Posted at 10:39 am by NativeNM, on October 14, 2021
When I woke up this morning it was 34 degrees! There’s a cold spell rolling through NM with snowfall in the northern mountains. But even though it was near freezing this morning, the sun is out and it feels warmer with every passing hour. With the cooler weather upon us I had a craving for a bowl of soothing pasta. I made a grocery run and picked up fresh ingredients to make tomato sauce with spinach and basil. That combined with Italian sausage and cooked tortellini made a pasta dish that was made for comfort. We had a leafy green salad with toasted bread, olive oil and dipping spices on the side. Simple yet tasty!
On our recent vacation to Wyoming we experienced some wonderful food, both familiar and some that was new to our palate. Josh took us to Calico’s Restaurant and Bar one evening. He had been hearing good things about their menu and wanted to give it a try. I was in the mood for a light meal and ordered their Watermelon Arugula salad. It was a big plate of marinated watermelon chunks with a sprinkling of arugula and goat cheese. The flavors in the honey lime marinade/dressing came through with just the right amount of sweetness. I was so impressed with this salad that I couldn’t wait to recreate it when we got home. I wasn’t sure if I could find watermelon since Fall is upon us. But sure enough when I went shopping they had some good sized watermelons that were on sale. While I was putting this together I kept thinking that this salad seemed familiar and not just from tasting it at Calico’s. It didn’t take me long to realize that I had seen a similar recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Karen at Back Road Journal. Karen’s recipe is a Spicy Stacked Watermelon Salad with Feta and Arugula which is a spicy version that looks absolutely delicious! If you haven’t tried a watermelon salad, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Posted at 10:31 am by NativeNM, on October 1, 2021
September is one of the best times to travel. The summer travelers are headed back to work and school plus the weather is cooler. It’s been over 2 years since we’ve had a true vacation and I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed our time in Wyoming. Jackson Hole is where Josh calls home these days and we can truly see why he loves it so much. And to make our vacation complete, Cameron, our youngest son took some time off and joined us for the week as well. We all enjoyed the sights as Josh served as our tour guide taking us to picturesque places to hike and breathe the fresh mountain air. We had the most amazing weather, cool mornings with peaks around 75 degrees for a daytime high. But when the sun begins to set you better have a jacket nearby. One day was reserved to go to Yellowstone National Park. Between all of us we took hundreds of pictures of the many attractions along the way. We expected to see buffalo, moose or elk during our drive through Yellowstone but that didn’t happen until late in the day. As we started to head out of the park we spotted a lone buffalo who had us in stitches as he swam across a river and then promptly found a sandy spot where he rolled and rolled in the dirt. That was a highlight moment for sure! On other days we walked the shops in Jackson Square, went to one of Josh’s favorite places for stargazing near Mormon Row, and hiked along beautiful lakes with the most pristine clear blue/turquoise water you’ve ever seen. And the food . . . well, it was an experience in tasting new things and delighting in the discovery. But my favorite thing of all was the latte that Josh made especially for me.
An Inspired Cook 