Little Big Econ, the "wheel" Florida. Mango Rhubarb Pie

We call it the Econ but some folks call it Snowhill. And photos always take the hill out of Snowhill. That's my Santa Cruz leaning on the stump - and believe it or not, that's a forty foot sheer drop to the river.

Yesterday's quick trip to the Econ didn't exactly happen right after breakfast, but we did get there with two hours to spare before dark. This is not a place to be caught out after dark unless you have: a) really really good lights and b) mosquito repellent, really really good mosquito repellent.

The Econ is easy.  15-20 miles, all flow and outstanding fun, probably explaining all the family bikes as well as more serious riders. The place is a labyrinth and the map doesn't cover the half of it.  There's always someone riding around down in there just before dark, turned around, and heading away from whichever trailhead they are trying to make. Yesterday was no exception. A family of four this time. Deciding that the way out to their car at the Florida Trail was too complicated sounding, they elected to ride out the way we were heading to Jones east trailhead and then ride the 2 and a half miles around on the road back to their car. Such is most everyone's first time to the Econ. (I couldn't even bring myself to yell at them about having no helmets, not even on the kids. Sigh. Natural selection in progress.)

Trails were in good shape, not too sandy. No gators in sight - too late in the day and getting chilly. Cold enough so arm warmers were considered (not worn, but considered.) It will be a few weeks before winter really sets in and turns Chuluota, Florida into Chilly-ota!

On to today's food challenge. Still in un-Zoned mode. I am baking a mango-rhubarb pie to take to the tree decorating party at the Pie Man's house. Pie Man and Scout are cooking a second turkey dinner for their daughters, daughters' husbands/S.O's., Pie Man's Mom over from the home, and us!

Mango Rhubarb Pie

Got a good dough recipe? Good, roll it out and fill it with...

5 cups of mango chunks, frozen from last summer's Merritt Island crop (or Dole frozen mango)

1 cup rhubarb chunks (also from freezer dept)

1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (To taste. Mango is sweet but rhubarb isn't, so...)

2 Tablespoons tapioca

(I am thinking a little lemon juice too. Will try it today and let you know.)

Stir it all together, and give it a few minutes to thaw. Plop it into the bottom crust, put on the top crust, flute, vent, and all that. Sprinkle top with sugar if you like, or do an egg wash.
Bake at 400 about 45-50 minutes.

Mango rhubarb pie. Yeah. NOW it's a party!

Eat first, bike later. French Toast Casserole

Sometimes the priority is to eat. Especially when it's a Saturday off after Thanksgiving. Especially when it's chilly out and the initial 1st pot of coffee has been downed along with a couple chapters of the latest vampire novel. (OK I am a sucker for young adult fiction. I'm not young, and as for being an adult... OK, so sue me.)

Anyway, the morning is getting on, and it's time to eat!

Now I saw a recipe for a French Toast casserole thingy in Cooking Light. So I thought. But I can't find it after paging through twice, both forwards and backwards. I know there's a name for the stuff, but darned if I can think of that either! (Like I said, not young!) So there's no looking it up by name on a nice informative cooking blog or website. Looks like I am on my own here. How hard can French Toast made into a casserole thingy be?

OK. Here's the starting line. No bike required.

Get out your favorite French Toast recipe. Mine is on the bottle of Spice Islands vanilla in my cupboard. Cube up what ever bread you have on hand. (Straight to the freezer. We are normally Zone followers, so a loaf of bread lasts for months sometimes. Lucky it freezes so well. Today I find 2 peices of 100% whole wheat and a few slices of multi grain sour dough.) Mix the cubed bread with the milk and eggs, a little vanilla and sugar, maybe some sliced fruit if you have it. Throw it in a greased casserole dish and bake it. Like I said, how hard could it be?

Oh, a recipe???

French Toast Casserole

5 eggs or equivilent egg whites, or mixture thereof.

1c. milk (skim worked fine)

5+ slices bread (cook's choice)

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pear, thinly sliced (an apple would be good too)

dash cinnamon

dots of butter (optional)

Heat oven to 350.

Cube the bread.

Stir the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar together in a fairly large bowl.

Fold the bread cubes and pear slices into the egg mixture.

Pour the whole mess into a greased cassarole dish. My 10x8 oval worked nicely. If yours is smaller, larger, adjust cook time.

Sprinkle with some more brown sugar and dot with butter, if you like.

Bake at 350, forty minutes. Test with toothpick or sharp knife. Comes out clean when it's done.

Let it sit a couple minutes.

Then scoop it up and serve it with yogurt and grade B maple syrup on top. And maybe, if the Zone has been deserted completely - for one morning at least - a couple slices of country ham. All right!

We are ready to get rolling! Well, in a few minutes. It's an hour's drive to the Econ. Then we get rolling.

Ride on!

This is Florida. We don't need no Stinkin' Mountains!

It's the day after Thanksgiving, a traditional recovery day. The new aerobars are adjusted to the best of my ability from a standing-over-the-bike position, so it's time to get rolling! It's been early Christmas around here all week. New laptop came early, the aerobars are on my Madone, and the Leprechaun I married is already out on his brand new Trek 6.9. Life is good. But it's recovery day, more from feasting than the pre turkey ride yesterday, so it's on-on to aerobar adjustments, wrenches in bento for easy reaching....

Wind!
We definitely don't need no stinkin mountains today!