Thanksgiving in Colorado Heaven!

I have decided that if I couldn't be in California celebrating my most favorite of holidays with my beloved family members, there is no other place I would rather have been than Granby, Colorado. About 1.5 hours north west of Denver, this little ranching town is adorable, tucked away in the hills among the snowy mountains. Thanksgiving Day found us with an average temperature of about 5 degrees, with a low of negative 2! It was a vacation of firsts for me with the coldest weather I've ever been in, ever snowboarded in, 1st time cross-country skiing, 1st time snow shoeing, learned Cribbage, went through a forest to find a Christmas tree and so much more! I went in the jacuzzi every night with a glass of wine and the glorious view of the town below. It was a marvelous time and it was possible through the warm and welcoming hospitality of Pam and Rich. Thanks so much you two!!

On Thanksgiving day, after a heaping plateful of homemade sourdough and blueberry pancakes, we rented cross-country skis for me and we went exploring around the golf course. We saw a herd of elk up in the mountains, a train of coal pass by and even some deer on the way home!

I LOVE cross country skiing now! (Of course it was on a fairly flat golf course so a more rigorous trail could change my mind on the sport, but as beginners go, it was a fun time!)

The beautiful view from the hot tub. Rich's house is in such a great location for sun sets, as you can see the pink lights on the mountains out there as the sun goes down.

One morning we woke up to frost everywhere! Some of the smaller trees doubled in width with all the frost covering their branches. It was a winter wonderland!! :)

Another view of the sunset from Rich's. 

Even little shrubs and grasses were covered in frost. It was a chilly morning, I think about 10 degrees. After such a cold weekend, coming back to Denver with a temperature of about 45-50 seemed so warm I stripped down to a t-shirt and took off my socks, it was like summer weather...ok not quite, but still so much warmer!

I couldn't get enough of this view!

My little bug made it safe and sound up and back down the mountain, even in the chilly weather with some snow on Wednesday too!!

On Saturday we went on an excursion and stopped by the cute touristy town of Grand Lake. This is Granby Lake and reminded me a bit of Tahoe since it's a beautiful blue lake surrounded by snow. 

On Friday Rich hung up some Christmas lights on the little trees outside his house in addition to some icicle lights along the railing. With the snow and the dusk lighting, his house was as cute as a Christmas card!

The happy Thanksgiving group: me, Rich, Pam and Suzal. Pam termed it "Bubba's Dude Chalet" (Bubba is Rich's nickname) since it was like a little get away with wild life and outdoor activities!!

We even saw a moose! On the way up the mountain I thought I spotted a horse-like creature among the trees so we were really looking hard on the way back down. Rich said they don't move too far too fast usually (although they can if they want to) and when we turned a corner BAMM there was a moose, just hanging out on the side of the street. He quickly ran a bit away but Pam and I tried to get a good glimpse of him. This was the best picture we had due to the sun light in our faces, but it's a real, live moose! Man they are HUGE!!!!!!!

Snow-shoeing for the first time. Pam and Rich decided not to use them, so I was the trail blazer as we explored into the forest for the perfect Christmas tree. I quickly broke a sweat and even had a sore butt later on due to the hard work. The snow shoes helped though because I didn't sink too far into the snow thanks to the snow shoes. Plus, Pam let me borrow her gaters for my ankles so no snow got into my boots (which I bought at the Good Will for like $3!). What a great excursion!!

I was pumped to snow shoe. Rich had us wear orange vests since we would be in the woods and there may be some hunters about who could mistake our movement for an animal's. Luckily we were safe and no close encounters happened. 

Forging ahead, breaking the trail--I am becoming so adventurous!! Ha yeah right, in comparison to Pam and Rich I'm a definite California city-slicker girl, but I'm learning!!

Our perfect Charlie-Brown Christmas tree!!! Due to the pine beetle killing so many pine trees in the forest, we decided not to actually cut down a tree this year (as Pam and Rich have done in the past) but rather decided to make a beautiful bow for it, tie it on the tree and mark it as ours. Pam declared it a gift to the forest because we were letting the tree live another year in nature rather than die in their house. It was a spectacular experience either way (probably better we didn't cut it down and lug it back to the car because by that time I was pretty darn pooped!). 

Early Merry Christmas after such a wintery wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Oh and I didn't even mention the food! Such scrumptious food there was too! Not only were there homemade sourdough blueberry pancakes, but we also made homemade sourdough whole wheat pizza crust with plenty of veggies piled on top, homemade turkey noodle soup (with the turkey broth from the turkey carcass--I went vegetarian this week, so no turkey in the soup but the broth was included), 10 grain oatmeal with dried blueberries and cherries, lots of pumpkin and pecan pie, raw cranberry relish with a whole orange (peel and all) and an entire head of garlic, roasted and smeared on Pam's homemade bread! AND one of the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I've ever had as a snowboarding lunch with Pam's toasted bread, some peanut butter and red current jelly!! If that doesn't fill the tummy and warm the heart, I don't know what will! :D

Thanksgiving Love!!

Here are some fantastically hilarious (OK maybe not that great) Turkey Day jokes:

I started by trying to come up with my own jokes and the best I got was:

what is the magical key you need on Thanksgiving day? a TUR-key!!!

Unfortunately after I googled Thanksgiving jokes I realized that my oh so creative joke isn’t all that creative and there were several similar jokes like that listed. However, I did enjoy some of the jokes that are posted below! Get ready for Turkey day will ya?! Bring out your stretchy pants and start warming up!!

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims!

If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?
Their AGE

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one fresh enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, "Don't you have fresh turkeys?" The stock boy answered, "But they are all dead. Now how can I make them take a bath?"

What did the mama turkey say to her naughty son?
If your papa could see you now, he'd turn over in his gravy!

Asked to write a composition entitled, "What I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving,"
little Timothy wrote, "I am thankful that I'm not a turkey.

And even better, here is my much acclaimed and much anticipated "Ode to the Berry of Turkey Day":

Ode to the Berry of Turkey Day: aka I'm in Love with Cranberries

Cranberry, Cranberry,
Oh how you are my favorite berry,
You make my life so merry,
and get me to miss my dad Jerry
who is not hairy
nor is a berry
but who taught me how to make sauce
out of you, 'cus he is a cranberry boss!

How you pop and sizzle in the pan
I must admit I even like you from the can
but made fresh is hard to beat:
whole berries with orange rind, what a treat!

I eat you with my turkey,
(I like you much more than that bird--hehe!!)
I keep you very near to me
I've never picked you from your tree
but I could since you are free!
You are wonderful: you help me pee
You also make me strong, as mighty as a bee,
you are definitely a miracle berry, oh gee!!

Your succulent taste
that I never want to waste
I dare not eat you in a haste
I wish I could make you into a paste
or use you for my turkey as a baste,
so healthy, you shrink my waist,
so pure, so chaste.

So as you can see: I'm in love.
It's true, it's real, it's pure as a dove.
I wish I could eat you all year round,
If I did, I would not gain a pound.
I'd be so happy, I'd never send an animal to the pound.
I may start collecting you and form a GINORMOUS mound!!!

Thank you for all you are to me,
so dear,
so beautiful,
so alluring,
my beloved Cranberry. 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Quinoa with Mashed Butternut Squash

One night after a family night, I came home hungry. Usually with family nights at work we get to eat food with the families, but last week we were running around so much and trying to make sure the families got enough food, that we didn't get to eat much. I didn't have any pre-prepared food so I had to find something quick and easy. Luckily I'd bought a package of frozen, prepped butternut squash the week before because it was on sale. I started steaming it and put some quinoa on the stove. The butternut squash was cooked longer than to steam so by the time I tried to stir it, I ended up mashing it together. Instead of eating a bowl of quinoa and a bowl of mashed butternut squash, I decided to mix them together and have quinoa, mashed butternut squash flavor. It was good and easy! What a nice trick of having easy food ready for those last minute meals!

Pumpkin Risotto!

Vegan Pumpkin Risotto

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/r/pumpkinrisotto.htm

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups arborio (risotto) rice
• 1 cup white wine--didn't use, substituted extra cup of vegetable broth
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup canned pumpkin--used my homemade purree!
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil--didn't have so used rosemary instead
• 1 tbsp margarine
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine.

Start to add the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently.

Add remaining ingredients, stirring well, and cook for just a few minutes, until heated through. 

Cooking the risotto with the homemade pumpkin puree I made in October! So rich and yet so vegan at the same time!

Had to add a little more veggie to the dish, so here are some canned carrots and peas with corn simmering on the stove. Canned, simple and still pretty darn delicious! Ha

What a great presentation, right?

Tofu with Shiitake Mushrooms

Home-Style Tofu with Shiitake Mushrooms

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/08/home-style-tofu-with-shiitake-mushrooms.html

16 ounces extra firm tofu, drained
soy sauce
1 cup (about 1 ounce) dried, sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh finely minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
3 tablespoons fermented black beans*--I just used a can of normal black beans
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise and then slice each half into approximately 8 slices about 1/2-inch thick. Brush each slice with soy sauce on both sides and place on a baking sheet. Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes, and then turn over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

While the tofu is baking, pour the hot water over the sliced shiitake mushrooms. (If you don’t have sliced mushrooms, use whole ones and slice after rehydrating.) Allow them to soak until soft. Leave the mushrooms in the soaking liquid and set aside until needed.

Spray a wok or large non-stick skillet with a little canola oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, black beans, and red pepper, and stir-fry for about 1 minute. (*See note below.) Add the red pepper strips and cook for another minute. Stir in the mushrooms, along with their soaking liquid, and add the tofu and soy sauce. Let simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the tofu to absorb the flavors. Then stir in the corn starch mixture and stir until thickened. Add the sliced green onions and sesame oil and serve immediately over rice. Makes 4 servings.

*I used black beans that were packed in oil and pressed them lightly to remove as much of the oil as possible. If you are using the type of fermented black beans that are packed dry, you may want to lightly crush them before adding them to the skillet. Also, adding a little water or oil to the skillet will make stir-frying them with the garlic easier.

Dried shiitake mushrooms

plus baked tofu (seasoned with soy sauce)

cooked together in a pot with black beans, some carrots, green bell pepper and green onions

to create this tasty dish served on brown rice!

Vegan Thanksgiving Dishes!

After I received a Women's Health magazine in the mail I found an article on healthier side dishes for Thanksgiving. That article inspired me to do a Thanksgiving-themed meal for me and Britney before she goes back to South Carolina for the holiday (tomorrow night!) and I go up to Granby (Wednesday morning). I knew it was going to be a bigger ordeal than I'd previously done because of all the dishes I wanted to prepare, but luckily I had a good chunk of time this Sunday afternoon to get them all made, with Britney's help of course. 

The thing I found most surprising about this meal was how familiar it ended up being. While the recipes were twists on the familiar, all the recipes were somewhat familiar. For example, I've already made a rice pilaf with apricots in it this semester. The green bean dish and the cranberry dish were almost replicas of what we do as a family for Thanksgiving. I'd say the newest dish was the smashed sweet potatoes, but even that wasn't too far off the mark with other smashed winter veggies I've had before. 

I'm very excited to say that I have plenty of leftovers for Britney's and my lunches tomorrow, with enough food to probably last me until Wednesday when I leave for break!! YUM YUM YUM! Happy Turkey Day! Gobble Gobble (those would be the turkeys that I did not help eat!)

 Pass Up... Green Bean Casserole
Per ½-cup serving: 175 cal, 10 g fat (3 g sat), 18 g carbs, 541 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein

Pass the... Green Beans With Shallots
No need to sabotage a perfectly good vegetable by drowning it in a pool of cream of mushroom soup and deep-fried onions. This lean bean dish delivers just as much flavor and crunch, and it sidesteps two-thirds of the belly-bloating sodium you'll find in a casserole.

1/4 cup olive oil
4 large shallots, peeled and quartered
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 lbs green beans, trimmed

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. While water is heating, pour olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until shallots are soft, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; stir well. Remove from heat.

3. Add green beans to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain. Toss beans with shallot mixture. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

Per ½-cup serving: 107 cal, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 12 g carbs, 181 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein

Pass Up... Traditional Stuffing
Per 1/2-cup serving: 265 cal, 11 g fat (2 g sat), 38 g carbs, 865 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein

Pass the... Brown Rice Pilaf With Apricots And Almonds
Make your stuffing with whole-grain pilaf instead of traditional stuffing and you'll trim 61 calories and seven grams of fat. Not only will those slow-to-digest grains help keep you full, but they've also been shown to blast ab fat.

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 cups medium-grain brown rice

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. Combine chicken broth, 1¾ cups water, and ¾ teaspoon salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add rice. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 40 minutes.

2. Ten minutes before rice is finished, heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add apricots, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons water, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir well and remove from heat.

3. Once rice is cooked, remove from heat. Let stand covered 5 minutes. Uncover and toss with onion mixture, parsley, and almonds. Serve. Makes 8 servings

Per ½-cup serving: 204 cal, 4 g fat (1 g sat), 37 g carbs, 203 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein

Pass Up... Cranberry Sauce
Per1/3-cup serving: 225 cal, <1 g fat (0 g sat), 57 g carbs, 2 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, <1 g protein

Pass the... Cranberry-Pear Sauce
Cranberries are weight-loss superstars. Studies have found that they contain organic acids that may help dissolve fat deposits, plus enzymes that may boost metabolism. Too bad we tend to dump sugar over them to temper their tartness. The pears in this dish add sweetness, which means you can use half as much sugar as most canned sauces.

1/2 cup sugar
12 oz fresh cranberries
3 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir well.

2. Add cranberries, pears, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until cranberries burst.

3. Remove from heat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 8 servings

Per 1/3-cup serving: 112 cal, 0 g fat (0 g sat), 29 g carbs, 62 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 0 g protein

Two pictures of this glorious dish because I love cranberry sauce so much. The one thing I'd say is that I cooked it a bit too long so the berries all popped and it was more like jam than cranberries, but the taste was still the same fantabulous thing!

Even though this picture is blurry, this is a more accurate representation of my sauce's color. SO GOOD! 

Pass Up... Candied Sweet Potatoes
Per ½-cup serving: 315 cal, 7 g fat (3 g sat), 61 g carbs, 153 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 2 g protein

Pass the... Chili-Spiced Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Not only is this dish practically fat-free, but the chili powder contains capsaicin, which studies have shown may inhibit fat cell growth and help people consume fewer calories. And cinnamon is no slacker spice either: It keeps your blood sugar stable and your appetite in check, so you won’t be tempted to go back for second helpings.

4 large sweet potatoes (3½ lbs total)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder

1. Bake the sweet potatoes in a 425°F oven until they are soft, about 70 minutes. Remove sweet potatoes from oven and allow them to cool slightly.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and chili powder.

3. Scoop sweet potatoes out of skins and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour orange juice mixture over sweet potatoes, mash well, and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Per ½-cup serving: 191 cal, <1 g fat (0 g sat), 45 g carbs, 169 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 3 g protein

I doctored this dish up a bit with some apple-cider vinegar, a bit more salt, pepper and chili pepper. Also, I broke off the tip of my spatula as I was mixing it up in the food processor because the potatoes wouldn't all get chopped up so I was trying to help out...CAREFUL with that tactic!

Happy Thanksgiving!! :D What a rainbow of colorful food!!!

Movie and Goodies!

On Thursday night, Britney and I decided to hang out and have some fun. We rented the documentary "Babies"--a pretty cute movie and entertaining considering it's solely about babies being babies! I offered to make some homemade popcorn and warm apple cider. I bought some Martenelli's apple juice for a recipe, the apple pilaf if I recall correctly, and had the rest sitting in the fridge. 

Here's the apple cider. I just put the juice on the stove, heated it up and added some cinnamon and nutmeg. It was fantastic!!

HOMEMADE POPCORN! Britney said it was "OK" but I thought it was pretty great, probably more so because I made it myself rather than it being the best popcorn I've ever had in my whole entire life. The best popcorn I've ever had and would love to emulate was Elvia's in Ecaudor. I don't know how she made it almost perfect every single time, but that stuff was darn tasty and was never out of a bag. I still have plenty of kernels though so I can practice and get better and better, just like Elvia! :)

Yes, I realize this picture isn't about food, movies or goodies. Well, maybe it is a goodie. Our heat in our apartment hasn't worked since we moved in (but to be fair, we only just tried to turn it on last week when it snowed for the first time in Denver since I moved here!) and my window has no insulation. I decided to try an experiment and hung up this blanket with some tacks around the window to see if it will stop the cold air from coming into my room as harshly each night...experiment is still being tested!

And here is my lovely self taking a self-portrait at 7AM on Friday morning before David (my co-worker at the school) picked me up to go snowboarding. I just couldn't help myself considering how much freakin' pink I was wearing. I had the long-sleeved shirt, then I bought those pants that are like the exact same shade, at Target. I got the boots at a Good Will a month ago or so, and the socks were another gift from mom. The pink thing in the foreground is my bed spread, so yes I guess I'd say I like pink!! :D

Apple Pilaf

APPLE PILAF

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2812

Serves 6

Crisp apples, earthy leeks and nutty pecans make this pilaf a standout. Try out a favorite (or new) brown rice blend in this recipe: Those with wild rice, red rice or even barley and rye will work wonderfully. Just remember that different blends can cook or absorb at slightly different rates, so don't hesitate to add a tablespoon more water or broth if the rice looks like it is drying out too quickly or, if the grains are tender and you see too much liquid, simmer the pilaf uncovered for a few minutes. 

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice blend
1 leek, white and light green parts, split, rinsed, thinly sliced and rinsed again
1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup apple cider (non-alcoholic)
1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, leek, broth and cider. Bring to a boil, stir once, lower heat, cover and cook at a bare simmer for 40 minutes. Sprinkle apple on top, cover pan again, and continue to simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice grains are very tender, 5 to 10 minutes more depending on rice varieties. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans and fluff with a fork.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 6oz/166g-wt.): 150 calories (70 from fat), 7g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 19g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 2g protein