Winter: It snows a lot, and also people watch football

You might be surprised to hear this, but I'm not much up on all of the various sportballs that are in season throughout the year.  I used to get invited to people's shabby apartments to watch the Superbowl when I was in grad school, but eventually people gave up on me.  I do know that drinking and eating fatty snacks are a part of that tradition, and for that reason, I almost regret never joining the festivities.  But really, you can drink and eat garbage without having to watch people ruin their lives with massive concussions any ol' time, right?

Which brings me to the other thing I am tired of hearing about on Facebook: snow.  It has snowed here in the Rockies, it snowed somewhat in the Southeast last week, it snows a terrible amount every week in the Great Lakes.  It is winter.  You don't need to complain about it, though you can post beautiful photos of your magically transformed backyard (sans whining) and/or fun outdoor adventures all you want, and I will "like" every single one of them.  I don't spend all summer whining about having to sweat, because for some reason no one can relate to this complaint. You should not spend all winter whining about getting to snowshoe and wear awesome sweaters, because I think that is stupid.

That was all a slightly offensive prelude to winter things I want to celebrate this weekend, and hopefully with the help of these links to clever peoples' sites, this list will enrich your weekend, too. New year's resolution: be more sassy. Check.

Drinking: Thank you, Bustle, for encouraging day drinking with the delicious-sounding spiked hot chocolate recipes. #4 (picture above) is definitely my favorite.

If you're feeling sad that tequila is getting left out here, try adding it to your mulled hot cider in place of rum (better try both): dump a gallon of apple cider into a Dutch oven or similarly large vessel, and add 1 large orange studded generously with cloves (great project for someone stationary who's not helping enough), 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1 dried star anise (optional). Simmer over medium-low heat until it's good and hot, and let it cook for as long as you like--the flavors get stronger with time. Add the rum or tequila directly to your cup to avoid cooking off the precious alcohol.




Eating Garbage: Or not.  Oh My Veggies has some great ideas for indulgent snacks that seem pretty junky, but aren't that bad for you. These Oven baked pickle chips are THE BEST:






Going Outside: I've posted pretty recently on showshoeing and ice skating in the Rockies, and if you're not coming out here anytime soon, you can easily search for opportunities to do the same in your neck of the woods.  Add to your list of stuff to look up: sledding.  Don't you miss it?  And if you don't miss it because you never did it as a kid, then you really owe it to yourself to get out and sled now.  Because there are few activities that make it OK for a grown adult to roll around on the ground and scream bloody murder while narrowly missing head-on collisions with large trees.  It's a real rush, I tell ya.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Kale

This recipe is an adaptation from The Awesome Green's creation, which I loved in theory, but I found to be lacking any kind of acid.  If you don't need that in your food, I encourage you to try Ana's original recipe, which is really solid, but just a little sweet for my taste. I also altered the flavoring a little with the garnishes I used, partly because it's what I had on hand, though it also suited my other variations.

Once again, this is a super fast, easy recipe that is filling, vegan, and cheap to make. Maybe it's time to create a favorite soups page for January??

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Kale

(adapted from theawesomegreen.com)

Serves 4

2 tsp coconut oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch ginger piece, peeled and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
¼ cup red lentils, rinsed well
2 tablespoons tomato paste

A pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup fresh kale leaves, finely chopped
2 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons creamy peanut butter
Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Toasted peanuts, to garnish
Chopped pickled jalapeno, to garnish 

Lime wedges for serving

Heat the coconut oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until translucent.
Add the garlic, ginger,cumin, and turmeric for a minute or two, until fragrant.

Add sweet potatoes and lentils, stir to combine, then add the water, cayenne, and tomato paste. Bring to boil and let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the peanut butter and stir to incorporate. Transfer the stew into a blender and pulse enough to have a mostly smooth base with some visible sweet potato chunks. Add a little more water if it's too thick. 

Return stew to the pot. Add the kale leaves and cook for five more minutes.
Season with freshly ground black pepper, and garnish individual with cilantro, peanuts and jalapenos. Serve with lime wedges. 

Winter destinations for people who love winter

When you search for "winter vacations" and its variations online, you tend to end up with listings for Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the like.  But what about those of us who don't want to escape the beautiful twinkling snow, crisp, refreshing air, and breathtaking silence you find in nature during the winter? Don't we sweat and look at scantily clad people enough in the summer months? If you are looking for a getaway meant to celebrate winter, but perhaps without so many of the crowds and dollar signs you'll see in the usual spots (Jackson, Aspen...), consider....

Big Sky, Montana

Big Sky is located in Gallatin County, just one hour from Bozeman, Montana to the north, and one hour from Yellowstone National Park to the south. It's small, but is nevertheless home to award-winning restaurants and is a veritable sportsman's paradise.

Durango, Colorado

I could have picked a lot of places (I was veering towards Ouray, honestly), but Durango is a nice compromise between remote and plentiful. As one of the four corners, you can easily pop into New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona to round out your Facebook states map, or whatever you call that stupid thing.  It's an actual town with a college, so you can find good places to eat and get a decent coffee. And you're surrounded by trails with beautiful views.

Hood River County, Oregon

Hood River is a small town hear a great city. Located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area between Mt. Hood and the Columbia River, it is only an hour east of Portland. It is beloved for its recreation opportunities (particularly windsurfing, kiteboarding, cycling and mountain biking, hiking and skiing), but it's also home to four breweries, a growing wine industry and a thriving food scene.

Park City, Utah

This might be the most populist choice on the list, but I love Park City.  I also adore nearby Salt Lake City, and you can easily enjoy both in one trip. Like the rest of these towns, there are good restaurants and lots of options for outdoor recreation, and as a bonus, there's a little film festival in January that sort of takes over the town, while still managing to have a down-home feel.

Royal Gorge Resort, Soda Springs, California

This place is like heaven for cross country skiers. Located right off of I-80 in Tahoe National Forest, it is a self-contained haven with great trails, accommodations, and food. If you want to keep it simple and just park yourself in one spot for a weekend without all the tourists from the tri-state area in front of you, this is the place.

Easy blended soups for the year

Mark Bittman's newest cookbook, Kitchen Matrix, is the most practical, improvisatory cookbook I have ever read.  It is exactly how I cook--the recipe serves as a basic set of principles (ratios, food groups that compliment each other), and the actual ingredients can vary within that general formula.  He does provide measurements and discuss techniques, for those of you who don't feel comfortable with this method, but each master recipe is laid out with variations, like a master class on soup, or miso, for instance.  

I have been enjoying my own alterations of his variations in the book, particularly at night, when all I really need is a salad before bedtime, but the cold temps have me craving soup instead.  A few vegetables, some water, and a good blender will make these a reality in 30 minutes, tops. 

Puréed Asparagus Soup

Serves 4

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and roughly chopped

½ yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed

2 pieces whole wheat bread, broken into big pieces

2 cups tightly packed spinach

½ teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Olive oil to drizzle and/ or plain yogurt (optional)

In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, place the asparagus, onion, and garlic. Add water until vegetables are just barely covered, toss in about a teaspoon of salt, and cover.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until very soft.  Stir in the spinach and bread and let it soften for a minute or two, then pour everything into your blender.

Blend until smooth, then pour back into the pot.  Stir in the Herbes de Provence, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in individual bowls with a little olive oil drizzled on top, or a scoop of plain yogurt. You can also serve with extra lemon wedges if you like more acidity. 

Curried Potato and Cauliflower Vichyssoise

Serves 4

1 small head cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

½ yellow onion

1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon curry powder

4 cups water

1 tablespoon plain yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chopped fresh cilantro to garnish (optional)

In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, combine the cauliflower, potatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, curry powder, and water. Add two teaspoons salt, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very soft, 15-20 minutes.

Pour into a blender and purée until smooth. Pour back into the pot and add the lemon juice and yogurt.  Heat through, 3-4 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped fresh cilantro to individual bowls if desired.