Weekend Things

Wow, wow, wow.  This weekend was so good!

I recently realized that I’ve vacationed every September since 2014 and while it’s meant really good vacation weather, it’s also meant missing really good weather right here in Colorado.  We’re only 11 days in, but I’m already LOVING this month and being able to spend it fully at home.  These last few moments of summer — it IS still technically summer — are so so precious and I’m taking full advantage of each and every warm weather second we have left.

img_2019

img_2018img_2021

Friday, Joey dropped me off at Base Coat for a “Quick Coat Mani” and I got an A+ on my nail care report card.  As in, my manicurist told me my nails looked really good and there was barely anything for her to do, then complimented how moisturized my hands were.  I walked home afterwards, feeling really good about myself, ha!

We grilled up some chicken for dinner, then decided to be fun young people and go to a 9:30 PM movie at the Sie FilmCenter.  Get this, we’d never been there!  But we’d been wanting to check it out and they were showing “California Typewriter,” a documentary on typewriters that featured Tom Hanks and John Mayer, so I was sold.  There were only four of us in the theater, but whatever because the film was so interesting and there was a full bar and we were in our happy place.  Mark my words, this will NOT be the last time we come here.  Also, can I borrow someone’s typewriter to send Tom Hanks a letter?

img_2026img_2030img_2027

Saturday morning, we woke up, ate breakfast then biked over to the Farmers’ Market.  We have officially reached the point in summer where I live in paralyzing fear that this is finally the last week peaches will be for sale.  Luckily, they were still there this week!  Plus baby cucs, — including two that reminded me of those pull-apart popsicles — shishitos, giant corn and a baguette that Joey biked home with and it made me love him so much.

Afterwards, I dug around in our out of control tomato bush, read in the hammock, made another batch of granola, hit up the grocery store and basically just felt really chill for the entire day.  It was honestly so nice and relaxing and I’m just now remembering that I even took a nap.  More days like this please!

img_2032img_2053

img_2036img_2054img_2043img_2045img_2232img_2046img_2052

But the main event of Saturday was actually later that night, at Dining Al Fresco!  This is an event the restaurants of Larimer Square put on a few times a summer, where they extend their patios out onto the street, giving diners a chance to enjoy the summer weather and eat underneath the string lights.  We got to witness the entire sunset over dinner and I could not get over the view.  It was prettier and prettier every time I looked up ♥

As for actual dinner, we signed up to eat at TAG and honestly, they did NOT have their shit act together.  They totally botched our reservation and sent out the wrong food, but those string lights made for the most magical dinner atmosphere and the taco sushi and black miso cod were both incredible so I’ll just leave it at that 🙂  I already can’t wait to do this Dining Al Fresco thing again next year!

img_2056img_2057img_2050

Sunday started with another 6 mile training run (it went GREAT!) then we cleaned ourselves up, only to get tired and sweaty all over again biking to brunch (<– still Summer Bucket Listing!) at the newly opened (or should I say reinvented?) Candela Latin Kitchen.  It used to be Central Bistro but recently closed and reopened as a Latin restaurant with a taco-stacked menu and while I still need to get there for HH/dinner, the chilaquiles on their brunch menu was CALLING TO ME and so we had to go.  I think one other party was sitting inside, but we were the ONLY ones eating out on the patio and I couldn’t understand why because the food, service and vibe were all AMAZING.  Get here, Denverites!

img_2059img_2067img_2068img_2066

The rest of the day featured more hammock reading, Rainbow Veggie Bowl prep, a kombucha field trip, dinner and me hiding in our room while the Cowboys game was on.  I roasted some salmon and served it with this Tomato-Peach Salad with Tofu Cream plus that baguette for dipping and it was all so summery and fresh and good.  All those tomatoes are from our garden and that makes me incredibly happy.  I guess the Cowboys won but whatever because, more importantly, ROCKIES SWEPT THE DODGERS!

Hope you all have a lovely (and for those of you in Hurricane Irma’s path, a SAFE) weekend!

Weekend Things: Family Time in Estes Park

This weekend was just so so good.  When it comes to vacationing, I find I always have my sights set on far off locations and forget about the places, like Estes Park, that are only a few hours drive away, in our very own state.  And I always forget just how refreshing and re-energizing that fresh mountain air and time spent with loved ones can be!

IMG_0701IMG_0702

We stopped in Lyons to grab a beer at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew and look, I thought I didn’t like Oskar Blues beers, but then I had the Nooice Saison and loved it so much.  So I guess I don’t know who I am or what I like 🙂  They have an old school video game arcade that Joey and Adam were pretty into but my childhood mainly consisted of Mario Party on Nintendo 64 so I guess the nostalgia was kind of lost on me.

IMG_0618IMG_0703IMG_0724IMG_0723

Once in Estes (we saw three elk on our way!), we checked into our BEAUTIFUL condo, maybe locked ourselves out within three minutes of being there — four adults should be smarter than this, right? — made a very important beer run then had dinner at Tavern 1929, because when the lodge you’re staying at has its own restaurant and 18 microbrews, you obviously make a reservation.  We all dubbed Joey’s elk chops the best dish of the night and considered ordering dessert but then decided to retire to our condo for some hot tub/puzzle/sad sad Rockies game time.

IMG_0709IMG_0710IMG_0711IMG_0712IMG_0689IMG_0714

Saturday morning waffles for all!  Remember how I mentioned Joey made a bunch of buttermilk waffles last weekend?  Purposely, because we froze the extras then packed them up and just popped them in the toaster for everyone on Saturday morning.  I’d never tried this re-toast and revive method but they were great!  Plus, drinking coffee outside in the crisp mountain air is MY FAVORITE.  And I never pass up a coffee-mug-with-the-mountains-in-the-background picture 🙂

At 10, we made our way into town for the event of the weekend: The Scandinavian Midsummer Festival!  I didn’t even know A) Joey’s family had Scandinavian roots or B) that those painted horses are called Dala Horses and are a Swedish thing!  We totally had one of those in our house, growing up.  In all seriousness, the weather was beautiful, the festival was packed and it was cool to see all the Scandinavian culture.  We had lunch, made a stop at the taffy store and grabbed ice cream in town before heading back to our condo to rest up before dinner.

IMG_0715IMG_0716IMG_0717IMG_0695

We had a bit of a dinner party at our place later on.  Everyone came over with food and Joey and I cooked salmon with a recipe we’d never used at a size we’d never cooked but it all went swimmingly (sorry, had to make a fish pun) and this beet salad always impresses.  And I learned what potato bologna was and even got to try it for myself.  Had many Swedish learning experiences this weekend, guys!

IMG_0699IMG_0721

Okay, all I have are food photos from the beginning and the end of Sunday, but in between was a bunch of good stuff, like a quick and painless drive back from Estes, lunch at BriDer, couch lounging, garden surveying (my parents watered for us while we were gone and I love them for it ♥), running (amen for a quick weekend cool off in Denver), kombucha brewing and dinner cooking.  It felt like there were 10 extra hours in the day and I was not mad about it!  Joey made garlic scape pesto with scapes from the farmers’ market and, get this, chard from our garden.  Yes!  It was so good and we used it in some pasta for dinner and all was right in the world.  Except the Rockies… WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO DESERVE SUCH PAIN??

Please tell me what you did this weekend, I’d love to hear!