Day 165: Pi Day 3/14

The first 4 days of my cycling journey down the coast, my sister accompanied me. On our last day together, we stopped at Mo's in Lincoln City. As cycle tourists, we had a no-holds-barred attitude toward food (who am I kidding, I still do!) When our waitress came around offering dessert, we said, yes, please! That was my first taste of Peanut butter cream pie. In honor of Pi(e) Day, I experimented with a recipe out of Joy of Cooking. It turned out really well.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie
Have ready:
9" Graham cracker crust (see recipe below)

Whip until stiff peaks form:
1 cup cold heavy cream

Blend on medium speed:
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
6 oz peanut butter (smooth or creamy)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla

With a rubber spatuala, fold in 1/4 of the cream into the peanut butter mixture. Mix in the rest of the cream, just until the mixture is consistent. Smooth into crust and refrigerate for as long as you can stand it (4 hours is optimal).

Melt 4 oz chocolate with 2 tsp butter and 1/3 cup heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds. Let stand 1 minute and then stir until smooth. Let cool slightly then spread over pie. Cool in fridge until set. Stores for up to 3 days (if it stays around that long!)

Graham Cracker Crust

Whirl in food processor until well combined:
1 1/2 cup finely ground graham crackers
6 Tbs butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Press mixture into pie pan. To create a uniform surface, use the bottom of a glass.
Freeze for a bit while making filling.

We pushed the clocks forward this weekend, and I slept poorly. This morning, the only thing that could move me out of bed was the realization of my risotto turning to fat and weighing me down. I needed my run! My motto is: you only need one reason to do something, everything else is an excuse! At 6, JE and I got up and ran 6.3 kilometers. Lance Armstrong congratulated me on my longest workout yet.

Tonight, I earned my pie by swimming more than half a mile without stopping. I just wanted to see if I could do it. Lately, I've been thinking about the boundaries I set for myself. When I tell myself that I am going to run ___ distance, I accomplish it. There is more in me, I am not falling over with fatigue by the time I'm done. I need to experiment with this notion of endurance boundaries, when I have some time off.