Pumpkin Carving and Cooking

After weeks of talking about carving pumpkins and making the pumpkin soup on the cover of Sunset Magazine, we finally made the day dedicated to pumpkin happen. 


By the time I finished free handing (or free-carving) a cat face, resembling my furry friends at my house here, Harmony just found a winking pumpkin face on her phone. As she worked on her replica, I seasoned some pumpkin seeds with creole cajun seasoning, salt, and olive oil and popped them in a 300 degree oven until crispy. All in prep for our pumpkin seed-mint pesto for later. We were pretty excited.



Later on, we collected the rest of the ingredients for our soup:


SOUP:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 4 1/2 cups peeled, 1-in. chunks pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash (from a 2 1/2-lb. squash)
• 4 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

PESTO

• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus slivered leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds

• PREPARATION:
• Make soup: Sauté onion and ginger in oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until golden, 5 minutes. Add garlic and coriander and cook until softened, 1 minute, then add pumpkin, broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, until pumpkin is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Purée in batches in a blender until very smooth.
• Make pesto: Pound garlic, whole mint leaves, salt, and 1 tbsp. oil in a mortar into a coarse paste (or use a food processor). Add remaining oil and pumpkin seeds and pound until coarsely crushed.
• Drop small spoonfuls of pesto over bowls of soup, garnish with slivered mint, and serve remaining pesto on the side.

We sat down to a candle-lit table, and enjoyed our delicious spiced pumpkin soup. We spooned the soup into bowls, then garnished it with our pesto sauce and roasted pumpkin seeds. The soup was smooth and thick, with a perfect cinnamon and ginger bite. The pesto added a little tang, gave it some zesty excitement. The pumpkin seeds gave it a fun crunch, making our meal more interesting than a puree diet. It was delicious!!! And a great start to Halloween week, and the fast approaching holiday season. 

• 
  
• 
  
  

Going Gourmet with the Golden Girls

It may be the off season here in Aspen with closed restaurants and empty bars, but sitting in our respective homes all day or night is not on our agenda. So far, our days are filled with hikes, drives, reading, baking, and job hunting (which is now over!!!). Our nights are filled with Monday Night Football specials, live music shows, bar hopping, happy hour, making dinners, and movies. The cooking class we went to on a Friday evening is the most recent addition to the entertainment.

Set in the basement of the Fraternal Order of Eagles (Old Man Loser's) Club, we were welcomed by a South African accent, french bread, and delicious cheeses. Obviously the manchego and brie won us over. H and I claimed our cutting boards as three other "students" came in, all in their 30s. Then a group of 5 older women, resembling the Golden Girls, came in all dolled up and laughing. This was going to be hilarious. And it was.

We were all arranged in a circle, collaboratively prepping all ingredients for the appetizer, entree, and dessert. That allowed for maximum socialization and laughter. The humorous energy of the vacationing Houston (retired) housewives kept Harmony and I fully entertained, with plenty to whisper about while we subtly snacked on more cheese.
  
So, on the menu: Butternut squash soup with toasted hazelnuts, spinach and goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, Tuscan mashed potatoes, and red wine poached pears with creme anglaise. Hungry?

Although I consider myself a pretty good cook (thanks to watching Giada and Barefoot Contessa 24/7), I learned a lot of new things. Mostly vocabulary and technique. Do you know what a chiffonade is? Neatly stack the leaves of spinach (or any other leafy green), roll them up tightly, then chop the roll making little strips. Great for stuffing meat!


After chopping all ingredients, we moved into the kitchen to cook everything. Space was a little limited, so we congregated around the island and watched as one or two people did the cooking. In the mean time, Harmony and I made friends with the older women, dreaming they would ask us to be caretakers for their vacation homes here. Only like 2 hours later, we all sat down to enjoy the final products.

 

It was all delicious. The soup was smooth and creamy with a perfect blend of spice. The goat cheese and spinach gave a rich and flavorful spin on a normal chicken breast. And then the pear... The tang of acidic red wine reduction was very well complimented by the creamy and sweet creme anglaise, creating a light but satisfying finale. This meal will surely be replicated soon.

As the conversation and bonding over food started fading, the chef approached me and Harmony. She asked if we would be interested in being her assistants for some events coming up. Looks like we came out of this evening not only with a very happy tummy and leftovers, but an opportunity to learn more about cooking, catering, and entertaining!

A Climb to Cathedral Lake

I guess it is just habit now, to hear the name of a trail and just go do it without much research, thinking it will be a great morning walk. We passed the Cathedral Lake trail head on our bike ride last week, thought it looked interesting, heard good things, and decided to do it with little other information.

A 3.5 mile hike up (as noted on the trail head sign) did not sound too bad, definitely manageable for us. So, after Harmony pet a fellow hiker's adorable "little ones" (as she calls every dog), we were off on our next uphill venture. It was another beautiful day, another sunny blue sky.

The steady incline continued for what seemed like hours. We were panting like puppy dogs, stopping every 10 minutes to "take a picture" or "stretch." But really we were just trying to catch our breath.

Then the path through the aspen groves and boulder fields started to get muddy and snowy. That lead to a series of switchbacks. This is when the research would have come in handy. We would have known to expect a 2,000 foot gain and a "difficult" morning stroll, and we would have worn hiking shoes...





We were rewarded along the way with gorgeous views of snowy mountain vistas and jagged peaks. Crossing large boulder fields, balancing on rocks, soaking in mud, and conquering 8 switchbacks on a steep mountainside made us feel macho.









And then we reached the end. We made it to the top. Boy did we yell with joy, excitement, and huge relief. After 2 hours of straight up, we finally got a break. Too bad we didn't bring lunch. My body was ready for a full meal, not a granola bar.

The emerald-green Cathedral Lake was gorgeous. There was not a single other soul up there, just the two of us. It was so peaceful and pristine, I did not want to leave such natural beauty. Although we threw ourselves into an ambitious "walk," it is all worth it at the end of the day. We got exercise, explored a new spot, and enjoyed a hidden gem in the Rockies. We are living and loving Colorado!

The bikes and bruises are worth the beauty

Maybe we were a little ambitious heading up Castle Creek Road toward the ghost town of Ashcroft. Or maybe just up for another adventure. But we definitely did not realize it was going to be such a test to our physical conditioning, or as far as it was.

The bike ride started with energy and smiles. We were headed up a gradual but bearable incline, among beautiful trees, streams, and mountain views. But our positivity faded at the mile 4 marker when our legs had not gotten any relief yet. And then the 70 year old Lance Armstrong look-alikes zoomed passed us with their professional bikes and gear. "Good to see you out here, ladies" one said without a loss of breath as he passed me on the left. "It is the perfect ski training!" I guess we have some more work to do...

It was a supposed 11 miles of straight up on a heavy mountain bike until we would reach Ashcroft. Thank goodness it was beautiful. Otherwise, I would have been legitimately miserable.  The scenery distracted me from the bruises developing on my butt (time to buy padded shorts), the burning in my thighs, and the strain on my neck from leaning so far forward and looking up at where I was going. It was the steepest longest ride of my life. When we took breaks, all we wanted to do was collapse. So we did. On gravel.

Colorado getting the best of us...

But we are still smiling!

 

 

 

 

 

Hours into our venture, I wondered where the hell Ashcroft was. We kept seeing the men who past us speed down the hill on the other side of the road. They all gave us thumbs up. How encouraging. Apparently it is a real ghost town because we blew right through it without even realizing it. We continued far past our intended destination and ended up being in a Jeep commercial where the road ended.

Ok not really, but we did see the mud artwork on the "off-roading" vehicles and chatted with the crew, who also had no idea where Ashcroft was. I guess the tavern on the side of the road that we past miles before is considered "town." So, our planned 11 mile uphill ride turned into 15. At least the great thing about uphill rides is its down hill all the way home. The glorious 30 minutes of speeding down the hill filled us with angst to walk in our front doors.

I am not a biker, nor a cyclist. I am also not completely acclimated to 8,000 feet elevation yet either. But I did set a new personal record, and it feels great. It was worth all the pain, even if it means a day in bed to recover.

A frown turns upside down

I woke up to a bright sunny day today feeling energized and excited to continue the job search. My first stop was Clark's Market, a high end grocery store that is well overpriced. I chatted with the guest services guy at the desk for a while while he reviewed my resume. He pretty much turned me down for being over qualified. He said, "I would gladly put you to work here, but I think you should go find a job that is much more suitable to your advanced skills." At $11 an hour, I would have rejected his cashier job offer anyway, but he got me thinking...

Next stop was Valleygirl Boutique, where an assistant manager position is opening up. I talked with the manager who was leaving, and she gladly accepted my resume to hand off to the store manager the next day. Didn't get any details there, just gave a face and a name.

Last stop of the day was Victoria's Espresso and Wine Bar that had a "We are hiring!" sign in the window. I marched in there, introduced myself, and inquired more. I met Victoria, the owner, and was in there for 45 minutes learning about the positions open, their philosophy, how they work, what kind of employee they are looking for, etc. They are looking for baristas, customer service people, and someone to help with baking in the kitchen. Baking!? Totally my thing, right? She gave me a very thorough overview of their system, then told me to sleep on it and come back with questions if I am seriously interested. There's more to think about...

When I got home, my mood did a 180. Maybe it was an overload of possible job options (none of which are guaranteed), maybe exhaustion finally settling in, maybe homesickness. Whatever it was, I felt lonely, bored, helpless, and unorganized. I felt like I had no control over my life, or any idea what I wanted anymore. I started thinking about what I want in Aspen, what I don't want, and questioning why I came here. Do I work a mindless job like I intended? Do I do something I am qualified for? And whatever I do I will have to work holidays. Can I handle that for the first time? All these thoughts brought tears of stress and frustration to my eyes. There was one person who I knew could help with these questions. Mom.

Called her up, and per usual she made everything better. She validated my explanation for an adventure, she told me the loneliness would be temporary, and she made me realize I was worrying way too much (what a surprise). I haven't even been here 2 weeks! She told me moving to a brand new place is not easy, and getting settled takes time. Just hearing the encouragement and excitement in her voice brightened my afternoon and made me smile. It is amazing how little moments like calling a loved one to talk something out can make everything better, no matter how many miles away they may be.

A Bear at Breakfast

It was the normal lazy morning here, and I was just sitting in the kitchen eating my cinnamon and banana oatmeal chatting with one of my housemates. Her boyfriend Josh, another housemate, was sitting outside on the front porch enjoying the sunny morning. He came in to say hi, chat with us, and plan their day of rock climbing. The next thing I know, he yells "Hey, there's a bear in the driveway!" and runs for the kitchen. I jumped up and leaped over to the window to look outside. A huge fat black bear was wrangling with our locked trash can, knocking it over hoping to score some leftover goodies. As I admired the bear's problem solving skills, Josh went running out the door banging 2 cooking pots together. The bear shuffled off, hiding behind a car across the street. He poked his nose around to see if he could continue his quest for food in preparation for winter. Josh started banging again, and the bear ran down the hill, scared and disappointed.

My landlord came running down to see what all the ruckus was about. That was when I got the low-down (more like warning) on bear activity in our neighborhood. Garbage cans must be locked because bears will get into them (which results in a $250 fine), doors with outdoor handles must be locked because bears know how to push them down and open the door, and you have to be loud and obnoxious to scare them away. Josh gave a great demonstration as to black bear behavior when they are agitated and angry, explaining when to know to quietly back off. I left that conversation a little uneasy, requesting a care package with a head lamp and bear bells from home ASAP.

I don't think I have been so close to a bear before. We may have been separated by a very strong wall, but he was 15 feet away! That started my day off just right, a quick wake up and excitement!

Our First 3 "Friends"

It all started at the Red Onion, one of the oldest bars in Aspen. We walked in, and sat a table in the window to enjoy a glass of Merlot. Sure, we sound sophisticated, but really it was the cheapest drink on the menu besides a beer that would make my stomach churn. Our cocktail waiter was probably our age, and pretty cute. Harmony immediately fell for his long golden locks and big smile, eyeing him any time she could. As we sipped our less than mediocre vino, a guy started setting up for open mic night right next to us. He offered to move our high table and chairs toward the back of the bar, so we settled back there. It just happened to be closer to the cocktail waiter's. So, we chatted with him for a while, and ordered another drink. When his shift was ending and the check came, I noticed we were only charged for one drink each. I was about to say something, but Harmony stopped me (luckily). She told me she had a feeling we were only going to be charged for one glass, and that he meant to do that. Harmony's brother in law, who lived in Aspen post college, also agreed that the guy knew exactly what he was doing. A glass of free wine and an open invite to beer pong on Wednesday.

The next guy we met we will call Jay (for confidentiality purposes). He just came up to our table and apologized for his drunk friend bumping into my chair earlier. We started chatting and learned he went to college in Hawaii (for about 6 years), now lives in Aspen, and is training to climb Mt. Everest in his 40th year. He's gotta be late 20s or 30. He was a nice, non creepy, and gave us some good advice on the job search. He gave us his number and said he is always down for a hike. Yay, we made another normal friend!

The last guy was a whole different story. His name was one that ends in an "s," but he changed it to a "z." He comes up to our table and just starts talking to us, giving us cards for free food and sake at the Japanese restaurant where he works. He seemed nice, but then things got weird. He told us his favorite place in the whole world is Disney World, and he can't wait to go in October. Then he told us he is living at home in his dad's insanely large house with his bunny rabbit, Dandelion. Oh wait, he just changed the rabbit's name to Jack. He is saving money so that he can play in a poker tournament that costs $10,000 per participant. It is his 28th and golden birthday, and that is what he wants to do for it. I left for 5 minutes to go to the restroom, came back, and Harmony recruited him to teach me guitar lessons (which I told her earlier I want to learn). I got really excited and asked how much he charges. He said nothing. He would do it for free, we could just be friends. Is this too good to be true, or a red flag? 

Entertaining and social first night out, can't wait to see what the other ones turn out to be like.

Do you periscope?

I picked up an important skill during our drive detour to Jackson, WY. It is called "periscoping."

After a day of hiking in the Tetons, picnicking and people watching in the park, and dreaming of Moose Drool, Harmony and I debated where we wanted our night to take us. We settled on grabbing a beer at The Cadillac Lounge, the place to meet a friendly mixture of travelers and many of the colorful locals. 

Moose Drool wasn't on top, so we settled with its Big Sky brother, Trout Slayer. It was delicious! As the clock hit 10 and 2 for 1, the crowd poured in, including Harmony's friend's older brother who came to meet us for a drink(s). He lives in Wilson, WY working as a rafting guide during the summers and in the ski shop during the winters. Lots of his ski bum friends (randomly the older brother of one of my guy friends from college) were also hitting up the best late night happy hour in town.

Tristan was sitting on the outside of the table, his back toward the crowd. I started noticing how he would subtly turn around and pan the room, to see and be seen. I found the solution to my staring problem! I enjoy people watching, but tend to be a little too obvious about it. Tristan advised that "periscoping" would be a less obvious and awkward way of checking out what's happening. Instead of looking at individual people for a prolonged moment, its a more broad quick scan. He suggested I practice. So, I stood up a little in the booth and panned the room as if I were looking for someone, not staring too long at any one person. He said the next step is perfecting a lip lick during the periscope. That step I failed. No "sexy periscoping" for me. I will stick with safe and simple.

I am still working on perfecting my periscoping skills in Aspen, scanning versus staring. I think it will be a great skill for less obvious people watching. So, for those of you who love to look at people, pick up the periscope.

A Fresh Start

I have always been told that the best time for travel and adventure is post-college, pre-career. As that point in my life approached, I decided to listen to this advice. I wanted an interim chapter to precede the jump into a career. It just so happened my friend Harmony was looking for a similar experience. She suggested we move to Aspen for a ski bum season. I realized a season of being outdoors in the ostensibly beautiful Colorado is just what I needed. A breath of fresh air. 

Picking up and moving somewhere I had never been before with no job or other friends, only a furnished house to go to, was a little scary. I was leaving a place of social comfort and familiarity and venturing into the unknown. I had no idea where I would work, who I would meet, or what it would be like. The idea was liberating. 

So here I am, in Aspen, the most beautiful place. The Aspen trees scatter the hillsides with bright yellows and oranges, and the big clear sky brightens everything with its blue. I wake up every morning to sun shining and majestic snow capped peaks peering into my window. No matter what happens here, I know that the beauty will make everything better. It makes each day worth seizing, and every moment seem big.

Check back often for my stories of the little moments that make each day unique, exciting, and worth smiling about.

Until next time,
Austen