The last few days there has been a significant ‘crisp’ to the air. On Friday, we drove down by Aspen for a little family day. It was amazing. I’ve had a cold and cough the last two weeks, and I’ve been stuck in the house feeling lousy. The aspens are beginning to turn their brilliant yellow gold, though there is still a lot of green. Each year can be a little different. We  drove to the end of Castle Creek Road, which in itself is an incredibly scenic drive. Dramatic peaks flank either side of the road, lined with extensive aspen groves. A braided creek flows through the valley, exposing wide beds of smooth stones. After our outdoor adventure, we went into town for a bite at Meat and Cheese, which is a super [...]

Just when I thought I wasn’t ready for summer to end, cooler mountain air moved in and I’ve succumbed. I’ve found myself craving warmer flavors and lots of spice. Are you? This is a beautiful time of year in the mountains. Scrub brush turns vibrant reds, purples, and yellows. The grasses are wheat colored and seeded. And the aspens are getting their first whispers of gold- it starts in a small cluster of leaves that eventually spreads throughout the whole tree. My only harp is that this season never seems long enough. Thankfully we have plenty of pine tree varieties to give the mountains some color all winter. For those of you itching to start your fall baking, I’ve compiled my pumpkin recipes here: Pumpkin Crumb Bars Pumpkin Crumble Muffins [...]

Over the holidays, I received several new cookbooks to add to my collection. One that I’ve been using a lot- Breakfast: Recipes to wake up for by George Weld and Evan Hanczor- has proven itself in the kitchen again and again. We’ve made the pancake recipe twice is the past week, and though each time I mean to snap some photos of the pancakes, they get consumed too quickly. Pancakes above sea level can be tricky, and extremely disappointing if they come out gooey and flat. These rose nicely and were fluffy, cakey, and just about everything you could want. George and Evan offer a tip for testing if a pancake is done- rather than flipping the pancakes again and again (which flattens them out), put your hand gently on the [...]