Yup, That's Right, Me on a Bike

So, apparently, you can forget how to ride a bike. I'm living proof of it. Until very recently, the last time I rode a bike was 20-plus years ago. It's never really been an issue until about a month ago, which is when I decided to make an effort at re-learning to ride a bike.

What an embarrassing and frustrating experience it has been for me.

I am just plain scared to be on a bike. Especially here in Southern California. There are so many cars and people. I am afraid I will lose control of the dumb thing and crash into some poor, unsuspecting person. I am afraid of getting hit by a car or a bus; drivers are never watching for me as a runner, and I don't place much faith in their awareness of people on bikes. I am afraid of falling.

But, as I have discovered, I am not alone in my fear. I have other friends who are also apprehensive, but they are able to bike around Southern California on their beach cruisers. So, I guess there is hope. I also figured I would share a little bit about these bike riding trials in case there is another adult out there who is in the same boat. It helps to know you're not the only pathetic person who can't ride a bike well.

First of all, I loathe embarrassment, so I have been doing this all on my own, and without the help of B. I started out by riding my cruiser in the town home complex I live in because there's very little traffic, and I can't really tell if anyone can see me try to pedal and balance. Then I got ambitious and thought I could handle being out on the road. Ha ha ha ha ha

It did not go well.

Then I had Easter Break, and it seemed like it would be a good time to bike on the beach path because there would be less people out. The problem would be getting to the path. I would have to bike about a mile on a street with a lot of cars and stop lights. My friend suggested that I walk the bike to the path, and I followed her advice.

Walking my bike on the sidewalk is a bit embarrassing, and sometimes people look at me funny. That being said, the bike is actually teaching me to care less about what people (especially complete strangers) think.

The first time I tried riding on the bike path was a bit of a disaster. I tried pushing my sunglasses up while biking, which meant I needed to steer with one hand. Oops, totally lost control and veered to the left. Then there were all these people out because it was sunny. I turned around, in complete frustration and walked my bike back to a parking lot, and rode around there. It's amazing how heavy my bike felt once I started getting upset, but I didn't want my bike to beat me that day, so I also forced myself to ride around my block, just to push through the frustration and not give up.


Then I tried biking on a weekday, during the day, and it went much better. I still got off and walked my bike on parts of the path that made me uncomfortable (turns, slight inclines, whenever I have to steer through small spaces, but I made it all the way to Playa. I turned around when I steered myself off the path and onto the sand. This almost happened again on that same day!

Thankfully, that's it for now on the bike riding experiences. I'm surprised I have any skin left on the backs of my ankles now that the pedals have hit them so many times. We'll see how this goes.

Artichoke Bites

These yummy things are supposed to be an appetizer I think, but we have been eating them for breakfast. Did I mention they are super easy to make?

I do have some modifications on this one (mainly because I am lazy about fresh herbs). The recipe calls for one slice of whole wheat bread, but since someone is trying to minimize the carbs, I leave them out, and it still tastes good. However, I have made these before with the whole wheat bread, and as a lover of all-things-carbs, I would probably rather include them. I also use dried parsley because I never have the fresh stuff on hand, but I have a Costco-size container of the former. Finally, instead of chopped garlic, I used the pre-minced stuff. Yes, I am lazy!!!

Artichoke Bites
adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients
1 slice whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (6-ounce) jar oil-marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 large eggs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter or spray a 6-cup nonstick muffin tin.

Toast the bread slice until crisp. Cool and cut the toast into small pieces into a medium-size bowl and add the oregano, artichoke hearts, cheese, and parsley.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir into the artichoke mixture.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl until foamy, stir into the artichoke mixture; spoon a 1/4 cup of the mixture into each of the muffin cups. Cook until lightly puffed, golden, and just set in the center, about 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, then remove the artichoke bites from the pan and serve warm.

May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

A little over two years I blogged about a new book I just finished. That book was of course, the Hunger Games. The movie version was released today, and I am so freaking excited to see it! Actually, I am seeing the movie tonight, and I cannot wait! Yes, I am clock-watching.

I am pretty forgiving with the movie versions of the books I love, so it will have to be pretty horrible for me to dislike it. Here's hoping it's as great as the previews made it look!

Kalua Pig

Sometimes I need a little bit of food from home. It might mean spam musubi, or mochiko chicken, but recently, I decided to make Kalua pig. I found a slow cooker recipe awhile ago, and it turned out pretty well. It is super easy, and I do love my crockpot. Enjoy!

Kalua Pig in a Slow cooker
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 6-lb. pork butt*
1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke

Directions
Pierce pork all over with a fork. Rub salt, and then liquid smoke all over pork. Place roast in slow cooker*. Cover and cook on low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cook time. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred. Add drippings as needed to moisten.

*My minor modifications: I use pork shoulder, and I place the roast in fatty side up, and do not turn during cooking.

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

Oh my goodness, it is practically March, and this is my first post for the year! Honestly, I have not been doing a whole lot of baking or crafting lately. Shocking, I know. I won't get into the details, and instead will share the yummy red velvet cupcake recipe I found for Valentine's Day.

This is the second red velvet recipe I have tried. The first came from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. While it was decent and makes a more rust-colored cupcake, it was not nearly as good at the one I found on the Grin and Bake it Blog...and of course it's an ATK recipe! The frosting came from allrecipes.com.

I got some very nice reviews after this batch (I got two dozen out of this). Hope you do too!

By the way, the photos are by Ms. P. Thank you, Ms. P. for making my cupcakes look so pretty.



Red Velvet Cupcakes
from the Grin and Bake It Blog

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
2-4 tablespoons liquid red food coloring*
1 1/2 cups sugar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs together. Mix the cocoa and food coloring to make a paste*.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat, ending with the buttermilk mixture. Add the cocoa powder-food coloring mixture, and mix on medium until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir.

Divide the batter evenly into cupcake pans. Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the oven, and cool completely before frosting.

*Instead of regular food coloring, I used Wilton's red food coloring gel. You need only about 1/2 teaspoon to get a dark red color. I also tried to mix it with the cocoa powder, but the gel is quite thick, and you can just add it in when you are using the hand-mixer.


Cream Cheese Frosting
from allrecipes.com
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

The Last Round of Cupcakes in 2011

I baked way too many cupcakes during the month of December and am totally over it for a little while. The last batches are pictured below. Sorry, no recipes today because it is New Year's Eve and we are in the midst of cooking and cleaning! Peace out 2011, and see you all in 2012.


Red velvet with cream cheese frosting.



Mini dark chocolate cupcakes filled with salted caramel and topped with a dark chocolate frosting.



Dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

Missing My Friend

One year has gone by, and I am still without words. I do know that I always miss you, Leo. Best of all, I remember your inquisitive self, how impressed I was when you wrote your name on a notepad (which I still have), and I loved watching you think when we peppered you with questions. Thank you for being one of my best memories of the Bay Area.