Whoever invented casseroles was a total genius. It’s such a brilliant way to feed a family and the ingredient possibilities are endless! I came up with this Mexican Polenta Casserole recipe out of my true passion for this style of cooking. Layers of polenta, seasoned veggies and meat are accented with plenty of gooey melted cheese and homemade guacamole.
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What do you do with overripe bananas? Bake cookies! Cookies are the easiest baked treat to make here in Telluride, Colorado ~ where high altitude baking can be more explosive in the oven than anything else.
Have you ever tried to bake at 10,000 feet? It’s crazy making! Results are variable and often include gooey centers. These Banana Coconut & Chocolate Chip Cookies are a no-brainer, super convenient and delicious. With the busy week ahead I like to make sure that my kids have plenty of after school snacks at the ready when they come home starving from activities. These cookies have a wonderful cake texture and can be made in a pinch when time is tight…
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Cheers friends! Here’s to a fun filled and relaxing weekend. To celebrate everything delicious, I crafted this Mocha Martini that will satisfy your sweet tooth and your chocolate cravings. Skip the morning mocha and save yourself for this happy hour classic!
Click HERE for recipe details.
Not only is this recipe completely delicious, but it takes only minutes to throw together. This Thai Red Curry with Beef will rival any dish at your local Thai restaurant. So if you feel like saving some money (Have you seen all the hot new spring fashions?! Spend your money there!) Take a few minutes to chop some veggies and make curry. This recipe will easily feed a family of four, or just you with a whole lot of leftovers.
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Peace, tranquility & the wild west. All of these magical things come together in Clark, Colorado at The Home Ranch. Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to visit this beautiful, rustic guest ranch in the heart of the Colorado countryside. I drove out from Telluride and what should have been a 5 hour journey ended up an 8 hour blizzard trek. This made my anticipation to get there even bigger! Upon arrival I was greeted by the most charming staff and I felt at home immediately…
Nestled in the high Colorado Rocky Mountains in the Elk River Valley, The Home Ranch fully immerses it’s guests in it’s genuine western charm. There are 6 unique lodge rooms and 8 stand alone cabins. My cabin, sweetly named Roo became my little hideaway among the winter aspens and pines.
This is a place to slow down and take solitude. A place to enjoy nature in all it’s glory. The decor in the cabins is finely procured by ranch owner and founder Ann Stranahan. She has carefully collected pieces to make you feel as it you are in a historic country cabin.
The capacity of the ranch is 50 guests, which means freedom of space is always at your disposal. Each guest is greeted by name and becomes part of the family immediately.
Coming from a background in textile design (I used to design patterns for fabrics) I was in love with the vintage fabrics and patterns everywhere. Each cabin has vintage furniture and it’s own wood burning fire place, which was very comforting in the blizzard.
Surrounded by rustic charm & elegance…at the ranch I felt well cared for and like a mountain princess. The ranch is part of the Relais & Châteaux brand of properties. This means that I was pleasantly aware of little surprises during my stay. There is the utmost attention to detail every where you turn.
My expectations were exceeded in so many ways. What makes an R&C property so special are the little surprises and authenticity you come across throughout your stay.
My cabin was stocked with some of my favorite snacks, including homemade chocolate chip cookies…
And a basket full of snacks…
The Home Ranch is located just 18 miles north of the Steamboat Springs ski resort During the winter guests can enjoy private cross country skiing and horseback riding. In the warmer months a whole world opens up wth hiking, yoga, mountain biking, fly fishing (this is an Orvis endorsed property) and there is even a Cattle Round Up Week. Since I’m such an active adventure seeker, I’m very curious about herding cattle, this trip is on my bucket list!
This is a very family friendly ranch where kids and adults can indulge their pioneer spirits. Families return year after year to create everlasting memories. I’m already tempting my kids with the idea of a summer visit!
On this trip, I took advantage of the cross country skiing, this is one of my favorite winter activities and such amazing exercise! I brought my own Nordic gear, but the ranch has a large selection of everything you could need in their Ski Hut.
This little warming hut cabin is super cozy and the perfect place to enjoy a piping hot cup of tea or coffee while you gear up or gear down.
Thankfully I was able to do lots of nordic exercise so I could have an extra hearty appetite for all the delicious food! Extraordinary cuisine is a focus here. You will never go hungry. Everything is homemade at the ranch and there is careful attention to every single ingredient.
They call this “Haute Mountain Cuisine” and I completely agree with this distinction. If you love the farm to table approach then this place is for you! Ingredients are locally sourced when available and The Home Ranch raises it’s own organic beef, pork and poultry. They also grow as much produce as they can for the season. The warm seasons are short, but they are pros at collecting bountiful crops.
I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised with the creative menu offerings. Because everything is made to order, the ranch can adapt the menu to suit any dietary needs.
This area of Colorado is know for legendary snow falls and I was happy to be there during some epic powder days…
One of the highlights for me was meeting the horses. There are over 80 horses on the ranch & thankfully I was able to spend some time with them. The snow was too deep to ride, but we got outside with the ranch hands to feed them.
Mountain magic moments…
I hope you can visit this beautiful hamlet soon. Please contact The Home Ranch for more information or to book your stay. Also, follow them on social media: Facebook Pinterest Instagram Twitter
Visit the Relais & Châteaux website to learn more about their extensive selection of properties around the world. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
Thank you to The Home Ranch for your hospitality at this beautiful & memorable property. All thoughts and opinions are my own. All photos by Marla Meridith.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Looking for a fun edible craft to make with your kids on this festive holiday? These Shamrock Chocolate Covered Pretzels are super easy and very tasty too. All you need to have on hand is white chocolate, food coloring, sprinkles, m&m’s and pretzels. The shamrock is the symbol of Ireland & is not to be confused with the four leaf clover. So that means you need 3 pretzels and a stem for each treat…
Simply melt the chocolate with a little bit of oil (this keeps it smooth and easy to work with) Next, dip the pretzels letting the extra chocolate drip off. I like to use a pair of tongs for the dipping, makes this a whole lot less sticky to work with. Using your fingers can be a total mess!
Place the pretzels to form a clover and the stem, make sure they are touching each other so when the chocolate dries your shamrock sticks together.
Sprinkle on the sprinkles (any color you like) Finally, let these set in the fridge until hardened, about 30 minutes.
Have you ever tried Hakka Noodles? They are pretty much the best Asian noodles I’ve ever eaten. I learned about this dish on our Carnival Cruise Eastern Caribbean adventure aboard Carnival Sunshine. I craved these noodles daily and made frequent visits to the ship’s restaurant, JiJi Asian Kitchen to get them. Hakka is a region in China, the dishes there are simple and traditional. What sets these Indo-Chinese noodles apart from others I’ve had (and what makes them irresistible) is that they are tossed with butter at the end of cooking.
This recipe is as great for family dinners as it is for entertaining larger groups. You can easily double or triple the recipe to suit your needs. My kids gobbled up these noodles and keep asking for more! Feel free to load up this recipe with your favorite protein: roasted chicken, shrimp, salmon or beef would be a great addition.
If you find yourself on a Carnival Cruise any time soon, I suggest you visit JiJi for dinner to enjoy these noodles and so many other delicious Asian-inspired recipes. A few more we fell in love with were the Slow-Braised Pork Belly, Tamarind Shrimp Soup, Singapore Chili Shrimp and the Blistered Beans. Also, don’t forget to pair your dinner with one of their signature cocktails. A true treat!
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.
With St. Patricks Day right around the corner it’s time to celebrate all things leprechaun and spring! Forget the green beer this year and go with a more elegant cocktail…you know your worth it. This Japanese Slipper Cocktail is what you should reach for instead. A thirst quenching mix of Midori & Cointreau liqueur and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Just three ingredients and your are on your way to delicious…
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Since I was a kid I’ve always been a huge fan of a hearty Chopped Greek Salad. My passion for this salad started at a very young age at a restaurant called Shish Kebab in Port Washington, Long Island. I’ll never forget the excitement as they brought the wooden bowls to the table, filled as high as they could be. Each bite was blissful and I was always a bit sad when my bowl was empty. At least now I can get my fix whenever I need it right here at home.
Feel free to add or subtract veggies as you wish. You can also add protein for a heartier meal. Grilled chicken, salmon or lamb are great options. This salad has my favorite combo of ingredients. For me, the key to any amazing Greek salad starts with the feta cheese you use. I prefer stronger flavored sheep or goat milk cheeses & lots of it! It’s always best to buy a block of cheese and crumble it yourself. The dressing is essential too. I prefer a really tangy flavor that pairs well with the briny Kalamata olives and veggies. Chopping all the ingredients into tiny sizes makes each bite filled with flavor.
This Greek Dressing is a lively blend of red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and oregano. It would be also a wonderful marinade for chicken, meat and seafood.
One of the things I love most about travel is all the exotic flavors I get to try. It’s so exciting to leave the States and to tempt my palate with new flavors and ingredients. It’s also super fun to be able to bring these explorations back to you guys! As a globetrotter, one of the most important things to me is learning about local cuisines and figuring out the restaurants I’m going to visit. While on our Carnival Cruise Eastern Caribbean adventure, one of the ports of call was Amber Cove of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. My honey and I decided to tour the area, tasting the many wonderful things it had to offer. One of our favorites was this Dominican Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken) dish.
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Such a lovely surprise came in the mail the other day…Christina Lane’s (Dessert for Two blog) new cookbook Sweet & Simple: Dessert for Two
These cookies have become a new family favorite, just ask my kids and my coonhound Moose. He climbed onto the kitchen cabinet to grab some while we were out ice skating. He’s obsessed with butter…
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Last week I went on an awesome baking binge. This is a rare event, but something I love to do when I give into it. My kids were both psyched and surprised to walk into our home smelling like cookies, pies and all sorts of goodies! This Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie is very easy to prepare. It’s extra charming baked in a cast iron skillet. Do you have any fun weekend plans? If you are baking, you must try this recipe. Serve it warm from the oven with a side of your favorite ice cream.
In order to not overwhelm the tile of this recipe, there’s another special twist you need to know about…brown butter. OMG is this good! Enjoy…
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