I can't swim

Today is National Swim A Lap day. I never learned how to swim.

When I was 5, I went to the neighborhood pool with my aunt and my sister. My sister, who was about seven at the time, decided I needed to get in the water quickly. She picked me up by my waist, and dropped me in 5 feet. Well, you know at five years old you're not tall enough for 5 feet of water. What I remember is staring at the wall... I'm pretty sure I was floating... and then a man grabbing me out of the water by the back of my bathing suit. Amazingly, I held my breath and didn't swallow any water, but I was rather afraid of swimming after that.

When I was about 15, I started working at a camp, and we went to the pool almost every day. I then learned how to hold my breath longer, and I learned how to float. I was even able to move a little - although I wouldn't call it swimming. Thought I was doing well. Problems started, though. As I got older, I had trouble holding my breath, and even had issues with being chest deep in cold water. Lawrence has tried several times to teach me, but it's been useless. I just can't swim. 

I am happy that most of my kids can swim. Two out of the five have a fear of the water but the other 3 love it. I don't even like the water too much anymore... 

Anyway, Can you swim? If so, go out and swim a lap or two. If not.... take a class!

 Tomorrow is National Log Cabin Day and National Catfish Day. Yum!

National Chocolate Eclair Day

I like a good eclair. One that has just the right amount of filling to pastry ratio - not so much that the filling oozes out the other side, but enough that I can taste it in every bite. If a donut is Walmart, then an eclair is Target. Just a step above.

Speaking of eclairs, does anyone know where this is from?

I'm not THAT much of a fan of eclairs that I would eat one out of the trash, even if it was "hovering". 

In case this makes you want to whip up a couple of eclairs yourself, here's an easy recipe from foodnetwork.com:

Chocolate Eclairs
Total Time: 3 hr 55 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 3 hr 45 min
Yield:8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Filling:
2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Pastry:
1 cup water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, plus 1 extra, if needed

Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons water
Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Directions

Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.

Pastry: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, 1 egg at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining 1 egg and mix until incorporated.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe fat lengths of dough (about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog) onto the lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between them. You should have 8 to 10 lengths.

Egg Wash: In a bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Brush the surface of each eclair with the egg wash. Use your fingers to smooth out any bumps of points of dough that remain on the surface. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. Fit a medium-size plain pastry tip over your index finger and use it to make a hole in the end of each eclair (or just use your fingertip). Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip, gently pipe the custard into the eclairs, using only just enough to fill the inside (don't stuff them full).

Glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm. The glaze can be made up to 48 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, and rewarm in a microwave or over hot water when ready to use.

Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set on a sheet pan. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour to set the glaze. Serve chilled.

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