Powder and Pizza

With ski season finally ramping up all over the country now that we've passed the first of December, I can't help fight that familiar itch that begins. It starts with the first couple times on the mountain. You're happy to get turns in no matter how many rocks you hit or times you catch an edge and wipe out. But slowly the the itch builds. You find yourself starting to check the forecast daily (hourly) lusting to see the snowflake in the upcoming days. Momentary elevation of your mood heightens when new areas of the mountain start to open or you go on a tour to mix things up...but again the itch continues. Finally let's add in the horror of the internet that allows you to look at the snowfall that's occurring everywhere else but not where you are.

That's when you (or at least I) snap. Where. Is. The. POWDER ?!

Some have to bring me down to Earth and remind me that it is still early, there is still snow to be had, it needs to cover up the rocks, etc etc. It's hard to remain calm. Salt Lake had highs of 55-60 degrees for the last two weeks which I really couldn't complain about, but I'm ready for winter. Thankfully this past weekend a storm came through and graced Little Cottonwood Canyon with almost 10 inches and the itch was fixed...for the time being.

On top of the ridge on my first backcountry tour in the Wasatch

While waiting for the snow to fall I decided to take on a new recipe in the kitchen, homemade pizza. It absolutely boggles my mind that I have never made fully homemade pizza given that it's one of my favorite foods. The dough was extremely easy to make and the pizza was perfect for a football Sunday.

I am a huge fan of thin crust and used the crust recipe from The Kitchn. The only advice I would give further is that you really need to roll the dough out. I thought I was borderline too thin but in reality it raised much more than I thought. If you like a little thicker crust then you don't have to roll it out as much.

I'm getting ready to head home this week for Christmas and needed to clear out the fridge in preparation to be gone. Alas, the Mediterranean Kitchen Sink Pizza was born. Here's what I topped my pizza with:
-Herbed goat cheese
-Diced pepperoni
-Caramelized onions/shallots
-Sweet peppers
-Artichoke hearts
-Roasted Garlic
 Topped with a balsamic glaze

I am looking forward to more days like these in the future. Powder followed by pizza. 


Safe travels to everyone during the holidays. If you have a connection at DIA, I wish you luck. If you need any recommendations about where to find the strongest drink or how to win an arm wrestling match for the nearest outlet to your gate - contact me. I've spent so many hours in that airport during the holidays I should list the skills I acquired on my resume but I digress.

Happy Holidays and cheers. Santa, please bring snow.

k

On The Move

It's official, I have left Montana.

I can honestly say that I never thought that some day I would live in Utah. It seemed like one of those places I always just passed through, heard about, and didn't really think much of until the past few years when I started realizing just how great the mountains and therefore skiing were.

Apparently having the Winter Olympics here didn't really register with me in 5th grade but now it's all coming together unlike the Olympics being in Sochi....which I will never understand. Moving on..

I decided to take the long way down to Salt Lake to make a couple stops to see friends and get my fill of the northern mountains. I might as well admit at this point that I was also getting my fill of being in states with regular alcohol laws and "regular" beer. My first stop was Big Sky, MT to see my friend Katy. Everyone should probably visit Big Sky not only because it's beautiful but because there is a bar there that sells vodka slushies. A night can never go wrong when you're in the high country of Montana, surrounded by ski bums and flannel, and there is a dive bar selling vodka slushies and 50 cent wings. You just can't. The morning view isn't half bad either.

I could wake up to this daily.

The next day I headed out in search of the Tetons. Staying the night in Jackson on Halloween turned out to be a great success full of new friends, wine, killer mountains, and more wine. Let me just say that you never know who you're going to meet, so stay open minded and be outgoing because life is exciting and one should always explore the opportunities that arise.

Surreal. 

After two days in the mountains I finally made it to SLC. 100 papercuts, boxes, and 7 days later I had moved into my new place and unpacked my life. Hopefully that will not occur again for a long, LONG while.

I love pizza and had been craving it now more than ever after the long hours of unpacking. The rise of the "low carb" veggie crusts had me intrigued so I decided to give it a shot.

Spinach Pizza Crust
2-3 cups of leaf spinach
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
1 egg

Toppings:
2 cooked links of chicken sausage, sliced
roasted tomatoes, sliced
shallot, sliced and sauteed
chunks of brie, gouda, mozzarella, any cheese really

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Chop the spinanch in a blender, magic bullet, or food processor. I don't have a food processor and things were a little difficult. After several rounds in the blender I basically just chopped the spinach as small as I could and put it back in the blender with the cheese and egg. Pulse the mixture enough to mix the egg in. The important thing to remember is that you don't want a pureed spinach. If that means you end up doing a lot of hand mixing, that's just fine.

Line a cookie sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. Spread the mixture into a circle about a 1/2 inch thick. Season the top with any spices you desire. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the edges are slightly golden.

Turn the oven to broil. Top the crust with the desired toppings and set to broil until the cheese melts. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

I was really surprised as to how well the crust stayed together with the weight of the toppings. I ended up folding most of my slices in half, but the recipe ended up working out really well for a healthy alternative. Next time I think I will use a little less cheese in the crust to cut down on the grease, but other than that this one will be a keeper. Enjoy!

Before I left Montana I bought my tickets to see The Black Keys in SLC. Being one of my favorite bands, I was extremely excited that I was going to be in town for the show. I can definitely get used to the music scene that Salt Lake has. The show was absolutely amazing. You can't beat a good show and good company.

Little Black Submarines encore - my favorite.

My first couple of weeks in SLC have flown. I can't believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Opening day at Snowbird is in 9 days and we are counting down in this household.

Eat, sleep, snow dance, repeat.

k