I recently posted “10 things” as a Wednesday Ramblings and loved the interaction that I experienced with you guys. So I decided that, instead of a regular old vacation roundup, I would share ten of my favorite things about our recent trip to Colorado.
We flew into Denver, rented a car, spent two nights in Denver, drove to Boulder, did some hiking, drove to Fort Collins, spent two nights there, and then drove around in the mountains for a long time before flying back home. It was an incredible five days with my husband. Here’s why:
10. Pool tables. I learned that Paul loves pool tables. We arrived home one week ago and we now own a pool table. That vacation ended up producing some residual costs. Please tell me I’m not the only one this has happened to.
9. The amazing blue skies. (See above.)
8. The oldest church in Denver: Trinity United Methodist. Paul and I were roaming around downtown Denver Sunday morning and we turned the corner and saw this gorgeous church. They had a service at 11 am, it was 10:40 am. I’m calling that a God moment. Paul and I haven’t had the opportunity to worship together, for a full service, in a very long time and this was one of the most treasured moments of our vacation.
7. Hiking. We spent Monday, Labor Day, in Boulder hiking at Chautauqua park. It was stunning. So full of life and energy. My body is nowhere near used to altitude, let alone exercise in altitude, but the majesty of being in the mountains takes all of that away. I sincerely wish we had some mountains here.
6. Amazing people. Eclectic is the word that comes to mind when I think about the people we encountered. Awesome people. Artists, like this man, in the middle of the 16th street mall in Denver, teaching a child to play piano. We watched this unfold as we ate dinner on a patio one night. I loved this scene.
5. Mountains (of course) simply took my breath away with their views, their majesty. The sunshine, the breeze.
4. Snooze. Not the button on your alarm, the restaurant. The cutest place with such character. I wanted to stick this coffee mug in my purse. And the breakfast that I had…I am in the process of recreating it so you’ll see my version of it soon. Simply amazing.
3. IPA onion rings. Oh yes. Yes, they were as big as doughnuts. Yes, we ate every last one. Yes, I am still working off the calories. Yes, they were 100% worth is.
2. Breweries. The state is full of them, Fort Collins particularly. I love craft beer, I love rich flavors and local brews and this is the place to get them. O’dell Brewing was definitely a favorite: try 90 Shilling and their IPA.
1. Fort Collins. I fell in love with Fort Collins. Their quaint downtown area. The sweet people. The hotel where we stayed. The shops, the restaurants, the breweries (see #4). Such a sweet town and I can’t wait to go back!
I was delighted to be asked by BlogHer to share this episode of Weelicious Lunch Crunch sponsored by Odwalla Fruit Smoothies For Kids with my readers. Enjoy!
And I definitely have no issue with adding Sriracha to the list of flavors. It’s hot – spicier than the buffalo popcorn. But amazing, no doubt. I just adore popcorn, however it’s flavored and this one is no different. Just have some water (or wine) nearby!
Are you a fan of the Cheddar Bay Biscuits at Red Lobster? If so, I’d like to introduce you to their slightly spicier cousin: the Sriracha-cheddar biscuit!
I don’t really care for Red Lobster all that much, but give me a basket of those biscuits any day and I’ll be as happy as can be. I like bread and cheese and garlic, especially when they are all wrapped up in one! This biscuit recipe is so simple. I used some self-rising flour from King Arthur Flour. The flour already has salt and baking powder so no need to add them here. I can’t wait to try some sweets with it!
I made these biscuits to use as “buns” for my black bean burgers and they were a perfect fit! Not too spicy, but full of flavor from the cheese, garlic powder and the Sriracha!
A simple cheese biscuit recipe, kicked up with Sriracha hot sauce.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbs. Sriracha sauce
2 cups self-rising flour
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes, kept in the fridge until ready to use
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For brushing the biscuits:
1 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. Sriracha
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix the milk and Sriracha sauce until well blended. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Whisk the flour, cayenne pepper and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and work with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles wet sand. Pour in the milk/Sriracha mixture and stir just until the milk is absorbed. Mix in the cheese, careful not to overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky, using a little more flour as needed. Roll into a circle about 1/2-inch thick.
Cut the biscuits to the desired shape and place on a Silpat-lined or parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix the extra milk and Sriracha together until blended. Brush the tops of each biscuit with the mixture.
Bake in the prepared oven for 14-15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
Cassie's Notes:
If you don't have cheddar, feel free to use any kind of cheese that you have on hand.
I created a Sriracha Love pinboard. If you have Sriracha recipes you’d like to share, leave them in the comments and I’ll share them!
Disclaimer: King Arthur Flour provided me with some Self-Rising Flour to try out. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
Bake Your Day is all about my adoration for food, for people and for life. Life, mine, at least, has always revolved around food and people. We all eat, we all love food and no matter the party, everyone always ends up gathering in the kitchen....read more
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