Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Salad days
Not everything is about riding bikes, and here is one of them.
A couple weeks ago our down-the-street neighbor planned a little potluck gathering to welcome the new kids on the block.
AHA! I thought, what a perfect time to go back to childhood and make a Jello dish. Back then they were "salads". The inclusion can of pineapple or a single carrot could change a jiggly pan of assorted forms of sugar into a salad - that's a good one!
I decided to make the culinary masterpiece that my sisters and I remember as Mountain Dew Jello. Salad at its best! I got out the Tetmeyer cookbook and looked it up: easy enough, the recipe calls for a mere seven ingredients. However, we're not in the 70's anymore. Of the seven ingredients, I had one: the bananas. I still needed yellow Jello, pineapple, pineapple juice, Dream Whip, small marshmallows, a can of lemon pie filling, and the aforementioned Mt. Dew.
I put on a jacket and hat, grabbed my bag and hopped on my trusty steed for a drizzly ride up to the store, and it is here where the fun began.
I worked several years in a grocery store in my younger days, so I am not unfamiliar with them. Nevertheless I needed six "salad" ingredients that are not commonly stocked in the voluminous Tetmeyer pantry. Canned pineapple comes in at least 4 varieties. Crushed, rings, chunks, and tidbits. The recipe called for tidbits and it took a little bit to locate them. Next stop, jello aisle. No problems finding it, but it is 1/4 the size that I remember from stocking shelves 20 years ago. The 70's are still around, but judging from the lack of variety in the Jello section they are in decline. I stand there for a few minutes looking for the "big box" of yellow Jello. No such thing, but lucklily 2 smalls are the same as one big.
Next, marshmallows. These are easy, they are right above the Jello. All your major salad ingredients in one space. Convienent! Dream Whip should be here too. Whether from amnesia (really, I sklonked my head hard in a bike crash years ago) or just plain forgetfulness, I barely remember Dream Whip. I recall it coming in a packet - I think you mixed it with milk to make a, well, dreamy whip. I also know it goes in glumpy fruit salad, but that is another story. After a few trips up and down the "salad" aisly I decide Dream Whip is either not stocked or not made anymore. I'll have to improvise with pudding. Next up, lemon pie filling. Easy enough to find, it is right down the row with the other "salad" ingredients, but expensive! No wonder Bakers Square gets $10 per pie.
I pay up and hop back on my steed to get home and work some magic. Halfway home I realize I forgot the Mountain Dew. Back to the store, and another unfamiliar section, the soda aisle. I thought I could just pick up a bottle. The recipe calls for a bottle of the stuff, and I know that the standard bottle in the old days was 16oz. I'm hoping they have 1 liter or smaller bottles. No such luck, and 2 liters is WAAAAAAY too much. I settle for a cute little six pack of 8 oz cans. At least measuring will be easy and the extra will keep.
Back home, and more fun ensues.
The cooking directions in the Tetmeyer cookbook are vague. This would not have been a problem in my younger days, but it is now. I'm instructed to mix the Jello with a cup of pineapple juice and bottle of Mt Dew. This mix goes into the fridge until it starts to set up, then the pineapples, bananas and marshmallows go on top. The topping will be added after the whole thing sets up.
I have not made Jello for more than 2 decades, so I forget how long it takes to set up. I have wisely started hours before the potluck. I figure this salad is like a good stew or soup, and will benfit from some resting time to let the bouquet of the Mt Dew combine with the pineapple and yellow Jello, resulting in the flavor explosion that I remember from my childhood. After 20 minutes in the fridge I check the Jello mix. It is still pretty runny. At 40 minutes it is still pretty runny. After an hour it might be setting up a little. The bananas are already sliced, so I dump them in with the pineapple and marshmallows. If they sit out much longer they'll be brown and yucky.
Half an hour later there is no sign that setting up has progressed much. After an hour I still have a soup, not a salad. Hmmmm. Is there something in Mt. Dew that was not there when I was a kid? An anti-gel additive? Or maybe, just maybe I should have cooked the Jello first. The directions didn't say to cook it, but soup is getting me nowhere. I scoop the pineapples, bananas, and marshmallows out of the liqiud and heat it up with half the amount of liquid called for on the box directions. Next it is back into the fridge to let the jello do its magic. By some miracle it does firm up a little and I dump the soggy marshmallow mixture back onto the top. The creamy topping is pretty easy to make, but with the pudding it comes out very dense. No matter, since it tastes right.
Luckily for me the potluck has been called on account of cold weather. It will now just be a magical evening introducing my kids to the ambrosia known as Mountain Dew Jello. The passing of the torch. They'll make it for thier kids someday. What's not to like about sugar, sugar, bananas, sugar, pineapple, and a little caffiene for added fun? Strangely enough it takes more than various forms of sugar to get my kids to like "salad". Pippa thinks it is good enough to eat again, but other things are better. It takes me the better part of a week to polish off the rest of the pan. This salad turns out to be pretty good when you cut the sugar with some grapefruit.
Mt Dew anyone? I still have 4 cute little cans taking up space in the refrigerator.
A couple weeks ago our down-the-street neighbor planned a little potluck gathering to welcome the new kids on the block.
AHA! I thought, what a perfect time to go back to childhood and make a Jello dish. Back then they were "salads". The inclusion can of pineapple or a single carrot could change a jiggly pan of assorted forms of sugar into a salad - that's a good one!
I decided to make the culinary masterpiece that my sisters and I remember as Mountain Dew Jello. Salad at its best! I got out the Tetmeyer cookbook and looked it up: easy enough, the recipe calls for a mere seven ingredients. However, we're not in the 70's anymore. Of the seven ingredients, I had one: the bananas. I still needed yellow Jello, pineapple, pineapple juice, Dream Whip, small marshmallows, a can of lemon pie filling, and the aforementioned Mt. Dew.
I put on a jacket and hat, grabbed my bag and hopped on my trusty steed for a drizzly ride up to the store, and it is here where the fun began.
I worked several years in a grocery store in my younger days, so I am not unfamiliar with them. Nevertheless I needed six "salad" ingredients that are not commonly stocked in the voluminous Tetmeyer pantry. Canned pineapple comes in at least 4 varieties. Crushed, rings, chunks, and tidbits. The recipe called for tidbits and it took a little bit to locate them. Next stop, jello aisle. No problems finding it, but it is 1/4 the size that I remember from stocking shelves 20 years ago. The 70's are still around, but judging from the lack of variety in the Jello section they are in decline. I stand there for a few minutes looking for the "big box" of yellow Jello. No such thing, but lucklily 2 smalls are the same as one big.
Next, marshmallows. These are easy, they are right above the Jello. All your major salad ingredients in one space. Convienent! Dream Whip should be here too. Whether from amnesia (really, I sklonked my head hard in a bike crash years ago) or just plain forgetfulness, I barely remember Dream Whip. I recall it coming in a packet - I think you mixed it with milk to make a, well, dreamy whip. I also know it goes in glumpy fruit salad, but that is another story. After a few trips up and down the "salad" aisly I decide Dream Whip is either not stocked or not made anymore. I'll have to improvise with pudding. Next up, lemon pie filling. Easy enough to find, it is right down the row with the other "salad" ingredients, but expensive! No wonder Bakers Square gets $10 per pie.
I pay up and hop back on my steed to get home and work some magic. Halfway home I realize I forgot the Mountain Dew. Back to the store, and another unfamiliar section, the soda aisle. I thought I could just pick up a bottle. The recipe calls for a bottle of the stuff, and I know that the standard bottle in the old days was 16oz. I'm hoping they have 1 liter or smaller bottles. No such luck, and 2 liters is WAAAAAAY too much. I settle for a cute little six pack of 8 oz cans. At least measuring will be easy and the extra will keep.
Back home, and more fun ensues.
The cooking directions in the Tetmeyer cookbook are vague. This would not have been a problem in my younger days, but it is now. I'm instructed to mix the Jello with a cup of pineapple juice and bottle of Mt Dew. This mix goes into the fridge until it starts to set up, then the pineapples, bananas and marshmallows go on top. The topping will be added after the whole thing sets up.
I have not made Jello for more than 2 decades, so I forget how long it takes to set up. I have wisely started hours before the potluck. I figure this salad is like a good stew or soup, and will benfit from some resting time to let the bouquet of the Mt Dew combine with the pineapple and yellow Jello, resulting in the flavor explosion that I remember from my childhood. After 20 minutes in the fridge I check the Jello mix. It is still pretty runny. At 40 minutes it is still pretty runny. After an hour it might be setting up a little. The bananas are already sliced, so I dump them in with the pineapple and marshmallows. If they sit out much longer they'll be brown and yucky.
Half an hour later there is no sign that setting up has progressed much. After an hour I still have a soup, not a salad. Hmmmm. Is there something in Mt. Dew that was not there when I was a kid? An anti-gel additive? Or maybe, just maybe I should have cooked the Jello first. The directions didn't say to cook it, but soup is getting me nowhere. I scoop the pineapples, bananas, and marshmallows out of the liqiud and heat it up with half the amount of liquid called for on the box directions. Next it is back into the fridge to let the jello do its magic. By some miracle it does firm up a little and I dump the soggy marshmallow mixture back onto the top. The creamy topping is pretty easy to make, but with the pudding it comes out very dense. No matter, since it tastes right.
Luckily for me the potluck has been called on account of cold weather. It will now just be a magical evening introducing my kids to the ambrosia known as Mountain Dew Jello. The passing of the torch. They'll make it for thier kids someday. What's not to like about sugar, sugar, bananas, sugar, pineapple, and a little caffiene for added fun? Strangely enough it takes more than various forms of sugar to get my kids to like "salad". Pippa thinks it is good enough to eat again, but other things are better. It takes me the better part of a week to polish off the rest of the pan. This salad turns out to be pretty good when you cut the sugar with some grapefruit.
Mt Dew anyone? I still have 4 cute little cans taking up space in the refrigerator.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Almanzo 100
Last weekend I rode the Almanzo 100 - a hundred mile gravel road race.
I showed up not knowing what to expect. I assumed that with 70 entrants it would be a self paced ride, similar to the brevets I did last year to qualify for PBP.
It was, and I went with the lead group. Picking the lead group made it a race for me, or at least race pace. I haven't raced for 6 or 7 years, except for dabbling in a few TTs and the Chequamegon Fat Tire festival.
We rolled out in a big group and it was only about a mile until we hit gravel. Right away there was a fair sized hill and we started shedding people. I sat in with the leaders and within 5 miles we were down to 14 riders, then 12. The pace was quick for me, but I was happy to get some fast miles out of the way early. At about mile 20 one of the guys up front started throwing down, and shook four of us off. I thought we might work together, but that never happened. We all came off one at a time, and just didn't put it together to form any kind of chase. The leaders went up the road about a half mile and just stayed there.
At this point I was resigned to just doing my own thing for the next 75ish miles, but one of the guys I was with (I use the term loosely) got out of the saddle and hammered to go across the gap. At first I just watched him, but then I decided to go with him - it would be much easier riding in a group than strung out in a line with 10 feet between riders. So... I picked it up and got up to the lone chaser, and came around so he could catch on a take a break. And when I looked back he was gone. Long story short, I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I got on the rivet and eventually did catch on. I was tired, but it was indeed easier riding when I got back in the group.
...until the first sizeable hill. I swear my bike weighed in at around 35 lbs. I have not mentioned it, but Almanzo 100 is a self supported ride. On gravel. For 100 miles. A fair distance from home. In addition to my fairly heavy 29er mountain bike, I had a big ol' saddle bag with a few tubes, spare tire, clothes, pretty full tool complement, lights, and the usual
braunschwieger sammitches.
I hope that I couldn't climb with everyone else because they were all on road or light cross bikes with a tiny saddle bag that held a single tube. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.
I came off on the next climb, and then went my own pace, just me the gravel, dogs, and wind.
Made a couple stops, one in Chatfield for some delicious chocolate milk, and another in Spring Valley for en equally good Starbucks drink in a can. On the way out from Chatfield I saw some other Almanzoers ahead of me. We eventually got together and ended up back in Rochester with a total time of 6:33.
The Jet 60c2 wheels on my Wyganowski were excellent. 23mm wide rims rule. Without them I never would have caught the leaders in my ill-fated run at glory. I ran 28mm conti Gatorskins, but next year I will probably let the air down to 90 or 85. I put 100lbs in them on friday afternoon, they probably had 99 in there on Saturday. A couple of those downhill sweeper corners we a little sketchy at that pressure.
I had a good ride, and plan to be back next year. Thanks Chris for organizing this awesome ride.
I showed up not knowing what to expect. I assumed that with 70 entrants it would be a self paced ride, similar to the brevets I did last year to qualify for PBP.
It was, and I went with the lead group. Picking the lead group made it a race for me, or at least race pace. I haven't raced for 6 or 7 years, except for dabbling in a few TTs and the Chequamegon Fat Tire festival.
We rolled out in a big group and it was only about a mile until we hit gravel. Right away there was a fair sized hill and we started shedding people. I sat in with the leaders and within 5 miles we were down to 14 riders, then 12. The pace was quick for me, but I was happy to get some fast miles out of the way early. At about mile 20 one of the guys up front started throwing down, and shook four of us off. I thought we might work together, but that never happened. We all came off one at a time, and just didn't put it together to form any kind of chase. The leaders went up the road about a half mile and just stayed there.
At this point I was resigned to just doing my own thing for the next 75ish miles, but one of the guys I was with (I use the term loosely) got out of the saddle and hammered to go across the gap. At first I just watched him, but then I decided to go with him - it would be much easier riding in a group than strung out in a line with 10 feet between riders. So... I picked it up and got up to the lone chaser, and came around so he could catch on a take a break. And when I looked back he was gone. Long story short, I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I got on the rivet and eventually did catch on. I was tired, but it was indeed easier riding when I got back in the group.
...until the first sizeable hill. I swear my bike weighed in at around 35 lbs. I have not mentioned it, but Almanzo 100 is a self supported ride. On gravel. For 100 miles. A fair distance from home. In addition to my fairly heavy 29er mountain bike, I had a big ol' saddle bag with a few tubes, spare tire, clothes, pretty full tool complement, lights, and the usual
braunschwieger sammitches.
I hope that I couldn't climb with everyone else because they were all on road or light cross bikes with a tiny saddle bag that held a single tube. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.
I came off on the next climb, and then went my own pace, just me the gravel, dogs, and wind.
Made a couple stops, one in Chatfield for some delicious chocolate milk, and another in Spring Valley for en equally good Starbucks drink in a can. On the way out from Chatfield I saw some other Almanzoers ahead of me. We eventually got together and ended up back in Rochester with a total time of 6:33.
The Jet 60c2 wheels on my Wyganowski were excellent. 23mm wide rims rule. Without them I never would have caught the leaders in my ill-fated run at glory. I ran 28mm conti Gatorskins, but next year I will probably let the air down to 90 or 85. I put 100lbs in them on friday afternoon, they probably had 99 in there on Saturday. A couple of those downhill sweeper corners we a little sketchy at that pressure.
I had a good ride, and plan to be back next year. Thanks Chris for organizing this awesome ride.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
when???
will spring come?
I like winter as much as the next guy, but the snow is getting a little old.
Don't even get me started on rain and 34 degrees.
I like winter as much as the next guy, but the snow is getting a little old.
Don't even get me started on rain and 34 degrees.
Monday, February 11, 2008
too cold, too heavy
9 below this morning, I had about 8 lbs of spokes to bring in to work. Northwest wind ( a headwind) took the windshield factor to around 25 below. It was too cold, too heavy. not for everyone, but it was for me. Kate didn't need the car, so I drove to work.
I expect I'll ride the rest of the week though
I expect I'll ride the rest of the week though
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