Leaf Huntin'

Today I went for an awesome drive, up through Evergreen to Echo Lake. The leaves are certainly at peak or very close to it -- because the views were amazing. The Aspens looked like they were on fire.

On the way home, we went through Pine, Colorado and ate at a very fine dining establishment called "The Bucksnort". It's the kind of dining establishment where people write things like this on the bathroom walls:
And the kind of place where Christmas cards like this get hung on the wall:
It's on a dirt road, if that tells you anything. I enjoyed a Coors Light in a keg cup on their balcony overlooking a stream and some shacks that reminded me of the movie "Overboard". Did I mention that the chairs on the deck were stumps?

There were a lot of bikers there -- and let me tell you -- there is opportunity for some major helmet messaging to that demographic. Not a single one of the bikers had a helmet on. :)


In other news, I'm picking flooring for my house. Any votes? From a looks perspective, I'm leaning towards the dark. But I'm a little worried about the dust and dirt showing up too much (the Swiffer and I would need to get to know each other a little more than I'd prefer).

Swiss Steak

This is a crock-pot classic. Freezes great and tastes even better re-heated.

1 round steak (approximately 1 1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

1 medium bell pepper, cut into chunks

Cut steak into large bite-sized pieces. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Dust meat with flour. In heavy skillet, brown both sides of meat in vegetable oil. Transfer to Crock Pot. Combine garlic, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and 1 tomato-can measure of water. Pour over steak and simmer over low heat -- at least 4 hours, but I usually cook it all day or overnight -- and adding water, if necessary to keep meat partially covered. Season, to taste, with additional salt and pepper. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles!

Note: to ensure tenderness, you can ask the butcher to run the round steak through a cuber.

Easy Green Chili Stew

1 12 oz jar salsa verde (I use La Victoria)

3 cups shredded chicken (1 small rotisserie chicken works great)

1 15 oz can canellini beans, drained

3 cups chicken broth

1 t ground cumin

Cook salsa 2 minutes over medium heat in saucepan. Add chicken, beans, broth and cumin. Bring to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Garnish with sour cream and scallions.

Serve with corn chips or tortillas.

Fake-Out Chili's Salsa

Fake-Out Chili's Salsa

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can tomatoes and green chilies

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can whole canned tomatoes (plus the juice)

4 teaspoons jalapenos (canned, diced, not pickled)

1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cilantro

juice from 1/2 lime

1. In food processor place jalapenos (optional) and onion and process for just a few seconds.

2. Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, cumin, cilantro and lime juice.

3. Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree.

4. Place in covered container and chill.

5. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

Homeade Apple Jelly

I spent today making homemade Apple Jelly -- and then cleaning it up. What a mess. I'm sure next time will go better -- as I'll be able to keep my nose out of the Ball Canning Recipe Book and actually clean as I go.

I was inspired to start canning after eating some homemade canned peaches at a friend's house. Delicious. Like nothing I've ever tasted before. Soft, sweet and with so much flavor!

So I went and bought this complete canning kit from Ace Hardware. After doing some reading from the book, I discovered I picked the worst time of year to start canning! So today I bought some apples on sale at Sunflower Market. I figured I would probably mess up my first batch, so I'd better start with cheap fruit!


I used a basic Apple Jelly recipe from The Joy of Cooking. It called for 3 lbs. of green apples, sugar and water. So I boiled the apples, per the instructions -- and then used a jelly bag to strain all the juice into a bowl.Then, I boiled the juice and the sugar waiting for the elusive "jelling point". This was the most stressful part of the process. The ways to test for the "jelling point" are loosy-goosy. But I finally thought it was ready.

I'm still not sure my jars sealed after boiling them for 15 minutes. I should know by tomorrow morning.

I think I'll be having gluten-free toast for breakfast with some fresh Apple Jelly tomorrow!

Butter Chicken

I buy this delicious sauce at Cost Plus World Market -- it's really popular and sometimes sold out. So if/when I find it, I buy a couple of jars for the pantry. This is an easy dinner that is quick to prepare.
I saute bite-sized pieces of chicken in about a tablespoon of oil. Once it is mostly cooked through, I remove it from the pan and add a bit more oil. I then cook a few cloves of garlic, about 1/2 of a big onion and 1-2 heads of broccoli. At the very end I add the chicken back in, add the sauce and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. I serve it over jasmine rice. YUM!




Dinner is on the stove. And even better than that is the fact that I've mastered the art of "clean as you go"! My kitchen is cleaned up, the dishwasher is running and I'm going to enjoy a delightful dinner for one. I have leftover sparkling cider from Thanksgiving that I'm going to crack open. BIG NIGHT at my house!

Honey Ginger Stir Fry

Update -- you would not BELIEVE how good this is. I added some broccoli and 1/2 of an onion.

I can't wait to try this recipe -- just saw it on Martha Stewart this morning. It sounds delish! I should've asked Santa for a Wok! :)

Serves 4

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
• 1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
• Cooked rice, for serving
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together honey, vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat a large skillet or wok over high until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add chicken and stir until opaque but not cooked through, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, and garlic to skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add peppers and stir 2 minutes. Add soy mixture and bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet and toss until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice, topped with cilantro.

EASY Knitting Project

Never judge a project half-way through.  This cute potholder almost got thrown out.  Now I kinda love it!
It started out looking like this:
I knitted straight rows -- easy -- for forty stiches across.  I knitted until it reached about 13 inches.  I knew the colors weren't ideal -- I didn't want to buy new yarn but was itching for a project.  So I pulled yarn from the reserves -- hence the ugly colors.  Then I felted it.  Since the yarn was a 80% wool/ 20% mohair blend, it is able to be felted.  That just means aggitating the yarn in very hot water.  It took about 3 cyclces to look like this:

This was the point where I called it the "World's Ugliest Knitted Potholder".  But with some streching and trimming, it turned out pretty darn cute.  Potholders aren't supposed to be color-coordinated to your kitchen, are they?

Honey Crunch

This is easy and good -- great for giving as gifts in cute holiday bags.

4 cups Crispix Cereal

4 cups Quaker Corn Bran Cereal (the only place in CO I could find this is Super Target)

1 stick butter

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup peanuts

Bring butter, sugar and honey to a boil, then simmer for 8 minutes. Pour over cereal/peanut mix. Stir until evenly coated.

Spread on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Continue to stir while it's cooling to break up clumps.

Honey Banana Punch

This punch is perfect for party. It is so delicious I actually ruined my dinner a few nights ago -- because I drank four glasses! Freeze the mixture in four 1-quart containers -- and then pull them out one at a time and mix with a liter of sprite. Yum!

2 cups frozen OJ concentrate

5 ripe bananas, chunked

1 40 oz. can of pineapple juice

3 cups water

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup powdered lemonade mix

4 liters of Sprite

In blender, blend OJ and bananas until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add pineapple juice, water, honey, sugar and lemonade. Stir until lemonade has completely dissolved. Pour into 1 quart containers and freeze until slushy. Mix 1 quart with 1 liter of sprite and serve.

Kate's Chippers

These are a delicious "knock-off" version of Paradise Bakery's Chippers. They are delicious!

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter flavored Crisco

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 T milk

2 t vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

3 cups quick oats

1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup Health Bits of Toffee

1/2 cup coconut

1 cup crushed corn flakes

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream brown sugar, white sugar and crisco. Then, add eggs, milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.

Add oats, chocolate chips, toffee chips, coconut and corn flakes. Mix all together.

Use small ice cream scoop to place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes.

Spectacular Homemade Caramels

Oh lordy, do I have a recipe for you! My friend Suanne and I spent a few hours making these for gifts. Time well spent. You have to set aside nearly an hour to stir -- and then cutting and wrapping them is also a chore. But in the end you have special, handmade, delicious caramels.

3 cups sugar

1 stick butter + 1 T

1/2 stick margarine

2 1/4 cup light Karo syrup

1/4 t salt

3 cups "light cream" or half-n-half (reserve 1 1/2 cup to add once boiling)

Boil all ingredients (EXCEPT 1 1/2 cup of half-n-half) at medium heat -- stirring slowly but constantly. Once boiling, add the reserved 1 1/2 cup of half-n-half. Boil until temperature reaches 230 degrees. Immediately remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla -- then pour into a generously greased (PAM works great) jelly roll pan. Cool completely. Turn candy out onto a cutting board and cut into small squares. Wrap in waxed paper. Enjoy!

Going Green

No doubt my hippie friends are already cleaning this way....but I want to share a great recipe for a do-it-yourself all-natural cleaning solvent that I found in "Gorgeously Green".  Leave it to me to buy a green lifestyle book with a forward by Julia Roberts -- but this book suits my philosophy well -- we can't be perfectly green all the time, but small changes really can make a difference.  

After a visit to Sunflower Market (love!) to get all the ingredients (some I already had) -- I came home, mixed 'er up and cleaned the bejeezus out of my kitchen.  Good stuff! 

32 ounce spray bottle

2 cups water

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure castile soap (peppermint)

3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide

20 drops tea tree oil

20 drops lavender oil (or lemon grass)

Even though my greener friends may already be cleaning with all-natural products, I thought you guys would like to try this recipe.  It's great!

The Write Stuff

My office job has played match maker with me and the Staples brand OptiFlow pens. These pens make your handwriting look better than it is! Sound crazy? Try them. These pens are flying off the shelves at my offce -- likely taking the stealing of office supplies to the next level.

In the (Cosmetic) Bag

I love great makeup -- and over the years I seem to have tried it all. From splurges to cheapies, I've compiled my "must have" makeup items below. I consider these to be the best of the best -- whatever the price. Mac Studio Fix pressed power -- this stuff is a miracle. Layered over a light foundation, it smooths out the coloring of your complextion and elimiates shine. Love this stuff.

Nars Blush in Orgasm -- I even got my mother to buy this blush. It's a great mix of peach and pink -- doesn't go on too dark and has a hint of shimmer. Easy to apply and easy to blend.

DiorShow Mascara -- If I were a contestant on Survivor, I think my luxury item might be mascara. Just kidding. Sorta. This stuff is pricy but worth it -- REALLY! It is the most volumizing mascara I have ever used. Truly amazing. You'll have to try it to believe it. After reading about the umpteenth celebrity to rave about it -- I finally caved. AMAZING.

Benefit Erase Paste -- I call this stuff my spackel. It covers blemishes but also works wonders on under-the-eye circles. I was first introduced to the stuff at Sephora, where the makeup artist used it on one eye only so I could see the results compared to "au natural". I bought it immediately.

Good 'ole Bag Balm. This stuff is oh-so-cheap. A huge tub is $5.99 at Target. I put in on my lips every night before bed. In Colorado, you really need good "lip stuff" and Bag Balm fits the bill.

Aveda Lip Gloss in Wineberry -- If/when Aveda discontinues this color lip gloss, I may cry. And then stock up. I just find this color to be great for everyone -- and the texture is just right -- not too sticky.

What are you beauty go-to's?

Friday Night Movie Night

I love renting a movie on a Friday night -- espeically when it has a "stamp of approval" from a friend. These are some of my favorite flicks -- in no particular order:



Another must-have for movie night: The Oringal Atom Popper. This thing is a miracle of a popcorn popper! Simple, stove-top popcorn in less than 3 mintues. Soooo much better than microwave popcorn -- and it's small and easy to wash and store.

Crocs Come Cute?

This seems almost too good to be true: a sole by Crocs, a super-cute design and they're on sale! I'm putting my order in tonight.  If they are as comfortable as traditional Crocs, I'll be a raving fan.  

Need a Wedding Gift?

I love the Silhouette Blue Shop at Etsy.com.  The above "4-Ever" print shows initials carved into a tree -- the best part is YOU get to pick the initials and the colors of the print.  What a unique gift for a wedding.