Summer in Aspen is a perennial Mad Dash surrounded by an undeniably extraordinary setting. With its intangible quality of art, cultural and intellectual pursuits mixed with multiple sports opportunities, no one, just no one, can do it all. As evidenced by the plethora of minutiae displayed below, I still try: In mid-June five semi-trailer trucks…
THINKING SUMMER, STILL SNOWING
In the Spirit of Full Disclosure, I never watched Game of Thrones. Not one show… ever. Which makes you feel sorta like the last kid picked at recess for the kickball team. Counterpoint: Call me a When Calls the Heart super fan. That show just finished it’s sixth season on the soppy, feel-good Hallmark Channel….
The Dorie&David Show. Let’s Eat.
COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS How many cookbooks live in your house? Let’s count ‘em. Disregarding my file folders of clipped recipes and following this year’s annual purge, I counted 86. After separating the wheat from the chaff, I fingered 8 for the deserted island and 11 that I’d sorely miss. The rest? Toodle loo. Thanks to Google, we…
NOODLING AROUND with THROWBACK RECIPES
Since my last post, I’ve moved 2/3 of my belongings back into my condo while discarding/recycling 1/3. If I can do 8 weeks in Europe with 2 pairs of jeans and 3 pairs of black slacks, I can do 6 months in Aspen without 10 spatulas, 42 Bic pens and 7 pairs of scissors. In…
IN the KITCHEN with MARY
“Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond.” RIP Dr. Gonzo Counterculture icon Hunter S. Thompson, until his death in 2005, lived in nearby Woody Creek. I occasionally saw him hanging out at WC Tavern. He was prickly,…
LIGHTS STILL BRIGHT in PARIS
Wednesday was the UN’s International Day of Happiness and France’s National Macaron Day. I defy anyone to nosh on macarons, pull up Pharrell William’s Happy on their iPod and not bust a sugar-high move or two. Joy always transcends embarrassing one’s self. I’m an Iowa girl. Seeing the Midwest under water is heart-breaking. Colorado has…
MORE, from PARIS
Many of you know during Aspen’s summer season I’m a volunteer USFS Ranger decked out in the required uniform and official paraphernalia. When on a mountain trail patrol, if I see a tourist who is lost, separated from their hiking group or panicky, I know what to do. Currently I am an American in Paris,…
…..from PARIS
Last Friday morning I boarded the Eurostar in London and 2 hours, 15 minutes later, arrived at Gare du Nord in Paris. I will be here five weeks. This is a take 3-deep-breaths birthday year for me (I have until October to adjust.) and I am determined to make each day a doozie. When I…
LONDON, YOU’VE BEEN BRILLIANT
My bags are packed. I’m ready to go. Groucho Marx once claimed he was leaving the city because the weather was too good. “I hate London when it’s not raining.” Well, Mr. Marx, Mother Nature threw everything at me – wind, rain, cold and, now, sun. This past week 96 camellias popped open on a…
TRAVELING SOLO: LONDON
Last week, just as the Polar Vortex had powered up to “don’t even think of flying into Chicago’s O’Hare Airport,” I was scheduled to fly to London. In an attempt to assure I would fly the friendly skies, United Airlines had changed my Aspen-Chicago departure flight time twice. While it may have seemed wacky to…
From Dumplings to Powdered Sugar
Someone with more insight than I insists the best tools for getting to Happy are 1) Sunlight; 2) Rest; 3) Exercise; 4) Diet; 5) Self-Confidence; and 6) Healthy Relationships. None are budget-busters. The first is free. The rest we can control and manage ourselves. The effort we commit to each is by choice. Last week…
Dorie’s Chowder & Eataly Picture Book
EVERYDAY DORIE, The Way I Cook, by Dorie Greenspan With apologies to Dorie Greenspan, I re-titled this week’s CooktheBookFridays recipe choice. It’s called Potato Chowder Lots of Ways. I’ve chosen to re-name it A Chowder for All Seasons. This soup is worthy of the name. Here’s Why? A chowder is a rich, chunky soup traditionally made with onions,…
