a little bit of real life, a few links from around the internet, and some meandering thoughts
as if we really were huddled together around the fire.
Team Real Tree! We spent all day stomping through the snow in Arapahoe National Forest to pick out the perfect Christmas tree! This is our first Christmas in our house and the first year we’ve even gotten a tree since we travel so much. I’m so excited to decorate it this week with a mix of new & old ornaments, Christmas carols, and steaming mugs of glühwein.
It was such a gorgeous day for adventuring and we ended up far into the forest, skating across beaver ponds where the moose like to bed down. We went with our neighbors who adopted one of our foster puppies, and Scout had the best day of her life playing in the snow with her puppy BFF. Gorgeous days hiking through the snowy woods are the best reminder of how deeply I love Colorado!
Colorado friends, you have until this Saturday to head into the mountains and cut down your own tree in the national park! The tree cutting is organized by the ranger service to thin out the forest and promote healthy growth. We just drove up to Winter Park, picked up a $10 permit from the Chamber of Commerce, and headed to Elk Creek cutting area. Stop at The Ditch on your way home for the great burgers & burritos smothered in green chile!
Cookbooks. My new favorite finds & upcoming releases:
I’m so impatient to finally get my hands on a copy of Modern Comfort Cooking this Tuesday! You might know Lauren from the gorgeous blog Climbing Grier Mountain – that girl can make any dish look magical. Plus it’s always extra nice to support other Colorado food bloggers!
Deb over at Smitten Kitchen has had my heart for years, but her second cookbook Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites made me fall in love all over again. She says it best: “a celebration of breakfast, dinner, cake, and everything in between, and maybe a bit of resistance, too: against the idea that cooking must be an obstacle to overcome or and that the food we most want to eat cannot also be practical.” I love literally everything about the apps, snacks, and party food section and I want to roll myself up in the parmesan dutch baby with creamed mushrooms. Is that weird? Nah, totally fine.
The New Camp Cookbook is the cookbook I wish I had written. The photos are gorgeous, the how-to guides are spot on, and the recipes will have you drooling. Anyone who has ever wanted to make something more than hot dogs on a camping trip: you need this. Actually, this is the perfect gift for that outdoorsy, hard-to-shop-for friend who likes good food.
Check out my full list of Cookbook Favorites for more recommendations!
12 Drinks of Christmas! I’m having so much fun with this 12 Drinks of Christmas series! If you missed out on the first week, I’m sharing a new drink recipe every Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday ’til Christmas. Thursday drinks are family-friendly favorites; the rest of the week is cocktails, mulled wines, sangrias, and all sorts of boozy party goodies to celebrate the season. Cheers, prost, salute!
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