Mad Biking and Super Mac-n-Cheese or What More Could a Boy Want?

This past Saturday we rocked our way into the 2009 Cyclocross season. It was hotly anticipated. Both kids are on bikes that are much better than the ones they race on last year. Ellie has the bike she uses for both road and cross. It is about five pounds lighter than her Fuji was. Ethan got a slightly used Scott Racing frame and built up most of it himself. I am pretty proud of how he did it. We had the fork built up by the folks at our favorite bike store. That was too expensive to screw up since the fork needed to be cut precisely, it is made of carbon and it is worth over $500.Ethan had some guidance from Walt, the bike mechanic who seems happy to help Ethan learn. I was worried that it would not run correctly, but it performed nicely on Saturday.

Saturday was hot and dusty day at the Green Mountain race. The course is pretty technical, but also a lot of fun. Ethan placed second in his category. He seemed to be running much better than last year. Ellie was tired from having been ill earlier in the week and from babysitting the night before. However, she did great, too, even though she looked like she was hurting a bit.

That afternoon we drove up to Breckenridge to spend the night in the Pearson's cabin home on the ski hill. It is such a lovely spot that we felt like we were on vacation. Sunday morning the kids did the Brecktober race at the Breckenridge Nordic Center. I think it is one of my favorite races since it is so lovely. The race weaves through the forest on the cross country ski trails. One main challenge on that course is the woodchips that litter the course. They seem to absorb so much of the energy you put out on the bike. Both kids came in second. We had hoped for the first snow of the year. The closest we came was a bit of heavy rain and a short stint of hail. We were happy to take a soak in the hot tub after race. It was a nearly perfect weekend.


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Here's a new recipe that Ethan absolutely loves. It comes from the Sept. 2009 edition of Cooking Light. I've made changes based on what my family likes:

Super Bacon Mac n Cheese

3 1/4 tea Salt, divided
12 oz. Penne Pasta
4 tea. Flour
1 1/2 cups Milk
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1+ TBL Hot Sauce
1/4 tea Pepper
8 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Bring 6 quarts of water to a heavy boil. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.

In a sauce pan combine flour and 1/2 cup of the milk. Warm with medium heat while stirring. Gradually add 1 cup of milk and keep stirring. Cook until it begins to thicken, stirring all the while. Remove from heat and let it cool to 155 degrees *. At that point stir in 1 1/2 cup of cheese along with 1/4 tea salt and the pepper. Stir to melt the cheese. Next, add the hot sauce and the bacon. Stir to combine again and then add the pasta. At this point you can serve it or you can spoon it into a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, top with a bit more shredded cheese and broil for 7 minutes. Serves 6.

* The study the folks at Cooking Light conducted proved that heating cheese up too much can cause it to take on a grainy texture when combined with the white sauce. At 155 degrees the heat is enough to melt the cheese but not break down the bonds that results in the grainy texture. If you find this interesting, you might enjoy reading the entire "Cooking Class: Mac-n- Cheese Basics" article in the Sept. 2009 edition of Cooking Light.