Sesame tahini may seem like a trendy ingredient, but it has been a staple in our family’s favorite dressing for decades. My husband, Dean, learned to make Sesame Tahini Dressing while living in the Albatross House, a vegetarian commune in college. This dressing is so versatile that it can be used as a topping for…
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Overnight Oats with Berries
Grabbing a satisfying breakfast on the way to work can be a challenge. That’s why Overnight Oats is my new favorite grab-and-go breakfast. Biking to the Steamboat Balloon Rodeo this weekend meant leaving the house by 6 a.m. to bike to the launch site. Fortunately Overnight Oats were prepared and in the frig, ready to…
Pad Thai
Whenever I have a chance to eat Asian food, I always order Pad Thai. Those delicate rice noodles with chili and lime accents deliver a light, yet complex flavor. I’ve been perfecting my Pad Thai recipe for the past several years and learned some lessons along the way. Most importantly, use fish sauce in your Pad Thai. For years…
Steaming Eggs – it’s the best for high altitude
I have been in search of the best method for making hard-cooked eggs at our high mountain elevations. When I asked for people to comment on their favorite techniques, I was blown away at the responses. The comments on this blog and my FaceBook page were fascinating. Some methods included baking, steaming, pressure cooking, electric egg…
Steamed Hard-cooked Eggs
Steaming is my new favorite method for making hard-cooked eggs at high altitude. With this method the egg yolks and whites are perfectly cooked, there is no ugly green layer on the yolks, the eggs peel quickly and best of all…it’s easy. My old method took twice as long to make because two quarts of water had…
Avocado Lime Deviled Eggs
Looking for a way to eat hard-cooked eggs that is not laden with mayonnaise? Try these Avocado Lime Deviled Eggs – they’re the best deviled eggs ever! First, cook up some eggs using my favorite technique – Steamed Hard-cooked Eggs. I borrowed the idea from Cooks Illustrated, then refined the times for Colorado’s altitude. Avocado…
Hard-Cooked Eggs at High Altitude
I’m in search of the best method for making hard-cooked eggs at high altitude and I need some help. So far I’ve tried four different methods for hard-cooked eggs with varying degrees of success. Quite honestly, I’m beginning to drive my family and co-workers a bit crazy will all the eggs. Do you have a favorite method…
Homemade Sauerkraut in a Jar
The main ingredient for homemade sauerkraut is patience. Of course you’ll need some shredded cabbage and salt, but not much more. Homemade sauerkraut is easy to assemble…it just takes time to ferment. As I was exploring historic cooking methods for a presentation at our local Tread of Pioneers Museum, I was reminded of the importance of fermentation for…
Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Sometimes I just don’t get my husband. He’ll it come home after teaching all day and be famished because he forgot to eat lunch. Really?! How can anyone forget to eat lunch? Honestly, I haven’t missed a regular meal time since 2001. When I miss a meal I tend to get a bit testy and agitated—…
Celebrating the Super Bowl with Food
Have you decided what you’ll be eating during the Super Bowl this year? The foodie world is going crazy talking about the best Super Bowl fare. They have recommendations for what snacks to serve during the pre-game, what finger food to offer game-watchers during breaks – (hint: it must be something that can be eaten while…
Denver Omelet Muffins
My dad was no cook…he made one thing that I can remember – Denver Omelet Sandwiches. He’d make a traditional Denver Omelet—eggs with saute’d onions, green peppers and ham (sometimes he’d use bacon). He’d slap the whole omelet on a mayonnaise slathered piece of toast, topped with another mayonnaise slathered piece of toast and it…
Handmade Gifts of Thanks
Have you ever received a gift that took your breath away? I mean downright, total surprise and delight, to the point that you embarrassed yourself with sobbing gratitude? I received such a gift recently…and I have to share it with you. One of my dedicated volunteers, Jackie Grimaldi- local quilter extraordinaire, presented me with the gift of…
Lentil Soup for Friends
Receiving a jar of dry soup mix to make this lentil and split pea soup will make your family and friends so happy. With a few extra ingredients and less than an hour of effort they can feed a bowl of Lentil Soup for Friends to a crowd. Print Lentil Soup for Friends Prep Time 10…
Sweet Chili Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I am forever jotting down recipe ideas from dishes that I taste at restaurants or friend’s homes, but this is the first recipe that was inspired by a food truck. This summer, my niece’s beautiful country wedding was catered by a food truck. In his mobile, cramped kitchen, the chef managed to take ordinary foods…
A Steamboat Legend – Remembering Elaine Gay
This past week our community lost a local treasure in the passing of Elaine Gay. She saw an amazing amount of change in her 98 years in the Yampa Valley and will be greatly missed. She was also the grandmother of two of my Extension colleagues, Todd Hagenbuch, Agriculture Extension Agent for Routt County and…
Sarvisberry Cobbler
Serviceberries were likely the most important berry crop of Native Americans living in the Yampa Valley. The berries were both easy to gather and versatile. According to Edible & Medicinal Plant of the Southern Rockies by Mary O’Brien and Karen Vail, serviceberries provided nutritional value all winter long, but also had medicinal uses. The authors…
Baked Breakfast Apples
Warm and sweet with a hint of cinnamon, these apples are a family favorite. We’ve made Baked Breakfast Apples with every type of apple and they always taste great but the texture will vary. Top them with your favorite low-fat yogurt and granola and it feels like your eating apple pie for breakfast…but it’s so…
Snow for Seven Days in a Row–Time to Dig Out the Slow Cooker
The best part of living in The Boat is the snowy landscapes. If you’re like me, you’d prefer to be experiencing the beauty and not stuck indoors making dinner. It’s days like this that are perfect for digging out the slow cooker and letting it do the cooking. The best part of slow cooker (or Crock…
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Okay, I’m officially tired of the snow. Steamboat has received several feet of snow in the past week and it looks like we are due for 1-3 inches for several more days. Time to dust off the slow cooker and make some soup. Print Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time…
Need a Plan to not Gain Weight?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this year we could just skip the “I can’t believe that I gained 5 pounds over the Holidays” moment? There is a whole industry based on the notion that, of course, we will overeat during December and need their service, product or help taking the weight back off. This year my…
Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving – Too Many Choices
My assignment for this years Thanksgiving is sweet potatoes. It sounds simple enough, but then the questions start coming…should it be sweet potatoes or yams, savory or sweet, chunky or smooth? This year I am determined to offer up more than an orange backdrop for a mound of mini marshmallows, but I need your help….
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sour Cherries
This unique combination of pear, apple, sweet potatoes and dried sour cherries is perfect for Thanksgiving or any other cold winter night. I prefer to use Garnet sweet potatoes because their deep orange flesh is naturally moist and sweet. They caramelize beautifully when roasted. Print Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sour Cherries Prep Time 30 mins…
Life in the Boat – It’s Launch Time!
Does the world need another lifestyle and food blog…probably not. Nevertheless, I’ve explored the idea for the past year and it’s finally time to toss aside the dock lines and set sail with this Steamboat Springs food blog. For many of you reading this first official post, you’re probably wondering why someone with a full-time…
Spinach Yogurt Dip
Plain Greek yogurt makes this version of Spinach Dip much healthier, yet every bit as tasty. The trick with this dip is to make it several hours before you plan on serving it, which will allow the flavors to snuggle a bit. Print Spinach Yogurt Dip Prep Time 15 mins Total Time 2 hrs 15…
