We Have Bikes!

It's official - we have bikes!

We spent months researching and gathering advice from friends on the best way to purchase bikes.  We had tons of great suggestions and now feel really good about what we selected.

We felt the most comfortable buying brand new bikes at a local shop.  Though it was tempting to buy department store bikes and upgrade the parts, I realized I would always question their quality or wonder if we had gotten the right models. Because the bikes are in place of a second car, it was apparent that we needed a long-term solution.  No cheap bikes need apply.    

We visited several shops, but settled on Northtowne Cycling & Fitness.  The service was so informative and it was clear they wanted to make sure we had the right bikes for our needs.  We really appreciated that.

JENNIE: I got a Specialized Crossroads.  My one requirement was COMFORT!  Nice wide seat, step through, and upright seating position (which my back is very thankful for!).  It's a very proper bike but not aerodynamic at all, haha.

I am using my bike for commuting.  We live right off the Cedar Valley Trail, which runs downtown behind my office.  I am impossibly slow, so a one-way trip is about 40 minutes.  

Due to crazy weather and being out of shape, I've only biked to work 5 times so far.  But climbing gas prices and a wedding in July are supplying me with a ton of motivation. 

His radical dudeness prepares for the casting call of Pacific Blue: Iowa.
(note GI Joe shirt, agents love that 'down to earth' stuff...)

MIKE: My black, 24 speed, police-tacular looking piece of bicycle awesomeness is a 2011 Giant Escape2.  I was originally looking at a Specialized Sirrus, but the extra $150 was not worth getting an aluminum fork over the Giants' CroMoly steel piece of colossal black magnificence. 

As you may note it is mostly black in color, has two bicycle tire rolling things, and a seat that you place your manly (or womanly) rump roast on. You can also see that I am wearing my helmet sexy-man-backward-style.  Don't do that, it only works for me. And even then it doesn't actually work for me.  

I am planning on eventually replacing the stock plastic pedals with clips and getting some of these tires: http://www.ubcbike.com/store/product/148072/Specialized-All-Condition-Sport-Tire-%28700-X-32---Black%29/  The set it has now are all condition trail tires from Giant, but when you're trying to maintain a 25MPH clip for 10-15 miles every little bit helps. 

I would go down to 28 width tires, but at the moment I do kind of like having a butt that isn't sore and a complete set of permanent teeth at the end of a ride. I also REALLY need to get a light set to avoid getting mowed down by other bikers during low viz and to let the morons who take up both lanes of the trail know that I'm coming to get all up in their shiz-ma-tizz. 

Did I mention it looks like a police bike?
 

So far, the only drawback has been storage.  We don't have a garage ($50 extra a month!) so the bikes currently reside in the living.  It's a little awkward, but hasn't been too inconvenient.  I'm not sure what we're going to do come this winter.  

So the embarrassing thing about the bikes is that we could not purchase them out of pocket.  Because of dental bills and taxes, we just haven't been able to save for them.  

I was sooo reluctant to put them on the credit card.  I mean, here we are trying to reduce our debt and we're adding to it!  But at the rate we could save for them, it would have been Christmas before we could do it in cash.

Total Cost:
Jennie's bike     $419.99
Mike's bike        $399.99
Two helmets      $89.98
Tax                    $63.70
Total                 $973.66

The way Mike reasoned the expenditure was that it's a good investment.  First, gas prices here are $3.89 and climbing.  With a truck, we don't get the greatest fuel economy. 

Then with the one car, Mike is typically stuck at home all day.  Now he has the mobility to get outside, visit neighboring towns, and get back into photography.  It's a much needed outlet for him.

Lastly, we need to improve my health.  There's a reason you never see me in pictures on here.  I know that where I carry my weight + my family history is one giant formula for heart disease and diabetes.   Every ounce of preventative care is paramount.

We're super happy with our bikes.  A grand looks like a lot on paper, but when we think about the positive energy and good health they're bringing, we know it's worth every penny.

Side note to the moms and worrywarts out there - yes, we have helmets, locks, sunscreen, IDs, cell phones, and water at all times :)

Memphis, Here I Come!

Leaving, on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again ...

Actually, that's not true.  For just under a day, yours truly is Memphis-bound.

(source)

My hotel is across from the baseball park.  Isn't the river gorgeous?  No idea about that pyramid ...

ServiceMaster, a company that also owns Terminix and Merry Maids, is flying me out to this bluesy city on the Big Muddy.  I've used a couple of their sources for several articles and they requested me for a presentation on trade media relations.  They're doing a "best practices" conference for all of their employees and want a real live editor to give the do's and don'ts of making a story pitch.

The whole set-up is pretty cool.  First of all, I'm supremely flattered to be asked as a speaker.  Second, I've only driven through Memphis, and only after escaping the numbness that is Interstate 55 of Mississippi.  Lastly, my airfare, accommodations, and a AAA baseball game are all complimentary of ServiceMaster.  Not bad for an hour-long PowerPoint!

Personally, I can't wrap my head around justifying the cost of getting me there and back just to do a little chatting!  But then again, I'm not in PR.  Advertising is crazy important to any company, much less one with a national presence.   I feel a little guilty.  But only a little ... :)

It's just weird to think that I get to go to a cool city on someone else's dime.  I've been practicing my presentation a lot so I hope I'm worth every penny!  No pressure or anything ... eecks! 

(source)

Beale ST - gonna find me some bbq!  Or Cajun.  Or southern.  So ... many ... choices!

Aside from representing the magazine, which is cool enough in itself, I'm excited to be staying on Beale ST.  It's home to blues, history, and barbeque.  It looks like a vibrant place and I've already scouted out restaurants I want to try once I get into town.  

Then it's a full morning of my presentation, doing the "business small talk dance," and being treated to my first baseball game with more of said dance before darting back to the land of corn and soybeans.  

So with tickets and reservations in hand, I'll be hitting up the skies tomorrow!  Bon voyage!     

April Vegetarian Recipes

April was a successful month for vegetarian recipes.  March, on the other hand, was full of learning experiences.  We had several recipes completely bomb.  Lessons learned:

• Don't try a recipe with an ingredient you've never had.  You will have no way of knowing whether it tastes like it's supposed to or not.  Case in point: we tried eggplant parmesan yet neither of us had ever had eggplant.  Tasted bitter and moldy.  Will be one to try in a restaurant or at a friend's before we attempt again.

• The more ingredients, the more expensive a meal will be.  I'm not talking about a butt load of spices, but sheer number of items that must be used.  Particularly if they are not pantry items, are expensive products, have short shelf lives, or ones you simply don't use them often.

• Don't schedule new recipes on nights you know are busy or after a hard day.  Experimenting with new dishes is fun, but not when you're completely depleted of energy.  We've found it's better to do "Meatless Monday" on the weekends, when there's more time to prepare (or make a second meal if it's a bust).

Here are our recent successes (click on titles for recipes).

1. Quick Bean and Veggie Couscous or Bulgar Pilaf

We made this after a lazy morning of sleeping in and not getting lunch started until 2pm.  We have couscous often, but usually plain and with marinated meats.  This was a new venture to make it into a pilaf.  We made this as directed but replaced the onion with onion powder and skipped the carrot.

Pros

• Pantry ingredients with long shelf lives
• Good source of whole grain and protein
• Easy to customize (ie: vegans can skip cheese)
• Good two-person recipe with leftovers, or nice side
• Reheats well 

Cons

• Recommend a mild cheese, not aged as suggested.  Havarti was delicious!
• Canned tomatoes were a little too sweet, will use fresh next time. 

2. Vegetable and Black Bean Enchiladas

Every quarter, my insurance company (Wellmark) sends out a newsletter.  They always include several recipes, and they recently offered some vegetarian ones.  As a chronic meat eater, I was skeptical of this recipe.  So many veggies, plus prep time.  We'd also never used zucchini before but took the risk since the amount was small.  Surprise of all surprises, this is entirely delicious!  I loved everything about this dish.

Pros

• Don't let the amount of ingredients deter you.  The even quantities ensure a great blend of veggies without being overwhelming.
• Anything smothered in enchilada sauce is tasty.
• Leftovers taste virtually the same and will make your coworkers jealous.
• Prep was surprisingly fast.
• Roasting corn is the best thing ever!  Take the extra 10 minutes for this step.  It's well worth your time!

Cons

• You will have leftover ingredients.  You need to plan a companion dish for them to not waste food.  Thankfully, they all keep well in the fridge.
• Corn tortillas always tear on me when rolling.  Gotta find a way to make them stay pretty.

3. Chilaquiles Casserole

This casserole is the perfect medium for the leftovers mentioned above.  We made it three days later with no spoilage of ingredients.  Made as directed but skipped onion, added onion powder (yes, I'm an onion hater, Mike deals).  Overall decent.  Much more of a corn and zucchini presence in this one, something I personally just need to get used to.  

Pros

• Great way to use leftovers
• Pantry staples
• Speedy prep
• Can be made night before

Cons

• I actually preferred the leftovers better, but that's just me.  
• Could roast corn for this one too
• Massive amount of leftovers for two people
• Too much cheese, or maybe needs a mix of mozzarella and cheddar 

4. Souffled Pumpkin Pancake

Pumpkin is awesome.  I don't know why the majority of people only eat it in the fall.  Well, I do, seasonal ingredient and the holidays, but I love it year round.  Pumpkin smoothies, muffins, breads, pancakes - I'll eat it all.  This recipe combines my love of pumpkin with my joy of egg dishes.

Pros

• Mouthwatering awesome yet completely filling
• Great for two people with leftovers
• Not too much sugar and doesn't need to be drenched in syrup
• Uses all pantry items
• Leftover pumpkin freeze well, in case you didn't know

Cons

• Beware, you need a 10" oven-proof skillet for this dish.
• It's a Paula Dean recipe, which means it's more decadent than it should be.  We skipped the pecans, which eliminates the fat from the nuts and the 2 T of butter and 1 T of sugar they're caramelized in.
• Calls for buttermilk.  First of all, infrequent ingredient in our house, meaning special purchase.  Second, infamous for high fat content.  Here's the waist- and budget-friendly alternative: Mix 1T of white vinegar with 1 cup of skim milk.  Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.  Voila, a chemical reaction has produced something akin to buttermilk but will not kill you.
• Prep is ok, but getting your egg whites to peak is an extra step.  Just plan accordingly.  Also, there is a difference between soft and stiff peaks - overbeating will change the texture.  
• You don't need to buy pumpkin pie spice specially for this.  A combination of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, or cloves usually does the trick.  We used chai spice and enjoyed the mellow flavor.  Next time, I might use just cinnamon.

5. Plain Yogurt in Smoothies

A great way of getting in fruit is to have a smoothie.  Frozen fruit is cheap, there's many varieties or blends, and yogurt is inexpensive.  We've been experimenting with smoothies lately, partially with the help of the last Food Network Magazine issue, which included 50 smoothie recipes.

One thing that can kill a healthy smoothie is added sugar.  Fruit and juice already have a high sugar content, which can be of concern to some.  Then if you add a flavored yogurt, honey, or flavored milks, your intakes goes up.  I've even seen some recipes call for adding straight sugar.

We enjoy smoothies with yogurt.  The extra protein is helpful, and they also go great with any of the above veggies recipes or as a light meal.  We've been using vanilla yogurt but wanted to find an alternative.  Part of this was added sugar, the other was that it's hard around here to find a natural yogurt that won't cost you an arm and a leg.  I just don't want to be eating a bunch of dye and artificial flavor.

Plain yogurt is the answer.  It adds protein and a nice creaminess that allows the fruit to come through.  We've tried two brands so far: Stony Brook has zero sugar and is very tart, but A&E only adds a subtly tanginess.  

Question of the Day: What are your staple vegetarian dishes?  

An Epicurian Photo Blog

Our dishes, recipes, and food shenanigans as of late.

1. A Christmas Gift Claimed

At Christmas, we offered my sister and her boyfriend a homemade, 4-course dinner of their choosing.  They decided to do Italian and recently claimed their gift.

The gang in midst of chowing down.

Pizza fondue.  Heat one jar of pizza sauce and choose dippers.  I made homemade focaccia, and added cubed fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, and tortellini. 

Cheese, bacon, and chicken pasta bake.  This recipe has been modified, but check out the original here

Chocolate Lava Cake.  The recipe is super easy.

2. Mardi Gras

I love food and holidays.  You can learn so much about culture and history just by eating.  I enjoy learning how people celebrated events with food.  It's such a fun way to honor and respect the traditions of others. 

We don't celebrate Lent, but Mardi Gras has been a staple since I started taking French back in high school.  Our teacher would always make crepes the whole day while we decorated masks with glitter and feathers.  I'm pretty sure the janitors loathed this day.

I almost missed Mardi Gras this year.  Wasn't paying attention until I saw an article online for recipes.  The night before, I ambitiously tackled King Cake.

If you're not familiar with this fun tradition, check it out here.  Long story short, it's a large pastry that's made using the traditional colors of Mardi Gras (green, yellow, and purple) and has some religious connotations.

I actually enjoy making breads, so this was a fun prospect.  I used this recipe on All Recipes and added the cream cheese as suggested by a reviewer.  I also used a green gummy bear in place of a plastic baby to avoid a choking hazard as I took this into work.  Unfortunately, it must have melted as no one found it!

This is supposed to be a ring.  Guess I didn't have it stretch out enough.  Still tasted delicious!

Took the time to dye my own colored sugar (much cheaper) though I had to buy blue dye.

Yummy, sugary goodness.  I enjoyed making my coworkers swoon over my creation.

3. The Amanas

The Amanas are an Iowa favorite.  They are a historic community of 7 villages once populated by German immigrants, now home to excellent shops, restaurants, and spirits.  Only a 20-minute drive from us, we hop over once every couple of months.  

Our favorite activity is to eat at the Colony Inn, which serves its meal family-style.  Which means big portions and generous bowls of mashed potatoes, bread and butter, salads, and cottage cheese.  Oh yes, and sauerkraut. 

Mike is ready and alert for copious amounts of food

Knackwurst and bratwurst for him.

Amana ham for her.

This is from last summer, but gives you an idea of the spread a $30 meal comes with.

4. My Birthday

In April, I turned 27.  Mike had drill that weekend so my plans were a little limited, though I went out with a friend for my first mani- and pedicure.  I was just going to take myself to Dairy Queen and get a hot dog and a blizzard (which I love), but Mike decided that was the saddest thing in the world.  So we got gussied up and went to Biaggi's, an Italian restaurant we've been eying ever since we moved here.

Biaggi's is priced like Olive Garden.  But we threw out every budget-conscious dinning rule.  We got wine, appetizers, salads (not included) and dessert, which doubled a normal bill of $35 to $75.  It's ok to splurge on birthdays.  Especially when we both had lunch for the next day and we believe in tipping well.

Onion focaccia and olive oil/Parmesan for dipping

Caprese salad: tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, onions, and balsamic

Mike nearly died when they brought out a separate boat of blue cheese crumbles to go with his blue cheese dressing

Huge bowls of pasta.  For him, a roasted pepper/sausage dish.  For her, bow tie alfredo with chicken.

The birthday girl with her Zinfandel.  I'm not yet brave enough to try new wines at restaurants.

Dessert cannelloni filled with sweet cream.  

Question of the Day: Tell me about amazing food you've had recently!

Spring Fever is Banished

So the next couple of posts will catch you up on our recent happenings.

At the end of April, it was dark, rainy, and colder than necessary.  I had a 4-day weekend and was upset we couldn't take advantage of the time off to go anywhere (had to pay off taxes to Lady Liberty).

I work up on a Friday morning, looking at the pale gray weather, and thought, "if we don't get out of the house, I can going to pull my hair out."  So I woke up the hubby and told him of my desire to flee Cedar Rapids.  It wasn't hard to twist his arm. 

We settled on Dubuque.  It's our default getaway-at-the-last-minute city.  Easy traveling distance (just over an hour), Mississippi River culture,  friends and family in the area, and the awesomeness of Galena, IL nearby.

Unfortunately for this little spontaneous trip, it all went on the credit card.

I know, I know <looks sheepish>

There was no money to do it otherwise out of the monthly budget.  If we were truly being responsible, we would have stayed at home.  But I couldn't bear the thought of being trapped inside for four days when I desperately needed a break.
  
This is why you need to have your credit cards paid off or have a nice savings account.  Tight budgets eliminate spontaneity.  Lack of spontaneity can drive you up the wall.  We will, from here on out, being reserving money for such another trip.  Live and learn.

So here's what we did and how much it cost.

1. The Julian Hotel

Despite our last-minute plans, we had the foresight to use Priceline for our hotel arrangements.  We snagged the Julian Hotel, a historic property overlooking the river, for $80 a night.  Well below the average $150 a night.

The only time the sun was out for two days.  Thanks Mother Nature.

 
2. Dinner Friday night

Across from the hotel was a restaurant called Crust and pizza sounded amazing.  So I ordered up a candy bar martini (seriously dangerous), Mike drank a white wine, and we got Blanca pizza - 3 types of cheese, garlic, spinach, and bacon on half.  Excellent pizza, though I've decided I don't like spinach on pizza.  Drinks and tip put the bill at $45.

3. The House on the Rock

A regional curiosity in Wisconsin, I've been wanting to visit this house for some time.  House on the Rock 

It's hard to describe what it even is.  This rich guy (they always are) spent his time collecting collections of this, that, and everything.  He then put them on display for the public. 

This is seriously the WEIRDEST place I have ever visited, and my tolerance for kooky is pretty high.  It's part amateur museum, part fun house.  Everything is for sheer entertainment.  No learning is supposed to, or even can, take place.  Some items are replicas, some are the Real McCoy.  The joke is that you can't tell which is which.

I'll just let the pictures do their thing.

Ginormous planters line the driveway and the parking lot.  

Beautiful Indian motif that ran throughout the place

The Infinity Room - an architectural feat combined with an optical illusion

The Infinity Room from outside

One of several Japanese gardens

A Tiffany lamp - recreation or real, no clue

An interesting way to decorate the ladies bathroom

A collection of guns.  Real, imaginary, from any era?  Who knows.

Very hard to see, but a 90-foot whale.  Because the guy wanted one.  Mike present for scale reference.

Is it just me, or does this look like an ill-advised photo opt?

THOTR is known for music machines.  These can be anywhere from human size to full rooms

This is chandelier.  For no reason.  Other than to look like a flying saucer.

  (source)

THOTR is famous for the world's largest carousel, also the most impossible thing to photograph

Overall, I'm glad we went.  Another tourist oddity crossed off the list.  We got the full tour (3 sections) for $57 and spent 5 hours there.

4. Dinner Saturday night

After a quick nap after the sensory overload of the House, we took the 20-minute drive to Galena, IL.  An old mining community, the entire town is on the National Historic Registry.  How cool is that?

We went out for a nice dinner at One Eleven Main, a family-owned eatery stressing local and organic food sources.

Beer-cheese fondue.  More restaurants need to bring back fondue.

My soup and salad.  The soup was amazing!  White bean and roasted pepper!

Blue-cheese mashed potatoes for the man of the hour (while the lady said yuck)

A penicillin-laden burger and garlic chips.  Gone shortly after this photo was taken.

Gnocchi.  First time I've ever ordered it in a restaurant.

No dessert necessary.

 

Trip Total:                                  $445.84

            Field House                            20.93 (lunch in CR)

            Caseys (gas)                          44.15

            Cookin’ Something Up            21.40

Crust (pizza)                          45.36

Hyvee (medicine)                    9.08

            Hyvee (breakfast)                 14.28

            House on the Rock              57.00

                        Pizza                           6.54

                        Fudge                         6.32

            Great American Popcorn     14.03

            Galena Canning Co              11.09

            111 Main Restaurant           51.04                          

            Hyvee (snack)                       2.24

Several lessons were learned on this little outing:

• Even if you go on a trip on the fly, still pack a water cooler, snacks, and breakfast options to save money.
• Priceline is great for getting hotel deals.
• Even regional trips can add up if you're not watching.

We returned home renewed and tired.  It was a good trip out.  Was it worth almost $500?  I don't know.  It's hard to put a price tag on relaxation and memory making.  Could it have been less with a little more planning?  Absolutely.

It also has helped us renew our focus on eliminating our credit card debt.  I want our cards to be free for exactly these kinds of outing (and emergencies).  We need to keep up our payments so we can enjoy these kinds of vacations in the future without worrying about how we paid for it.


Question of the Day: Where is your go-to vacation spot?