In with the Old, Out with the New

That's what it says on the doors of my gym, and I love it! This week it is especially true for me. I have set some personal records at the gym (on the treadmill) and I am starting to feel like a new person. It's a fantastic feeling! My question is this...

When can you start to call yourself a "runner?"

My entire life I've used the excuse that I'm just not a runner. I never really developed the lungs for it. The mile run in P.E. class was pure torture and running laps during soccer practice wasn't much better. It's not that I was, or am, against exercise. It's just that I prefer other forms of it. Lately, I've been on a Zumba kick. I joined this particular gym because of its class offerings, so I could take a Zumba class almost any day/night of the week. What I am finding though, is that I don't always have time to take a Zumba class any day/night of the week. Sometimes I have to get in and out of the gym in under an hour. So I have started using the treadmill.

I had a dismal start on the treadmill. I could only run for about 6 or 7 minutes at time at a speed under 5.0 until I had to walk again.  Slowly I got better, and I began to really challenge myself.  I now run at a speed of 5.0 or higher and I have pushed myself each time to go a little further. This week I ran 2 entire miles without stopping- for the first time EVER in my life! My next trip to the gym I did 2.5 miles. My next goal is to do 2.5 miles in less time. I'm not trying to run marathons or anything, but I feel like it's good to have goals. Which brings me back to my original question...When can you call yourself a runner?

Are you a runner when you complete your first mile? Or two? Or ten?  Do you have to run a 5k, or train for a half marathon? Most runners would laugh at my 2.5 mile personal record if I used it as proof that I am a runner. Wouldn't they? Maybe. Maybe not. In the meantime, I've done some thing that I never thought I would do. I feel better than I thought I ever could about something I've hated to do my entire life!  I am getting fit, and I finally have the lungs to run!  I guess that makes me a runner!!!

So now I'm curious...If you run, or used to run, at what point did you start to consider yourself a runner? I'd love to hear your stories!

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

Last fall I bought a Taste of Home magazine in the grocery store checkout isle. It was a Fall Baking Cookbook with 200 "Oven Fresh Treats" inside. I initially thought that I would try several of the recipes, because they all looked so scrumptious! The problem was that after I made this recipe, I didn't need to make anything else! Every time I made these oatmeal cream pies, they disappeared with requests for more! I've now made them several times, and I now have my own version, which is only slightly different from the original.  The way I make them, you can get almost 40 sandwich cookies from each batch, but don't try to make a double batch unless you have a HUGE mixer. This recipe has a lot of batter!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Adapted from Taste of Home

Cookie:

1 1/2 C.   Shortening

1 1/3 C.   Dark Brown Sugar

1 1/3 C.   Light Brown Sugar

         4     Eggs

 1 Tbsp.   Vanilla Extract  ( I use the good stuff, not imitation)

2 1/4 C.   All Purpose Flour

    2 tsp.   Ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

     1 tsp.  Salt

  1/2 tsp.  Ground Nutmeg

        4C.  Old-fashioned Oats 

Filling:

   3/4 C.  Shortening

      3 C.  Confectioner's Sugar

    1 Jar   (7 oz.) Marshmallow creme

1-2 Tbsp. Milk

Directions: Cream the shortening and sugars together in your mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl with a spatula between each one. 

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg and stir with a whisk. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients already in your mixer bowl and mix slowly. Stir in the oats by hand. 

Using a small cookie scoop (for similar shape and sized cookies) drop the cookies onto a non-stick cookie sheet (or a lightly greased cookie sheet) and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool completely. 

Once the cookies are cooled completely, put the filling mixture into a piping bag (or ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) and pipe a swirl on half of the cookies like this: 

 Don't get too close to the edges because, if you do, the cream will spill out when you put the top on!

When you are done you should have about 38-39  Oatmeal Cream Pies to devour ravenously enjoy! I promise, you will never want another Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie again!