A Very Long Bike Ride and A Low Carb Taco Pie Dinner

I decided that today I would take a very long bike ride. I get crazy like that every now and then. Suddenly I am going to do something and the more I see other people doing what I want to do...the more determined I get that I will do it too. It´s just, I have this love/hate relationship with exercise. Once I´m doing it...I love it....before I am doing it...I hate it...so getting started is hard. I often have to argue with myself as to whether I am going to do something or not. I am a procrastinator. There was a commercial in Norway where this couple kept saying they´d get to things.....tomorrow....or in the weekend....that is so me. So this morning I woke way too early to a little Aussie who shall remain nameless to protect her sweet soul...(Jenny) barking like mad at something in the field. The leos who sleep with me immediately woke from their slumber, ready to assist and all their movement and whines woke me. So out I went to the kitchen where Sarah was up having breakfast.

She had work today so she was up unusually early for a Saturday. Had a few cups of coffee with her and my diet milkshake thingy..(I´ve been drinking these milkshake things for breakfast...not sure how to describe it except they aren´t that great but are packed with vitamins and minerals.) I also had a yoghurt. Sarah left for work and I had another cup of coffee...surfed Facebook a million times, read the newspapers online, brushed my teeth, weighed myself...can you tell I was trying to prolong the inevitable?...I then decided to get dressed....I put my bike shorts on which was a big sign that the bike ride would happen. I guess I was trying to figure ways to not let myself back out of my plans...I can be sneaky like that..hehehe...

The weather was gorgeous when I started my ride. I rode my bike toward Stavsjø which is where I work (about 11km from my house) then toward Brumunddal (perhaps another 8-10km) and I stopped at this lovely lake and ate my apple and looked at the clouds dancing on the lake. When you drive past all this beautiful nature you can´t fully get a sense of what you are passing until you pass it at a speed which allows you to truly experience the nature. I heard bubbling creeks I never knew existed because they are so covered with so much vegetation that you can´t see the running water. I saw the flowers along the road closer then I do when I drive past them at 80km an hour..it is such a wonderful feeling to experience nature like this..

Back on my trusty steed I continued my journey up Duengerhøgda which is the top of a hill which you get too through long winding roads that have an ever so slight slope the whole way up. At one point I had to get off and walk some..my arse was in shock after being thrown into my new "lifestyle" plans so abruptly. I maybe walked 1km then got back on..determined that I would ride as much of the trip as possible and besides that one little walk, I only got off one other time for about the same distance, so I´m so proud of myself!

I kept talking to myself throughout the ride...telling myself that I could do this...just take it easy...keep pedaling...don´t give up...I believe in you Amy. I really felt like my Mom was with me also. I believe she was giving me strength when I was doubting myself. Maybe some people laugh at the fact that I felt like my mom was with me but I believe my mom is with me anytime I meet a challenge in life. Mamma´s are there for their kids..that´s just what they do...dead or alive, in my opinion.

At the top of Duengerhøgda I knew the worst of my trip was over.

I only had one big hill left and that was the church hill up to my house. I had done that one before so I wasn´t too worried but my knees were starting to ache (as well as the rest of my body....oh and my poor arse...). As I approached Helgøya the weather wasn´t as lovely as it had been in the beginning but there was no rain..one should be grateful for small things in life, hehehehe!

Here you can see the beautiful island of Helgøya in the distance. Did I ever tell you this island is heart shaped? You can read more about this area in an article written in the national newspaper VG that came out today. I´m sorry the article is only in Norwegian. If you don´t read Norwegian perhaps you can google translate the article?

The local garden club has made some beautiful flower arrangements around Nes and on top of the bridge that goes from Nes to Helgøya. I love how the people of this area take such pride in where they live!

When I got to Helgøya church I had to stop. I didn´t think I could do anymore. I had pushed myself more then I have in weeks- months...so I stopped and decided to eat some of the nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate I brought along and my banana. While I was at the church I decided to call Thomas and ask him if he would be willing to come down to the church and bike ride with me up to the house...the last little bit of my trip. I needed some help...I had woke him up, he had his friend spending the night and they had been up late...but he said "sure Mom, I´ll be right there"...

Yeah...this mamma was proud...not only of herself but this great kid she is raising...he showed up with a smile on his face and kept telling me I could make it when I would tell him I didn´t think I could make it up one more hill. When we got home he told me how proud he was of me. Good kid that one...

Before I tell you about dinner I have to share with you the air photo we had made of our property.

I don´t know about you guys but the Captain and I were thinking a pool was missing from this photo to make it perfect...hehehehe...What do you think?

Now to dinner. This is a low carb dinner and probably a great alternative for those of you who eat a gluten free diet as well.

Taco Pie

4-6 portions

First you´ll make your pie bun out of EGGS. You´ll need the following:

4-5 eggs

1 deciliter whole cream

2 tbsp butter

Melt the butter in a pie form and then brush the edges of the pie form and add egg mixture. I added some gourmet salt, garlic pepper, and a little paprika spice to the egg mixture. Bake in the oven at 180C/365F until the top is dry and has gotten a slight golden color.

Should look something like this.

You´re going to mix up your own taco spices instead of using pre-made taco spice. So you´ll need the following:

1.5 tsp Salt

2 tsp chili powder (chillipulver)

2 tsp paprika spice (paprikapulver)

1 tsp garlic powder (hvitløkspulver)

1 tsp onion powder (løkpulver)

1tsp cumin (spisskummen)

a dash of cayenne pepper

The recipe I used calls for hamburger but we used ground chicken meat. You´ll need 400 grams of this. Fry it up in a pan on the oven in a little butter (I used coconut oil) add one finely chopped garlic boat. Add about 2 tbsp of the homemade taco spice and 1 tbsp tomato paste, finally add 1/2 deciliter of water. Mix well and then turn down the heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Your pie bun should be resting after being baked in the oven...when your meat is finished you´ll put that on top of your pie bun.

Next you´ll mix up the cheese topping. Here´s what you´ll need:

2 deciliters of shredded cheese (use whatever kind you want that melts easily)

1 deciliter of whole cream

1/2 deciliter of crème fraiche

Mix this well.

Put some sliced raw onion rings on top of the meat and some cherry tomato boats then top the pie with the cheese mixture.

Bake this at 180C/365F for about 10-15 minutes- until the cheese gets some color..should look something like this..

While the pie is in the oven you can make some guacamole. Here is what you´ll need:

2 avocados

1 deciliter crème fraiche

1-2 tsp lemon juice

2-3 garlic boats (more if you love garlic...this is a very tame guacamole)

2tsp good olive oil

Use a hand blender and mash all of these ingredients together. We had a lot of guacamole left over after dinner so we used the last bit of taco spice that was left over and mixed that into this and it added a lot more flavor. Now we can use the guacamole for veggie dip- nam nam..

Serve this dinner with a fresh salad and you have one very healthy Saturday evening meal. Bon Appetit!

I´m anxious to see how my body is tomorrow..right now it hurts every time I bend my knees. Some might say I over did it..and maybe I did...maybe I should have built up to such a long trip but like I said...when I get something in my head I just have to do it...do now, learn later that is the story of my life...hahahaha...I think I´ll be waiting to go to the gym until Monday now. Had plans to go tomorrow but I´m thinking I might not be able to move very well tomorrow so I think I´ll be grooming some leos (at least their heads)...hehehehe..Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday evening and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Until next time my friends...