Posted by Larimer Associates on 10:55 AM
These are your last days to see the Winter Fire Colors Show at the Mediterranean Conservatory. The event runs until February 24th at the ABQ BioPark Botanical Garden. It is even included in your admission price!
Warm up with the blaze of colors in the Mediterranean Conservatory starting Jan. 19.
When
Jan 19, 2013 09:00 AM
-
Feb 24, 2013 05:00 PM
Where
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden
2601 Central NW
Albuquerque,
NM
87104
Description
Join us each day for the annual Winter Fire Colors Flower
Show. Warm up with flowers in hot colors from the Mediterranean
climates. These fiery hues provide welcome relief from winter's chill.
More Information
Posted by Larimer Associates on 10:19 AM
Do you always make the same brownies for dessert? Check out this great recipe for double chocolate cherry recipes.
I
have my go-to brownie recipe and I generally don't mess around with it.
If I'm going to make brownies, it's what I reach for. But then there
are days (like today) when there are dried cherries in the pantry and I
begin to wonder what would happen if I jammed a few different kinds of
chocolate, some quinoa flakes, and said dried cherries into one pan of brownies? The answer: something quite wonderful.
In the most recent issue of Cooks Illustrated, they featured a
Classic Brownie recipe, discussing in great length what makes them
different. I tend to be of the camp that thinks, "What's new under the
sun when it comes to brownies?" but the thing that caught my attention
was the mention of cake flour. The recipe testers insist, "Cake flour
makes tender brownies with a delicate chew." I was intrigued.
As
you well know, there are many different kinds of brownie folks out
there. There are the fudgy folks, the cakey folks, and the chewy folks —
and all of you who fall in between, happily straddling one or the
other. I tend to prefer a pretty fudgy, rich brownie, but I also love
them to have a bit of a chew and that nice crackly layer on top. So I
decided to give it a go with cake flour. I amped up the quantity of
chocolate that I usually use, relying on both chopped chocolate and
cocoa powder, and experimented with one of my new favorite ingredients:
quinoa flakes.
If you're not familiar with quinoa flakes, you
can find them in a box at most well-stocked grocery stores (I buy
Ancient Harvest brand); they're essentially quinoa that's been pressed
flat into quick-cooking flakes. Many folks use them as a speedy warm
breakfast cereal, but I've been folding them into cookies and quick
breads lately. And now brownies. I love quinoa flakes because they're an
easy way to get an extra little hit of protein in unexpected places and
they don't change the taste or texture of a recipe very much.
While
this recipe has a few unexpected ingredients, it doesn't stray far from
simplicity. That's one of the things I love about brownies: you should
be able to whip them up in under 30 minutes. Always. I don't believe
even the most deluxe brownie recipes warrant multiple dirty bowls or
kitchen thermometers. I don't really even believe in sifting the dry
ingredients, actually. So these brownies reflect my desire for a simple,
decadent brownie — yet one into which we can sneak a few grains and
dried fruits when the urge strikes. Enjoy!
Quick recipe note: I
used chocolate feves for this recipes — they're essentially nice, round
disks of dark chocolate that make it easier when it comes to baking as
you can eliminate all that chopping. But use whichever chocolate you
really like. A nice dark chocolate is my preference.
Double Chocolate Cherry Quinoa BrowniesServes 9-12
3/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces dark chocolate (between 60-72% is ideal), finely chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup confectioners sugar, to top
Soak the cherries in warm water for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. This will help plump them up nicely.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch square baking pan (or spray with a little cooking spray)
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the two flours, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Combine
the chopped chocolate and butter into a small saucepan and warm over
low heat until the mixture is melted completely and smooth. Remove from
the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside.
In the bowl
of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the
sugar and the eggs on medium speed until quite pale and aerated, about 3
minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add 1/3 of the dry
ingredients, mixing just long enough to incorporate them. Add 1/3 of the
butter/chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Repeat, until the dry
mixture and butter/chocolate mixture are both fully incorporated. Turn
off the mixer and fold in the quiona flakes by hand. Drain the cherries
and fold them in as well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula.
Bake
for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted into the center and
comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool at room
temperature for at least 45 minutes before slicing. Using a fine-mesh
sieve of sifter, sprinkle the tops with a little powdered sugar before
slicing.
For more information see
The Kitchn.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 10:18 AM
Do you love Nutella? Check out these great recipes you can use with
Nutella! Yesterday was World Nutella Day, and tell us how what recipe you plan
to try!
I don't spend a lot of time pointing out so-called "food holidays"
that celebrate specific foods, like National Hot Chocolate Day, because
they always seem a little fake and to be honest, they make me a little
grumpy. But I can make an exception for one of my favorite treats: the
creamy combination of chocolate and hazelnut, more popularly known as
Nutella.
Yes, it's World Nutella Day. How are you going to celebrate?
Lest you also become
grumpy and point out the ingredients in Nutella you object to, remember
that we're just using Nutella as a stand-in for any spread made with
chocolate and hazelnuts, even homemade.
It's like saying Kleenex instead of tissue, or Hoovering instead of
vacuuming. Except better, obviously, because you're talking about
Nutella.
• 1 Nutella Banana Ice Cream at The Kitchn
• 2 Hot Baked Nutella & Cream Cheese Sandwich at The Kitchn
• 3 Banana Nutella Granola at Sally's Baking Addiction
• 4 Two-Bite Nutella Chocolate Cookies at The Kitchn
• 5 Chocolate Nutella 2 Minute Microwave Cakes at Ichigo Shortcake
For more information see
The Kitchn.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 9:57 AM
Do you want ways to decorate and organize your work space? Cork is the
new way to make something new in your work space. Keep reading to learn
about how you can incorporate cork into your office.
Cork in an office space is not a new idea; you've probably got a
bulletin
board up in your workspace right now. But using this flexible,
functional material in other neat ways around your workspace means every
surface becomes a memo board. Better stock up on push pins.
A Cork Pencil Holder
IKEA cork trivets become a cool desk command station in this DIY project from Design for Mankind.
Cork Vases and Cups
Another clever DIY, these
vases and knick-knack cups are crafted from aluminum cans and a roll of
thin cork. Check out the full isntructions from papernstitch.
Cork Planter Bookends
This bookend set from Canoe is a triple threat, offering to give your books order, your plants a home, and your notes a pinboard. Grab the set here for $48.
A Cork Tray
A cute tray is a great way to visually anchor desktop neccessities, and this one from Ferm Living can pull double duty as a memo space (€31, $42).
A Corkboard (duh!)
It's the most common use for cork in the office, but it doesn't have to be predictable. Go nuts with different sizes and shapes, or give your bulletin board a new look with some paint, like Belinda of The Happy Home Blog.
For more information see
Apartment Therapy.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 9:57 AM
Congratulations Albuquerque! They have been ranked in the top 25 places to go in
2013. This city is known for it’s
great events and affordable nature.
It has something for all ages and families. The city has also been boosted because of the filming of the
show Breaking Bad.
The experts at Fodor’s
Travel announced today that Albuquerque has been named among the Top 25 Places to Go in 2013. Fodor’s editors have
chosen Albuquerque as a hot travel destination because of our excellent value
for visitors, calling the city an affordable getaway for nature lovers and
families. Albuquerque’s visibility on the AMC show “Breaking Bad” has also
helped elevate the destination’s profile for travelers.
"The places on our Go List are our ‘must-dos’ for the coming year.
Travelers should add these far flung and domestic destinations to their 2013
itinerary," said Arabella Bowen, Executive Editorial Director at Fodor's
Travel. The cities were selected by Fodor’s senior editorial team who began with
an initial list of 75 global travel spots, narrowing them down to the final 25
locales on the Go List after heated internal debate.
The story highlights a slower pace of life and calls out the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta,
the ABQ BioPark and Gruet Winery as highlights. Two local
lodging boutique properties were called out by the editor – Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
and the Hotel Andaluz - and
appropriate for this time of year, Fodor’s mentions the Luminaria Tour at the
holidays as a special time to visit Albuquerque. The complete story is
available here: http://www.fodors.com/go-list/2013/.
Albuquerque has also been highlighted as one of 20
Awesome Winter Foodie Destinations by Zagat.com again focusing
on Los Poblanos. The story, which is available here: http://blog.zagat.com/2012/12/20-awesome-winter-foodie-destinations.html,
says “If you haven’t experienced the great Southwest, now is the time and
Albuquerque the place to start.”
Just west of Albuquerque, the Acoma Pueblo was also named one of “12 most extreme places in America worth visiting”
by BudgetTravel.com and showcased on FoxNews.com. The list is a compilation of
longest, coldest, hottest, biggest and oldest. That’s where Acoma “Sky City”
Pueblo comes in; it is said to be one of the oldest sites in North America.
For more information see
It’s
a Trip
Posted by Larimer Associates on 9:52 AM
Posted by Larimer Associates on 9:10 AM
It has been about a week since the start of the year. This is the time
that New Year's Resolutions start to be put on the back burner. Do not
lose your New Year's Resolution this year! If your resolution was to
clean out your house and closet here are some great tips on how to get
started. Make sure to start at a good time, and you should have a plan
before you start the project.
1.
Choose your time wisely. I tend to come alive around 8pm and want to do
all of my home projects right at that moment. That's a bad idea —
especially if you live in an apartment building with a 9pm noise curfew.
I tend to start a project and then have to stop, leaving an even
messier issue to deal with the next day. Start at a reasonable time to
complete the project on a day where you have lots of time to work.
2.
Use a hanger system to identify which clothes you wear the most. After
sorting KEEP, DONATE and THROW AWAY piles, hang all of your "keep"
clothing on the hanger rod with the hanger hooks pointing toward you. As
you wear the clothes, hang them the regular way: pointing towards the
back of the closet. In three months, donate or sell any clothing that is
still pointing towards you. Do this for each season of clothing.
3.
On that note, store different seasons of clothing. Divide your "keep"
clothing into two sections: warm weather and cold weather. Whichever
season you're not wearing at the moment, store in airtight bins or
garment bags to free up more room for the clothes you're wearing right
now.
4. If there are things that you love that have holes or
tears, fix them. Make it a priority to either take clothing in to a
tailor for repair, or sit down with your own needle and thread and do it
yourself. You'll be relieved after you do, and you'll have more
clothing to wear! That goes for that pile of dry cleaning you have
waiting too!
5. Don't be a shoe collector unless it's your
passion. If you're anything like me, you like to buy cheap shoes, wear
them for a bit and then hide them in the back of your closet to be
forgotten. Have you ever had this moment when rummaging through your
shoes: "what the...oh YEAHHHH!" If you're forgetting about certain pairs
of shoes because you never wear them, it's time to donate.
For more information see
Apartment Therapy.
