use real butter

Recipe: italian sausage pizza monkey bread

It keeps snowing over here. Our snowpack is inching ever closer to the average, which is pretty exciting. We have sunny bluebird days the rest of the week and then HELLO, chance of snow at the start of next week. Right on. It’s ALL GOOD in my book. I’m in that mood – I could trail run, ski, ride in the mud, whatever. April has been a hella busy and exhausting month. My short hair and I are ready for May.

skiing the backcountry trails after a big storm

then there was another storm

kaweah prefers her walkies in the snow

Rest assured, as long as there is snow on the ground, I am still running the oven. I’m not on pinterest much at all except to piece together ideas for a few projects. I figure it’s best for me to avoid spending (wasting) more time on the computer and it really seems as if the majority of recipes on pinterest call for jello, food coloring, cake mixes, and Pillsbury refrigerated biscuit dough. That scares me. But the monkey bread idea was something one could unscarify if you made it all from scratch. Most of the monkey bread recipes I saw were of the sweet variety, but I wanted savory (of course). So that’s what I did.

pizza dough, mozzarella, italian sausage, garlic, butter, mushrooms, spinach

melt the butter and garlic together

grease the pan with the garlic butter

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Recipe: chili cheese fries

It’s been a working weekend over here, both of us sitting at our computers processing photos or data, listening to my recent compilation of songs from the 80s and 90s. [I'm realizing that was a really long time ago.] We took a break on Saturday to go over to our favorite neighbors’ house for dinner. They served grouse, which they hunt each year in Canada. We’ve never had grouse before, although we’ve seen and heard a lot of them on mountain trails. The meat is sweet and tender, an absolute treat on top of the wonderful evening spent chatting with people we like. As we walked across the driveway to go back home, their flood light caught snowflakes racing past in night. By morning, our local hill had reported a foot of fresh snow for this, their closing day of the season. Dear snow, where the hell were you in December?! We scarfed down some breakfast while pulling on our ski pants and rushing out the door. This is Colorado. You don’t turn down a foot of freshies!

happy and rosy-cheeked after catching the powder

There is MOAR snow on the way too. Folks on the lift were bemoaning the snow that would come after the end of the ski season. Most of the big mountains have shut down their operations. Heck, I’m just getting started. The backcountry beckons (after the snowpack stabilizes – it has been a horrendous avalanche year). I still reminisce about skiing fresh powder on the first day of summer in 2011. One can always hope.

No matter what is flying through the air – be it snowflakes or hummingbirds, there are some foods that have no season… like chili cheese fries. Oh, I remember the first time I was introduced to chili cheese fries my freshman year in Southern California. What insane deliciousness was this?! I’ll tell you what it was. It was a pile of greasy hot french fries, fake orange cheese, and a glop of chili (I use the term loosely). These days we still indulge in the occasional chili cheese fries, but we tend to opt for a more flavorful and healthy homemade version.

cheddar cheese, potatoes, chili, salt, pepper, cayenne, olive oil

slice the potatoes

place in a pot and cover with cold water

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Recipe: thai chicken, asparagus, and baby corn

It’s so good to be back in Colorado. I say that every time I return. I feel it every time I return. Vermontshire, Verhampshire, New Hampmont, Vermont, New Hampshire – they’re wonderful and I learned so much and had a great time. But my heart truly sings when I catch sight of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado’s bluebird skies, my cuddly Kaweah girl, and most of all my sweet Jeremy. Also, the skiing in Colorado ain’t bad!

me and mah tele betties at breckenridge last week

I’m tired despite having done not a lick of exercise on this last trip. It’s partly because I find being in social situations exhausting and partly because air travel makes me cranky. Don’t mistake me for an introvert, though! I’m a good little extrovert, but it tires me out to navigate the dynamics of several very different personalities while keeping an eye open for photos and keeping my ears open to absorb the information being shared. It might also be because I stayed up until 2 am talking with this gal…

selfie with ellen at logan airport

I invited Ellen to come with me on my trip to Verhampshire for two reasons: 1) to put her in contact with a potential maple syrup supplier and 2) because I knew I wouldn’t place a pillow over her face in the middle of the night. I know myself well enough to identify who I can and won’t travel with, which is good because it has prevented many an attempted homicide. Today’s recipe is for my awesome travel buddy and friend, Ellen, because I know she loves quick and easy Thai recipes (don’t we all?!).

Back when I reproduced my favorite Thai sizzling beef dish, I managed to trigger a deep craving for other Thai dishes that I haven’t had in a while. One of the simplest and most delightful would have to be a basic chicken and vegetable stir-fry. You can use whatever vegetables you like and tinker with the sauce to taste, but it is quick, easy, and immensely satisfying.

chicken thighs, asparagus, green onions, garlic, sugar, cornstarch, baby corn, straw mushrooms, vinegar, vegetable oil, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce

mix the sauce ingredients together

slice the asparagus on the diagonal

all of the meat and vegetables prepped

**Jump for more butter**