Labor of Love Chowder TND

I enjoyed a very busy and fun weekend yet again! On Friday night post-work, Elizabeth and I drove down to Yorktown (her home turf). On Saturday we picked up our race packets, beached, and consumed many carbs (yum!). Then, Sunday morning, we ran the Virginia Beach Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon. WOOOOHOOO!!! Sooooo much fun and I shocked myself with my speed (not crazy fast, but fast for Miss Rhino). Elizabeth and I agreed that finishing on a beach boardwalk beats a parking lot finish anytime.. especially when rocket pops, P.F. Chang's, and an obscene amount of swag line the beach's post-finish area ( ; We also agreed that 64W traffic jams bite (freakin' fires in tunnels) particularly when you're tired, hungry, and stinky after running 13.1 miles. Thankfully, after a Sonic lunch (thank you Elizabeth's mom and grandma!), a refreshing shower (ah!), and a pit stop @ Carl's in Fredericksburg on our way back to NOVA, I forgot my earlier hunger... for a few hours. Awesome trip!!

Monday, after a quick visit with parents Rhino, I set about plotting out and preparing TND. First, I chopped up many, many different vegetables for my andouille sausage, corn, and shrimp chowder and prepped the soup up to its final cream and shrimp blend in point. Then I made Food Network Magazine's cheddar biscuit recipe only leaving the garlic butter step for Tuesday. So much cooking and baking, so I just had a quick tuna sandwich for dinner.. and some leftover Cosi chips (mmmm).

Though only seven people came to TND, only two biscuits and less than half a serving of chowder remained at night's end ( :

In other foodie developments, I've discovered another delicious "dinner" option for my late days at work. Baked potato delights!! Wednesday, I popped a surplus chowder potato poked up, oiled, and salted into a 400 degree oven. Post-run (and coming home to a tasty-smelling apartment), I covered it a Rhino-made black bean mixture, packed up a single serving cottage cheese, and some salsa, and voila! DINNER (really even easier than its description). Miss Rhino thinks this may become a new long run day ritual...Maybe just a fall lazy "dinner" option. Screw Potato Valley Cafe's half-ass hours!


Bonus food photo of the week: Jessika's mint chocolate pudding Oreo dessert.