Wanting What I Can't Have

I miss snow. And sweaters, and scarves and snowboarding. I miss trekking through a foot of snow to EVERYWHERE because I don't have a car. I miss watching people fall; That two second scramble when someone is fighting gravity's inescapable pull over ice is just fabulous. I can't help but LOL every time. Sorry people, I'm not laughing at you, but with you, and I know somewhere deep down inside, you're chuckling too. For heaven's sake, this is why I moved to Colorado: to live among falling ice crystals. Have you noticed I want what I can't have? Here we are, deep in the midst of summer, and I'm longing for a blizzard.

But sure enough, six months ago you could find me laying on campus post-fall, screaming for sundresses. I had just finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (excellent, read it now), and I wanted a garden and turkeys and the luxury of flourishing flora. I headed into spring with high ambitions for a garden from seed, but that didn't work out exactly as I planned. Maybe next year.

Luckily, the Boulder Farmer's Market goes into swing every Wednesday and Saturday to satisfy my desire to eat seasonally. Every time I go, thoughts of cold weather are driven far from my mind, and I'm so so happy it is summer. Right now, harvest is just about at its peak. The first week of August- it's on. One word: tomatoes. They aren't even worth buying any other time of the year except for the end of summer. OMG. There is something heaven-sent about a good tomato. I usually spend an hour picking out the perfect fruit from all of the different vendors, and then eat it like an apple while strolling around, making several trips to sample the goat cheese from Haystack Farms. Once my tomato is sitting safely in my belly, I'm on a mission for the perfect peach. F* Georgia. Colorado peaches are the bomb diggity. Seriously. Secret of the century. Lucky for me, the first peaches of the season are ready to go, and will be in abundance tonight.

Corn, fava beans, cherries, berries, squash and zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are just some of the many fruits and veggies available right now. One of my favorite dishes lately has been a cauliflower puree topped with garlic sauteed vegetables. It's similar in constancy to mashed potatoes but healthier. I simply steam the cauliflower, add it to the food processor, add a healthy dollop of ricotta cheese, a little S&P, and puree til smooth. Cauliflower is high in folate, fiber, and contains the same phytochemicals as broccoli, so don't let the absence of color trick you into thinking it is worthless. The result? A filling dish with way less starch than if you used potatoes. Yum. I love summer. Most of the time.

On another note, Loveland Ski Area starts making snow in LESS THAN TWO MONTHS. Bring. It. On. Just in time for apples and pumpkins. Who says you can't have it all?

The Small Intestine's Guide to Downtown

With more and more people across the US becoming aware they have a gluten intolerance, we decided it was time to make clear the restaurants in Downtown Boulder that are knowledgeable about gluten and can help you choose menu items free of certain grass related grains. Over 3 million Americans have Celiac's Disease, but only about 1 in 4,700 get diagnosed. People with the disease suffer intestinal damage whenever they consume products containing gluten, and often restaurants are unsure of which of their menu options contain it. Enter: Downtown Boulder.

When you visit our website under the "Dining" tab, you can choose the "Gluten-Free" category on the right to display the list of restaurants. Some even have a special gluten-free menu, like Aji. Abo's delivers their classic New York pizza taste in the form of a 12" gluten-free pizza. At Bacaro, you don't even have to ask which plates are gluten-free, because they are indicated on the menu, although it's always a good idea to tell your server you are avoiding gluten intentionally. Craving Mexican? Everything on the Chipotle menu is gluten-free (besides the tortillas, of course) . Zoe Ma Ma, a new place on 10th where Spud Brothers used to be, serves up delicious Chinese street food, unique for Boulder. Many dishes are gluten-free. The Vegan Potstickers fall under this category and were flavorful and moist when I stopped in to check it out last week. For those with a sweet tooth, you can still satisfy your craving while sticking to a diet. Tee and Cakes offers cupcakes every day that are gluten-free.

My list is only partial, so make sure to check out our website to find other great dining options in Boulder friendly to those who just can't digest those proteins found in wheat, barely, rye, or various other grains.

Stay cool, and make sure to come downtown this weekend for the Boulder ArtFair!

-Gage

Risk of Wildfire

This past Thursday was Ignite Boulder 11 at Chautauqua Auditorium. This was my first time going to the event, but I can say that I'll never miss one again. Ignite featured 15 different speakers, called "Sparks," from the Boulder community who have something to say, whether it is to inspire, teach or enlighten. Each speaker is limited to 5 minutes, with Keynote slides (NOT Powerpoint, that was made very clear... nerds) backing them up that auto advance every 15 seconds. This keeps Ignite lively, fast paced, and interesting. Presenters are chosen by the community and event organizers.

The Ignite format is a worldwide phenomenon, but the one in Boulder is the biggest in the world. In the past, Ignite was held at Boulder Theater, but the demand for tickets pushed the event to the larger Chautauqua Auditorium. Ignite 11 began with a presentation by organizer Ef Rodriguez, who rattled off my favorite line of the night. Ef talked about his awkward high school years, pain lessened slightly by cool nicknames he would give himself to heighten his self esteem. His chosen title was "The Beekeeper," because "he gots all the honeys. "

Next was the charming Anna F. Sawyer with a presentation entitled "How to Marry the Rich." After many helpful hints such as "jogging suggestively," and "the rich have to marry someone, why not you" she finally concluded it was better to be adopted by the rich instead.
Crystal Watson and Korene Gallegos delivered "10 Selfish People Who Accidentally Changed the World for the Better." Their list included Judas, Robin Hood, Hans Christian Anderson, and your parents. They were followed by Ryan Wanger, with "10 Selfless People Who Accidentally Changed the World for the Worse." His comical but truthful list named Oppenheimer: the inventor of the atomic bomb, Hildebrand: the inventor of Autotune, and God- "lots of people have been killing each other over him for years." He suggested that everyone should be a little more selfish, because you can't love someone else before you love yourself. Aww.

Jason Cole presented "Movie Quotations You Should Never Use at Work." He explained that context is everything, and why you wouldn't use Hans Solo's line "laugh it up, fuzzball" to a bald guy. Basically, you don't want to have to explain yourself to HR, he said. Jason was followed by the amazing presentation by Ceci Ervin and "My Polish Catheter, a Tireless Search for a Cure for MS." She told us about her struggles with multiple sclerosis and the moment her life changed when she discovered an Italian doctor by the name of Zamboni. He believes that MS is not an auto-immune disorder, but a vascular disease he treats with his "Liberation Treatment." Funded through a friend who won a Joe Cocker giveaway, Ceci flew to Poland for the treatment. She reports now that she has increased feeling in her legs and and feet.

Other speakers at the event included Jim Macay with "Ageism Among Geeks," Josh Frasier, who suggested that there is an unexplainable separation between things we are scared of and things that are dangerous (Stairs- 210640 deaths each year, public speaking- 0), and Larkin Carey, who enthused the crowd with a game of Never Have I Ever. Kristina Wang and Ryan Schilt presented about visiting all counties in Colorado in 10 days, encouraging us to leave the "bubble." Cindy O'Keffe explained the benefits of grumpy enthusiasm, and Josh Mishell encouraged us to "Be Your Own Guitar Hero," and learn to play a real instrument. Zach Shapiro suggested we learn better when paired with people who are smarter than us, while Spike Ilaqua explained life according to Calvin and Hobbs. Justin Crowe ended the night with a rousing presentation entitled "High Fives and Livin' on a Prayer," and encouraged us to give more high fives, supplementing with a education how-to slide.

Bon Jovi and Twitter (of course) were common threads throughout Ignite 11, oddly enough. Everyone was all smiles as they slowly trickled out of the Auditorium into the warm summer night. Smacking hands from high fives could be heard across the lawn as people made their way home with a little more fire in their hearts.

Thanks so much to everyone who made Ignite 11 happen; it truly is a special event. If you attended, make sure to take the feedback survey here. Stay tuned for dates for the next Ignite Boulder, and check out Tedx, a similar event coming to Boulder August 7th.

-Gage

This Little Piggy Went to Market

It's almost April 3rd, and do you know what that means? Time for the Farmers' Market to start back up!

For me, it's like Christmas without the post-holiday letdown, as the harvest only gets better over time...but don't let the early season fool you, the market already has plenty to offer! Check out last year's Daily Camera Crop Calendar for an idea of what to expect, but for now, think SALADS! Lettuce, hothouse tomatoes, radishes, and cucumbers, oh my! And don't forget to take home some garlic! I know that sounds odd, but homegrown garlic has the sweetest, most potent flavor, and unless you're a vampire, you gotta try it. Make a point of picking up some fresh eggs and cheese, too. Eggs + cheese + garlic = best omelet ever.

Beyond local produce, there are dozens of prepared and packaged food vendors, too. My personal favorite is Loredana's. I don't know if they've caught on to my double and triple visits yet, but I can make breakfast out of bread and marinated cheese at their stand. Read my lips: white truffle tartufo.

If you're really hungry, I have one word for you: pupusas. New to the scene last year, the pupusa stand must have handed out thousands of their cheese and meat/veggie stuffed flatbreads. Quick, hot, cheap.

As if you need another reason to go, how about for the live music? I just checked the weather for Saturday and the sun will be out--nothing better than spring sunshine, tunes, and free samples. Take your fare and enjoy it in the park, or segue into downtown for some shopping and busker action!

See you there!

--Stacy

Three More Days to Vote For Boulder Fiber!!!

If you haven't heard about Google Fiber yet, you're living under a rock and it really doesn't pertain to you. Otherwise, you know that Google is looking for a test city for its experimental ultra-fast broadband internet. Google is encouraging cities to vote for themselves in a race to host a trial connection. Since Boulder is already the happiest, fittest, and smartest city in America, it only seems fit that it would also be the fastest. And with estimated connection speeds of one gigabit per second, the Fiber project is darn fast.

That means you would be downloading movies, reading about the nude Boulder gardener, uploading photos and checking Facebook one hundred times faster than you are now.

Holy mackerel! But here's the deal--you have to get online and fill out a nomination form before the end of March 26th. But it's a piece of cake, I promise! Boulder Fiber Forever has laid out all the steps for interested individuals and it only takes five minutes (which is like three seconds in Google Fiber time...).

Duzer did it, so you can too! Come on kids, rally--we can't let those Highlands Ranchites beat us out; my dad would never let me hear the end of it.

--Stacy

Psssst…don’t tell anyone, I’m a Buffs fan!

Let me clarify my headline, I’m a Buffs football fan. You see, I attended a college “where the mountains meet the sea” out west somewhere, and let me assure you with the price of beach real estate, there is no football stadium anywhere in sight! There is something fun and exciting in the air around college football season and I can’t imagine a better school to celebrate with than Boulder’s hometown team.

Don’t get me wrong, my Pepperdine Waves have an outstanding baseball, volleyball and water polo program - not to mention a heck of a surf team! Our big homecoming game centers around basketball (not to mention FREE In-N-Out Burgers)! Orange and blue pride abounds in the ‘Bu’ (what the locals call Malibu) but I have to admit, the Waves have got nothing on CU Buffs fans!

Evidence of this can be seen at the annual Pearl Street Stampedes that rumble through Downtown. The first one of the season was awesome – one of the largest (if not the largest) crowds ever assembled for this event! Thousands of fans of all ages and dressed in their Buffs best, headed down to the 1300 block to cheer on members of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band & football team two weeks ago (prior to the CSU game). So what if “we” haven’t won a game this season? As Scarlett O’Hara said, “tomorrow is another day!”

Tonight, let’s get out in full force and show support for “our” team. What better mental preparation than to see and hear cheering fans, the fight songs and the cheer squad. It’s supposed to be a beautiful evening, so grab your family and friends, put on some black and gold and meet your community in front of the Court House at 7 p.m. The Stampede heads west and ends in the Camera parking lot. And keep your eyes open for a lady wearing a black hoodie with a pink shirt revealing a few white letters (Go Waves!). While I’m proud to support the Buffs, I will forever be a Pepperdonian at heart!

2009 Pearl Street Stampede Dates:

Friday, September 18

Friday, October 16

Friday, October 30

Friday, November 6

- Terri, Pepperdine Class of '95