Both delicious and crazy!

First, the delicious: So there are two things in the kitchen (currently) that cause me some serious fuss. Anything that requires yeast, for serious this stuff stresses me out, and risotto. I have essentially given up on anything yeast based because I have neither the patience nor climate for things to properly proof and it just really is not worth the stress to me. But risotto seemed so easy, yet every time I've attempted, I've used up all my liquid and the rice has been hard, like hurt your teeth hard. Yum right? To quote Alton Brown, "Not good eats". So I had given that up too, then I came across this little gem. Tomato and Sausage Risotto

*Disclaimer- I'm absolutely in love with smitten kitchen. Deb is the most wonderful cook, blogger, photographer you name it. I would give most anything to be her bbf in New York so she can teach me her secrets. Smitten kitchen has become my go-to site for any recipe I need EVER! Everything I have made from both her blog or her cookbook is divine. My person favorites are Key Lime coconut cake and Brownie Roll-out cookies. But seriously if you need a recipe for anything, ever go here! Think I'm obsessed much?

So anyway when I saw this, I knew I had to give it a try, I mean it's smitten kitchen approved so it's got to be good! It's also cheaper than regular risotto. Just a can a diced tomatos and some water, BOOM instant risotto liquid, forget all the expensive stock/broth.The base process for risotto is really easy. First saute meat and onions, add arborrio rice and then slowly add hot liquid, stirring the whole time to develop the starches in the rice.

 

Wait for it.......

YAY!!! The result was a tomato-y, sausage-y, spinach-y creamy bowl of hearty goodness. So very much worth the 40-ish minutes it takes to make this creamy and delicious. You may note that the pot looks almost empty.... because it is. It was so yummy I forgot to take a picture of the finished product until we had almost eaten half the pot.This is a must make. Perfect for some seriously chilly, rainy days were have been having here in the Great Lakes. You know, instead of the warmer, sunnier, lovelier days of Spring.  Not cool Mother Nature, not cool.

So now on to the crazy part!
Don't worry, I'm not quitting or anything, quite the contrary. I'm considering adding another 13.1 miles to my repertoire.I realized that the source of a lot of my anxiety is according to my original plan, the first time I was going to "race" the half distance was at the Princess half, with a time limit and that might not be the best plan for a beginner. *WHEEZE* So I looked into the Grand Rapids Marathon since they have a half race as well. From the FAQ section:

Cutoff Times? Do you have cutoff times for either race?
YES! We’d really like it if you finish on some day ending in a “Y” Stay perpendicular and cross the FINISH LINE. We’ll save you a beer.  HOWEVER—Treat this like a race, a personal challenge, or whatever, but don’t be stopping to have a picnic or whatever.

YAY! So I'm very much considering for this Half in October in preparation for the Princess in February. That way I'll know I can do the distance and will have 3.5 months to work on my time. What are your thoughts? Good? Bad? Crazy? I welcome any and all feedback! So here's to risotto, Spring coming and new plans! Oh, and compression running pants are amazing. Thanks to all my FB friends who suggested them! 

And the journey continues! (Recipe below)

Tomato and Sausage Risotto
Note: I used turkey italian sausage and only 1 container of spinach (5oz) and that was more than enough for me.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Serves (a big) 4
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.