Thank Goodness It's Happy Hour!!! I have severely cut down alcohol intake over the last few months due to triathlon training. Now that those two pesky races are out of the way, the drinks are much easier to stomach! This past week (a few days before the second tri) was full of slip-ups training-wise. Wednesday night, of course, was the Allagash food and beer event (see last post). Oh man was that amazing. Thursday was low-key. And Friday was a much-deserved ladies night with Maggie and Clare at Empire! They have some really fantastic dishes and clumsy but sweet staff. I like the bartender with the handle bar mustache the most.
When you go (because yes, you have to go), I suggest you get the garlic green beans (so amazing that the three of us got two orders), peking duck steamed buns, char sui bao (wait for it), and spinach dumplings. The garlic green beans are sauteed with roasted garlic and grilled onions. The peking duck buns are steamed and somewhat doughy with seared duck, hoisin sauce and spring onion. MMMMMMMMmmmm yum. The char siu bao are cheap but large and tasty as barbeque pork steam buns. And finally on my order were the spinach dumplings which were four small and steamed dumplings with carrot, ginger and sweat corn inside. Each dish was amazing in its own way and I can't wait to get it all again!
My lady friends got Kung Pao chicken and kale and noodles. The latter was lacking a little flavor but the former was freaking fantastic! The flavor was full and I wanted to steal so many pieces. I could have done with a veggie or two in there. It will be on my next order but I will add kale, carrots and onions got get some vitamins in with my chicken, peanuts and noodles.
Saturday was the day before the race. It was spent at work at a book signing, eating ice cream (oops), creating paper loons with visiting kids and manning the nature store. Toots ice cream donated special a special "loon" flavor that was oreo and red M&Ms to mimic the black, white and red colors of the loon. It was GOOOOOOOD. Here's where I put in a plug for you to come out to Maine Audubon in Falmouth on June 18th in the evening for Peony Day. Free ice cream while enjoying our prized peonies is a perfect evening. But that evening I went all out and made a protein, carb and veggie laden meal. See recipe below.
The triathlon itself was pretty great. The weather was perfect, minus a little head wind on the bike course. I was in the fastest wave of swimmers (fear of sharks dictates that I swim in pools only...) and was out of the pool in less than 5 minutes. The bike course was altered from last year because of a pipe burst but the great news was that we didn't have to climb the mini mountains on the previous course. The only bad part of the day was the aforementioned headwind but with the trusty Seven carrying me forward, it was a great ride. Finally, the run was a solid 3.2 mile course with one giant hill from hell in the last two miles. Sadistic bastards...
After the tri and going back to work to run a Girl Scouts program, I finally got home and was exhausted! The pre-tri dinner was so tasty and easy, I made it again, watched a movie and fell fast asleep...Only to wake up hours later to return to work. Weekend-shmeekend. But the point of talking about Monday was Happy Hour and all that followed! My friend and I met at Little Tap House for a couple drinks. $3 well drinks speaks my language! I don't drink too much so I wasn't sure what I should get. Doug and I researched what to get. I settled on vodka sunrise, aka a screwdriver with a little grenadine. I had two. Two beers were consumed next to me. Allagash Session Brett is a great and light beer that is only available on draft. Even I liked it! Funky Bow's Arpeggio was decent, according to my friend, but wasn't as saison-esue as he had hoped. But still good!
From Little Tap House, we moved on to King of the Roll for some Happy Hour rolls and more. We ordered edamame, seaweed salad, Casco Bay roll, Jalapeno roll, and California roll. The edamame could have had more salt and cooked for a little less time. The seaweed salad was really tasty but too small. But the rolls. Oh the rolls! The Casco Bay was spicy with ahi tuna inside, tempura-ed and covered with wasabi sauce on top. The Jalapeno roll was tempura-ed halibut and avocado inside and jalapenos and spicy mayo on top. Finally, the CA roll was great and flavorful. The crab (or is it "crab"), avocado and cucumber was perfect wrapped in seaweed and rice. Everything dipped in wasabi laden soy sauce.
Again, I need to eat the roll pieces in two bites to fully enjoy the flavors. My "date" was not of this mindset and went to town on these tasty pieces! For some reason or another, mostly because we were craving something cold and delicious, we walked down to GoBerry. Their frozen yogurt, topped with dark chocolate chips, mango and a little chocolate sauce is hands down one of my favorite desserts. Doug got raspberry flavored yogurt with mochi (really fun, spongy and slightly chewy glutinous rice pieces) and pineapple. What a perfect way to finish of Happy Hour drinks and rolls.
Pre-triathlon dinner
1 cup Trader Joe's wheat couscous
Meat protein of choice (jalapeno sausage!!)
any veggies you want (I did onion, carrot, bell pepper, kale and spinach)
2 eggs
olive oil
salt pepper
Boil 1 cup water with a drip of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and dump couscous in. Stir together and remove from heat. Cover and let it stand for five minutes while you saute everything else. Fluff with a fork after five minutes or before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut up protein and saute in olive oil. Add in onions early on and cook all until brown. Set aside to make room for other veggies. Cook other veggies and pile on top of couscous.
Lastly, turn head down to low and break open two eggs on the pan. Cook to level of preferred done-ness and turn once. Cut up and put over couscous and sausage/veggie mix and eat it with a full glass of water. Hydration, protein and carbs are great for race day!
When you go (because yes, you have to go), I suggest you get the garlic green beans (so amazing that the three of us got two orders), peking duck steamed buns, char sui bao (wait for it), and spinach dumplings. The garlic green beans are sauteed with roasted garlic and grilled onions. The peking duck buns are steamed and somewhat doughy with seared duck, hoisin sauce and spring onion. MMMMMMMMmmmm yum. The char siu bao are cheap but large and tasty as barbeque pork steam buns. And finally on my order were the spinach dumplings which were four small and steamed dumplings with carrot, ginger and sweat corn inside. Each dish was amazing in its own way and I can't wait to get it all again!
My lady friends got Kung Pao chicken and kale and noodles. The latter was lacking a little flavor but the former was freaking fantastic! The flavor was full and I wanted to steal so many pieces. I could have done with a veggie or two in there. It will be on my next order but I will add kale, carrots and onions got get some vitamins in with my chicken, peanuts and noodles.
Saturday was the day before the race. It was spent at work at a book signing, eating ice cream (oops), creating paper loons with visiting kids and manning the nature store. Toots ice cream donated special a special "loon" flavor that was oreo and red M&Ms to mimic the black, white and red colors of the loon. It was GOOOOOOOD. Here's where I put in a plug for you to come out to Maine Audubon in Falmouth on June 18th in the evening for Peony Day. Free ice cream while enjoying our prized peonies is a perfect evening. But that evening I went all out and made a protein, carb and veggie laden meal. See recipe below.
The triathlon itself was pretty great. The weather was perfect, minus a little head wind on the bike course. I was in the fastest wave of swimmers (fear of sharks dictates that I swim in pools only...) and was out of the pool in less than 5 minutes. The bike course was altered from last year because of a pipe burst but the great news was that we didn't have to climb the mini mountains on the previous course. The only bad part of the day was the aforementioned headwind but with the trusty Seven carrying me forward, it was a great ride. Finally, the run was a solid 3.2 mile course with one giant hill from hell in the last two miles. Sadistic bastards...
After the tri and going back to work to run a Girl Scouts program, I finally got home and was exhausted! The pre-tri dinner was so tasty and easy, I made it again, watched a movie and fell fast asleep...Only to wake up hours later to return to work. Weekend-shmeekend. But the point of talking about Monday was Happy Hour and all that followed! My friend and I met at Little Tap House for a couple drinks. $3 well drinks speaks my language! I don't drink too much so I wasn't sure what I should get. Doug and I researched what to get. I settled on vodka sunrise, aka a screwdriver with a little grenadine. I had two. Two beers were consumed next to me. Allagash Session Brett is a great and light beer that is only available on draft. Even I liked it! Funky Bow's Arpeggio was decent, according to my friend, but wasn't as saison-esue as he had hoped. But still good!
From Little Tap House, we moved on to King of the Roll for some Happy Hour rolls and more. We ordered edamame, seaweed salad, Casco Bay roll, Jalapeno roll, and California roll. The edamame could have had more salt and cooked for a little less time. The seaweed salad was really tasty but too small. But the rolls. Oh the rolls! The Casco Bay was spicy with ahi tuna inside, tempura-ed and covered with wasabi sauce on top. The Jalapeno roll was tempura-ed halibut and avocado inside and jalapenos and spicy mayo on top. Finally, the CA roll was great and flavorful. The crab (or is it "crab"), avocado and cucumber was perfect wrapped in seaweed and rice. Everything dipped in wasabi laden soy sauce.
Again, I need to eat the roll pieces in two bites to fully enjoy the flavors. My "date" was not of this mindset and went to town on these tasty pieces! For some reason or another, mostly because we were craving something cold and delicious, we walked down to GoBerry. Their frozen yogurt, topped with dark chocolate chips, mango and a little chocolate sauce is hands down one of my favorite desserts. Doug got raspberry flavored yogurt with mochi (really fun, spongy and slightly chewy glutinous rice pieces) and pineapple. What a perfect way to finish of Happy Hour drinks and rolls.
Pre-triathlon dinner
1 cup Trader Joe's wheat couscous
Meat protein of choice (jalapeno sausage!!)
any veggies you want (I did onion, carrot, bell pepper, kale and spinach)
2 eggs
olive oil
salt pepper
Boil 1 cup water with a drip of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and dump couscous in. Stir together and remove from heat. Cover and let it stand for five minutes while you saute everything else. Fluff with a fork after five minutes or before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut up protein and saute in olive oil. Add in onions early on and cook all until brown. Set aside to make room for other veggies. Cook other veggies and pile on top of couscous.
Lastly, turn head down to low and break open two eggs on the pan. Cook to level of preferred done-ness and turn once. Cut up and put over couscous and sausage/veggie mix and eat it with a full glass of water. Hydration, protein and carbs are great for race day!