Out & About #804 | Weekly Roundup Feat. Glazed Banana Pecan Muffins + Woodland Chase Trail

​There is an indescribable anxiety that comes with inactivity: a feeling of lost opportunity due to lack of productivity. Thoughts of rest and recovery normally take a back seat until the fatigue can be postponed no longer. To be engaged in work is a day well spent, and clearly I've been engaged enough this past week to automatically forego rest.

​Pilates (feat. Teaser Tuesday) was slipped into my self-declared weekday lunch break in order to accommodate a post-work visit to the sleepy polar bear.  Forearm planks were executed with much difficulty following a nasty elbow scrape from the overzealous dive at Nerf Challenge from the weekend prior.

A Grapefruit Yakult with Coconut Jelly from CoCo rewarded my exercise-and-cake-finalizing efforts, bringing about invigoration and zing to an otherwise incredibly hectic day.

Meals of the week comprised of 粟米斑塊, a Cantonese classic, and last-minute additions from Taza Xpress for iron needs.

​It was regrettable that the Beef Shawarma was not only tough and dry, but also peculiarly sour. The hummus was soupy and similarly tart, as if lightened with lemon juice (likely, to be fair). Black and green olives had been plopped onto the surface, enabling a brief period of infusion. The accompany Pita wrap was as dry and rigid as the shawarma. It should also be noted these observations were made following a ridiculously lengthy delivery period, exceeding the UberEats estimate of 10-20 minutes and extending it to 40 minutes instead.

​The remaining Black Sesame Purple Glutinous Rice Dumplings from T&T were served as a mid-afternoon snack with homemade ginger syrup - crafted with yellow rock sugar rather than the typical dark brown to draw emphasis to spiciness instead of nutty, caramel notes.

A sudden penchant for 2020's coveted Dalgona Latte propelled me to recreate the specimen with a 1:1:1 ratio of decaf Nespresso Gold, granulated sugar, and hot water.

​​Nighttime saw the release of Jinyoung on Youngjae's radio segment, where I relished in the all-too-familiar chuckles and characteristically GOT7 goofiness with a side of Waterloo Craft Lager. Yacha ("Yaksha" on Netflix) was slated to premiere worldwide the morning after.

​As temperatures soared to double digits in the latter half of the week, I opted to adopt active transportation for my post-work plans. Navigating about my community on foot is often the best way to identify areas requiring infrastructure improvements, as well as areas deserving commendation.

Trekking about on two feet meant there was no reason to avoid sidewalks, as I often do while biking. I turned onto a quaint residential street, one I would usually avoid due to an absence of bike lanes and smooth asphalt pathway, observing the atypically spacious dwellings lining both sides. Over the course of this trip, I made it a point to observe the sidewalk markings: Had trip hazards been clearly distinguished with hi-vis paint? Was the sidewalk wide enough? Did the gaps between the boulevard and sidewalk entail possible dangers? For as much as I enjoy gazing upwards at the sky, scanning for site-specific hazards is a duty I have willingly incorporated into my daily life.

From the corner of my eye, I found a trail opening, and readily diverged onto Woodland Chase Trail. It led me over a small creek, then a T-intersection where both ends terminated at Mississauga Road.

Braving the narrow sidewalk and dusty blows on the west side, I eventually found my way to Eglinton, overlooking the Credit River and Hewick Meadows section I had traversed not too long ago.

Eventually, I would arrive at Credit Pointe Village Park - another connecting point to Culham Trail!

Shortly afterwards, I would be whisked to an area of indoor plumbing and served treats from Lazio Bakery. The cannolis were fabulous: creamy within and crunchy on the outside without unnecessary rigidity or greasiness - quite the departure from the Goodfellas' variation I had praised prior.  The Eclair, however, was less impressive with tacky, overly stabilized "custard cream" and a soggy casing, entirely dissimilar to the likes of BeardPapa's.

My cravings for a Pork Chop Rice Plate were answered with a visit to I Love Pho. They had established a solid impression last time, thus was deemed a suitable choice for a speedy pre-movie supper

​We were seated nearly immediately and offered an iPad for menu perusal - this one noticeably less cracked. Our final lineup would comprise of:

• #113 Fried Squid Pancakes
• #102 Grilled Beef, Shrimp, and Avocado Rolls (4 pcs)
• #520 Grilled Pork Chop, Grilled Chicken + Fried Egg Rice Plate
• #N01 Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk

A side of sweet-tangy-savoury sauce and single set of utensils were provided after ordering.

The Squid Pancakes arrived first, followed closely by the fresh rolls. Intrigued but not particularly thrilled, the platter would comprise of a substantial portion of pan-fried, squidgy parcels. Its texture was akin to fish dace balls, except greasier and scented with dill. The pungent shrimp paste condiment accompanying the appetizer was sampled in a small quantity, then pushed aside with a grimace.

Comprising of buttery avocado, lightly seasoned shrimp, and charred beef slices, the rice paper rolls satisfied our individual needs for umami and freshness. The dipping sauce persevered as being too sweet for my preference, though the julienned carrots and peanuts are always a nice touch.

The Iced Coffee was next to be delivered. Probably the most economic of Cà Phê Sữa Đá at $4.50, the drink was as potent, icy, and sweet as I had expected it to be.

​Ten minutes later, it grew apparent that our final dish had been forgotten. Flagging one member of staff resulted in further forgetfulness. Corespondence with a different member of staff finally brought about the Rice Plate's long-awaited arrival. By this time, roughly twenty-five minutes had passed. We were behind schedule for the viewing of Jinyoung's movie and, frankly, quite famished.

The Fried Egg, albeit tiny, was perfectly runny, and the grilled portions of meat substantial, tender, and fragrant. Pickled veggies were another splendid addition to cut grease. I was less fond of the half-sized "broken rice" grains, though thoroughly enjoyed the meal nonetheless.
Admittedly, their reputation had plummeted since the last visit, but service levels and food quality had been proved consistent enough for further business - whether dine-in or takeout.

​Around 9:30 PM, we were finally ready for Yacha.

Leading up to the release date, I had ensured not a single entity engaged in regular correspondence would be unaware of the movie name and its significance. Many had taken to watching the 125-minute segment on the first day and reported back that Jinyoung had made very few appearances - that "there wasn't much of him". Of course, I was in agreement with this statement. I can also have more Jinyoung before my eyes.

Though, the movie genre was action after all: intense battle scenes, slightly dark humour, and extravagant demises had precedence over profound, philosophical plots. I had readied myself in preparation for the aforementioned elements, only to be caught off guard by the effortless command of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese of the main characters and a tatted Jinyoung in the ending credits scene

​Creations of the week included:

1) Banana Pecan Muffins

The recipe was adapted from the very dissimilar formula of blue sky bran muffins.
I had two extra bananas for experimentation, and opted for a nutty take on muffins in the absence of bran. The objective to was adjust the quantities of liquid, fat, and flour to produce a batter that would bake solid without rigidity and grease dissipation. Despite blue sky not being the most similar guideline, confidence had been instilled through repeatedly successful outcomes (with numerous alternatives for buttermilk and add-ins).

Modifications included:

• Addition of two bananas, mashed
• Addition of 50 g of homemade pecan butter
• Substitution of melted butter for oil (as per usual), but further reducing it to 60 g
• Reduction of buttermilk/yogurt quantity from 315 ml to 250 g (I know, I know - it's not a 1:1 ratio for density)
• Substitution of 100 g of oats for the specified 90 g of wheat bran

By including mashed bananas and nut butter, I was increasing the proportion of fat and liquid. The amount of melted butter was reduced to compensate for this, as was the plain yogurt. My reluctance to increase the amount of flour would be offset by rolled oats instead, for they were the safer option to keep gluten development at bay. Frankly, the oats were barely noticeable in the batter, for they dissolved nearly in their entirety, giving way to a soft, spongy consistency after baking.

I had eyed the sugar amount warily, and reasonably so, as the final products provided insufficient in sweetness and, regrettably, rather bland. Acting quickly, a glaze was compiled: golden syrup, icing sugar, and a few drops of homemade brown sugar-ginger syrup to improve consistency. Some muffins were dunked, while others subject to a zig-zag drizzle. The former were tastier, due to the entirety of the surface coming into contact with the glaze, yielding a caramel-like flavour reminiscent of candied pecans.

Any run-off was reserved in a small container for drizzling over re-toasted specimens in the subsequent days.

2) Banana Bread

The staple SK formula was crafted once more. Still unmarbled, I erred on the side of caution by adhering to a single portion.

It yielded nothing but deliciousness. Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (more cinnamon!) are both found in my renditions; a smidgen of ginger powder and nutmeg also go a long way in heightening the loaf's spicy aromas.

Crisp edges and a plush, delectable interior confirm this specimen superior to the likes of four-dollar Starbucks' slices.

Wrapping up a morning of baking, I whisked myself into a flurry of errands in the early afternoon hours. Dreary weather accompanied a sluggish drive to Oakville for soju and Kahlua (at two separate LCBO locations!). Equally slow volumes were seen on the return trip.

Sunday morning welcomed gloriously sunny skies - a scene i did not anticipate nor for which make preparations. UV protection had been omitted for both the eyes and skin, leading the drop-down panel i the car to assume my only form of Vitamin D dispersion.

We commenced with Cardio-Tramp warmups, first by extending the knees from tabletop to straight legs with the feet pasted together. Next came a modifcation involving the legs lifting up towards the ceiling then returning to the starting position before the Carriage returned to the starting position. Utilizing the lighter springs (blue and white) this time around introduced demand for stability, rather than endurance against spring tension. It also meant a greater degree of control was needed to move the Carriage at a steady pace and prevent the Reformer from shifting along the ground surface, as it had for the two participants to my left, due to liftoff bounces. Shifting to a turnout position of the feet, we proceeded with more jumps: extending the legs to engage the inner thighs, opening the legs outwards then returning, fluttering the legs over one another, and clapping the heels together. An imprint pelvis was maintained for the duration of this warmup. The final move involved flexing forward into a crunch position and placing the feet at hip-distance apart - "parallel", as we were told. With one bent knee and the other thigh pulled into the chest, the legs would be alternated for the classic pilates scissors, modified with bent legs.

​By this point, any residual shivers from the single-digit conditions of the outside world had vanished. I was instead left with a condensation-lined mask and splendid circles of underarm perspiration. It later became known that I was not the only to show signs of heat production, for streaks were observed on the backside of my neighbour's black top as well.
From this point ensued an interesting variation with the Cardio-Tramp: lying sideways, hips stacked and lower oblique gently lifting from the Carriage, we would proceed with jumping - this time strictly using the top leg for maneuvering. The bottom leg would rest on the Carriage, bent, such it would not drag along the Reformer frame or springs. The outstretched leg was lifted to hip height and maintained in line with the rest of the body. Two modifications were later added:

1. Pushing out with the top leg and lifting the leg to the ceiling (jumping side leg lifts)
2. Hovering the top leg above the Cardio-Tramp and pushing out using the bottom leg

The second variation was undeniably more challenging, as it demanded stability of the hips to prevent rolling forward or backward. While I had initially had one hand placed on the upper hip and the other loosely hovering about the shoulder rest, I subconsciously began tightening my grip for stability, using the upper body to resist movement while the lower body was unsupported and in motion. The same exercises would then be repeated on the other side. Springs were not added to my Reformer for the left leg this time around, but, once again, moving the right leg was harder. The left hip was unstable, and the hamstring comparatively weaker.

​This imbalance was made more evident when switching to the next set of exercises. Following light hamstring and inner thigh stretching, we would thread both feet through the tension straps and lower the legs such that a neutral spine could be maintained. A Pilates Ring was first fitted between the legs to engage the inner thighs. Squeezes of the ring and lowering of the legs using an imprint pelvis were conducted. The Ring was then brought over the feet to work the gluteus medius. We would push out against the Ring several times before lowering and lifting the legs once again. One variation of this move was to bend the knees to tabletop position while maintaining a neutral spine and "power" on the circle, extend the legs, then bring them back in.

​For the upper body segment, we, interestingly, did not make use of the Reformer box. Rather, both legs were bent at 90 degrees ("low lunge") on the Reformer. With a straight spine, lifted chest, and tucked ribcage, our hands would grip just above the handles of the tension straps and pull backwards to "gather the wings". With the exception of the arms and shoulder blades, other parts of the body were to remain still, stabililzed against rotation. To further test body control, we were instructed to maintain the pullback position, pull back the head, and keep the chin lifted. The head would then be slowly rotated to either side before coming back to centre and releasing the straps at the same pace they were tugged.

Finishing the class were oblique stretches/spinal rotation in mermaid position and hamstring stretches with hands gently placed atop the footbar (in the highest position) for support.

​A Mango Smoothie was obtained en route back. In a quick attempt to rectify their error, CoCo staff had been spotted combining 70% of a Regular-sized Mango Slush with milk to produce the desired two-tone gradient.

​Wonton Express awaited back home - oh, how I have lon​ged for this meal!

​While their broth was salted excessively this time around, I was nonetheless appreciative of their offerings. Braised Beef Brisket, succulent Wontons, hearty dumplings, and crunchy Fried Fish Skin never cease to fill the void.
​This was my type of comfort food.