November Newsletter

Take 3, November 16th, 2024

Slow News. 

Hi Neighbors!

YOU’RE INVITED TO A SCENIC ROUTES CHRISTMAS PARTY!!!!

Date: December 12th, 2024

Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Destination: 521 Balboa Street, San Francisco, CA, 94118

There will be live music, handmade tamales, a two tiered cake, Mary’s punch bowl, ornaments hung on the tree, and a room full of neighbors gathering to spread some good cheer. 

On Thursday night, as I rode away from our second ever Night Moves, I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face that not even the November chill could touch. Forty people gathered under a little shelter at Mountain Lake Park and allowed us to serve them soup that we made in our own kitchens, with our own hands, just for them. Just for YOU. As I stood on the little green park bench to thank everyone for coming, what I saw in front of me was community in action. People who had never met were literally breaking bread together. Bread, might I add, that our very own Luke Spray baked just for the occasion. Stories were shared, bowls were shared, and smiles were shared as strangers became friends. 

Thursday night was a smashing success, but it was also just a small glimmer of what’s possible when people allow themselves the opportunity to be cared for. Riding around the city at night in the cold with a group of strangers doesn’t sound all that exciting when I put it like that, but what we had was an adventure. We pushed our bodies, we withstood the elements, and we nourished our bodies and spirits at the end of it.

Our next opportunity to do this in a community setting is, of course, our annual Christmas party. I know that many of us are feeling the weight of the world on our shoulders as we embark on another four years of constant reminders that there are members of our country who don’t believe communities like ours should exist and thrive. The world is a tragic, shocking, and embarrassing thing, but there is room for joy, and it exists in the pockets of our universe that we choose to inhabit and take care of. Even on good years, the holidays often come with their own unique set of baggage for each of us; reminders of financial strain, explosive relationships with family members, dark days and cold nights, the denial of our identities chalked up to differences in politics, and of course, the overwhelming sadness of being an adult and having to stuff your own damn stocking. 

The obligation that many of us feel to our biological families can be overwhelming, and keeping your mouth shut in the name of keeping traditions alive is a noble goal, but your traditions can expand beyond the grip of blood relatives. I speak for all of us at Scenic Routes when I say that you are welcome to be a part of our holiday celebrations, just as you are. We will invite you into our front doors, turn on the heater to keep you nice and warm, listen to your stories of triumph, joy, and hardship from the year past, and help you dream of a brighter future for the year in front of us. We will share a meal and company, and raise our glasses to a tiny example of a beautiful way of life in an ugly world.

Please do us the honor of making the Scenic Routes Christmas Party a tradition that fills you with joy throughout the year by gracing us with your presence.

If you CAN’T make it to the Christmas party, (and even if you can!!) we’d love to send you a good ol’ fashion Christmas card. Click the little box below to add your address to our list and receive your very own snail mail from Scenic Routes.

In other, less sappy news, if you ordered a crewneck, they are coming!! In mere days. If you ordered for delivery, your package will simply arrive on your doorstep as a sweet surprise, and if you ordered for pickup, you’ll get a separate email inviting you to swing by the shop at your earliest convenience. Be on the lookout! 

Also coming to the shop, Cleverhood rain capes (In children and adult sizes), new helmets, squeezy bean brakes, and lots of other goodies that are perfect for your Christmas present needs. Expect a gift guide in the coming weeks. Maybe in your email, maybe on the website, I haven’t decided yet. 

The winter is hard for local bike shops, and it would mean the world to us if we happen to end up on the Christmas list you send your grandma. We have an online shop, offer gift cards, and generally have a shorter queue than we do during the summer (just saying). 

Thanks for helping us thrive and grow every season of the year, we are so looking forward to these cozy months with you in our lives. As we gear up for the holidays, I wanted to share Jay’s recipe for his mushroom wild rice soup per the requests from Thursday night. If any of you have any holiday meal prep questions, text the shop and we’ll send you a well thought out response to make everyone at your dinner table go back for seconds:

JAY’S MUSHROOM WILD RICE SOUP

Ingredients:
-4 T Butter (salted or whatever but salted)
-4 T Olive Oil
-1 LB Mushrooms (whatever suits you and your budget)
-1 T Worcestershire Sauce
-1 Small Yellow Onion, diced
-1 C Carrots, diced
-1 C Celery, diced
-6 Cloves Garlic, minced
-1 t of each Paprika, Dried Thyme, Dried Oregano, dried Sage, Dried Dill, black pepper, Red Pepper flakes (maybe less)
-1/4 C Flour
-2 C uncooked Wild-Brown rice blend
-4 C veg stock
-2 C Water
-2 C Half and Half
-1 T Balsamic Vinegar
-Juice of 1 Lemon

Instructions:

put 2 T butter and 2 T Olive oil in a dutch oven over med heat and then add mushrooms. cook for about 10 minutes stirring reg and add 1 T washyoursistersauce (use the vegan stuff if you don't do anchovies) then cook for another 8 minutes. Total 18 minutes. put shrooms aside

put more 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in the dutch oven and add 1 C Onions (aka one medium onion), 1 C Carrots and 1 C Celery. Cook till soft. 6-8 minutes. add 6 cloves garlic. sweat for 5 minutes. add spice blend (1 t each paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried sage, dried dill, pepper and red pepper flakes - less if you're a coward. I used 1/4 t to be inclusive). Mix it up then add 1/4 C flour (I used Gluten Free flour) and mix. Add back in mushrooms and 2 C wild rice and mix it all up.

Add 4 C veg stock and 2 C water and bring to a boil. cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour. Probably an hour. But check the rice.

Add 2 cups half and half and 1 T balsamic and the juice of one lemon and a heckton of salt and taste taste taste.

Serve it up and bask in the delight of being everyone’s favorite soup chef.

Thanks for reading. We’ll see you soon. On the 12th!!!

• Ayla  

P.S. If you’re interested, please send us some pictures via email. Pictures of you on bikes we’ve built, pictures of us working in the shop, pictures OF the shop, pictures of Atlas, etc.