Urban Simplicity

A spinach pizza, a half-gallon of milk, a half-gallon of juice, 2 heavy-duty locks, and a 12ft. tape measure.

It may not officially be autumn but it sure feels it...and I like it. The fall season has always been my favorite season...cool days and crisp nights. And there's something about the death of summer and all that it offers that puts me in a contemplative state. But as I've gotten older I've been enjoying this time of year less because I know what is directly behind it...frigid winter and tons of snow. It--the snow--is not here yet, so for now I'll just enjoy these beautiful autumn days (and it's great weather to bike in...no sweat).

A plastic dough bucket, an old canvas book bag containing books and other items, a large paper bag containing two loaves of freshly baked bread, and a smaller paper bag containing two pints of still-warm curried vegetable stew.

This is one of my favorite stirfrys...traditionally it is made sans chicken--with just the broccoli and bean curd--but my son likes meat so I added it to the recipe; I like it this way, too. This is easy and nutritious; it's a recipe--or variations of it--that I make somewhat frequently and have posted it a couple times prior (click here and here for more photos and directions)...and when I'm feeling lazy I order it as take out (click here). It made it tonight for dinner and served it over brown rice. The difference in the recipe below is that I first poached boneless chicken thighs in broth, then used the broth in the recipe and to cook the rice. Anyhow, it's simple to make and as delicious as it looks.


Broccoli & Bean Curd with Ginger, Garlic, & Hot Peppers Yield: 4 servings 4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 heads broccoli, cut into florets
12 ounces firm tofu, sliced into
1-inch pieces
1 cup vegeta…

Today was one of those days...you know what  I'm talking about. Everyone has them once in a while. Crazy stupid busy at work, and I was annoyed and annoying. But this evening--after work and after a brief steam and swim at the health center--I sat under the grapevines in my backyard and pondered. I ate grapes and drank wine (ok, I drank more wine than I ate grapes), and watched my pugs wander around and sniff each other. I also admired not only how beautiful the grapes looked, but also how all the ridiculousness of the day really doesn't matter. What does matter is the here-and-now. But sometimes it is so difficult to be present. The present is all we really have, and it's usually pretty good.

This is a great feel good video about bicycling (the music as well as the video). I came across it at Naturally Cycling: Manchester, but it was made by Girls and Bicycles in Edmonton, Canada. It made me smile and I thought I'd share.