4.13.9-4.19.9 Detox Week 2

Somehow I missed the boat on keeping my daily diet updated, so here is a weekly summary instead.

We started Week 2 of our detox which meant eliminating meat and grains. Basically, we are just eating beans, nuts and vegetables now. It has been interesting, but still full of adventures yummy food.

Here are some of the highlights from this week:
Breakfast have been most challenging, but we discovered the ease and glory of almond milk.
Simply soak a handful (1/2-1cup) almonds overnight or longer to sprout them, changing the water every several hours or so.
The next morning, blend them up with a couple cups of water. Strain and then blend them more if there are still chunks. This yummy milk has a much stronger almond flavor than its well-preserved counterparts and it can be sweetened by blending in a date or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

It makes awesome smoothies, but the almond meal "oatmeal" is also a great breakfast. Warmed up in a pan similar to oatmeal, toss in some raisins or dried fruit and then top with fresh berries and additional almond milk. Delish! And it keeps you full for the morning.

Lunches varied between elaborate and leftovers.
The first lunch I made were Falafels with Greek Salad and Tahini Sauce.
Other lunches have been more like leftovers....

Here are a few of the highlights of the dinners we made this week:
Strawberry, Roasted Asparagus, Walnut, Jicama, Arugula, Avocado Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Garam Masala Pink Lentil Soup
Slightly Spicy Red Beans with Sweet Potatoes, Jicama, Pepitas, and Guacamole
Jalapeno Butternut Squash Soup
Red Bean Chili- quick and easy!
Deconstructed Hummus Salad with Tahini Dressing

4.12.9

Easter Detox Day

We had one day left on "week 1" of our detox so we were determined to eat lots of our favorites and pig out a bit before Monday when Week 2 and more eliminations were in store.

The day was uneventful until our late lunch/early dinner aka Easter Supper. We enjoyed an Asparagus-Potato Spanish Tortilla/Frittata. Spinach Salad and Barbequed Chicken. For dessert we had an Avocado Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries. Which I highly recommend trying at some point but also keeping in mind it is made with Avocados and thus can sometimes taste like Avocados. The creamy texture though is enough to keep you wanting to keep tasting it.

4.11.9

Breakfast again was Granola with Almond Milk, Raisins, and Pecans.

Lunch came way late after swimming (way too hungry!) but it was delicious- Chocolate-Banana-Nut Smoothie and Tuscan White Bean Salad with Tuna and a little Lemon-Olive Oil drizzled on top.

For dinner, we had the most lovely guests and they said, No Chicken and No Fish- oh my. What to serve? We decided on a Sushi Party and it was a hit!

We started with Miso Soup with Tofu and Green Onions. A Seaweed-Cucumber Salad with a Sweet-Spicy Dressing- I just threw it together and it was fantastic.

We also made a huge pile of Sticky Brown Rice with a salad bar of little bowls of full of:
Carrots, Cucumbers, Green Onions, Beets, Mangos, Red & Yellow Bell Peppers, Avocado and Slices of Smoked Salmon (for the fish eaters). We used pieces of foil as our sushi rollers- very simple and easy and everyone had a great time.

Then our guests presented Dessert- which we just adored. They took slices of Banana dipped in hot-runny Honey rolled them in either Chopped Peanuts or Almonds topped them with either Blackberries or Mango chunks and then drizzled on Whipped Coconut Cream & a Sprinkle of Cinnamon. They were lovely and delicious.

4.10.9

We finally dug into the Granola I made topped with Pecans and Raisins with some Yogurt as well. We also have been drinking Flax with Juice over the last several days- not sure if I had mentioned that. It is easier to drink than it sounds.

I had the fortunate of meeting up with the Denver Tweet Girls. What a lovely group of Women- I was impressed by each one and look forward to getting to know them all better.
We went to a Hacienda and upon scanning the menu realized it would be a touch challenging to come up with a dish sans dairy (what? -no cheese & sour cream!) wheat and corn. I settled on the Spicy Tacos (just ate the filling-no tortillas) which were just lovely with a huge dollop of Guacamole on the side- definitely needed a creamy accompaniment if the sour cream was not coming with my Mexican dish. The Black Beans were there as well and I really enjoyed the soupy, earthy flavors.

The evening we spent at a coffee shop dilegently getting work done on our computers with a Big Hot Cup of Rooibos. We also brought a few Cocoa-Energy Balls in my purse that we nibbled on.

By the end we were famished and we stopped by Whole Foods for a lovely piece of Salmon that Xerxes grilled up with the Red Rocks Rub from the Savory Spice Shop. I sauteed and pressure cooked some Beets, Onions, and Collard Greens. We topped the Salmon with finely chopped Mango- which was so ripe and delicious it needed no assistance.

4.9.9

This morning started with Xerxes at 5:55 saying loudly "I cannot sleep". Turns out that was the time he woke up. Surprisingly enough I was wide eyed and ready to be awake as well. We eventually made our way to the gym where I swam another satisfying mile. Which basically meant I was starving upon coming home. I sauteed up leftover vegetables Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Potatoes, and Broccoli. Add a touch of Nutritional Yeast and then dump a few beaten Eggs on top for a lovely Scramble. Xerxes made another Smoothie with Strawberries, Hemp Protein powder, and more. We are planning to explore some new smoothie flavors. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

I was full enough that I didn't require lunch well past cooking for my clients. I had a great time putting together there meals:

Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Strawberry Salsa
Filet Mignon with Leek-Cabernet Sauce and Smashed Red Potatoes with Broccolini
Citrus-Soy Glazed Salmon with Edamame-Noodle Saute

Wish I could have tasted the Filet- It smelled so good... fortunately, most of the rest was okay for me to taste.

I came home and tossed together a Tuscan White Bean Salad which is just lovely full of red bell peppers, kalamatas, toasted pine nuts, artichokes, and more. I found a small piece of leftover chicken and it completed my lunch.

After an appointment I came back ready to eat more and determined to make Energy Bars. Instead I came up with something more like Energy Balls rolled in cocoa powder. They are so amazing and we will be eating them in the days to come. We are either completely sugar deprived or I just created a new staple recipe. Xerxes came home and seeing them seemed less than impressed upon tasting one he was ecstatic. A hit!

Dinner was lovely too. I did Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Strawberry Salad and a dollop of the Tuscan White Bean Salad on the side. We both adore the Pistachio Chicken and the pairing with Strawberries is just perfect.

4.8.9

Continuing our detox... I must say physically I am feeling wonderful. Xerxes is still working to get the caffeine out of his system. Which is quite an intense detox within itself as we are discovering!

At my early morning meeting I had a pile of fruit, pineapple, grapes, melon, etc. and a mini pile of sauteed potatoes things.

For lunch, Xerxes came home and I cooked up some white beans in my Pressure cooker. Sauteed some Rainbow Chard with Onions. On top of those I served some fresh chopped tomatoes and an egg. Drizzled Balsamic and the leftover Orange-Mint Sauce on top. It was lovely and satisfying.

For dinner, I made this Salmon with Avocado Remoulade. It was amazing. I roasted up potatoes and my favorite Brussel Sprouts to go along side. We were stuffed, full and totally satisfied.

4.7.9

Determined to do a bit better with our detox, we started our day at 6:30am where I swam 1 mile. Whoa! I was so ready for a nap afterwards but instead Xerxes made us a Banana-Flax-Walnut Smoothie and I headed out the door with a Cocoa Mole Lara Bar in my pocket which I ate promptly.

I had a lovely client who I cooked for and made:
Creamy Mushroom Roasted Chicken with Artichoke-Mushroom Risotto
Chipotle-Tortilla Soup
Balsamic Chicken Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries and Blue Cheese
Blackened Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Cream Sauce
Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Meatloaf with Scalloped Potatoes

For dinner I made a sauce with Tomatoes, Broccoli, Spicy Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Celery that we had over Brown Rice sprinkled with Almonds.

4.6.9 Detox

The first day of our detox. We were so focused on celebrating the day before that I did not organize the week very well. I also managed to eat all of the leftovers the night before so I was basically far from hungry.

We started with a Banana Smoothie with Flax Meal and Walnuts. Oddly enough I had a meeting at Chipotle which turned out to be a reasonable place for the detox as I just had them fill my bowl with vegetables and anything else I could have. Very satisfying.

For dinner, we were unprepared and far from home. We went shopping at Sunflower Market and ended up having Roasted Chicken and Roasted Kale- which is one of my favorite ways to eat Kale-- simply toss with a little olive oil and salt. Preheat at 425 and roast for 8 minutes. It is crisp and chewy all at the same time.

4.5.9 Pre-Easter Day

We decided to celebrate the food part of Easter this past Sunday instead (Palm Sunday). There were various reasons for this including the fact that we planned our detox to start on Monday and I would be sad to celebrate without Lamb and Sweet Stuff, which is unfortunately not part of the detox.

What a day for food! Easter is truly my favorite holiday and the anticipation of it made me wake up several times throughout the night, like a little kid waiting for Christmas. I went to the grocery store early and tried so hard to resist not saying Happy Easter to everyone. Fortunately, it was an early Sunday morning and only a few of us were up and shopping.

The night before I had prepared the Pashka which is a delicious Sweetened Cheese that accompanies the Kulich that I was started Sunday morning bright and early after I returned from the store. It was a bit of a production and other than the fact that they were much shorter than the normal Kulich I remember the taste was unbelievable, especially smatthered with the sweet Pashka. We took pictures and the recipe is in my other more recipe focused blog.

Because there were so many egg whites leftover from the 8 egg yolks used in the Kulich I decided to throw together a Pavlova. We bought fruit and oddly enough we had some leftover whipping cream in the fridge, so it was actually a simple and lovely dessert to put together... after of course whipping the eggs for about 10 minutes and then praying it wouldn't crack or darken, which it did slightly. When mounded together it was hard to notice and the taste in my mouth made all my worries go away.

The Cocoa-Mint Roasted Lamb came together next and the recipe is posted as well at the recipe blog. We created a Cocoa-Mint Rub that encrusted the lamb with Savory-Sweetness. To accompany the lamb I made an Orange-Mint Basil Sauce, because lamb should never be far from its best friend Mint. I also quickly roasted some asparagus to create the Orange-Roasted Asparagus, which I highly recommend trying this recipe the next time you have a bouquet of asparagus ready to eat.

We had friends over and fortunately it was a Potluck, which included Orange Sweet Potatoes, Creamy Scalloped Potatoes, Avocado-Tomato Salad, and a Lemon Glazed Cheese Cake. We topped everything off with some Challah and ate until we finally had coffee to warm and calm our bellies from the exciting food.

What a great way to say good bye to all the foods we will refrain from having over the next several weeks and I can't wait for the Detox version of this Easter coming up.

4.4.9

The count down was on for our Monday Detox Start Day, so Saturday was focused on eating lots of stuff we couldn't eat for the upcoming 3-week program.

Basically, for me that would mean meat and bread. We also were preparing for our pre-Easter Brunch on Sunday which meant shopping at Whole Foods during lunch. Which is a crazy way to shop (hungry!?!) but we were relieved with the generous samples including Habanero Cheese, Habenero Mac n Cheese, Chicken Wings, and Smoked Trout Spread. We satisfied our need for meet and cheese with a Roast Beef Sandwich on Challah bread with Horseradish Mayo.

We were pretty much full, but decided that the abscense of sugar and dairy fat would be disappointing as well and so we split a Brownie Mousse Parfait. We didn't come close to finishing it and our sweet tooth was more than satisfied.

We managed to leave Whole Foods without any plan for dinner... who needs dinner when you have a Brownie Parfait to get you by?

But, we ended up making Hamburgers at about 9pm (we are also thrown off by the increase of evening light) It was one last ode to meat and white bread. They were satisfying enough.

Sunday is to be the ultimate feast though.

4.3.9

Late on Thursday night we decided to join our friend Kraig and his kids for a morning of skiing. Since we were not food-prepared for this we decided to treat ourselves to Cafe 13 in Golden in the morning. We enjoyed the Italian Scallion Sandwich on an Everything Bagel and a Coconut-Carrot Muffin. I also had a Ginger-Spicy Chai Tea.

The day was not my favorite weather conditions, wet heavy snow and I was a bit exhausted. Lunch came early and we split a Hot Dog with Sauerkraut (my favorite topping!) and Kraig gave us a generous slice of his Sub Sandwich. We also enjoyed a chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie and Coffee for dessert. Not the best day of ski eatin' but not the worst.

That evening we had plans to go to a Cheese & Wine event, but at the last minute as we were driving into Denver we changed our plans. Being in Denver, we ended up at Il Vicino where we shared a Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pizza and Caesar Salad. I enjoyed a LosDos Syrah and Xerxes had one of their award winning Ales.

After a lovely movie snuggled on the couch (it was a tear-jerker) Xerxes began frantically looking for dessert. Scavenging Vanilla Ice Cream from the freezer we scrapped off the freezer burn and dug in to finish it off.

There are clear signs as I write this and look at yesterday's post that we need to go shopping...
I look forward to my menu improving dramatically!

4.2.9

Today was a fabulous example of not eating well. Breakfast somehow came and went without me and so I inhaled an egg with toast around 11am, before running around town for meetings again. I met with Adam Thodey of Purple Avocado to chat about business and his new & exciting Box Lunch Special that I highly recommend, but I had a most dissatisfying Iced Green Tea at Panera Breads that was insipidly sweet. After whining long enough, Adam suggested I swap it out. The Black Unsweetened Ice Tea was a dramatic improvement.

I managed to leave Denver during rush hour, so upon arriving home my blood sugar had dipped just low enough for me to inhale a rather large Bean Burrito with Pepper Jack Cheese. Vegetables seemed to time consuming apparently on this less than appetizing day of eating.

Fortunately, the day ended at our friends Mary & Brian's house where a large bowl of Feta-Guacamole was the center piece of the evenings E-day Fireworks.

Springtime Detoxification

Rediscover your most vital self!

Have you ever wanted to do a detox but don't know what's safest and most effective?

Would you like to nourish and revitalize your body with the support of a trained Medical Professional, a Personal Chef and a group of like-minded folks with whom you can share your experience?

Then join Dr. Kaycie Rosen and Chef Lilly Allison for a natural Spring Cleaning from the inside out this April!

Wednesday nights, April 15th through May 6th
All classes start at 6pm

Week 1
Let's Get Started
Meet at Golden Pilates Studio for an introduction to the program.
Learn how foods effect your system and what is happening in your body.
Build your detox pantry with delicious foods that will keep you motivated and revitalized.

Week 2
Let's Eat!
Cooking Demonstration with additional Questions and Answers about how to start your 2nd week of Detoxification.

Week 3
Self Care
Meet at the Golden Community Center for some simple massage and self-nourishment tips, plus take a detoxifying sauna or hot tub soak.
Also, learn about the foods we can use on the outside of our bodies to nourish our largest detoxification organ- the skin!

Week 4
Celebration!
Enjoy a potluck of creative dishes created by your fellow detox companions.
Also, learn how to reintroduce your body to the world of amazing Seasonal Foods.

For more information and to register, email bellacuisine@personalchef.com or call Chef Lilly 303.453.9505
or
Dr. Kaycie Rosen
303.273.0866

4.1.9

April Fool's Day and I managed to eat out every single meal except for the two bites of brownie right before bed.

The morning started with my BNI meeting where I had a pile of Fruit and a couple bites of some Cinnamon Roll thing that I smothered with Cream Cheese in order to balance the amount of sweetness that was about to peak my blood-sugar through the roof.

For lunch, I met with my fellow BNI member and most favorite Acupuncturist Dawn Margowski at Las Margaritas in Belmar. We felt it was a bit too early for Margaritas but she enjoyed a most lovely dish of Mole Enchiladas and I still obsessing over the Crispy Tacos I made for my Monday client had a Crispy Chicken Taco and Beef Taco with some Beans on the side and a fabulous dollop of a Corn Pudding thing that accompanies almost every dish there. Clearly hungry I ate almost every last drop and proceeded to not want anymore food...

Even when I met up with two of my Golden girlfriends Mary and Lisa for a long overdue dinner at Table Mountain Inn. I was still full from my lunch 5 hours earlier, but salad seemed the best way to balance the Mexican feast. I had the Santa Fe Salmon Salad with Mangos, Peppers and more. I really enjoyed this dish and look forward to enjoying it the next time I go to TMI. Yum!

The evening ended with the very last brownie from Xerxes's Monday batch and a glass of milk.

3.27 to 3.29.9- Ski Weekend

This weekend was less about food and more about the slopes to say the least. Breakfast (cereal, coffee, toast) was quickly enjoyed as we stuffed our pockets with Bora Bora Bars, Trail Mix and Turkey & Pepper Jack Cheese Sandwiches. Donuts from Daylight Donuts made an appearance at one point, which everyone seemed to enjoy (except me, but donuts & I don't get along). For the most part we were sleeping in a bit, so getting up on the Mountain late meant we didn't stop until the day was over. Thus, the stuffed pockets were essential to sustain ourselves.

On Thursday, we ended the first part of our day early about 3pm, came home for a little R&R which ended with a Greek Chicken Salad right before we headed back out to ski for the evening. A year ago I created a to-do list of 101 things to do in 1001 days and towards the top of the list is Night Skiing. Keystone is open until 8:30 Wednesday through Saturday right now, so we headed out for a little darkened run.

It was seriously amazing.

Please note, I am not really very talented as a skier and everyone else was snowboarding, but only intermediate skill was needed for the dark Mountains with only a few spare lights guiding our way.

Serenity. The only sound was our edges glazing over the groomed snow and our occasional shouts to each other as it was a challenge to see very far. It was like having a resort to yourself since there were only a handful of people up there. And our few Night Skiing Companions were clearly just as blissed out as we were. It was a glorious evening and maybe the conditions were just perfect this time, but I don't care- I am really looking forward to my next night of skiing.

After we discussed our own personal favorite moments of the evening and packed ourselves into the car, we headed back to Breckenridge and I insisted on a treat. We found a quaint coffee shop and ordered a round of Hot Chocolates with a Chocolate Brownie to share.

The next day, Saturday was a lovely repeat of breakfast and stuffed pocket goodies. The evening however was our time to break out of our little condo kitchen and check out some of the fun restaurants Breckenridge has to offer. We were joined by 3 more friends and we settled on Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant. Overall, we all enjoyed the atmosphere, food and the Salsa was deliciously spicy. The medium Salsa Verde was too hot for most at the table, but Xerxes, my brother and I happily gobbled down that plus the Hot Salsa. We also had some spicy Calamari as an appetizer. The feast at our table was wonderful, Shredded Beef Chimichangas, Steak Fajitas, Veggie Quesadillas, and Salmon with Avocado Sauce. Xerxes & I shared a Mango & Pork Burrito, which had more rice in it than I would normally prefer and less of the Mango-Pork part. Since I know we have more adventures in Breckenridge ahead, I am sure we will end up there again and I will not shoot down Xerxes's suggestion of Fajitas as I was very jealous of my brother's sizzling plate of Steak & Veggies.

The next morning, you would think we would be so full, but we were still in the mood for more eating out. We saw the Blue Moose had Organic Coffee and Pancakes- which was all Xerxes needed to know. I enjoyed the Veggie Eggs Benedict which came with Avocado, Tomatoes and of course oozing with Hollandaise. I was very happy. The last few hours of skiing were lovely as our bellies were full of goodness.

Exhausted we swung by Chipotle on our way home for some Burritos. Such an easy satisfyingly cheap way to get some decent calories in. After dropping my brother off at the airport, Xerxes made Brownies. I had no complaints. Just Hot Brownies and Milk.

3.31.9

For some reason I woke up famished. I was almost late to a meeting with my Detox Partner Dr. Rosen when I realized not eating would make me more grumpy then necessary.

So, I quickly threw together an Egg Sandwich with Pepper Jack Cheese- did I mention I was famished!

When I arrived at Kaycie's beautiful new home she had a gorgeous bowl of Fruit and Yogurt waiting. Still oddly hungry I was so excited to join her for my 2nd breakfast in my first hour of waking.

After our meeting, Xerxes and I met up for some Gym time. Something to know about me and Gyms- hate 'em. I find even the most lovely gyms to be sterile, hostile environments and I don't understand why one would bounce around inside with akward equipment when they could be outside playing and excercising by default. I do however enjoy Climbing Walls from time to time and the greatest exception to my avoid-the-gym rules would be the Swimming Pool. I love that gravity-defying feeling of moving through refreshing water.

While Xerxes did his work out upstairs- I hit the pool. We managed to miscommunicate our end time and I thought I had 10 minutes less to do my goal of one-mile. I was on hyper-swim speed and therefore completely wiped out by the time we left. Glazed over I was not in a position to cook, but Xerxes whipped up a Turkey-Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese. Happy.

That evening for dinner I was still quite hungry, but we went on an adventure down to Castle Rock to buy Xerxes a new Mountain Bike off of Craigslist. We had some plans of working at a coffee shop as well, but since he was able to negotiate $50 off of the bike we felt the need to celebrate.

Driving back to Golden I knew there was a Buca di Beppo off of Santa Fe and my wishes-he-was-Italian-hubby has never been. It has been almost 10 years since I was last went to one in Seattle.
Being there reminded me of what a huge fan I am of Bucas. As far as big-box restaurant chains are concerned, this is probably my favorite... although I don't really go to others beyond the occasional Red Robin. Buca di Beppo is completely unabashed about their family style portion sizes and while you cannot leave that place without overstuffing yourself (at least somewhat), they are so enthusiastic about doggie bags that the thought of another day of Italian Homestyle Meals keeps you wanting to buy several dishes just for the promise of leftovers. Despite of course the fact that two people could barely finish one side.

We enjoyed the 1/2 pound Meatballs (yes, I could only attempt half of one!) with Spaghetti and Marinara and the Lemon-Butter Green Beans which were so perfectly el dente I would have been happy just chewing on those for the whole meal. I topped dinner off with a Basil Mojito (remember we were celebrating) but it was a bit on the gaggy sweet side. It was nothing like the amazing Orange-Basil Mojitos Xerxes makes-- hint, hint!! ;)

3.30.9

After our big ski weekend I was more exhausted on Monday than normal. Which of course didn't excuse me from cooking.

I prepared a fun day's worth of food for my clients:
Chicken Pot Pie
Raspberry Chicken with Creamy Gorgonzola Broccoli
Lemon Chicken Scallopini with Artichokes & Mushrooms and Scalloped Potatoes
Shredded Chicken Tacos with Chipotle Crema, Avocado, Tomatoes, Black Olives, Lettuce.... etc

Since we were out of bread or any way to make lunch I picked up a Cranberry Tuna Sandwich while shopping at Whole Foods. Now, I need to complain a bit. It was sweet. I realize it had cranberries in it, but it was sweeter than that. I doubt they made it with Miracle Whip, but it had a similar underlining flavor that just wouldn't go away. And the ratio of bread to filling was terrible. I had huge pieces of bread flopping around the edges longing for a companion. I am normally very happy with Whole Foods sandwiches as a quick lunch, but this was quite a disappointment. Note to self: Avoid Cranberry Tuna Sandwiches in the future.

Thankfully, Xerxes's Brownies from the night before rescued me and kept me from food depression.

For dinner, we hodge podged our food together and ended up with Bread, Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar and a rather crazy salad of Grapefruit, Avocados, Spring Greens, Sliced Almonds, Jalapeno Olives, and Garbonzo Beans. It was a bit different, but the vegetables were satisfyingly necessary.

3.26.9

We woke up to quite a blizzard-y day. Xerxes picked up our friend Matt at the airport and the normally 45 minute drive home took them twice as long with traffic caused by snowy slick accidents. As soon as they walked in the door we scurried to get ready while I baked a Cinnamon Roll that had mysteriously arrived in our fridge. It was warm almost buttery smooth goodness. Great start to our Ski Weekend.

1-70 seemed treacherous, but as soon as we hopped on it only took about 20 minutes more than normal. We were prepared with Turkey & Havarti Sandwiches with Spring Greens on Udi's Sour Dough- very nice. When we arrived at Keystone we stuffed our pockets with Trail Mix and Bora Bora bars.

After skiing all day, Xerxes whipped up a Chicken Cacciatore with Pasta- seriously delicious. And I will say that carbo-heavy pasta is almost a requirement after a long ski day.

3.25.9

Some days are simply full of meetings, parties, errands and meeting up with people. Finding time to eat on these days is a challenge and I am not sure how successful I was until the later part of the day.

The morning started with Fruit and Rice Krispies- which I seriously have not had in so many years. Cereal never seems to fill me up and before lunch I had a crispy Grilled Cheese- ah comfort food.

One of the day's quick activities was running to Coscto & back in less than an hour. We did it and fortunately, Xerxes brought me leftovers from Ali Baba. Curry Chicken & Hummus

The evening was a treat- we went to a party with Xerxes' colleagues hosted by his advisor. We had a feast of Traditional Lasagna, Pesto Vegetarian Lasagna, and a Feta-Tomato Salad. Dessert was Coffee Ice Cream with Chocolate Brownies. Such a fun evening with fascinating people and delicious food.

3.24.9

Another day of cooking, which started with me trying my best to eat Xerxes's cereal. I actually don't really enjoy cereal, but when someone else (namely X) puts together a lovely bowl of Heritage Flakes, Raisins, Walnuts, Almonds, and more... my lips quiver and I sit looking intently at him until he pushes the bowl my way. He then watches me carefully to ensure I don't take too many raisins or any of the "good stuff".

I am very good... but I usually want more than one bite, which is not so good in his eyes.

He gave up asking me to make my own bowl. I don't want my own cereal I want his. I realize it makes little sense, but really I just don't like cereal. I like his cereal. I am preparing him for children. He's screwed.

After that ordeal, I ran off to Sunflower Market and Whole Foods to get all the goods for my clients. They requested the following, which I always have to taste my way through the day. Please note, they only do poultry & fish and they love risotto:

Wild Mushroom Soup (morels, criminis, lobster shrooms, portabellos, and more) with Sage-Chicken Meatballs

Cobb Salad with Turkey Bacon, Roquefort, Chicken, Boiled Egg, Tomatoes, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cocao Mole Chicken with Mango Risotto

Zesty Fish Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa and Chipotle Cream Sauce

Orange Roasted Chicken with Leek & Pea Risotto

For lunch I had a Quesadilla with Shredded Chicken & Cheese

For Dinner we finished the day with Fiery Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry with Blood Oranges over this teeny-tiny rice that I am madly in love with called Kalijira. Also, I want to say that brown rice is a dream to make in the pressure cooker. This particular itty-bitty brown micro-grains took about 8 minutes. Dinner was on the table in about 15 minutes.

Oh happy day! And I am currently topping it all off with a little Guinness and 4 bites of Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce and Pecans

3.23.9

Today I cooked for a dear client and since I had to sample everything to make sure the flavors worked I feel I can just share what I made for her today!!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Strawberry Salsa
Lemon Chicken Crunch with Creamy Asparagus Fettucine
Fiery Broccoli Beef Stir Fry
Crispy-Crusty Fish
Balsamic Lentil Salad with Parmesan, Cherry Tomatoes and Pine Nuts
Sesame Roasted Pork

And it was all delish!

3.22.9 Leftover day

So I am a huge fan of leftover pizza for breakfast. Cold and delicious, it reminds me of ski trips as a little kid. In the back of our big Suburban with skis, poles and clothes surrounding me, it was such a happy breakfast. Last night's Mannie & Bo's Hawaiian Pizza served the perfect source to rekindle those memories.

For lunch, we went to the gym. Swam a mile. It was the first time I actually "recorded" that I was swimming a mile, so it was very exciting. I was sooo hungry and Xerxes warmed up more pizza and leftover lasagna.

Deciding we were too distracted by Twitter we headed out to Borders were Wifi does not exist and I was able to finish up work for the clients I have over the next two days. While there I enjoyed my most favorite Vanilla Red Tea Latte sans the weird syrups with whipped cream instead-- oh happy afternoon!

After coming home, I finally got my butt back into the kitchen and whipped up Cocoa Mole Chicken with Mango Risotto and Sauteed Kale. I have been dreaming of this dish for the last week or two. We had a delicious Mango Risotto at Le Central in Denver and I have been wanting to make it ever since. My risotto needed a bit more Mango, but that shouldn't been a problem next time. The Mole was simple and complicated all at the same time, but considering I have never made either dish it came together in about an hour, so not bad. I can't wait to post the recipe and take pictures!

3.21.9

On this second day of Spring, spending it with friends hiking one of our favorite trails Mt Galbraith seemed most appropriate.

As we prepared and packed a picnic, Xerxes made me my favorite smoothie for breakfast Peanut Butter & Banana with Yogurt. The picnic was a hit as we sat "under the tree by the rock" and looked out over our favorite town of Golden. We had our final day of Roast Beef Sandwiches. Kelly and Adam provided Chips, Oranges, Grapefruit, Dark Chocolate, and even a couple Beers to split. The great company and beautiful scenery made for such a joyful picnic.

After hiking, we felt we deserved a treat. We headed into Golden's only Soda Shop the Golden Sweet Shop and Xerxes and I split a Cookies n Cream Malt.

The day rapidly was coming to an end and yet again we managed to not have the time or energy to throw something together, so we treated ourselves to pizza. We have become big fans of Mannie & Bo's Pizza in Golden. Mostly because it was the first dish we ate after moving here as we sat on our climbing pad, propped up on the dusty floor of our new apartment surrounded by all of our stuff that we had managed to hull from California. The flavors of that first pizza were our only welcome in a town where we quickly made such wonderful friends, but at the time knew no one. We have since settled on only one flavor which is their slightly unusual Hawaiian Pizza, containing the typical Pineapple & Canadian Bacon, but also the more unique Fresh Tomatoes and blobs of fabulous Cream Cheese. I highly recommend this combination and can safely say that while Mannie & Bo's may not be the best Pizzeria I have ever experienced it is hands down our favorite in Golden.

The bottle of white from Castoro Cellers in Paso Robles went perfectly with our pizza feast. Cheers!

3.20.9

After all that eating yesterday, this day started very slowly in the food department. Instead I met up with a friend and went to Vital Yoga for a morning class. Loved it and can't wait to go back. Afterward, my friend gave me a huge bag of citrus with the sweetest Kumquats I have ever had. So, a generous handful of those was basically breakfast.

Lunch was simply leftover Thai Panang Curry from yesterday's dinner. Xerxes came home with a leftover Cheesesteak and I will not mention where it came from because it was much less than par. Since X is from Philly the standards are high, but we do have local places where we will happily buy a Philly Cheesesteak. Good to know we will never have to buy one from this restaurant again!

Then I met up with a darling girlfriend and her baby. We met at Windy Saddle and I had the Creamiest Chai with no sugar and to balance the lack of sugar I bought one of their Berry Berry Bars and it is Very, Berry Good. I happily nursed it throughout the day.

Clearly, my hiatis from cooking is leading us on some interesting paths, so dinner was me back in the kitchen. Or so I thought, at 7pm I walked into the kitchen with intentions of Cocoa Mole Chicken with Mango Risotto but their were no actual ingredients available for that activity. Since it is still oddly light out, going to the grocery seemed logical until I noticed that Xerxes had defrosted a Sausage, Pesto & Artichoke Lasagna. Thanks babe, dinner is ready.

Sharing a bottle of Cab from Barnard Griffin was a totally appropriate way to end our week as we contemplated life and refused to get onto our computers.

Now for a picnic on Saturday...

3.19.9

Today was quite an eating day... as Xerxes calls it "Celebrate Us Day!" a bit of a mid-week half day off and we were sooo busy with all the fun that we had to eat out every meal. :)

The day started at 6am and I insisted on Cafe 13 in Golden. Our sweet barista recommended the Vegetable Frittata and I happily enjoyed it with my favorite Cafe au Lait.

We then headed to the slopes for a few hours of skiing in Breckenridge. X previous worked at Breckenridge Brewery in Tuscan, AZ and he has been wanting to take me there. We shared a Burger with Guacamole, Jalapenos, and Pepper Jack Cheese with Mashed Potatoes & Coleslaw
We also shared a Pandora Bock. Overall I am glad to finally experience one of the many places where he was a chef. Next time sweetie, I want to try those nachos you kept talking about! Or those Fish & Chips that walked past our table. And the beer sampler- oh my!

We came home (very sleepy, long drive) and made my Thai Winter Rolls which I paired with a Mild Peanut Sauce for an small event with business friends at the Seven Cups Tea House in Denver. I broke my no caffeine after 2pm rule and had a delicious Yellow Tea. I was happily bouncing off the walls for the rest of the evening-- although somewhat productive as one could imagine!

For dinner, X was tired and I was too restless and twitter obsessed to cook so we decided to veg out in front of hulu with a lil' thai food. Okay- I wanted Thai, X wanted Chinese so we picked up take out from New Panda. I chose the Thai Panang Curry and X chose the Orange Chicken. There are other dishes I love from there more, but our favorite features are the brown rice, the Chinese/Thai compromise and they happily add extra veggies whenever we ask.

3.18.9

Breakfast and Lunch were uninteresting as I had pretty much the same thing as the last several days- someone remind me to go shopping, but dinner was fabulous.

Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potato & Beet Slaw

Let me know if you try it!

I do want to explain the Roast Beef Sandwiches. X and I were married this past June and we prepared most of the food for our Wedding. We did not serve the food as we have darling friends who lead the day and we of course hired servers. We simply made sure to prepare food that could be made ahead, stored and served without too much preparations.

Overall, it was a picnic theme, which included spreads and dips arranged in Mason jars so people could make their own sandwiches with a variety of Crusty Breads. X roasted Beef Tenderloin with a beautiful pink center and in the end we had so much food leftover that we had an entire hunk of Roast Beef to freeze. 7 months later we defrosted it and have now spent a week eating the most delicious Roast Beef sandwiches. In another 7 months when I am actually excited to eat another Roast Beef Sandwich X and I will make it again and post it on Bella Cuisine with pretty pictures.

Just for fun, I thought I would share some of our Wedding Menu:
Argentine Empandas from Buenos Aires Pizzeria in Denver
Homemade Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese
Caramelized Balsamic Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese and Sliced Almonds
Deconstructed Greek Salad Bar
Crudite Platter with Curried Beet Dip & Yogurt Herb Dip
Sandwich Bar with Turkey, Roast Beef, Chimichurri Sauce, Horseradish Sauce, Apricot Butter, Pesto Butter and more... seriously more.

Hence the leftover Roast Beef.

3.17.9

Happy St. Paddy's Day

Again I had...
Roast Beef Sandwich (Are you getting tired of seeing me eat Roast Beef Sandwiches? More on that in the next post...)

Irish Salmon Baked on Red & Green Cabbage
On top of Roasted Potatoes & Onions

The real magic was Dessert:
Guinness Floats with Vanilla Ice Cream
Good bye root beer, you have been officially replaced with malty hoppy goodness

3.16.9

Bora Bora Bar friend just gave me one to sample- surprisingly delicious!
Black Tea with a lil' half & half

Roast Beef Sandwich with Horseradish, Provolone, and Spring Greens

Pasta with a Chipotle-Goat Cheese Tomato Sauce, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes
Hubby made dinner-- lucky me- YuM!

But I made....

Red Wine Roasted Pheasant with Creme Fraiche and Roasted Vegetables
Chicken Parmesan with Roasted Cauliflower
Vanilla-Champagne Creamy Salmon
Ricotta Stuffed Chicken with Spinach Souffle
Vegetable Ragu over Creamy Polenta

And of course, for the sake of quality control I did taste each. mmmm...

3.15.9

Black Tea with Agave and a splash of half & half
Breakfast Quesadilla, corn tortilla, pepper jack cheese, egg
High Country Kombucha Chai Tea

Roast Beef Sandwich with Horseradish, Jack Cheese, & Spring Greens

Kiwi-Tequila BBQ Shrimp with Wild Rice
Cucumber Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

Strawberries Stuffed with Lemon-Cream Cheese

3.14.9

Vanilla Rooibos Tea from Starbucks, sans the Classic Syrup as this drink is sweet & flavorful without it
Roast Beef Sandwich on Honey-Date-Walnut Bread with Provolone and Spring Greens
Chicken & Beef Satay

Lemon Stilton Cheese with Crackers
Guinness-Molasses Bread enjoy this best piping hot out of the oven
Potato-Chorizo Soup & Kale lots of kale

Then we went to an Irish Party were I "ate":
Guinness and Guinness & Cheddar Fondue
Baileys, Jamison, and Milk for dessert ;)