The edge of the universe is expanding at the speed of light.  And here I am sometimes thinking that things are moving too fast for me.  Time distortions created by black holes are seen differently from inside and outside of the black hole.  Your experience of a situation is not always the same as someone else's.

I finally finished my book on The Black Hole War.  Thank God.  That's not to say it wasn't interesting, just intellectually demanding.  I was holding my own up until the end when the string theory started.  Perhaps it's analogous to thinking I'm doing well with my running until I go try to workout with the cross country team.  Reality check.

I enjoyed the 5 and 0 start to the softball season and sunshine down in Tempe this past weekend.  I also had time to get re-acquainted with my little friend Vitamin D.  Unfortunately, the only vegan source of Vitamin D is UV-irradiated mushrooms and yeast.  Yummy.  However, dietary sources (fortified milk and cereal, fatty fish, eggs, etc) are only a very small part of your body's Vitamin D supply.  The Seattle sunshine needs to provide the vast majority through 10-15 minutes of exposure on your arms and legs twice a week.

This quiche contains milk and eggs to help bring in some Vitamin D as well as calcium.  By using phyllo dough for the crust, you can enjoy the filling without a large amount of crust.  I had never worked with phyllo dough before and was somewhat surprised that it resembles sheets of paper and is quite finicky.  One note about phyllo dough:  This is found in the freezer section of the grocery store.  Read the package for defrosting instructions far in advance from when you plan to start cooking your quiche as defrosting can take at least 2 hours.  You will likely also have leftover blue cheese, phyllo dough and sage after making this recipe, so it may be a good idea to have other uses planned for these ingredients so they do not go to waste, or just double this recipe.

Roasted Butternut Squash Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage

Adapted from Closetcooking.com

Ingredients

·         ¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

·         2 cups onions, sliced (about 2 medium)

·         Water, as needed

·         2 cups butternut squash (probably less than 1 small squash), peeled and cut into bite size pieces

·         Salt and Pepper to taste

·         8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions

·         4 eggs, lightly beaten

·         1 cup half and half (or ½ cup milk and ½ cup heavy cream, or 1 cup heavy cream)

·         2 ounces gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled

·         1 tbsp sage, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add the sliced onions and sauté until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Drop the heat to a little below medium, add ¼ cup of water, cover and cook until the onions turn a deep golden brown, about 50 minutes.  During this time, you will need to stir the mixture every 10 minutes for the first 30 minutes, and then every 5 minutes until the time is completed (adding extra water if necessary).

While the onions are cooking, cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the squash on top of it.  Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.  Place pan in preheated oven (middle rack) and cook until tender, about 30-40 minutes.  Set aside.  Increase the oven temperature to 375F.

Prepare the crust by greasing a 9-inch pie pan or spring form pan (pour a little olive oil on a paper towel and wipe down inside of pan), and then brushing a sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil.  Place the sheet in the pan with the edges hanging over the pan.  Repeat with the remaining sheets of dough, overlapping as you go to cover the entire pan.  Some of your sheets are likely to rip.  This is okay as long as they are layered.  If you will have extra sheets, discard the ripped ones. 

When the onions are done cooking, place them in a large bowl and mix with the squash, eggs, milk, gorgonzola, and sage.  Pour into the crust. 

Bake on the middle rack until golden and set in the center, about 25-45 minutes. 

GoHuskies.com got a minute to catch up with senior catcher BK Santy.

Santy, a team captain and leader from San Diego was a JC transfer in 2010 from Palomar College. He caught 43 games last spring for the Dawgs, hitting .288 with seven doubles, one home run and 18 RBI.

We wanted to find out some more about the man behind the mask. Here is what we learned:

Q & A with Sr. Catcher BK Santy

Why did you choose Washington? I chose UW because I wanted to play in the best conference in the nation, and I knew this was the best option in terms of academic prestige.

Do you have a pre-game ritual? A pre-game ritual I have is visualizing success a few minutes before the game, and singing some of my favorite songs to calm myself.

As a junior college transfer, what has been the biggest different from JC to the Pac-12? In JC ball there are a few guys on each team that are special in terms of their ability to play baseball at a high level. In the Pac every guy has that ability no matter who you play, and every game is going to be a challenge and a grind.

What sport would you play if you didn't play baseball? If I didn't play baseball I'd either be a beach volleyball player or play professional dodgeball player.

What do you like to do during summer vacations? During summer vacations I like to go to the beach all day, surf, and play volleyball.

What's your favorite thing about Seattle and why? My favorite thing about Seattle has got to be the beautiful surroundings. It's always fresh and clean everywhere which is extremely refreshing.

What's your favorite class you've taken at UW and why? My favorite class at UW was probably history of the Vietnam War. It was great learning about Vietnam's brutal history and get an in-depth glimpse of the Vietnam War.


What does it mean to you to be a Husky? Being a Husky means working hard not because you have to but because you want to. This year we have bought into this motto and the attitudes of every individual player on our squad is something I'm pumped about.

Which teammate is the biggest comedian? The biggest comedian on the team is sneakily Zack Wright. Anything that guy does makes me laugh.

What are you most looking forward to about this season and why? This season I'm looking forward to playing with a dugout full of Huskies who want to win just as bad as I do. I want to prove people wrong and leave the UW on a positive note, knowing that I was an important part in the transformation of Husky Baseball. Above all else I want to win, and make the post-season tournament.

What do you want to do after your playing career is over? After my baseball career is over I want to be a high school history teacher and baseball coach somewhere. I love working with people and socializing, and I can't see myself becoming bored with a job like that.

What is your favorite place to play an away game in the Pac-12 and why? My favorite place to play in the Pac 12 is probably USC just because it's closest to home which allows my family and friends watch me play, because USC is only an hour and a half north of San Diego.

What musical artists are currently in your iPod? Music artists currently on my iPod are Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, ACDC, Jack Johnson, and Tribal Seeds.

What are you majoring in, and why? I am majoring in history, because it's the only subject that doesn't bore me, and I'd like to teach to teach it one day.


Who is your favorite major league player, and why? My favorite MLB player is Derek Jeter, mostly because I am a huge Yankee fan (blood not bandwagon), and he is the ultimate symbol of class, respect, and consistency in the game of baseball.

What family member has been most inspirational to you? The most inspirational family member for me is a tie between my mom and dad. My dad has always been my coach and great teacher of the game, but at the same time he never put too much pressure on me, and wanted me to enjoy playing the game of baseball. My mom on the other hand did care about baseball, but much more about me succeeding in life, and being a good person. She has shown me nothing but love and support in every aspect in my life, and I am blessed to have such great and devoted parents.

I don't know how Canadians can afford to eat.  I returned to my native land for an educational course recently, and continue to be amazed at how expensive food is in the grocery stores there.  A few years ago, when the Canadian dollar was weak, the higher cost wasn't too significant.  However, with the dollars now around par, I might be eating Mr. Noodles every day if I lived up there (Canadian version of Top Ramen).  That would make my food blog much more challenging.

The 3 day course I attended discussed the New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries.  It's not that everything I knew about preventing and treating running injuries was wrong, it's just that 90% of it might be.  Where do I go from here?  I contemplate the information.  I discuss it.   I learn from it.  And I apply it.  And then I go eat my cookies.  Because, despite the beans, these are pretty good. 

Yes beans.  In a cookie.  The batter smells like white beans when you're mixing it.  Slightly disgusting.  But push through this and you will be rewarded.  The beans provide a great source of fiber and protein while adding some density to the cookie, without the beanie aftertaste.  Mostly, the anise flavor comes out in this cookie. Star Anise is a star-shaped spice that tastes like liquorice and originates from China and Japan.  Imagine a very subtle black liquorice flavor being added to your food.  You can use this to flavor drinks and candies, but it can also add an extra dimension to chicken by applying it as part of a rub or putting the whole star anise in a pot of blueberry jam while it cooks, removing it afterwards.  The original recipe called for aniseed, which I thought was the same thing as Star Anise.  Apparently, the two are similar with a slightly different flavor.  Aniseed has been used medicinally to treat menstrual cramps and head lice.

Marathon Cookies

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com

Ingredients

·         2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

·         1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

·         1 tbsp aniseed (or star anise), ground

·         1 tbsp baking powder

·         1 tsp baking soda

·         Zest of one lemon

·         ½ tsp fine grain sea salt

·         1 15oz can white kidney, great northern, or navy beans, rinsed and drained

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         1 cup natural can sugar (or brown sugar)

·         1 large egg

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         1/3 cup chopped dates

·         1/3 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the top third.  Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Place oats in a food processor or blender and pulse until they resemble course flour.  Put them into a large bowl and combine with the flour, aniseed, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and salt.

Use your food processor again to blend together the beans and oil until smooth.  (You don't want any bean bits in your cookies!)

Pour in the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and blend again until well combined.  Just like when using electric beaters, you will need to stop your blending a couple of times to scrape down the sides so everything gets mixed in.

Transfer the bean mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a spatula to combine until everything is just mixed.  Top with the dates and fold the dough a few more times until those are mixed in as well.

In a small bowl, measure out the sesame seeds.  Use an ice cream scoop to form the dough into balls. (Everyone enjoys a giant cookie from time to time, so feel free to be adventurous with the size.  The baking time will increase with the size of your cookies, so be sure that whatever size you make them, they're all the same size so they cook evenly.)

Place the scooped cookie dough in the sesame seed bowl and roll until coated. 

Transfer the cookie to the baking sheet and flatten the dough a little with your hand. 

Make all of the cookies this way and then bake for about 15 mins or until the seeds are lightly browned.