Another of Time's 100 Greatest Novels Down: American Pastoral, by Philip Roth

It's been such a long time since I read Philip Roth's Pulitzer-winning American Pastoral as part of my 40 by 40 goal to read all of Time's 100 Greatest Novels, I had to remind myself of what the book was about. It was in truth about two months ago when I finished it. I just haven't had the motivation to write about it. Why? Well, it's a heavy book. Of the books I've finished since starting on this path, it is my least favorite because of its slow going.

Then again, I can still picture the main character in my mind – Swede Levov – the setting, the emotion, the craziness that is his mind in this book. So something must have stuck. And I do understand why it received critical acclaim. The entire book centers around the very personal impact the turmoil of the 1960s had on him.

Mango chicken: A fitting use of a fruit I love

I have never cooked with mango. In fact, I would venture to say I had never purchased a mango until this past week.

The fact I had mangoes was because I have been trying to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into my diet, per my decision to try to follow the new MyPlate guidelines as much as possible. This is also part of my learning how to cook, a 40 by 40 goal. 

Video: Biking Rabbit Mountain trails in Boulder County

We went biking again in Rabbit Mountain open space today in Boulder County (right outside of Lyons). We tried out our new handlebar mount for the "helmet cam." Turned out well - if not a little bumpy. Check out the video my husband made from the recording.

Shots from the Trail: Getting reacquainted with Rabbit Mountain

trailhead

We went mountain biking at Rabbit Mountain open space the other day, and it was as rocky as I remembered. It's not an overly technical trail; generally speaking it's pretty fast-moving. There are not a lot of big obstacles - just a lot of smaller rocks. There are some spots - mostly at the beginning - that require some technical skill.

We usually climb up the trail from the trailhead by the parking lot, and then take the Eagle Wind Trail loop - about 3 miles - and come back down the way we came. Keeping it simple.

We used to ride Rabbit Mountain frequently when we first started mountain biking a couple of years ago. It was our go-to trail after work, because it's the closest trail to Longmont and it was good for beginners. (It's off of Hwy 66, right before Lyons.) I didn't ride the trail last year, so I considered this ride my time to get reacquainted with Rabbit Mountain. It was also a nice reminder that I am not in great shape. A walker kept passing us at the start in the most technical part of the trail. (For the record, we caught up and passed her later.) After we got up to Eagle Wind, we moved much faster! It was fun.

I took a lot more photos of the trail than I expected, but I'm sharing many of them here anyway.

Taking the New MyPlate Guidelines for a Spin

Over the past week, I've eaten salad nearly every day. I started doing so after learning that I had gained nearly five pounds after a month of traveling. (Read: lots of wine and rich food) So I've integrated just a simple mixed greens salad, with grape tomatoes and sometimes shaved carrots with a low-cal dressing, into one meal a day hoping it will help fill me up and minimize what I eat of everything else.

It got me to thinking about the new MyPlate guidelines from the government. The almost ridiculously simple setup is designed to replace the Food Pyramid. 

40 by 40: Nos. 21-22

It's been awhile since I've updated my 40 by 40 plans. Finally, I add two more to the list.

Why I love rosemary and basil: They survive

Travel is bad for plants because my husband is even less of a plant person than I am. Here is what my rosemary and basil plants I am growing as I learn to garden looked like when I returned from Washington D.C. I was gone for five days.

First Ride at Valmont Bike Park: A little sunburn & an "injury," but a lot of fun

Mountain biking is a good sport for me. It pushes me to get past my fears – for example, it has taken me awhile to let myself fly down a hill, which is one of the most fun parts of riding.

I am far from a great mountain biker. But I pride myself on being past beginner status. That was a big step for me.

'Add This One to the Rotation': Lemon Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

I'm nearly done traveling for the summer - just one more trip this weekend through the early part of next week - so I'm finally getting a chance to get back to cooking.

You all know I can't create my own recipes. I'm just on a mission to learn how to cook, so I use everyone else's. And with the multitude of recipes on the Interwebs these days, there's plenty of opportunity to do so. I was in the mood for chicken tonight, but tired of barbecued chicken.