Ride...Eat...Repeat

Think of this as a recap of sorts, (some weeks are easier than others to sit down and post.)

My schedule at work can be “challenging” at times and we typically flex what we cook to accommodate those unforeseen changes. That being said, we were both feeling pizza about mid week.



Ash made the dough from scratch using white wheat, with turkey “pepperoni” to top it off.

Friday was another chance to get creative in the kitchen, and I came home from my evening ride to find six frosty soldiers in the fridge.


Stoudts American Pale Ale out of Adamstown PA. It has an 89 overall user rating over at “ratebeer” and is an excellent Pale.




Dinner started with an appetizer of clams in a Spanish style broth of roasted red peppers and paprika, with an entree of trout fillets and grilled sea scallops with a side of baked rutabaga fries.

I logged 3 rides for a total of around 25 miles staying well away from one of our premier trail systems which was host to the “Xterra” East Coast championships over the weekend.Some of the locals raced, and hats off to those guys because RVA weather was brutal this weekend.


As I was thrashing about at the farm a good sized barred owl swooped into view and glided down the trail coming to rest on a branch high above the single track. Predatory birds are amazing creatures to watch as you can almost see the confidence in their eyes as they sit comfortably at the top of their food chain.


Saturday morning saw me back on the lake with the same luck as previous weeks, but fishing will teach you patience if nothing else.




We’re going to round out the weekend with a “Father’s Day” lunch.
On the menu:
Grilled flank steak with corn, tomato and asparagus relish
Barbecue chicken wings
Country style pork ribs in an apple jelly barbecue glaze
With handmade oatmeal nut fruit tarts for dessert

What happened?

Is there still passion in the world?

Did you catch the interview with Gary Brooks Faulkner’s brother on the “Today show”? He’s a Doctor by the way, and he stands behind his brother Gary. Who’s Gary Faulkner? He’s the dude who has been detained in Pakistan for trying to hunt down Bin Laden...by himself.
Everyone thinks Gary is crazy, his brother on the other hand says that Gary is a true patriot who was so moved by the September 11th attacks that he had to do something...anything, like travel to Pakistan and try and locate Bin Laden.

I guess it’s a matter of perspective.

What are you passionate about? What moves you? Are you an idealist? How far would you go for something you believe in?

Like I said, a matter of perspective.

Ride on; live well, love life...

Stephen

Rebound

A week after the day that I started feeling ill I went to the "Doc in a box" and found out that what I thought was a cold was actually an "upper respiratory infection". So I'm back on the mend and hopefully will be back for a ride, run, or anything besides leaving butt prints on the couch.

During the time that I was out Ash consistently made some incredible dishes, but I thought better than to write about them when my mind was saying that everything tasted like cardboard.

I picked up two sixes from the store for the weekend,and they were two that I had been looking at for a while.



The Stone IPA gets the coveted 100 point rating from "rate beer" which from my experiences with the site is no easy task. In saying that, while its a damn good IPA, it's not my favorite, something about the finish that I'm not liking, but keep in mind my taste buds are still flat lined.

The "Dixie" Slow brewed lager's rankings were..."lower" to say the least. It's overall user rating was a 12. That's not reckless typing, yep, a 12. I don't know, it's a lager, which is a style that I don't really explore that often. It tastes OK to me and the bottle is cool which I have to confess drives some of my decision making.

Either way (in my humble opinion)both beers compliment a fresh cut New York strip, Ahi tuna, and grilled veggies.

Five Days

Five days down with a cold, rubbish!
But not all is lost!
During my down time I found this gem.


Vintage metal...

Riders on the storm

So I'm running down I-95 on my way to Poor Farm and Ash gives me the news...
A good size thunderstorm is bearing down on the area, and the estimate is that the "farm" is going to get pummeled around 6:30pm.

My first thought was "I wish I had brought my camera, I bet I could get some choice storm shots".

My next thought was, "I hope I get some riding on before the storm rolls in".

35 minutes into the ride, the hot, sticky Virginia weather took a dramatic turn,
the trees started swaying in unison and the wind whipped onto the trail as the sky grew darker.

My thoughts turned to "Hell yeah, the ride might be short, but I'm in for an interesting evening".

I pulled out of the woods and across the lot to meet another rider as he appeared out of the trail with similar thoughts on his mind.

After a short exchange of "what da ya thinks", and amateur weather forecasting, we both made the decision to go our separate ways and try and get one last loop in...

We returned to our cars within minutes of one another, and as we were throwing our gear back into our vehicles the first rain drops started to fall from the impending front.

My truck passed in and out of heavy rain squalls as I weaved my way back home, and as I wobbled into the house feeling the ride in my legs, there was Ash waiting with a steaming hot dutch oven with some tasty vittles inside.



Mussels, shrimp, and crayfish tossed over whole wheat linguine in a tomato sauce.

Something she had "whipped up" for sure...

* On a side note; As I was typing this post round two of the storms showed up, and they are truly awe inspiring.

Weekends past...

Last weekend started with a great deal of anticipation and excitement because a three day break was just what I needed to get re-centered.

The theme was to be festive, grilling out and enjoying the company.

The first order of business was to decide what ales would best suit a warm sun kissed holiday.



The selection was a combination of Pale Ales from American Pales to India Pales & I was not left disappointed.

Pictured from left to right;
Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA (Delaware)
Left Hand "JuJu" (Colorado)
Legend's Pale Ale (Virginia)
New Holland India Pale Ale (Michigan)
Check out their reviews and descritpions at ratebeer.com (link to the side)-->

Ash always has ideas for recipes swirling around in her head, and what she creates rivals restaurants that have three $$$ hanging out behind their name.



Saturday night we did calamari three different ways; grilled, pan seared,and lightly breaded and fried.(the typical order at your local eatery is usually battered fried with a heavy dipping sauce) my suggestion, buy some..take it home...cook it up for a healthy alternative.The squid was complimented by grilled jumbo shrimp,making a phenomenal dinner.

Sunday morning I took the helm and knocked out some mushroom, red pepper, and onion omelets topped with jalapeno salsa and goat feta cheese. The eggs were accompanied by a side of thick cut pepper bacon.



Sunday evening Ash whipped up grilled chicken with a homemade cranberry barbecue sauce, homemade bourbon baked beans, with a side of grilled squash and zucchini.



Ridiculous...

We ended the weekend with a quick jaunt out at Poor Farm Park.
The temps were toasty, but the flora and fauna gave us a reprieve from the heat and we had a good time taking in the single track.



Reflective Ash pondering the yin & yang of the universe...or just looking for snakes.





Good weekends fuel good weeks...