Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

On Friday nights I've been trying to do festive dinners at home while we can't go out to restaurants like we did pre-pandemic.  This past Friday night, I combined my dinner plans with a semi-serious bike jaunt.

This all happened because of Strava.  I'm doing the September Cycling Distance Challenge, which involves riding 1250 km during the month.  I do this challenge from March through September, taking a mental break from self competition during from October through February, when I typically ride less anyway.  About a week ago, I checked my stats to see how I was coming with the September Cycling Distance Challenge.  I was planning a 100K yesterday and a 50K on dirt roads today.  On the remaining seven cycling days in September, I had to average about 20 miles per ride - definitely doable.  This even included taking Friday off as I usually do.  Wayment...

Then I realized that tomorrow and Tuesday I'll be teaching classes in Augusta.  Therefore, I can't ride on Monday because I don't have room in my car for both my teaching supplies and my bike.  So, how was I going to make up those roughly 20 miles?  I could add them to my longer weekend rides, but that would take away from my much needed weekend time for other responsibilities.  Aha!  I'd ride on Friday and make Monday my off day for cycling.

I looked forward to my Friday ride but knew it would be a challenge to fit it in.  I taught a half-day class in the morning.  By the time I drove back from Atlanta, it was 2:00 PM.  Then, I still had about an hour's worth of office work I had to get done.  Also, I needed to do my weekly grocery shopping, which I've been doing on Friday after work to free up Saturdays to ride.  On top of that, I really needed to take the recyclables to the collection boxes at the landfill, which is only open a few days a week and closes at 4:15 PM.  Nevertheless, I was determined to make everything work.

I completed my office work, dashed home to finish making my grocery list and load up the recyclables, got to the landfill right before it closed, did my grocery shopping, and went home and put away the frozen and refrigerated items.  (The other stuff could wait until later.)  I had just enough time for about an hourlong ride before sunset.

First, I rode uptown.  From there, I went out and back on Rock Eagle Road.  It was a lovely evening.  When I got back to the square, I headed to Big Chic.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

I enjoy cooking and am pretty good at it, but I'm not very good at frying chicken.  Why should I be, though, when Big Chic does such a great job?  Also, what better thing to put in my Yogi Bear picnic basket than fried chicken?

During my grocery shopping, I had gotten some sparkling wine, which goes great with fried chicken.

I had plenty of time to chill it at home during my ride, but I have a great tip in case you ever want to drink a chilled bottle of wine as soon as you get home from the grocery store.  Select your bottle of wine first thing when you get to the grocery store.  Stash it in the freezer section, hidden under the Brussels sprouts where no one will see it.  Complete the rest of your grocery shopping, and retrieve your nicely chilled bottle from the Brussels sprouts right before you're ready to check out.  I'll bet I could do my own version of Hints from Heloise, except mine would be more like Hints from Morticia Addams.

I cooked sweet potatoes, okra, and biscuits to go with the fried chicken.  The sweet potatoes were the scraggly remnants of a batch I bought at the farmers market a few weeks ago.  I boiled them, mashed them, and mixed in some cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, pecans, and a splash of Jack Daniels.  The okra was from my weekly CSA delivery.  I would have fried it, but I didn't want two fried things at the same meal.  Therefore, I roasted the okra, which is also delicious.  Lastly, we had some good ol' cathead biscuits.

In addition to a wonderful evening with Robert and the hounds, I was well fueled for my 100K the next morning.