The Sweet Nest of Vence and the Magical Avignon

May 6, 2014 by Eva Marie

After our jaunt to Italy and walk through Eze, we headed to Vence, a small town near the more well-known and visited, Saint Paul de Vence. Once home to artists and writers such as Chagall, Matisse, Duffy, Soutine and D. H. Lawrence, who spent his last days in Vence, this lovely village is as the 12th-century troubadour Pierre Vidal noted, “le doux repaire” (the sweet nest) and Nostradamus said “Garden of Vence, marvel of Provence”. The streets leading up to the town […]

Categories: Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: Avignon, France, Palace of the Popes, Palais des Papes, Travel, Vence

Arriving in France – Lunching in Italy, Oo La La!

April 16, 2014 by Eva Marie

I’m not sure what it is about France, perhaps I have some old bones lying here from a past life or something, but the thing is, this country really speaks to me on a soul level. The romantic language, stylish cities, gorgeous country towns, landscape and the history intrigue me, and I feel a complete sense of well-being here. We took an early flight from London to Nice, where the gorgeous coastline, palm trees swaying in the breezy sunshine and […]

Categories: Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: France, gorgeous country towns, Italy, Nice, Ventimiglia

Honey, Lime and Cumin Roasted Chicken

April 9, 2014 by Eva Marie

Four countries with one carry-on and a computer bag, that is what I packed for our whirlwind European tour. Our strategy was to keep moving so nobody would notice that we were wearing the same things day after day. No divas allowed on our trip. Our eight-hour flight was smooth as could be but neither of us could sleep so when we arrived in London, we were spacey and slightly cranky. With our few bags in hand, we sailed though […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: Chicken Recipes, Honey, Knightsbridge, Lime and Cumin Roasted Chicken, London, Travel

Hearty Chilaquiles Verde

March 23, 2014 by Eva Marie

I started my day with this wonderful and hearty Mexican dish. I think every Mexican family has their own version of chilaquiles. The dish came into being as a way to use stale tortillas. I usually cook them with scrambled eggs and red sauce the way my grandmother would prepare them for me, but making them with a green sauce over a fried or poached eggs gives the dish a softer mix of flavors that is delicious. Verde Sauce 2 […]

Categories: Breakfast, Uncategorized • Tags: Chilaquilas, Egg Recipes

Butternut Squash Curry Puree With Sautéed Kale & Chickpeas

March 18, 2014 by Eva Marie

My husband and I are getting ready to head off to Europe for a couple of weeks. For a foodie like me, France, Italy and Spain are dangerous places for my waistline as I find the baked goods, pasta, desserts…well, pretty much, everything, irresistible. Part of my attempt to keep things under control is to eat super healthy and exercise like a mad woman before I go, so I can stuff my face silly while I am there. Luckily, the places […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized • Tags: Butternut Squash Recipes, Butternut Squash with Kale and chickpeas, Curry Recipes, Epicurean Eva, Eva Marie, Kale Recipes

Super Aegean Pizza

March 17, 2014 by Eva Marie

Yesterday I started off my morning with a dance class filled with a group of forty or so women and a couple of men. It was a benefit called Dance for BoldeReach. The class itself was a blast but what made it so special was the coming together of people for the common cause of good. There is something very powerful that happens when the collective consciousness of a group is intent on compassion and helping others. By each of the […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized • Tags: BoldeReach, Boulder, Dance For BoldeReach, Flat Bread Recipe, Mediterranean Pizza, Organic Pizza, Pizza Recipe

Quick and Easy Organic Strawberry Jam

March 1, 2014 by Eva Marie

Soon after buying our house, we discovered that our home was called “The Birdhouse” by many of our neighbors. It made sense to us since the previous owners had attached funky birdhouses around the exterior of the house in an attempt to stop the birds from pecking holes into the side of the structure. At first, I wasn’t too keen on the little houses but when spring came, we realized it was too late to remove them as birds had […]

Categories: Breakfast, Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: Boulder, Colorado, Fruit Preserves, Organic Jam recipe, Strawberry Jam, Things to do in Boulder

The Truth About Love & Cinnamon

February 12, 2014 by Eva Marie

On Valentine’s Day, I will be skiing at Vail with a group of friends and family, and of course, my very sweet and romantic husband. Skiing will be followed by a gondola ride to dinner on the mountain with five adults, one teenager and a little one. Does this sound like a romantic get-away? Absolutely! As I read some of the blogs and articles on love and romance that come across my computer each day, I have a little chuckle […]

Categories: Breakfast, Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: Cinnamon scone recipe, muffin recipes, scone recipes, Valentine's Day

Warm Roasted Tomato Caprese

February 11, 2014 by Eva Marie

Once again, big fluffy flakes of snow were falling on my head yesterday as I walked from my car into Whole Foods. I was then met with the tease of spring when I saw the bins of bright and intensely colored flowers and I found myself craving the warmth, colors and flavors of summer. Somehow, a cold Caprese salad just wouldn’t have tasted right to me on such a cold day, but a warm, roasted tomato Caprese? Perfect. WARM ROASTED […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized • Tags: Boulder, Caprese Salad recipe, Colorado, Eva Marie, Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

Parmesan & Herb Ciabatta

February 6, 2014 by Eva Marie

Well, this has been an unbelievable winter so far in Colorado as in many areas across the country. I don’t recall seeing such drastic temperature shifts and heavy snow fall ever. Today we had a high of -2 degrees with a predicted 50 degrees next week. Needless to say, for winter sports enthusiasts it has been a season of epic proportions. We took a quick trip up to Vail and, while it was cold, the sun was shining, the sky […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized • Tags: Boulder, Colorado, Dinner Rolls, Eva Marie, Parmesan Ciabatta, Vail Resort

Super Bowl Sunday and Five Feet of Snow

February 1, 2014 by Eva Marie

With all of the snow that has dumped on Colorado this week, tomorrow will not only be Super Bowl Sunday but also an epic ski day for us. Early out onto the slopes and then we’ll head inside to cheer on our Broncos. Here are some of my favorite recipes for entertaining Super Bowl style: Have fun, be safe and may the best team win!

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized

Organic Apple & Cranberry Galette

January 24, 2014 by Eva Marie

We had sort of a sprawling holiday season with our children visiting here and there, skiing in Aspen and Vail, and lots of entertaining in our home. It was such a fun and hectic frenzy filled with lots of love and laughter – just what life should be. We took my stepdaughter up to Vail and Beaver Creek for her first Rocky Mountain ski experience, which is a far cry from low-altitude east coast skiing that she was used to. […]

Categories: Dessert, Uncategorized • Tags: Apple Galette, Boulder, Colorado, Dessert Recipes, Epicurean Eva, Eva Marie, Pie Crust

Fresh Intention for the New Year

January 3, 2014 by Eva Marie

As the New Year draws an imaginary line in the sand of time when we reflect on the past and look forward to the future, I am not so inclined to make resolutions but I do mull over the year and consider how best to live an intentional life each day.  THE YEAR IN REVIEW Buying a new home was an important event for my husband and me in 2013. It is the first house that we have owned together. […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Meditation in Snow and Silence

December 27, 2013 by Eva Marie

I was walking through the woods, surrounded by towering pines that were covered in a thick icing of fresh powdery snow. The fluffy flakes drifted onto my exposed face as I hiked down the path deserted of all sound and humans. Other than my breath and the trickle of the stream that wound its way next to the path, it was pure silence. The kind of noiselessness that only comes under water or falling snow. There is a feeling that […]

Categories: Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: Aspen Mountain, Eva Marie, Meditation

Norwegian Gløgg

November 26, 2013 by Eva Marie

Every holiday season, my mother would make a Scandinavian drink called Gløgg. A traditional Christmas spiced drink in Norway, it is loaded with brandy, port and red wine. Now that my mother is gone, it is holiday tradition that my brother and I carry on and share with our families and friends. Since we live where it is cold this time of year, we make it for Thanksgiving as well as for the Christmas holidays. The scene may take place […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: Eva Marie, Gloog, Holiday Traditions, Hot Mulled Wine, Hot Spiced Wine, Mulled Wine Recipe, Norway, Party Punch Recipes, Spiced Wine Recipe, Wine Recipes

Peppered Cranberry Breakfast Buns with Orange, Honey & Vanilla Syrup

November 22, 2013 by Eva Marie

We woke up to a very chilly morning, a fresh dusting of snow and deer in our front yard, which made for the perfect winter mountain scene. Since I am still home fighting a nasty cold, it was the perfect day to plan my Thanksgiving menu and begin baking a few goodies for our house-guests. These Peppered Cranberry Orange Breakfast Buns are so delicious and are easy to make ahead of time, freeze and simply warm in the oven or […]

Categories: Breakfast, Uncategorized • Tags: Baked Goods, Cinnamon Bun Recipe, Cranberry Orange Buns, Eva Marie

Organic Kale & Apple Chopped Salad

November 21, 2013 by Eva Marie

My husband and I came home from our fun weekend in New York and promptly came down with colds. We decided to lay low and focus on eating healthy to get us back on track. One of the things we have been eating is this delicious chopped salad that is loaded with good stuff for our bodies and also so yummy. It is so pretty and tasty in fact, that I am adding it to our Thanksgiving line-up. Don’t let […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized • Tags: Chopped Salad, Gluten Free, Holiday Salad Recipe, Mustard Maple Vinaigrette, Organic Kale Salad

Chartreuse and Purple Cauliflower au Gratin

November 17, 2013 by Eva Marie

We had a quick weekend trip to New York to celebrate my son’s thirtieth birthday. Even though I love the serenity of our home nestled in the mountains of Colorado, I adore New York and Brooklyn. The cacophony of sights, sounds and smells is so dynamic that I can’t help but feel very alive when I am there. Beginning with the insane white-knuckle taxi ride from the airport to the hotel, to strolling lower Manhattan, shopping and sight-seeing, these little New […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized • Tags: Allswell Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Cauliflower au Gratin, Cauliflower Recipes, New York, Purple and Green Cauliflower

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Gorgonzola

October 17, 2013 by Eva Marie

Brussels Sprouts get such a bad rap. Mostly because of the way they are usually prepared and overcooked. They taste amazing when they are oven roasted until the edges of the leaves become crispy and they are just tender on the inside. This recipe makes a delicious side dish or a wonderful hors d’oeuvre. Ingredients 1 pound Brussels sprouts, de-stemmed and halved 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/4 red onion cut in thin slices 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup chopped […]

Categories: Lunch & Dinner, Uncategorized • Tags: Appetizer Recipes, Brussels Sprouts, Epicurean Eva, Eva Marie

Like Diamonds in the Sky ~ Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

October 16, 2013 by Eva Marie

Last week I made a quick trip to Santa Fe. When I heard that the Albuquerque balloon fiesta would be going on while I was there, I knew it was something I had to see. A couple of friends joined me on the early expedition – up at 4:45 AM and out the door at 5:00AM. Blurry eyed, we made our way down the highway for the forty-five minute drive to the festival in north Albuquerque. We arrived in time […]

Categories: Meandering Thoughts, Uncategorized • Tags: Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival, Bucket List, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Things to do in Albuqueque