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archive for January 6th, 2013

why winter is awesome

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

Recipe: mexican red rice

People complain an awful lot about winter. They don’t like the cold. They don’t like the snow. They don’t like the greyness or darkness. But I have a theory… I think a good percentage of those folks would love winter if they knew how good it could be. I treat winter like summer. It’s an opportunity to explore, fill your lungs with good clean (and thin) air, and get off your bum.


all of the footwear we used this past week



Of course, Colorado winter is something else entirely from the winters I’ve experienced in other places like the East Coast or even California. First, there’s sunshine and lots of it. We get fabulous snow of the dry, fluffy, powdery variety. And our forests and mountains… well, see for yourself.

view from the ski lift

my buds on the chair behind us



I’m convinced if winter were this awesome everywhere, then people would share my fondness for this oft-maligned season. It’s the kind of winter that is a joy to get into rather than one to barricade against. The aprΓ¨s ski isn’t bad either!

chirashi bowl, please

walking off lunch with my friend andrew in boulder

sweet sweet colorado (boulder flatirons)



Before Jeremy and I moved here, I was unaware of just how many different ways there were to ski the mountains. Now I know… or rather, my legs, butt, back, shoulders, arms, and neck know. It’s great. Winter is great AND you don’t have to worry about being bikini-ready (unless of course you’re dipping into the hot tub), just ski pants-ready. We’ve had a string of cool, windless, sunny days to take advantage of. It’s my favorite way to earn those calories.

on the approach

skinning up

skiing out



It’s right around this time of year when I start digging into my stash of summer goodies like the jams, pickles, and tomatoes I canned in September, or the green chiles we roasted and froze in August. I love a good chile relleno, especially the ones I prepare at home because I remove all of the seeds. But I’m also a sucker for the traditional plate you get in New Mexico with a side of refritos and Mexican rice. And when you’re back from a day spent backcountry skiing, you are craving the works.

mexican red rice: medium grain rice, tomatoes, onion, garlic, broth, peanut oil, mild red chile, salt

everything minced, diced, and prepped



**Jump for more butter**