Lifestyle

Gone Country!

Hi everyone! Sorry I’ve been MIA for a wee bit. I’ve just become the new owner of a ranch here in the high country outside of Telluride, CO. It’s demanding all of my attention and igniting my soul. Aptly named the Snow Queen, this place looks like a Cape Cod home on top of a big mountain mesa. The contrasts are awesome! Don’t worry, I have not forgotten about you. The kitchen is not very functional here yet, but deeper into fall and winter I will start new cooking videos from here. If you follow my Insta & Facebook then you have seen I’ve become obsessed with DIY home renovations, riding our tractor and fixing things.

Snow Queen Ranch near Telluride, Colorado.

I’m learning how to do new projects from scratch and sharing all the juicy and humbling bits & pieces on social. Conquering new skills is so important to me, keeps the brain sharp and the creativity satisfied.

Snow Queen Ranch near Telluride, Colorado.

Painting this house is my current passion. All of my boho Shabby Chic dreams are being realized. It’s whites, grey and pinks galore!

I invite you to join me on this journey and I love the suggestions, tips and tricks you have been sharing.

Snow Queen Ranch near Telluride, Colorado.

From cleaning walls to managing scrub oak and purchasing furniture, this will be a work in progress for quite some time. The room home sits on 35 acres with great views of the surrounding mountains and plenty of room for the doggies to roam. They are in heaven here!

Snow Queen Ranch near Telluride, Colorado.

Stay in touch with daily Instagram posts and stories.

Snow Queen Ranch near Telluride, Colorado.
Snow Queen Ranch near Telluride, Colorado.

~ Marla Meridith

Baked Sweets and Treats

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

Looking for a new, irresistible muffin recipe? I’ve got something so delicious for you right here. These delicious Raspberry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins are great for breakfast, brunch or snacking. They are easy to prepare and hard to resist. You can use fresh or frozen raspberries in this recipe, though fresh is preferred as they are less likely to turn your batter pink. White whole wheat flour makes things a bit healthier than white flour. What are you waiting for? It’s time to bake up some muffins!

Click HERE for recipe details.

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins recipe

~ Marla Meridith

Fashion & Beauty

Say Goodbye to Greasy, Pore Clogging Sunscreen! Favorites for Face, Lips and Body

We all know that sunscreen is an essential in our daily beauty routine. It helps prevent aging, wrinkly skin and skin cancer. I remember the days when there were very few options and they all felt awful to wear. They were sticky, slimy, smelled bad and some even peeled off as the day progressed. They caused breakouts and clogged pores. Cut to today and we have so many choices that work so well and thankfully have none of those awful attributes.

It can be overwhelming to choose from all the brands and formulas, but there are some awesome ones that keep you feeling fresh, fabulous and most importantly protect your skin. Here are my absolute favorites that I actually look forward to putting on each morning.

Face Favorites

Unseen Sunscreen by Supergoop SPF 40

This is my absolute favorite pick for face. An invisible, weightless, scentless, makeup-gripping primer. I wear it on it’s own or under my favorite Fenty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear FOUNDATION

Elta MD UV Clear SPF 46

This formula was recommended to me a few years ago by my dermatoligist. It’s great for sensitive, acne prone skin. The transparent zinc-based formula will NOT leave you with the white mask so often associated with zinc-based sunscreens.

Supergoop Matte Mineral Tinted Sunscreen

When I’m in the mood for a little bit of coverage, but I don’t feel like putting on foundation this sunscreen rocks! Keeps my skin matte all day. You can wear it under foundation for more pore-blurring coverage.

bareMinerals Rested Eye Shadow Base SPF 20

Your eyelids need sun protection too. So often overlooked, but essential to protect. This mineral primer is brightening and helps give us that well-rested look.

Lip Favorites

Fresh SUGAR SPF 15 Lip Tint

This moisture-preserving formula comes in 8 gorgeous colors. A lip tint you will want in every shade. Buildable color that you can control by simply adding more or less layers.

Body Favorites

Coola Liplux SPF 30

This moisturizing formula is over lipstick or on it’s own. Zero color and great for chapped lips. I keep have several of these that I have handy everywhere!

La Roche-Posay Melt-In Sunscreen Milk SPF 60

Before you take a dip slather yourself with this broad spectrum sunscreen. This Oxybenzone & Octinoxate Free, Oil-Free Sunscreen is my weapon to protect me from long sunny days by the pool and golfing.

Elta MD Full-Body SPF 30

For everyday wear this body sunscreen is greaseless and great to wear with all of my favorite clothes. It leaves no color or residue on your skin or outfits.

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50

Great for face and body. Noncomedogenic, reef-friendly and the perfect option if you only want to carry one bottle around with you to the pool, beach etc.

~ Marla Meridith

Dessert

Strawberry Almond Baklava

With the abundance of juicy, ripe strawberries everywhere it’s impossible not to buy them every time I’m at the market. I keep them on the kitchen counter so we can grab a healthy snack throughout the day. I wanted to make something special and this Strawberry Almond Baklava came to mind. I love traditional Baklava with pistachios and honey but sometimes it’s fun to mix things up. This fruity Baklava is fun to make…be sure not to rush the process.

Delicious Strawberry Almond Baklava recipe

You can purchase Phyllo (aka: Fillo) dough at the store. Phyllo is a prepared pastry dough rolled into extremely thin sheets. You brush melted butter in between each sheet which yields a flaky, decadent pastry.

Watch the VIDEO here.

Click HERE for recipe details.

Delicious Strawberry Almond Baklava recipe

~ Marla Meridith

Chocolate

Virtual Chocolate Tasting with Delysia

Around here we absolutely love chocolate and are always open and excited to try new flavors and brands. I was recently introduced to Delysia Chocolatier located in Austin, TX. This is an artisan, award winning chocolate brand handcrafted and helmed by a female entrepreneur, Chef Owner & Chocolatier Nicole Patel.

Delysia Virtual Chocolate Truffle Tasting

Inspired by artisan chocolate shops in Europe, Patel crafts chocolates inspired by travels around the world and uses locally sourced ingredients when possible. The products are handmade using fine quality, sustainable chocolate and only the freshest ingredients. Delysia is one of the very few chocolatiers in the USA crafting a complete product line of chocolates made from ethically sourced cacao.

Delysia Virtual Chocolate Truffle Tasting

My boyfriend and I were invited to choose an adventure chocolate tasting hosted by Chef Nicole. Being that international travel is off limits these days I jumped on the chance to taste Tuscany through chocolate truffles. We were shipped two beautiful red boxes tied with crisp white ribbons. Inside were 4 truffles for each of us to taste the exotic flavors. My boyfriend Sean and I loved this creative idea for date night. Eating chocolates, learning about how they are made and how the flavors were inspired by the rolling Tuscan hills was both educational and delicious.

Delysia Virtual Chocolate Truffle Tasting

We tasted four flavors of truffles: Tiramisu, Limoncello, Lasagna (an odd but interesting savory combination) and Dark Chocolate Chianti. My hands down favorite was the Limoncello, a new trial flavor that I hope they add to the list of regulars.

Delysia Virtual Chocolate Truffle Tasting

I encourage you to check out the upcoming Delysia virtual tastings. There are some great ones coming up including Havana Nights, Japanese Rising Sun, Moroccan Medley and Texas Peach. There’s nothing like touring the world through chocolate!

~ Marla Meridith

Recipes

Southwest Chicken & Rice Bowls

The whole idea of serving up an entire meal in a bowl is so wonderfully comforting. Even better when the bowl is super healthy and filled with a great ratio of carbs, protein, veggies and of course FLAVOR! We absolutely love these Southwest Chicken & Rice Bowls, a hearty meal that doesn’t require too much effort. You can have fun with the toppings, we keep things simple with fresh avocado, queso fresco cheese and fresh lime wedges. The other nice thing is you only cook in one skillet, I use this 12 inch cast iron. That makes clean up pretty speedy which is always an A+ in my book.

Looking for more bowls? Try this Veggie Buddha Bowl with Cilantro Avocado Dressing.

Watch the VIDEO here.

Click HERE for recipe details.

Delicious and healthy Southwest Chicken and Rice Bowls recipe

~ Marla Meridith

Cookies

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

If the first thing you think of when you see this recipe is “How can a cookie only have 3 ingredients?” Well I thought the same thing until I baked these cookies. OMG. Peanut Butter Cookie lovers you will be smitten with these perfectly crumbly, awesomely tasty cookies. From prep to ready in just 20 minutes. If you crave the deliciousness of homemade cookies NOW then these are the answer. Great for last minute cookie cravings and for all you peanut butter lovers.

Watch the VIDEO here.

Click HERE for recipe details.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

~ Marla Meridith

Pasta

Quick Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Are you a fan of gardening or do you purchase your produce at the market? We all know that homegrown is best…but were gotta do what we gotta do. I wish I was a gardener extrordinaire, but sadly I’m a member of the black thumb club. I try to grow things, but alas they don’t thrive. I was lucky to score some home grown tomatoes from my boyfriend’s mom in Oklahoma. I wanted to make something special with them and I knew that this Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce would really help to show off their summer flavor. This recipe goes from prep to table in about 20 minutes and it’s super healthy too! Great for your meatless, vegetarian meal planning.

So what makes this “fresh” tomato sauce? We use no canned ingredients, just fresh tomatoes. They are only heated up about 2 minutes just before you are ready to serve the pasta. They aren’t cooked for a long time, which makes this sauce lighter tasting and summery.

Watch the VIDEO here.

Click HERE for recipe details.

Quick Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe

~ Marla Meridith

Fashion

Masked! Fashionable Face Coverings for Our New Normal

Are the kids going back to school in the fall? When is a Covid-19 vaccine going to be developed? When? Why? What? We are all asking so many important questions these days. Many ask “Should I wear a mask? If so….which ones will look cool with all my clothes and be comfortable to wear?” Here in Telluride, Colorado the answer for our community is yes, we wear masks aka: face coverings when we are out in public and cannot properly social distance more at least 6 feet from others. I have collected quite a few over the past months. I find all of these comfortable, manageable and cute. They are all machine washable and durable.

An important mask beauty tip: Be sure to wash/launder your mask after every wear. This will help to prevent break outs and can help minimize the spread of germs.

Fashionable, comfortable, machine washable face coverings to wear with your coolest outfits.
Sanctuary 5 Pack Summer Lightweight PPE Masks Wild Tropics
Fashionable, comfortable, machine washable face coverings to wear with your coolest outfits.
Love Shack Fancy mask comes in four print options.
Fashionable, comfortable, machine washable face coverings to wear with your coolest outfits.
Love Shack Fancy mask comes in four print options.
Fashionable, comfortable, machine washable face coverings to wear with your coolest outfits.
Handmade, reversible masks with filter option from Telluride’s Cashmere Red.
Fashionable, comfortable, machine washable face coverings to wear with your coolest outfits.
Cashmere Red boutique in Telluride, CO.
Fashionable, comfortable, machine washable face coverings to wear with your coolest outfits.
My mask: Cashmere Red boutique in Telluride, CO.

*DISCLOSURE: I occasionally use affiliate links. If you happen purchase something through one of my links, I make a tiny percentage of revenue. Thank you for supporting me and my mission to help make your life it’s very BEST! XO Marla

~ Marla Meridith

Breakfast

Skillet Banana Bread with Double-Crumb Topping

The best of all worlds are in this delicious treat. Skillet Banana Bread is great on it’s own, but made infinitely more tempting and delicious with a VERY generous crumble topping. When it comes to coffee cake, for me the best part is always the crumble. It seems like that’s the case for a lot of folks. This recipe over at Bon Appetit is in agreement. What camp are you in? I have you make a double batch of crumble in this recipe. If you only want to use half that’s fine too. Simply halve the ingredients for the crumble topping. If you go all the way with things as they are listed….I guarantee you will be in crumble heaven!

Watch the VIDEO here.

Click HERE for recipe details.

Skillet Banana Bread with Double-Crumble Topping recipe

~ Marla Meridith

Recipes

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Summer salads are more than welcome any time around our house. Especially main course salads that are jam packed with healthy, protein packed ingredients. Tabbouleh (aka: tabouleh, tabouli) is a Lebanese dish traditionally made with soaked (not cooked) bulgur wheat. Mixing things up a little bit here, I use gluten-free quinoa instead in this recipe. Both ingredient options taste great though. Signature flavors in this salad are fresh mint and Italian parsley. I added chickpeas and feta cheese to up the game. Enjoy!

Watch the VIDEO here.

Click HERE for recipe details.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad recipe
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad recipe

~ Marla Meridith

July 4th

Happy July 4th!

Even though July 4th will be celebrated differently this year, we can still revel in red, white, blue celebrations. Social distancing is the norm as are face coverings. What we can embrace is family, friendship and our beautiful country. It’s a time to reflect on happiness, JOY and you can still catch those fireworks live online or on TV.

Happy July 4th from Telluride, Colorado!

Here in Telluride, CO we are known for our epic mid-day July 4th parade and evening fireworks. Crowds would typically be huge and our tiny mountain town of 2,500 expands from 18,000 to 24,000 people eager revelers. Obviously that won’t be the case this year as we must adhere to health codes. Looking after each other’s health is essential. I hope you all can enjoy everything we DO have. The freedoms, prosperity and abundance that we can find in life’s little things. Celebrations are what we make of them no matter how big or small. Let’s look at restrictions as opportunities to reinvent how we gather. I would love to hear how YOU are embracing the holiday and long weekend.

So go ahead and put on that pretty dress, make some delicious food and ENJOY!

Fashion notes: My dress is by Saloni.

Over the past decade, Saloni has built a fashion brand synonymous with her nomadic lifestyle. She has garnered a loyal following of women of all ages who come to her for her exacting sense of colour, cut and imaginative collections that are imbued with exoticism, femininity and playful elegance.

Saloni Website

~ Marla Meridith