Perspective... and an overdue recipe.

So this morning was another Big Bear to Little Bear morning.  Up at 5:00 (5:12 really) and to the gym by 5:30 (5:32 really).  And although I freely admit that I am not a real morning person (sorry team!), I was feeling pretty good.  I just got back from a quick weekend in Vermont where I got to hang out with my brother and a few great, old friends... played three long rounds of disc golf, had a healthy dinner in Burlington, and only had three beers the entire weekend.  Why is this such a feat...??  Well, this was my "bachelor's party."  Pretty wild and crazy... I know.  But hey, I'm 42, remember...?  I digress.  So this morning I am feeling that what could have been a disastrous bender was actually a healthy, tame, and pretty danged wonderful weekend.

Is this what it's like to get old...?

So the gym was a solid mix of cardio and weights this morning and I felt good, healthy, like I was really starting to be fit and in control.   After cleaning up I head out for work, making the usual stop for coffee at The Store.  Walking in, I noticed a bicycle in the foyer.  It was bright red with these mean looking aerobars sticking off the front handle-bars... some carbon-frame triathlete bike designed by NASA.  Clearly the most intimidating 3 pounds of technology I've ever seen.

It was easy to figure out who it belonged to given that my choices were the store owner, Roberta, myself, or this 6'3" guy dressed in Pearl Izumi and wearing a bike helmet.  Quite the Colombo, I know.  At most he had two, maybe three percent body fat.  He looked like some former Marine, or a Navy Seal, or an Airborne Ranger or some other guy that could kill a man by simply squinting hard.  He and Roberta were chatting away about when he was a student at UMaine some 15 plus years ago... how he likes to keep coming back up here for training and such...  His next triathlon was the end of August in North Carolina.  I had the distinct feeling that he was cycling all the way down to it this afternoon.  Feeling the urge to contribute to the conversation, I confidently announce "I know this may be difficult to believe, but I am actually NOT a triathlete," ...but I was at the gym this morning I think to myself.  We all laughed, and he paid for his coffee and cookie and headed out for another 300 or so miles.

I turned back to the coffee air-pots, filled my cup, and took a long look at the muffins in the glass case. I pulled out my notebook and scribbled down a note to myself.  "Clean up bike... AND RIDE IT!!!"

We'll see where that leads me.... but in the meantime, and while we are speaking of muffins.... here is a LONG overdue recipe for bran muffins (from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by Diana Shaw).  And get this... 168 calories per muffin!!


Pre-heat oven to 500-degrees


1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 cup wheat bran
2 large egg whites
1 cup non-fat yogurt (plain) or buttermilk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses

Mix your dry ingredients in one bowl (a whisk works well with the bran) and your wet ingredients (thoroughly beat them)  in a separate bowl.  Add dry to wet and mix just to moisten.  Fill greased 6-cup muffin tin (Use an organic baking spray like Spectrum). IMPORTANT reduce heat to 400-degrees before putting them in the oven.  Test with a toothpick after 30 minutes or so... and let the pans cool for about ten minutes before popping the muffins out.  Then let them cool completely.

NOTE - These muffins are pretty indestructible.  I have baked them where the oven shut off shortly through and they still finished baking.  I have baked them and forgotten to turn the temp down.  They were burnt on the edges after 13 minutes but baked thoroughly and still pretty tasty.  Wouldn't necessarily call them fool proof, but they're pretty close.  Enjoy!!