A hometown friend of mine and her significant other have been living in Colorado for some time. At one point they lived just a short walk down the street from us, which I really miss. On to bigger and better things, though! They recently relocated to Breckenridge, CO. Now, not only do we get to visit and hang out with them and their adorable furry friends (a cat and a dog), but we have snowboarding buddies as well! (Note: J has snowboarding buddies, I've taken this year off.)
J and I decided to drive up after a trip and in a little bit of weather and stay for two nights for two days of snowing and exploring the Breckenridge area. Unfortunately all the snowboarding pictures are on this app for people with passes to the mountain so I currently don't have access to them, but I was able to take a few shots of the stunning scenery nearby.
Apres-ski drinks (and mid-ski drinks!) were a theme. Winter Whiskey, Hot Buttered Rum, Spiked Hot Cocoa and Irish Coffees for the latter, and a visit to Breckenridge Brewery for the former.
Breckenridge Brewery is a small but pretty awesome place. The tour was very short and at the end we were able to try half ounce samples of their bourbon whiskey, vodka, and a bitters. All were fantastic! We also found out you can volunteer to bottle for four hours after-hours and they feed you, give you shots, and you can take home any bottle of your choosing for free. This is a big win for the volunteers. If I lived in town I would be there. A lot.
Next time we visit (we still have two days left on J's 4-pack) we plan on doing some bottling as well. Also, congrats to Breckenridge Brewery for being noted in the newest issue of 5280 for your bourbon whiskey, although I loved the vodka just as much and was even more fond of the bitters.
One of the reasons we didn't stay to volunteer that night is that we had already bought dinner stuff and decided to cook back at the apartment. It's a simple dish that I make that doesn't require a whole lot of prep, just some olive oil, garlic, onion, marinated mushrooms, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, a bit of fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste, and (honestly) whatever else you wish to throw in there.
Cook the pasta and while that's happening cook the garlic and onions in some olive oil. You can be generous since essentially the olive oil is your sauce. Throw in all the veggies and cook until heated through. Add the pasta and veggies together. Plate. Garnish with fresh basil and add some salt and pepper. Voila! Easy and simple, yes, but also very flavorful. Bonus if served with bread (carb-load!) and an olive oil/balsamic dip (with some rosemary, oregano, and black pepper sprinkled on top).
;)
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| The view coming back over Swan Pass from Keystone to Breck. |
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| Coming over Swan Mountain Road was this gorgeous view from the area of Sapphire Point. (The same view as in this post in the spring, 8th picture down http://littletleigh.blogspot.com/2013/05/breckenridge-to-almost-copper-mountain.html) |
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| On the Breckenridge Brewery tour! Tasting room! |
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| You were simply surrounded by lots of gorgeous barrels and lights. Possibly too of my favorite things. |
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| Pasta. Writing this post is making me crave it. |
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| A-Basin. |
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