Rice anyone?

Have been trying a flour and oat free diet for a while now.  Started it because I thought flour may aggravate my eczema (I have been tested a couple of times and both results showed a 'mild' allergy to wheat, oats, barley and rye) and then found I started feeling better for it, so have stuck with it.  Camp/expedition food needed some thought so I've come up with a couple of ideas, I admit, rice for breakfast is not everyones cup of tea, but it's not half bad.  Anyhow, my criteria was as follows:

- Flour & oat free (that's gluten free flour and wheat flour)
- High energy
- Light
- Small
- Easily packaged in freezer bags
- Easily prepared using jetboil or equivalent (8 mins cook time) & only one boil to include a drink
- Nutritious and tasty (hmm, the tasty bit is personal preference)
- Non perishable (ish) should last 3-5 days
- Easily purchased
- Fairly cheap

Not the easiest list to adhere to but here's a breakfast and dinner choice, try it, you might like it!

Breakfast - Approx 650 kcal, weight - 220g, Package size - half a wayfarer meal

Ingredients: 125g basmati rice bag (10 or 12 min cook time), dried mixed fruit, creamed coconut (approx. 40g), sugar

Boil approximately 700ml water (take about 300ml for a brew), add the rice bag and boil for about 7 mins, remove from heat and remove rice bag. Add fruit, coconut and sugar to water, stir until coconut is dissolved then open rice bag and add contents and stir.  Cover and leave for approx. 5 mins before eating.

Dinner (or tea if you're from up north!) - Approx 700 kcal, Package size - half a wayfarer meal

Ingredients: 125g basmati rice bag (10 or 12 min cook time), Chopped sun dried tomatoes, diced smoked sausage, some seasoning (smoked paprika, thyme & garlic works well) or veggie stock


Boil approximately 700ml water (take about 300ml for a brew), add the rice bag and boil for about 7 mins, remove from heat and remove rice bag. Add tomatoes, sausage and seasoning and stir, then open rice bag and add contents and stir.  Cover and leave for approx. 5 mins before eating.


I have tried and tested both recipes and am fairly chuffed with the results. If you try, let me know what you thought or if you have other ideas or variations let me know.

Review - Buffalo teclite cycle shirt

As an advocate of Buffalo clothing for summer and winter walking I was really looking forward to trying out the ‘one cycle shirt does all’ and was most keen to use it for cycle touring and commuting especially in the more inclement conditions from October – March (I was under no illusion that it would be too warm for the summer months)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Yes it keeps you warm in colder conditions (although I would recommend the DP system cycle shirt for very cold conditions) and when wet you remain warm as long as it’s worn next to the skin.  The yellow is extremely visible and the reflective piping does a good job in the dark, it’s the fit that lets it down, and lets it down badly! I'm 5'9" and opted for the small and still it’s far too long.  The rear pockets hold spares but have no rigidity meaning the tail often snags on the underside of the saddle and accessing anything from the pockets while moving is virtually impossible due to the flap.  The sleeves are long which can have the positive effect of covering glove cuffs in cold weather but also means there is far too much material flapping in the wind.  The main body of the garment flaps so much it feels like a sail, makes lots of noise and a potential safety concern I found was it proved difficult to ‘glance’ over my right shoulder to view oncoming traffic due to billowing shoulders (the only way to alleviate this is to wear a gilet over the top,  which hinders the wicking qualities of the garment).  In short, would I recommend this garment? The concept is great, the moisture moving qualities are excellent and it does keep you warm, but the fit is so bad that until these problems are addressed I would not recommend this purchase, unless you just want a top for ‘popping down the shops!’

 

 





Two steps forward, one back

So the plan was, return from D of E and knuckle down and finish the coaching course and start to get the ball rolling setting up Velopeak website.......and then the phone rang! A former colleague had been signed off, would I mind coming in for a couple of days and covering?  Thurs, Fri back in old job with old classes.  Nice to see the students again, money was appealing for supply and two days shouldn't be much of a bother especially as it's the job minus the admin.  Fri avo, colleague signed off for another 7 days and another week at SFCS beckons. Hmm next Fri, same thing? Watch this space.

Let the racing begin

Last night was the first 'build' race of the season and one to loosen the race legs and see where i'm at.  Granted I have done a couple of races a month or so ago but one was a hilly and the other it was snowing so they don't count (7th & 1st in those for anyone that cares).

Last nights '10' had some good nationally recognised riders so was pleased with my third place.  What made it more satisfying was the power numbers were up on this time last year and it was windy so I erred on the side of caution and just rode deep section front and rear rather than tri spoke and disc combo. That would have saved me about 20-30 secs, although anyone riding a disc in that wind deserves a medal!

D of E in the Moors

Took a bunch of 18 students to the North York Moors for a D of E practice expedition:

Highlights:
Kids were great if a little shifty at times (re-routing themselves and nicking off to a shop!)
The prawn gag......almost made me gag
Staff - great bunch and they tolerated me, so that's a win in my book
Weather was mixed inc. bad vis day, great prep for students
The adder

 

Lowlights:
Just about to head for home and dead battery in staff car, 3 hr delay
The washing up..............my fault for not checking!

Roll on the final

Negative faff

Cold hands? Wet day? Wind blowing you off your feet? Sick of that annoying ever so critical map setting exercise? Map out, compass out and then the all to common compass leash gets tangled on something....gloves off to sort, hands even colder, curse, gloves back on and finally map set!

Thing of the past my friends, take note.................

Hmm...to much time on my hands?

Lazy blogger......

So here's the thing, yes I have been a tad lazy on the blogging front but not without good reason:

1.) Cycle coaching course - 7 modules complete, out of........7, and nailed them all! Not quite done yet though, still need to present to my club and train a hapless guinea pig.......that'll be Vic then.

2.) Training hard. Well actually training intelligently which actually means a lot less volume and lots more intensity, oh and a diet even Mr. Hume would be proud of.  See the fruits of the training below! Either Hoy quads or poor maintenance, but did this on a climb.

3.) Did an Audax.  200km 8.5 hr's including stops and towed my glycogen depleted mate the last 50K

4.) Buying bling and getting the TT steed ready for the onslaught of 2013.

5.) Putting the house on the market, but not before having some ever so slow builders complete some outstanding work........fruusstrating!

6.) Buying a narrowboat with Vic.  Well looking for a narrowboat with Vic as we can't buy until we sell which will leave some overlap to......move back in with the folks for a couple of months.  Not sure who is more nervous, me or them?