Noshing = moshing?

Whenever I read the word "nosh" or "noshing" I automatically think of "moshing." You know, the slam-dancing or mosh pit type stuff from 90s rock concerts. You know, where a bunch of dudes push each other around in a circle. Funny.

My foodie interpretation of "noshing" is melding a bunch of flavors and textures to create something delicious. Since today is Memorial Day and I found myself without BBQ plans, I decided to make some festive nachos.

Giggity.

I picked up some fancy-sounding cheese... Sargento 'Authentic Mexican' Artisan blend featuring an all-star lineup of cheeses I can't pronounce well. I opted for the full-fat cheese vs. the reduced fat blend that I usually buy, because a) it's a Holiday and b) when it comes to full fat cheese, a little bit goes a long way.

With some no-salt tortilla chips as base, I added 1/3 cup of canned, rinsed then heated black beans. Nuking these in the microwave is key in order to avoid soggy chips and get the cheese to melt the ideal way. The beans add antioxidants, also?

Topped off with 1/4 cup of the fancy cheese, and a few olive slices for good measure... all together heated for about 30 seconds. Et voila:

Damn good.

What good are nachos without beer?

This Fat Tire had been calling my name from the fridge all afternoon.

Oh yeah, and salsa.

Spicy verde and medium tomato did the trick.

Next time I am going to try nuking some thawed from frozen, chopped spinach along with the beans and seasoning with hot sauce. Sounds good, no? Some fresh, chopped tomato would have been great as well. Cilantro? Avocado? The options are endless.

Happy Memorial Day, people!

Review: Adam's Mountain Cafe

We had a great time in Colorado last weekend, and made it to Manitou Springs to try out Adam's Mountain Cafe.

We loved the feel of the restaurant - earthy, eclectic and chic.

My sister Annie forewarned about the variety of dishes to choose from and the overall deliciousness of the menu, however my mind was blown! There were so many options for vegetarians, many vegan selections as well. For those who prefer meat dishes, the menu has chicken and fish options as well. The menu has an emphasis on organic, locally raised food - sounds great, right?

AMC is self-labeled as a Slow Food restaurant, but our party of five didn't notice a longer than usual waiting time for our meals. I loved the presentation of the table, with cute mismatched cutlery and a honey pot.

To drink, I had the Seattle Orange Spice House Tea. It tasted phenomenal! I love cloves, and the aroma paired nicely with the orange.

I ordered the Runner's Special which included whole grain pancakes, sherry cream potatoes and fruit.

This selection was fantastic. The pancakes were melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but hearty thanks to the whole grain. A little maple syrup was all that I needed.

Just check out that butter... to die for. I must find the recipe for these pancakes!

The potatoes had an excellent creamy sauce and fresh shallots, with just a hint of sherry.

Along with very fancy fruit, including a Medjool date.

Annie had the Pear and Pecan Salad which featured local Colorado Haystack goat cheese and sesame crusted tofu.

She had the Calvados Vinaigrette dressing on the side, along with a butter-adorned sunflower wheat roll.

Zak tried the Moroccan Fish Tacos, with tasty marinated white fish and a honey-miso slaw, topped with a creamy harissa sauce.

Overall, our experience at AMC was fantastic. My only regret was that the outdoor seating area was not yet available - a sign said that the creekside patio would be opening the Monday following our visit.

Regardless, I can't wait to visit again. What a wonderful gem of a restaurant for Manitou Springs.

Colorado, here we come

At the wise age of 28 years old, I am comfortable enough with myself and that I can admit two things I pretty much suck at:

1. Packing for a trip... no matter how hard I "try," I procrastinate until the day I am supposed to depart. Procrastination further exemplified by this blog post, which I am doing when I really should be packing.

2. Unpacking. In this case, specifically unpacking my camera cord. I have no idea where it went after our recent move!

That's a damn shame since I've got a ton of great foodie photos to share with you. I guess they will just have to wait.

It's Midnight and I leave in 18 hours for Colorado Springs, CO. My sister lives there and is graduating with her Masters Degree in Psychology. Here's a recap from my last visit to CoS. And here's recap part 2. And some photos, why not?

Sisters atop Palmer Park overlook

Annie, contemplating the meaning of life (or is she pretending to be in a CREED music video?)

Baaaaad riding posture. Awful. But a beautiful ride.

A meester, blogging companion extraordinaire

See? Actual food on my alleged 'food blog.'

This would be a salad with vegan buffalo wings at TRiNiTY. Yeah, this was good.

Cowboys, a classy establishment which I hope to visit again this weekend.

This time, Zak and my parents are along for the journey, making it our first official vacation as the whole family. Awww :-) Plus, I haven't seen my sister since January 2nd so it's about time I meet up with her!

New Tonight:

Can I get a "heck yeah" from all of those food bloggers attending the 2010 Healthy Living Summit in Chicago? I bought my ticket tonight, can't wait to meet everyone and spend the weekend with you!

At long last, a breakfast cookie

I finally did it... I tried out The Fitnessista's fabled breakfast cookie, known throughout the foodie blogosphere as a must-eat. And it was... DELICIOUS.

In the mix: 1/3 cup rolled oats, 1/2 scoop chocolate 'frost' protein powder, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp peanut butter. Stirred together with 1/8 cup or so of soy milk. Prepared for overnight refrigeration:

Then, the morning comes:

Topped with strawberry greek yogurt and fresh berries. Sooo good, the texture was chewy just like Gina promised it would be. Will repeat for Monday b-fast, for sure.

I am off to the farm for a quick horseback riding session, then to Zak's bro's graduation. Congrats, Colin!

Help for Nashville

In case you haven't seen or heard, there are devastating floods in Nashville, Tennessee.

It's totally scary how much damage has resulted. At least 20 people have been killed. Homes, businesses, cars flooded out and roads swept away. The damage is estimated at over $1 billion, which seems like an unfathomable amount of money.

I am a big fan of Nashville, the vibe of the city is so friendly and rich in musical history. I ran through Nashville's neighborhoods in 2007 for its Country Music Marathon, and more recently visited last October. Zak and I stayed at Gaylord Opryland Resort, parts of which are now submerged in 10 feet of water. It is just crazy that there is so much damage and destruction.

My heart really goes out to those who lost their homes and property, not just in Nashville but in all of the neighboring areas.

Donate $10 to the American Red Cross by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999, it's simple and will be charged to your mobile phone account.

Zak looking over the Cumberland River, October 2009

More on the Nashville Flooding:

The Tennesseean: Where to volunteer, make donations and more

YouTube: Opryland Hotel Floods with Water

NPR: Musicians Lose Millions in Gear in Nashville Flood