Breckenridge in the Fall

It's hard to believe that the leaves have fallen so fast.  It seems like I was eagerly anticipating the leaves changing colors and then today I looked outside and noticed that most of the trees are naked....the landscapers didn't even leave them on the ground for awhile.  Sad indeed. 

I did get a chance to spend a weekend up in a Breckenridge a few weekends ago with some friends.  The Colorado Rockies miss all of those vibrant colors that other areas see during fall, but we sure do have yellow aspens everywhere.  

While we stayed in Breckenridge, we did head over to Frisco the first morning.  We could pretend it was for the foliage or the cuteness of the town, but really it wasn't.

It was for important things like brekkie at the Butterhorn.  If you are in the area, they have a phenomenal breakfast...and even lunch.  This was the first restaurant Brooklyn ever had lunch at. Yes she did--10 week old puppies are allowed on restaurant patios because who can say no to puppies? 

After breakfast we headed up for a little offroading.  So, epic fail here.  Number 14 on my 101 on 1001 was to drive my Honda to 100,000.  Well, she's only at 43K and look who came to live at my house.  This is the before picture...such shiny tires.  

And this is her initiation into the great outdoors.  

Luckily I had some help...who knew offroading actually required more than accelerating and braking?  Well it definitely does...I heard many, many hours of "accelerate, brake, left, right, left, coast, up on the clutch, put your clutch in, let your clutch all the way out...yes without accelerating, left, crawl, shift into 3rd just as you hit the puddle."   Sometimes I even needed some extra help and direction.  Brave man to guide from the front of the vehicle. 

 I'm pretty sure I'll need a few more lessons but I have to admit, I kind of want to drive over the tops of curbs and medians all the time.   

After the mental exhaustion of driving over the top of things, we walked through downtown Breckenridge. I believe they started making snow pretty recently at some of the resorts--but I love the town just as much in the summer and fall as in the winter.

The world's cutest little Starbucks on main street in Breck. 

Pumpkin Poppers

The happiest of baking seasons is upon us...fallpumpkinthanksgivingchristmas baking season. It's one of my favorite kitchen seasons of the year and I don't think it's just me.  There's just something about that first turn of the weather that seems to have everyone jumping in the kitchen.  The pinterest pins of fall baking goods seems to have grown exponentially and I'm constantly torn on what to make next. 

When I saw these pumpkin poppers, I knew they were it--no need to keep looking.  They were moist and cinnamonny and perfectly bite sized.  Nothing bad going on here.

They start out as little mini muffins baking in a little mini muffin pan and then when they come out of the oven they are dipped in butter and then cinnamon and sugar.  I'm not going to say no to that. 

Many say they prefer smaller sizes because of the portion control.  I find that small bite size foods cause me to mindlessly eat more.  Case in point...two poppers dipped and placed on the plate.  Two poppers eaten before the next is even rolled.  

These were pretty awesome and definitely a keeper.  I'm already planning the next batch with a swap out of the cinnamon sugar coating for a donut glazed icing.  Thank you Pinterest. 

Pumpkin Poppers

adapted from Domestically Speaking

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (plus 2 tbsp if at high altitude)

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk

For cinnamon sugar coating:
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare mini muffin pans.  (I made about 36 mini muffins with this recipe)
2. Whisk together dry ingredients in medium sized bowl.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix gently until it’s just combined
5. Fill mini muffin cups 3/4 full and then bake for 10-12 minutes
6. While they’re baking, melt butter and in a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon
7. Let the poppers cool for a few minutes and dip in melted butter. Roll immediately in cinnamon and sugar.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Nothing new to see here folks...buffalo chicken enchiladas have been done a billion times before.  But if you haven't tried them yet and you like enchiladas and/or buffalo wings...this recipe should definitely get a chance to prove itself in your kitchen.  Tangy spicy buffalo sauce....heck, who am I kidding?  That's what it's all about in my book.  Yes there's chicken.  And some cilantro.  Even some black beans and cheese.  But really these are all about that awesome buffalo sauce.  

I adapted the recipe slightly to include black beans and a big 'ole scoop of greek yogurt for a little extra creaminess inside. 

Enough said right? 

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from The Novice Chef's version

6 flour tortillas (I had spinach ones)
14 ounce can red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 chopped green onions

1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped plus additional for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x10 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together enchilada and buffalo wing sauce...stopping to taste and adjust as you go. Add more or less buffalo sauce to your taste.
3. In a large bowl, toss together shredded chicken, green onions, 1/3 cup greek yogurt and 1/4 cup cilantro. Pour in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce mixture and stir until combined.
4. Separate cheese into two 3/4 portions--one for the filling and one for the topping.
5. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into the prepared glass baking dish and spread mixture to the edges. Working with one tortilla at at time, fill with 1/6 of the black beans and then 1/6 of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle 1/6 of one of your cheese portions over chicken before rolling tortilla up. 
6.  Roll the tortilla and place it seam-side down in the dish. 
7. Once all tortillas are filled, pour the remaining enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and top with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce its bubbling. Immediately after taking enchiladas out of the oven top with cilantro and serve. 

Spinach Artichoke Soup

I may have jumped the gun making soup.  Just because the calendar says it's autumn and you really, really, really want it to be autumn, does not mean it actually feels like autumn.  Making soup when it's almost 80 degrees isn't ideal.  As the kitchen fills with even more heat and you are feeling a bit overheated and thinking of turning on your AC again even, you might even wonder what possessed you to make soup on an obviously non-autumn like day.  That is until you taste this spinach and artichoke soup.  Then you'll know you had to make it because well, it's spinach and artichoke and soup.  That's enough justification for making soup in the middle of summer. 

This soup couldn't be easier.  I made it over the weekend but it was so quick and easy to throw together, it could easily be a "drag your butt in the door after a long day at the office and still have the energy to cook soup" kind of recipe. Yep, that easy.  

The ingredient all come straight from the fridge or pantry and required enough effort to roughly dump or chop.  If you wanted to leave the spinach leaves and artichokes whole and you used frozen diced onions, you wouldn't have to chop at all.  I cooked some chicken for this, but this would be a great recipe for using a rotisserie chicken. 

Love artichokes but really who doesn't?  And why not?

Cooking the flour first helps get rid of that raw floury taste.  

Spinach always makes me nervous when I add it to recipes as I wonder if this will be the one time in spinach history that it will just refuse to cook down.  But alas, my worries were for naught...it all cooked right down and made perfect little bites of spinach in a soup that was reminiscent of the dip.  Definitely a keeper of a recipe. 

A little bonus Chipmunk cuteness. 

And a little puppy curiosity wondering how much we paid for Manning again?

The look of Tebow longing...

Spinach Artichoke Soup

adapted from Cuisine at Home

Ingredients:
1/2 c. diced onions
3 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained and roughly chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
32oz chicken broth
1 12oz can evaporated milk
8oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 block (4 oz) of cream cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes. 
2. Add artichokes; sauté 2 minutes
3. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continually
4. Deglaze pot with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot. 
5. Stir in broth and chicken and bring to a boil. 
6. Reduce heat to low, add the milk, spinach and Parmesan, and stir until spinach wilts taking care not to boil soup.  Add cream cheese and stir until fully melted...if you want a lighter soup, you can leave the cream cheese out.    
7. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Red juicy sweet fruits, crisp cinnamony topping and melty vanilla ice cream.  Sometimes you need one of those super fancy unique desserts you see on Pinterest, and sometimes you need something as old school as Laura Ingalls Wilder herself...like crisp.  

Did you know Barefoot Contessa has a new cookbook coming out soon?  Cookbook releases are thrilling enough as it is but another Ina one?  Woohoo.  Even though I wasn't entirely thrilled with the last one, you know I've pre-ordered the new one if for no other reason than she's created a rainbow with her book binding edges and I fear my rainbow will be incomplete.  I could seek help or I could just buy the book.  The cookbook is cheaper. 

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is from her How Easy Is That cookbook.  And of course, it's an aptly named cookbook.  This recipe is as simple as crisps come--dice, sweeten, cover and bake.  I loved the tartness of the rhubarb with the sweet strawberries and of course, the sweet cookie like topping.  No fancy techniques or twists here but just good old-fashioned fruit crisp goodness. Fo sho. 

Love the orange zest in this recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

from Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That?

Ingredients
4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly squeezed OJ
1 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal, such as McCann's
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter,  diced
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest together in a large bowl. 
3. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. 
4. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
5. For the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. 
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. 
7. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. 
8. Serve warm with ice cream.