What a Weekend: Bicycle Highlights

We had a bustling adventure of a weekend in Tacoma. We biked almost everywhere we needed or wanted to go and never went more than about 3 miles from home. Living in the city has its perks!


Friday: First, another round of the weekly Frost Park Chalk Off. We like to bike there with a picnic lunch. Super T decided we would draw kitty whales, something she created on our kitchen chalkboard earlier in the week.

Much later that night...

MOB RIDE!

If you missed it, watch for posters like this around town (note the MOB logo).

Saturday: Up early so that my little fairy could march in the Junior Daffodil Parade with her pre-school pals.  We biked to this neighborhood like we always do, but driving would have been especially inconvenient since many roads around the parade route were closed to vehicles.

After the parade, we visited the Proctor Farmers Market. (I recommend the spring rolls from the Two Sisters sauce booth.) We also browsed the new Playback Sports shop, which we hadn't been to since they moved. They sell used sporting goods on consignment, including bikes and bike accessories. Tacoma parents should know about this place: spread the word.

Sunday: Wayzgoose! It's a print arts extravaganza hosted by our local independent book store, King's Books.  We biked there with another family. Eight people: four bikes.

The main attraction is the steamroller printing press. RAWR.

Local artists hand carve these sheets of linoleum then print a few very limited edition posters which can only be won through a raffle drawing. There were eight designs, including these two that included bikes.

 TA-DA!

We also brought shirts to take advantage of the free screen-printing booth run by some University of Puget Sound students. And I picked up some cool prints from an artist who also makes records with a vintage record lathe. This one is cut from a plastic pie plate.

A friend from the chalk-off was running the bicycle ice cream trailer for Jeff's Ice Cream. Made in Washington ice cream bars and cookie sandwiches FTW!

 We finished off the day with a Harmon Hub pizza picnic at Wright Park. It was a beautiful day in Tacoma.

Monday: Back to School!

Fin.

Daily Bread

Several folks have asked, so I'm posting my bread recipe and method here.  I've been baking our family's daily bread for almost two years and over time the recipe has changed a bit.  This is how I made it today.

I use a KitchenAid stand mixer and dough hook.  With the mixer off, add in this order:

3 tbsp honey
2-3 Tbsp Oil (I prefer canola or olive)
0.5 tsp salt
1.5 cups warm/hot water (I microwave it for 2 min on high)
1/4 cups quick oats or whole grains (Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal works great)
1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3.75 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tsp dry yeast

Drop the hook and turn the mixer on the lowest setting for about 5 minutes.  Once completely combined, the dough should be churning freely as one big piece.  If it's sticking to the bottom of the bowl (too wet), add 1/8 cup all-purpose flour until fully incorporated.  Repeat if necessary.  If it's not sticking to the bowl, but also not sticky enough to stay on the hook (too dry), add 1 Tbsp of water.

When dough has proper consistancy, turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a tea towel.  I let the dough rise in the mixer for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Cycle mixer for a few seconds on to lowest setting so all dough gets back on the hook.  Remove the hook with the dough.  Pull the hook out and place the dough on a pizza stone. Split the dough in half with an ulu, shape the two loaves as desired, then cover with a tea towel.  Again, let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.

Convect at 300°F (or bake at 325°F) for 30-40 minutes on a pizza stone, until the crust has reached the desired color.  Lighter brown will have a thinner crust, which my young kids prefer. (I've used loaf pans, but found that my two seasoned pizza stones work better.)

Remove from the oven and place loaves on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.  Keep the bread in a sealed bag and it will keep for several days on the counter.   I usually leave one loaf out (sliced) and put the other whole loaf in the fridge.

Let me know if you try it.

Courage Classic Weekend Redux

My Courage Classic weekend actually started on Friday when I took the whole family to the weekly Frost Park Chalk-Off to do a little shameless self-promotion.  It took the rest of the day to ready the van and assemble my gear.  Getting three guys, their bikes, their camping gear and their driver into one minivan required some planning, but worked well.

DAY 1

Ready to Roll!

We rendezvoused early Saturday morning in the town of Snoqualmie, WA, with some other friends from the Harmon Bike Club.  After loading our overnight gear on the UPS delivery trucks bound for the campsite at the Suncadia Resort, we hit the road.  Just a few miles later, John had what would be the only flat of the 3-day ride.

We gradually broke up into smaller groups as we climbed through the Denny Creek area and approached the summit of Snoqualmie Pass, where the temperature was a balmy 54°F.  Gig Harbor Rotary put on an excellent spaghetti feed for lunch, then we were shuttled by coach bus and moving truck (riders and bikes, respectively) through the I-90 construction around Lake Kaches which is currently off-limits to bicycle traffic.

Denny Creek Switchback Panda

For me, the biggest change this year was that I rode a road bike instead of my 50 pound Xtracycle, which allowed me to complete each day's course about two hours faster than in previous years.  We finished Day 1 in Cle Elum around 1:30pm, giving us plenty of time to setup tents, clean-up in the mobile shower trailer, and enjoy a few cold-ones in the Redhook beer garden.  A huge buffet dinner was held later in a light rain, but those of us who weathered the heat of last year's event knew better than to complain.

DAY 2

Rotarians at Work!

After riding this event three times, I can positively say that the ride from Suncadia to the Blewitt Pass summit is my favorite part.  You break camp and ride a few miles into Cle Elum, eat a great breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe, then traverse the countryside with the sun coming up over the mountains.  It's a quiet and breathtakingly beautiful ride with very little traffic, other than your fellow riders.  I always linger at the Tacoma North Rotary rest stop because it seems everyone is always there.  I spend time catching up with riders and volunteers I've met in years past, and meeting plenty of new folks as well.  It's great to see so many people having fun together.

The Blewitt Paceline Crew

As a group of us left the rest stop, someone shouted out "9:03!" and we soon realized that there was a friendly time-trial taking place en route to the summit.  We charged our five-man pace-line up the mountain at a strong clip and stayed together for most of the 7 mile climb, each finishing about 1 minute apart.  It was awesome!  I enjoyed a light brunch of tomato basil soup, a turkey sandwich, and fresh fruit.  The food stops are great, especially when you consider that these Rotarians are feeding nearly 800 riders and volunteers every meal and snack.

Once camped in Leavenworth, we headed for the Icicle River to soak our legs before a bbq dinner in the park.  Too much fun was had in Redhook beer garden, where DJ Shelda played some great tunes and we all enjoyed each others company.

DAY 3

Are we having fun yet?
Photo courtesy of Kimi. Taken by one
of the many enthusiastic Rotarians.

Monday brings the longest climbing route of the weekend.  After a brisk ride along the Chumstick Highway to the first rest stop in Plain, WA, the route hooks up with WA-2 and heads up Stevens Pass.  There are actually 4 or 5 separate climbs on the way to the summit, each with its own small descent, necessitating that the dessert stop (that is reserved for after lunch on Days 1 and 2) needs to be located pre-lunch.  It's Hawaiian themed and features root beer floats, Oreos, fig bars, beef jerkey, organic bunny grahams, and a hula hoop competition.  I bested three others with the hoop and won a sweet "Rotary Rest-Stop Survivor" t-shirt that I'm sporting as I type.  

Iron Goat Trail

All of this food and fun prepares you mentally and physically for the last 10-15 challenging miles of climbing.  Even so, the potato bar at the summit was exactly what I needed to perk me back up for the descent down the west side of Stevens.  The low clouds and damp wind combined for a fast and freezing run down the mountain.  The main highway portion of the descent is a nailbiter at high speed and lots of crosswinds, but near the bottom is the turn-off for the Iron Goat Trail, a refurbished section of the Old Stevens Highway that is smooth, lively, stunning, and magical.  My friend Mike, a Courage Classic rookie, said that "it might be the best 15 minutes I've ever spent on a bike."     

The finish line was busy, but still full of all the amenities we'd seen along the way: snacks, showers, massage tables, smiling Rotarians, and even a piece of commemorative hardware.  I've heard many folks joke about how it's very possible to gain weight on this ride, despite all of the miles and elevation.  After my fourth or fifth slice of bread pudding at the Day 1 dinner, I can understand why some would think that.  This year, I weighed myself before and after.  The result: -1 pound.  Maybe I didn't drink my fair share of ESB?  I promise to try harder next year!

There simply aren't many supported rides out there that leave you feeling like you've been on a vacation rather than just a bike ride.  If you're thinking about doing your first organized tour, I'd certainly recommend that you start with this one.  Helping a great cause while having a great time?  It's hard to top that.

Thanks again to everyone who sponsored me and my ride to Stop the Cycle of Child Abuse!

I'm keeping this swag!

Fighting Hunger from the Saddle

Today I rode the 5th Annual Wheels to Meals ride that benefits St LEO Food Connection (one of my three reasons to ride this summer).  Thanks to the generosity of others, I raised $225 for this great organization.

The ride started on the edge of Puyallup, WA at the WSU campus.  It was raining lightly when I started on the 56 mile course a little before 8am.  I chatted with the only two other riders I encountered, a couple that lived nearby and who had ridden Wheels to Meals before.  We sauntered together along the Foothills Trail for a while, until I decided I needed a faster pace.

Mt. Rainier is hiding here somewhere

The trail roughly follows the Carbon River through Orting and South Prairie.  There were rest stops every 12 miles or so, and I found myself stopping to grab a little something at each one and to thank the volunteers for supporting the event.  Although over 200 riders pre-registered for the event, I saw very few of them on the course.

In Buckley

Lake Tapps

The descent into Sumner

The director of Food Connection, Kevin Glacken-Coley, said a few words of thanks to the riders and volunteers.  Kevin explained how Food Connections Backpack Program feeds nearly 350 students during the school year and that during the summer they will be operating over 20 food distribution locations throughout Pierce County so that many of those same children will have access to the food they otherwise wouldn't have.  

 

Kevin also likes to point out that you shouldn't have a ride against hunger and be hungry yourself!  So there was a very tasty taco bar at the finish, complimentary Harmon Ale and Washington wine, and root beer floats.  This was after the five (six?) rest-stops that were well stocked with fruit, home-made granola bars, chocolate-covered rice crispie treats...I was stuffed.

According to my records, this was my longest ride for me since last year's Courage Classic, and I was feeling it.  Between the lack of training and a lingering cough, every mile after about 30 was a struggle.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to get a few more long rides under my belt before the Seattle LIVESTRONG ride on June 20.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Now go find your own reason to ride!

Cabin Fever Grindout - April 24

A cryptic message was received on the wires today:

CABIN FEVER GRINDOUT

Bicycle Booze Cruz

Saturday, April 24th

7:00pm

Meet up at: MAGOO’S

Spread the word! 

We Own the Streets!!!

I think by now you all know what to do...Get Thy Velosteeds Ready!  Meanwhile...

Harvest Foods

I was inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this spring and have started to dabble more and more into preparing foods at home with seasonal produce. My wife was raised in a "from scratch" kitchen, but I've had to work at it. So here are a few of this season's works-in-progress.


Home-made Pizza
Our tomatoes have finally ripened in the last few weeks, along with my mother-in-laws zucchini crop. You have to take advantage of the bounty. We put both on our homemade pizza last week, along with some left-over broiled chicken, and made a pie for the gods. The crust is easy, just throw all of this into your bread maker (in order) and use the "dough" setting (mine takes 1hr 20min).

1.5 cups lukewarm water
1 T salt
1 T oil (olive is nice)
2 T honey
3.25 cups whole wheat flour
1 T dry yeast
1 t each of dried oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic powder

It makes two 14" crusts, so cut the dough in half and work each onto a lightly floured pizza stone. Convect at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce temp to 350°F. Top each pie with 2 T of your favorite sauce, cheese, fresh veg, nuts, leftovers, and whatever else you can find. Return to oven and convect for 7-15 minutes to desired level of tastiness. I like the cheese to bubble a bit. Allow to cool on the stone for 10 minutes before serving.


Zucchini Bread
We still had zucchini piling up on the counter, so this morning I made a mega batch of zucchini bread. I'll get around to modifying this recipe soon, but needed a baseline. It's from Betty Crocker: Bridal Edition, which I've used quite a bit.

3 cups shredded zucchini (2-3 medium)
1.67 cups sugar
0.67 cups veg oil
2 t vanilla
4 eggs

Mix all of that around, then add:
3 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
0.5 t ground cloves
0.5 t baking powder
0.5 cup each nuts and raisins (optional)

I baked one batch in a stone mini-loaf pan (4 mini loaves) for 55 minutes at 350°F. The other batch was split between two regular stone loaf pans. Those needed 5-10 more minutes, but came out a bit more moist. Allow to cool on a rack before slicing.


The stone pans are great. I try whole wheat flour next time and also sub flax seed meal and/or applesauce for the oil and maybe some of the eggs. Those are my standard tricks.

Next week: COOKIES.

Grocery Run

Sarah and I planned a short rec ride for this morning, 10-15 mies on the Scott Pierson Trail, followed by a grocery run on the way home. We were soaked with some of the coldest rain imaginable by the time we reached the trail entrance behind TOP Foods, so we decided that this was far enough in these conditions. We purchased about 60 pounds of groceries and a 40 pound bag of dog food.

When we came out of the grocery store, the sun was coming out. The rain had stopped and our load made it home completely dry.


I noticed quite a few car drivers doing double takes at the loaded Xtracycle on our way home. While waiting in a turn lane, one car driver hollered, "Very cool, man!"

So far, I've avoided doing big grocery runs with the kids by bicycle, but that's coming. Now that I know Tula can fit in the PeaPod, the logistics of getting the two girls to the grocery store on the Xtracycle are falling in to place. A sunny day would also be helpful!

Transportation Options

Sometimes, there are too many options. Last week, I had made a date to walk with a friend at the park 1.5 miles away. I was taking the three little ones, so I'd planned to take the van. However, the wife had to work over that morning and the van was not available to haul me and my precious cargo to the park for a walk. (I know, driving somewhere for a walk, it's not something we often do either.) What to do?

A) Reschedule. (But I hate being flaky like that.)
B) Infant in a front-pack and toddlers in the double stroller/trailer. (Lots of exercise for me!)
C) Hitch the trailer to the Xtracycle and clip on the Bobike seat. (Not yet attempted by me with three kids.)

D) Take the bus. (A stop for the 16 is five houses away.)

I chose D.

We keep a stash of bus tickets for these occasions and kids 5 and under ride free with an accompanying adult. My kids have ridden the bus before, but I learned later that this was Kyler's first trip on public transit. He sat with Gwen on one of the jump seats at the front of the bus and when we started moving, he looked at me and said, "Woah! This is coool!" The ride took less than 5 minutes, but the kids had a blast.

We were prepaired to bus it home from the park (and my transfer was still good), but Sarah was heading home from the hospital (next door to the park) at just the right time, so we hitched a lift. Easy as pie.

That afternoon, Sarah walked our youngest to the hospital for a checkup, so I hitched up the trailer and took the toddlers to the store for pizza toppings. (We had whole wheat pizza dough churning in the bread machine.) I followed the back roads to get there since it's more uphill. Kyler decided to wear his helmet through two stores, which I do, too, sometimes when I'm in a hurry. Despite the drive-time traffic, I stayed on the main arterial for the trip home since I can keep decent speed on the slight downhill and the road isn't pocked with potholes like so many of Tacoma's residential lanes. I made it home without incident and felt invigorated. It couldn't have been too scary, because both kids slept the whole way home.


Explore your transportation options, but don't feel like you need to use any of them exclusively. You may find yourself enjoying the variety as much as we do.

Powered by Grain

My family eats almost an entire loaf of bread every day. Toast with breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, crusty bits at dinner. In fact, most of my bike commutes started with a cup of strong black tea with milk and a slice of sprouted grain toast with butter and honey. The sustaining power of this combination is impressive. Sprouted grain bread can contain twice as much goodness as white bread, so it doesn't take much. The downside is that sprouted grain breads are purchased at a premium, nearly $4/loaf at the grocery store.

I mentioned here that my household had rediscovered their bread machine a few months ago. I finally tried the "dough" setting, opting to bake the bread in the oven in a stoneware bread dish instead of in the machine itself. There were many benefits to this method: thinner, tastier crust; a more consistent density, particularly with the whole wheat; slices of a more reasonable size, and the ability to make more bread in a day. Since my wife broke down a few months ago and bought a sprouter (like this) that works great, my next bread-making endevour will definately involve sprouted grains.

Spring is around the corner (I hope!) and it won't be long before I'll be needing a peanut butter, honey, Nutella sandwich on sprouted grain bread to get me through that first 50 mile ride of the season. What foods keep you going on long rides?

DIY Food

I've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food LIfe as part of the Tacoma Reads Together program. Kingsolver documents her family's attempt to eat foods grown, raised, and produced from within their own county for one year. Her family of four lives on a small farm in Virginia where they raise chickens and turkeys, keep a 4000 sqft garden, and visit their local farmer's market weekly for other odds and ends. They bake their own bread, make their own sausage, cheese and yogurt (among other "processed" foods), and cultivate relationships with their community, as well. It's a lot of hard work, but they eat like kings and savor each delicious bite.

As someone who sees sustainability, buying locally, and organic agriculture as parts of a healthy lifestyle, the book has caused me to read more labels at the grocery store and put more wholesome foods on my table. We've kept a small raised bed garden the last two years, but have decided to expand it this year. We pulled a dusty bread machine from the attic and started making our own whole wheat bread, without corn syrup and other mystery additives. We are thinking about supplementing our own garden by purchasing a share of the crop from Terry's Berries, a local organic farm.

I'm no saint when it comes to eating healthy, but there's a balance here somewhere, and I need to at least tip the scale in the right direction.

Of course, this all started with biking to work. I often reflected during that hour-long ride about all of the things that people do in the modern age to simplify their lives, like driving everywhere. The "simple" way is not always better, and it's often borne at some cost that creates more complexity in our lives somewhere else. It may take me a little more time and effort to do some of these things, but I'm not looking for ways to make my life "simple", I'm looking for ways to make it more enjoyable, for me, my family and my community. Kingsolver's book is full of ideas and resources for anyone looking to do the same.