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!

My Celebration of My Wonderful Men - My Son, Part II

I think one of the fundamental challenges of being a parent is knowing when to guide, when to hold and how much to trust. This is most challenging when they are teenagers. It is risky business.

I am so thankful to find that Ethan's wisdom about how strongly to work towards being himself is paying off and shining through. He has always been wonderful, even when he was in the middle of the rough part of being a teenager. And he is indeed such a wonderful young man. I'd like to share some stories about him with you.

My stories begin with one that happened earlier about a week ago. There had been a decent snow storm and the streets were littered with several types of snow - sloppy and wet, rocky ice segments and the beautiful, fluffy stuff. Ethan and I were on our way to drop my car off at the repair shop. He was in his car right behind me. I was cruising down the road in the middle of the evening when I noticed flashing tail lights at a curious angle. As I approached them, I could see that a car was in one of the deep ditches on the side of the road. I thought about stopping, but continued on as I did not have my phone. I felt a tinge of guilt. At that same time I realized that my son's tail lights were no longer in my rear view mirror. I knew then that he had stopped to check on them. That is just the kind of man he is. He made sure that no one was trapped in the car and then checked with the closest neighbor to find out if he should call the police. He stayed long enough to be sure that everything would be okay. On the way back home we waited and watched as the car was pulled out and the people were on their way home. It was gratifying.

This was not an isolated situation. This past summer Ethan and a friend were down town when Ethan spied a vagrant having a seizure by the side of the road. Another man was standing near the woman having the seizure, looking confused. Ethan went over to offer help. The man's response was vulgar and rude. They did not want help. However, Ethan knew that help was needed so he crossed the street and called for help. Another vagrant approached Ethan and thanked him, saying something like, "I thank you for offering help. Sometimes people are stubborn and won't accept the help they need." Ethan stayed until medical help arrived. It made him late to his event, but that was not as important as making sure that a woman he did not even know would be okay.

On an entirely different note, my boy has been spending a lot of his free time down at the state capital taking in discussions about proposed bills. He is very interested in the outcome of a few of the proposed bills. He has spent many a day down there. In fact, he is down in the Senate chambers as I write this. He has become very interested in the way our system of government works. He has learned a lot about communication and persuasion. He has also met a number of interesting people. I am thankful that he does not take our Bill of Rights for granted. I am thankful that he is taking an active part in trying to keep as many of our freedoms as possible.

I am a thankful for my son and the wonderful young man he is.

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Here's what we had for dinner last night. We have not been great about eating better lately as my job has been really stressful. My family is much happier when I am cooking dinner each night. This one will be on the keeper list:

Sweet Potato Tacos
via: My Big, Red Kitchen

1-2 pounds Taco Meat (ground beef with taco seasoning)
Sweet Potatoes (baked at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until soft)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Mango Salsa

Other optional toppings:
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Regular Salsa
Tabasco Sauce

Split open the sweet potatoes. Top with taco meat, then shredded cheese and mango salsa.

A New Adventure for Kohlton, A Thrill for Ellie and Two Recipes

This weekend Ellie took Kohlton for a mountain bike ride. Kohlton knows how to ride a bike, but this was a different experience for him. He was all smiles when he returned. They've gone on a ride every day since then. Yeah!


It is handy that Kohlton happens to be the same size at Ethan. Thanks to Ethan for loaning him stuff to give mountain biking a try.

Here's a nice, simple and quick dinner I made recently.

Warmly Spiced Pork Tenderloin with (served with Peas and Homemade Applesauce)

1 Pork Tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces (the tenderlion I used was intended for BBQ)
1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
1/2 tea Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tea Cinnamon
1/4 tea Turmeric
1/4 tea ground Cumin
1/4 tea ground Coriander
1/4 tea ground Cardamom
Pinch Ground Cloves
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

2 TBL Olive Oil or Bacon Drippings
1 cup Homemade Applesauce

Mix all of the spices. In a large baggie toss in some of the diced pork. Sprinkle them with some of the spices and shake the bag. Repeat this until all of the diced pork is lightly spiced. Let this sit for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oil/bacon drippings in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork until browned, about 3 minutes per side.Be sure to not crowd the pork or it will sweat instead of cook. Saute the meat in batches, if necessary. Lower the temperature to medium-low; cover and continue to cook until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145 F, another 3 to 5 minutes.

In another pot boil water for the peas. Cook the peas with a small bit of Rosemary. Drain when done and add a touch of butter. Serve with the spiced pork and applesauce.

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Here are some cookies that Ellie made this weekend. They are soft, nice and not too sweet.

Soft Brown Sugar Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting
via: Susie QT Pies Cafe blog

2/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sour cream

Blend together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time; blend well. Add vanilla; beat until light. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto non-stick or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; cool. Frost with Browned Butter Frosting. Makes 2 dozen

Browned Butter Frosting

1/4 c. butter
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. Milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden. Watch carefully as this will happen quickly. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and enough milk to make a spreading consistency.

Weekend Party + A Good, Simple Recipe - Sausage and White Beans

We had a mostly low key weekend. The exception was Saturday night when we hosted a potluck and game night. I took some photos, but the camera was malfunctioning and did not record any useful images.

On Sunday I tried a new recipe, one for Chorizo and Cannellini beans. I thought it was great. Ellie did not care for it. I think it was the spice in sausage. It was quick to make.

Sausage and White Beans
via:the Tasty Comforts of North Georgia Blog (modified)

1-2 pounds Chorizo Sausage, cut in chunks (This is a spicy sausage, some other sausage could be substituted)
1/2-3/4 cup Chicken Stock
2 14.5 oz cans Cannellini Beans
1 Red or Orange bell pepper,cut into thin strips
1 Red onion, Diced
3 stalks celery, chopped, leaves left whole
2 Bay Leaf
3 sprigs of Thyme (or 1/2 tea. Thyme, dried)
3 sprigs Sage (or 1/2 tea. Sage, dried)
3 sprigs Rosemary (or 1/2 tea. Rosemary, dried)
(Salt and pepper to taste)

Cook the sausage. Remove from skillet and set aside. Pour the chicken stock in pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the flavorful bits. Add onions, cook for about five minutes. Add celery and bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper, if using. Add beans and sausage back into skillet. Add bay leaves, and sprigs of herbs. Simmer for about 30 minutes allowing the flavors of Spain to fill your home.

A Don Update, The Finer Points of Indian Ink Viscosity and Home Spa Recipes

Don - well, perhaps we should call him Indomitable Don. Despite the fact that he has developed a blood clot, he is doing so well. He has been moved to the brand new Saint Anthony's Hospital. They've been around for over 100 years, and they moved into their new building this past summer. Don is in the rehab. center on the 7th floor. He was so pleased when he was checked in by the man who recognized him from the last time he needed physical therapy. That made him feel good. Don is excelling in therapy.

Ellie, my clever and artistic girl, made a really cool box. I love her eye for art and the graphic quality of what she creates.

It is a gift for Grandpa Don.

In making the box, Ellie discovered that she was nearly out of her favorite ink - Rotring Artists Color. Unfortunately, Rotring was bought out and I cannot find it any more. Thus, I trotted down to Meininger's, my favorite art store, to find a suitable replacement. We needed a waterproof ink that is solidly black and not too watery. I know from reading comments online that Magic Color bought part of Rotring, but no one in town sells their ink, so none of that was to be had as quickly as I would like. The art store was sort of slow and so one of the clerks and I spent a part of the afternoon testing out various inks. It was a ton of fun, the kind of fun I don't usually get to have. In the end I opted for Sennelier. It is smooth, thick and completely black. The next contender was Dr. Martin's Bombay black. It is solidly black, too, but not as thick as I was looking for. I had expected to pick a Sumi ink, but it turned up to be pretty gritty, all things considered.

Earlier in the day we tried out some homemade spa treatments. I got a bee in my bonnet to try my hand at making some of the treatments after reading, "A Spa Day - Without Leaving Home." It is about Mathilde Thomas who owns a string of impressive spas. Here are the recipes we tried out:

Hair Masque

Mix the following in a blender:
2 Egg Yolks
5 TB Rum
1/2 Avocado


Massage into your dry hair. Wrap your hair in plastic wrap (from your kitchen) and then wrap that in a towel. Leave it on for 30-60 minutes. Shampoo as you normally would.

(Ellie left the house when her hair ws still wet, so I don't know how it came out. I do know that he head smells slightly of rum.)

Face Mask

1/2 cup Oat, steel cut or instant
3 TB Greek Yogurt, Plain
1/2 cup Orange Juice
2 TB Honey
(2 tea. Orange Peel, dried and ground - I did not have this so I made the mask without it.)

Soak until the oats are soft Apply and wait for it to dry (about 15 minutes.)

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We've been eating a lot at the hospital, so I thought it would be nice to have a simple dinner. I made a spiced up version of the filling for Kraut burgers.

Ground Beef with Cabbage, Carrots, Onions and Spices

3 TB Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1- 1 1/2 cup Carrot, shredded
1 Cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup Water
3 TB Worcester Sauce
2-3 TB Thai Chili Sauce
Ground Pepper to taste
1 # Ground Beef, cooked

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Once they are soft, add in the carrot. Saute for 5 more minutes.

Add in the shredded cabbage, water, Worcester sauce and Thai Chili Sauce (you can use sweet chili sauce in place of this.) Cook all of this until the cabbage is soft. If you want the pepper to add in a bite, instead of a mellow flavor, add it in the end.

Add in the ground beef, mix well and serve. I offered hot sauce and Sriacha sauce so that people could add more heat to the flavor, if desired.

This could make a nice sandwich or be made into Kraut burgers by rolling out small balls of dough and making them.

(This was inspired by the recipe found over and Jo and Sue.)

A Bit of Knitting for Long Anticipated Baby Boy + Tasty Chili for Our Annual Pumpkin Carving Party and Potluck

(I am happy to announce that the boys have arrived safely and happily in New Orleans. Tonight they rest, eat and visit with Brandon's grandparents. Tomorrow, perhaps they will take a river boat ride. I am sure they will choose something great to kick off their first day of their stay.)

(The colors in this photo are terrible. The hats look much nicer in real life. The dark color is a speckled and heathered dark grey while the blue is a bright blue shade that is between cobalt and tourquise.)

We have several sets of friends who have not been successful in conceiving a child by natural means. Many of them have gone to extra ordinary measure to have a family. Bob and Jen are one such couple. They've tried to start a family for years. They were finally successful with the aid of modern medicine and welcomed Owen into the world on Valentine's Day this past spring.

We've known Bob for many years. He owns and runs the company that takes care of the grounds at school. He has employed Ethan for many years and he has become a friend. He is a tall, reliable and honest man of few years. Word got back to me that it might be nice to have matching hats for the two of them. As you might imagine, I was thrilled and set to work. Since the set would be worn by a baby boy and an adult (I wanted something rather gender neutral) I spent some time thinking about the design. The color choice was an epiphany after noticing a pair of biking socks Ellie was wearing one day on the way to a race. I was struck. Color can do that to me. Really, I was kind of smitten. The challenge then was to find colors of yarn that fit what I had in my head. It took me several stores and a trip to the big store in Boulder to finally come up with something I was happy with. The next challenge was figuring out the design. This one was inspired by a series of quilts that people had pinned in Pinterest. I graphed it out and set away with clicking needles. Originally I was going to include a small bit of red, but did not have any with me when I came to that spot while away at a race. I decided to do without the red. It would have been a nice touch, but I am happy with the end result. Bob was, too.

The yarn is a superwash DK from Cascade. I wanted something warm, washable and not itchy. It fit the bill perfectly.


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We will host our annual pumpkin carving party and potluck tomorrow evening. I usually make a curried pumpkin soup and a cheesy garlic bread, but I don't think tomorrow's crowd is all that adventurous. I opted for a nice spicy, smokey chili instead. We will also have a baked potato bar with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon bits and ham.

Here are a few images from the past years:

Here's a few fun Halloween Playlists as well:

-------- Boilermaker Tailgate Chili via: Allrecipes.com Serves 12

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer (I used water since I did not have a can of beer on hand)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g.Sriacha or Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon Smoke Flavoring (I added this. You can use liquid or powder form)
2 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar Cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2. Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
4. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Lots of Recipes for the Week - Fitness Focus

I really like soup and I find that it is an easy way to get my veggies. Plus, I tend to make low fat soups. Here's an adapted recipe I made for lunch this week:

Mediterranean Chicken Soup with Olives and Vegetables
6 to 8 servings

4 boneless chicken breasts, cubed

Ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped (I used 2 small red onions)

1 1/2 cup of baby carrots, diced

1 1/2 cup Broccoli florets cut into small pieces

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (Next time I will use 1.5 tea.)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1-½ teaspoons dried Herbes de Provence or dried basil, crushed; divided

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can Artichoke Hearts, quarter (This was not part of the original recipe)

1 large bunch of Kale, leafy sections removed from the stem and torn into small pieces

Optional: 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed (omitted)

1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon or chopped lemon zest

1 cup pitted olives, preferably a mixture of green and black, chopped

Salt to taste (omitted)

1. Saute the chicken n a 6-quart pot heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Brown well on all sides.(The browning gives the soup a rich color and flavor.)

2. Saute the onion until translucent stirring occasionally. Add carrot and garlic; continue cooking 4 minutes. Add paprika, cumin and 1 teaspoon of the herb, stirring 1 minute.

3. Stir broth or water, remaining vegatbles and crumbled saffron into the pot. Bring to the boil. Add chicken, stirring well. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.

4. Remove soup from heat. Add remaining ½ teaspoon dried herb, and olives. Simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if needed.
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Chicken Fried Rice
via: The Feed Zone Cookbook from Skratch Labs

This recipe is exactly as Allen presented it to his class in the third grade and exactly as he serves it to athletes at training camps, races, or impromptu dinners at his place in Boulder, Colorado. At the 2010 Tour de France, this was Lance Armstrong’s favorite post-race dish.

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2–3 green onions, diced
or thinly sliced
3 eggs
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup boneless chicken thighs (2–3 pieces)
1 cup frozen peas and corn

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
Sriracha sauce
sesame oil

1 Bring a lightly oiled sauté pan to mediumhigh heat. Add the garlic and green onions
and sauté for about 1 minute.
2 In a small bowl, beat the eggs and soy sauce vigorously and pour into the hot pan. The pan should be hot enough to cause the eggs to fluff. Stir the eggs to cook them quickly.
3 Add the rice and cooked chicken thighs and fry the mixture for 5–6 minutes.
4 Add the peas and corn and cook until the vegetables heat through and are vibrant
in color. Season to taste with salt, Sriracha sauce, and additional soy sauce or sesame oil.
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Melon Cucumber Smoothie
via:Dash of East blog

1 cup honeydew melon, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup garden cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used coconut milk)
1 tablespoon agave
3-4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients in a blender.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!
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Bike Spoke Jewelry, Tomatoes and Tilapia

You know the boy on the bike sporting a tutu in the previous post? He is usually very fashionable in a manly sort of way. It is his birthday on Sunday and I wanted to make sure we had something special for his birthday, so I made him an 18" necklace that features colored spoke nipples. They fun to put together.

This one is for Maris. It was fun to make. Once I got started, I had to make more.

Next up was the necklace for Kathy, Ellie's coach.

And then I offered one to The Girl. She requested Rasta colors.

This one ended up being my favorite. It is for Kate, the person who heads up the Colorado High School Cycling League and puts together the HS mountain bike races that Ellie enjoys.

I have not cleaned up my art room as I may make some more.

We enjoyed some super sweet, tiny tomatoes from our garden. The first of what I hope will be a bounty.

My oven has developed a problem with the oven burner. It is not functioning properly. Somehow it has changed shape just enough to allow gas to escape, which in turn ignites a fireball that makes a scary noise and pops the oven door open just a bit. The repair man says that the repair part will not arrive until Aug. 26th. Until then I need to restrict my use of the oven. Bummer! That is a long time to go without the oven, mostly. That made dinner last night a bit of a challenge. I made a special Tilapia recipe.

Parmesan and Paprika Crusted Tilapia

3 TBL Butter
6 Tilapia Fillets, thawed
Paprika
Parmesan, shredded


Sprinkle the paprika over each Tilapia fillet. Use your fingers or the back of the spoon to rub it into the fish on both sides.

Melt the butter in the pan.

Sprinkle some Parmesan in the pan in the place for the fillets. Place the fillets on top of the cheese. Sprinkle more cheese on the top of the fish. Cook on medium high for about 4 minutes. Flip carefully so that the cheese transfers with the fish. Cook for a few more minutes so that the fish is cooked through.

Serve plain or with avacado and tomato slices.

A Little Action - Go Kart Action! & a Few Recipes

After riding the trails on Wednesday, the team members who attended were treated to a 10 lap race at Action Karting in Morrison.

I thought about joining in on the fun, but wanting to take photos won out. Ellie said that was good because I would be too slow and get in everyone's way. That is life with a teenager. The coach says that there will be a rematch. Some of the kids thought their gokarts were too slow. They call for a rematch. Ellie is totally up for that!

Next time, I might ride, too. Perhaps there could be a mom's race after the kids go at it.

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This was a nice dinner we had recently.

Steak and Pineapple Skewers
via: Guilty Kitchen Blog

Servings: 8 skewers
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time:10-15 minutes

2 ribeye steaks (approximately 10-12 oz each and 1″ thick)
1 pineapple
1 bunch fresh basil, torn into small pieces
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tbsp
1 clove garlic, grated
Fresh ground pepper
Wooden or metal skewers (if using wood, soak in warm water for 30 minutes prior to grilling)

1. In a large container (preferably with a lid), mix together the soy sauce , 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic and a substantial amount of pepper. This is your marinade.
2. Cube ribeyes into 1″ cubes and toss into marinade. Leave to marinate for 1 hour or as long as 24 hours.
(I did not have enough soy sauce so I substituted some of the Monterrey Steak Season. In the end I also added a small bit of Peach White Balsamic Vinegar and tossed it to coat the meat.)



Roasted Beets with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
via: Martha Stewart

4 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds total), trimmed and unpeeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Individually wrap 4 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds total), trimmed and unpeeled, in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with a paring knife, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool. Rub beets with paper towels to remove skins and cut into small wedges.
Whisk together 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard; season with coarse salt and ground pepper and stir in 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley. Toss beets with dressing. Serve topped with 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese and 1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces.

Of Biking, Exhaustion and Excellent Paleo Pancakes

As we rounded out the bottom of the pass and arrived at the base of Winter Park early on Saturday morning we noticed a Moose Cow and her sweet, tall legged calf. She was clearly teaching the calf what to eat. It is a rare sight to see moose, and even more rare to see a cow with her calf. I had only a few seconds to look, but tried to etch it into my mind.

We needed to arrive in Winter Park for the race and I had to report in for my marshaling duties. There was a marshal at each point in the course where a rider could go more than one direction. Luckily, I was positioned in a lovely spot deep in the woods. The race organizer drove me in most of the way and then I had to walk about a mile to my actual spot. It was a fun job which mostly consisted of cheering on the riders and making sure everyone was okay. There were almost 500 people taking part in the event.

Ellie flew by me quickly and I just had time to snap this shot. Towards the end of the race the skies opened up and the rain poured down in heavy, thick droplets. I wondered if Ellie would like the rain, or if she would be chilled by it. The race course wandered out of Winter Park proper and into the Arapahoe National Forest. This meant that the riders would have to ride back to Winter Park. It would be easier since it would be on paved roads, but after almost 19 miles riding in the trees, it may have been a long ride. Thankfully, Erik, the Coach Kathy's husband, was waiting at the end to take the junior back to our base camp in his warm, dry car.

Ellie had not really prepared herself for the race. She had a busy, full week which included 10 hours at the lake that produced a bad sun burn and many of the days she simply did not eat right. Since I left to marshal before she began, she did not have her race food with her. The end result was that she felt dizzy and sick at the end of the race. She went back and promptly fell asleep during the awards ceremony. We had to wake her up when her turn on the podium came and again later when she won a raffle prize.

A bit later she fell asleep again. This time she was in the Coach Kathy's RV. The boys decided that it would be funny to decorate her. Thankfully, she thought it was funny, but I also suspect that there will be some sort of revenge when the boys are not expecting it. This was all a very vivid reminder how important race day prepping it.

There was a second race the next day so everyone camped out together. The spot was not very scenic since it felt victim to the pine beetle and some sort of controlled burn, but it was fun all the same. Shortly after we had settled into our tents for the night a group of motorcyclists camp by, expecting to camp in "their" spot. They were unhappy at finding us there. They showed their displeasure by shining their headlamps into each tent or window and revving their engines. We could hear them as they continued up the highway. Kathy says that we are lucky that they did not show their displeasure in a more aggressive manner.

By the next day, Ellie was feeling much better, but not her best. She enjoyed the short track race nonetheless.

The ride was fun and the awards were great.

After the kids finished racing they went swimming at the recreation center next to the venue while Coach Kathy raced. She raced in the expert category, coming in 3rd place. She could have raced into 2nd place, but decided to help another racer who was feeling bad that morning. Coach Kathy is great like that.

kl

It was a fun weekend, but we are both still tired from the whole event. The next one will be another big weekend since it will be the Cranworx Freeride Festival.


On Sunday, Ariana and Ellie will do the Urban Assault Ride. Here's what the Fort Collins event was like. It looks like a ton of fun!
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Almond Flour & Walnut Paleo Pancakes
via: Tasty Kitchen by Julia {The Roasted Root} on February 25, 2012
Delicious protein and energy-packed pancakes made with almond flour and chopped walnuts. This recipe is perfect for athletes and the wheat averse.

4 whole Eggs
⅓ cups Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil Or Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2-½ cups Almond Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt
¾ cups Walnuts, Chopped
Butter, For Your Skillet

In a mixing bowl or mixer, combine all “wet ingredients”. Add your dry ingredients, including chopped walnuts and allow the pancake batter to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Place a dollop of butter in the skillet and spread it around. Because we are using almond flour, I suggest making small pancakes because they are much easier to flip when they are small. Spoon out small portions of batter into the skillet (you should be able to make 3 at a time) and allow pancake to cook about 5 to 7 minutes before flipping. Allow pancake to cook an additional 3 minutes and serve with your favorite toppings! Repeat with the remaining batter while you eat your first batch!

(Note: We really liked these. The texture was much better than many of the other Paleo Pancake recipes that I have tried. You could expand their versatility by adding in spices. This would create a sort of soft flatbread base for something like Mexican food.)

A Mother's Day Recap - Really Over Due, and Recipes

May is a crazy busy time for me and I never got around to recapping my awesome Mother's day. It was a complete surprise for me and I want to remedy that now.

The day before the kids hung out together and arrived home with a bunch of wild gathered flowers that one of them had arranged in a Starbucks cup. It was artful and fun. It made me smile.

The next day Ellie made me a special set of pancakes with hearts made of Nutella on them. She also decorated the cupboards in our kitchen to spell out, "I Love You Mom" (there was no room for a comma, though I am sure she would have put it in. She is careful about those kinds of things.)

She also made a new very Ellie-esque background for my computer monitors,

and a very carefully created card which went along with a set of photos of my beautiful children.

It all made my heart sing. I am not sure I will ever actually change out my background on my monitors. They make me feel loved every time I look at them. :)


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Here's what we are having for dinner tonight. It smells good. :)

Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl with Mango Salsa
via: Pinch of Yum blog
time: 20 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: 4


1 lb. wild caught salmon filet with skin (in one or several pieces)
1 teaspoon oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
2 cups cooked white rice
1 12 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 squeeze lime juice
1 avocado (optional)


Stir the spices together. Rub over salmon filets (on the meat and also the skin if you want). Sprinkle with sea salt.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add salmon, starting skin side down, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add more oil as necessary to prevent from sticking. Flip the salmon and cook another 3-5 minutes on the meat side. The salmon will start to get a brown crust on the outside from the spices.

When salmon is mostly cooked, pull off the skin, leaving just the pieces of meat in the skillet. Break up into smallish pieces and leave on heat until completely cooked through (not translucent). Once the pieces are cooked, remove from heat – salmon dries out quickly if you overcook it.

Combine mangoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and avocado in a small bowl and stir until combined. Season with sea salt.

Stir together rice and beans and season with several pinches of salt, adding a tablespoon water if necessary.

Divide between bowls, layering the rice and beans, salmon, and salsa into each bowl.

Notes
The reason I take the skin off is because I never have good luck cooking whole salmon filets and it allows me to make sure all of the fish is cooked through. Also, it makes for great texture in the bowl!

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Zucchini Tart
via: Kitchen Konfidence blog
Crust adapted from 101 Cookbooks, filling adapted from Saveur.

(I made this without the crust due to our avoiding gluten, but I've included it here for those who would like to try it.)

Cornmeal Tart Crust:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
scant 1 cup medium coarse corn meal
¾ teaspoon fine grain salt
1 ¼ cups cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup – ¾ cup cold water

Zucchini, Ricotta, Feta Cheese Filling:

4 – 5 medium zucchini, trimmed (about 2 ½ lbs.)*
2 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped, drained of excess moisture
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup ricotta
2 tablespoons chopped dill (or to taste)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten

Begin with the cornmeal tart crust. Combine flours, cornmeal and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add cold butter cubes and continue to pulse until the butter is coarsely mixed in (stop pulsing when the mixture forms bits roughly the size of peas). Pulse in the egg yolk and ¼ cup of water. Trickle in more water if needed, just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form a ball. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape each into a ball, press into a flat disk and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place one rack in the middle of the oven.

Once the dough is chilled, place one of the disks on a lightly floured surface (I used a Silpat). and roll out until the dough is large enough to line your tart pan. You can also lightly flour your rolling pin if you find the dough is sticking. Try to complete this process quickly since the dough is easier to work with when it is cold. Transfer the dough to the pan. Working your way from the center out, press the dough along the bottom of the pan, then to the edges and finish with the sides. Trim any excess dough. Keep the scraps handy to patch any tears. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

Take the pan out of the refrigerator and pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Place the circular tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pie weights and finish baking for another 5 minutes or until the crust is just barely starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

To make the filling, start by grating one of the zucchini into a large bowl (use the large holes of a box grater). Add 1 tablespoon of salt, toss well and let sit for 30 minutes. This will draw all of the moisture out of the zucchini. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and wring out thoroughly.

During this 30 minute period, slice remaining zucchini into rounds with a mandolin (to ensure even slices). Blanch slices in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 1 minute. You will need to do this in several batches. Drain and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add shallots and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add drained, grated zucchini and cook until just beginning to brown (about 6 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Stir tomatoes, ricotta, half of the feta cheese and dill into the zucchini-shallot mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the egg and spread the mixture evenly onto the cornmeal crust. Arrange zucchini rounds on top (get creative here!). Bake for 15 minutes, then brush the top with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and finish with a sprinkling of feta cheese over top.

Serves 4 – 8 based on if this a side dish or main course.

You Can See for Miles and Miles - A Rocky Picnic

While The Girl was off camping, the rest of us went for a picnic at a new locations in Evergreen. Larr discovered it earlier in the week while doing trail maintenance.

It is a very large rock out cropping at the top of one of the ridges.

It was an inspiring place.

Ethan explored all around.

Ethan and Grandpa Don enjoyed a snack of pickled herring in wine sauce while they took in the views.

I had Larr snap a few photos of the pine cones for artistic reference.

I thought the sky would be hazy since there are so many forest fires blazing in our state right now, but visibility was pretty good.

On the way home we also discovered a herd of Elk and some baby animal that looked like a combination between an elk calf and a goat. They are really lovely.

The calf was curious and came over to the fence wagging its tail. It was happy to eat the grass I offered it through the fence.

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With the fire ban on, I had to be creative about what we had on our picnic. I made MoJo Beef Kebabs. I also packed cucumbers, carrots and honeydew melon.

Mojo Beef Kebabs
via: DinnerandDash.net

1 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick (* I used stew beef which I marinaded in olive oil for about 2 hours)
1 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
1 large lime, cut into 8 wedges
1 small red onion, cut into 8 thin wedges
1 container grape or cherry tomatoes (about 10 ounces)

Mojo Sauce:
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk Mojo Sauce ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

Cut beef steak into 1-1/4 inch pieces; season with pepper.

Alternately thread beef with lime and onion wedges evenly onto four 12-inch metal skewers. Thread tomatoes evenly onto four 12-inch metal skewers.

Place kebabs on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill tomato kebabs, covered, about 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly softened, turning occasionally. Grill beef kabobs, covered, 8 to 10 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill 9 to 11 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning once.

Serve kabobs drizzled with sauce.