Happy Halloween!

Here is my little guy, all geared up and ready to go!

This is a completely homemade costume. Just a cardboard box and lots of styrofoam. I used craft glue and some masking tape, too.

Just a note, if you attempt to make any costume using styrofoam, be sure to only use latex (water-based) paints or, if you plan on spray painting, be sure to "seal" the styrofoam with some masking tape. I believe that all spray paints will "melt" the styrofoam on contact.

Weekend Fun!

My sister came out to visit us this weekend from LA. We had a good time!

We played Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution Party Edition (oh, I bet my neighbors loved to hear us rock out). We carved our pumpkins and baked pumpkin seeds. The batch with the cinnamon sugar was so yummy! And we broke open and ate a pomegranate, which are in season and delicious!

We checked out a local bar in Denver called the Blake Street Tavern. It was very much a local's bar and the drinks were good, service was likewise.

And lastly, we showed my sister my son's Halloween costume. Which is a surprise! I'll post a photo tomorrow showing the finished product.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
1 1/2 cups rinsed and toweled dry pumpkin seeds
2 tsp. melted butter
Pinch salt
Sugar and cinnamon, to taste

Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Toss the cleaned seeds with the melted butter and salt. Spread into a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring once half-way through.

Once removed from the oven, toss in a bowl with cinnamon and sugar until the desired sweetness/taste is achieved. Serve.

Good Food Hunting

I think that I have good taste.

I like my taste in food, interior design and architecture and clothing. I should; after all, they are my tastes.

I can't always afford to buy the best, but I feel happy at being able to recognize it when I see it (or eat it).

But lately, my passion for enjoying a simply delicious meal seems to be a bad thing.

I'm not one of those people who can walk into an Applebee's and declare that their food is wonderful. (Sorry, but I was conscious when I ate there...and to be fair, it wasn't bad...it just wasn't that good.)

See, if I could truly enjoy a meal from McDonald's, then I'd probably be as happy as a clam.

But as it is, I've tried two Mexican restaurants, multiple chain restaurants and a few fast food restaurants and find myself wondering: where is all the good food in Louisville, CO?

And to make matters worse, if you ask a few different people their opinion on a particular restaurant, you're likely to get responses that range from, so-so to great to absolutely hated it.

I'm looking for mostly affordable, but absolutely delicious, makes-you-wish-you-could-eat-more food.

Anybody have any recommendations?

Too cold for beer...

It's getting too cold for beer while I'm watching my son play outside, so I have been looking online for some nice "cold-weather cocktails." One more nice thing about some truly cold weather. I think that I will enjoy this search!

Here are a few that I'm considering...maybe somebody out there has tried one of these and has an opinion? If I end up making one of these, I'll let you know what I think!

Peppermint Patty
Make one serving hot chocolate, add 1 ounce peppermint schnapps

Hot Scotch Chocolate
1 serving hot chocolate, add 1 oz. butterscotch schapps

Toasted Almond
1 shot amaretto
1 shot vodka
1/2 shot Kahlua
Half & half

Heat the half & half in a pan until very warm, add liquor and stir to mix. Serve hot.

Hot Hopper
1/2 shot creme de menthe
1 shot white creme de cacao
1/2 shot Bailey's Irish Cream
Hot chocolate

Make hot chocolate, add other ingredients and stir. Serve hot.

Hot Toddy
2 shots whiskey
1 shot simple syrup
4 cloves
ground cinnamon, to taste
ground nutmeg, to taste
boiling water
lemon slice
cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients through nutmeg in a mug. Add boiling water to fill. Garnish with lemon slice and cinnamon stick. Serve hot.

Our first snow!

We had our first snow day here in Louisville today. It is still snowing, in fact. It started sometime around 9:30 this morning and hasn't stopped all day. Most of it simply melted when it hit the ground, but then after 3pm, it started to actually look like snow on the grass, roofs, etc.

It is so nice to have some variation to the weather. After years of living in almost perfect weather in Southern California, the change is welcome. I have been purchasing scarves and shopping for new mittens. I served my son and his playmate hot chocolate this afternoon. My hot coffee in the morning seems too good to be true.

Granted, I'll need to shop for new socks, add a blanket to the bed, get the worn out tires replaced and god knows what else...but somehow, that's okay.

Here is a photo of an abandoned stool that I rescued and reupholstered.

Here is a photo of a bag that I made using fabric sample books. (Front and Back)


Here is a photo of the view from my apartment this evening.