Maroon Bells & Devil's Punch Bowl + Spicy Citrus Glazed Shrimp, Broccoli, Apple, Walnut Salad & Snickerdoodles Recipes

(This set of photos is from our trip to Glenwood last week. I simply ran out of time to post them during that week since it was such a busy week.)

I've been to the Maroon Bells in late July. Seeing them again in the earlier part of summer and with my family, was a different and wonderful experience.

The colors were amazing.

We also found a nice hike to take.

My new camera takes underwater shots and Ellie had fun with that feature.

We also went up to The Devil's Punchbowl. It is a place where the locals like to jump from the rock into the river, but the guys there said it was the wildest that they have ever seen the water so they were not trying it. I think that was a good idea.

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Here's what I made for dinner this evening. It was quick, easy and delicious!

Spicy Citrus-Glazed Shrimp
via: Passports and Pancakes blog

1/2 cup fresh citrus juice (the author used 6 mandarins and 1 lemon. I doubled the recipe so I used 2 oranges, 1 lemon & 1/2 cup of pineapple juice)

2 tablespoons sriracha

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

sesame seeds (optional)

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the citrus juice, sriracha, and honey. Stir to combine, and simmer until it starts to reduce and thicken (about 10 minutes). Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil on high until just before smoking. Add shrimp to the pan, shaking the pan and stirring the shrimp until they are cooked through, and have lightly-browned edges (this will happen quickley - about 5 minutes). Pour the glaze over the shrimp and toss to coat, top with sesame seeds (if using), and serve.

Serves 4.
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Broccoli, Apple and Walnut Salad
via: Inner Harmony Nutrition

1 medium-sized broccoli head, cut into bite size
1 apple
1/4 raw walnuts, preferably soaked for 6 hours (I did not soak them as I like them crunchy)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup hummus of your choice
2 Tbsp dried cranberries
Salt & pepper (I omitted this)

1. Boil water in a medium size pot.

2. Slice apple into bite size. Place them in a medium size bowl, sprinkle lemon juice and mix well.

3. Dilute hummus with some water to make sauce. If you want some sweetness, add a little bit of sweetener, such as maple syrup or honey.(We did not need this.)

4. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 15 seconds. Transfer into a colander immediately and run cold water.

5. Add broccoli, sauce, walnuts and cranberries to the apple bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

* If you are looking for the traditional broccoli salad that has mayonnaise, then you might find that this one tastes a bit different. We are not eating mayo anymore, and this is a good substitute.

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Snickerdoodle Cookies
via: Umami Holiday Blog

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp Kosher salt (table salt is fine, too)
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup white sugar


Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at a medium-low setting for 3 minutes or until soft and creamy.

Add the brown and white sugar and mix for 5 minutes at medium-low, until the color of the batter lightens.

Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl, then fold into the batter as three separate additions (for a more uniform batter).
Mix the cinnamon and white sugar into a small bowl.

Take a tablespoon amount of the dough, roll into a ball, then drop into the bowl of cinnamon sugar and roll until completely covered.

Place the cookie ball onto the sheet. Keep the cookie balls 2 inches apart from each other.

After filling the tray with cookie balls, take a small spoon and press down gently on each ball to flatten the top. This will create that nice cracked look on the top of the baked cookie.
Spoon a small amount (about ¼ tsp or less) of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of each flattened cookie.

Place in the oven to bake for five minutes.

After five minutes, take the tray out and flip it around so that the back is now facing front. Now place the flipped baking sheet back in the oven and close the door.

This next part is tricky—my oven is kind of wonky, so I can only keep the cookies in for another 2-3 minutes before they are finished. The original recipe calls for 7 minutes for each side. I would advise you set a timer for 3 minutes and check to see how the cookies are doing. If the center looks solid and you see VERY slight browning at the edges, you’re done! Don’t let it get golden-brown or the cookies will over-bake and the entire cookie will be crunchy.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.
After a few minutes, they’re ready to eat! Definitely best when right out of the oven, but if you keep them in an airtight container, they will maintain their chewiness. I’ve never been able to hold onto these for more than a night, so I couldn't vouch for how long they keep. Enjoy!