use real butter

Recipe: chocolate pistachio almond tartlets

I’ve had some thoughts milling in the back of my mind all weekend since I learned of Sherry’s recent and sudden passing. I didn’t know Sherry, but the food blogging community is pretty tight and news travels quickly. I know what it is like to lose someone you love very suddenly and let me tell you – it is a complete mindfuck. Since then I no longer assume that the people I love will always be there and so I try to make every moment count. When you get a cancer diagnosis, your mind undoubtedly lingers on your own mortality… but as I told my surgeon, it is a slow-motion crisis. I knew and still know that I could very well die in a car accident or some other random event, just like that – trivializing the whole cancer BS. And no matter what my own condition is, I also know that losing certain people in my life would be far worse than losing my own life. I don’t take my time for granted and I don’t take the people around me for granted. Lessons learned the hard way. While we all have our moments, pitching a fit over stupid little day to day minutiae that we turn into Major Drama, it helps to always keep that bigger picture in mind and remember what is really important. My heart aches for Sherry’s loved ones who are left behind, missing the one they thought they’d never have to live without – at least not so soon. I wish them peace.

early morning stream

Jeremy, Kaweah, and I hiked to Pawnee Pass on the Continental Divide again yesterday morning, this time with a friend who had never been. The original plan was to hike Pawnee Peak at about 13,000 feet. I woke up feeling exhausted, which wasn’t a good sign. Since I had hiked to the pass a week ago, I could gauge my progress. Above lovely Lake Isabelle, I began to experience shooting pains and fatigue – all expected side-effects from my treatment. At this point I told Jeremy and our friend to hike ahead because I wasn’t sure how far I would get, but I wanted our friend to summit as I had been promising this hike all summer.

enjoying the quiet stream and flowers

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: chocolate espresso semifreddo

Funny how just a few weeks ago some of my bloggy buds were all, “Dooode, you are blogging daily and I can’t keep up witchyoo, yo!” And I’m all like, “Laydeeeez, I’m on another steroid dose for my side-effects and I can’t sleep, so I just keep a bloggin’!” Okay, well that ended abruptly this past weekend because I replaced blogging with doing everything else. Seriously though, we were just entertaining my ILs this weekend. Still, I’m breaking it down into a few posts since they involve… FOOD!

Last year, Jeremy’s folks were out to visit us about a week before I got my diagnosis. It was also the weekend of MIL’s bday. I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and she replied she’d like to bake a cake with me! MIL likes to bake and I had just completed a pastry skills course that summer at the culinary school (my reward for defending my PhD dissertation), so she wanted to try one of the recipes I had learned. We made a lovely Lemon Mousseline Torte. Thing is… FIL is a chocolate fiend. Not just that he likes chocolate, but he won’t touch anything else if there *isn’t* chocolate in it. Okay, that isn’t entirely true. If it is a hunk of meat… perhaps FIL should meet Mr. SGCC – aka Caveman, Susan? :)

let’s start with some chocolate cookie crumbs

press a nice chocolate cookie base

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: intense brownies

*Rant On*
I originally wrote about my cancer, not to solicit advice or sympathy, but to explain why my blogging would be affected and to just toss out what was on my mind. It wasn’t an invitation for random headcases to swoop down upon me with quack remedies and solutions or to tell me what not to consume or who and how to worship. Just because I was diagnosed with cancer does not mean I welcome these obtuse assaults on my sensibilities. Personally, I don’t allow having good intentions excuse inconsiderate or stupid behavior. I don’t even tolerate that crap from people I know.

So, for anyone with unqualified advice on cancer (particularly if you haven’t HAD it) and how I should be living my life, please stay the hell away from me. When you get cancer, I’ll be sure to send all of the nutcases YOUR way so in addition to the shitty treatments, your various debilitating side effects, and the myriad of infections you contract, you – in your ample spare time and infinite energy – can sift through loads of freakishly useless advice because you know, that’s going to help your cancer heaps.
*Rant Off*

The heat continues to roast the Front Range of Colorado, but life must go on. And by life, I mean social life. And by social life I mean, social life involving food. I met up with friends for lunch today at Treppeda’s in Niwot. This place makes fantastic sandwiches as well as the famed Chicken Parm(esan) that my pals rave about. For me, there is no other than The Chief.

my favorite order at treppeda’s: chief niwot

**Jump for more butter**