more front-range hiking

All that eating requires quite a bit of walking... which we are happy to do.

our first trip to Sugarbeet

Last week was "First Bite Boulder." Restaurants all over the Boulder area offer pre-fixe meals (often with a wine pairing) at an "introductory rate." We had heard good things about Sugarbeet, so we went... and we were not disappointed.
We tried both appetizers, and enjoyed both the salad and the chowder. Of the wines, we both preferred the Sauvignon Blanc to the Chardonnay.
For our main courses, we tried both the eggplant (which was a bit too sweet) and the curried beef (which was excellent). We both slightly preferred the Tempranillo to the Shiraz, but both wines were quite good.
We split the cobbler & the torte for desserts... the torte was so rich it was like a slice of truffle! The Pinot Gris and the Tawny Port were both excellent dessert pairings.
We'll be going back...

what dessert was supposed to look like

Tom and I were responsible for dessert. Since I worked that day, this meant that I chose the recipe, and Tom was responsible for its execution. I chose a Mario Batali: "Almond Clouds in Vanilla Almond Milk."
This recipe used gelatin to set up the vanilla "cups." Tom didn't quite start preparing dessert in time, so they didn't completely set up before it was time to serve. Consequently, we served something that looked a bit more like vanilla-almond soup....
Fortunately, it tasted good despite its appearance. Tom chose to serve it with a champagne, which worked nicely.
We had a couple of extra servings which sat in our refrigerator for a few more days... and when we had them a later on, they turned out more as they were supposed to. After you "release" the Almond Clouds from their ramekins, you top them with the vanilla-almond milk, and then garnish them with pomegranate seeds and toasted almonds. Overall, it was an impressive effect -- just a couple of days late!!

the main course: beef short ribs

Tom and Mitzi served the main course. The short ribs were absolutely perfect, particularly on a cold, snowy night. The vegetables were outstanding as well. I apologize for my less-than-perfect photo representation of this course -- because the picture doesn't do it justice. The Barbaresco was a perfect pair for the meal.

openers

Last week (or so...) we had another successful gourmet-wine-pairing-potluck dinner. We enjoyed the company and the meal tremendously!
While Mark was preparing the seafood starter, "the other" Tom started us with this Kistler. It was wonderful. It looked like honey, and it was very refreshing... somehow, slightly sweet and slightly dry at the same time.
Then Mark presented us with clams, mussels and scallops, oh my! The sauce was so delicious that I literally drank what was left from my plate after my seafood and crostini were gobbled down. Mark & Joanna served this starter with a Chablis, which was wonderful....

my first Zune adventure

When Steve was here, he told us that MicroSquish had just given him another Zune (their version of the iPod). However, since Steve uses his iPod, he didn't need a Zune.... so he gave it to me. (I happen to be the last person on earth without an iPod.)
We had about 6 inches of snow last week, followed by many days of perfect blue skies. So I put on my Zune, and went out for a jog... it was awesome.

obligatory Sable shot

Sometimes I just can't help but post a picture of Sable. She's just so danged cute! Particularly when she's sleeping (rather than howling at us, complaining about how we've been out of town...)

Visiting with the Edes, and Jennifer & Henry

Jennifer and Henry just bought a new house in Scottsdale. Congratulations! It came with a small, blonde child... hahaha. This is us having lunch with the Edes -- including their three (!) children. As you can see, Simmona really likes hanging out with Jennifer & Henry...

Kawai, a.k.a. Cookie Monster, had a great lunch.

Keone is the latest addition to the Ede household. He seems pretty easy going as well... he and Kavi will probably turn out to be good buddies.

Jackie Greene

Sarah & Erik introduced us to Jackie Greene -- he was great! I dubbed him the "Amish Rocker," hahaha.

listening to Steve's gig

We went out to a BBQ joint for dinner, and to listen to Steve's blues gig. I guess the girls were more impressed with Steve's gig than the boys?!? (Just kidding!)

utter absurdity

These days, it is cheaper to rent a mid-sized car than a compact car... so for $17/day, these were our wheels while we were in Phoenix. While it was amusing for a little bit, I must admit I would NOT recommend to buy this car. 1) It was uncomfortable -- the seats had no lumbar support, and I felt like my butt was riding on the ground. 2) Although the exhaust was tuned to sound like a V-8, the car actually has a V-6. So despite the loud rumblings, there actually wasn't an impressive amount of giddyup to the car. 3) It guzzled gas (duh). 4) It didn't handle very well. Although I admit this is probably my own bias, since I'm not used to driving rear-wheel drive cars any more. And of course, I would pity the family that ended up with this car... thinking they were renting a "mid-sized" car!

we get to meet Kavi!

We just had a brief trip back to Phoenix. One of the highlights was getting to Kavi, Anu & Vijay's youngest son. He seemed like a very chill, composed little man.

Mesa Trail

One week after our 18 inches of snow, this is a picture of how our hiking trail looked. Awesome! It was 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky...