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Smorgasbord

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Smorgasbord 🫘 🍌 🍫 We cyclists nowadays have quite a smorgasbord of on-bike food available. It’s great to have so many things to try; from cookbook recipes to salvage-store finds. As to the latter, I’ve got to use up my overstock! For some years, my cycling smorgasbord has consisted of various protein/energy bars and GU-Gels. I’ve used Clif Bars; RXBars; and many others. Now, however, I’m getting interested in expanding the menu. At least one video about  RAGBRAI mentioned frijoles and tortillas; and now I’m eager to try it. For the first experiment, I’ll make it only part of my ride food. I don’t really expect it to cause stomach issues; but it’s better to ease into a new food regimen.  I’m also considering fruit pouches. GoGo squeeZ comes in handy, recloseable pouches; and that’s handy when you don’t want to eat an entire serving at once. Taste of RAGBRAI? 👅 Did I get a taste of RAGBRAI this afternoon? And I don’t mean electrolyte drink. It was at least 2:00 pm when I decided to head out to a bicycle shop — not my usual one, which is within a mile of home. This one is more like 2.5 miles away; and I was riding in the blazing sunshine. The temperature was a relatively cool 75 degrees; and even that felt quite hot. If that was a taste of RAGBRAI, I’ve got a long way to go before I’m ready! Why did I go out on a bicycle at that hour? I’m looking for a pair of light-ish Winter cycling gloves; something lighter than Giro Candela 2.0 Gloves. Last time I was at my usual bike shop, they didn’t have any; and neither did the shop I visited today. I may not need them until Fall; but I figured they might be on sale now. Then I’d have a few bucks to save towards doing RAGBRAI!   This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Smorgasbord April 5, 2024 The Power of Suggestion April 4, 2024 Bare Legs April 3, 2024 Fuel Supply April 2, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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We Got It

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We Got It! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” We got it overnight! There was heavy rain; and we had a power outage as well! I woke just before 4 am; heard it raining; and then a loud bang that wasn’t thunder. I flipped the bedroom light switch; and nothing happened. I guess a transformer blew. I’m glad I was’t out there riding! I’m also glad the outage didn’t occur while I was using the blender to whip up a post-ride smoothie! Or trying to cook something on the stove. I grew up with a gas range; and having an electric stove is a distinct disadvantage when the electricity goes out. I couldn’t heat anything for breakfast! I was about to make hot chocolate; and then had to say, no, I can’t; because the stove won’t work. I didn’t know how spoiled I was by having a GAS stove all these years! Even if I could ride, I think I would have skipped the trip to the salvage store this morning. Rain; lightning and thunder; and waiting for the power to come back on. We got it at last; but not until almost 11 am. It’s a good thing the weather wasn’t cold, or I might have been miserable. With electrical power restored, I got to work in the kitchen; although not with the The Feed Zone Cookbook. I’m busy thinking of ways to use up the stash of canned goods that I built up during the pandemic. That’s going to take quite a while! When my foot is restored, I first need to ease into cycling with regular, easy rides; and I hope it isn’t long before I can try some more intense work. But I’m afraid I might not be able to begin for a few more weeks. My foot is still too swollen for a sneaker; so forget cycling shoes! ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL We Got It December 2, 2023 All or Nothing December 1, 2023 Another Step Forward November 30, 2023 The Sound of Music November 29, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Another Step Forward

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Another Step Forward! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” I’m another step forward! Today I had my first post-lapiplasty follow-up; and am finally rid of that bulky surgical dressing. That’s a major relief; and next Tuesday I get the stitches out! I’m not yet ready to get my foot into a Fizik, though. The podiatrist says I may try wearing a regular shoe; but I couldn’t get my foot into my sneaker. I think I needed to unlace the shoe more; and I think the foot is still a little swollen, too. But I may walk as tolerated; and I didn’t really need to be limping around on my heel for the past eight days. I did it because I thought I needed to keep stress off of the sutures as much as possible; and better be safe than sorry. In fact, it’s still uncomfortable to walk normally. I suppose it will be until those stitches are gone. I still have to keep the surgical site clean and dry; and I may be stuck indoors for a day or two. The forecast is full of rain; and in fact we got a light sprinkle already today. The sun came out for a while; and I celebrated my new freedom by getting Mediterranean take-out for lunch. Vegetarian-stuffed grape leaves! YUMMY! When it’s more comfortable for me to be on my feet, I think I’ll haul out The Feed Zone Coobook and try some recipes. Or at least choose some to try later, when I use up what’s already in my fridge and freezer. Some new, healthful recipes would be another step forward in getting my diet back on track!   ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Lapiplasty Limp December 3, 2023 We Got It December 2, 2023 All or Nothing December 1, 2023 Another Step Forward November 30, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Riding with the Kiwi

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Riding with the Kiwi This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” On flat ground, that is. Parts of New Zealand are mountainous; and I might have a very tough time in those regions! Let’s see what New Zealand has to offer us two-wheelers. The A2O trail is the country’s longest; and is ranked Easy to Intermediate on the difficulty scale. You can enjoy beautiful views of lakes; mountains; and plains. Off-the-bike activities, such as wine-tasting, are also available along the way. The trail is divided into nine segments, so you can ride just part of it; or take five to seven days to tackle the whole route. Is mountain biking more to your liking? Choose from MTB trails ranging from easy to blue square. Ride through stunning scenery; watch for local wildlife; and enjoy the outdoors! As always, don’t forget about safety. In New Zealand, cars are right-hand drives; and are driven on the left-hand side of the road. I, for one, would have a hard time remembering that; but cycling on motorways is a no-no in New Zealand. So it’s possible that we won’t have to worry about it. Let’s get back to the trails. It is said that some people live to eat; so how about riding to eat? There are several routes for the cycling foodie, including the Tasman Great Taste Trail. This easy-to-intermediate trail follows the coastline; and along the way are wineries; art galleries; fish & chip shops; and boutiques. But with COVID  apparently  making a reappearance, I’m not holding my breath about going anywhere; whether to go riding with the kiwi or to another country.  

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Sat Fat

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Sat fat?! What won\’t I come up with next? Sat-fat (as I prefer to spell it; but my blog-writing program doesn\’t like hyphenated titles) is my abbreviation for saturated fat; and sat fat, we now know, is a bigger culprit in high cholesterol counts than dietary cholesterol per se. Sat fat comes largely (entirely?) from foods of animal origin; and if you happen to be vegan it should be simple to avoid it. I\’m not vegan myself; and though I\’ve been interested in a meatless diet for decades, it\’s hard to eat a diet based on plants (whole grains, legumes, veggies); get enough calories; and keep from overshooting my carb count. As a result, I now eat more chicken and tuna. The nutritionist says I need to watch saturated fat and trans fat more than cholesterol. The former should make up less than 7% of my daily calorie intake; and trans fats should be avoided as much as possible. So I still have the leeway to enjoy a few ounces of cheese a week; and avoiding processed foods (e.g. snack cakes) ought to make sidestepping trans fat quite easy. But how much fat do I burn off through my cycling? I enjoy browsing through The Feed Zone Cookbook, and I think it would be fun to try more of the recipes. Unfortunately they tend to be high in fat. These dishes are designed with the pro peloton in mind, though; and I guess those folks burn off all that fat during training and racing. As a recreational cyclist, I wouldn\’t. Talking about saturated fat makes me think of videos such as this one. That poor young man has far worse dietary problems than I do. Come to think of it, I don\’t think I\’ve had pizza in at least a year! That Lion As March draws to a close, things look pretty stormy. That lion might be getting ready to pounce. When I went out on the road bike this morning, there were patches of heavy fog. I\’m glad I had planned to ride easy. Poor visibility and hard efforts don\’t mix well. It got warm today; up to 80 degrees. As the day went on, the sky got cloudier and cloudier. The sun dodged in and out; but it was still shining when I left work at 4:30 pm. I decided to give in to my hankering after Chinese food. I\’m calling it Easter dinner! Unfortunately it means a hefty dose of sat fat. You know how it goes when bad weather is about to set in: even though the sun was out, there were ominous-looking clouds in parts of the sky; and then it began to sprinkle. I stopped and pulled on the poncho; then hurried on. As I got closer to the strip mall where the Chinese restaurant is located, the sky in the Northwest looked uglier and uglier. I placed my order at the Chinese restaurant; then went to the drug store (almost next door) for a soda. Then I picked up my dinner, and went home. On the way, some pretty strong wind gusts came up; and I\’m glad they were behind me! And oh, did I get lucky. It didn\’t rain on me. About ten minutes after I got in, I heard a brief drizzle; but I suppose the worst is yet to come. The wind will probably start to kick up any time now. That lion is making itself felt!

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Mutation

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Mutation sounds like the COVID-19 virus. That thing seems to be changing faster and faster; and I, for one, hope that it soon mutates itself out of existence. But mutation seems inescapable. My job has changed a great deal in the many years that I\’ve had it; and it\’s now unrecognizable as the job I began. And we all undergo mutation as cyclists, don\’t we? When I got my adult tricycle, I never imagined that I would evolve into a roadie several years later. I thought I had a way to get to and from work and the grocery store; and that I could ride a few extra miles on weekends, just for fun. One thing quickly led to another; even a three-wheeled century ride! All that vigorous exercise seemed to reduce the wobbly sensations inside of my head; and two and a half years after I bought the trike, I was on a hybrid. Before long I was using toe clips; and several months later, I went clipless. I did two self-supported centuries on the hybrid. As the miles on the hybrid racked up, thoughts of a road bike crept in. In April, 2013, I got it; and I\’ve never looked back. The recipes I make keep mutating, too. Take Chicken Tikka Masala (The Feed Zone Cookbook, p. 229). A couple of days ago I tried a new variation: I used the 12 oz bag of grilled chicken strips that was in the freezer. I put in 2 cups of chopped cauliflower; and added minced garlic and about a half cup of chopped red bell pepper. It will soon be time to make another garbage soup. That \”recipe\” changes every time I make it … is this a \”fake it \’til you make it\”?

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Variation Number X

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I made variation number X on chicken tikka masala last week. It makes me wonder what I\’ll come up with next. And what would the authors of The Feed Zone Cookbook think? I\’ve used hot dogs for tikka masala many a time. I\’ve used black beans, and I\’ve tried it with garbanzos. The cauliflower curry I made is actually another variation on the tikka masala recipe. If you\’re keen on trying it, here\’s how I made it. For the marinade, I mixed 1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt; 1 cup tomato sauce; 1 tablespoon curry powder; and 1/2 teaspoon salt. I had half a cauliflower that needed to be used. I cut it into small pieces; about 2 1/2 cups. I also had part of a red onion. It made about 1 cup chopped. I minced a clove of garlic, and a small (about 6\” long) carrot, sliced very thinly. I stirred all the veggies into the marinade, and let it sit in the fridge one hour. Then I put the pot over medium heat and let the mixture get bubbly, stirring now and then. I turned the heat down to a simmer, and let the stuff cook until the cauliflower was crisp-tender, about 8-10 minutes. Voila! A cupful of cauliflower curry over brown rice made a good supper. I bet it would be good with a little cheese on top, too. I froze what I didn\’t eat that evening, and already my brain was mulling over Variation Number X + 1. Potatoes?  

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Hot Dogs Abroad

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Hot Dogs Abroad We travel; so why shouldn’t our hot dogs travel too? This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Hot dogs abroad?! What’s that all about? It’s about the variations on chicken tikka masala, from The Feed Zone Cookbook. I took to using “franks” instead of chicken sausages; and began to substitute other things for the tomato sauce. These various sauces put a “hot dogs abroad” twist on things. I’ve taken hot dogs to Korea, with gochujang sauce. There have been two trips to China, with different brands of sweet and sour sauce. There was one “staycation”, when I used buffalo sauce. That’s about as American as you can get. Apple pie had better look to its laurels. Last Sunday I dusted off the passport, so to speak, and took hot dogs to Thailand! I found an 8 oz jar of pad thai sauce in the salvage store. I got a one-pound package of chicken franks. There were plain yogurt and half a red onion in the fridge at home, so I didn’t need to buy those. It didn’t take long to prepare the mixture; then I only had to let it marinate. I put that time to good use by washing the dishes; working on blogging; and listening to a YouTube of Mozart’s Great g-minor Symphony. And then I had to keep reminding myself that it was Sunday. It feels like Saturday when I go to the salvage store. If I really could go to Thailand, it would feel like vacation!

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onion garlic cook

Stand-Ins

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Stand-ins aren’t necessarily inferior. Chicken Tikka Masala, from The Feed Zone Cookbook,  is a favorite of mine. But do I make it exactly as the recipe says? Not at all. I use some stand-ins! First, I don’t bother with the two pounds of chicken breasts.  I don’t like handling raw poultry. My stand-in is a 12-oz package of fully-cooked chicken sausages. One of the ingredients is a cup of tomato sauce. If I don’t have any, one possible stand-in is a cup of chopped canned tomatoes with the juice. Another time I when found I that had no tomato sauce, I used a cup of condensed tomato soup. Curry powder is another ingredient. What can I do if I want to make Chicken Tikka Masala, and don’t have curry powder? I could check “curry powder” online, to see what spice blend it is; then see which of those spices I have at home. As to onions, no type is specified. I’ve tried red onions; sweet Vidalia onions; yellow-skin onions; and scallions. I like red onions best. Scallions are very strong so next time I use them I’ll reduce the amount by half. Sometimes I add some minced garlic, even though the recipe doesn’t mention garlic. For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and use several cups  of cooked legumes: garbonzos, black beans, etc. The way I make this recipe, I end up with extra sauce. No problem. I put some of it aside for other uses. It’s good over toast; pasta; rice; or potatoes. I’ve even tried it as a salad dressing, and it wasn’t bad. The bottom line is, don’t be afraid to experiment with recipes. You might even come up with your own recipe that becomes a favorite!

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Tikka Masala Goes Abroad

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Tikka Masala Goes Abroad This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Tikka masala goes abroad! Time for a travelogue, here. My experiments in the kitchen have included hot dog tikka masala, a twist on the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe in The Feed Zone Cookbook. Now, the tinkering continues. Tikka Masala is, I suppose, an East Indian dish. A while back, I found a jar of gochujang Korean cooking sauce when I visited the salvage store. I bought it with the idea of figuring out some way to use it, and today I finally got down to it. I’m making what I think I shall call Gochujang Dogs. I followed the same procedure as I do for hot dog tikka masala, but substituted the Korean sauce for the tomato sauce; and I omitted the curry powder. Gochujang sauce is a bit sharp, and I suspect that curry would clash with it. The mixture is marinating in the fridge even as I type this, and I think I’ll have some for supper. Incidentally, I finally got to the salvage store today! It seemed the hardest ride I’ve done in a while. My hamstring isn’t completely back to itself yet; I was riding the hybrid; and had loaded panniers on the way home. It was great to get to that place again, though. I got my usual load of cheap snacks from the make-your-own-grab-bag bins. On the way home, I saw the AmTrak train crossing the bridge. For some reason I really enjoy that, even though I’m many years beyond the “look at the choo-choo” stage! Maybe tikka masala abroad travels by train, and I yearn to go with it.

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