Western Texture

Breakfast

My homemade rhubarb pie for breakfast feels like a sinful luxury.

Breakfast

Dave's Killer "Good Seed" Bread (I agree with the cool label: "heavenly texture and saintly flavor") toasted with real organic butter on my vintage Redwing (zinnia pattern) square plate.

Vintage Glass

Breakfast

Happy Friday!

Retro Icebox Cake

I followed a great recipe from the new "No Bake Makery" but with my own twist of using fresh organic raspberries and blueberries, mixed with homemade organic whipped cream and locally made chocolate chocolate chip cookies. It was a hit!

Alternatives

After watching this video (link), I decided to try harder to kick my plastic habit,
with some helpful tips from this blog (link).

I already carry reusable shopping bags (or refuse bags and look ridiculous carrying arm loads of groceries to my car -- teaches me a lesson!), buy from bulk and either reuse those plastic bags over and over or my own cotton bulk bags, and I carry a reusable stainless steel water bottle and coffee to-go cup, etc...

However, I realized I really like vitamin water and energy bars when out on a hike or for a pick-me-up at work. I decided to challenge myself and find easy ways to replicate these items at home. I am SO excited about what I came up with that I had to share!

 Delicious homemade "vitamin" water: pour filtered water over a couple slices of lime, raspberries and mint. Refrigerate overnight and indulge in a refreshing glass the next day. It turns a pretty pink/red! (wait too long to drink it and the lime pith will make it sour)

Yummy and filling homemade "energy" bars: chop nuts (I used walnuts and almonds - use whatever you want) and dried fruit (I used apricots and tart cherries), mix with coconut, plain puffed rice cereal, and a pinch of salt. Heat a little butter, almond butter, and brown rice syrup. Bring to a simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over your nut/fruit mixture and combine. Press firmly into a buttered pan. Chill until firm, tip out, slice into individual servings. I like to use the little brown wax bags from Natural Value for these and sandwiches. Keep them in the refrigerator. I based my recipe on one I found in the Healthy in a Hurry cookbook.


Every little bit counts, especially if we all decide to ...
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.  I hope you got some fun and yummy ideas out of this post!

Happy Friday!

(a belated post from a Nosh birthday celebration)

Of course the spicy shrimp bowl is to die for, but I was surprised by the salty caramel apple martini (as I'm not usually an apple drink kinda gal) - SO flavorful, and the the creme brulee was a delicious end to a lovely evening out on the patio at Nosh.

Lake George Baby Smoky Quartz Crystals

(all of these are tiny -- less than 1/2" tall)

Photo Website for Laurie Brown

I had a great time designing this website for photographer Laurie Brown. Check it out here: lauriebrownphotographer.com and her recently published book by GFT. Such exquisite photos!

Miniature Golf

Happy 4th of July!

Celebrated with some yummy BBQ from the Chuckwagon, (located at the food truck hangout - Curbside Cuisine... very cool!) watermelon, my special goat cheese salad and mojitos!

My Map for At Home in the West

I am so excited to see the map I created for the gorgeous At Home in the West book by William S. Sutton, just put out by GFT Publishing.

Denver Trip

 Must see: Denver Art Museum's Ernesto Neto interactive installation

 Delicious lunch and a bloody mary at City O City.

I want this! Aquamarine and Smoky Quartz at the Denver Museum of Natural History.