DENVER ZOO

Ranked as one of the most popular zoos in the United States, the Denver Zoo's 80 acres is home to nearly 4,000 animals. Located in Denver's historic City Park (compared to Central Park in New York), its inhabitants include endangered species such as the Western lowland gorillas, okapis and Amur leopards (thought to be extinct in the wild).

Zoos, museums, amusement parks, professional sporting events, theatres, the list goes on and on. We LOVE Colorado!!!! 

THE CLASSICS

If anyone is looking for gift ideas, these would be such a timeless, thoughtful gift for anyone (including myself--not so subtle hint). Penguin Classics is responsible for these little beauties...just look at those gorgeous, pattern-stamped, linen covers! Nook shmook! You will not want to tuck a single one of these classics away. Wuthering Heights, Sense and Sensibility, and Great Expectations are calling my name. And of course we should probably read them too! Love these!
photo via design*sponge

MY CHILDHOOD HOME...ELM SPRINGS

I wanted to share a few photos of my family home--Elm Springs--in Missouri, where we just spent a long Easter weekend. And I have to say, for the first time, I looked forward to coming back to my new home (in Colorado) as much as I enjoy going to my childhood home. 

Elm Springs is a "Federal" style plantation home, built in 1840, by General David Thomson. This home has been in our family for almost 50 years. So needless to say, Elm Springs holds a rich history for my family as well as the many others that lived there prior to us. 

My Mother has done extensive work to both the inside and outside. I won't bore you with the details, but let me just say...the way it looked in the 70's compared to the way it looks now...wow!

Just an old barn you say? Not to me! This barn used to house my adorable, yet ornery, pony...Rusty Dusty! My first love. I spent hours and hours on that pony and I loved every single minute of it. Horseback riding has been a passion of mine since age 3 or 4. I can still picture him looking out that little window...

Little known fact about the Dow home. This tree, that seems to go up and up for miles is the largest hedge tree in Missouri, and yes we have a plaque to prove it! {haha} You can't see the base of it, but I believe (should have verified this with my Parents) it is approximately 30 feet around!  It sits right in front of our home and has split nearly in half over the years and we REALLY hope it never falls!!!

My Father is a an "avid" collector of various automobiles (new and very old) and this is one of those little gems that has gone to rest in pasture. I love the patina of this old Chevy.

Apparently I am somewhat obsessed with taking photos of the sky lately? This is a photo of the back ell of the home. My Parents have threatened to sell a few times (this house is big and requires a lot of work!) and each time, my Sister and I shiver with fear at the thought! We LOVE it here, our kids LOVE it here and it is our sanctuary. It is where we go to experience peace (and quiet when the Grandparents watch the kiddos), and where we "play" outside, and where we feel safest. Home sweet home...

FRUIT SALSA WITH BAKED CINNAMON CHIPS

• FRUIT SALSA WITH BAKED CINNAMON CHIPS
• via All Recipes

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 pound strawberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
•  
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• Butter flavored cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.

Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

via FFFFOUND!

SO CUTE AND SO WRONG!?!

Peeps S'mores
photo & recipe via Eclectic Recipes

Peeps
Graham Crackers
Hershey's Chocolate Squares

Place Peeps and Hershey's Chocolate squares on graham crackers. Zap in the microwave until soft (or place under a broiler). Place graham cracker square on top.

What a clever idea...and a great way to get rid of all those Peeps!

OH THAT MARTHA!

Martha Stewart and her staff always come up with the cutest ideas and I am loving this one! Fill your egg cups with mini bouquets and place them on a cake stand tier. What a great centerpiece!
photo via Martha Stewart

ON THE TRAIL AGAIN

{ WATERTON CANYON } 

HAPPY GRILLED CHEESE MONTH!

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

recipe & photo via Becky Bakes

• 2 jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
• 2 slices sourdough bread
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled 

Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side down. Broil on the top rack for 8-14 minutes until the peppers are blackened. Place in a ziplock bag and seal. Let cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes. Remove the skins from the peppers. They should “pinch” off easily. Assemble the sandwich and grill 2-3 minutes per side. Feast!

A LITTLE SWEET, A LITTLE SOUR

Sweet & Sour Chicken Meatballs

photo & recipe via Naturally Ella

2 slices bread

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon sunflower oil (I couldn't bring myself to spend $7.99, so I used olive oil)

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 cup fresh parsley (1 tablespoon dry)

1 egg

1 (8 ounce) can pineapple pieces, drained (set juice aside for sauce)

Sauce

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup natural sugar (I used granulated sugar)

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small skillet, heat sunflower oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until onions are transparent (about 3 to 4 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.

Using a food processor, turn bread into crumbs (or shred with your hands). In a large bowl, combine meatball ingredients (everything except pineapples); stir until everything is mixed thoroughly. Shape into 12 meatballs (I had about 17 and it barely filled a 9x13 pan). Sprinkle pineapple pieces over meatballs.

In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for sauce, adjusting sugar and pineapple juice for desired sweetness. Once ready, cover meatballs in sauce. Bake for 23-25 minutes (took me about 30) until meatballs are cooked all the way through. Delicioso!!!

COOLEST RECIPE SITE EVER!

Creative people never cease to amaze me! This super adorable website--They Cook & Draw--accepts recipes/illustrations from artists all over the world. What a feast for your eyes...and tummy!

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

Colorado!!! I have so much to say and so many photos to post, but I am going to start out slow-ly. Our new neighborhood is called Roxborough Park and it really does feel like we are living in a park (it could be for all I know?)! We are nestled in the foothills of the Rockies with spectacular views every way you turn, with giant red rock formations scattered throughout.

There are herds of mule deer and golden foxes roaming around everywhere...and rumor has it we also have mountain lion and bear dens up on the hill. Oh my! And the trails, wow the trails are everywhere; you can bike, hike or walk on miles of trails. (If only I could get used to the eleveation--5751 feet--and not feel like I was dying every time I went for a walk!) Also here is the Arrowhead Golf Club, which is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful golf courses in the US.

I look forward to waking up each morning just so I can stare out the window at my view. The homes in our neighborhood are all different (what a concept) and built into the landscape to look as natural as possible. It is phenomenal, what else can I say! The following photos were taken at our playground...I may never leave this place.

You can see the Denver skyline (squint hard) in between the giant red rocks. Must buy telephoto lens!

Sophie enjoying the playground equipment, all of which had a perfectly weathered and worn look.

View of our neighborhood, with the golf course in between it and the park. I wish you all could see it in person...truly breathtaking.



OUR LAST DAYS AT THE BEACH...

BLANKET SCARF, OH HOW I ADORE YOU

I bought myself this blanket scarf by Tinley Road for Christmas. And then I bought one for my Mom, and then another one for my Mother-In-Law. I pretty much think every woman in the world should have one. It is fabulous! Sorry I can't buy one for everyone, but click on the link if you want one too!

P.S. I just noticed it was on sale for $26.99! Hurry!!!

I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED BOOTS

Let me tell you what our good ol' pal Santa brought us this year! 5 bouts of influenza (2 wonderful versions), 1 ear infection, 2 cases of conjunctivitis (seriously disgusting!), 1 sinus infection, 1 yeast infection brought on by amoxicillin (sorry Soph), 1 very expensive ER visit, borderline pneumonia AND a missed holiday trip home to Missouri! This was just Sophie and I! The boys managed to go through the month of December unscathed...unbelievable! I'm thinking next year has to be better.

Come on 2011! Be good to us! And may you all be loved, healthy & happy in the new year! 

candy cane kiss cookies

CANDY CANE KISS COOKIES
photo & recipe via Recipe Girl

Forget about all those "other" Christmas cookie recipes, you only need this one! I don't even like mint flavored anything, but I can NOT stop eating these. And so far they have been a big hit with everyone! My only tip would be to take them out at 10 minutes, leaving them a bit gooey in the middle. I found the smaller the balls, the cuter the cookies; so get extra Kisses if you make them small.

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp peppermint extract, optional (I left it out)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped Candy Cane flavored Hershey’s Kisses
Granulated sugar
Additional, unwrapped Candy Cane Kisses- about 60 (large bag)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Make room in either refrigerator or freezer for your cookie sheet.

2. In large mixer bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, extracts and egg. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy (2-3 minutes). In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet mixture and beat, scraping bowl often until well blended (1-2 minutes). The mixture will be a bit crumbly. Stir in chopped Kisses.

3. Shape dough into ¾-inch to 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. As soon as they come out of the oven, press a Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie. They’ll crack a little around the edges, so just use your fingers to kind of hold the cookie together while you set the kiss inside. Put cookie sheet (with cookies) immediately into the freezer (preferred) or refrigerator so that the Kisses will set quickly. As soon as you press them into the cookie, they will begin to soften… so if you can get them into the freezer then they will keep their Kiss shape.

4. Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to a week. In the freezer they should be okay for a couple of weeks.

Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen

me want cookies!!!!

"Sometimes me think what is love, and then me think love is what last cookie is for. Me give up the last cookie for you." ~Cookie Monster

The holidays!! A perfect excuse to do some MORE baking! Love it! I keep several folders online of recipes I want to try and these are just a few from my baking (my most cherished!) archives. Since so many people go to cookie exchange parties this time of year, I thought I would post some cookie ideas. I haven't tried these yet though, so don't blame me if they aren't as tasty as they look. Happy baking everyone!

Rolo Cookies

Ginger Sandwich Cookies

Peppermint Candy Cookies

Florida Christmas Cookies

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Homemade Oreos

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE BARS

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Rich would be the first word that comes to mind when eating these! Wow! But a really great dessert for a large crowd.  

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 

Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. 

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all streusel ingredients; sprinkle evenly with streusel topping. 

Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping (I did this as I served them) and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

photo & recipe via The Girl Who Ate Everything

recipe adapted from Paula Deen

PINK PETTISKIRTS & POLKADOTS

One year has come and gone my sweet girl. You learned to crawl, walk & dance; you are your big brother's shadow (wow does he love you, and you him); and you have become YOU...cuddly, independent, strong in body & mind, determined, beautiful & silly. 

I can't wait to watch you grow. And baby girl, the things coming your way will be magical and wonderful, and difficult and sad, but it will be your amazing life. Embrace it all and LIVE it well.