C to the Rock Pot!

How in the hell did I ever survive before the Crock-Pot?  I was inspired reading one of the Fat Cyclist posts the other day, and decided to try a little Crock-Pot cooking myself.  Elden is right,  you cannot screw this up!  I really don't have the time to cook regular meals right now, let alone healthy vegan ones, but I have yet to prepare a meal in this thing that took more than 10 minutes to prep.  It's also really easy to go fat-free (if you're into that kinda thing). 

 

Not only that, but crockpot dishes also seem to benefit from the addition of whatever-needs-to-be-eaten-today-before-it-goes-bad ingredients.  Half a cup of chickpeas that you aren't really going to put in a salad = extra protein and delightful texture.  Kinda wilty spinach or leftover green beans = a splash of color and nutrients in a hearty bean soup.  

Today's adventure: Potato Lentil Stew

(quantities are very approximate - measuring takes time and leads to dirty dishes)

1 c. red lentils

4-5 red potatoes, cubed (not peeled)

4 carrots, reasonably sized pieces

2 c. spinach, chopped

3 coves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 T Italian Herb Seasoning

1 metric ton black pepper

whatever leftovers seem to fit

and...

Eva's Secret Vegan Yummy Broth (just trust me):

1 PBR tallboy or 1 c. Franzia

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/2 t. instant espresso

1/2 t. paprika

Enough water to cover

Turn the crock-pot on high to kick things off for the first hour or two, then set it on low until it looks like soup (6 hrs total?).

If there's actually anyone out there reading this little blog, brace yourself for an onslaught of crock-pot recipes.

CC Diary: Blah

Well, I have done my stretches twice this week and have not ridden my bike since the race. I haven't even been commuting to school. I feel pretty lame about it since I tried to set pretty easy goals, but right now I am overwhelmed with studying and everything else is taking a hit.

On the bright side, here are some of the things I've been doing right:

• I have been getting eight hours of sleep with a regular schedule. 
  
• I have been pretty good about keeping my priorities (1-School, 2-Bike, 3-Life)
  
• I have been eating really well. I am eating almost completely vegan now, and getting lots of fruit and veggies. I may not be riding much, but it could be worse.  I attribute this to my new found appreciation of the Crock-Pot.  Details to follow.
  

Cross Crusade #5 - Barton Park

Mud, mud, glorious mud!  Soooo much mud that we were washing off our bikes and ourselves in a giant mud puddle, and getting cleaner!  

I sucked it up more than usual this weekend, but I had a blast, so all is right in the world.  I doing ok until I got to The Hill of Doom, a super steep muddy slope that took out a good number of riders.  Try as I might, I just cant get into this whole crashing thing, so I hopped off my bike and walked it down like the delicate little flower that I am.  Unfortunately, I am not always the brightest little flower and so I attempted to remount right at the base of the hill, right where all the braver riders were careening through.  Thinking I had avoided the perils of the hill,  was startled to be taken out from behind by one of these brave souls.  Getting up, we were both hit; getting up again, we all got knocked down again.  I'm sure it must have been pretty hilarious for the spectators.  We all managed to escape the pileup without injury but I was psyched out enough that I just kinda chilled for the rest of the race.  On the bright side, I have an awesome purple hematoma on my right butt cheek that makes me look like a complete badass!  Too bad I'm the only person who gets to see it.  

After the race, while washing off in the mud puddle, we got into a splash fight with team beer that quickly escalated into all out mud-wrestling.  J. Wilson made sweet video of the race, and if you keep watching 'til 2:00, you can see a clip of our shenanigans.

As usual, awesome pictures can be found at pdxcross.  While anyone can take a photo in black and white to make it all artsy-fartsy looking, these pictures are masterpieces.  Just amazing!  If you haven't checked them out, do it now.  If you have never raced cross, their slideshows will make you sign up.  

PS - Get well K-Man!

CC Diary: Well, here it is.

In the tradition of Fat Cyclist, I am posting my weight.  Ready for it?  163 lbs. 

This means that I have a BMI of 20.9 and a body fat percent of 29.6, well within the "healthy range" but not exactly that of a lean cycling machine.

Now it's out there and now I am going to do something about it.

CC Diary: Goals for November

OK, here it goes.  For the month of November, I have three goals: 

The first is to lose five pounds.  

The second is to stretch every day.  I'm starting off with the CycloClub "Loose in 10 Stretches" routine.  I might add some yoga later, but or now I want to start simple until I get into a daily routine.  

The third is to make time to do three workouts per week.  Yoga and commuting do not count, but running (shudder) does.  

My biggest training failure has been consistency.  Part of the problem is my habit of breaking appendages (see title pic), then there's school, moving, and all the other stresses of life.  Right now I need simple goals that will set a foundation for a real, structured training plan later in the year.  

CC Diary: Goals for November

My goal this week is to come up with a real, workable training goal.  Here are a few of the things I would accomplish if I were perfect:

1.  Lose 10 pounds

2. Be able to climb "like a homesick angel"

3. Sprint, in the drops, without wobbling, when I'm tired

4. Eat vegan without cheating

5. Get eight hours of sleep

6. Be more mindful - live in the moment

7. Not miss any cross races

8. Manage my time so that I'm A - not so freaking stressed all the time and B - not so freaking stressed about taking time to ride my bike

Oh yeah, I also need to finish and defend my thesis, get a 4.0 this year, study for and take the MCAT, and apply to medical schools.  

I am not perfect, so what is a reasonable goal for me, just for November?  

Hmm...

Soup Weather

The rain has come.  I need to find the crock-pot but in the mean time, here's one of my all time favorites.  It's a recipe that my grandmother cut out of The Oregonian years ago and t has become a family favorite!  It's hearty and a little bit spicy - perfect for this cool autumn weather.  The original recipe uses chicken, but I prefer the veggie version.  

West African Chicken(less)-Peanut Soup

1 can garbanzo beans

1 small diced white or yellow onion

3 cloves minced garlic

2 T dark sesame oil

2 t. curry powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

3 c. vegetable broth

     (or substitute beer+water)

1/4 c. tomato paste

1 c. chopped stewed tomatoes

3 T. chunky peanut butter

Saute garlic and onion in oil until tender.  Add curry powder, salt, pepper, red pepper, and saute about 1 minute.  Add beans, broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, and tomatoes.  Stir well and heat until almost boiling (Do not boil.  I don't know why but that's what it says, so just don't do it.).  Serve with some chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream if you swing that way.  Makes fan-freakin-tabulous leftovers!

Delish!