New Two Hippies on 24th st and Indianschool

Last night I got a pizza from the new Two Hippies on the SW corner of 24th st and Indianschool. Sure beat the old pizza joint. I watched the guy hand toss my crust. Funky decor too.

Talked to a nice young man who worked there. Said the two hippies are the husband and wife who started the place. They have rolled out quite a few of these hippie joints in a relatively short time.  The young man explained that this was the same family that started 'Long Wongs'. Explains why everyone likes the buffalo wings. Goes far in explaining the decor.  The young man also revealed that their expansion plans include Tucson and Flagstaff.

Twelve bucks for any 16 inch or seven bucks for any 12 inch was not too shabby considering all the toppings. We got a half and half of two popular choices. No extra cost. You can also buy a slice but you don't get the funky choices; with a slice you are limited to the old standards of cheese,  pepperoni or sausage.

Anyway, I give the hippies a thumbs up and a peace sign.

If you have a palm device with mobiledb, feel free to download my restraunt guide. You can make changes and add your own restaurants.

breakdown

My knee buckled last night. I can't walk with it. What the heck? Freak thing. I was just walking. All those years of skiing, football, basketball, etc . , never had a knee problem.  It happens walking IN the house. Strange.  I'll see the doctor today. See what this means for my athletic future.

Made apple sauce this weekend with apples from the front yard. Wow. Apple sauce with taste. We get used to the way things are supposed to taste and they stop exciting us. Make some apple sauce with tart apples and have a try. Just cook down apples in a saucepan with just enough water to prevent sticking. Then mash when soft. easier than pie.

---

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Update

Found out I have arthritis in that knee.
How many mtb have arthritis?
How debilitating is it?
What a flare up. Felt like my knee was out of it's socket.
Still stiff and can't walk very well.

How will I make those bike packing trips now?

up to the AZ in fruit

The peach jam was so good, I had to make some more. I also have figs coming in season, so there you go. Fig jam. It was wonderful as well. Nothing better than fresh fruit and fresh bread.  Combine the two, you have a treat.

Making fig jam is even easier than the peach. Doesn't take as long to simmer, no pectin is required.  (pectin is made from citrus peals, so if your frugal, chop some up. They'll thicken your jam. may alter the taste a bit but that's how marmalade is made. )

Basically, you wash the figs. Then put in hot water that has been boiling for about ten minutes. Stem them and chop them up.







Add about a cup of sugar for each pound of figs. (we like less, some like more). Set for about five minutes. Then simmer for about five minutes or until it starts to thicken.  Then squeeze in some lemon juice (one lemon for about five pounds).  Simmer for another minute.

Then enjoy.

Can the rest for later.

If anyone cares for canning instructions, let me know. It's pretty simple really but there are a few important steps. Like heating the jars etc. I just don't want to leave any important details out.

... gonna eat a lot of peaches.

Years ago when I ate my first fresh peach from the tree, I vowed to never eat canned peaches again. I now recant.

I have two peach trees in my backyard. One bears fruit this month, the other next month.

My mother-in-law is a bit like my father in that she will go into the yard and bring in natures bounty. My dad was here picking up pecans.  Peaches are different. No shelf life. After giving away three bags of peaches and tossing a bag of moldy peaches,I had to figure out something to do with them. No room in the freezer. Then I recalled my Aunt and Grandma home canning.

My sister-in-law has parents who do canning and such, so I gave her a call. "Where do I get Ball jars?" I asked. "Try Wallmart." she replied. It's a big store, surely they would have everything I needed. Nope. "Ball jars? What's that?" was the typical response. "Mason jars . . . for canning peaches..." I would reply. "We sell jars of peaches." was a response.

This is getting me nowhere I thought. What the heck, I'll go to ACE hardware. THOSE people ARE helpful and smart. If they don't have what I need, they will tell me where I can find it.  Within two minutes of entering that little store, I had two associates helping me AND educating me. They even gave me the Ball booklet on canning.

After two days of cutting fruit, making jam and canning fresh fruit I am psyched. Now, I am thinking of making fig jam, canning my grapefruit juice, orange juice, apple sauce, plum jam, kumquat marmalade, grapefruit marmalade, orange marmalade, lemon juice, lime juice all from the yard! Talk about organic! My bug control is my chickens! Too bad summer is almost here, I would like to can tomatoes and beans from the garden. Maybe pickles too.

Then there was the taste! Wow! Warmed peaches on ice cream. Tangy, sweet, wonderful. Never tasted peaches this good that were immersed in corn syrup. (bad for ya too).

Anyway, this story dovetails nicely with my last post. Just had to share.

organics vs genetic modified

I love the coast to coast radio program. Always great for a laugh or to scare the crap out of you. Also hear about real news years before it makes the mainstream media. Ironically, it's broadcast from 550 am - a right wing propaganda outfit. Funny you would hear about all the crooked tricks Bush was trying then in the day hear his praises. So, don't sell them short they were talking about 'Osama Bin Laudin' while 'W. Bush' was still trying to bring back 'star wars'.

Anyway, they were talking about the dangers of gm foods the other night. Thought I should share. Talked about how slaughtered animals that feed on it looked on the inside vs a regular animal. Not good.  Also increased Autism in children.

Talked about we basically have two kinds of modifieds. 1. Those plants that can absorb 'roundup' and survive and 2. those that basically produce their own equivalent to roundup.

Anyway, click on coast to coast link or read my copied text. Click here for a shopping guide (pdf).

GM Food Dangers

Show Audio
Real (High Bandwidth)	Win (High Bandwidth)
Real (Low Bandwidth)	Win (Low Bandwidth)
MP3 Downloads:
Hour 1    Hour 2    Hour 3    Hour 4

Date:	05-18-10
Host:	George Noory
Guests:	Jeffrey M. Smith, Dr. Betty Martini

Author and filmmaker Jeffrey Smithdiscussed the dangers of eating genetically modified (GM) foods, and how the biotech industry has tried to cover up negative reports. The stakes are high right now, with a Supreme Court battle over approval of genetically modified alfalfa, and the Dept. of Justice combined with the Dept. of Agriculture investigating if Monsanto is a monopoly, he reported. Some countries are taking the threat of GM foods seriously, with India recently banning GM eggplant.

Genetically modified foods are created to either tolerate herbicides or become insect killers themselves. Right now, the main GM crops are soy (91%), corn (85%), canola (85%), cottonseed, and sugar beets, he detailed. A recent study of hamsters fed GM soy beans, showed that by the third generation most of them had become infertile or sterile, died at 5x the rate of the control group, and were slower to reach sexual maturity, Smith said. In testing of farm animals, they demonstrated a marked preference for non-GM feed, and would avoid eating the GM feed, he added.

Monsanto is "amazing in their ability to completely spin the truth," and they rigged research when it came to their genetically modified bovine growth hormone, Smith asserted. Their ultimate goal is to "genetically engineer 100% of the commercial seeds in the world and patent them-- to replace nature!" he continued. The Non-GMO Shopping Guide offers a listing of various food categories and specifies which brands are not genetically modified.

Aspartame Update

In the last hour, Dr. Betty Martini shared an update on aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in hundreds of products. Based on many studies, she classified aspartame as a poison and said its use is associated with numerous health problems. Because of the bad publicity, aspartame has recently been rebranded as AminoSweet, she noted, adding that such products as Just Like Sugar, and pure Stevia are safe alternatives to artificial sweeteners.

Website(s):

responsibletechnology.org

nongmoshoppingguide.com

mpwhi.com

dorway.com

holisticmed.com/aspartame

Book(s):

Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods

Seeds of Deception

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It was thirty years ago today that Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupted, after it was set off by an earthquake. The gigantic explosions were heard hundreds of miles away, entire forests were flattened, and 57 people lost their lives. Check out a gallery of photos from The Big Pictureof the volcano and its aftermath. Photo: USGS/Robert Krimmel

I luv gadgets

I love my Kitchen Aid Mixer. It's my favorite Kitchen gadget. So Versatile. Made in the USA; the way we used to make things.  Quality. Sturdy. Strong. Dependable. Powerful. Think of other positive adjectives, they will most probably apply.

I started competing in another Weight Lost contest this past Thursday. I weighed in at 222.2 lbs. That's why I am torn. Want to make some chocolate chip cookies but am afraid I will eat them. Cutting calories is half my strategy.

The other half of my strategy is an increase in my exercise. I started riding the outcast29 to work again. It's been cold, but I enjoy it and it will help. Amit and I are riding Phoenix Mountain preserve today. Mountain biking will burn some calories.

I guess I will post my progress every week until the contest is finished. The contest is will finish about the same time the baby is due to arrive. Oh my. Give me strength.

---

update, I made the cookies and I went for a ride. Even though it was raining.

Team: Goomba    Rider: frasiec    Date: 12/13/2009    6 average miles per hour

  

	Hours:	Minutes:   0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  54  55  56  57  58  59   Seconds:   0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  54  55  56  57  58  59	Miles ridden:
	Bike:	Motobecane - Outcast 29  Schwinn - Moab 3  Yeti - 575  Schwinn - Mesa GSX	Type:	recreation         training           competition        epic               Research           Patrol             School Field trip  Commute            Travel             Team               Timed Trials	Group Total:
	Trail:	*** Select Trail ***  .123 any street  260 loop - HiLine Trail  50 Year trail (the chutes)  Airport Mesa Loop  Alta trail - Soutn Mountain  Amole Canyon  Anderson truck trail  Apache Trail  Area 52  Arizona Trail  Around the Peaks (cosmic soulstice race loop)  AZ trail to Walnut Canyon  B & A trail  Baby steps  Bad Tom / Cranky Gulch   Badger Trail  Bell Rock Loops  Bill Williams Mountain  Black Canyon Trail System  Blevins Loop - Usery park  Blue Ridge Trail #107  Borrego dessert state park  Boyton Pass  Brown Canyon Loop  BST - Bonneville Shoreline Trail  Bulldog Canyon - Goldfield mtns  Butterfly Trail  Camp Beale Loop  Canfield mtn  Carr Canyon Loop  Casa Grande Mtn  Cathederal Rock Loop  Cave Creek  Chiva Falls  Coast to Coast - South Mountain  Cobre Ridge  CocksCOMB LOOP  Cottonwood Camp  Country Club Trail #632  Country Club/Los Burros Connector Trail #631A  Cranberry Lake  Crazy Jug Point  Crystal Spring Trail  Cunningham and Grant Hill Loops  Cypress Thicket  Deadmans Pass Loop  DESERT CLASSIC - South Mountain  Devils Hole  Doll Baby Ranch  Double Bypass - McDowell mtn preserve  Dry Creek  Dry lake hills loop  Dynamite and Pima  El Oso rd  Elden Loop  Elephant Head  Estrella Mtn Park (race loops)  Fantasy Island  FINS (Fantasy Island North Singletrack)  Fischer Creek Trail  Fisher Point  Flag to Grand Canyon  Flagstaff to Sedona  Florida Canyon  four peaks  French Creek st park  Gabrielino Trail  Galbraith Mtn  Gila Mountain  Gooseberry Mesa  Granite Basin Loops  Greene Haven Slickrock  Greenline #6  Hannigan Meadow  Hawes rd - red mountain  Helipad tt  hombolt mtn  Houston Mesa  Huckaby Loop  Ice Cave Trail #608 ( Blue Ridge Cave Trail)  Japanese Gulch  Javalina Loop - South Mountain  Kaaawa Valley  Kentucky Camp Ghost Town  La Milagrosa  Lake Tahoe Rim Trail - Flume trail section  Lambert park  Lava Cave and Wing Mtn  Little Bear Loop  Little Creek  Little Pine Flat  Llama Trail Loop  Los Burros loop 631  Lost Duchman trail loops  Lost Goldmine Trail  Lower Oldham trails  Lower Rock Creek Trail  Luna Lake Upper Loop  Lynx Lake Loop  Margies Cove  Marsh Creek St park  Martys Ridge to Liberty Bell  Marys Loop  McDowell mts Pemberton Trail  McDowell mts Race Loops  Mickelson Trail  Miners Ridge Trail  Mingus Mountain  Molino Basin  Moon Rock Loop - Usery park  Moss Wash Mines  Mt Haleakala  mt peely road  Munro trail  National Trail - south mountain  new River Headwaters  New River Mesa  New River West  Nordic Center  Observatory Mesa  Page rimview trail  Panorama Trail #635 ( Porter Mountain Trail)  Papago Park  Patagonia Ghost towns loop  Peavine trail  Peppersauce Loop  Phoenix Canals  Phoenix Mtns Secret Trails  Phoenix mtns trail 100  Phoenix Mtns Trail 1A  Phoenix mtns trail 8  Pima Loop - South Mountain  Pinery Canyon Loop  Porcupine Rim  Pt. Sublime  Queen Creek  Rainbow Rim  Ridgeline Loops - South Mountain  Robbers Roost  Rock Creek  Rocky Ridge Trail  Route of Hiawatha - Lookout pass ski resort  Saguaro National Monument East  Samaniego Ridge  San Tan Loops  schnebly hill trails  Secret Trails  Secret Trails  Sheep Bridge  Silly Mtn  Silver Mountain - Jack Ass  Silver Peak Loop  Six Shooter Canyon  Slate Creek Divide  Slaughterhouse Canyon  Slickrock trail  Soldiers Trail Loop  Sonoran Mtn Preserve  South Fork Trail  Sovereign Trail  Springton Manor Farms  Spruce Mtn  Starr Pass - Yetman wash  Strawberry Mtn  Submarine Rock Loop  Sucamore Rim Loop  Sun Devil way  Sunrise ski resort  Sunset Trail Loop  Sweetwater Preserve  Terry Flat Loop  the Tortolitas  Thumb Butte Loops  Thumper Trail Loop (dead horse park)  Thun trail  Thunder mtn  Thunderbird park h1 - h5  Timber Mesa Trail #636  Tiyo Point  Toms Thumb  Trail 4 - cave creek trail - Seven Springs  Tucson Mnts  Union Hills Loop  Upper Glidden Lake   Upper Oldham trails  Usery Pass  Valley Drive  Verde Hot Springs  Waterline Road  Whistle Lake  White Canyon  White Rock loop trails  White Tank Mountains Goat Camp Loop  White Tank Mountains Sonoran Loop  WhiteTail Creek  Willow Springs Lake  Windsor Trail;  Wolf Creek Loop  Woodbury Rd  Yankee Doodle trail			Rate:

              

trail	date	CalsBurned	MyJournal	Make	Model
Phoenix mtns trail 8	Dec 13, 09	753	Amit and I rode up over, the back on zipper. Not too much rain on us. Broke out the the rain jacket.	Schwinn	Moab 3
DESERT CLASSIC - South Mountain	Dec 08, 09	878.5	love this old Moab more and more. Feel a real connection to the thing. Better bike than the old Mesa it replaced. Looks like same frame, but it's better. Too bad Schwinn makes crap nowdays.	Schwinn	Moab 3
Papago Park	Dec 03, 09	502	Rode the Tempe Papagos. Looked over the ruins and such. Got a pretty good workout on the single speed ridged bike. The 29er is like a long pair of skis. More confident going down the steep stuff, but doesn't turn as quickly. I like it.	Motobecane	Outcast 29
rows  1  5  7  10  20  30  31  120  240  365  750

McDowell Competitive Track

I had the day off, so I decided to head up to McDowell Mtn park. Ton of chores (painting the house, lawn seeding and more) so I can't get too far away. 

I always have enjoyed the McDowell park, but it's just a ways off. Fountain Hills to be precise. 

The last time I rode the Competitive track loops, I was on the Yeti 575 that Anthony Sloan set up. This was in February, Anthony passed on in May. Sad thing, he was so talented. Not only as a blogger and photographer but also as a bike mechanic. We talked about twenty minutes about bikes, but I had to rush home. Never talked Photography nor blogging. I didn't even know who he was at the time. Just hit me in the face when I saw his photo after they found him.  

The desert was not nearly as green as it was in Feb. The trail didn't seem nearly as smooth either. I don't know if the ruts got bigger or if the 575 just had that great of a suspension, but it seemed a lot smoother then.  However, you can't beat the Moab as far as a climber goes. I'm pretty weak these days, but I can climb like a goat with the Moab.

Anyways, I made another Phone video of part of the technical loop. You loose site of the the trail in the middle as the treo slide under the belt strap. I fix it through so bear with it if you want to see what the trail looks like. The dang thing wouldn't upload in blogger. I had to load it to You tube and embed it. Maybe this is better?

After the ride, I stopped in at Redendos for a slice of Pizza. One of the better pizza joints in town. Never had Biancos (hear you go in to a heavenly trance while taking a bite. Must be great as there is a five hour wait for pizza!) but I would rate the place slightly better than 'Slices' in Tempe off Mill, much better than Luigis and on par with Franks off of 32nd street and Indian School. Nellos and the Chicago places are something different. Good but different. 


Hope you enjoy the video as much I did making it.

So long for now,

Frank