Sunday, September 25, 2011

Couch Time and Sweet (Potato) Revenge

Seems checking in with you folks has become a Sunday evening tradition.  It's nice to form traditions in your life :)  I just finished with my weekly Overnight Oat making tradition for the week.  I tried 4 different mixtures (non too extravagant) of oats, groats, egg white, cocoa powder, cinnamon, flax, bee pollen, wheat germ etc.. If only I had some almond butter.  Honestly, you aren't doing yourself right if you don't try a spoonful in your next warm bowl.

This weekend saw a lot of couch time.  Which I can honestly say is less rare for me up here than it used to be but still not exactly my favorite thing to do too much of on the weekends.  Couch time can be good though :)  Although Netflix, I have to say you are making it far less enjoyable..

But despite keeping the couch warm, I also got to do a nice and challenging 42 mile ride with the Sound Cyclists as part of both a world wide event called Moving Planet and a dedication to a section of a newly constructed portion of the Norwak River Valley Trail bike trail in Wilton.   Members of the club I ride with every so often led different distance rides all ending back at the beginning with a picnic and a ribbon cutting ceremony which I never caught.  My ride group was small, about 6 people. We were the faster group doing the 37 mile distance.  Some of the roads I had ridden before, but others were new and fabulous and showing early signs of fall.  We missed a couple cues on the route that gave us both some extra mileage and some extra HILLS.  Ouch!
The cycling Gods must have a deal with Mother Nature.  Rain filled the skies all of Friday, but the clouds parted Saturday morning just in time for the ride!  However, the fate of the clumsy prevails in all situations and my clumsy self locked her keys in her car just moments before the ride.  Luckily, I at least had all of my biking gear, so I didn't have to miss the ride and someone THANKFULLY lent me some glasses to wear.  Due to the rain the roads were very wet..and when you're following someone 6 inches off their tire in a pace line everything off of their back tire..well goes pretty much up in your face.  I would have been pretty miserable with chunks of sticks, leaves and rainwater in my eyes for 42 miles.
Post ride muck
Following the ride and the keys rescue from AAA I was PUMPED for some Razorback football.  There just happens to be someone in my office is from Alabama.  So I had rallied him and a few people from work up to meet at a local sports bar down the street to watch the game.  Though I need to head back into NYC to the Madhatter at some point because it's just more fun to watch the razorback game A. With Sound and B. with a least ONE hog call.  Sadly, the Razorbacks let me down and so did the delicious sweet potato fries I indulged in at the bar.  But that's a different story...and why I ended up on the couch for evening #2 of the weekend.  FAIL!

So in part because I didn't make it to the grocery store and because I was bummed about staying in, tonight for dinner I decided to take revenge on the cursed sweet potato fries.  And how? By making my better and far more delicious home made sweet potato fries.  Sweet potato fries are a blessing and curse to me.  They are so delicious! And irresistible! Whenever I see them I have the undeniable urge to EAT them all!  But, unless you make them yourself, anywhere else you get them most likely destroys them(and your stomach) with mysterious oils and batters.  Not that I haven't had some tasty sweet potato fries at restaurants before..but you never know what you're going to get.
My sweet potato fries are baked, topped with Chilli Powder, Cumin, Salt, Pepper & Paprika (but this time I used Tumeric).  They cook over rosemary (preferably fresh, but I'll take what I can get) and are sealed with olive oil spray.
My mother taught me how to cut sweet potatoes. She'll be happy to know I didn't lose any skin.
ze spicy medley!
I don't know how people can eat regular potatoes.  Honestly, they have no flavor and are far inferior when it comes to texture.
At first I had them cut into bigger pieces.  Then I thought, "Hey, if I cut these into smaller pieces there will be MORE of them and they won't be gone so fast!".  Brilliant!  There definitely is an optimal size but it really depends on how you like your fries.  Also, some like to peel the skin, which I think works pretty well, especially for sweet potatoes.  But I just can't seem to bring myself to discard the nutrient rich skin.
Easy and Delicious Hot dinner for one.  Obviously I was focusing on the more IMPORTANT part of the meal
I was inspired to make this after catching this recipe over at another blog edibleperspective: sweet-taters-beer.  But sadly I had no beer to bathe my little guys in so they were good, but obviously not nearly as awesome as they possibly could have been.  I'l have to put that on the list for next time I make em.

The week ahead of me is filled with more than my brain seems to want to handle at this point.  A lot of stuff going on at work this week but at the end of it a lot of fun!  I haven't begun to prepare for my trip home as well as for my two rounds of visitors that will follow upon my return.  Forgive me my friends if you find me scatter brained.  But if you know me I'm sure you wouldn't be expecting anything else.

2 comments:

  1. Wheeeeeeee! You do make good sweet potato fries. I can attest to that. I really admire your biking tenacity. I bought a biking jersey and gloves (trying to get over feeling like a dork...) that maybe I can put to use on a longer ride soon. Now if I can just get myself to cough up the money on those diaper-like bike shorts...

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  2. Yes, you were one of the guinea pigs of my first batch! I think those are still my best yet :) Yay for new biking gear! yeah I have to say I stuck to the non diaper like bike shorts for a while, it took some getting used to but as long as the padding doesn't rub they are the way to go! But there definitely is no avoiding looking like a dork, once you take the plunge :). But you're a cool biker dork...so it's okay!

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