Breakfast talk

Let's start this post with yet another amazing view outside of my work.

Sigh....

You've probably heard it said, and you'll hear me time and time again... Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

I'm not a picky eater at all, so I eat pretty much anything for breakfast (cold leftover pizza? yes please!). However, my go-to breakfast items are usually instant oatmeal or cereal with fruit. I'm an oatmeal newbie, so I've only been making the Quaker flavor variety ones simply with dried berries mix and sometimes diced fresh apples... but when the time comes, I'm definitely interested to try the infinite varieties of oatmeal that I can whip up on my own by adding my own little flavor twists.

In terms of cereal, I usually mix two different ones so there is optimal level of "crunch," but these days I just throw in whatever fruit I have handy (i.e. sliced banana or strawberries) to amp up the volume of the boring old cereal.

But did you know that a serving of cereal is only 3/4 of a cup?! I still remember those days where I'd pour more frosted flakes when I'd see leftover milk from the first batch... but that probably was like what? 1 and 1/2 cup? Yowza! When I learned that a healthy serving of cereal on average is 3/4 to 1 cup, I had a major dilemma because I definitely eat with my eyes, and there was no way that a 3/4 cup of cereal will satisfy my eyes!

So here's my spiffy little trick that I've been using to volumize the same amount of cereal.

I put whichever fruit on the bottom of the bowl before the cereal.

That way, when you pour the healthy serving of cereal on top the fruit...

It looks like a heaping bowl when it actually is a "fake-out" thanks to the healthy scoop of fruit on the bottom!

I know it must sound silly, but trust me- it really works! I've also been trying the Kashi GoLEAN cereals that has "as much protein as an egg!" I had the honey almond flax flavor last time which was de-lish, and now I have this toasted berry crumble which has dehydrated cranberries and blueberries! Two totally different flavors that are equally yummy!

Looks like my next post will be about some "real" cooking in this kitchenette. And considering my lack of kitchen supplies, it'll most likely be a one pot meal... any guesses? :)

Me, myself, and my kitchenette

Last night, my friend Christine and her boyfriend Jay treated me out to a fried chicken dinner over at 689 in Carbondale.

For 20 buckaroos you get a salad, a big plate of fried chicken served alongside mashed potatoes & gravy, braised greens, biscuits, and a fruit crisp! What a deal,  no?

I LOVED the mashed potatoes and the unique coating on the chicken.

I also moved into my “home” for the next six months last night. I love the cozy little place that is the perfect size for me…but if I could present a teeny problem, it’d be the kitchenette.

It seems perfectly feasible for any single gal or guy out here in Colorado for the ski season, who would probably spend most of his or her time out on the slopes, but for this gal who likes to spend a good chunk o’ time in the kitchen… Hmm yea, a bit problematic.
 
But fear not, I have not give up hope! When I imagined myself cooking in this kitchenette, it immediately reminded me of Linguini’s apartment in the movie Ratatouille.

See? Nothing’s impossible! Instead of the Eiffel Tower, I simply have a view of trees changing color and mountains in the backdrop.
 
There will definitely need to be a change in my cooking style or even potential menu items. It’s actually sort of exciting to think what I might be able to cook up in this kitchenette!

Back to "cooking"

First week in CO, I made a simple salad made with red and yellow bell peppers, roma tomato, baby spinach, red onion, and avocado. I went a little veggie crazy at the grocery store and got SIX bell peppers. Oh what to do, what to do…

So this salad easily turned itself into a tomato/pepper chicken stew without the avocado…

Then when I had more bell peppers left, I made a veggie pasta dish simply with diced up bell peppers and yellow onion, the leftover baby spinach and a dab of butter! Talk about multi-tasking ingredients!

To celebrate my last couple of days before work, my friend Christine and I also went over to White House Pizza in Carbondale. We shared the spinart (can you guess what’s in it? ;) ) dip, 

 and I had the arugula and clam pizza!

 Both so delicious!

Tomorrow, I’m moving into a tiny little place that I can call my own. Considering that I left pretty much ALL of my kitchen supplies back in WI (sad!), I don’t know what cooking in the studio might turn into. Moreover, it’s got a kitchenette with two little burners, tiny convention toaster oven, and a mini fridge! This is definitely going to be a challenge/adventure!

As for exploring the beautiful hiking trails, I have been kept busy nursing a sick puppy (healthy now!) so hopefully by the next post I can really put up exciting photos! Since it’s the off-season out here in the Aspen area, things are definitely quiet…and it makes me miss home so much more! 

In the meantime, check out this awesome view outside the patio at my work (the peak of Mt. Daly in the far center!):

Last Weekend in WI & A Sneak Peek at My CO Life.

Aside from the fabulous company I had for dinner at Trocadero followed by my kind of a low-key night out with the favorites at Hi-Hat Lounge, here are some pictures from my last weekend in WI:

I went over to my friend Maggie’s to help her prep for her new supper club, “Nights of Juniper.”

My little nephew Julian came along for the fun. Chewing on a piece of baguette he kept asking Mags, “Hey, why is your bread hard?” pointing out the signature crustiness of the bread. (:

I made apple tart to bring over to my boyfriend’s parents’ for a going-away dinner they threw for me. 

The recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman’s where I added cinnamon and nutmeg with less brown sugar. I had a ton of apples left over too! Good for snacking.

My first time using store-bought puff pastry! It was so much fun!

Then Rosa (my boyfriend’s mom) made an awesome dinner which included marinated grilled beef tenderloin with sautéed mushrooms and onion, her signature Italian salad, roasted peppers,

this AMAZING tortellini pasta salad,

and my favorite of the meal: warm olive bread dipped in this Israeli olive oil dipping concoction!

As far as my Colorado life, my puppy and I are still getting slowly adjusted. First day of work today, and moving into a cozy little studio on the 1st! More posts to come, but here’s a sneak peek for what is to come! The morning view out the window from my friend’s where I am staying!

Countdown to CO: 4 Days & Questions to self.

I am bidding adieu to my "home" here in the Midwest, and venturing out westward to the beautiful land of Colorado in just FOUR days! So how do I feel about this? Excited. Scared. Happy. Nervous. Stressed. Optimistic. ?!?!?!?!

I have been filling the weekdays with running around at work, getting things organized for the newcomer who will be replacing me. During the weeknights and weekends, I’ve been going through clothes, kitchenware, and more miscellaneous items to toss and to keep.

At first, I had a cold which gave me horrible body fatigue. That was combined with a gloomy series of rain which didn’t uplift my sickly body at all. Not to mention the fact that I can’t remember the last time I visited the gym! Ugh, the stress of relocation… but on a positive note, I know it will ALL be worth it this time next week when I will be looking at the Colorado mountains. :D And for the past few days, the sun has been shining here in the Midwest…it’s been giving me an extra jolt of energy and positivity about everything!

Despite the craze that is all around, a girl’s gotta eat, right? Since I will be most likely having major Korean food withdrawals (with guesstimated lack of it out there), I’ve been cooking with a lot with my motherland’s ingredients.

Last week I whipped up my signature Ddeock Bok-ki (Rice cakes simmered in chili-paste sauce), then I also made an impromptu Korean style tuna salad with miso and chili paste to top my peppery arugula babies.

Matt brought home some good quality steak meat, so we’ve been indulging while my iron skillet has been getting a ton of lovin’.

 

The "Man" plate.

 My healthier version :)

He doused his with A1...

And I had leftovers for lunch the next day! 

 

 

    
But all this cooking aside, what am I doing with this blog and where does it fit in?

These two questions have been wandering in my head for days, hence the “questions” part of this post’s title. 

I've been reading a lot of FANTASTIC food blogs where the vision and the message is clear. The focused theme makes for relevance and readability...whereas compared to those, I feel that mine is a little lost.

I suppose I’m having a bit of a blogger-identity-crisis. I really need to give this some more time and let all these thoughts marinate before I bring out what truly could be a great blog.

I think by the time this move is complete, the thought process might be finsihed! Hopefully as the outcome of all this thinking, I can really start devoting my time and effort to create something relevant, relatable, informative, and fun all at the same time.

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to shoot me an email: aireesespieces@gmail.com :)