use real butter

Recipe: mixed berry galette

It’s the first day of spring! We’ve been experiencing a very warm last week of winter here in the Rockies, so the arrival of the spring equinox didn’t really seem all that out of place today.

kaweah has taken to snoozing in the sun on our warm deck

Jeremy and I went skiing at Mary Jane (Winter Park really, but we prefer the Mary Jane side because it’s steep and has lots of moguls) earlier in the week. Ice in the morning, slush in the afternoon = spring conditions. What stuck in my mind from that day was the damp smell of pine forest. I love that smell. I love it because it calls to me. It tells me it’s time to head into the backcountry for some spring mountaineering. After skiing, we went into Boulder to pick up my cousin who was visiting for a night before heading out to Vail with a ton of friends. We had a little time before her bus arrived and decided to upgrade some of our 15-year old gear with the new-fangled lightweight, durable stuff!

sweet: glacier rope and crampons

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I’m thrilled to see many of you taking interest in the kitchen tour. Thank you for your kind comments and for being so enthusiastic and gracious to my guests. Opening your kitchen up to scrutiny can be a little nerve-wracking. It takes not only guts, but time and effort to present these kitchens – so an extra big thank you to all of the tour participants for doing such a terrific job. Today we continue our tour of food blogger kitchens with a visit to one of my old stomping grounds.

blog: Eggs on Sunday
blogger: Amy
location: Ithaca, NY
house: rented apartment, about 10 years old
kitchen footprint: 116 square feet
photos: all photos of the Eggs on Sunday kitchen are courtesy of Amy

Amy is the cook who makes me feel guilty – she is so good about using local, organic, seasonal foods. I always marveled at the tempting recipes she blogged using the produce that arrived in her weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box. I love those wholesome and healthy dishes almost as much as I love her sweet and cheery disposition. Amy is another food blogging friend of mine who has had cancer. I know you guys are starting to wonder if this is a cancer patient kitchen tour. It is not. It just so happens that some of my favorite food bloggers have been touched (or as I’ve said in the past, punched in the gut) by cancer. That’s not why they are my friends. I am drawn to their positive attitudes, great humor, and genuinely caring personalities. And they kick ass. Amy does her ass kicking in Ithaca, New York where I spent six years in graduate school. I know the very road she lives on!

eggs on sunday headquarters

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Recipe: margarita jello

At the party we threw last weekend I was all prepared to serve up margaritas to our guests because that sounded like a good way to wash down those shredded beef and carne adovada tacos. As luck would have it, only one person asked for a margarita and so I was stuck with a bag of limes after the party was over.

what to do with juicy limes…

I shouldn’t say stuck with the limes, because there’s always something good to make with limes. I should say stuck with tequila because neither of us drinks tequila. Then I recalled a mojito jello that Helen had posted last summer and wondered if I might try something similar with the margarita. I had a good recipe in hand after researching all over the web for the *best* margarita cocktail. It goes something like 2 parts 100% agave tequila (silver, I don’t know what silver means, but basically don’t buy shitty tequila), 1 part Grand Marnier, and 1 part fresh lime juice. I guess I’m a serious lightweight because that was kinda strong for me. I preferred it with simple syrup, more lime juice, less booze.

sprinkle gelatin over the water to soften

fresh squozen is best

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