It is an absolutely gorgeous morning in Davis! I am realizing that this may be the last week that I’ll get to ride before work. Alas, it’s back to the gym … next week. Enjoy this beautiful day! I hope you get the chance to ride.
What the ... ?
Fighting the wind today along Tremont Road, heading away from Davis towards Winters, I looked down and saw this …
It was windy, and I was cranky and not enjoying the ride too much today, so I was especially delighted and amused by this sight. I welcomed the excuse to stop for a moment to investigate.
Lotsa' Wild Watermelons!
Huevos Rancheros, sort of …
Fried Eggs with Salsa Verde
Heat 2 corn tortillas on a cast iron griddle. Top the warm tortillas with a little cheddar cheese and leave on the griddle on low. Warm some salsa verde, either in the microwave or on the stove on low heat. Fry two eggs to your desired doneness. Top each tortilla with one fried egg, then spoon a little salsa over top.
How good were these? They were gone before I even had the chance to mix my own breakfast together. Hmm … I have a feeling these will be requested again.
My New Favorite Pre-Ride Breakfast …
My Special Blend
Place a handful of whole rolled oats in your bowl, then add about 1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s High Fiber O’s*. Spoon over two tablespoons of Qi’a and stir together. Serve with non-fat milk. This blend sits well in my belly during even the most rigorous ride and keeps me full for a long time. I happen to like how it tastes, too, because it’s not too sweet.
*A few months ago Trader Joe’s discontinued this product. I was so unhappy about that that I wrote to corporate! It is back on the shelves now, so apparently I am not the only one who missed it. It’s healthy, has a good blend of protein and fiber, and is loaded with heart healthy whole grains.
Qi’a is an interesting blend of Chia, Buckwheat, and Hemp Cereal. I recently discovered this at Costco. The Cranberry Vanilla blend is a nice addition because it adds a little sweetness, 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 1.9 grams of omega-3’s.
Now you’re all set for a great ride!
Along Road 29 between Davis and Woodland
I had a nice little ride today, 46.6 miles. The air is much better today, but there was still a bit of haze. It was a beautiful morning and I had a very lovely surprise a few miles into my ride. Tomatoes are being harvested, and the fields are being cleared. I heard it was a bumper crop this year. I rode past field after field of drying corn and sunflowers, and then just when I thought the sunflowers were done blooming for the year, I happened upon this lovely surprise!
I got a few good rides in this weekend. They were shorter, but more … intense? I think I need to mix things up a little more. Some long, paced rides. Some shorter, faster rides. Some intervals. Definitely more hills.
I also made some good food this weekend, but my camera isn’t working very well, so no photos.
I’ve got a long, busy week ahead of me, and more stuff to do before sleep tonight, so … Good Night Friends!
Sunrise on a Davis Greenbelt
I have been so busy lately, that I’ve been neglecting CyclingFoodie. I’ve been riding almost every day: every morning before work and weekends.
Just lots of stuff going on, some fun, lots of work, and some just stuff.
There is only time for a quick post this morning, because I’ve got to get going for work, but I wanted to share a couple of photos from this morning’s ride.
Morning scene from a Davis country road.
It’s not supposed to get too hot today, and there will be a “gentle Delta Breeze,” so for those of you who don’t like the heat for cycling, today is for you! I hope you have the chance to get out and ride today!
Here’s wishing you a beautiful day!
We’ve had some beautiful cycling weather here in Davis the past few mornings. I got a lovely little pre-work jaunt in this morning and it was perfect! A lovely sunrise, cool temperatures, not too dry, not too humid, and a gentle breeze. Yesterday morning was about the same, and I also got a quick post-work ride in after work last night. I wish I had stopped to take some photos, but I need to maximize my ride time right now.
Yesterday I rode from Napa almost to Healdsburg and back for a total of 87.6 miles. Originally I had planned a century ride, but got a bit of a late start because my alarm didn’t go off in the morning. That’s OK; 87.6 miles turned out to be just enough yesterday. I rode a modified Napa Valley Tour de Cure route: starting from Luna Vineyards up the Silverado Trail to Calistoga, then up Hwy 128 to the Jimtown Store for lunch, then back.
The ride from Napa up the Valley on the Silverado Trail was, as always, beautiful. The day started a little chilly, and the breeze was a little more than expected, but for the most part not too bad on the way to Calistoga. I discovered a great place to stop in Calistoga for a quick break – the Sharpsteen Museum. There was a spot of shade to have a snack, a water fountain, and a clean restroom.
I haven’t been riding hills much recently, and haven’t really done any since the Napa Valley Tour de Cure, so the hills on Hwy 128 between Calistoga and Healdsburg were just right. These are confidence building hills and I think I rode pretty steadily on them yesterday. I’m not going to win any races, but that’s not why I ride.
Icy cold and refreshing!
Perfect!
This fueled me almost all the way back to Napa. I did stop once and grab a quick gel at about 77 miles. The menu at the Jimtown Store looks beautiful, but that foodie adventure will have to wait for a day when I’m not cycling. I eat pretty light when I ride: carbs, a little protein and very little fat.
By the time I got back to the Silverado Trail in Calistoga, the winds had kicked up a bit and I fought a headwind pretty much the entire way down Valley back to the car. I was hoping to get back to the car in time to stop in and pick up a bottle of wine at Luna Vineyards, but the ride back took longer than expected. I got there moments after the last guests were leaving and they had already closed out the register for the day. Oh, well. This is an excuse to head back another day!
There was some great riding to be had this holiday weekend. I rode all 4 days, varying distances. July 4th was pretty darn windy here, but we got 50 or so miles in. The 5th, I just did about 20 in the morning; it was still pretty windy and I felt pretty beat up from the day before. Yesterday and today were nice – we got about 55 miles in yesterday and 77 today.
We had some pretty good food at home this weekend, too. We treated ourselves to a marinated tri tip on July 4th and enjoyed this with lemony Caesar salad with homemade croutons, and some grilled potato. We were a little too ambitious with food and also grilled a couple of ears of corn, but that ended up being too much, so we saved them for the next day. With the leftovers, we made some upscale tacos.
Tri Tip Tacos
We had some leftover mango-papaya salsa and a really ripe avocado, so I made a pseudo-guacamole by mashing the avocado a bit with some fresh squeezed lime juice and the stirred in the salsa. I made a simple corn relish by slicing the corn off the cob, adding a healthy heaping of chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of one lime, about a teaspoon of agave nectar, and seasoned with salt and pepper. In hindsight, a thinly sliced or chopped serrano chile pepper would have been a great addition. I cut the leftover tri tip into small bite-sized chunks, and sauteed it a bit in a little olive oil over medium high heat. In a cast iron griddle, I heated some corn tortillas, and then assembled some simple tacos. If you can find a local, artisan corn tortilla, it is worth the extra money. I have just recently discovered Mi Abuelita Bonita Tortillas Sonora Style traditional corn tortillas and might never eat “regular” store bought corn tortillas again.
Espresso-Herb Marinated Leg of Lamb
I don’t eat much red meat, but for some reason I was craving it this weekend, so I picked up a boneless leg of lamb at Costco. A few years back I made a leg of lamb with an espresso marinade. I couldn’t remember exactly what I had done, so I did a quick Google search and found this recipe for an Espresso Marinated Lamb Roast. I modified this just a little bit. I happened to have a bit of fresh mint leftover from another recipe, and lamb with mint is a classic combination, so this is my twist on the recipe …
Espresso-Herb Marinated Leg of Lamb
Boneless leg of lamb (about 3 pounds)
2 shots of espresso, cooled
1/2 large red onion, cut into a small dice
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper
Medium Rare
We served this with grilled eggplant and squash. It was fantastic, if I may say so myself! The mint stood out a bit more than I expected it to, but it was not overpowering at all. We enjoyed this with a Willamette Valley Vineyards Barrel Select Pinot Noir, 2010. The wine was fairly light, not too fruity, and just earthy enough to compliment the grilled lamb and vegetables.
And then, there was dessert …Fresh Blueberries and Strawberries with Just a Touch of Salt Caramel Gelato and a Bit of Dark Chocolate
This was all great motivation to get a good ride in today. I hope you got a chance to get out and enjoy some fun and exercise this weekend. How did it go by so darn quickly?
Here’s to a super busy work week ahead. I am feeling reinvigorated and ready to go and will need to keep that motivation for this entire week. I scheduled a lot of appointments and have extra events going on this week. What was I thinking?
The weather forecast is promising and I expect to get a ride in each day, maybe even a few evenings after work, too.
As we head into this holiday weekend …
Here’s hoping you get lots of chances to ride!
Have a safe & happy 4th of July!
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