How much more Colorado...?

could this weekend have been!

First, you need to play John Denver's, "Colorado Rocky Mountain High" in the background.

It all started Friday, a lovely afternoon at Loveland Ski Area, outside Denver, with a few friends who all happen to love to snowboard, and play soccer. We had a great time at Loveland and enjoyed a delicious snack outside on picnic tables after our half day riding. Luckily, we didn't have to sit in the circle of hipsters, grudge riders and potheads. We had our own crew.



Then, off to Routt County where Steamboat Springs hides around the bend of Rabbit Ear's Pass. The pass is infamous for horrible driving conditions but is the last leg in arriving to Steamboat from Silverthorne. My friend Katherine and I decided to head to Steamboat to avoid the Summit crowds during President's weekend and my friend Chris graciously invited us to stay with him!

We did some snowshoeing underneath the breathtakingly blue skies on Rabbit Ear's Pass. Snowmobiles tore up one side of the pass and x-country skiers and snowshoers enjoy the other side. We did about 8 or 10 miles hiking in snowshoes. Every field of crystal snow gleamed like fancy diamonds and blues and purples glimmered on the surface. All I wanted to do was run around and be the only person to touch the snow. But it was hard work. I was sweating a LOT under my Patagonia jacket, pants and mid-layer. It was HOT out there.

Psalm 104 ~ The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them...O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures...and you renew the face of the ground.


That night, we ate elk that Chris's brother hunted in Colorado. And drank beer brewed in Steamboat. Not for sale outside Steamboat :) So good! Next up? Sunday!

We went cross-country skiing at Rabbit Ear's - back to a different place on the pass. The pass is very long. And windy. And has LOTS of fun trails for all sorts of levels. We were set out to go on the moderate trail route; this is the beginner's level trail because we didn't know what to expect with x-country skiing. I think I had done it once as a little kid. Katherine? Never. So, we gather our rented gear and head out onto West Summit Loop 1A. However, a few people's comments about the difficulty and another women saying that 1B was better had us turn onto the 1B loop. It was 4 miles long. We thought we'd be out there for an hour or so, then head to the Strawberry Hot Springs. Ha! 4.5 hours later we crawled to the car doors. Cross country skiing on the most difficult loop at the West Summit area was exhausting. I had nothing left in me at the end. All that lunging, lunging to turn, going fast but your feel moves around... it was tough. I loved it - tough workout, hills to climb in skis - ask me how to do THAT one day! It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed being out in the woods, almost completely alone. We saw one couple out there on loop 1B. Katherine and I were at different speeds so I had a lot of alone time to reflect on the big questions of life like - where to go this summer on my traveling time, when should I spend some time in Michigan, when can I cross-country ski again, and do I continue teaching next year. So many big questions. God was there for all of them. It was marvelous out there!

Isaiah 40:31 - But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.



he renewed my strength and I soared across the snow!


Before we went cross-country skiing, I had gone for a 4.5 - 5 mile run in town because it was a gorgeous winter morning and I needed to run. It felt so refreshing to have the mountain air seep into my system as I followed the creek running path. I always feel rejuvenated and invigorated after a mountain run.

We drank 90 Shilling beer, a Colorado beer - and then it POURED snow all night in Steamboat. 27" of snow. I didn't even get to ski that!!!! AAAAAGGGHHHHHHH I WAS SO SAD I COULDN'T GO SKIING IN STEAMBOAT IN 27" OF FRESH POWDER. But it worked out in the end. I skied Keystone all day and had great tree runs, almost all to myself! I hiked the Outback and had some great fresh tracks.

Did I mention we were staying at my friends' place? A ranch he is renting - a ranch with horses! In Steamboat - the western of western ski towns!

My food blog fantasy

If I were a well-written and designed food blog, I would hide...under a domain name that makes no sense to the average 'googler.' That must be why I can't find the food blog of my dreams.



smittenkitchen.com is really great for creative recipes, great photographs of the food, and it is well organized. Plus, she lives in NYC. She is supposed to be a cool national blog. She includes a little blurb about her life so we get to know her at a superficial, cyber level.

Well, that just isn't enough for me. I need more in my food blog.

I need drama. I need entertainment and an adventurous spirit. I need to know the flaws and the mistakes. I want my food blog to be real - not some whimsical fantasy. There are not rose-colored glasses here. There may be some extra vanilla extract in a baking recipe, and some green chili on anything possible. Salsa makes it way into everything. But don't sugar-coat my food blog. I know the right one for me is out there, isn't it?

If it isn't, what should be in my food blog? If I were to create one from scratch, how far could I take this? Would people come back for seconds?



I know that blue cheese potato tart looks incredible. It tastes like a fall day and makes me feel like I should wear a wool knit sweater and sit at a table, looking out a window with a hot toddy in hand. Those chocolate chip orange zest scones melted in my mouth when we tried them right out of the oven. They won't last 48 hours in the house. I need to run with some Britney and Black Keys before I eat another one of those.

And, let's not forget the all-too-flavorful Italian meatballs. Man, Colorado ground beef, cilantro, parsley and some parmesan. Who know that could change a life? Those things made me fans of Italian food. I'm not a pasta girl but these meatballs with some linguini and angel hair. Served with a bacon tomato sauce. You know we had fun eating those and drinking some Malbec that night. It was a wild night in Rome eating those!

Sure, I started with someone else's recipes. But I don't know if I have ever actually followed someone's recipe 100%. That potato tart came from smittenkitchen.com and I didn't use the potatoes she wanted (I used idaho and purple), I didn't use a cream (try coconut milk), and I definitely tripled the herbs (thyme, rosemary and basil). I did use her pie crust recipe, which turned out alright but not as flaky as I wanted it to be. I like those big flakes to fall off and serve as a mini platter for the tasty toppings.

I love reading math blogs -there are tons of great math teachers out there who share resources, share their struggles with kids and their experiences with professional development. They identify tough problems - and we share common math misconceptions - and provide their take on how to combat common errors.

But, there isn't a food blogger out there that tackles issues like scones not rising, how to get the oil stain off a cookie sheet, maximizing time in the kitchen to be an efficient cook. Can't someone out there explain why I have a whole container of coriander - what the hell do I do with it?

One day... the right blog will come around when I am ready to accept it. And it'll be a passionate few hours of exploration.

potato chip chocolate chip cookies. Yup. Lays potato chips with some chocolate.

A sauté pan and the magic bullet

When I drive home from work, I think about my workout an eating. I love food. In college, Amanda graciously made homemade scones, tasty Asian dinners and fantastic fries. Megan would throw together a secret Italian sauce with some pasta for us too. What did I do? Provide wine, laughter and maybe a healthy salad.

Thanks to them, I had to learn to cook when I moved out. Or else I wouldn't eat anything but packaged goods. Me.

So today, I had these cute little mini squashes and an acorn squash. I made a fabulous almond orange pesto with cilantro. And too much garlic. I need to lay low on that. At least I warded off the vampires tonight. I sautéed some onions and microwave cooked the squash. I crave savory.

I threw some butter, brown sugar and raisins into the acorn squash. That'll be a delicious winter lunch tomorrow!

Don't forget the seeds! I baked them with salt and curry powder. Delicioso!

Another relaxing night by the oven side.

Tomorrow? Potato leek pizza!

New Year.... New Me? Yeah, right!

There is one new habit I do need to develop.

Flossing.

My dentist had me imagining a life without teeth when I was sitting in that chair. I had visions of applesauce, Jamba Juice, and flan flying across my taste buds. No more chewing gum!? Pass me the floss. Apparently, flossing every day is a big deal. So, here we go. I did not floss last night. But, I didn't really have a night that ended.... so tonight, I will floss.

The idea of new year = new habits is silly to me. I already am in pursuit of my best self. I'm a fire, an Aries. We already take life by the reins and compete with our best self. I can't lose, because I am keeping a tally of almost every big positive and negative event. When I see big gains in my students' scores? That earns big positives. When I forget to follow up with an email? A negative. But then, I take a tourist's photo for their family at the mountain. That is a positive. And fun because I get to play the accent game: Where are they from?

If I were to reflect on my competitive nature, I know my competitive spirit is like a piece of green play-doh. The essence is all there: the eye on the prize, the strategy to be #1, the determination and dedication. But, ask a high school friend, a college friend, a Teach for America friend and a present-day friend about my competitive spirit and I'll bet there are a few different interpretations. Every time I get a chance to mold something new, something better - I take it.

I like the present-day version best. Obviously. I'm an Aries and we improve - not go backwards.

When I look back on last year and look forward into this year, I know I will continue to make mistakes - just hopefully not the same ones. I made plenty of wrong turns in 2011 so I am ready for the time when I take a path and need to make a U-turn, and put myself back on the right track. I'm prepared to fail because it has happened often. I'm equally as prepared to win.

a new year? What does that really mean for me?

Make mistakes (again). Improve (again). Reflect and change course (again). Find a new challenge (again). Become a more effective teacher (again). Seek out my best self (again).

first world problems

some friends and I had a mini road trip and I caught up with the times.

I'm sure I've heard it in the past, but I've got buzzing between my ears all hours of the day. So, I became fluent in the phrase:

"that's a first world problem"


1 - facebook changes AGAIN. how do I block that crazy stalker?
2 - google plus. what is the purpose? no one uses it!
3 - I can't remember the log-in and password for my student loans website. wait, I have ANOTHER student loan to pay off? shoot!
4 - damn traffic lights. Oh yeah, I have a car to drive, money for gas and no payments
5 - I-70 traffic is horrible coming down from the mountains on a Saturday evening!
6- my bike helmet doesn't match my bike.
7- no PBR on tap!? WHAT! How can I be a hipster!?
8 - I forgot my iPhone charger. No cell today.
9 - Our dryer does not dry clothes well. It takes 2 rounds
10 - ah! the garage door opener sticks and it drives me nuts!

Here's some perspective
1- Less than 60% of Denver Hispanic students graduate from high school
2- Less than 50% of Denver students who enter in 9th grade graduate from high school
3 - By 8th grade, there is a 32% gap in Hispanic students' and white students' math scores on the national test
4- Latino and Black students in Colorado are unsatisfactory in 10th grade math. That means, they are significantly failing the state math test. That is a score of below 50% on the math test.
5- 70% of special education students nation-wide are African-American. Can someone stop and check that out, please?
6- Fewer than 10% of black and Hispanic students participate in higher level, rigorous courses. Why NOT!?
7- There is a 31 point difference in 8th grade math standardized test scores between black and white students. 31 points!
8 - The gap between male and female black and white students widens between 4th and 8th grade
9 - there is a 30 million word gap by age 3 for children from low income homes versus children from middle-income homes. 30 millions words! That is already 3 years - or more - behind in reading
10 - The black student college graduation rate is 42%. Black women are far more likely to graduate than black men: 47% vs. 36%

Think twice before complaining that you are out of dishwasher soap. And remind me to think before I am sad my snowboard wasn't waxed before a big powder day.

Ask yourself this question -
How much money do you have invested in yourself right now?
How much is it worth to invest in someone else?

Think happy thoughts.

Merry Christmas virtual world!

It's not a secret that this school year has been a rough one. Sure, it's a great gig at a successful high school. But I am light years behind in my relationships with students. And I can't seem to get my head out of the sand.

At Christmas, I end up sifting through my goodies from high school- trophies, photos, notes from friends during class, birthday cards ands graduation cards, and other bobbles and knick knacks. This year, the year I need it, I find some quality long-forgotten notes. And hid some not so great memories...

Kappa sisters wrote notes to graduating seniors and what do I find? Notes from sisters! About my ability to motivate, my sense of life and my pursuit of excellence. That I'm an inspiration and have a strong presence. A few were scared of me at first (imagine that!!?)- until I smiled or hugged them and personally knew their story. They were sad to see me go!

In short, in sweet notes written years ago, my sisters shared their love and respect for me. Now, those words mean so much in a time where I need to feel hope. I needed a boost- some encouragement that my purpose is to teach these hoodlums and inspire them, motivate them - when the times are tough. If that's the role I've been practicing for since college, or earlier, I need to get it together.

I need to find strength in my history and find motivation- the same motivation that I need to sell to teenagers. I need to recognize my ability to inspire and my powerful presence. I've been blessed with developing strong relationships quickly and also finding a way to help others find their path.

Someone help me. What is my path? Is it teaching?

Thanks to all those lovely sorority sisters out there who wrote me notes to wish me well for graduation, I know I'm into teaching and need to experience a rebirth. Those notes probably took 5 minutes to write, but today, 8 years later, I read them for 30 minutes.

And they've reminded me I'm destined to teach. So I need to suck it up and figure out a way to make this year better.

Food. And Denver food

A friend and I went out to eat tonight to catch up and eat. And we ate! It made me realize that Denver has a great variety of damn good food.

Tonight- Euclid Hall, but we got there and it was closed for a private event. Luckily, the guy gave us free drink cards. I'll take it. It's known for small batch brews from around the world with a great German menu.

So we ended up at Rioja. I've been waiting to go there. Mediterranean. They are known for their Colorado lamb. We went to Africa on that plate. It was full of spice and flavor. There was a sausage with a cream sauce, a few different sauces. A couscous bundle of joy and flavorful, roasted leeks. Ah! So good. And, the Thai scallops with a hint of pineapple and a small polenta with the scallop. Yummmmm.

A few other great finds:
Root Down. Linger. Olivea. Duo. Shells and Sauce. Denver Biscuit co. Lucille's. Jelly. Sushi den. Ale House. Any Mexican or pho on federal ave. Watercourse. Madison st. Über sausage. Sweet action ice cream. Table 6. Lala. Lola. St marks. Il posto.

There are more, yet to be discovered.

I love yoga, running and snowboarding. I get to fuel up at great places and then play hard.

Thanks to all our Denver chefs for making Denver a new foodie city!