>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#154)

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Another bike.

One of the (many) unique features of the Mundo is that it has lower side rails that are great for carrying heavy objects, but even better at fitting the front tire of another bike, allowing you to tow it. I’m pretty sure that xtracycle offer this feature but I’ve never ridden one so I can’t vouch for it entirely. Anyhow, I had to take my son’s bike over to his Mom’s house so we could ride home together and this was the best (and most fun) option.

Urban Simplicity

Delicious White Bean Soup Recipe


White Bean Soup
                                             Makes about 6 quarts
3 pounds dried white beans
3 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces diced pancetta, ham, or sausage
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed hot pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (2 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups crushed tomatoes
4 quarts chicken or ham broth
Pick through the beans for any stones or debris and place in a bowl with enough hot tap water to cover them. Allow the beans to soak for 1 hour, drain them and discard the soaking liquid.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot and sauté the pancetta over medium/high heat until it begins to caramelize (approximate­ly 5 minutes). Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed hot pepper, rosemary, salt, and black pepper, sauté 2 minutes.
Add the beans and chicken stock, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are very tender. If too much liquid evaporates, add more stock or water as needed.

Urban Simplicity

>Delicious White Bean Soup Recipe

>


White Bean Soup
                                             Makes about 6 quarts
3 pounds dried white beans
3 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces diced pancetta, ham, or sausage
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed hot pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (2 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups crushed tomatoes
4 quarts chicken or ham broth
Pick through the beans for any stones or debris and place in a bowl with enough hot tap water to cover them. Allow the beans to soak for 1 hour, drain them and discard the soaking liquid.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot and sauté the pancetta over medium/high heat until it begins to caramelize (approximate­ly 5 minutes). Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed hot pepper, rosemary, salt, and black pepper, sauté 2 minutes.
Add the beans and chicken stock, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are very tender. If too much liquid evaporates, add more stock or water as needed.

Urban Simplicity

The Cadbury Bicycle Factory

Image Found Here
Ever since I was a teenager I’ve found the idea of carrying stuff by bike an interesting concept. Indeed one of the bikes I own now is a grown up version of those my friends and I planned in our heads 30 years ago. I beeive I first thought of this when seeing pictures of bicycles in Africa…how they are used for every possible thing, from a delivery service to an ambulance. Anyhow, below is short clip advertising the Canadian company Cadbury and thier mission to supply bikes to Africa. It’s only a minute long and truly inspiring to watch.
Click here to go directly to the clip at YouTube. Click here to go to the Cadbury Bicycle Factory promotional page. Urban Simplicity.

>The Cadbury Bicycle Factory

>

Image Found Here
Ever since I was a teenager I’ve found the idea of carrying stuff by bike an interesting concept. Indeed one of the bikes I own now is a grown up version of those my friends and I planned in our heads 30 years ago. I beeive I first thought of this when seeing pictures of bicycles in Africa…how they are used for every possible thing, from a delivery service to an ambulance. Anyhow, below is short clip advertising the Canadian company Cadbury and thier mission to supply bikes to Africa. It’s only a minute long and truly inspiring to watch.
Click here to go directly to the clip at YouTube. Click here to go to the Cadbury Bicycle Factory promotional page. Urban Simplicity.

R.I.P. Malcolm

By now many have heard the news that Malcolm McLaren died this passed Thursday. Though a true renaissance man in arts, music, and fashion, he is best known as the seminal figure and driving force behind the band, The Sex Pistols. Like him or not, he started a punk revolution. Some say that without this man bands like The Ramones or The Clash (and countless others) would not have existed. If this is true nobody knows for sure, but I thank him for his creativity and foresight to turn music upside down in the 1970’s and start over. Thank you Malcolm; rest in peace. Click here to read his bio on Wikipedia; click here to read his New York Times obit; and click here to visit a sight that lists (nearly) every punk band that existed in the U.S. and the U.K.

Urban Simplicity

>R.I.P. Malcolm

>

By now many have heard the news that Malcolm McLaren died this passed Thursday. Though a true renaissance man in arts, music, and fashion, he is best known as the seminal figure and driving force behind the band, The Sex Pistols. Like him or not, he started a punk revolution. Some say that without this man bands like The Ramones or The Clash (and countless others) would not have existed. If this is true nobody knows for sure, but I thank him for his creativity and foresight to turn music upside down in the 1970’s and start over. Thank you Malcolm; rest in peace. Click here to read his bio on Wikipedia; click here to read his New York Times obit; and click here to visit a sight that lists (nearly) every punk band that existed in the U.S. and the U.K.

Urban Simplicity

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#153)

A plastic crate.
2 lb.s of onions.
3 pears.
2 lbs. of carrots.
A can of crushed tomatoes.
A rope of kielbasa sausage.
A head of bananas.
5 lbs. of bread flour.
27 tools in a canvas bag.
2 new t-shirts in a plastic bag.
A u-lock.
A malfunctioning thermal coupler. 
A cup of coffee.
A bottle of water.

Urban Simplicity

>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#153)

>

A plastic crate.
2 lb.s of onions.
3 pears.
2 lbs. of carrots.
A can of crushed tomatoes.
A rope of kielbasa sausage.
A head of bananas.
5 lbs. of bread flour.
27 tools in a canvas bag.
2 new t-shirts in a plastic bag.
A u-lock.
A malfunctioning thermal coupler. 
A cup of coffee.
A bottle of water.

Urban Simplicity

April is National Distracted Driver Awareness Month

I just read at the site of The League of American Cyclists that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill stating that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month…an excellent move, no doubt. According to the website of CBS News, more than 6000 people were killed in 2009 by distracted drivers. Click here to read about National Distracted Driver Month; click here to watch a short clip of the announcement.

The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet.  
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance 1841

Urban Simplicity

>April is National Distracted Driver Awareness Month

>

I just read at the site of The League of American Cyclists that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill stating that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month…an excellent move, no doubt. According to the website of CBS News, more than 6000 people were killed in 2009 by distracted drivers. Click here to read about National Distracted Driver Month; click here to watch a short clip of the announcement.

The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet.  
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance 1841

Urban Simplicity

Bread From a Fixed Oven

I have baked bread in some unconventional conditions. I once, for example, baked bread in an oven so old that the door actually fell off when I opened it…I held it closed with a chair until the bread finished baking. And for a year or two I baked bread in an outdoor oven in my backyard that was built from bricks from a bar that was torn down. And for the past year or so I have baking bread in an oven that wouldn’t stay on consistently (yes, all the bread you’ve seen baked at this blog has been done in a malfunctioning oven)…the gas would keep kicking on and off. I’ve been planning on calling a service person to fix it (and dreading it because of the cost) and then I met someone yesterday who said these simple words: Have you cleaned the intakes? Huh? I mumbled. After telling him the symptoms he told me it sounded like the gas was “oxygen-starved,” that it couldn’t get enough air to stay lit. This oven is about 20 years old and has been in the same place for about 8…I knew nothing of intake vents. In the past 8 years this oven has sat there and baked through 3 shedding dogs (including the two that are currently part of my household) and sketchy housekeeping to say the least. At any rate, when I took the front plate off the bottom of the oven sure enough two small vents were plugged. After cleaning the oven works like a charm. I was so excited I made a single loaf of whole wheat bread (click here for a longer version of the recipe with pictures). Flour, water, yeast, and salt…that’s all. Beautiful, isn’t it?  Urban Simplicity

>Bread From a Fixed Oven

>

I have baked bread in some unconventional conditions. I once, for example, baked bread in an oven so old that the door actually fell off when I opened it…I held it closed with a chair until the bread finished baking. And for a year or two I baked bread in an outdoor oven in my backyard that was built from bricks from a bar that was torn down. And for the past year or so I have baking bread in an oven that wouldn’t stay on consistently (yes, all the bread you’ve seen baked at this blog has been done in a malfunctioning oven)…the gas would keep kicking on and off. I’ve been planning on calling a service person to fix it (and dreading it because of the cost) and then I met someone yesterday who said these simple words: Have you cleaned the intakes? Huh? I mumbled. After telling him the symptoms he told me it sounded like the gas was “oxygen-starved,” that it couldn’t get enough air to stay lit. This oven is about 20 years old and has been in the same place for about 8…I knew nothing of intake vents. In the past 8 years this oven has sat there and baked through 3 shedding dogs (including the two that are currently part of my household) and sketchy housekeeping to say the least. At any rate, when I took the front plate off the bottom of the oven sure enough two small vents were plugged. After cleaning the oven works like a charm. I was so excited I made a single loaf of whole wheat bread (click here for a longer version of the recipe with pictures). Flour, water, yeast, and salt…that’s all. Beautiful, isn’t it?  Urban Simplicity