A little bit of Spring is in the air already …
A splash of color caught my eye today.
We’ve got more rain coming. I was hoping to get some cycling in this weekend, but it’s not looking like a definite at this point. A hopeful, but we shall see.
For the last 10 days I have been checking the weather forecast regularly and have gone back and forth between wanting to ride and wanting to bail on today’s Foxy’s Fall Century. The forecasts changed a bit daily – rain, no rain, but wind was a certainty each time I checked the Weather Channel’s site.
By the end of the workday yesterday I had convinced my self that riding today would be a bad idea, but I checked the weather forecast again when I got home and decided that I would reevaluate in the morning if I would ride or not. As of last night, the forecast was no rain until late afternoon and fairly reasonable winds until about 2:00, when they were projected to be 20+ mph. I began to think that if I started early enough that I could finish the ride before these 20+ mph winds started. So, I packed up all of my gear and went to bed with the promise that I would make my final decision in the morning.
I am so glad that I rode today.
What’s a ride without a fabulous selfy?
For a couple of weeks I’ve been trying to get friends to do the ride, but no one wanted to. I have not been cycling nearly enough this past year, so I wasn’t feeling particularly eager (or confident) to do this ride solo today. But I really needed to do the ride, so I was quite happy when another solo rider pulled up alongside about 10 or 15 miles into the ride and we got to chatting and finished the course together. I was very appreciative for the nice company.
After the ride, the lunch was good – lasagna, salad, gluten-free bread, desserts (ice cream sandwiches, macaroons, gluten-free chocolate cake).
Foxy’s Fall Century – Lunch
By the time I got home, I was a little hungry again …
My new go-to recovery drink is Golden Milk.
The weather held out throughout the ride. I did not get rained on this year and the wind didn’t get that bad. Actually, the winds were for the most part pretty favorable today.
I know I said this last year, but … next year … the full century is the goal.
I just got on my bike and rode … and rode … and rode. It’s about time!
The Napa Valley Tour de Cure is just 6 weeks away?! How did this happen? If you would like to donate to support my Tour de Cure ride, please click here. Interested in riding? Find your Tour here.
Pleasants Valley Road, a few miles outside of Winters, CA
Pleasants Valley Road, in Vacaville
Pleasants Valley Road, in Vacaville
Pleasants Valley Road, in Vacaville
Putah Creek Road, between Winters and Davis
Selfie Time!
Road 29, headed back towards Davis
Back in Davis … photobombed by my own shadow!
Can you see Sacramento in the background?!
Well, we did ask for it. We did pray for it. And now it’s here.
El niño está aquí!
I am so looking forward to some beautiful, clean, fresh air. I’ve been enjoying seeing the greening of the hills – something we haven’t seen so much of in a few years.
California has been in a serious drought for years now. We’re having a delightfully wet March, but that’s still not enough rain to “end” the drought – check out this article and map to see how we’re doing.
So please remember, my fellow Californians, please continue to conserve water.
… and remember … cycling in the rain can be fun if you have the appropriate gear and pay extra attention to safe cycling. Alternatively, you could always put your bike on an indoor trainer.
We are having quite the storm in Davis right now with lots and lots of rain (very welcome) and wind (not so welcome). It’s the perfect night for some super healthy comfort food.
In the oven roasting right now – fresh cauliflower, broccolette, and cipollini onions … a splash of olive oil, sprinkling of salt, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a healthy dose of curry powder. I’ll roast these on 325 degree Fahrenheit for about an hour or so.
I’ve got a simple curry sauce simmering on the stove just waiting for some additional ingredients. I’ve got frozen peas and corn thawing and draining right now and a girlfriend is bringing over some either chicken, pork, or lamb to cook up and add to the mix. I’m not sure what she’s bringing, so it will be a surprise.
To make the curry sauce, just heat a bit of either butter and/or olive oil in a saucier pan. Make a roux by sprinkling in a bit of flour and curry powder, then whisking together to form a paste. Gradually add some milk and/or stock and whisk until smooth. Simmer to thicken, whisking occasionally. Usually I would use chicken stock, but for some reason tonight I used vegetable stock. I don’t like that as much – next time I’ll stick with chicken stock.
We’ll be serving this with rice.
Mmmm … my house smells soo good right now.
Last night’s full moon made for an amazing moonset this morning.
Looking from North Davis towards Winters area – you can just barely see the full moon setting.
The cool, fresh, moist air made for a glorious sunrise …
Sunrise, looking east towards Sacramento.
This morning’s ride was just over 17 miles … aaah. Not much else to say.
Here’s wishing you a wonderful ride today.
Why is it that when I am in serious need of some comfort food I often turn to curry? Probably because curry powder is flavorful, warming, and has oodles of health and mood-boosting benefits.
Chicken Curry with Cauliflower, Peas, and Rice Medley
This can be a super easy weeknight dinner to prepare. I had some leftover cooked chicken, fresh cauliflower florets, frozen peas, a little chicken stock, and cooked rice. I like it a little spicy, so I also add some cayenne pepper to my curry powder.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Slice the cauliflower into about 1/4-inch slices and saute on medium-high heat in a pre-heated wok with a little oil. Sprinkle your favorite curry powder and cayenne (if desired) over the cauliflower and toss to coat. Add the chicken to the cauliflower and add the stock*. Add the hot rice and stir to combine well. Reduce to low and allow to simmer gently. Meanwhile heat the peas – about 2 minutes on high in the microwave should do it. Add the peas and stir gently to combine.
*You can add a little flour to the stock and make a slurry if you want to thicken your sauce a bit.
We have been having some glorious rain in Davis this week. Last night’s storm was impressive and off and on today we had some intense rain showers and wind. The air was so clean and fresh this morning it was delightful. I am looking forward to getting some good cycling in this weekend!
Here are a few scenes from my ride today.
A beautiful spring-like day here.
Sweet, fragrant almond blossoms along Putah Creek Road.
The morning started out so calm and in just a few hours there was this crazy wind. That will teach me to wait too long to get out on the road in the morning, huh? 56 miles total and most of it either into a headwind or fighting a strong side wind. It was worth it, though, for those few miles with a sweet tailwind.
That made for a pretty good training ride. I was hoping to ride a longer distance today, but with the wind this was enough. It’s been wonderful cycling before work again. I know we need more rain, but I’m sure enjoying cycling again. Yesterday 62 miles. Tomorrow … who knows how many?
Dinner tonight was a simple salad of greens, avocado, and tomato with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I had a small piece of a lean cut of beef that had marinated overnight in coffee, balsamic vinegar, and a little olive oil. I quickly pan fried the little steaks, then allowed them to rest while I made some mushroom gravy. It was very low fat – I used the leftover marinade as the base of the sauce and added some beautiful oyster mushrooms. I made a light slurry of chicken stock with a bit of flour to thicken the sauce and some fresh thyme to brighten it up a bit. It was very flavorful, but low fat. I made some smashed potatoes (basically mashed potatoes with the skin still on them!) to have with the gravy. The potatoes were also low fat – made with a bit of low fat milk and no butter.
The meat was a very lean piece of beef and kind of tough even after marinating overnight. Sliced very thin, however, it was quite flavorful and tender. The leftovers will be a perfect addition to a post-ride salad tomorrow.
It was a pretty breezy day today, with 20+mph winds on my ride. As you may recall from previous posts, in these here parts we call these winds the “Davis Hills.” I managed to get in over 43 miles total: 14 solo and 29 with my cycling partner. Most of the ride there was either a brutal head wind or side wind. Oh, but for a few miles there was a very sweet tail wind!
Saturday was a much better day weather-wise for cycling, but I had other commitments, so I only got about 15 miles in. Oh, but it felt soo good! I have not been getting nearly enough cycling in and the trainer has proven to be more difficult to get situated than expected. Tomorrow morning will be my first ride on the trainer.
We had some very dramatic clouds this weekend – this was Saturday.
This morning I made a scramble with loads of wild mushrooms, some fresh stir fry greens, chicken Andouille sausage, eggs, and just a touch of light Irish cheddar cheese.
Wild Mushrooms, Chicken Andouille Sausage, and Greens ready for the scramble.
Served with some fresh fruit, whole grain toast … this will power you through those headwinds!
With the recent cold, rainy weather, I’ve been playing with some serious comfort food … this was last weekend …
Espresso & Stout Lamb Stew served with Colcannon – perfect on a cold night!
If you haven’t tried Colcannon, consider making some. It’s basically perfect mashed potatoes with some lightly steamed fresh greens mixed in. A little milk, butter, and garlic if you want. I used Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed and steamed in just enough water so that by the time the potatoes were done most of the excess water had evaporated. Add a splash of hot milk and a pat of Irish butter and whip together with a wooden spoon to make perfect mashed potatoes, then fold in some gently steamed mixed greens (baby kale, spinach, and chard), salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy! Here’s wishing you many happy and healthy miles!
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