photos – Page 3 – VeggHead BeerCyclist

Local Brew Review

Posted on April 16, 2016April 18, 2016 by jeffreylatty

(Good) Beer is much like a bicycle ride. They vary from good to bad while diving deeper into the good and the bad, some are ridiculously awful and some are just about perfect. Inside the good ol’ Illinois Valley, are two current breweries that are producing beer. Both, Radium City and Tangled Roots, have their headquarters in Ottawa, IL. Things are looking up for the Illinois Valley, quite possibly for the first time, since the early 1900’s. Nothing is more of a heartbeat to the Illinois Valley than the beautiful Starved Rock State Park, located just Southeast of Utica, IL. This park is unique and stunningly beautiful being beautifully shaped by prehistoric flooding. The landscape around Starved Rock is amazing, as well. Nothing will come close to being as dense of beauty in such a (somewhat) small area as Starved Rock.

Hearts/Wires

Riding bicycles even at barely moderate level, consists of great ups and intense downs as literal as spinning so quickly to move so slow to climb steep elevation and descending in your drops with insane speed, tucking and straight rolling. Things do not always go your way. Sometimes your bicycle breaks. Sometimes you wreck. Sometimes you have a great ride. The wind always blows.

I&M Canal

The Illinois Valley has great history and The I&M Canal is still in use by nature and outdoorsy enthusiasts, exercising or just wandering. As constantly riding on this towpath, I can clearly complain of the upkeep of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, but I am biased while continuously utilizing it.

Starved Rock State Park

I’m a modest person, however, I have enjoyed many of beers in my lifetime from all over the world. I know good from bad. I know unique from normal. I will not try and bullshit a review as if I have the nose and palate of Superman. Radium City makes good beer. Tangled Roots makes good beer with a higher lever of experimental qualities. Both brewing companies are given a push from me as if they were trying to ride a bicycle without their training wheels for the very first time. Eat, drink and love LOCAL. If you cannot do that, get the fuuuuu out.

I had a bad ride yesterday, yet strangely good. It was funny. I wanted to ride 100+ miles. The wind was strong and I couldn’t do it. My shoes were losing a screw to my right cleat. I was faster than a tractor. I chased a loose dog. I drafted a tractor to beat a bit o’ wind. I was chased by that same dog and his friend. Adrenaline motivation takes place when trying to out-sprint a fast dog(s). I have noticed that if you slow down and communicate with them, they do not assume you are a toy and mostly obey. I became lost and when I found my way (not even where I wanted to be) I could not get my shoe to hold one of my screws embracing my cleat. I took the screw out and threw it in my pocket.I have ridden like this before only to have a ride-ending flat tire. I found out this route would not work and immediately realized that my shoes screw came loose. I could not unclip from the right. I took my foot out of the shoe and tried moving my cleat the degree to disengage from my Crank Brothers pedal. Being a brand new pair, it wouldn’t budge. I spun my shoe free. My ride ended short as my cleat was (and still is) stuck on my pedal.

Today, I hired a dude to come ride with me. I do not own any friends. I payed him in Tangled Roots beers. We were heading back home when he biffed it hard and he could not continue. Luck comes and goes on this I&M towpath. Is it your day or is it mine. #RideOn #GoodPeopleDrinkGoodBeer

Cycling Weekend

Posted on April 6, 2016 by jeffreylatty

I have never wanted to be a professional cyclist. It is and always has been my hobby. It is and has been my lifestyle for some time now. I am not a racing type. I love going fast for fun. I love long rides for fun. I love the pride developed from accomplishing more difficult rides with my own rule and degree of victory. It is truly a win-win system. I am so lazy, yet conscience of realism, that I do not plan my rides as much as I could because I do know that anything could change at any point in any ride. I am not one of those cyclists who ride only in perfect weather. I enjoy the grind. I somewhat planned a cycling adventure this last weekend and my legs have never burned as immensely intense as they do now with every step. I originally wanted to ride into Southeastern Cook County via trail from Western LaSalle County and ride back to Joiet over 163 kms (100 miles) before heading home the next day with a light(er) 105 km ride home.

I wanted to ride between 275 km (171 miles) to 300 km (187 miles) Saturday and Sunday combined. I originally planned the bigger ride on Saturday and coming home with a laid back homeward headwind adventure on Sunday. Saturday’s wind currents in Illinois were sickly brutal and horrifying. The skies were falling. They were coming down. The average size trees standing tall all around the Illinois & Michigan Canal usually sheltering the towpath from weather and from the element were falling apart as if handfuls of medium to large pebbles were slingshot into the trees from every direction shattering the trees as if they were glass, but somehow allowing this glass to bend ridiculously before shattering.

The Sky Is Falling

I survived the strong winds with a freezing windchill with the decision of dressing warmer and more appropriate for a snow flurried Spring day. The winter cycling shoes were a clutch choice in also being waterproof. Not only did I have to dodge broken trees falling, did I have to move around small branches to actual downed trees and the flooding muddy chaos was prevalent everywhere. There is this dirtiness along the I&M Canal which is a black hole abyss. And when you sense the freedom and opportunity after crawling out of this darkly debris detailed butthole, the possibilities are just about endless. It is dark, mountain-ish and swamp-like. I chose to switch days completely and avoid the more satan-ish winded and battle the much better hellish breeze the next day and cut my Saturday much shorter. I also made my Sunday so long while even cutting that day shorter than planned as well. I made it as far as Will County.

I picked up some brews, enjoyed my Vegan lifestyle with a few Lightlife Smart Dogs. I found some Lightlife ‘brats’ and was super excited until realizing they were only Vegetarian and not Vegan. I ate, drank and rested for the upcoming big(ger) ride. I had to donate a pair of shoes and a shirt due to lack of space to fit my Bontrager OMW shoes in my pack. They are beastly. I did not ride as North as planned because I could not find the correct route and decided to head back a bit short hoping to make up distance later.

And then the headwind started. I immediately realized how difficult this was going to be. I peddled, I jumped over trees and beer motivated my way home. I was outside for 12 hours and was on my bicycle for 7 hours. Overcoming a difficult mental yet physical feat gives room for more in the future if your (my) brain will allow it.

I have mastered the ‘art’ of stretching your (my) phone life to its max. I utilize the airplane mode on my (your) iPhone 6 always and sometimes while listening to music, taking pics and videos. If I need to connect with the world, I turn airplane mode off and in literally one second, I am connected. I arrive home with 71% battery life after 12+ hours. My Garmin Edge 1000 had around 17%. I turn the Garmin wifi and bluetooth off the entire ride and it conserves battery life awesomely.

It was an extremely satisfying adventure, but took hard work, hard play and dedication. I cannot wait to have another weekend cycling adventure. I have obtained true bicycle confidence in my Trek Darth Vader. With various upgrades this bicycle is a tank and can handle just about anything.

Saturday Ride

Sunday Ride

#RideOn

Fingerlinging Good

Posted on March 20, 2016 by jeffreylatty

I wish my ten fingers and ten toes were ever-growing Fingerling Potatoes that grew without a sense of feeling just as fingernails and toenails do. Every once in a while a good trimming and consumption is needed in this somewhat twisted fantasy, Jeffrey Fingerling Hands.

I grew up watching Robin Williams in various movies and will always be a fan of his. I named a sauce, Robin Dilliams, in honor of his talents and hilariousness. He also rode bicycles, so it is only right in this snow-blog, shaken vigorously only spraying 2016 Chicago Cubs champagne bubbles everywhere instead of false snow inside, world I have created.

Robin Dilliams ingredients:

‘Butter’, Earth Balance
Dill Weed, chopped
Sriracha, cock sauce
Lemon, juices – no seeds, no stems
Pizza sauce, or tomato sauce
Corn Starch, for consistency
SeaSalt/Pepper/BrownSugar

Heat, mix and love.

Rice ingredients:

Basmati Rice
Split Peas, green
Carrot, diced
BayLeaves/BrownSugar/SeaSalt/Pepper

Cook.

‘Butter’, Earth Balance
Tofu, extra firmly crumbled
Parsley, chopped

Mix.

I rode to the store on my muddy Trek Darth Vader for Tomatoes. It looks more like Spring, it was just super chilly today.

Fingerlinging Good ingredients:

Robin Dilliams, heated
Rice, heated w/ Bay Leaves removed
Spinach, sliced
Dill, chopped and a nice looking branch for garnish
Oil, just a little
Garlic, sliced
Cashew, whole & raw
Fingerling Potatoes, red and golden
Lemon, juices no seeds nor stems
Sriracha/BalsamicVinegar

Sauté, strongly with Lemon/Sriracha/Balsamic added towards the end.

Tomatoes, red and yellow cherry/grape
SeaSalt/Pepper/OnionP/GarlicP

Add ingredients and season while simmering for a bit.

I constructed a Plant-Based amphitheater of flavorful texture where flavor battles texture in an exploding cherry tomato eruption of plant genocide fury. Battles which heighten senses in a disarray as intense as a LSD high might.

The foundation started with sliced Spinach and quickly to anchor the butchered Spinach was the damp Tofunated Rice embedded with Split Peas and Carrot still wet with Earth Balance.

I constructed the domed roof with massive blackened Fingerling Potatoes creating a solidly unbreakable structure and some lovely decor of Cherry Tomatoes to help the spectators feel at home.

The wonderful infrastructure is finished and held together with Cashews and Garlic. No amazing accomplishment is final without splashing a little color and a flag to truly represent what this all means. Robin Dilliams covered roof and exterior pillars stand tall with an enormous flag flapping in the gusty breeze at the very top symbolizing non other than Dill.

The End

I leave you with this awesome jam:

Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires

March Gran Fondo Madness

Posted on March 20, 2016 by jeffreylatty

Wishful thinking is very evident with me. Optimism is also utilized by myself. It is good to have goals. It is also good to make those goals reachable and obtainable. I am not nor ever will be a professional cyclist, but it is a intense hobby/sport for the physical aspect, yet moreover the mental strength needed to persevere.

Motivation by others will help reach goals, but you’re truly put to the test in a solo ride. This morning, I awoke with the game plan of a big ride. I mapped out a route on Strava at 140 km. The forecast was not very cycling friendly, but was deemed a go when I was mostly ensured the rain was not supposed to drop until evening time. I suited up, a bit underdressed, and rodeOn. I skipped breakfast and only ate B12 and C vitamins (with water) prior to my ride attempt. It was super cold the first hour and then the sun peaked through and my whole entirety of outlook was given a new life. Sun, energy, life is a huge contributor to my motivation.

I quickly began feeling warmer and more confident and immediately fell into the (my) normal routine. The new wheels recently acquired helped boost confidence as well. I changed my route to better my safety away from busier roads and traffic. I absolutely love riding gravel and not so much road (smooth terrain). I believe I roll better without increasing the power and gravel is usually dead with traffic other than occasional dogs that chase you (me:).

The (head) wind was blowing from every direction. I take pride in my ride, I went faster than not. I rode road, gravel, dirt, mud, water (puddles), grass and crushed limestone on this Gran Fondo.

Gran Fondo

It is a challenge on Strava that I oftenly partake in. Usually, I involve a beer or two towards the end of any ride, but chose not to today. I had to keep my mind clear and spin fast. I rolled back into town and forced my willpower and brain through another 15 km to reach the goal of the 100 km mark. I have before influenced myself to go the distance with a beer as motivation. I did not today. I concentrated on my average speed with the little energy brain power that I still did obtain.

My Ride

I reached my goal of the Strava Gran Fondo challenge with 100.6 km with just a help from our little star, the sun, providing our world with life since time. I just wish to convey through my horrible English and run-on sentences, that having optimism and wishful thinking can be sparked and ignited by the littlest of things like a ray of sunshine when you’re about to back down and give up.

I had a victory beer after the actual victory. I had some food involving ORGANIC AVOCADO. I love making food, I just need to make portions smaller. I’ve been breathing Minestrone soup for weeks:)

Think positive, stay smart, and hope y’all are enjoying the weekend.

Ⓥinestrone Colcannon

Posted on March 16, 2016 by jeffreylatty

Yesterday evening, Northern Central Illinois (and probably most Northern Illinois) experienced their first thunderstorm of the year 2016. I ran outside the moment that I heard hail. It was too damp and windy for me, so I tried capturing a couple of pictures and hid dryly inside to finish watching Better Call Saul. And I’m assuming that because it was the DVR I was watching, the weather did not affect the satellite DVR and only destroys live TV.

Which reminds me that I need to put my Planet Bike fenders on my Trek HulkRip to ensure a drier ass, today. Apologies if I rush through this posting and prematurely blog in your eye. I’m getting hungry and energetic at the same time. I also want to ride my Trek Darth Vader with its new wheels, but the wind is tornadic out there. I may have to ride the I&M Canal to try and hide the wind.

And hours later, I have my fenders on and test rode them. They make noises, but I think that might be normal. They make almost squeaking noises along rough terrain and little bumps. I also ran a few errands and I did not blow over!

I love Colcannon. I love potatoes. I love Vegan Colcannon. And I’ve always been a proud New Belgium Brewing fan, but lately they’ve seriously stepped up their game and it makes me so happy! I’ve been waiting to find their RyePA since 2014 and finally FOUND IT! I was not disappointed, but my enjoyment level actually excelled.

My Ⓥinestrone Colcannon concept is a bit more complex than not. It only became insane when I opened my brain and ideas escaped exponentially as I only collected a few while the other amazing insane thoughts/ideas are now in a different universe.

Ⓥinestrone Colcannon ingredients:

Potatoes, sliced longways and roasted facedown
Cashew Milk, heated
Ⓥinestrone Soupé (recipe)
Tofu, extra firmly crumbled
Instant Mashed Potatoes, for consistency

I like chunky Colcannon. I garnished with roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Tomato and Parsley.

I added a few different ingredients and textures the following night to impress myself.

I charred French Bread, added grape Tomatoes and involved more Ⓥinestrone with wonderfully melting Tofutti slices.

I do not want to tell anyone how much of one ingredient to put. I am all about breaking rules. Recipes are just guidelines. If you try and follow them completely, you will stress yourself out and every palate is different. I am trying to get positive creative energy flowing with a stronger influence on healthy and active lifestyles. I plan on living 300+ years and so should you!

Garbonzilli

Posted on March 11, 2016February 5, 2024 by jeffreylatty

Yet another last minute spontaneous (soup/chili) season ending decision.

I made baked Garbanzo beans for a Minestrone recipe and had leftover beans. Utilizing leftovers and minimizing waste in a kitchen depicts how pro you are.

Congratulations to Peyton Manning on a great career. I feel his delay on retiring helped Denver’s QB remaining issues.

On a better note, I finally have wheels on my Trek Darth Vader that’ll last forever.

Garbonzilli ingredients:

Oil, very little
Garlic, freshly minced
Onion, diced
Celery, diced
Carrot, sliced
Peppers (yellow, green, red), diced
Garbanzo Beans, baked
Broth, veggie
ChipotleP/BrownSugar/SeaSalt/Pepper/Paprika
Tomatoes, freshly deseeded and chopped
Tomato Juice from Tomato guts

Sauté Veggies and add Broth, Beans, Tomatoes and Seasonings and simmer for a couple of hours.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

LBⓋ 14 Broccoli ‘Cheese’ Rice

Posted on March 5, 2016March 5, 2016 by jeffreylatty

I have fell in love with Black Rice. It not only is unique, it is extra nutritious and it is damn tasty. According to Wikipedia,

“The bran hull (outermost layer) of black rice contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanin antioxidants found in food.”

Low Budget Ⓥeganism 14

‘Cheese’ Sauce ingredients:

Daiya, block ‘cheddar’ – chopped (7) @ $5.98 = $0.85 per serving
Sriracha (96) @ $2.97 = $0.04 per serving
Seasonings (GarlicP/OnionP/BrownSugar/LiquidSmoke/SeaSalt/ Pepper/CornStarch) @ $0.07 per serving
Broth, Veggie (4) @ $1.99 = $0.25 per serving

Ready….GO:

Heat VeggieBroth/Seasonings/Daiya/Sriracha and simmer.
Control consistency with CornStarch/Broth. Stir often.

veloink

Broccoli ‘Cheese’ Rice ingredients:

Broccoli, frozen florets – steamed (5) @ $1.49 = $0.30 per serving
Black Rice, cooked (9) @ $5.98 = $0.66 per serving
Basmati Rice, cooked (16) @ $3.19 = $0.20 per serving
Seasonings(SeaSalt/Pepper/OnionP/GarlicP) = $0.05 per serving
‘Cheese’ Sauce, heated = $1.21 per serving

Cook and season Rice. Steam Broccoli. And smother the life out of those florets with hot ‘Cheesy’ greatness. The health benefits compared to cost is amazing. And the mixture of cheapness, flavor and healthiness is unsoberly staggering. Per serving, the cost of this LBV is $2.42. It leaves more expenses for good beer, healthier food and better bicycles!

A Warm Place

#Prost

LBⓋ 13/10 Lentili ‘Cheese’ Fries

Posted on March 4, 2016 by jeffreylatty

Last year, I wanted to share 10 LBⓋ ideas. Low Budget Vegan is more fun to me than probably helpful to anyone else. As I do not have anyone ever reading these, it is a better way of organizing ideas and hopefully one day I’ll influence someone to go Vegetarian, Vegan or just to cook for themselves.

I bought new wheels for my (bicycle) Trek Darth Vader, hence low budget Veganism. Don’t get me started with these wheels. They have already been returned for a wheelset that’ll work for me better. Anyways….

LBⓋ 13/10 Lentili ‘Cheese’ Fries ingredients:

Daiya, block ‘cheddar’ – chopped (7) @ $5.98 = $0.85 per serving
Fries, frozen & roasted (9) @ $2.98 = $0.33 per serving
Lentil, canned soup – simmered (2) @ $1.50 = $0.75 per serving
Sriracha (96) @ $2.97 = $0.04 per serving
Seasonings (GarlicP/OnionP/BrownSugar/LiquidSmoke/SeaSalt/ Pepper/CornStarch) @ $0.07 per serving
Broth, Veggie (4) @ $1.99 = $0.25 per serving

Ready….GO:

Heat Lentil Soup/Veggie Broth and simmer. Heat VeggieBroth/Seasonings/Daiya/Sriracha and simmer.
Control consistency with CornStarch/Broth.
Oven-Roast fries and construct.

This would’ve been made cheaper and better from-scratch, unfortunately time was not on my side and this dude was hungry. And at $2.29 per serving this cheaply and timely produces 3-5 hearty servings and is a healthier comfort food. To be remastered….

Happy Friday! I recommend enjoying a great beer, having some excellent plant-based food and watching PlantPure Nation on Netflix. Of course, after going for a FatBike ride in the snow as I did last night. If possible.

PlantPure Nation Trailer

Snow Ride

Simple Man

Vegan Egg Review

Posted on March 4, 2016 by jeffreylatty

I was immensely excited to try Vegan Egg by Follow Your Heart. I tried a few different things and all were extremely edible. Let’s get one thing super straight, it is amazing to have plant-based as carnivorous-style food. They did an eerily great job at making these Vegan Eggs look and smell like animal eggs. In all honesty, they made me gassy and not-so-friendly-gassy. The egg-smell coming out in gas form is somehow enhanced and extra ‘eggy’.

As far as the cooking goes, I lost patience trying to make an omelet. Scrambled eggs never turned out the way that I wanted. Ultimately, Vegan Eggs are a bit too much of a process for me to prepare more than just a few times. It seems like you have to be precise about the steps. And I am not good at following rules. I never will be. I might be a badass. I might just be extremely lazy. I love the concept and hope people try them and conclude how they’d like.

It’s nice to have comfort food options, but it takes me back to a long lasting opinion of “do we have to pretend to eat animals?”. Sometimes, I eat too much ‘cheese’, ‘burgers’ or seitan…. Seriously most of those plant-based animal-like products are better than the animal products and the benefits are overwhelming. I’m truly just rambling, but nothing beats a sandwich of just veggies and a little mustard. Follow Your Heart Vegenaise is one of the greatest condiments ever, though.

Keep up the good work, Follow Your Heart!

Leonardo Meatlessburger

Posted on February 29, 2016March 1, 2016 by jeffreylatty

I do not intend to be extremely repetitive, but I love sandwiches. And finding fun ways to include sandwiches into my (Ⓥegan) lifestyle, is one of my keys to happiness.

Dude’s gotta eat…

And while any dude (or lady) has to eat, they might as well eat happily. While eating happily, they (you) might as well be healthily happily eating. And if you can healthily happily eat, you might as well step it up a notch or two and eat Vegetarian or Vegan to ultimately do an enormous part in saving the planet.

Fight Climate Change

Even scientists say, “eat less meat” when asked how to better the planet.

I am not one to follow much of what takes place in the movie industry these days, but it’s impossible nowadays to ignore it. When news involves Leonardo DiCaprio, I’ll listen as Leo and I go way back to when I saw Titanic in theater at age 12, I believe. Since then, he’s truly been a favorite actor of mine. Being a true environmental activist is greater than (>) his amazing acting career and is how people with power/fame should go above themselves to try and make a true difference.

12 Celebrities

I’m gonna have to share links to my favorite Leo movies. I have to.

The Basketball Diaries

The Beach

Catch Me If You Can

The Departed

I made a good amount of (ben) Meatlessburger happiness. (The QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers is Ben Roethlisberger:). A brewery that I’ve come across with a few different beers is Half Acre out of Chicago, IL. I did not visit the Brewery (yet), just picked up a few 4-packs. I enjoyed their Pale Ale, their IPA and their Black/Dark Ale. They were all in 16 oz. cans with great decorative properties and the stuff inside is good, as well.

As far as the Meatlessburger goes, I made a gyro-style sandwich, a USA-style sandwich and an experimental chinese-style bunless Meatlessburger. And a LBⓋ (Low Budget Vegan) side… 🙂

Ⓥzatziki Sauce ingredients:

Non-dairy yogurt, plain
Lemon, freshly juiced
Cucumber, deseeded and diced
Cumin powder
Garlic, freshly minced
SeaSalt/Pepper/BrownSugar
Sriracha
Onion, diced

Mix. And Enjoy.

Meatlessburger ingredients:

Tofu, extra firmly crumbled (?:)
Lightlife ‘sausage’ and ‘beef’, crumbled
Daiya Cheddar, block diced cubes
Garlic, freshly minced
SeaSalt/Pepper/BrownSugar/GarlicP/OnionP
Liquid Smoke
Parsley, freshly chopped
Soy Sauce

Prep. Mix. And enjoy. Add Corn Starch if needed.

Gyro Meatlessburger ingredients:

Ⓥzatziki Sauce
Meatlessburger, pan-fried/cast-ironed/baked/grilled
Cucumber, slices
Tomato, slices (Bushel Boy)
Lettuce & Spinach, freshly sliced
Bun, gourmet (bigger) and grilled on inside

USA Meatlessburger ingredients:

Meatlessburger, pan-fried/cast-ironed/baked/grilled
Daiya, melted/broiled onto Meatlessburger
Lettuce
Cucumber, slices
Tomato, slices (Bushel Boy)
Onion, slices
Vegenaise, mmmmmm
Mustard
Mushrooms, sliced and sauteéd

I will go over the LBV and Chinese-style bunless Meatlessburger at a later time.

Happy Leap Year Day. Is that a thing?