use real butter

John’s restaurant is an unassuming 104-year old house, removed from the bustle of the Pearl Street Mall by several blocks. The chef-owned business is run by a brother-sister pair: Cory Buck (chef) and Ashley Maxwell (pastry chef), both natives of Boulder. It’s a charming place. Curiously, during our dinner, one of the fellow patrons came over to ask if I was a public television personality… I wonder if he thought I was Kylie Kwong (because a lot of folks have asked me if I am). Sorry dude, I’m just a geologist, but I would so rock that Australian accent of hers.

john’s restaurant

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IL’s are in town for a visit. This morning I made hashed browns, french toast with raspberry sauce, and freshly peeled grapefruit for brekkie. I then absconded to the bedroom and rowed for 30 minutes (the rowing machine was moved upstairs for the weekend), did my sit ups, and then did my tele exercises. It was snowing outside and the winds were CALM. Oh man, I would have been skiing if not for our visitors.

We drove down to Boulder for the 11:00 Celestial Seasonings tour. The mint room is amazing. But what I loved most about the whole thing was all of the art that has been commissioned for the various tea flavors. The paintings which become the labels for the tea boxes are on display in the tasting room. I love the whimsical mix of animals, fruits, and scenes. It’s so sweet and playful – vibrant and beautiful.

a cold winter day is perfect for sampling teas

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It’s cold. I mean, it’s the kind of cold that will make our roof pop and make loud cracking sounds in the night because of shrinkage. But it’s beautiful outside.

yes, that thermometer reading was zero as of this afternoon

experimental recipe
I had fresh cranberries to use up and I wanted to bake something to warm the house a little. I wasn’t interested in the ubiquitous orange cranberry bread that’s all over the web. So I found a recipe that was more bready than quick bready – if that makes any sense. I didn’t have lemon rind on hand, so I used lime.

cranberries are beautiful in cross section

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