Cyclefest 2012 Recap + Ginger Chicken with Pineapple and Cashews Recipe

After so much work putting together the visual part of the promotional materials for Cyclefest 2012, the main fundraiser for the Colorado High School Cycling League (mountain biking),it was gratifying to finally attend the event. Ellie and I arrived early so that we could help get everything set up. Kate, founder and head of the league, had it all well underway. I like being able to show up at a volunteer event without a preassigned position so that I have the luxury of helping out in whatever spot there is a need.

We had an awesome time. Several of Ellie's biking friends were at the event, thanks to our generous coach Kathy and several supportive parents. The event took place at the Denver Art Museum. It started with a silent auction and open bar. I visited with a number of folks that I see at biking events. I also sought out the people who stood alone. Those provided many interesting conversations. There were also many tempting and wonderful auction items. However, bidding was not part of our evening. I had a seat at the table with the Yeti Beti Mountain Bike team women. It was interesting to listen in on the chatting of a woman's biking team. The food was pretty good and the presentation was great.

I was gratified and pleased to see the how the championship jersey turned out. It is different from my design, but very much influenced by the ideas that I had presented. The evening was a real success.

Sunday morning I headed up to Boulder to help Kate get the fun ride with Tom Danielson off to a great start.

Pasta Vino, a new restuarant, was the host site. It is a really beautiful place.

Many of the big names in cycling showed up for the fun ride that included many of the difficult hill climbs in the Boulder area. I assisted by making sure that everyone had given their donation for the ride and meal afterwards. I did not stay for the meal at the end. It is my hope that both of the Cyclefest events were successful enough to help Kate and the league have reasonable funding. I'm thankful that Ellie has such opportunities and I want to support the league in the ways that I am able to.

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On an entirely different note, here's what I made for dinner this week. It was a hit:

Garlic Ginger Chicken with Pineapple and Cashews

2-3 TBL Olive Oil
2 lbs. Chicken, but into bite size chunks
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger paste
1/4 cup regular soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 cups water
1/2 tsp five spice powder
2-3 TBS Cornstarch, if needed
1-2 cups Cashew (raw, or roasted (but not salted)
1 large can Pineapple chunks (or about 3 cups fresh pineapple cut into chunks)
oil

1. In a wok add oil then sauté garlic and ginger, add chicken and slightly brown on all sides.

2. Pour water, regular soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce and five spice powder bring it to a boil then simmer uncovered in medium-high heat while occasionally mixing for 20 minutes or until the liquid had reduced.

3. Totally reduce liquid into a thick sauce and stir fry chicken until cooked then serve. If the liquid is not thickening quickly enough, dissolve the cornstarch in 3-4 TBS of cold water and add to the pan, stirring to reduce the formation of lumps.

4. Add in the cashews and pineapple chunks. Stir until mixed in. Continue cooking until the nuts and pineapple are warm. Serve over brown rice.