You Can Take the Girl Outta Jersey....

Long before Snooki and the Situation, there was Stevie D., Richie, Nel, Rad, Rachel, Swan, Log, Sista and Jon Boy.  The real Jersey Shore, for my entire life, was visiting my cousins in Toms River, crossing the bridge to Seaside Heights, eating pizza at the Sawmill, drinking Yuengling at the Beach Bar and sometimes jumping into the Atlantic in the middle of the night.  Not too many people understand it, as not too many people are best friends with their siblings and cousins, but even though I was raised on the plains of Wyoming, Jersey will always feel like home.

This week, my family lost two members of our eldest generation and we are simultaneously waiting for the arrival of our newest, youngest generation. It breaks my heart to be so many miles away, but thankful for every visit I’ve been able to enjoy over the years.

On my most recent trip, I brought my good friend Lindsey to experience the Garden State. Although the Jersey Shore has become famous for spray tans, working out and clubbin’ it, that’s not the scene I introduced her to.....

My Jersey Shore is big, family events with mouth-watering, good food, lots of laughter, day trips to NYC, and dancing around the living room to Billy Joel with my Polish, Italian and Irish cousins until 1am.

Is there anything more fun that? Quite simply, no.  

The Jersey Shore

Cousins

I mentioned mouth-watering, good food

The Mom & Dad To-Be

Some of my Family :)

In NYC

The John Lennon Imagine Exhibit. 

Have I mentioned I think I'm the reincarnated spirit of John Lennon?? He died late in the evening on December 8th, 1980....I was born early on December 9th...the Beatles are my favorite band....

Cousin Rich & Me

The Exhibit & my Sista

30 Before 30: Item 4, Part 1

For the last two years or so, a novel has been sitting on my night stand. With the bookmark permanently inked into page 10, it has waited while I've been less-than-motivated to pick it up and finish it.

In the meantime, while the novel collected dust, I read Reading Lolita in Tehran. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a memoir, written by a teacher living in the Islamic Republic of Iran, who gathers a group of women together every Thursday to read outlawed Western classics. Their determination to understand the great works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen and Vladimir Nabokov in such a dangerous environment surprised and awed me. I realized that I, a free American woman, had never taken the opportunity to read the very novels they risked everything to get their hands on. These novels, that the women had to smuggle and hide from the Republic, are sitting on bookshelves at Barnes & Noble, free for borrowing from the library and even collecting dust on my nightstand.

So, I have become determined to read the classic works of Charlotte Brown, Joseph Heller and many more, and kicked off this literary adventure by adding Read 5 "Classic" Novels to my list as Item 4.

Novel #1 - Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
The nightstand book, covered with dust and imprinted with a 2-year old book mark, is Catch-22. A story about World War II American bombardier Yassarian, Catch-22 guides you through the horrifying, dark and insane world of war.

Joseph Heller's strange dialogue jumps from character to character and the settings change so frequently, it leaves the reader a bit confused and frustrated. However, the discomfort the reader feels pales in comparison to the plight of Yassarian, who lives in a world where everyone is trying to kill him. Heller's picture-perfect details and disturbing humor suck you into an elaborate tale full of curious characters, hilarious conversations and terrifying wartime events.

I finished this book reminded of what our freedom has cost and thankful for all that has been sacrificed for the life I often take for granted (and to be honest, thankful the book was done).

Catch-22 was a struggle for me to read and likely not a book I'll read again. However, Yassarian's shockingly sane character, in an army full of crazy men, grabbed my heart and ultimately won me over. I can't help but recommend this book to anyone looking for a challenging, classic novel.

Guilty Pleasure Book: The Adventures of Sookie Stackhouse
Challenging book not on your radar right now? Well, good news, I have another recommendation and it is anything but serious or challenging. So, I don't know about you, but baby-vamps and were-puppies battling it out over the high school football field really doesn't appeal to me (i.e. Twilight). In fact, any supernatural books, stories or characters, have rarely caught my attention, until I discovered The Adventures of Sookie Stackhouse.

In a series of ten books, author Charlaine Harris introduces you to vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters and other things that go bump in the night in her page-turning, quick reads. Sookie, the telepathic heroine, meets Bill Compton, a striking vampire, in the small town of Bon Temps, LA. Their love-at-first-sight affair sets them off on a series of adventures, getting them into and out of trouble while dealing with their not-so-friendly but very easy-on-the-eyes vampire nemesis, Eric. As the books introduce new characters and the difficulties of a vampire-human relationship become more and more complicated, the reader is caught wondering who is good, who is evil and who is the best supernatural companion for Sookie....who is something of a supernatural being herself.

Thank You to: The *faBouLous* Project

Remember being 7 years old and playing dress-up with your friends? Decking yourselves out in mom's high heels, pretty dresses and costume jewelry? And how about in jr. high and high school?** Wasn't it fun trying on outfit after outfit, modeling options for your friends and flipping through fashion magazines? **You may not remember if were much cooler than I was and didn't actually do that in high school.

Well, at 29, I got to relive those fun moments thanks to my great friend, Jesse! One of the very unique items from her own 30 Before 30 list was to do a photo shoot of close girlfriends called, the *faBouLous* project. Jesse has documented the project on her own blog, here. But I had such an amazing day and incredible fun, I just can't help but recap the experience from the perspective of one of the "models."

It started off like any other Sunday Funday with my favorite gal-pals.....I was late. I had spent the weekend camping and had about 45 minutes to go from "roughin' it" to "say cheese." We had all been coached on clothing options prior to the day to ensure the jewel-toned color theme would work, so thankfully, my outfit had already been planned. :)

We kicked off the morning in an alley in downtown Fort Collins. Pressed up against a white-washed, brick wall, my best buds and I flashed our pearly whites while sipping on brightly-colored sodas. We giggled, caught up on each other's lives and captured picture after picture in a variety of scenes with balloons, interesting locations and really great shoes.

After all the group shots were taken, Jesse asked each one of us to pose for a few individual photos. We followed each other around downtown to painted doorways, my favorite alley and the backdoors of frequently-visited FC bars while Jess snapped away.

I have to mention that she looked absolutely adorable (even while working so hard) in a Ann Taylor Loft one-shoulder dress, J. Crew flip-flops and a fabric yellow flower she made herself....darn her and her creative bones.

Amanda, Amy, Sheila, Kelly, Lisa and I all got our very own photo-blog spreads on Jesse's page. I can't begin to express how talented Jess is or how beautiful my friends are (on the inside and out. Awwww.....I'm sentimental like that). Take a gander at the lovely gals by clicking on their names above and try not to gawk too much at each of my bff-hotties.

We finished off the afternoon with celebratory margaritas and lunch at the Rio....a perfect end to a wonderfully good time! Thanks so much to freckle photography for a very inspiring and wildly-original afternoon with *faBouLous* friends. I don't know many women who get to play dress up and pretend like they're a model at 29, but I guess I'm just a lucky girl.

I Can't Cook But Even I Can Make: ¡Salsa!

Okay, cooks and chefs out there might scoff at this as a blog topic. I mean, everyone can probably make salsa, it's not a big deal. However, being that I am culinary-impaired, I count every little kitchen accomplishment as a major victory.

So, even though you likely have a standby salsa recipe or just use Pace Picante cause it requires no work at all (and it's not from New York City), I'm going to give you my very own recipe to quick and easy home-made ¡SALSA! anyway.

First, I always recommend going to the Farmers Market or using home-grown veggies from your (or your mother-in-law's) garden. Let's Hear It for Organic! Woot-Woot for Local!

What you Need:

• 2-3 Tomatoes (or several small ones)
• 1-2 Jalapeno (depending on heat)
• 1/4 of a Red Onion
• Handful of Cilantro
• 1 Lime
• Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper
• Sugar

And Action:

Rinse and dice your tomato, jalapeno and onion. Mix three-quarters of your diced veggies in a large bowl. Place the other one-quarter in a food processor. Pick the leaves off the stems of a handful of cilantro, rinse and chop finely. Add to bowl and food processor.

Put the bowl of chopped veggies aside for a minute. Add approximately a teaspoon and a half of olive oil to the food processor, along with Kosher Salt and Pepper (and whatever other seasoning strikes your fancy...I use a pinch of Paprika every so often). Cut your lime in half and squeeze half of its juice into the processor, then grind the ingredients until mixed thoroughly.

Now here's the trick, you see.....you could leave all the ingredients chopped (no food processor) and make something like a Pico de Gallo. OR you could have ground up all the ingredients (instead of keeping the large bowl of veggies to the side) to have a smooth salsa.

Me? I like a combo of both.

Pour the smooth salsa from the food processor into the bowl of chopped veggies. Squeeze the remaining half of the lime and sprinkle half a teaspoon of sugar in the bowl. Like a little heat??....bust out a bottle of your favorite hot pepper sauce (I like Louisiana Garlic Hot Sauce) and add just a couple drops to the bowl.

Mix everything together and enjoy!

Lovin' this? Want More!!??

After you've become a pro at the recipe above, try adding 2-3 small tomatillos to the mixture! It adds an incredible level of freshness.

OR, if you're a guacamole-lover, take a large avocado and chop into chunks. Add to salsa but don't mash it in like guacamole, leave it in whole chunks and carefully stir in. You'll be surprised at how delectable it is to get a big bite of avocado in your salsa :)

30 Before 30 Status & Life Update

Wow! A whole month has gone by since my last post and it has flown! Fall is officially here tomorrow, Sept 21st, and today is the last day of this amazingly fun summer. Single tear.

In efforts to provide an excuse for my absence online (well, my absence on blogging, I've been a little over-zealous on FB lately), I offer you a quick run down of my end of summer fun.

In August, my little sister, Kate, and her squeeze, Clay, came out from NJ to visit us for an amazing weekend of mountains, brewery tours, a Rockies game, a friend-filled pizza party and lots of laughs! Around the same time, I was lucky enough to participate in a very inspiring photo shoot for my friend Jesse's 30 Before 30 List (which she has blogged about here) and I plan to recap from my point of view later this week.

We also got in a camping trip to one of our favorite spots near Estes Park (pic below) and participated in another BBQ Competition!! Over Labor Day weekend, The Kilted Pig placed 3rd in "Anything Goes" for the Fatty and 10th in Ribs!!!

The end of summer took me on whirlwind, weekend vacation to the east coast to see family and celebrate my cousin's soon-to-arrive baby girl! That weekend, too, will be blogged about later this week (a peek at a special exhibit from that weekend is below).

AND among all this fun, I've slowly been working on achieving my 30 Before 30 Items 'cause December will be here before we know it!

So, the Status Update:

Item 1, Run a Marathon, has officially been rescheduled to October 3rd due to the fires in Boulder, CO (which have now been contained). I'm still feeling pretty good, have gotten in a couple long runs and can't wait for it to get here and cross it off the list!

I've secured an illustrator for my children's book (Item 13), thank you cousin Rich! My goal for this book is to have the story complete and sent off to him for illustrations by my birthday (hey the goal was to write it before 30...not publish it......yet).

A big change that I've decided to make on this list is to Item 23 (Host a Gourmet Dinner Party and Cook John's Favorite Meal). After a lot of thought about this, the true motivation behind this goal was to learn to cook. As I considered what I would learn by hosting a dinner (a gourmet meal I'll likely never make again and for a large group), I determined I'd get a lot more out of learning to cook a few simple, healthy meals for two. By doing this, I'll be able to alleviate some of the domestic burden from the culinary-wizard that is my spouse and incorporate healthier habits into our lives.

So, I am replacing Item 23 with Learn to Cook 5 Meals (and will still learn John' Fav..Item 12) as I feel this is a much better goal that will provide longer-lasting results. Give a man a fish...teach a man to fish...you know what I'm getting at.

I'm still slowly turning the pages of the Bible (Item 19), that's gonna take awhile. I've attended two Jr. League meetings and plan to officially sign up at the next one (Item 3). You'll be seeing a book report on the first of my Classic Novels series (Item 4), as well as posts for Planting a Tree (Item 5) and Try Kickboxing (Item 30) by the beginning of next week!

And LAST, thanks to a last-minute trip to Palm Springs comin' up in early November, I've recently become very motivated to achieve a "flat" stomach (Item 26). I've started designing a work-out strategy and plan to take my "before" pic tomorrow.....but you don't get to see it until I have a pretty darn good "after" pic to go with it! :)

Other blog changes: be ready for a lot more posts!! I'm hoping to start posting several times a week and hope you enjoy it!

30 Before 30: Item 14, Part 1

I've seen a few "Classic" films in my day. Grew up watching Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur and The Quiet Man to name a few. Of course I've seen a lot of the 80's classics like Sixteen Candles, Can't Buy Me Love, Christmas Vacation (best movie ever!), and Back to the Future. 

However, aside from Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's and a handful Christmas movies (White Christmas, Holiday Inn, etc), I haven't seen many of the real old "Classiscs." I'm talking Jimmy Stewart, James Dean, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Audrey Hepburn super-movies that have shaped the cinematic world we live in today. And so, with quite a long introduction, I added Watch 5 "Classic" Movies to my 30 Before 30 list as Item 14.

The first film on the line-up was the James Dean & Natalie Wood classic, Rebel Without a Cause. I immediately fell in love with the movie during the opening credits when a drunken James Dean lied on the ground to play with one of those cymbal-banging monkey toys. And my heart swelled even further when he looked at the camera with those crystal blue, twinkling eyes that held the oh-so-heavy weight of teenage angst. 

Telling the story of 17-year old misfit, Jim Stark, who is looking for a new start in a new town, Rebel Without A Cause depicts him finding the right girl, Judy, who naturally runs with the wrong crowd and the resulting action-packed battle. Filmed in 1955, I've read that the movie was meant to capture the moral decline of American teenagers and the generational gab between them and their parents....it apparently caused quite a stir for the time. For me, the 1 hour and 51 minutes flew by as I ached for Jim while he overcame his home, school and emotional problems. In addition, thanks to digital remastering, I truly could not believe I was watching a movie that was 55 years old.

I'm a sucker for romantic movies (what girl doesn't love a good ro-co?) and the movie followed the typical love storyline of significant/traumatic event, silly behavior, the first kiss (usually in a unique setting) and the moment the characters realize they've fallen in love. And, as classic movies often do, it left a few loose ends dangling that we can just assume worked themselves out. 

Overall, in my non-professional, totally girly, and now James Dean-obsessed opinion, the movie was amazing! I recommend watching it to anyone who hasn't see it yet (even the spouse really liked it!) and let me know what you think as soon as you see it.

I'm excited to see the next classic film on my list....Some Like It Hot.

30 Before 30: Item 25, Part 1

When I was 19, I walked myself from White Hall down to the Union at the University of Wyoming and signed up to donate at the fall blood drive. I answered all the questions, signed off on a few documents and plopped down in the reclined chair, ready to give. After twenty minutes or so of prodding, stabbing and pushing both of my arms, the nurse gave up and told me my veins were simply too small to give. Bruised (emotionally and physically), I left disgruntled and haven’t set foot near a blood drive or bank since.

Over the years, the painful memory from that day has subsided. I've told myself that the experience was likely a fluke and I certainly could donate blood. Small veins, large veins, they must have seen them all. So, Item 25 was added to the list: Give Blood.

Last Tuesday, I woke up to a sunny and lovely day in Fort Collins, CO. I dressed myself for the warm weather and set my sights on crossing an item off my List. I called the Poudre Valley Hospital and inquired about blood donation times, locations, etc. No appointment necessary and a whole lunch hour to kill, I decided that day was the day I'd try to donate again.

Upon arriving, I explained my desire to donate and got to work answering questions about recent trips and all sorts of other things. A nice lady pricked my finger and determined I was not anemic. Good to know. She set me up in a teal recliner, explained the process (that I had planned to document here but have since decided is really quite dull) and cleaned my arm for the inevitable poke.

Well, she poked me. And then poked me again, and moved the needle (by the way, those things are ENORMOUS) and poked and moved again. Looking a bit disheartened, she called over the pro-phlebotomist, let's call him Joe, for assistance. He took at look at my untapped vein while pushing on my arm and telling me to squeeze the stress ball they'd provided.

Up until now, I had been pretty quiet about the pain I was feeling because I thought I was being a sissy. I concentrated on keeping my aching howls between my pursed lips as he determined that the left arm was not going work. I breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled the giant piece of pointy metal out of my arm, only to gasp the breath back in when he said, "Well, lets try the other side."

At this time, I felt compelled to tell him about my previous encounter with blood bank personnel and my very tiny veins (which I think made him nervous). He studied my right arm for several minutes and stated that a smaller needle would be most appropriate (huh, really??). Once again, they cleaned, provided me with a stress ball and started stabbing away.

Suddenly....success! I started flowin' into the plastic apparatus they'd strung up below me and all seemed to be in working order! I cheered! Joe cheered! The lady who stabbed my left arm cheered and some folks who were observing that day commented on the overall enthusiasm for blood donation in Fort Collins.

About a minute of excitement passed when suddenly my well went dry. Uh, oh. Joe started prodding and poking again, shooting pangs of determination into my arm. Sure enough, I started to get light-headed and for seemingly no reason at all, I became very aware of the inappropriate height of my stilettos for 1:30 in the afternoon.

As I contemplated passing out and proper blood donation footwear, Joe continuously moved his torture device asking if "that" or "this" felt any better. Giving up completely on my tough-guy attitude, I always answered, "Um, NO!"

Finally, after what seemed like ages, four minutes went by and it was decided that my rate of blood flow was not going to be a sufficient amount for the twenty minute window of donation time. They removed the smaller, yet still vicious, needle from my right arm and told me I could come back in two months if I wanted to try again.

What? You think I'm going to try again?? I sat there covered in cold sweats staring at the man who'd just bandaged up my non-flowing veins in bright purple and green tape. He looked at me with utmost confidence proclaiming he could definitely get the other arm next time. I looked down at both of my bandaged appendages thinking, how many arms does he think I have?

He then brought me juice and a cookie, which naturally put him back on my good side. Once the sweating, lightheadedness and nausea finally passed, I looked from my bruised arms to my ego-bruised phlebotomist and, while munching on my chocolate chip cookie, promised to give it one more try. I know it's not thier fault that I wasn't able to donate so I've decided to give it another shot since the office was full of really nice people.

So, lucky blog readers, you'll once again get to read about blood and almost fainting shortly after October 5. I've gone ahead and crossed Item 25: Give Blood off the list because, darn it, I gave it a good try and faced my fear. Hopefully, I'll be able to muscle up enough mojo to fill that torturous little bag that will potentially save someone's life one day.

If you are interested in donating blood (since I made it sound so appealing), PLEASE DONATE! There is a blood shortage and donations are very important! Check out the links below to find a blood bank in your area!!

United Blood Services

Red Cross

Pandas & Prop 8

I was recently told that I am better at writing than I am at speaking. Hmmmm…..I was initially insulted, but it only took a moment for me to absorb the backhanded compliment and reluctantly agree.

I’ve determined that the reason that the statement is true is because in writing I can always rewrite, edit, crumple up the page and start over. It’s easy to write exactly what I want because I can revise it countless times to ensure it’s perfect (or as perfect as I can make it).

However, when speaking, as soon as the words are out of my mouth, it’s over. My foot has been inserted where the word-vomit spewed out and I can’t revise it and I can’t delete it.

At first, I was disheartened by this as I compared my poor speaking skills to life. It made me think that the bad decisions and mistakes I’d blurted out over the past 29 years would forever be captured in my life’s story with no way to retract them.

Then California & I had a great week…..

Back in June, I went to San Diego for the first time ever. Delighted to visit the city with “perfect weather” and an incredible downtown, I couldn’t wait to get there (even for a work trip) to see the beautiful blue ocean and take in the California sun. Unfortunately, the trip was anything but good. Bad weather, ruined plans and work-stress added up to a negative experience and poor review of southern CA.

Due to a series of events, I was given the opportunity to visit San Diego again this week. With my expectations low, I flew from my Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean hoping to have at least a slightly better experience.

Upon arriving in CA, I was ecstatic to feel the warm sun and see it bouncing off the blue harbor waters, a HUGE improvement over the gray sky and matching ocean from my previous trip. I checked into my hotel and quickly went to work on our tradeshow booth (the purpose for the excursion). I finished my work in record time and found myself with 2.5 hours of free time to spare. It only took a few seconds for me to decide what to do….and I made a beeline for the Panda Line at the San Diego Zoo.

After a surprisingly short wait in the famously long line, I stepped into the Panda’s lair with gleeful anticipation. Upon seeing the black and white bamboo-eating giants just beyond the railing, I was instantly overtaken with a peaceful calm and overwhelming gratitude. Quiet and elated, I watched three of the majestic creatures nibble on trees and bask in the sun. I snapped picture after picture of the beautiful bears so very thankful for their existence, my own existence and the experience to witness the incredible artistic hand of nature.

Very high on life, and with time left before I had to get back to work, I was able to take in the rest of the incredible zoo (at a pretty quick pace…that place is HUGE!) and see the big cats, elephants, giraffes, polar bears, silly monkeys and adorable koalas that our amazing planet has provided.

In addition to the Zoo, San Diego included drinks with a rugby friend I hadn’t seen in seven years, sun-filled runs along the harbor and even a really good work experience.

I left CA with positive memories and a new appreciation of San Diego, replacing all the negative emotions and sub-par reviews I’d previously given the city. I arrived back in CO just in time to learn of something else that California had done this week – Overturning Prop 8.

The initial passing of Proposition 8, in my mind, was a black mark on American history and an unconstitutional neglect of equal rights for all. On Wednesday, August 4^th, the ruling was finally overturned. My favorite excerpt from one of the many articles written on the monumental event is “eliminating gender and race restrictions in marriage has not deprived the institution of marriage of its vitality,” with which I whole-heartedly agree.

So, what do visiting Pandas and Proposition 8 have to do with each other?

They’ve taught me that wrongful decisions can be overturned and disappointing adventures can be revisited. That being said, can’t inappropriate actions be apologized for (and forgotten)? And although bad choices can’t be unmade, they can allow us to revise the way we make the next choice. All of this has led me to the conclusion that that life is exactly like writing.

Sure, what has been done will always be stuck in the first draft, but its only a first draft. The final copy can be edited along the way, characters can change, old chapters can be revised and rewritten, current pages can be pulled out, crumpled up, and thrown away to clear the way for clean sheets of opportunity.

I embrace the compliment that I’m better at writing than I am at speaking. Rather than thinking of life as a one-time shot of blurting out the right thing, I apply the “draft, revise, draft, revise” approach, composing a story that can only end as perfect as I can make it.

30 Before 30: Item 11

Since 2004, I've lived in the fabulous city of Fort Collins (recently ranked No. 6 on the "Top 100 Places to Live" list in Money magazine). In all that time, I've never once gone tubing, rafting or floating down the Poudre River, which is literally 20 minutes away. Every summer that has passed, I've looked back regretfully on yet another missed opportunity to whitewater raft or kayak down the clear, cool waters of the Poudre Canyon. Determined to enjoy this favorite local pastime, I was certain to add Item 11: Ride the Poudre in a Sea-Bearing Vessel to my list.

Early in the morning on the 5th of July, my spouse and I awoke to perfectly blue Colorado skies excited for our long-awaited Cache la Poudre adventure: Whitewater Rafting! Booked through Mountain Whitewater Descents, we drove to the base of the Poudre Canyon on the north end of Fort Collins and checked in for our morning "plunge".  

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos in this post, darn underwater cameras.....

We started off the trip with a short informational session; a rafting guide disclosed to us the many dangers of whitewater rafting as well as situations to avoid (i.e. falling out). We were then given helmets, life vests and splash jackets (the lovely blue number I'm wearing below) and directed to our transportation. Packed with all the necessary life-saving gear and instructions, we crammed into a school bus full of family vacationers, a whole team of softball-playing teenage girls, and adventurous couples....just like us!

Taking note of the guide's stories of potential river injuries and mishaps, I have to admit I was a little nervous as I slid into my seat and hooked my foot under the single strip of plastic that would supposedly keep in me the boat if we hit.....er, when....we hit a rock. Thankfully, my nervous energy quickly faded as I took in the breath-taking beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park and we pushed off the riverbank to start our 12-mile watercourse. 

Bryan, our red-eyed, unshaven guide, had a surprisingly cheery disposition and excited us all with detailed accounts of what to expect from the Class II, III and IV rapids we would encounter on our adventure. He named each of the most tumultuous rapids, explaining the rock locations and water depth, while preparing us to be launched from our seats and thrown into the water at any moment! Promising to not have any "swimmers" on his ship, he let our excitement takeover and the whole boat of passengers rowed eagerly towards the white waves ahead.

We hit the Class II and III rapids first (the easier rapids....thank goodness) shrieking as the cold water plunged over us and laughing as we bumped and splashed our way down the mountainside. While cascading between rocks and over whitewater currents, our hilarious guide regaled us with stories of previous rafting trips, random skiing adventures and his favorite, local hippie-hangouts. 

After a short time of the "easy" stuff, we began to hit the Class IV rapids with exciting dips, drops and plunges into layers of crisp, Colorado runoff. Adrenaline pumping, fear tickling the back of our necks and smiles shining, we went up and down the rocky, white peaks of waves screaming with delight and clinging to the raft as Bryan instructed us to row and to hang on!! 

True to his word, Bryan's boat was successful in keeping all passengers on board (thanks to John's one-handed catch of an 11-year old who flew out of her seat). The boats around us.....not so lucky.....

Between exciting moments of thrashing waves and avoiding rock collisions, we had a fair amount of welcome down time to catch our breath and soak up the sun. On the break pictured below, we had a good laugh at the rafters who had to abandon ship onto the rocks as their guide attempted to get their beached boat back in the water.

Overall, I give Mountain Whitewater Descents an A++ with an extra special thanks to our guide, Bryan. We had an absolute blast whitewater rafting and can't hardly believe we've lived so close to such fun for six years and hadn't tried it before now. It will definitely be on the summer activity list going forward. Just look at these happy customers :)

I Can't Cook But Even I Can Make: 'Smores Bites

My favorite four-year old is turning FIVE this week and to celebrate his birthday, his mom and dad threw a camping-themed bash last Saturday afternoon. Burgers on the grill, tents, sparklers, a fire pit and Boone's Farm (for the adults only, of course) transformed their backyard into the quintessential campsite; complete with 'Smores-Making Kits as party favors.  

Inspired by the party theme, I thought up a special treat for the birthday boy and party-goers that I've dubbed 'Smores Bites. 

As described in my previous cooking posts Here and Here, I'm not exactly skilled in the kitchen. However, these little treats are easy, easy, easy. If I can make them, you can too. Extra Bonus for those of you intimated by the knobs on the oven: The only cooking required is pressing buttons on the microwave! 

You Need:

• Melting Milk Chocolates or Milk Chocoloate Chips
• One Bag of Large Marshmallows
• Graham Crackers
• Toothpicks 

And Action:

Pour the melting chocolates or chips into a shallow bowl. Heat in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring the chocolate in between heating until melted and creamy.

Put 3-4 graham crackers in a plastic, ziploc bag and crush into crumbs until they are nearly dust. Pour them out on to large plate and spread evenly.

Poke a marshmallow with a toothpick on its flat side. Roll it in the melted chocolate, coating the entire rounded portion. Then roll the chocolate-dipped 'mallow in the graham cracker crumbs until covered.

Plate on its flat side and let sit for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate starts to harden. Serve & try not to eat the whole plate yourself.

If the summer plans don't include bonfires or marshmallow sticks, you can replace the classic campground treat with these little bites and the only thing they'll leave you craving is....well.....s'more :)