Tag Archives: Simplicity

New York City Bike Culture

I just returned from a trip to NYC with my son. I try to make it to this beautiful city at least once a year and am always impressed with the bicyclists in America’s largest city. And over the past few years the city has become much more bicycle friendly…the city has made great effortsContinue reading “New York City Bike Culture”

Pasta with Chicken and Other Good Stuff

This is what I had for dinner tonight. It is as simple as it looks, and the flavors are delicious. It’s a basic stewing concept…ingredients can easily be interchanged to create an entirely new recipe. Anyhow this is how I made it: I heated olive oil and added a diced pepper, half an onion, andContinue reading “Pasta with Chicken and Other Good Stuff”

Success?

I love this cartoon…I’ve have had a framed copy of it hanging in my kitchen for years. I originally clipped it (I think) from Utne Reader (the actual magazine, not web site…pre-Internet days). The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have beenContinue reading “Success?”

Green Wooden Chair

I came across this chair while walking home from work this evening. It was at the curb with some other trash on Allen Street…I really cannot pass up useful stuff I see in the garbage. It’s an attractive chair, and it’s solid (well, almost, but nothing a little glue won’t remedy)…it’ll be a nice chairContinue reading “Green Wooden Chair”

Self-Sustainability in the City (suburbs, actually)

This is a great video on suburban sustainability. I’ve read about this family before, and have their site linked to this blog on the left sidebar…but you can also click here to view their site. Watching the video made me wish I had a little more land around my house to plant stuff…my entire plot,Continue reading “Self-Sustainability in the City (suburbs, actually)”

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#39)

24 Mason jars.An 80 foot garden hose.A gym bag full of wet clothes.3 rolls of paper towels. I always enjoy the comments and looks I get riding this bike, especially when it’s loaded…but I received one of the best comments today while riding down trendy Elmwood Avenue during peak rush hour. It was from aContinue reading “Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#39)”

Mundo in a (mini) Cornfield

Ahhh…the dog days of summer. This past winter I made a personal commitment to myself during a particularly frigid cold snap (that seemed to last for months) that I would not complain about the heat and humidity no matter how hot and humid it was in the kitchen…today was hot and tomorrow is supposed toContinue reading “Mundo in a (mini) Cornfield”

Virgin Pepper

It’s tiny and it’s beautiful…and I realize I was a little anticipatory by plucking it from its plant so early…I was just so surprised when I looked down and saw it hanging there. I grew it from seed…amazing. It’s the first actual vegetable (opposed to an herb) I plucked from the garden this year, exceptContinue reading “Virgin Pepper”

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#38)

A wooden box containing small tools, cleaning supplies, printer ink, and other miscellaneous items.A new pair of shoes.A new shirt.A parsley plant (on front rack).Two tomato cages (barely visible on lower right sidebar…obscured by the corn).

Penne Bolognese (variation)

By now readers of this blog have probably surmised that I like starch…particularly bread and pasta…and over recent years I have migrated towards whole and multiple grain varieties. Pasta, I think, is one of the most incredibly versatile foods…it’s simple, the variations and ingredients are seemingly endless, and a meal can be made in oneContinue reading “Penne Bolognese (variation)”

Carl Honore On Slowness

After a day of my usual hectic life…trying to fit more into into one day than possible…I came across this video on SlowBike. The video is on the longish side (about 20 minutes), and I realize it may be difficult to spare the time in this sped up world…but it is well worth the watch…it’sContinue reading “Carl Honore On Slowness”

Things That Can Be Carried on A Bike (#35 & #36)

Two Cases of Soda (and I don’t even drink soda).Thirty pounds of ice (this was a little challenging on a hot and sunny day…as the ice melted it would shift and loosen the straps…I almost lost the smaller bag twice).This past weekend Buffalo hosted it’s 52nd annual Allentown Art Festival. The street on which IContinue reading “Things That Can Be Carried on A Bike (#35 & #36)”

James the Ice Creamcycle Dude

Photo culled from the Ice Creamcycle Dude’s facebook page I see this guy riding everywhere…pedaling about a mile and hour, dinging his bell, and always smiling. It always makes me smile when I see him pedaling merrily by. Such a simple concept, one may think…buy a trike with a refrigerated compartment, get a permit, loadContinue reading “James the Ice Creamcycle Dude”

Inappropriate Car Behavior

Photo courtesy of sustrans Like many neighborhoods, the one in which I live was built before the invention of the automobile…many of the streets are narrow and crowded, and for that reason cars sometimes feel out of place (to me)…sometimes the streets simply are not wide enough. Anyhow, I was on my way to workContinue reading “Inappropriate Car Behavior”

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine

Tonight for dinner I was able to pick my first bit of food from the garden (exciting)…mostly herbs, and a few scant leaves of spinach, but food none-the-less. I chopped everything rather coarsely, then sauteed it all in olive oil with garlic…making a sort of cross between sofrito and fines herbs. Then I added theContinue reading “An Omelette and a Glass of Wine”