The food of my people

Tonight's Soup Sunday offering is Babci's Polish Mushroom Soup (Zupa ze Swiezych Grzybow, minus the appropriate Polish punctuation).  The recipe came from The Urban Vegan.  The author's blog is here, if you're interested.  No cashew cream this week!

And, even without cashew cream, it was darn good.  It tasted a lot like a version of cream of mushroom soup.  It would have been even better if I'd had some wild mushrooms to put in there.  My Polish grandmother and her sisters used to gather mushrooms--I'd like to mine them for mushroom gathering info while I still have the chance...

And, in other news, I noticed buds on some trees today!  Spring is coming.  Eventually.  But first, it must snow.  It is right now.  Drat.

This irks me

Because no one is a "real" cyclist unless they race.

I'm still not quite able to elucidate why this annoys me so much.  Perhaps it's simply my nature to denigrate that which I do not understand.  Nah, that can't be it. 

Git yer spandex, girls.  Oh, I mean chicks.  Chicas.  Gals.  Ladies.

You know you want to check it out.

Words to live by from Yehuda

Indeed, never skimp on bike stuff.  Thanks again, Yehuda.

Orangina

Some Rivendell eye candy.  Yes, I know, I already have an orange Rivendell.  But this one is certainly worthy of admiration.  There's something about a bike all festooned with fenders and racks that I find highly appealing.  But then again, I also very much enjoy the stripped down simplicity of a fixed gear.  Which just goes to show you that I like them all...

Via Renaissance Bicycles.  Lovely build.

And, while I'm on the topic of bikes, plane tickets have been purchased for the 2010 Fixed Gear Symposium.  This year, the Symp is part of the Third Coast Bicycle Festival--I just love that moniker.  I also hear there's some sort of beer festival going on that week.  The event is in late August this year, but knowing that I'm going brings a ray of sunshine into an ordinary winter day.

Who needs eggs?

Pad Thai for dinner tonight.  Recipe from Vegan Table.  This is the 2nd time I've made this, and it is now in the "favorites" file.  I changed the recipe a bit and broiled the tofu rather than sauteeing it--I just can't get it browned enough when I saute it.  I am not big on mushy tofu.

Lucky me, there's enough for lunch tomorrow.

Rivendell dreams

I'm not sure what's going on in my subconscious, and it's probably best that I don't know.  Still, I've had Rivendell bikes popping up in my dreams the last couple of nights.

Saturday night, it was the Atlantis.

Last night, it was the Betty Foy.

Now, the Atlantis dream I get.  I've lusted after an Atlantis for years.  But, I have the LHT which does me just fine (although it does not completely quell the Atlantis lust).  But the Betty Foy?  It's lovely, no mistaking that.  I've just never had a particular interest in a mixte.  If I were to get one, however, this would be a nice option.  I might be in the market after age 50 or so.  Make it 60.  I'll see how I feel at that point.  I get the allure, though.  Just riding with panniers illustrates how nice it might be to have a step-through frame.  I imagine it would be even nicer with a touring load.  Yeah, touring.  Maybe these dreams are telling me that I need to do some bike touring.

?

The littlest fixed gear rider

And it's a girl!!!  Her parents must be so proud.

From today's selections on the Fixed Gear Gallery.  How cute is this?

Who decides this stuff?

I've been formulating a blog post about women and bicycling "fashion."  Or I should say the hideous bike-themed clothing that is put out by purveyors of bicycle clothing.  It has been a topic of annoyance for me for quite some time, but I'm not quite able to put my finger on the exact source of annoyance.  I'll stew on that for a bit longer.

In the meantime, I ran across these lovely images today.  Apparently, these are all the rage for spring.  The Western Bootie, presented by Zappos.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I like shoes just as much as the next red-blooded American woman.  But, my taste in shoes varies widely from what is purported to be acceptable (ie. "feminine") footwear--give me the entire line of Keen shoes and I'll be thrilled.  However, this is just the start of where my tastes veer from that of the majority of women.  Or maybe not, who knows.  The evil media has brainwashed me into thinking that all women enjoy clopping around in stiletto heels.

What the hell is that woman wearing?  A Gunne Sax sundress?  And why on earth would you wear shoes like that with a ruffled miniskirt?  WHERE do you wear such a thing?  And, this just gives ammo to all of the fat women in America to think that they could possibly look good in a miniskirt and a pair of western booties (no doubt knockoffs from Payless).

And what's with the stance on this young woman?  Is this somehow alluring?  Look at me, I'm so demure.  Either that or she has to pee.

You know what day it is

Yes, indeed, it is Soup Sunday.  This week's recipe is a modification of a recipe that a co-worker gave me.  The recipe is actually for turkey white chili.  Clearly, I made some modifications.

No turkey stock
No turkey meat

And, I made an addition.  Wait for it.  You know it's coming...Cashew cream.  Oh, yeah.  Makes everything better.

Maybe I should put cashew cream on my job/career and that will make it better...?  Funny.

Anyway, I don't know if Lori is really easy to please or if I make extra tasty soup, but Lori really liked this one, too.  I may make this my entry in this year's Englewood Unleashed Chili Cook-off.  Those idiots last year had no taste, that's for sure.  This one might be off-beat enough to hook 'em.  And, competition is a little sparse in the vegetarian category, although I'm not sure what that says about my entry last year.

Definitely

I'll be needing a set of these:

Planet Bike Grasshopper fenders.  Curved, not flat.  Made of bamboo.  These will look particularly lovely on a certain orange Rivendell Rambouillet.

Note:  This is not a picture of MY bike, but it's much like what mine looks like (mine has bar-end shifters, also).  This pic came from the Peter White Cycles website.

Or any bike, really...Especially if it's one of mine.

The bike lust never ends.  If it's not for the bikes themselves, then there are the accessories, the bags, the jackets, the gadgets.  Ah, but it gives me something to daydream about when I'm trapped in cubicle land.  Good times, good times.

Caffeine and bikes, a match made in heaven

If I believed in heaven, that is.  But I digress.

I think I need some of this:

Get your own here.

Michael Moore in Muskegon!

Michael Moore showed up in Muskegon (the town where I was born) this week to help raise money for a local movie theater.  Say what you want about Michael Moore, but he's doing really great things in Michigan--and everyone knows that Michigan can use all the help it can get right now.

Michael Moore visits the Harbor Theater

Thanks Michael!

Shades of Denver

I saw this and couldn't help but to think of Denver.  Our hapless Bike Master Plan update was done in 2001 and has been collecting dust since.

Cartoon from (where else) BikePortland.org

I pity the fool(s) that are involved in the next update.  I wish them luck.  Completing the plan and getting it approved isn't the hard part--it's the implementation that causes the heartburn.  Or I guess I should say the attempts at implementation.  Cajoling, coercing and convincing the involved agencies to implement is what I simply did not have the stomach for.

I do have confidence that Portland has a bit more wherewithall to follow through on their master plan, however...

Mmm, beer

I know I've posted this before, but I adore this commercial on several levels.  And, given that we're trapped in the bowels of winter, it's especially timely.  But watching this makes it seem not quite so bad.

Nothing says "I love you" like split pea soup

Yes, it's the ultimate Valentine's Day gesture.

I made split pea soup today, again from The Conscious Cook.  Topped with chipotle cashew cream and crumbled tempeh bacon.  I'm not exactly a split pea soup afficionado--I don't recall ever having it, and if my mother served it, no doubt I would have turned up my nose.  But, Lori thought it was fantastic.  I mean, I thought it was good, but I have no frame of reference.  So, this one's a keeper, apparently.

And best of all, no ham hock.

Happy Valentine's Day, all!  xoxoxoxoxoxo

Custom?

I'd have a basement full of custom bikes if I had the finances to support it.  A.N.T. Bikes have always been high on my wishlist...Maybe someday.



I love the idea of supporting craftsmen (and women).

Also on my list:

The previously linked Sweetpea
Ira Ryan
J.P. Weigle
Pereira Cycles
And the list goes on.  So many builders out there building gorgeous, functional bikes.  I guess I must have the North American Handbuilt Bike Show (aka NAMBLA--inside joke) on the brain right now.  I can't wait to see the coverage and eye candy coming from there.  Hopefully the show will come back West next year so I might actually be able to attend.  Going to the show in PDX in 2008 was really a great time.

And, in other news, the new fork on my custom bike is underway.  At last.

Clark's 8th Birthday

Clarkie turned 8 today...He's doing very well, especially considering he had back surgery a year ago.

He got a swim for his birthday.  And a whole bunch of treats.

Happy Birthday, buddy.  You are a fun guy.

Sweets for my sweet

Okay, they're for me, too.  And I really doubt they'll make it until Valentine's Day.

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache.  So tasty and ridiculously easy to make.

For your Valentine

Oops, looks like you're out of luck--they appear to be sold out.  It's never too early to start thinking about Xmas, though, right?

More fun with cashew cream

Another Soup Sunday is upon us.  And it happens to be Super Bowl Sunday.  Bowl, soup, Sunday...It all goes together.  Not that I really care about the Super Bowl, although it was kind of nice to see the Saints finally win one.  Didn't watch the game, though--I just tuned in a few times to check the score and was quite surprised at the final.  There's no way I could stomach The Who for the halftime show.  Not that they didn't sell out a long time ago, but playing the Super Bowl is definitely a low point for any performer.  That and the Grammys.

Today's concoction was corn chowder, also from The Conscious Cook.  Another opportunity to cook with cashew cream.  And, we were not disappointed!

And, just as in the (non-vegan) cream-based soup scene, I don't think there's a cashew cream-based soup that wouldn't find favor in my house.  Mmm, cream-based soup.  This corn chowder was fantastic, I must say.  And we have a big container 'o leftovers.  Perfect for a snowy Sunday. 

Got another cashew cream concoction on tap for next Sunday, so stay tuned.

In other vegan food news, a certain cheese approximation arrived via UPS on Sunday.  I had been hearing about how good Daiya is on a number of vegan blogs, but I was skeptical, as is my nature.  Today was the first real taste of the cheese.  There are a couple of things in particular that I have missed since going vegan...Pizza and nachos.  I've learned to make both with cheese substitutes or just going without.  This stuff may be a game changer!

Today, we tried nachos, just like in our pre-vegan days.

The Daiya actually has the consistency of dairy cheese.  It gets melty and has similar flavor.  The only downside is that it's not exactly fat-free.  So, just like dairy cheese, this is best enjoyed in small quantities.  This is a good thing, as it's not easy to come by.  It's possible to order it online, but shipping costs add up.  I found out that there's a food co-op in Ft. Collins that carries it, which is just another reason to love Ft. Collins.  Sounds like it's time for a road trip to pick up some Daiya and perhaps some fermented products.

Here's how it's done

Winter cycling in the Netherlands.



It's definitely more palatable when you're confident that you're not going to be plowed under by a car.  Still, a nice scene and something to hope for...Kind of like world peace.

The R-word

I'm a bit incredulous at this week's dustups regarding the word "retard" and variants thereof.  This got me to thinking about how the word retarded (along with moron, idiot, imbecile, etc.) was actually used as a clinical term for many years.  Now, lest I offend someone and actually start generating comments on this blog, that the word was once used in a clinical setting does not necessarily make it appropriate for use today.  I know that all of us can think of a few words that were commonly used in the past that are definitely not acceptable in most any polite company.  I just think that the histrionics induced by the use of the word "retard" are a little over the top.

For a little background, I found this on Wikipedia:  "Moron" was coined in 1910 by psychologist Henry H. Goddard[3] from the Ancient Greek word μωρός (moros), which meant "dull" (as opposed to "sharp"), and used to describe a person with a mental age located between 8 and 12 on the Binet scale.[4] It was once applied to people with an IQ of 51-70, being superior in one degree to "imbecile" (IQ of 26-50) and superior in two degrees to "idiot" (IQ of 0-25). The word moron, along with others including "retarded", "idiotic", "imbecilic", "stupid", and "feeble-minded", was formerly considered a valid descriptor in the psychological community, but it is now deprecated by psychologists.

Why isn't anyone getting equally as undone about the use of moron, imbecile, stupid, feeble-minded and idiot?  No one is making pledges to stop using those words. 

As such, this song should be banned from ever being heard by human ears ever again.



Apologies for the moronic post.

Distant memories

I believe I promised some kayak videos upon my return from Michigan last summer.  At long last, here they are.  These were taken on our last morning in Suttons Bay.  We woke up to fog and the water was perfectly still--so we scampered out and got to paddling.  The fog gradually burned off as we were out on the water, but it was amazing while it lasted. 

Listen to the cardinals in the background on this one...







And a little clowning around...You can also see the tricks that humidity plays on a girl's hair.  Yikes.



And, another video unrelated to kayaking.  This is me finishing the hillclimb at the Fixed Gear Symposium.  Before anyone has the chance to ask, this was not filmed in slow motion.  You'll notice at one point that there is a woman running her bike up the hill behind me.  She did greet me with a well-meaning "fuck you" as I passed her.



These videos give me hope that I'll once again wear shorts and t-shirts.

And they serve as a reminder that I need to live near naturally-formed bodies of water someday soon.

Pick a side

Are Independents the bisexuals of the voting bloc?