place it in a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the pan to reach one-third of the way up the side of the baking dish. Bake, lifting the foil to stir 2 or 3 times, until the condensed milk is golden and thickened, about 2 hours; add more water to the roasting pan as necessary. The consistency of the caramel should be like dulce de leche. Don’t worry if it is lumpy; it will smooth out as it chills.
Scrape the caramel filling into the pie crust, smoothing the top. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable oil spray and cover the pie. Refrigerate until the filling is chilled and set, at least 4 hours.
In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream with the confectioners’ sugar until firm. Remove the plastic. Mound the whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Cut into wedges and serve.
Bon Appetit!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
I’ve always loved this plaque at Disneyland…and it seemed appropriate for this Copenhagen adventure!
When you read this I will already be in The Happiest Place on Earth, Copenhagen. The 4th Annual World Happiness Reportuses a number of factors to determine their rankings and I’m looking forward to experiencing and contemplating the reason for their happiness.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Walt Disney used Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen as part of his inspiration for Disneyland…our version of the happiest place on earth. It’s just taken awhile for the rest of the world to catch up with his secret.
In addition to the storybook charm, cobblestone streets, pretty canals and amazing food that I’m so looking forward to experiencing in this happiest place, I am lucky enough to also be participating in the World Rowing Masters Regattaon Lake Bagsvaerd (try to pronounce that one!)I will be coxing for a composite team made up of members from my club, Newport Aquatic Center, and Long Beach Rowing, as well as two international teams that I’ve never met. Beyond excited for the adventure!
And if that wasn’t enough, according to the study, one of the happiest groups in Copenhagen are those over the age of 50…so this should be a pretty amazing trip for me! Win-Win!!
I look forward to sharing everything Copenhagen upon my return!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
You can win championships, you can win awards, you can make a lot of money… but the greatest gift you can give is your smile..it’s the same in every language.
I was watching Running Wild with Bear Grylls with Shaquille O’neal and Bear asked him about his life, money & fame and that’s what he said. I’m sure we’ve all heard that and sure it’s easy to say when you’ve had so many accolades, championships and money, but I liked the sentiment. It’s so true…you can make someone’s day with such a small gesture!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
it’s always more fun served on a polka dot plate and checkered charger!
This recipe is from the was-band’s grandma. We always got so excited in college when a package came from Bubbie. It almost always included these mouth-watering treats….and if the room mates caught wind of a care package it was gone in a day. They’re one of my kid’s favorites and they always get rave reviews at parties! Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars
1 cup white Karo syrup
1 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cups peanut butter (I just use creamy JIF seems to work great, but I’ve never tried the natural kind ’cause it might be too oily)
3 to 3-1/2 cups Rice Krispy cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 Tbs. butter
combine Karo syrup and sugar and bring to a boil…take off heat immediately
add peanut butter and stir until dissolved
add rice krispy cereal and mix well
Pat into 9×13 pan (it’s a bit hot, but it really helps if your palms are a little wet)
In a double boiler melt the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and butter. Spread over mixture in the pan and refrigerate until cool….maybe a couple of hours?
Cut into squares and you’re ready to go!
Perfect dessert for that Labor Day potluck! Have a FABULOUS weekend!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
As promised, here’s the recipe I found online that resembles the Burma Superstar Rainbow Salad. You’ll need a bit of time to make it because it’s 20+ ingredients and many of the spices/ingredients are toasted individually to bring out their flavor…but it’s worth it in the end if you have an afternoon to spare! (…and to be honest I didn’t include EVERY ingredient & tweaked the recipe a bit…adding raw tuna & shredded chicken and omitting the raw potato. You can find the yellow bean powder at Whole Foods, which was my biggest challenge ingredient)
looked so boring here, but OH SO AMAZING when mixed together with the dressing
BURMA SUPERSTAR’S RAINBOW SALAD
Serves 2-4 People
INGREDIENTS For the salad
› green papaya, julienned
1 cup cabbage, julienned
┬╝ cup Cilantro, chopped
┬╝ Carrot, julienned
› Tomato, diced
3 tsp dried shrimp, ground
1 medium size Onion, julienned (› keep raw, › to be fried)
1 cup blanched vermicelli
› small potato, cooked and diced
3 lightly blanched string beans (soaked in cold water for crisp), diced
2 cup canola oil
2 tsp yellow bean powder*
┬╝ pkg firm tofu
2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
4 cloves garlic, sliced
For the dressing
4 Tbs garlic & onion oil
2 tsp tamarind paste
1/3 cup hot water
3 tsp fish sauce
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
DIRECTIONS
-Heat skillet. Roast yellow bean powder until golden. Remove.
-Wipe skillet with paper towel. Add 2 tsp canola oil and heat. Pan fry firm tofu until golden. Remove tofu and dice.
-Wipe skillet with paper towel. Add 2 tsp canola oil and heat. Add crushed red chili flakes and cook until aromatic.
-Wipe skillet with paper towel. Heat remaining oil for frying. Fry garlic slowly until golden (can take around 20 minutes so it’s not bitter) Remove. Using same oil fry onion until golden…again slowly. Remove onion and RESERVE OIL for dressing.
-Combine tamarind paste and hot water in a bowl. Add garlic & onion oil, fish sauce, salt, and sugar to make dressing. Mix well.
-Drizzle dressing over salad ingredients as needed and toss.
NOTE FROM CHEFS: Don’t be shy to mix the salad with your hands! In fact this salad is called “Hand Tossed Salad” in Burmese. Using your hands to mix the salad will bring out the flavors of each ingredient even more.
*Can be purchased at many Asian groceries.
Have a FABULOUS weekend…and if you have time make this salad!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
