Looky What Just Went in the Oven …
October 9th, 2012
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Focaccia with heirloom cherry tomatoes, green olives, fresh thyme, black sea salt, and some really good extra virgin olive oil.
Focaccia & Minestrone Soup
October 8th, 2012
Tonight I made a variation on the dough I made a few weeks ago (see: http://cyclingfoodie.com/2012/09/guess-whats-for-dinner-tonight/). I used 1 tablespoon of rye flour, 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, and the rest (except for dusting) unbleached bread flour. Oh, this dough feels, smells, and tastes amazing.
Fresh out of the mixer ...
Gently shaped ...
Getting ready for the first rise ...
Fully risen ...
Gently shaped and dimpled for focaccia ...
... a few green olives, a little coarse sea salt, a generous splash of extra virgin olive oil ...
Voila! The finished focaccia.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the focaccia to rise about 10-15 minutes while your oven heats. Bake about 25-35 minutes.
A twist on Giada's Winter Minestrone Soup ... see http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/winter-minestrone-recipe/index.html
Serve with fresh, hot Minestrone Soup. Tonight’s soup is a twist on Giada’s Winter Minestrone Soup. I had to substitute some ingredients (baby kale for chard) and I didn’t quite follow the exact proportions (doubled the tomatoes). All I can say is that it sure smells good in here now.
Just Over 50 Miles Yesterday
October 7th, 2012
Road 27 @ Road 89, near Winters
We rode just over 50 miles yesterday. The weather was perfect! I wish we could have done 100!!
About halfway through, we enjoyed a rest stop at Steady Eddy’s in Winters, snacked on an oat cake and ginger ale, then homeward bound.
I'm not a big soda drinker, but this one is wonderful!
I think today is …
October 6th, 2012
… a red jersey day! I’ll wear red to show my support and to honor my brother. He is why I ride the Tour de Cure.
How many red riders are out today training for their 2013 Tour de Cure ride?
It’s Getting to be Soup Time!
October 6th, 2012
There’s a cool breeze tonight that’s leaving me longing to make some soup this weekend. I have some beautiful baby kale, so I’m thinking a modified Minestrone? Oh, how I wish I had all of my cookbooks here so I could use my favorite Minestrone recipe. It’s from a book called “Soup Salad & Pasta” by Ursel Norman. This is one of my favorite cookbooks.
My Tassajara Bread (circa April 2010)
Oh, and bread … definitely some bread, too. I’m thinking some Tassajara whole wheat … a true classic. The ultimate comfort food. The Tassajara Bread Book was my very first bread book. What I love about this book is that it gives very detailed directions on basic bread making skills. Once you master these basic skills, the world is your loaf!
I miss my cookbooks … sigh …
Harvest Moon
October 1st, 2012
Post-Ride Recovery Refreshment
September 30th, 2012
It’s quite hot out there today and the sun was relentless. I burned even through multiple layers of SPF 100.
We rode into Winters on Road 27, then cut over to Road 89, and stopped at Steady Eddy’s for a snack and a break. We had a really great tailwind on Road 89 South into Winters.
The wind wasn’t quite as cooperative on the way home, but I just have to remind myself … “The wind is an excellent training tool. The wind is an excellent training tool.” A cyclist friend of mine used to tell me this when we rode together and I would struggle with the wind. She also reminded me of this on Facebook when I posted complaints about the wind in Davis. This mantra works for me and when I ride the Napa Tour de Cure I find myself saying this during certain stretches of the ride, especially the last few miles heading back to the Veterans’ Home in Yountville.
Now it’s time to enjoy a cool, refreshing, tangy-sweet treat.
Banana Peach Raspberry Buttermilk Smoothie
Banana Peach Raspberry Buttermilk Smoothie
4-6 ice cubes
1 ripe banana
1 peach
1/2 – 3/4 cup raspberries
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
1 scoop protein powder of your choice
Blend. Share with a friend. Relax, recover, refresh, and enjoy!
You can use fresh or frozen fruit, depending on how thick you want your smoothie. I prefer frozen. I like to buy fruit at the peak of the season, prepare it and freeze it so I have great quality fresh-frozen fruit on hand.
Today, I must confess, I also added about 1 tablespoon of malted milk powder. It just sounded good and we worked for it today!
Heart Rate Monitor, too!
September 30th, 2012
Today's ride
And not only that … my first ride with a heart rate monitor.
Next thing you know, I’ll do the pedals. Everyone (yes, virtually every cyclist I know!) is telling me I’ll never be a real cyclist until I change to the “real” pedals. OK, OK, I’m getting there!
2013 Tour de Cure Training Ride
September 30th, 2012
Sporting my old Team Gold's jersey
Might be trying out
a different bike today.One of these days …
Team CyclingFoodie jerseys!
