I'll miss you all!

Well I'm off. I'm headed to Dallas for an annual girlfriend getaway. Will be back Sunday. I'm packing my last lunchbox...at least for a few days :)

It's the devil, I tell you!!

The Devil and The Pioneer Woman!! They made me make these delicious, scrumptious, gooey, fresh and finger lickin good cinnamon buns!!

Now, let me tell you these are made from scratch. With yeast. I know, I know, you think it sounds like a lot of work...but truly it isn't. And yes, I, too used to be afraid, running out of the room afraid of using yeast. It was never ever my friend, until I did this recipe. So please, please, please...don't be afraid of the yeast.

Well, them and my family!! And after making them for 3 weekends straight, and doing them a little different each time, here's what I recommend. Not that you have to listen to me, because really, what do I know?! I'm just a lover of gooey, gooey goodness.

First, unless you have an army to feed {which you may have}, I would halve this recipe. If you're lazy like me and want the easy conversion just go to comment 82...she's kindly done it for you!!

Second, don't be like me and think..."Oh, I'll be so clever and use softened butter, so I don't make such a mess by spreading melted butter all over the dough". I'm a dope! Please, stick with the melted butter to pour over the dough. My third weekend of making these heavenly rolls, I tried to make the cleanup job a little easier and tried using softened butter to spread over the dough. They don't turn out nearly as gooey. Don't get me wrong, their still delicious and your family will beg you to make them. But, you...the cook...will notice a difference.

Third, this "halved" recipe will make 2 pans of rolls and I HIGHLY recommend making the sticky bun type topping that can be found here. I just omitted the apples and halved the recipe, since I was only going to do the topping for one pan, not both.

Fourth, make the dough the day before, cut and put in pans, let rise and refridgerate. Just get them out early the next morning {say 2 hrs. before you want to cook them} and let them sit on your counter. This brings them to room temp and will cook like you just made the dough that morning :)

I hate to even admit it, but yes, by all that is good and cinnamony...I will be making them again this weekend.

Yeah, baby, they're that good!! They have now replaced "donut Sunday".

My first 5k

I had 2 goals for this race. I tried to keep them realistic.

I wanted to run the whole thing. No matter how slow I had to go, I was going to run that sucker!!

I wanted to finish under 37 mins {originally it was going to be 35 mins}. But....My thinking was that if I had to slow down so I could run the whole time, I'd have to allow myself a little extra time in my goal.

So after coming really close to running the entire thing. I only walked for about a minute one time {uphill}. BTW, I ran the first 30 mins {Yeah, I still wasn't finished}. I ran the rest of it.

I literally was ready to throw-up that last 1/2 mile {Had already seen evidence of this earlier in roadway...aww, poor runner}. I can't believe I didn't. Mama would be so proud :)

Anyway, I look at the big time clock at the finishing line {I'm about 100 yds. away} and see it says something over 40 mins. Ughhhh!! How can this be? I ran the whole thing, dammit! I'm about to hurl and I've run the worst time ever for myself?! Well if that doesn't just totally blow!

I've never been able to run that distance all at once during my training. I have always needed several walking breaks.

Yet today, today, I pushed myself. I ran and ran and ran.

Now, I'm thinking WTF!!! 40 effing mins +.

So, I'm feeling totally dejected. I just want to cry knowing I'm a huge, massive failure.

Thank God, none of my family could make it that early in the morning to watch, or I would have definately been an enormous wad of tears.

I tried coming up with various excuses reasons why my time was so slow. I blamed figured all the slower people starting out ahead of me for making my starting pace even slower than normal.

Here is my official race result:

980 78/112 1077 Lisa S. F Germantown MD 41:09 36:19 11:42

This translates into 41 mins and 9 secs. it took for me to run 5k from when the gun went off and the 36 mins and 19 secs. it took ME to actually run the race. All at a pace of 11:42 per mile. Read on to find out why there are 2 different times!!

Whew!! Oh, relief. Joyous rapture!! I am slow as a tortoise, but I am wiping the tears and sweat out of my eyes after seeing this. I shaved almost 5 mins. off that damn clock time. I knew if I felt like I was gonna hurl, that I damn well should've done better than the 40 mins I saw!!

Turns out I'm just not the sharpest stick in the woods. I forgot to figure in that the race started in waves. I started in the 4th wave. Translation...4 mins. behind the start clock. DUH!!! If only someone would explain this to us newbies.

Really, I know it seems like common sense, but I just didn't have any during such an emotional day. Is it too much to ask for someone to announce "Hey to all you idiots. Let's not forget to alot the correct time difference off the clock, depending on which wave you started in. You're personal net time will be posted later today."?

I don't think it's too much to ask.

Now, I feel like I'll definately do it again. I just won't go an hour ahead of time and stand around gawking until the race starts.