Road Tripping: Rocky Mountain Vacation

This summer was the first vacation the hubs and I have taken in years, and it was wonderful and relaxing.  It was actually a family vacation with my side of the family, and that was the first we had been on.  We were to be renting a cabin in Durango, Colorado for three glorious days, the downfall, the 14 hour drive there, and the 14 hour drive home, with just a three day break.

The Journey

We were packed and ready to leave the night before, the car was loaded, breakfast and lunch for the drive was prepared, and my GPS was programmed.  We were beyond ready to get the drive started so it would be over quickly.  I knew the drive was going to be long and ugly, but I didn't realize that 13 of the 14 hours were ugly.  My butt was so numb, I swear it was bruised.

Sadly, with all the excitement and planning, the drive didn't exactly go as planned.  It started with me getting a speeding ticket about 20 minutes outside of town, wah-wahn.  Then we had to throw away all the food I prepared for breakfast and lunch, because the ice in the cooler melted into it and it became a soggy mess.  My asthma was also acting up for about six hours of the drive because of the constant change in altitude.  Haha.  Of course I forgot about it all once we finally reached the cabin that night.

The Cabin

It was beautiful, more than I expected.  The cabin was nestled about 25 minutes outside of downtown Durango in the valley.  It was in this adorable dirt road "neigborhood" of about 10 homes.  Completely surrounded by trees and a peaceful stream, we slept with our windows open every night; falling asleep to the sound of the mountains.  We even had a cat adopt us while we were there.  Sipping coffee in the mornings, and wine in the evenings on the back patio with Mr. Pinecone Kitty, was the greatest thing about the entire trip.  I didn't think it was possible for my body to be so relaxed.

Morning Hike

The first morning we were there, we slept in of course because of the drive, but after coffee and breakfast we took a nice family hike up the side of the hill the cabin was on.  An uphill two mile hike to overlook the tips of the trees in the morning was the perfect way to start vacation.  

Downtown Durango

The drive to downtown is a quick one, and it is so charming.  Not overcrowded with the perfect mix of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques.  We walked around town a few times.  The best part was our one dinner out at Elous.  Elous is THE rooftop restaurant in Durango; the view, the food, the service was impeccable.  

Whitewater Rafting

I have always wanted to go White Water Rafting, but in all my years of growing up in Colorado I never got to.  The rafting trips fill-up fast so we had to take the only place in town with four spots open for us 'kids'.  We had a lot of fun, but I do wish the rapids would have been more challenging.  The most exciting part was when our fearless leader lost his oar twice and we had to go on a rescue mission for it, right before the biggest rapid of our trip.  I didn't fall in the freezing cold water, so it was a success.  

Mesa Verde National Park

Do you remember going to Mesa Verde as a kid?  I do.  However, it was different from what I remembered.  It was neat being able to visit a place that held a childhood memory of mine.  The drive was a long one; an hour from Durango to the park entrance, and another hour up the mountain.  With two strollers, those things are hard to push on sharp inclines, we went to Spruce Tree House.  The Indian Cliff Dwellings are beautiful, but I wish we could have crawled around in them.  Oh well, I guess they will just have to stay preserved for future generations.  

The Beer 

Well of course the hubs and myself had to visit all of the breweries/brewpubs in Durango.  I had a plethora of tiny beers from Ska, to Steamworks, to Carver, and beyond.  My favorite brews were those from Carver, the hubs was Ska.  

The Evenings

The evenings were perfect.  Sunset hikes (yes, that is bear paw print) followed by dinner on the cabin patio with a glass of wine in hand, was an entirely new level of relaxing.  The last night we were there the hubs fed sticks into our fire pit while we talked and told stories.  It was complete with S'mores, the best S'mores I have ever had. 

Trail Hike

The last day we were in Durango us 'kids' took a trail hike a few miles down the road.  We accidentally veered off the trail but we saw a family of gobbling turkeys and a few deer along our path.  

 The Family

I have to admit I did not take as many pictures as I wanted to, this is the only one I have of the gang (the babies were in bed).  I love family vacations.  

I'll be seeing you Durango...

Drink of the Week #8: Plantation

 I love basil and I am using it with everything right now...

salad dressing...pasta...cocktail? 

I have a beautiful basil plant that took off the past few months and is providing lovely large leaves.  I've known for a while that I was going to make one of my favorite cocktails with my favorite herb, and I finally did.

The base of the cocktail, which contributes to the flavor-bomb, are basil leaves muddled into submission with sugar and lime juice.  It basically turns into a sweetened pesto.  Combining a healthy dose of grapefruit juice with the basil accentuates the herbal flavor and mellows it out.  Of course you have to add the booze- gin and a small amount of orange liqueur.  

The Plantation is a fabulous summer sipper for front-porch swings and evenings by the pool.  

Style Inspiration: Neon Pineapple

Pineapples in fashion seem to be all the rage this summer.  Every time I get on Pinterest or read a blog it seems that somebody is sporting a pineapple covered fashion piece.  

When I made my monthly walk through the sale section at J. Crew my eyes caught a glimpse of a bright yellow dress, neon to be exact.  I picked it up without even looking at the price tage; I love neon.  When I tried the dress on I fell in love, I even sent a pic to my hubby. 

Finding a perfect dress wasn't even the best part, it was the price.  I seriously found the sale of the century.  No really...the dress retails at $148.  Not only was the dress on the sale rack, but they were running an additional 50% off all sale items; plus I got my teacher discount.  Eek.  For this $148 beauty, I paid $32.  I never get lucky like that, it was amazing.

I jumped at the chance to wear the dress just a few short days after I bought it, and my inspiration automatically went to the pineapple because of its color.  I needed to accessorize with greenish-blue to get the pineapple look nailed down, so that is exactly what I did.

 I know what you are thinking, "that color yellow isn't really that of a pineapple".  But you are wrong, it is, it's the colors of a mutant pineapple that came into contact with crazy purple Minyons.  

Running around in my adorable, and comfortable, teal flats, I had a little bit of fun with my new dress.  The statement necklace, with the same color teal as my shoes, didn't hurt the look either.

I am already plotting the next time I can wear my neon pineapple dress.  It has just enough class, playfulness, and eye-popping color to go anywhere.  I think you can actually see me walking down the street in the dark in this number. 

Drink of the Week #7: Coffee Cubes

 A few years ago, while enjoying breakfast at Brewed in Fort Worth, I came across a coffee drink on the menu that I had never seen before, Coffee Cubes with Milk.  For starters, I am not a milk drinker, but I do enjoy Almond Milk and Soy Milk.  I decided to order the drink, which they have in limited supply, with Soy Milk.  It was delicious...I was hooked...I made it at home.  

Coffee Cubes are by far the easiest drink to make, and it is perfect for those mornings where you realize you have no more coffee in the house, you are running late getting out of the door, or you need an afternoon pick-me-up.  

I like to use leftover coffee I have in the pot, instead of brewing a new pot.  I purchased a cheap ice cube tray and filled-it with leftover coffee, then simply stuck it in the freezer.  The next day the coffee was perfectly frozen into cubes, and they were very easy to remove from the mold.  

With a milk of your choice poured over the cubes, I tried a new flavor, Almond Coconut Almond Breeze.  I typically buy regular non-sweetened Almond Breeze, but the addition of Coconut Milk intrigued me; especially with the health benefits of each.  The milk was great, the Coconut flavor was more prominent than the Almond flavor, but added such a tasty tropical component.  

My favorite thing about the coffee cubes is that they last for hours, because the cubes melt as time goes by; and the drink becomes stronger.  I personally like more coffee cubes and less milk so I have more of a coffee flavor, but be careful, too many coffee cubes and it might as well be espresso with milk.  

Backyard Dinner Party

With all of our friends at the stage in their life where babies are popping-out left and right, it has become nearly impossible finding time to see each other.  Friends that we once saw a few days a week for years, have now become friends that we try our best to see every month or two.  It has been a hard transition, but so exciting at the same time. 

In an attempt to reunite with our wonderful friends the husband and myself decided to throw a casual dinner party in the backyard.  

I started planning two weeks in advance when I sent out the invite and got all 'yes' replies; I was so excited.  I knew it needed the look of a nice dinner party, but be comfortable, casual, and baby friendly at the same time.  I set-up a long table in the backyard and covered it with a simple tablecloth.  To create a 'runner' I used citronella candles (darn bugs) and beer/wine bottles as vases.  

My absolute favorite part was creating the menu cards.  A simple project of hand-writing the menu on miniature brown paper bags, and using laundry clips to attach them to napkins.  Not only was it cute, but it kept the menu and napkin from blowing away in the wind.  

As far as the menu went, most of it turned-out great.  I was going with simple dishes with sophisticated twists, and that would be nice in the hot weather (high 90's that evening).  I prepared everything a day in advance so I could hang out and participate in conversation; instead of being in the kitchen the entire time.  All I had to do was assemble plates as the night progressed and everything was ready to be served. 

• Sweet Corn Gazpacho
• Lemon Vinaigrette Salad with Shrimp
• Fig Jam & Arugula Pizza with Chicken Sausage
• S'mores Banana Ice Cream Pop

Starting the night with a cold soup was very refreshing, however the kick of Cayenne in the soup could have been toned down a notch, my mouth was on fire.  Thank goodness for wine to wash it down with.  My favorite course was actually the salad.  The Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette is a favorite of mine that I make quite often this Summer, and the addition of the shrimp, avocado, and parmesan created the perfect bite.   While my handmade-by-me pizza dough turned out perfect, the pizza, or should I say flatbread, was a little on the sweet side. Next time I will use less jam and add more cheese and sausage.  Oh, and of course the caramelized onions, yum.  The dish that I was most excited about was oh so good, however the 'popsicle' turned into ice cream in a bowl because it didn't exactly set in the mold.  Wine to the rescue again. 

Overall it was a successful, fun, and relaxing evening.  I wish our friends could have stayed longer, but babies had to be put to bed after all. 

Backyard dinner parties...fun to plan...easy to put together...a great way to spend time with friends.  

I cherish my friends dearly and wait anxiously for another dinner party, but until then, wine...more wine.  

Drink of the Week #6: Minty French

I love all things French, their wine, their food, their architecture...

In honor of Bastille Day, July 14th, the beginning of the French Revolution, I wanted to create a French inspired cocktail.  I automatically went straight for the St. Germain, a french elderflower liqueur.  St. Germain is used in many drinks, and becoming more prevalent in cocktail bars, to add a touch of sweetness.  

A simple cocktail, with minimal ingredients, sounded perfectly French to me. A bit of fresh mint from the garden, muddled with the St. Germain, and shaken with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and vodka?  Yeah, that sounds Frenchy.  

The tang of the grapefruit was cut by the sweetness of the St Germain, while the mint gave a note of freshness.  I topped the cocktail with a splash of soda water to give it some nice effervescence and create an even more refreshing cocktail.  I think the French would be proud of this one.

Drink of the Week #5: Watermelon Popmosa

Popmosa: a cocktail in which a Popsicle is submerged into a glass of champagne. 

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Have you noticed that homemade Popsicles are everywhere right now?  It makes sense, it's summer, it's hot, and a Popsicle is the perfect cool down sweet treat.  The problem is that Popsicles are crammed full of sugar and calories.  However, when you make the Popsicles, you control what goes into it.

When I decided I was going to make my own Popsicles at home I knew I wanted it to be alcohol infused for my Drink of the Week.  I used a cheap mold, created a cocktail, and froze it.  

Big disappointment!  

For starters, because of the cheapness of the mold, I couldn't get the Popsicles out of the mold no matter what I did--- then they melted.  

Basically I tossed aside my cheap Popsicle maker and got lucky with this fabulous one from World Market for only $9. 

I still really wanted to make a Drink of the Week in Popsicle form, especially being the Fourth of July, so I did.  

I turned my Popsicles into this weeks Drink of the Week, The Watermelon Popmosa.