A Food Interlude: Part II

Its been to busy in my life (Hi, December!) to write, but not too busy to bake. Or maybe I've just been busy baking? Who knows. 

Here's what I've been baking lately:

1. SHORTBREAD!

I love me some shortbread. My grandma makes EXCELLENT shortbread and has always assured me that its easy to make. Which is probably why I was so mad I had to scrap my first batch of dough because it wouldn't come together at all. What a tragic waste of butter. 

HOWEVER, I was determined to get it right and I tried again. Apparently the second time's a charm! Its not the most beautiful shortbread in the world, and my chocolate drizzling skills obviously need work, but Roommate Jen ate all my "reject" pieces and declared it "delicious", which is enough for me.

The rest is currently in the freezer, awaiting the arrival of my family on Saturday.

Yeah, did I mention I'm hosting Christmas this year? Yikes. Adulthood is weird. 

2. MONKEY BREAD MUFFINS

Did you ever eat Monkey Bread as a kid? We always called it Monkey Brains. Usually you make it in a big bundt pan, but it absolutely works in muffin form. This is what I made to console myself after my initial shortbread failure. It tasted like childhood and victory!

3. WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

These were less exciting since they were made for my boss whose father passed away this week. I happen to know they are his favorite cookie and also that no one in his family really cooks or bakes. I figured one plate of these could stay at home for cookie binge comfort and maybe the other plate could be used for refreshments at the visitation. 

When I went to the funeral, my boss' mother thanked me for the cookies and said she ate an entire plate herself.  It was nice to know they helped, even just a little. 

4. CAKE BITES

These suckers are labor intensive, but always a hit.  My preferred flavor are red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Because anything that is a vehicle for cream cheese frosting is a win in my book. 

I did have an orange and vanilla one the other day though and tasted just like a dreamsicle, which is never a bad thing. 

These are currently hiding in the freezer waiting for my mom's birthday part. I know I don't have near enough, but I just don't have another 3 hours to devote to these babies. 

5. VODKA MARTINI WITH BLEU CHEESE STUFFED OLIVES

Ok, truth is I didn't make this, but I've had a few recently and they always make me feel like a sophisticated adult, which I most assuredly am not.  

My parents arrive Saturday, my brother and his fiance arrive Thursday...I'm just strapping in for the crazy and hoping we can all enjoy this rare time together. 

Which I'm sure we will, since there will be cookies and martinis. 

Happy Christmas, everyone! 

Boulder, CO May 2012: An Altered State

This was my first trip to Boulder, but my second trip to Colorado. I visited Denver in July of 2010 to visit my friend Jenna, my frequent partner in Pittsburgh-related crime, who had relocated there after a few years in Tanzania with the Peace Corps. Denver was a cool place, but I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. I was NOT an Denver person. I don't hike. I don't ski. I wasn't tan (even though it was July). I wasn't an activist for social justice, the environment or puppies. Plus the altitude and I did not get along. I had fun seeing Jenna, but I knew that I could never be a Denverite. 

So it was with an apprehensive heart that I went to visit Jenna in Boulder a mere two years later. Boulder is pretty geographically close to Denver. I flew into the Denver airport (a place that seriously creeps me out because you're greeted by an insane Bronco statue with GLOWING DEMON EYES) so technically I was in Denver for at least a little while...but then we were off to Boulder. 

Jenna must have known that she would have to really sell Boulder or I would never come to Colorado again so we started things off right: with margaritas. 

What followed was a weekend of lightly buzzed bliss. Boulder. Is. AWESOME. If I'm ever a millionaire (or marry one) I will go to Boulder for a month and eat my way through town. I come from a sub-suburban town where our restaurant options are Chilis or Applebees. You know what I never saw in Boulder? A Chilis or Applebees. I'm sure they are there somewhere, but I never had to resort to eating there, and that is what matters. 

We ate. We drank. We drank some more. We visited an awesome street fair that was happening downtown and I bought presents for people (I'm generous when I'm buzzed). We saw movies. We watched episodes of our favorite British sitcom The IT Crowd. 

HOWEVER, since you can't visit CO without going at least a LITTLE native...we hiked. It was glorious! We took so many pictures and, in the end, they all look more or less the same :) I felt so in touch with nature! I felt so athletic! I felt so sophisticated because I took pictures on a REAL CAMERA and not just one on my iPhone! 

We were so busy being proud of ourselves that we were almost late for our BEER TOUR! If you are in Boulder and love micro-brews, I highly suggest this. We had so much fun. 

Go to Boulder. See friends. Drink beer. Climb mountains. Eat at places that are not Applebees. You won't regret it. 

I didn't.