Coors Brewery Tour & TUBING in Golden, CO

As mentioned before, I had one crazy weekend!  

Sunday we hit the Farmer's Market, then made our way to the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO to take a tour.  John still hadn't ever done a tour of a Colorado brewery since he's been living here (shocking, I know), so we figured it'd be a great day for it!  

A little added bonus about Golden is that they have a fantastic river that runs right through the town that's PERFECT for tubing.  I still had never been tubing before (you basically just sit in an inner tube and float down a river - simple fun!), so we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone!

All geared-up & ready to go!

Riding the bus to the tour - so excited! 

John gettin' tasty with the grains they make beer with...

I was actually a bit dissapointed with the tour - it was kind of boring.  They gave you these little phone-things, and an automated voice told you all the info.  It was long-winded facts, and nothing terribly exciting.  We still had fun though, and that's really all that matters!

And now I can say I did it too! :)

Those are some big copper... thingies.  For beer, and stuff.

Becca on the tour - learnin' stuff!

Ryan & Becca - taking a break to taste some Coors!

I was really hoping to put a glove on a bottle of beer and wave it away a-la Laverne & Shirley (or Wayne's World, doing an impression of Laverne & Shirley).  Alas, the whole area was closed off.  Probably for good measure!

These guys had WAY too much fun in the gift shop.  Haha!

And the best part of the tour - FREE BEER!!  We each got 3-free 10oz beers just for doing the tour.  Pretty rad!  I started with a Blue Moon Summer ale, then had a Killian's Irish Red, then had a regular Blue Moon.  I didn't even know that Coors brewed those beers - they were delish!
 

A toast with friends! :)

Afterward we headed to the park area and got ready for some tubing fun.  This was pretty much the only picture I got of that portion of the day, as I didn't want my camera to get wet!  Ha!  I love that it's right in the middle of a near-spank!

More pictures that Ryan took with his waterproof camera....
This one was obviously pre-getting totally soaked!  Ha!  

Becca & I walking to the tubing site.  Oh my goodness - it POURED on us!  I could barely see where I was going, hence my squinty expression!  Haha!  
 

And note to self:  Next time remove eye make-up BEFORE getting soaked.  HA!  I look like a raccoon!  Or the Crow, according to another of my friends.  
 

John floatin' along with his beer.  The water was kinda shallow so you had to kind of suck your butt in and clench your abs to not bonk your booty on the rocks.  Luckily the rocks were smooth though, so they weren't too bad.  
 

Our little group of thrill seekers!  Ha!  I love this picture - such a great group shot! 

We had SO MUCH FUN tubing.  It was hilarious, and we giggled like 5-year-olds the entire time.  It was probably some of the best free fun I've had in a long time.  We will definitely be doing it again soon!

Probably with a little less beer this time though... I need to take a break from the beer.  Ha! 

No Carb Portabello Mushroom Pizza & the Perfect Snack

This weekend was CRAZY (really fun, but pretty darn crazy), and included all of the following: 

- Yoga on the platte river with Katy & Geneva

- Drinking a bit too much at Mile High Spirits 

- A 60-minute massage at Spavia (I finally used this - it was a Xmas gift!)

- Shopping with my momma (her treat - what a gal)

- A surprise concert at Red Rocks with Geneva (Cake with the Lumineres!)

- Loadin' up on foods at our local Farmer's Market 

- Coors Brewery Tour

- Tubing in Golden, CO with friends & Kendra from A Grimm Tale

- Catching up on episodes of "Felicity" (just started re-watching it on Netflix!)

- Not getting enough sleep...

I kind of need a weekend for my weekend!  Haha!  Pictures to come... 

But firstly, a new (and delicious) meal that John and I had last week! 

We've been trying to do the South Beach Diet the past couple of weeks.  It's been good, but I've missed fruit SO MUCH.  It's funny that I have been missing that more than bread, rice, and pasta.  Who'd have thunk it?  Anyhew, we really REALLY wanted pizza one night, so I got some Portabello mushroom caps, and we had some low-carb pizza fun.  It was so easy too! 

Portabello Mushroom Mini-Pizzas

Each cap serves 1 person - customize them any way you like! 

- Portabello mushroom caps (1 per person)

- Tomato sauce / marinara

- mozzarella cheese

- ricotta cheese (a couple of dollops, optional)

- arugula

- zucchini

- onions

- red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Meanwhile build your pizzas!  Place the caps top-side down on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.  Top with sauce, the toppings of your choice (I used zucchini, arugula, onions, ricotta cheese and mozzarella), and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, or Italian seasonings. 

Bake in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. 

Enjoy! 

These were so good - and John and I didn't even miss the bread.  We will definitely make this one again! 

Today we could finally start having fruit again, and thank GOODNESS it's still peach season.  I would have totally cried - I'm not even kidding. 

I had an amazing breakfast of whole-grain toast with part-skim ricotta cheese, sliced peaches, and a drizzle of local honey.  It was everything I hoped it could be. 

For my mid-morning grumbly tummy I had what I am deeming the Perfect Snack: 

 

An organic brown rice cake with a slice of Swiss cheese (zapped in the microwave for 15 seconds), and a locally-grown plum.  DELISH, and perfectly satisfying! 

More fun & updates to come from the weekend!  Hope yours was wonderful. :)

 

Cooking Show - Photos!

Remember how I told you I'm going to be doing an online cooking show soon?  

Well, we had a photo shoot with Joseph from Champa Street Productions a few weeks ago, and here are the photos that came out of it! 

We had tons of fun, and I'm absolutely in love with Joe's doggie (an old Beagle dog that just wanted his tummy scratched).  

Hopefully the website will be done soon, and we can start filming our 3rd & 4th episodes (we already filmed 1 & 2).  I'll keep you posted! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

I am SO ready for FALL!

August will be here so very soon, and although we're technically only about 2/3 of the way through the summer, I'm still SO ready for fall! 

As you may know, I'm a bit obsessed with autumn.  I just adore that time of year when the air gets cooler, the leaves change colors, and when you have to start snuggling under a blanket to stay warm.  There's just so much magic in the changing of seasons.  

It's also been so darn HOT in Colorado, I'm ready for some cooler weather!  Haha! 

I also want to wear my awesome new moccasin boots that I ordered recently that just came in:
 

Aren't they just the CUTEST??  John called me a hippie, but I so don't care.  These are way too much fun. :)  And they were part of John's little treat to me, so I technically wasn't breaking my spending fast.  WIN!  


Here's where you can get a pair for yourself, or find another amazing pair of boots for ridiculously cheap.  Seriously - best shoe website I've ever found. 

Anyway, back to fall.  I just can't wait for all of this...

Mmmmm so ready for some apple cider!  LOVE CIDER!  There's a booth at the Farmer's Market that has so many wonderful apples and makes organic cider that I am in love with.  Can't wait!

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me!  Haha!

This is kind of the perfect picture of where I'd love to be when autumn begins... it looks so darn peaceful!  Beautiful view, a blanket to snuggle with - the only thing it's missing is a good book!

I just adore fall bike rides - the crisp air, the breeze in my face.... and arriving where you're going without being a big sweaty mess is always nice too. :)

 
Big cozy sweaters!

Hair color that matches the season...

Oh, and of course I'm SO excited for big huge scarves!  Wrap myself up in 'em.  Heck yeah. 

Are you as excited for fall as I am??


All images found via we heart it, or on pinterest.


 

Lazy Weekend / National Anthem

It has been hot hot HOT here in Denver - but I'm still walking to/from work as much as I can.  Here's a little tuft of a cloud that mocked me on my way home (we need more of you for shade!  Please tell your friends!). :)

Friday night I went to my parent's house, and hung out with my sister, my mom, and our good friend Deb.  We watched movies, drank wine, ate delicious food, and had a wonderful time!  It was so great to see everyone and catch up.

The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast, and Dimitri (my beautiful little kitty), soaked up the morning light.

"Yes?  May I help you?  I'm a bit busy being ridiculously cute right now..."

Taryn and I stopped at the grocery on the way home, then I met up with Stacey for lunch.  

Afterwards Stacey & I stopped by M.A.C Cosmetics at the mall, as I decided I needed a new utterly amazing lipstick to go with my new haircut.  I ended up getting a matte red color (Viva Glam I), and it's AMAZING!  It was more expensive than any other lipstick I've ever purchased ($14.50), but it stays on pretty much forever without looking cakey, and without flaking off.  It's magical, and worth every penny!! 

I'm not really a crazy-expensive-makeup kinda girl, but this stuff was worth it.  I know what you're thinking.... "But what about your Spending Fast, missy??"  Well, I had a bit of extra money to spend (personal reasons), so I wanted to treat myself.  Don't worry - I still put a big chunk of it towards my debt!  I'm actually excited to fill you guys in on how far I am now.... but I'll get to that later. 

Saturday night I went to the First Bank Center in Broomfield to sing the National Anthem for the Denver Roller Dolls' mix-up bout!  It was pretty amazing, and I was a bit nervous due to the sheer size of the venue.  The acoustics were pretty awesome though, and I felt like I did a pretty darn good job.  The anthem is a pretty darn difficult song to sing, but I feel like I'm getting better at it.  Practice practice! 

Here's a video!  I'm teeny tiny (I forgot to show the girl filming how to zoom in), but you can hear me loud & clear!  Pretty cool:

Saturday night we hung out at George & Katy's and had some dinner & wine and watched a movie.  Sunday I hit up the Farmer's market for all kinds of goodies, and we celebrated Nico's first birthday!  I can't believe Nikki's little boy is 1-year old already... so crazy how time flies.

On to a new week!  I need to attack some personal goals again (working out daily, learning new things, motivating myself, finding inspiration) and get back on track with some stuff.  I feel like I've been trying to discover new things about myself, and learn more about who I am and what I want to do with my life.  It's a very transitional time for me, and I need to figure things out.

Kinda heavy, but I'm trying to start my week off light! ;)

Hope you all had a great weekend too! 

New Bobbed Hair Cut (with bangs, of course)!

Well, I finally did it!  

I got my hair all chopped off - and I LOVE IT!! 

It was one of those cuts where I left the salon with a spring in my step, and a smile on my face.  It was so liberating to finally get all of my cruddy ends removed, and have the hair off my neck and shoulders.  It's wonderful!! 

Here are some more pictures, and one from the back too.  She added some layers towards the bottom so that I could wear it curly (which I can't wait to try). 

Yeah, I'm pretty darn happy about it! :D  Haha! 

In case you're curious, I went to Leah at the Grand Salon in downtown Denver.  She was AWESOME, and I'd highly recommend her.  Not only was she super sweet and nice, but she is crazy talented!  

I am so excited that I'm starting off my weekend this way.  Hope you all have a wonderful Friday too! 

XO

Lacking Nightlife

Lately, I haven't been getting out much.

By "out" I mean - going out on the town, meeting new people, checking out the new neighborhood bar, getting dolled up, going out for breakfast, going out dancing.

I'm sure that part of my problem is my Spending Fast... well, I guess it's more like part of the solution (just in a different way).

But I feel a bit like I'm missing out.  Not sure why.  I'm enjoying the quiet time (at home, hanging out, reading, even socializing with friends in a house-setting), but I'm kind of missing the going-out-party-time that I haven't encountered in a while.

Maybe it's also getting a little older?  I do notice that I get tired around 10:00 - which is the ideal time for hitting the town - and lately a Friday night in sounds much better than stumbling home at 2:00am.  I do enjoy my weekend mornings, as much as I enjoy my weekend nights.

I feel like it's a strange transitional time for me.  I'm moving more into "adulthood" (whatever that may be), and letting go of things that I cared about when I was a bit younger.  I still love to go out and have a good time, but I also hate hangovers - and I also love my mornings now.  I'm loving the new, but I still love the old.  I'm hanging on, but letting go.

Just thoughts I've been having lately!

Does anybody else out there feel this way?  Is anyone else having this dilemma?  Such a strange time.  It's good and weird and awesome and scary all at at once.  Guess that's what change is, huh?

South Beach Diet - Shrimp Dinner & Ricotta Dessert

John and I decided to give the South Beach Diet another whirl, just to lose a little jiggle we've managed to gain around the middle. ;)  

I did it once a loooooong time ago - it was successful, but I was so paranoid about gaining weight back that I never left Phase 1.  When I finally caved, I gained the weight back and then some.  So clearly it works - I just have to follow the succession of phases so that I can keep the darn weight off!  Guess there's a reason for them making the rules that way... haha!  

Last night I made a DELISH thrown-together shrimp dinner that I absolutely loved.  It filled me right up, and I didn't miss my carbs at all.  It was much better than just having a salad too. :) 

Here's how I did it.... 

Carb-free Shrimp Dinner
(serves 1)
- 1 cup of uncooked shrimp
- spray oil / olive oil
- handful of spinach
- chopped onions
- chopped red pepper
- minced garlic
- diced tomatoes
- black beans (1/2 cup)
- 1/4 an avocado (diced)
- queso fresco (optional), about 2 tbsp
- hot sauce (optional)
- spices (cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper)

In a medium pan over medium-high heat, sautee the onions, garlic, and peppers for about 1 minute until hot.  Throw in the shrimp and cook until just turned pink (about 3-5 minutes), then turn off the heat.  Add black beans and spices to season (to taste).

On your plate, add the spinach, avocado, tomatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil, then top with shrimp & veggies from the pan.  Sprinkle queso fresco on top, and splash with hot sauce.

John was very jealous that this was the meal I had!  Haha!  Well, if you aren't home, you don't get any! :) 

 

Some of my favorite recipes from the South Beach Diet are the ricotta desserts.  They are SO GOOD and they satisfy my sweet tooth somethin' crazy!  They really do taste pretty ice-creamy.  I made a chocolate one last night... 

It's basically a 1/2 a cup of part-skim ricotta cheese (honestly I'll probably only use about 1/4 or 1/3 a cup next time - this was a bit much!), some vanilla extract (or almond - I used a combo of both), unsweetened cocoa powder, no-calorie sweetener (I like Truvia), and 5 (yes, I had to count only 5 of them out) chocolate chips.  

I know it sounds a bit strange, but it's really yummy!  

So far we're doing pretty well!  The first 2-weeks is the most restricting, and honestly I'm glad I have a buddy doing it with me (since we live in the same house & all).  I hope we can keep it up and lose the weight for good!  It's not like we have a ways to go, it's just something like 20 pounds for each of us.  We're stayin' positive! :) 

Things I'm loving right now!

I've been finding some wonderful & lovely things on Pinterest lately, and here's what I'm totally in to at the moment...

Pictures of people floating... 

So serene and beautiful!  I want to float away right now too... 

Beautiful commuter bikes! 

I want one SO BADLY!  They're so comfortable to ride, and ridiculously stylish.  Want!!

Cute animals & pets. 

I can't get enough...

Food photography. 

So gorgeous!  This is what real food looks like.  Not processed pre-packaged crap. 

Black bobbed haircuts. 
I'm in LOVE!
I may do this again sooner rather than later... I'm totally inspired!

A new cozy spot to read. 
Curl up with a good book, a cup of tea or glass of wine.... divine! 
 

Girls in swim caps. 

So classic!  So lovely! 

VEGGIE & FRUIT TATTOOS. 

That is in all caps for a reason.  LOVE THEM! 

Words of wisdom.

Not just what they say, but how they say it.  <3

Wanna check out the rest of what I'm pinning?  Go to my Pinterest page & follow me! :)  It's fun!

Taking a break...

Sometimes my favorite reading spot is taken, so I have to find a back-up location.  Luckily there's a little grassy area under the shade of a tree nearby... 

I just love escaping into a good book when I can get a break from work!