Goodbye Colorado, Hello Humidity...

I know I've been home since yesterday but I needed to add some closure to my trip before I start working again, in like 3 hours. After driving back into Denver from the mountains we decided we needed to go out with a bang for our last night. We looked at an assortment of different menus from around the area, all looked promising but were a little on the pricey side. Kelsey finally found a place downtown we could all agree upon called Euclid Hall. 

I was most attracted to this place because of the interesting ingredients to be found in most of their dishes and because of the modern twist they added to some of everyone's favorite classics. Skip to the background info: The restaurant is the third place to be opened by the team of Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch, owner's of Denver's award winning restaurants Rioja and Bistro Vendome. It is set in a historic building in Larimer Square dated from 1883 that once housed Soapy Smith's bar, the Mason's, The Cootie Club, Maudie's Flea Market, and maybe even was rumored to host a brothel used to cater to government officials and members of the media. Enough about the building right? On to the food. The restaurant's staple would have to be the hand-cranked sausage, the schnitzel, and poutines. For those of you unfamiliar with poutine, and pay attention, it's a dish made of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Gaaahhhh. I'm skipping ahead to the duck poutine we ordered as an appetizer with duck, duck gravy, cheddar curds. Pictured above, it was gone 2 minutes after I took this. 

Part of the reason we chose this restaurant was because it served bone marrow. I have always wanted to try this and knew I had to at $6 dollars a bone! Worried that it wouldn't be enough to fill me up, and due to the fact that I had to try more things on the menu I also decided to try my taste buds at pad Thai pig ears. Both came out at the same time but my spoon rushed to the bone marrow first as it glistened in the sunlight. The marrow was sugared and browned on the top and served with bread and a delicious sweet dipping sauce. The texture was buttery and the flavor was rich and fatty, kind of like a fancy, thick, gravy (drooling right now). 




Now for the pig ears...alright I guess I didn't know what I was getting into. My mouth was on fire the first bite and my vision started to blur. Red pepper flakes overpowered this dish for me, which was disappointing because otherwise I think I would have liked it. The pig ears were crispy and the greens and peanuts added a fresh crunch to the dish but I just couldn't finish it. It looked beautiful though. I was downing my water because of it along with my pint of delicious Avery White Rascal I paired along with my meal. 











Some of the other interesting dishes on the menu included their version of surf n'turf, made of pork belly and octopus, which Kelsey tried, and their hops infused home made pickles which were spicy and delicious. The one dish that no one ordered that sounded amazing was their version of chicken and waffles with crispy chicken mousseline, sourdough waffle, black pepper Bechamel and maple gastrique. I have no idea what that means but it sounds awesome! For dessert we were lucky enough to be treated with a free dish because Kelsey knew the hostess. We were like vultures when they brought out the s'mores pot de creme and 8 spoons. 



After dinner we went down the street to Lodo's Bar and Grill to drink on their amazing patio. We snatched a table that had its own fireplace attached to it with a roaring fire. Many drinks later, eventually the whole patio turned into a crowded dance party. Overall, a great last night and a very unforgettable trip! And here I am, back in Iowa, and it is humid as hell...gross, but oh well! 

A day in the mountains!

So after the Rockies game, the sun and the beer made us so tired that we decided to stay in that night. But the next day, Kelsey suggested that we visit the Denver Greek Festival. Greek food? Yes please. It was a little rainy that day but the gyros and saginaki seemed more important to us than getting rained on. Decently priced, I got 20 coins for $20 and had a lamb sandwich, pastitsio (layered meat and pasta dish with nutmeg and cinnamon), dolmadakia (grape leaves filled with meat and rice with a lemon sauce), galaktoboureko (a custard dessert layered with phyllo dough), and loukoumades (fried doughnuts). Here's a picture of the adorable children performing traditional Greek dances. 

After the Greek Fest it was time to head into the Rocky Mountains! I had visited the mountains several times before when I was younger to visit my aunt and her family. She lived in Keystone but we were going to Silverthorne which wasn't too far from there. Anyways, back to driving into the mountains. Seriously, one of my favorite things to do. Every piece of scenery just seems unreal to me. I love the way the sun and the clouds shadow and brighten the different curves and angles. I love the pine trees against the rocky cliffs. The small rivers and creeks that twist and turn in the valleys. The wildlife. You don't forget those views. 

The condo we were staying in was right next to a mountain I remembered from when I was younger called Buffalo Mountain. 

For our morning of hiking, we might have chosen a bit of an easier path, (we passed a lot of toddlers) but it was still beautiful none the less. And of course I'm out of shape so it still felt sort of challenging. Did I mention I was hungover? Oh, just look at the views.

 These aspen trees were probably my favorite things to look at on the trail. They were so tall and the way that they were colored almost white made them appear to be painted into the green scenery. All along the trail the trees had been scarred from people who carved initials and figures into the bark. Here I am below standing in the middle of an aspen tree archway. Seriously I have never been so impressed by trees, lol.

After thirty minutes into hiking, you eventually reach what is called Lily-pad Lake. It looks pretty much as good as it sounds. I was pretty proud of the picture I snapped of it below. The way that the clouds are seen reflected perfectly in the water against the green and yellow lily-pads floating peacefully on the lake-heaven!

Not a whole lot of talking on this hike. 

First night in denver!

On vacation in the beautiful Denver, Colorado with some of my closest friends and I couldn't be happier as I write this with a mimosa in hand. We drove all night through to get here and napped most of the day but in the evening we explored some of the popular places our friends here like to go. The first place we went to was one of Denver's best new restaurants called Pinche Tacos. It used to be a taco stand but has developed into a sit down place.

You buy your tacos a la carte, but there's also an impressive drink menu and appetizer list. We got guacamole (amazing) and some happy hour margaritas to start off with. I ordered 4 tacos (i am a pig), a steak taco, a fish taco, a shrimp taco, and a tongue taco. The tongue taco, lengua I think, was my absolute favorite with a honey chipotle sauce, I would go back for like 5 more. The tacos ranged from $3 to $4 so overall very decently priced.

 After we stuffed ourselves with tacos we visited a bar called The Thin Man. This bar featured different flavored vodkas they infused themselves. With flavors like basil, cucumber, apricot, and iced tea, I chose a mango mint vodka paired with soda that was awesome and only $5. It was a really cute ans intimate bar that was decorated in what I like to call "jesus art".

After a drink we went back to our friends' townhouse to drink, ahem, more. We learned that on wednesday nights, Denver has this bicycle bar crawl where bicyclists visit different bars and eventually end up at the amphitheater where they ride bikes in a huge circle with music and costumes. Like nothing I had ever seen before. By midnight though we were pretty exhausted and ready for sleep. This morning I cooked breakfast for the gang and today we're headed to a Rockies game. Can't wait to see what other shenanigans we get ourselves into!

Sunday Soupday: Santa Fe Chicken Soup

Ever since I requested my Sundays off of work, the end of the work week has evolved into a day of soup madness in my apartment. Soup has always been a hobby of mine, if that even is a real hobby, and I enjoy creating new kinds and experimenting with new ingredients. My favorite item in my kitchen is my steel soup pot I found one day for only $10 dollars at a thrift store. I don't know what it is about soup that I particularly enjoy, maybe it's the endless possibilities, the melting together of ingredients, the comfort, or the fact that every pot has the capability to become something completely unique and original. Some of my favorites have been sausage butternut squash, spicy crab corn chowder, and mushroom bisque. Today I made Santa Fe Chicken! 

I was craving a soup that had a Mexican style feel to it, but one that was also still home-style. The spices I used were not hot, but rather smoky with a little spice. I guess I would call it a chipotle flavor. I don't know. Who cares? It's yummy. Oh and creamy too. But anyways, on to the recipe! It's a huge pot of soup!

So to begin with, I chopped an onion (almost always my first step in any soup). I prefer white onions in almost all of my soups because they never overpower the color or flavor. Then I diced my raw chicken into tiny bite size pieces and seasoned them heavily with salt, pepper, and tex-mex seasoning. The tex-mex seasoning I use is made of dehydrated pepers, garlic, onion, and cumin and has a built in grinder. 

I just had to shove my raw chicken picture in here. Doesn't it look good all shiny and pink? I used chicken breast tenders, about a pound and a half. I think using pulled chicken from a whole roasted chicken would be best, but that is more of a time and effort thing and I had neither today. 

So in my soup pot, I melted some butter on medium-high heat and then added the onions. I sauteed those for a bit and then added my chicken. After getting a bit of color added to that, I added some chopped garlic to it as well. If you like spice, a jalapeno pepper would be good here as well. When the chicken was mostly cooked, I added 6 tablespoons of flour. This makes the mixture thick and kind of weird, but it has to cook for at least 5 minutes to get rid of icky raw flour taste.

After the flour is cooked, the next steps are easy and pretty much all at once. First, I slowly add about 10 cups of chicken broth/stock/whatever you like. Then I added a bay leaf, 2 cans of corn (white or sweet corn is best, in fact fresh corn from the cob would be even better) and 2 cans of black beans. I was DUMB and forgot to rinse the beans before adding them to the soup so my broth was colored slightly black because of it. I also added 2 cans of ro*tel diced tomatoes and chilies, with added cilantro and lime juice. After that I added 3 cups of milk, the more whole, the better. Finally the last ingredient I added was a bag of shredded mexican quesadilla cheese and a bag of shredded pepper jack cheese. After everything is stirred together, I get a quick taste and add seasoning (salt, pepper, tex-mex) as needed. Then I popped the lid on the pot and let that baby simmer for 45 minutes to an hour over low heat. 

Now the soup is ready to eat!! You can top it off with some tortilla chips or avocado if you like or just eat it how it is. Pretty successful soupday I would say!

Iowa Pride

       Not having to work until 5 today, my sister and I decided to take a little day trip out to Kalona to take a break from Iowa City. Leaving the Walmart and the gas stations behind, the drive out to Kalona always reminds me of the unique beauty that Iowa holds. Rarely appreciated by those not from around here, the skies are clear and endless, as are the fields that roll beyond the horizon. Acres of farmland, small homes selling brown eggs and fresh herbs, and cows grazing in the shade remind us of the promise of growth and the simplicity of nature. 

       Halfway to Kalona is one of my favorite places around, the stores Bloom and Sister's Garden. Antique furniture, unique planting supplies, decorative wall art, and delicious soaps are delightfully cluttered between 2 old homes. Everything in the store has a country feel with a modern and inventive edge. My sister has found dozens of items to add to her terrariums and I have found my favorites perfumes and knick knacks here. I got something pretty cool here today but I do with it will be for another post.

           Once we're in Kalona, our first stop is always the Kalona Bakery. I believe their staple is definitely the cinnamon rolls. I got these two gigantic rolls for around $5! Other than cinnamon rolls, the bakery also has delicious pecan bars and different flavored cheesecakes, as well as an array of muffins, cookies, and pies. They also sell homemade noodles, bread, salsas, and dressings. 

After the bakery, we made our very first visit to Stringtown Grocery. This store is fairly cheap and has items sold with minimal packaging in bulk sizes. The picture I took was of the candy section. So many gummies! Aaah heaven. This place is a must go to stop next time I do some heavy duty baking. Mari got some sour patch kids and I got some sesame sticks and cheddar sticks. 

Finally our last stop of the day was the Kalona Cheese House. It is impossible to visit without leaving with a pound of freshly made cheese curds that squeak in your teeth when you bite into them. The small shop offers a huge selection of crackers, dips, and candies before you reach the CHEESE. Any kind of cheese you could ever want with samples galore! I often times "forget" how a cheese tastes and need to try it again. My sister found a buffalo wing cheese that was phenomenal while I busied myself with teriyaki beef bites and curds. A pound for only $4.50!


Overall, a wonderful day for me and my worn out boots to spend a warm, Iowa afternoon enjoying all of our local treasures. 

My Worn Out Boots

Hello my dearest darlings! Today I received my laptop in the mail! My own laptop, of which I have been without for over a year! I can finally attempt this whole blog thing that everyone else is doing, even though I will be miles behind everyone else. To start off with, why blog? Why me? Well, as a 23 year old graduate student who refuses to grow up, I've found myself on a constant quest for the simpler things in life. I use the word simple as a homage to experiences that are humbling, home grown, and easy to enjoy. But that does not mean that my adventures will be lacking in flavor, style, or warmth. I like to think I discover, create, or share something amazing almost everyday and would love to share it with the rest of the world. So be prepared for recipes, crafts, fashion tips, and reviews with my worn out boots and me.