Last 2012 Ride to Blue Lake?


It could be the last ride to Bear and Blue Lake for 2012, but if we get more snow it may be good for skiing soon!

Spicy pinto bean breakfast

So my morning went like this:

  • Coffee
  • Apple Pie Lara Bar (I don’t often eat Lara Bars, but Vitamin Cottage had them on sale a few weeks ago, thus they’ve appeared twice in two days.)
  • Get road bike ready to go
  • Dress
  • Take Bonnie for a 30 min ride around the neighborhood with the mountain bike (exercise for her, warm-up for me)
  • 4 x 4 min/2 min intervals on road bike, planned 6 x, but power dropped significantly on #4
  • 8 min Crossfit AMRAP 7 back squats, 7 chest-to-bar (w/ assistance band for me)
  • Spicy pinto beans on toast

Spicy pinto beans on toast

The spicy pinto beans were not all that spicy, but it’s a more interesting title. I had some pinto beans leftover from yesterday that I’d simmered for a few hours with 1/2 c. beer, 1 veggie boullion cube and a few cherry tomatoes. This morning I added about 1/4 c. red sauce leftover from a tamale dinner I’d made for friends a few weeks ago. I simmered that over very low heat for about 15 min then poured over toast. A corn tortilla would probably be more appropriate, but I didn’t have any. And pinto beans over toast always reminds me of one of my favorite childhood meals; pinto beans over toast with ketchup!

This is the recipe I use for red sauce. It’s the “Classic New Mexico Red Chile Sauce” in Hot and Spicy Meatless by Dave Dewitt, Mary Jane Wilson and Melissa T. Stock. I’ve had it about 15 years and it’s one of my favorite cookbooks. Not all recipes are vegan, but most that are not can easily be made so, especially now that we have Daiya.

10-12 dried whole New Mexican red chiles
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
3 c. water

Toast chiles in 250° F oven for 10-15 min. Crumble chiles into sauce pan. I usually use a big stovetop wok. Add other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 20-30 min. Puree in blender until smooth. Simple, yummy, perfect red sauce!