All in a New York Day

Over the summer I got in the habit of riding about 45 miles on my bike and collecting an array of vegetables from farmer's markets and farm stands en route. But here in NYC, I had gotten out of the habit of riding to Union Square after losing some plums on the West Side Highway in an unfortunate shopping bag spill not appreciated at all by the cyclist behind me. But today, I thought I would dive back into outdoor cycling in New York. So, in my perfectly straight hair fresh from yesterday's cut and blow dry, I donned my helmet and dropped Susannah off at school. I set out to do six loops of Central Park's roadway wondering how I would tack on four extra miles to ride 40 and still be back for the preschool pick-up.

I ended up at the 97th Street farmer's market at about 11 having made it 5 1/2 loops...I was feeling confident and buying apples from my guys and some vegetables, but then I wandered into Whole Foods (you know how I can't resist the olive selection and some Hubs every once in a while...) and caught a glimpse of my very unfortunate hair!!! How pathetic I felt finishing my ride with a frizzed out curly do, completely dorky with 20 pounds of apples on my back and groceries on my bike...not to mention the sweat involved in this humid day.

So, I stopped home for a quick flat iron, and am back in business, about to cook up a storm for many hungry kids...pictured above, polenta with garden vegetable dipping sauce...