peach please!... chicken salad sandwich

When it comes to the kitchen I have a number of flaws. First of all, I am cheap. Second, I don't follow recipes. When preparing a meal, I am very imaginative and have adjusted my cooking habits to both of these faults. (Meaning, everything I create is one giant experiment.)

My latest food test came in the form of chicken salad sandwich. I was craving it, but per usual I was low on supply and unmotivated to travel to the store. After rummaging through my cupboards and reorganizing my fridge, it hit me: let's use peaches. From there a master piece was created!

The standard chicken salad sandwich includes a number of yummy ingredients including celery, apples, onions, mayonnaise and so on. My chicken salad sandwich housed a similar balance of tangy and sweet while maintaing the familiar texture. (Mine also ended up being much healthier.)

Here's the ingredient break down: Chopped peach, onion, and chicken, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds, spices (I used salt, pepper and onion powder) and arugula for garnish. Remember, I do not follow recipes. There is no science or measurement to the ingredients used. Pick a consistency and flavor that works for you and run with it! 

Finally, I made the easiest biscuits! As mentioned, my kitchen was bare. This recipe requires hardly anything. Plus it is vegan, simple, and yummy. Check it out: biscuit recipe. 

The result was finger-licking-good. (Or in Barley's case, plate-licking-good!)

Enjoy! 

the big wonderful (enough said.)

There are certain phrases that really get a Colorado native’s heart pumping… “local food”, “farmers market”, “craft beer”, just to name a few. Imagine my delight when an advertisement for all three jumped onto my screen… I was literally one foot out the door.

So get. to. it. What is this magnificent event and where do I find it? The Big Wonderful, which mimics a similar affair that started in Brooklyn, welcomes food, friends, and fun. It is an explosion of pastels just outside the ballpark neighborhood boarder. If you are coming from the typical downtown division you will pass by nearly every walk of life. Which is the point. The Big Wonderful welcomes everyone and is a concept routed in reviving communities that may be overlooked on other occasions. Sustainability Park was the location of the fest and as a park-goer-regular, I was a little taken aback by the fact I had never heard of this space. This isn’t your typical Denver outdoor scene; it is in simple terms an empty lot. This acted as the perfect setting to drive up food trucks, plop in a bar, and add two awesome sand volleyball courts.

My highlights: While I was overwhelmed by the sheer “coolness” of the event, I was even more astounded by how eclectic, yet classically fun the entire afternoon was.  Nothing is more wholesome than spending time in the sun playing yard games, eating burgers, and being surrounded by man’s best friend. Seriously, the dogs. So many dogs.  The culmination of hearing the Cervantes DJ and a Great Divide Colette finding it’s way to my hand resulted in a personal heaven.

The Big Wonderful happens every Saturday until the fall and is free to enter. Events like this don’t come around every day, so let’s make it stick! You can support the cause simply by attending. And why would you not when you just read an entire post on why it rocks? See you there soon! 

save some room (for ice cream at Bones)

If you live in The Mile High City more than likely you have experienced the greatness that is Bonanno Concepts. If not than you have definitely heard or read rave reviews about each of the masterfully present restaurants residing among numerous Denver neighborhoods. Last week I wandered to Bones. Just like every other post you have seen online, this place is perfect for a cool winter night. After all, who doesn’t love a warm bowl of Asian fusion eats? I live to dip, dunk, and slurp the Tsukemen Ramen. Place a spin on a batch of green chili and you, my friend, are looking at one very happy Colorado native.

BUT what people don’t “Yelp”, mention, or discuss is the delightful dessert menu that resides within this cozy venue. Sure, maybe it was just an ice cream sandwich, but one week later and I am still dreaming of the tasty ingredients that graced my mouth.

You know that part of the brownie that is just a little too hard? The very edge of the pan? Imagine this hugging a neatly concocted scoop of peanut ice cream. Not too sweet, not too peanut buttery…. Just right. There’s nothing more to say. It’s simple, perfect, and to the point. And judging by the cone of red velvet ice cream that stood sweetly across the table from me, this place knows what it is doing when creating frozen treats. 

And there you have it folks, a review on Bones that is about the dessert. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

a picture perfect party

With the sun sitting high in the sky and outdoor party season just around the corner, I have been thinking a lot about the ways I will capture these cherished moments. I have never been one to take awesome or relatable photos (I blame it on my lack of nice camera), but I am determined to make this spring/summer different. 

Over a year ago, Canon did a sponsored post on one of my favorite blogs, Cup of Jo. The concept was to create a scavenger photo challenge where guests and friends would use a list of ideas to incorporate new perspectives from behind the lens and partake in a fun activity. Their list was as follows:


-tallest and shortest party guests


-a photo of the hostess, unaware


-people's shoes


-a shot from outside the party looking in


-guests coming and going


-as many people in the photo as possible


-balance as many objects as possible on your head


-hear no evil/see no evil/speak no evil


-spelling out a word with body parts


-people laughing


-food and drinks

Personally, I am smitten with the idea. The blog displayed beautiful images and presented a party I would love to attend. Isn't the goal after all? To eventually look back, smile, and remember the essence of your events? I think so.

For fun, here's some of my past "event photo gems":
**Please note that all of my pictures are cherished, no matter how generic they might be. Hello, this is my life!

do ya dabble?

Are you interested in how to actually partake in a wine tasting? Maybe you want to know how to upscale furniture? Or perhaps you are interested in the world of fly-fishing? Whatever your hunger might be, there is a really cool source dedicated to taking a stab at these new and novice desires. Dabble is an online shop for all things “trying something new”. The classes are taught by community members who are experts in the field and passionate about sharing well…their passion.

Interestingly enough, I dabbled in the world of blogging and freelance writing. In one magical hour in the back of a coffee shop my eyes were opened to new tools, techniques, and strategies for a small fee of $25.00.  My friend, an excellent florist, hosted an arrangement course. All her “dabblers” had to do was sign up/pay online, bring a mason jar or vase, and she provided the flowers. How fun, right?  Literally, anything you can think of…Dabble has a class for. Plus, you’re a cool person and the stuff you’re interested in is cool too. Think of all the other cool people joining the event! Too. Much. Coolness.

Have you dabbled? If so, I would love to hear! If you haven’t, check it out at dabble.co/denver!

backpacking...how will it all fit?

On rainy day I am dreaming of vacation, hence today's post.

Scenario: You’re travelling to Europe for a month. To save money you have decided not to check a bag and use only a backpack during your trip. Easy-peasy, right? Not really. In fact, a summery weekend away to Breck wouldn’t even be easy.  Here are some helpful hints. I am not going to highlight everything. Please, you should know to bring travel size shampoo. But here are some tips that are beneficial and actually work. 

-First of all, buy a good backpack. And even if it’s dorky, you may want that sucker to have wheels. (Unless you enjoy back cramps, because let’s face it, that baby’s gonna be full!) Also, purchase a backpack that fully unzips. Stuffing your wardrobe through a hole at the top of your bag will be a nightmare.  Open wide, backpack!

-While you are at it, purchase some packing cubes. You’re going to need organization. Organization = Sanity.

-A versatile sweater, cardigan, or pull over. The weather makes no promises and packing a slew of different options won’t work out in this scenario. Go with something black and simple that will match every outfit you have planned. And research the area you're visiting. Meaning, you are touring England, get a slicker.

-A comfortable and yes, versatile shoe. If you are saving money by bringing only a backpack, something tells me you will be saving money by primarily walking. (Which is awesome, walking is where you see a city!) Having a nice comfortable shoe that you can walk in and wear often will save you SO much space. Again, SO much space.

-Bring dryer sheets. When your clothes start to reek, slip one of those bad boys into your previously purchased packing cubes. Aww, now you smell cotton clean fresh.

-Piggy backing off the last tip, dry detergent will save you in a bind. As in, the only pair of jeans you packed has stretched out to be twice their original size. Throw a little detergent in the sink, scrub those puppies down, hang them out the window to dry, and ta da…They fit again. (And obviously, now they are clean.) This also works super well for underwear which may the only garment you don’t wear five days in a row.

-Think about bringing a quick dry towel. Before you make this purchase, check the accommodations of where you are staying. Maybe they have towels waiting, maybe that still doesn’t make you feel comfortable. Maybe you plan on swimming in the sea. I don’t know your plans. But I do know that these towels ring out easily and dry very quickly. If you think you need it, bring it.

-Umm Advil. Or whatever you plan to do to fight your inevitable hangovers and make it easily accessible. You’re only backpacking for so many days. Don’t waste them laying in a twin bed in Dublin (without air conditioning) fighting off a headache or stomachache or a mixture of the two! Obviously this packing item doesn’t have to just coincide with drinking… pack your necessary meds! It’s not on your itinerary to trek all over town searching for it.

-Bring a black or white t-shirt that you still feel attractive in. This one article of clothing can mix and match all sorts of ensembles. It should be a staple item on your packing list.

-Don’t bring athletic shorts (especially brightly colored ones). You can hike just as easily in jean shorts (wear them multiple times!) and the Europeans won’t give you an up-down while you're sporting them.

That’s it. You got it. Just remember that this trip isn’t a “best dressed” contest, it’s your chance to immerse in a new culture, drink a shit ton of good beer, and of course, see the world! No matter your attire, it will be a great time. Now get there and rock your simple black V-neck tee for two weeks straight!