A Desire to Bake

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The weather here is absolutely perfect.  The Husband, the dogs, and I spent nearly the entire evening on our patio, watching the sun set and the street grow quiet.

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We even ate dinner out on the patio.  Y’all know how obsessed I am with outside dining / patio action in general.  It was lovely.

 

I felt a little off all day – just one of those days, you know?  I struggled with writer’s block while doing a project, and I wasn’t in the mood to run.  Only 24 days out from my marathon, I really shouldn’t be screwing around with my training plan, but I simply did NOT want to run 9.0 miles today.  So I met up with Nicole, ran 3.2, and felt good about it.  Something is better than nothing, loves! 🙂

 

Pre-run snack:

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Dinner was cooked by the Huz – he made a very, very, VERY spicy stir-fry with lots of veg and whole wheat pasta.

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I contributed these little mini biscuits.

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Although those little babies look scrumptious, they weren’t very good so I’m not going to share the recipe… I don’t want lots of biscuit lovers to be mad at me!  Something was just off with these dollies.

 

Oddly enough, I was then struck by the urge to make a pumpkin roll.  Probably because I realized I had a block of cream cheese sitting in the fridge.  I followed this recipe.  How come I can never get my pumpkin rolls to look as pretty as the ones in the recipe?

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At least it tasted amazing.

 

Quote of the day:  “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”  (Mark Victor Hansen)

{ 90 comments }

 

  • Exercise and Eat October 6, 2010, 8:49 pm

    The proper Englishwoman in you came out in full-force in this post tonight- love it! As well as your pumpkin roll & quote:)

  • carlee October 6, 2010, 8:53 pm

    Its okay! I only did 4 miles on the bike instead of my last time 7! But i met up with my personal trainer for the first time! YAY! put those back muscles back Carlee! AND 3.2 miles is fabulous! Your body needs a break!

  • Lindsay Perrone (goodiesgalore) October 6, 2010, 8:53 pm

    I wish I had a little porch to eat on. We don’t even have a kitchen table. That pumpkin roll looks ridic. Yum.

  • holly @ couchpotatoathlete October 6, 2010, 9:02 pm

    I love the quote: it is so true, things will never be “perfect” so what are you waiting for? It made me think of the many times I would want to lose weight, but then something would “happen” like Christmas would all of a sudden show up and I was invited to parties — then I’d put off losing weight until after the holidays, then it kept getting shoved to the bottom of the list, etc. Just DO it!

  • Kristina @ spabettie October 6, 2010, 9:03 pm

    I feel lucky to have learned that so early… don’t wait…

    to quote one of my favorite movies – Get Busy Living !! 😉

  • Katie @ Healthy Heddleston October 6, 2010, 9:06 pm

    Oh gosh, I want to make pumpkin roll so bad. I have never tried to and this fall it will happen!

  • claire October 6, 2010, 9:07 pm

    I also baked today too! It is just the perfect conditions! Love that quote lady!

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) October 6, 2010, 9:13 pm

    I would love a porch to just relax the night away on.

    The best way to roll a pumpkin roll is to put the cake on a tea towel, frost and then lift up the edge of the towel to start it rolling.

  • Dori October 6, 2010, 9:16 pm

    I think this quote just helped me make a decision that I was having trouble with today. Thank you!

  • Whitney October 6, 2010, 9:24 pm

    My mom makes a pumpkin roll every year for thanksgiving. I look forward to it!

  • Estela @ Weekly Bite October 6, 2010, 9:25 pm

    What a great quote!

    When the weather starts to cool off I start baking like crazy!

  • Katie @ peacebeme October 6, 2010, 9:26 pm

    Love the quote! I needed that today, I am so frustrated about feeling stuck in my life.

  • Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday October 6, 2010, 9:29 pm

    Well that pumpkin loaf recipe certainly sounds awesome.

  • Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) October 6, 2010, 9:31 pm

    Looks definitely don’t matter as much as taste. As long as the taste is awesome, it can look like crap. 🙂

  • Mary @ Bites and Bliss October 6, 2010, 9:31 pm

    The biscuits look delicious! Well..all of it does 😛

  • Tina October 6, 2010, 9:34 pm

    They still look pretty dang tasty to me!! And totally agree that something is better than nothing.

  • Emily October 6, 2010, 9:34 pm

    Never have I ever heard of a pumpkin roll. I’m thinking that I may attempt pumpkin cupcakes for my office party next week!

  • Amanda October 6, 2010, 9:35 pm

    I think it’s beautiful in it’s imperfection! 😛

    • Amanda October 6, 2010, 9:36 pm

      its* imperfection. Apparently, my grammar is also imperfect. GAH!

  • Shanna, Like Banana October 6, 2010, 9:36 pm

    “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect.” Yep…this is the way I feel about having a baby. There will be no perfect time..maybe I should get on it 😉

    • Caitlin October 6, 2010, 9:50 pm

      maybe we should both get on it!

      • Christy October 7, 2010, 8:05 am

        lol! Babies were the first thing I thought of when I read that quote. We’re expecting #2, but I’ll have to read the quote to my husband when I’m ready for #3.

  • Jil @ Peace, Love & Munchies October 6, 2010, 9:40 pm

    Oh, I know – they make those rolls look so simple…I’m sure they’ve got to just be at the perfect temperature to not crack. However, at least with those little homemade touches it doesn’t look like it came rollin’ out of the Hostess factory!:)

  • Val @ Balancing Val October 6, 2010, 9:44 pm

    Love the quote! Problems are just opportunities in work clothes 🙂

  • Vanessa October 6, 2010, 9:46 pm

    Just wanted to share that I saw an operation beautiful type note on a public bathroom stall today. It said “you are already good enough” I really needed that! It really is a wonderful idea

    • Caitlin October 6, 2010, 9:50 pm

      AHH that is so awesome!

  • Wendy October 6, 2010, 9:48 pm

    LOVE that quote! I’m stealing it for my classroom. 🙂

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) October 6, 2010, 9:49 pm

    Seriously, I posted some ugly food that tasted really good and pretty food that tasted ugly yesterday. Maybe there is something in the air with food doing the opposite? Sounds like a relaxing evening though. I hope you have a great night Caitlin!

  • Camille October 6, 2010, 9:49 pm

    Haha, I am such a failure at making rolls too! They always taste delicious though 🙂

  • Jamie @ Food in Real Life October 6, 2010, 9:49 pm

    Good for you for taking it easy today when you were in a funk. I think that those “funks” are really just messages from our body that say, “LISTEN TO ME!!!”

  • Kjirsten- Balaned Healthy Life October 6, 2010, 9:56 pm

    Something must have been in the air….I was having one of those off days today too! That spicy stir fry looked great! I love spicy foods!

  • sarah k. @ the pajama chef October 6, 2010, 9:57 pm

    i love dining al fresco too!

  • hippierunner October 6, 2010, 9:58 pm

    I love eating outside. That’s great that you listened to your body!

  • Jessica@tastyandtrim October 6, 2010, 10:02 pm

    mmm pumpkin roll sounds amazing right now! That quote really resonates with me. I truly believe that there is no better time than the present to take advantage of all life has to offer. It also reminds me of another quote I adore, “If you wait too long for the perfect moment, the perfect moment will pass you by.” There may never be a cue as for the perfect time to set out on a goal or try to accomplish something you have been wanting to achieve, so it is important to dive head first and reach for your goals. A lot of the time it is better to take the risk, then wonder what would have happened if you did. When I started my blog, I was terrified of sharing my eating struggles with the world and kept putting it off saying, “well i’ll start a blog next month, or next week” until finally I decided I would take the risk and hope for the best. I have come to find that I have made more progress in overcoming eating obstacles in the first month of blogging and sharing my story than I had in the 6 months prior. Taking the risk was the best choice I could have possibly made. Had I not, I probably would not have made the sufficient amount of progress that I can proudly say I have made today 🙂

    • Caitlin October 6, 2010, 10:11 pm

      Rock out with your bad self!

  • Cyndi @ Weightless Life October 6, 2010, 10:03 pm

    My baking never looks as good as the picture either, but as long as it tastes good that is all that matters.

  • Courtney Leigh October 6, 2010, 10:03 pm

    MMMMMM!!

    My mom is the expert pumpkin roll maker. At this point in time, I’ve just given up on them and turn it into lots and lots of little pumpkin bars. The recipe you used looks MUCH healthier though.

  • Wei-Wei October 6, 2010, 10:04 pm

    I’m thinking about making a pumpkin swiss roll with cream cheese frosting – almost exactly like yours! It looks delicious 🙂

  • maria @ Chasing the Now October 6, 2010, 10:08 pm

    I’m definitely going to have to make a pumpkin roll soon, now. You’ve got me craving one.

    Seems like everyone, including myself, is in a baking mood today. Strange.

  • diana October 6, 2010, 10:12 pm

    the quote is soooooooo TRUE! ive been waiting for the right time.. but maybe there isn’t a right time. so i just got to get it started!

    i see these exact kind of cakes in asian bakeries, a log for 2 bucks!!

  • Michelle @ IronDivas October 6, 2010, 10:15 pm

    you had me at “cream cheese”… mmmm, sounds delicious.

  • Diana @ frontyardfoodie October 6, 2010, 10:18 pm

    Oh my goodness I feel you on this baking urge. I have been baking up a storm lately. I made pumpkin bread earlier this week and it was friggin’ amazing. I didn’t know about a pumpkin roll but this looks super tasty!

  • Alaina October 6, 2010, 10:26 pm

    My mom’s secret to getting pretty pumpkin rolls is rolling the cake part up in a clean kitchen towel a few minutes after it comes out of the oven 😀 that way, it doesn’t break apart when you roll it up later! Did that make sense?

    • Caitlin October 7, 2010, 10:12 am

      hahah i couldn’t figure it out though. i need a step by step tutorial.

      • Marci October 7, 2010, 1:51 pm

        Funny she wrote that, Jelly rolls are a popular Passover and Jewish holiday food made with matzo meal. And my mom and grandmother use cheesecloth or very thin dishtowel like mentioned above. I haven’t tried to make it myself, but I’m sure it’s similar!

  • Alaina October 6, 2010, 10:30 pm

    Ha, just realized that is in the recipe! Doh! I guess it just takes practice…all the more reason to bake pumpkin rolls galore!

  • Lacey @ Lake Life October 6, 2010, 10:33 pm

    I am jealous of your perfect weather! It’s been raining for 3 days straight in NY 🙁

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing October 6, 2010, 10:47 pm

    LOVE that quote and the pumpkin roll.. girl…

  • erica October 6, 2010, 10:51 pm

    i looove that quote!

  • Elisabeth October 6, 2010, 10:53 pm

    I just booked a trip to Europe like an hour ago (after much debating about whether or not the time/money was right), and seeing that quote now really feels kind of serendipitous. Thanks!!!!

    • Caitlin October 7, 2010, 10:10 am

      Yay! Where are you going in Europe?

  • Elisabeth October 6, 2010, 10:55 pm

    P.S. – I may or may not be heading to my kitchen to make that pumpkin roll immediately =)

  • Lily @ Lily's Health Pad October 6, 2010, 11:05 pm

    Channeling your inner English woman? Hubby must be rubbing off on you!

  • Food & Other Things October 6, 2010, 11:08 pm

    I love eating outside as well…you can’t beat the atmosphere! Pumpkin rolls are the best, especially in the fall!

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey October 6, 2010, 11:10 pm

    I always have the desire to bake – or just eat chocolate chip cookies. Whatever the case may be, I’m not afraid of it!

  • Susan@MomSwimBikeRun October 6, 2010, 11:12 pm

    After reading the quote of the day, I definitely think we’re on the same page today.

    P.S. I’m going to tackle a pumpkin roll this season. I bet yours looks better than mine. Hee hee

  • Faith @ lovelyascharged October 6, 2010, 11:14 pm

    I now have a desire – to consume massive quantities of the veggie stir fry! I’ve been seriously lacking in the veggie intake these past few days and now I think blog photos like that are making me go CRAZY craving them!

  • Teri [a foodie stays fit] October 6, 2010, 11:24 pm

    seriously any kind of rolls NEVER turn out pretty!

    I needed to hear that quote today. Thanks girl.

  • Amber K October 6, 2010, 11:29 pm

    I love that quote!

    The pumpkin roll looks amazing. I made some pumpkin yogurt earlier as I finally decided to crack open the jar of pumpkin that I bought forever ago. I just wasn’t feeling it until today!

  • Sana October 6, 2010, 11:43 pm

    So So So SOOOOO TRUE! I needed this today! I will never have to perfect conditions to be healthy or to study for the GRE! I can do it!

    Sorry I kinda gave myself a mini pep-talk on your blog. No biggie!

    • Caitlin October 7, 2010, 10:08 am

      hahah pep talk away

  • Rosa October 7, 2010, 12:28 am

    I love that quote, it’s so true.
    The pumpkin rolls look delicious, you’ve got me craving one. Possibly today I felt you on this baking urge, I baked red potatoes for my dinner. It was so good.
    My baking rarely turns out looking like the picture, but as long as it tastes good, that is all that matters.

  • Lauren October 7, 2010, 12:31 am

    Despite it being an off day all your food has looked especially good today 🙂

  • Sarah for Real October 7, 2010, 12:34 am

    That quote sounds a lot like what my mother tells me about starting a family. “There’s no such thing as the right time.”

  • Hope October 7, 2010, 12:55 am

    Wow, that quote is so true!

    Awesome, thanks for sharing!

  • Katherine @ Left Coast Contessa October 7, 2010, 1:20 am

    Aw. Love that quote. It is exactly what I needed to hear tonight.

  • Chelsea at Striking Balance October 7, 2010, 1:28 am

    We all have those days. You win some, you lose some! You sound like you made the best of it, though 🙂

    Thanks for sharing that quote. It is so so true, and applicable in my life right now. I needed that!

  • Stacey (The Habit of Healthy) October 7, 2010, 2:22 am

    I love the quote, it speaks a lot of truth. Last night my husband cooked a very VERY spicy vegetable and bean chilli. Phew, I think I was sweating a bit! I’ve asked him to use half the amount of chilli next time! Glad you had a good run, and something is definitely better than nothing even if it wasn’t what you were *supposed* to do. You have to listen to your body.

  • Courtney (Pancakes & Postcards) October 7, 2010, 3:11 am

    great quote! so applicable.

  • Lauren at KeepItSweet October 7, 2010, 5:48 am

    i love pumpkin rolls………. and i always have the urge to bake:-)

  • Kristen @ That Hoosier Girl October 7, 2010, 6:32 am

    Love the quote!

    My first pumpkin roll was a disaster. I used a pretty new dish towel to roll it up in and when I unrolled, my poor little pumpkin roll looked like it had fur from the fuzzies the dish towel left behind. You live, you learn! 🙂

  • Lauren October 7, 2010, 6:43 am

    Those pumpkin rolls look awesome!!! The best baked things are never the prettiest! 🙂

  • Andrea (@ Puppy Dog Tales) October 7, 2010, 8:26 am

    I LOVE pumpkin rolls. Do you use a dish towel to roll it up. That works for me everytime! And your biscuits look yummy even if they weren’t the best.

  • LindseyAnn October 7, 2010, 8:32 am

    I was reading that recipe, thinking, “this sounds awesome, but there’s just no way I can make it because it will go bad before I eat it all…” and then I saw where it says “This pumpkin roll freezes well.” Hooray!! 😀

  • J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) October 7, 2010, 8:36 am

    Aaah, I want to eat everything in this post! Especially the bread and butter. Mmmmmmmmmmm

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin October 7, 2010, 9:01 am

    Nice job on the 3.2 miles! It isn’t worth it to push yourself to do more if you’re not feeling up to it. 🙂 I’m sure you’ll rock your next run now!

  • Stacey October 7, 2010, 9:14 am

    I’m glad you had a nice, relaxing night with your family! (And fur family too 🙂 ) I love outdoor dining! I’ve become a wuss about eating outside these past couple of days..with the cold weather and all. That pumpkin and cream cheese loaf is mouth watering! I love any dessert that involves cream cheese! Have a great tomorrow Caitlin 😀

    • Caitlin October 7, 2010, 10:06 am

      I hope you have a great tomorrow too 🙂

  • Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama October 7, 2010, 9:16 am

    I love MVH! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the quote-I haven’t read his stuff in a while and had forgotten how inspiring he can be.

  • Erika @ Food, Fitness, & Fun October 7, 2010, 9:28 am

    Lately all I want to do is bake! I guess it has to do with the whole fall comfort food thing, but I don’t care…I love baking! 🙂

  • rebecca lustig October 7, 2010, 9:43 am

    thank you for that quote. i needed it today!

    p.s. dont forget to remind yourself how beautiful and talented you are.

    • Caitlin October 7, 2010, 10:01 am

      love you girl!

  • Joanne October 7, 2010, 9:59 am

    My pumpkin rolls always crack as well. I think I lack the patience involved in rolling it up. I bet it tasted wonderful though.
    Good job on the run. It wasn’t the 9 in the plan, but there’s always the next day 🙂

  • Carolyn@ EatLiveBeWell October 7, 2010, 10:08 am

    One quote I heard that I thought was a good one, “it’s better to be 10% under trained, than 1% over trained for a marathon.”

    I hear ya about not wanting to do something. I did a spin class today instead of running 4 miles… ah… I have a couple more days to get in the rest of my mileage this week!

    Be well!

    • Caitlin October 7, 2010, 10:10 am

      this quote makes me feel better about life!

  • Ali October 7, 2010, 10:10 am

    Every year, my mom, aunt, sister, and I get together to make pumpkin rolls. We’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember! We bake the pumpkin roll on a baking sheet so that it’s thin and easy to roll. As soon as it come out of the oven, we transfer it onto a HEAVILY FLOURED tea towel. Flour is the key! Then we flour the top, and roll it up in the tea towel (without icing). Let it cool. Once it’s cool, unroll it and then add icing. Hope this helps! 🙂

  • Sami October 7, 2010, 11:11 am

    MMM! pumpkin roll! i saw your tweet about this and was thinking….i can’t wait to read about it! 🙂 hehe.

  • Liz October 7, 2010, 11:18 am

    After many (delicious) pumpkin roll failures, I’ve determined that I must use a jelly roll pan (its like a deep cookie sheet) lined with parchment paper to bake the cake. When it is done, I turn the cake out of the pan onto a large cooling rack with a tea towel dusted with powdered sugar in between the cake and the rack. Then, as mentioned above, roll it up while it is stil hot! I let it cool then unroll it to frost the inside, then roll it back up. A dusting of powdered sugar right before serving it covers up any imperfections.

  • Nikka B October 7, 2010, 1:55 pm

    Great quote!
    I love it when you include these in your posts,
    you always find the best ones 🙂

  • Jessica October 7, 2010, 7:35 pm

    I’m sure someone has already said this, but if you flip the unrolled log onto a dish towel, peel the parchment paper back, and carefully roll it, it will cool like that and wont crack. pumpkin logs are my thanksgiving specialty/favorite dessert ever! wait, who am I kidding… my family has been known to eat it for breakfast 🙂

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