No savings on daylight

Turned back the clocks today and our season of dark afternoons begins.  Harder to motivate when the sun's down around 4, so I'm making my list of ways to beat the dark as the days get colder.  

1.  Light up the night - Even with blinky lights, reflective gear, and a vest with a strip of LED lights, I'm looking for ways to improve my evening cycling attire.  The brighter and flashier the better.  I'd love to hear ideas about good lighting systems.  I've yet to find a helmet with built-in illumination (shouldn't every helmet have lights?)

2.  Fire up the stove - As I pedaled home today after a chilly ride, my thoughts turned to winter cooking.  I love to bake bread but when I'm getting back from a long day out, famished, I want quick, hot food in large quantities.  Here's a favorite, Yumm Sauce adapted from Cafe Yumm in Eugene, Oregon:

Blend together: 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/3 cup almonds, 1/3 cup brewers or nutritional yeast, 1/3 cup garbanzo beans, 1/4 cup soy beans, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp curry powder

Serve warm in a tortilla with any combo of the following:  Black beans, rice, sweet potatoes, avocados...

3. Relish the mornings.  I'd rather get out of bed at 5 a.m. than stay up til 2 any day, and this daylight "savings" season does favor early risers.  Thanks to our dog, Mocha, I'm up early even on the weekends.  Once I've put on a few layers, I'm always glad to be outside as the sun starts to peak through.

4.  Make plans.  It's too easy to stay inside once I get home from work and the dark settles on Boston.  Sure, it's a great time to read, to cook, and to putter around the house, but after a week of this, I get itchy for more activity.  I've got to plan with friends to take walks and do yoga and go swimming and even venture out for a few night rides before the snow piles up.  Amy - I'm thinking of you going strong with your Y challenge through the winter!

Tonight I've added a new light to my handlebars and made some hearty food for the week ahead.  It's 8 p.m. and Mocha's urging me to get outside - she's the best motivator around here so we're off for some night frisbee.  

Comments

My favorite "Yumm Bowl" is jasmine rice, avocado, leafy greens, cheddar cheese and a little cilantro. There are few things better after a long ride. I hope that someday someone will open a Cafe Yumm in Boston.

Hey Caitlyn, My husband has a light on his commuter that is attached to a generator hub - NO batteries! As long as the wheels are moving (and for a minute or two after, for those stop lights), the light shines BRIGHTLY. It's a Schmidt SON hub. Check it out!

I still make that Yumm sauce, or at least some variation of it, almost every week. Thanks for sharing it with me!