We've got chemistry

The race today was the epitome of fall and cross country.  Set at a beautiful park full of rolling hills and multicolored leaves, it embodied the crisp, excited atmosphere of the season.  Though I didn't race I felt the energy and loved being around it.  To add to the enjoyment, the girls not running the race took a detour to Target to stock up on some snacks.  Zebra Cakes, Goldfish, Oatmeal Crème Pies, and fruit snacks all made their way into our shopping bags, to the delight of all involved. 

For our workout, we did some pretty easy shorter distances at mile race pace, first some 150’s and then a couple 200’s.  Some girls didn't even break a sweat.  My form looked a lot better as I focused on staying on my forefoot as opposed to heel striking and really tried to drive my knees.  Now all that’s left is to correct my arm motion and I’ll have officially conquered the worst of my running habits.  All around, it was a pretty successful day. 

On a completely different note, I created some alum crystals in chemistry over the past week and the process taught me a lot about my method of making caramel.  So, if you've been using my typical recipe for caramel, this is something you might want to pay attention to!

First off: before melting the sugar be sure to put in about a tablespoon of corn syrup or honey and skip the tablespoon of water.  Even this small amount will prevent the melted sugar from recrystallizing. 

Second: after the sugar mixture melts, don’t stir it as it cooks to a nice golden brown.  This will help keep the sugar from recrystallizing since stirring can reintroduce small seed crystals to the mixture or create small scratches that would act as crystallization sites.  Wait until the mixture has reached its golden stage to stir, and then make sure to quickly add the other ingredients. 

Lastly: if you decide to make a ‘wet caramel’ (one that begins as a mixture of sugar and other wet ingredients) it’s a good idea to use one that involved cream of tartar to stabilize the mixture. 

I would highly suggest trying out these tips this weekend and making caramel apple cookies.  I made them a few weeks ago, so here’s the recipe!

Caramel Apple Cookies (Original recipe!)

1 ½ sticks butter, softened

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cups flour

6 packages caramel apple oatmeal, or 1 ½ cups oats

3 tbsp caramel

¼ cup diced apples (very small)

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time until smooth.  Add soda, vanilla, and cinnamon, then slowly stir in flour.  Do not overmix.  Pour in packages of oats (or oatmeal) and the caramel sauce, stir just until combined.  Fold in apple slices.  Form into one inch balls and bake on an ungreased insulated cookie sheet for 12 minutes or until no longer shiny.  Enjoy!