Monday, April 14, 2014

New Years, Valentines, Scrabble, Kitties and Best Of...

Yikes, I have a wee bit of catching up to do!

New Years...Fun.





Beer tasting at a friend's birthday pub crawl.



Vindaloo adorableness:

Valentines Day.  My grandma passed.  We had some good family time and then Jeff made it extra special.  He had roses and chocolates sent to me at work, and then came over to grill me steaks and asparagus with champagne and delicious ice cream for dessert.  And we watched funny cat and dog videos to cheer me up.  now that's love.



You can see the sawhorse in the back which was holding up my new breakfast bar that Jeff, Dad, and Ryan helped back for my mini kitchen renovation! My little old wall oven stopped working so I got a new oven/stove.  Dad and I were going to make a little counter top to cover the cupboards we salvaged from under the old stove top, but butcher block was going to be upwards of $300, even for a little bitty spot.  So instead, we made a counter top and a breakfast bar out of unfinished hardwood floor boards from beetle kill.  Both counters cost about $50. 






More kitty adorableness:



We had a Scrabble for Cheaters event for my work and it was so much fun!

Friends Jenica, new Nancy, Jeff, and Brooke - right before she left for Doctor's Without Borders. 

 We weren't actually gambling, I swear!

 Karen and Nancy

 Jenica!

 Jeff, Tracy and Spencer.

 Former and new bosses, and look at us coordinating!


Mom and I went on her Women's Retreat and had a great time as usual.  Her circle hosted the ice cream social on Saturday night and I got to be an honorary princess with them.







Most recently, I have been doing some cooking.  I stuffed a Portabello Mushroom with polenta, mozzarella, feta, parmesan and green onions and topped with a sauteed apple slice.  Served with chicken apple meatballs over chunky apple sauce, and Trader Joe's veggies in a balsamic glaze.  It was pretty darn good!
And tonight, inspired by some left overs from the Denver Biscuit Company, I made a sweet version of Eggs Benedict: English muffin with DBC's honey butter, maple syrup and Himalayan sea salt bacon, poached egg and a peanut butter and DBC strawberry rhubarb sauce topping it off.  Served with Trader Joe's cheese blintzes topped with DBC's whipped cream and strawberries from their strawberry shortcake.  YUM!







Last night Nico fell asleep in my lap face down.


 Beautiful light through the maple seeds on my way home from a walk in this beautiful spring weather!

I've become a self-appointed connoisseur of burgers, mac and cheese and tacos and thought I'd make a Best of List.  I'm always adding to this list and happy to take suggestions.

Best of Metro Denver's:
Mac and Cheese:

Forest Room 5
Fresh Craft - with bbq pulled pork 
Hodson's - lobster mac
The Hornet - lobster mac
The Interstate - add bacon and wowza!
Cap City Grill - truffle mac and cheese

Best Bugers:
Jimmy's Urban Bar and Grill - The Hangover Cure - fried egg, peanut butter, maple bacon, cheese, delish!!
                                              The Cowboy - burger topped with bbq pulled pork, slaw and other yum 
                                              stuff.
 The Hornet - bacon burger
Capital Grill - Cheese burger
Amato's Ale House - PB and J burger
The Historian - stuffed burgers!
 Smash Burger - yeah that's right, it's up there with best burgers!


Best Tacos:
So far, there's only one...Comida at The Source.  So good!!



I'll leave you with this latest doodle, and hope my next post isn't this slow. 




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