Cycling Foodie

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My trip included San Diego and Holtville, two distinctly different places.

Being a tourist - taking photos from the airport shuttle.

The weather looked promising when I first arrived in San Diego, but it clouded up pretty quickly. It was much cooler than I had anticipated and I found myself wishing that I had packed a UC Davis sweatshirt. Thankfully, I at least brought a jacket.

I arrived one day ahead of the rest of my group. I was hoping to meet up with a friend and ride in San Diego, but my friend was sick and the weather was not great for cycling anyway, so I hung around the hotel and worked. Our group stayed at the Town & Country Resort & Conference Center. I wandered around the property, which has a very confusing layout, but it was interesting and had lots of character.

There were roses of just about every color.

Mustardy Gold

Pink & White

Peach

There were also lavender, white, different shades of red, pink, peach, purple, a wonderful collection of roses. Some of the blooms were huge. Sadly, my feeble little travel camera just did not capture the rich palette of hues.

My favorite part of the property was the variety of decorative plants and flowers.

Pots of flowers ...

... everywhere you looked ...

... bright and cheery.

Lush greenery

Hens & chicks?

Soothing fountains

After I got checked in and wandered around a little to stretch my legs from the flight, I logged on to the Internet for a bit of work. Then I treated myself to a spa pedicure. I should do this more often – that felt amazing.

Back to the room to work a bit more, then wander around to find some dinner. Every staff member I asked said that I had to try their “fancy” restaurant, Trellises Garden Grille. It was good, but apparently I have a different view of “fancy.” Details. “Fancy” restaurants pay attention to details.

Skirt Steak Salad

Malbec

“Fancy” restaurants pay attention to details like putting the dressing on the side when requested. I am not a huge dressing fan, so I always ask for it on the side. My salad came slathered with dressing, but I just did not want to hassle with sending it back. I know if I had, they would have corrected it and I am confident that my server would have been quite pleasant about it, but I just did not want to deal with it at the time. Overall the salad was good – the greens were fresh, the meat was well seasoned and cooked to my liking (on the rare side). The dressing was good, but there was just way too much of it for my tastes. If you like lots of dressing, you would love this salad.

“Fancy” restaurants would notice that splash of wine on the bottom of the glass and wipe it off before serving it. I promise these will be the only negative observations I will share about the food on this trip. It’s just that these are pet peeves for me.

After a leisurely dinner, I wandered around the property a little more. It was quite pleasant and I wish my little camera had been able to capture the lighting; it was lovely.

In the morning I worked out in the gym facility. I was so thankful to have this so that I could log a few March Madness miles. After a nice workout, I cleaned up and went to the Terrace Cafe and Deli for a healthy breakfast – oatmeal, fresh fruit, and a spot of coffee. The fruit was delightful and the service was efficient and friendly.

Terrace Cafe

Fresh Fruit

Back to my room for a few more hours of work.

On the shuttle ride from the hotel, I struck up a conversation with a woman who was also traveling from Northern California. I overheard her tell the shuttle driver that she was “here with the University,” so naturally I assumed she meant my University – UC Davis. So we chatted. It turns out that she is faculty at National University, not UC Davis. She gave me a few suggestions of things to try to do in San Diego. She recommended checking out the Fashion Valley Mall, located just over “the river” from my hotel.

Around lunchtime, I ventured out to explore the mall. Wow. It really was a beautiful mall. We don’t have a mall in Davis – you have to travel to Sacramento, Roseville, Fairfield, or one of the other neighboring cities for a mall. We have some decent malls within a reasonable driving distance, but it’s been a long time since I have been to a “fancy” mall like this. Wow!

I indulged in a little retail therapy and wandered in and out of a few shops. I will tell you all about my foodie exploration at True Food Kitchen. This was hands down the best meal I had on my trip. It deserves a post all of its own.

So, after a leisurely lunch, I wandered back to the hotel to get a little more work done and to prepare for our evening event.

We had a terrific event. It was exciting to meet prospective students and their families. We met some incredible students and look forward to seeing them in Fall 2014!

After the event, I went out for dinner with two of my colleagues to A Taste of Thai in San Diego.

Grilled Salmon Salad

Noodle Dish

Pad Thai

These pictures do not even begin to do this food justice. It was wonderful!

Breakfast

Wednesday morning I worked out again and then had breakfast with one of my colleagues.

I had seen a Boudin Bakery at the mall, so I had my heart set on breakfast at Boudin. Around 8am, we walked over to find that Boudin didn’t open until 9am! What?! A bakery with bankers hours?

So, off to Starbucks we went. I got the Greek Yogurt with Honey Parfait and a banana. This would make a great mid-ride snack.

The weather was off and on cloudy, cool, breezy. It threatened rain, but didn’t until after we were on the road to our next destination.

Storm's a blowing in!

Ominous dark clouds!!

Finally - sun as we leave.

And so begins the next leg of our journey – to Holtville, California.

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Waiting at SMF for the adventure to begin!

This past week I got to go to Southern California for work. I traveled with some awesome colleagues and met some amazing prospective students and their parents.  How cool is that? I am looking forward to seeing many of these students in Fall 2014!

I enjoyed my first ever visit to San Diego. I envisioned abundant sunshine (SPF 100+ worthy, at least), warm gentle breezes, fresh ocean air … it didn’t quite work out that way, but it was still beautiful.

I’m going to do a few different posts for this trip. Food. Scenery. Travel. Maybe day by day. We’ll see how it plays out. That way you can look at just what interests you, and not have to feel like you’re suffering through one of those dreaded slide shows of a friend’s vacation or honeymoon.

Today’s weather in Davis is cool and breezy with thunderstorms in the forecast. I don’t think I’ll be doing any outside cycling today. It’s a good day to get resettled, get some chores done, and maybe make some good healthy bread and soup.

Lots to write about, best get to blogging!

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First pre-work ride of 2014 season

I logged only 12 miles this morning, but this was an important milestone for the training year – the first pre-work ride of the season!

It started out a little chilly, but I quickly warmed up. A beautiful bank of clouds to the East created a lovely sunrise. This is such a beautiful start to any day … I wish I could start every day like this.

It was just as beautiful at lunchtime, though a little breezier … I enjoyed a nice walk on the Arboretum.

I would have to say that today was an exceptionally beautiful and good day!

Afternoon Walk on the Arboretum

Afternoon Walk on the Arboretum

Afternoon Walk on the Arboretum

Afternoon Walk on the Arboretum

I hope you had a beautiful day!

I am looking forward to many more rides this season. I have lots and lots of training to do to get ready for the 2014 Napa Valley Tour de Cure, which will be here before you know it! This will be my 6th Napa Valley Tour de Cure – if you would like to donate to my ride, please click here. I am far from reaching my goal this year, so please consider making a donation. It’s a great cause and every bit helps!

Be safe and enjoy!

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Today I participated with my colleagues in UC Davis Wears Red Day. See our heart – I am somewhere in the bottom center.

I <3 UC Davis!

For heart-healthy dietary information, be sure to check here.

For heart-healthy physical activities guidelines, click here.

Keep your heart healthy – come ride with me!

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We had a bake off at work today. I sampled almost everything – except for anything with pumpkin. I am sad to say that I missed the chocolate cream puffs; they won the “Best Overall” category! Here are a few pictures of the entries. I think I got pictures of almost everything that was entered. I promise – there were some healthy entries – not just pure decadence.

Here are a few of my colleagues’ amazing entries … this was a tough competition!

Best in Show! Chocolate Cream Puffs.

1-2-3-4 Cake

This was buttery and moist.

Pumpkin Nut Bread

I heard that this was fantastic - moist and delicious!

Cookie Butter Fudge

You know that TJs cookie butter? Here it is - made into fudge! It was sweet and festive!

I also got the baking bug this week and made a few entries …

... speaking of decadent ... Turtle Brownies

Classic Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Need I say more?

For Turtle Brownies, the secret is more in the technique than in the recipe. Make your favorite batch of brownies. While the brownies are baking, make your favorite caramel sauce (or use a good quality store bought caramel sauce – don’t skimp on this – invest in a good caramel sauce!), coarsely chop about 3/4 cup pecans, and measure out about 3/4 cup good quality dark chocolate chips. Make sure everything is ready to go the minute the brownies come out of the oven. Pour about 3/4 cup of the hot caramel sauce over the hot brownies, carefully spread out from the center to about 1/4-inch from the sides. Sprinkle the pecans over the caramel, then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the pecans. Allow to cool completely before cutting. I usually make these a day ahead and allow them to cool at least overnight. Do not cover them until they are completely cooled and the chocolate chips have set. You can make these completely from scratch, or you can use your favorite mix and pre-made caramel sauce. It’s up to you!

Irish Apple Cake ...

I’ll have to ask permission to post the Irish Apple Cake recipe. It was given to me by a young Irish woman I met a few years ago. It is adapted from her Grandmother Minnie’s family recipe. I was pleased my cake came out perfectly because I had not made this recipe in a few years. I suspect one will show up at another holiday event before the end of this year.

Now for the lighter items …

Lemon Raspberry Tartlets - Low Fat

Classic Meringues - Fat Free

These meringues were also to be filled with the lemon curd and/or raspberry jam. I made my Low Fat Lemon Curd recipe, making it also low sugar by using C&H 1/2 & 1/2 ,which is half cane sugar and half stevia. I am just discovering this product, and look forward to playing with some more recipes. The raspberry jam was also low sugar.  The meringues were not as pretty as I would have liked, but that’s because I used a zip-top back instead of a pastry bag with a nice tip for piping. I just didn’t do a very good job of piping this time. They weren’t the prettiest I’ve made, but the meringue itself was very good.

I have been looking for some lighter alternatives to traditional holiday baking treats. I love meringues, but they’re so sugary. I was quite happy to find this recipe on MyFoodAdvisor – affiliated with the American Diabetes Association.

As you can see, mine turned out a bit darker, but I that that was because the oven did not maintain a consistent temperature. For both the cinnamon and vanilla meringues I used the same base recipe. I just omitted the cinnamon for the vanilla meringues. The cinnamon meringues would be great with coffee or tea. The vanilla meringues we served with the lemon curd and/or jam. They’re good on their own, too!

Cinnamon Meringues

Spicy-sweet and as light as air. These won the "Best in Health" category!

Vanilla Meringues

Crispy vanilla meringues waiting to be filled with cool, tart-refreshing low sugar lemon curd.

Now it’s time to work off the bake! Hopefully the weather will cooperate this weekend for a good training ride or two. The 2014 Napa Valley Tour de Cure will be here before you know it! For information on how you can register for the American Diabetes Napa Valley Tour de Cure 2014, please see here! Join me in Napa, California on Sunday, May 4, 2014 – take the ride of your life! If you want to help support my ride, please click here and make a donation. Every bit helps.

I have also been hearing about another sugar alternative – Monk Fruit. I’ve ordered some Monk Fruit In The Raw. I’ve read that this natural sweetener tastes more like sugar than stevia does, so I am looking forward to trying it. Keep an eye out for some new, lighter recipes for healthier holidays.

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Life can be so cruel sometimes … like when you’re sick on a perfect-weather weekend. I rode nary a mile this weekend, and barely made it to the gym at all this entire week. And if ever a Fall weekend was perfect for cycling, this was it. I even had to take a very, very rare sick day this week, and had to back out of volunteering to help with morning snacks for the Davis Bike Club’s Foxy’s Fall Century. A group of friends were having a special foodie event – I had to miss that, too! I did make my work event on Saturday, though – UC Davis Preview Day!

Matcha Smoothie

So, it turned out to be a pretty low key weekend, with some much needed rest at home watching reruns on the Food and Cooking channels, and hanging out with a warm cat on the couch.

This morning’s smoothie was very light and interesting with a matcha green tea whey protein powder. I whirled this in my Vitamix with about a half cup of water, 1/4 cup steel cut oats, a big handful of baby kale greens, a handful of frozen red grapes, about a half cup of frozen pineapple, and six ice cubes. This made a lovely green smoothie, and was delicate and lightly sweet.

I’ve finally got an appetite again, and tonight am preparing a Maple Mustard Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin, with Roasted Herbed Potatoes, and Maple & Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple.

Brussels Sprouts & Apple - ready to roast!

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple*

2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
1 large Gala Apple
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse and trim the Brussels Sprouts. Peel, core, and cut the apple into 8 wedges. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast about 20 minutes, to your desired tenderness. You’ll want to check them after about 10 minutes and give them a stir. This will help them to cook evenly. You can also cook these in a cast iron skillet.

While the sprouts are cooking, combine the maple syrup and vinegar. Bring to a boil and cook gently until reduced to a thick syrup. Watch carefully – it can go from perfect to too sticky in a moment.

Be careful to not overcook the sprouts. You can get a nice char, but don’t cook them until they’re soft. They’ll be bitter and nasty.

* inspired by this Weight Watchers recipe.

Purple, Gold, & Red Potatoes with Thyme & Rosemary

Herb Roasted Potatoes

1 pound waxy potatoes
Olive oil
Fresh herbs of your choice
Salt & pepper to taste

Half the potatoes, toss with the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan. Roast until perfect.

If you’re pressed for time, you can par-cook the potatoes for about 7-10 minutes in the microwave. Cook them about halfway, then prepare and roast as above.

Maple-Mustard-Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin, about 1-1/2 pounds
about 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs of your choice (I used thyme, rosemary, sage, and parsley)
1 heaping tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Maple Mustard Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Place tenderloin in a zip-top bag. Whisk herbs, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar, and salt together, then pour into the bag with the pork. Seal bag and give it a little shake to evenly distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for at at least 4 hours or overnight.

Roast or grill the tenderloin to an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit.

I liked each dish individually, but all together on one plate the meal needed color. Hmm …

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I woke up to a chilly, very breezy morning in Davis, and we even had a bit of rain last night. It’s getting to be soup weather – just in time for Fall 2013 Quarter at UC Davis! This makes a large batch of soup and the leftovers will freeze well. This soup will be great fuel for studying, so load up on veggies this Saturday at the Davis Farmers’ Market and make a batch this weekend. Remember to freeze some individual servings to keep on hand for midterm time.

Beef, Lamb, Vegetable, & Barley Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large carrots, diced
2 large ribs of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 pound of lean beef, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 pound lean lamb*, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 to 1 cup each: peas, corn, string beans, (fresh or frozen)
2-3 cups of fresh baby kale, coarsely chopped
8 ounces of barley**
2 quarts of beef broth
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.)

Hearty, nutritious, and delicious!

Clean and dice the carrots, celery, and onion; set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook on medium-low heat until they’ve softened a bit. Remove from pot and set aside.

Depending on your pot, you may want to add just a touch more oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the meat. You’ll want to brown it a bit.

Reduce heat to medium-low and return the carrot mixture to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables. If you’re using frozen vegetables, you’ll want to thaw and drain them a bit before adding to the pot. Add the barley and stir to combine.

Add the stock and tomatoes and give a good stir. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the barley is tender. Give a stir now and then. A little bubbling is OK, but you don’t want this to boil; that would overcook the vegetables. Cooking time will be at least an hour, even if you use a quick cooking barley.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the biscuits. When I’m pressed for time, I like to use the Trader Joe’s multi-grain pancake and waffle mix as a base for biscuits. This makes a nice biscuit on its own, or you can easily dress them up with just a few modifications. I increased the amount of milk called for by about 20% and substituted about half of that with non-fat Greek yogurt. For flavor, I used olive oil and about 1 teaspoon of my favorite Herbs de Provence mix. Mix and bake as directed on the package. They had great flavor and a nice, tender crumb.

For my vegetarian and vegan friends – you can easily make this vegetarian or vegan. Simply omit the meat and use vegetable broth. For added protein, you could add beans, which combined with the barley will give you complete protein. For texture and flavor, some shiitake mushrooms would be fantastic.

* If you’re not a fan of lamb, then simply omit it.

** I used Trader Joe’s 10-Minute Barley.

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Beware the full moon … the last full moon of Summer 2013. It’s hard to believe that UC Davis Fall Quarter starts next week! What happened to this summer? Poof!

Harvest Moon Rise, aroud 7:30 pm

A little later ...

... around 9:15 pm

 

~~

I can’t decide which of the later pictures I like better, so I’m posting both.

~~

Have a wonderful night. If you haven’t had a chance to peek outside at this gorgeous moon yet, now is a great time to do it!

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I had a very close call today riding in Davis. I was in a roundabout and a car to my right tried to rush in to get ahead of me. I had to swerve to avoid a collision. I went up over a median divider, lost my balance, and down I went. Fortunately, I think everything is OK – no broken bones, no broken bike parts, and no ruined cycling clothing. I am bruised and sore, but hopefully will feel better tomorrow.

This driver looked right at me, but told me “Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you. I was looking at him.” He never even asked me if I was OK.

DRIVERS – PLEASE, please be aware of your surroundings and watch for pedestrians and cyclists! And, PLEASE drive safely – follow the rules. These rules are there for a reason:

ROUNDABOUT RULES

1. Slow down. Obey traffic signs.
2. Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists.
3. Yield to traffic on your left already in the roundabout.
4. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in traffic.
5. Keep your speed low within the roundabout.
6. As you approach your exit, turn on your right turn signal.
7. Yield to pedestrians and bicycles as you exit.

For complete article, “GOING IN CIRCLES: The rules of the roundabout road,” please click here.

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I’m not sure if I’ll get to ride after work tonight, but I am headed to the ARC this morning and will log a few March Madness miles on a stationary bike.