Macaroni Salad Bacon, Peas, and Cream Dijon Dressing

This is officially my first pasta salad blog post and boy is it a good one! My husband and I could not keep out of it, and the best part? It’s healthy!

I love it when I find great tasting, low-fat/low-fat calorie recipes, and this macaroni salad with peas, dijon mustard and bacon from Cooking Light did not disappoint. With only 208 calories and 7 grams of fat, that’s not too shabby for a pasta salad in my opinion.

I will say though, that after a reading a few comments about this recipe, I was a little hesitant to make it. Someone complained about the dressing being too sour from the vinegar and overpowering dijon mustard. I would definitely have to DISAGREE! I thought the slightly tangy dressing contrasted well with the smoky bacon, sweet bell pepper, and red onion. This pasta salad was excellent in my opinion, and I will definitely be making it again soon as a side dish for summer BBQs and backyard grilling parties.

Enjoy!

Combine first 9 ingredients and combine in food processor until smooth.

Combine chopped red onion, green onion, bell pepper, green peas, and lemon rind.

Toss with cooked pasta.

Meanwhile, cook bacon.

Add half of the dressing and chill. When ready to serve, add the remaining dressing and top with crumbled bacon.

Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing

Serves: 8

Ingredients

DRESSING
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
SALAD
8 oz. uncooked large elbow macaroni
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 lower-sodium bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.
To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through rind) in a large bowl.
Toss pasta mixture with half of dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Toss salad with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.

Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 208 Fat: 7g Saturated fat: 3.2g Carbohydrates: 29.1g Sodium: 454mg Fiber: 2.3g Protein: 8.6g Cholesterol: 16mg

Notes

Source: Cooking Light

Classic Vanilla Tres Leche Cake

Classic Vanilla Tres Leche Cake is the ultimate summer party and birthday cake! My mom recently celebrated a birthday, and requested we make this gorgeous-looking dessert that we discovered in the June/July issue of Fine Cooking Magazine.

Soaked in sweet milk topped with billowy whipped cream, this Latin-American inspired dessert was also addicting and did not disappoint! Luscious and moist, while not mushy, the tres leche cake was sweet, but not too sweet. It had a cloud-like texture from the egg whites, which created an airiness that helped soak up the milk mixture later.

Three milks make up the soaking mixture, in which the cake gets its Spanish name: “tres leches.” Condensed milk adds sweetness, while evaporated milk and whole milk lightens the cake’s texture.

The whipped topping finishes the cake off. While some tres leches cakes are topped with meringe, this one uses sweetened whipped cream. (We actually used Cool Whip, which was easier and just as tasty). Layer it on thick and garnish with sliced fruit, nuts, chocolate shavings or coconut.

Enjoy!

*P.S. >>> There are four different variations of this tres leche cake: chocolate, coconut, cafe con leche or boozy berry, as seen below.

After baking the cake and letting it cool, prick the cake to the bottom with a toothpick in 1/2-inch intervals.

Fine Cooking Magazine…classic vanilla tres leches cake

After pouring soaking liquid onto the cake, prepare frosting (or simply top cake with Cool Whip).

Combine berries and lime zest.

Spoon berries over frosting.

Be prepared to dig in!

Enjoy!

Classic Vanilla Tres Leche Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
Unsalted buter; softened, for the pan
4 1/2 oz (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

FOR THE SOAKING LIQUID
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch kosher salt

FOR THE FROSTING
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
*(to save on time, just use Cool Whip for the frosting)

TOPPING
2 cups strawberries
2 cups raspberries
1 tsp. grated lime zest

Directions
BAKE THE CAKE
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex baking dish or a non-reactive metal pan. Line the bottom of the baking dish or pan with parchment and lightly butter the parchment.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a medium bowl and the yolks in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on medium speed until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until combined, 1 minute more.
5. Clean and dry the beaters and then beat the egg whites, gradually increasing the speed to high, until they reach soft peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a stream, continuing to beat on high, until you reach firm but not dry peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more.
6. Whisk a third of the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in a third of the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and egg whites, alternatively, in two more batches each, until fully incorporated.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared dish or pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely. Return the cake to the baking dish or pan (the cake will soak up more of the liquid if returned to the pan it was baked in), or invert it onto a rimmed platter.
SOAK THE CAKE
8. In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and salt until the condensed milk is well blended. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring to avoid scorching, until it begins to bubble around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof 4-cup measuring cup.
9. With a toothpick, prick the cake to the bottom in 1/2-inch intervals. Pour the soaking liquid slowly over the cake, starting at the edges and pausing to let it soak in before adding more. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cake is well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
TOP THE CAKE
10. In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on medium speed. When it begins to thicken, slowly add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat just until it holds firm peaks, 3 to 4 minutes (be careful not to over beat).
11. Spread the whipped cream (or Cool Whip) all over the top of the cake and serve.
12. Combine berries and lime zest. Spoon over whipped topping.

Yield: 12-16 servings
Recipe from: Fine Cooking June/July 2012

*Variations
To make a chocolate version of the classic or any of the following variations, replace 1/3 cup of the flour with the unsweetened cocoa powder.

TOASTED COCONUT
In the soaking liquid, substitute one 13.5-oz can unsweetened coconut milk for the cream. Beat 3 Tbsp. dark rum into the whipped cream topping with the sugar and vanilla. Scatter 1 cup lightly toasted flaked coconut over the topping.

BOOZY BERRY
Beat 3 Tbsp. gin or tequila into the whipped cream topping with the sugar and vanilla. Combine 2 cups each raspberries and sliced strawberries with 1 tsp. finely grated lemon or lime zest. Spoon over topping.

CAFE CON LECHE
In the soaking liquid, substitute strong brewed coffee for 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk. For the topping, stir 1 tsp. instant coffee into 2 Tbsp. of the cream until dissolved. Add the remaining cream and beat as directed. Sprinkle the topping with toasted slivered almonds or chocolate curls.

Deborah’s White Sangria and Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!!

As I have mentioned before, I write a “Resident Recipe” column for our weekly neighborhood magazine. For the July issue, my good friend and neighbor, Deborah submitted a refreshing sangria recipe sure to keep you cool during those hot Texas summer months.

Although my husband and I do not drink, I thought Deborah’s story behind this white sangria recipe was great. Here’s her story:

When Deborah and her husband, Scott’s niece became engaged last year, they wanted to throw a party to celebrate. Fast-forward and their “little” party turned into a Tex-Mex fiesta for 80 people. Of course they need something to wash down all the food, so Deborah went in search of a sangria that was white so if it spilled either in the house or on the loggia/pool deck area, it wouldn’t stain as bad!

This recipe came from a friend of a friend…you know how that goes. For the night of the party, Deborah made roughly 6 gallons since she also had water, beer, ale, sodas, tea and lemonade. Care to guess what went first? Yep. The sangria. Plus, she must have had a dozen folks ask for the recipe. Guess that qualifies as a hit!

Ingredients
1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime
4 cups white grape juice
2 cups seltzer water
8 oz. peach schnapps
1 bottle chardonnay (1.5 L – the larger bottle or half the liquid ingredients if only using a standard 750mL bottle)

Directions
1. Pour the wine in a large container, then add the white grape juice and peach schnapps (NOT the seltzer). Cut the orange, lemon and lime in half then squeeze all the juice into the wine. Once squeezed, drop them into the container.
2. Refrigerate overnight (or as long as possible). Remove from refrigerator and discard the orange, lemon and lime from the beverage. Continue to chill, until ready to serve. When ready to serve, add the seltzer water.
3. Pour in large wine glasses, with a piece of frozen fruit (strawberry, peach, grape, etc.) as garnishment and to help keep chilled.

Breakfast Bran Muffins

If you’re looking for something healthy for breakfast you’ll have to try these bran muffins. While not extremely sweet, these muffins will satisfy your craving for a delicious muffin. Drizzle with honey or top with a little pat of butter to garnish while pouring yourself a tall glass of orange juice. The best thing about these? If you make a batch ahead of time, they make for an easy, grab-and-go breakfast for those on the run.

My mom and sister made these muffins and brought them over for me to try, so unfortunately I do not have step-by-step photos. Enjoy!

Bran Muffins

Ingredients

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

1/2 cup barely melted unsalted butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup (20g) unprocessed wheat bran or oat bran

1 1/2 cups (115 g) plain, unsweetened bran cereal

1 cup (115 g) whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup (35 g) natural cane sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

1 tsp fine-grain sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup. Sprinkle the bran and cereal across the top, stir, and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.

3. In the meantime, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the top and stir until just combined. Immediately fill each muffin cup three-quarters full.

4. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until edges of the muffins begin to brown and the tops have set. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the muffins out of the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 12 muffins

Last night in Aspen: Jimmy’s

Jimmy’s is one of our favorite restaurants in Aspen. Therefore, we thought it fitting to eat here on our final day before heading back to Dallas. According to their website, “Jimmy’s has been Aspen’s neighborhood bar, restaurant and gathering place” since 1997. American food characterizes the menu with classics such as steaks and seafood to comforts like meatloaf and mac and cheese. The atmosphere is perfect for all occasions….special dinners, casual lunches, lively sporting events, you name it and staff is there to entertain.

The food was excellent and did not disappoint. Filing, fancy, and flavorful, we’ll definitely be back next time we’re in Aspen!

Jimmy’s menu from outside.

Each table gets complimentary soft pretzel sticks and mustard.

Jimmy’s classic mac and cheese. For the recipe, click here.

Fresh asparagus.

Dad ordered the Petite Filet which came with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Mom and I split the Jumbo Lump Blue Crab cakes served with jasmine rice and summer succotash. Click here for the recipe.

I didn’t get a picture, but my sister ordered the shrimp cocktail, which was very fresh and delicious. Matt ordered the BBQ Chicken with Mad Dog Ranch BBQ Sauce with a kick. It was also served with with a side of seasonal vegetables.

After 5 gloriously relaxing days in Aspen, now it’s time to return to the hot and humid weather back in Dallas. Colorado is definitely one of the most beautiful places on this earth, and I’m always sad to leave. With that said, I think this sign (below) is fitting.

I love this sign! It is so true.

A hole in the wall: New York Pizza in Aspen!

All of the restaurants in Aspen are great, but you sure have to pay the price! If you plan on eating out, expect to pay around $30 per person…. excluding drinks. We found an exception to the Aspen dining “norm” with this hole in the wall pizza joint called New York Pizza.

They have a wide variety of items on the menu including whole pies (with extra toppings only costing you $.25 cents each), salads, subs, sandwiches, and calzones. Like I said, the prices are very reasonable.

I love the atmosphere of this place. Walking up the red carpeted stairs, you feel like you’re leaving Aspen and entering New York City.

Literally a hole in the wall… you have to walk upstairs to find this restaurant.

Upstairs, you’re greeted with the smell of warm pizza, stainless steel ovens, and pizza-by-the slice. For less than $5, you can get a HUGE slice of pizza of your choice. Choose from pepperoni, cheese, canadian bacon and hamburger, veggie with Feta, black olives, onions, and peppers and more!

Pizza by the slice!

We ordered a greek salad to-go and all loved it! Topped with plenty of Feta cheese, extra-large mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, peppers, diced red onions, sliced tomatoes, and romaine lettuce, it sure was a winner. The dressing is some sort of vinaigrette, which I also thoroughly enjoyed.

Greek Salad to-go.

Finally, take a look at this New York pizza! The crust was thin and chewy, the toppings fresh, and the cheese savory. My dad ordered half canadian bacon and hamburger for himself, while my husband requested pepperoni.

If you’re looking for something cheap and tasty in Aspen, New York Pizza is a winner. It sure beats Dominoes, which is also located in Aspen. However, why would you eat Dominoes when you can have New York style pizza?

Large, 16 ” pizza: half canadian bacon/hamburger and half pepperoni.

Dinner at L’Hostaria – Aspen, Colorado

After hearing from both the concierge and driver at the Grand Hyatt that Aspen’s L’Hostaria was their favorite restaurant in town, we had to try it. What did we think? It was amazing and probably our favorite dining spot in Aspen!

L’Hostaria is where authentic Italian cuisine meets fresh, healthy, and homemade ingredients. We were absolutely impressed with the service and how fresh, light and gourmet the food was. L’Hostaria is the only restaurant in Aspen that makes their own pasta daily by hand, and you can definitely taste a difference!

L’Hostaria menu

The atmosphere of L’Hostaria was elegant, yet cozy. Designer Italian chairs, terracotta vases, Tuscan antiques, soft lighting and stucco walls created an ambiance you will find only in Italy. The restaurant is underground, so you can choose to eat inside the cool, comfortable restaurant, or sit outside on the underground the porch with the retractible roof letting natural sunlight peak in.

Dining inside L’Hostaria – designer Italian chairs, terracotta vases, Tuscan antiques, soft lighting and stucco walls create an atmosphere you will find only in Italy.

Everything on the menu looked good, so we had a hard time deciding what to order. In the end, Matt and I choose to split the Papparadelle alla Bolognese. The papparadelle (extra-wide pasta noodles) was spinach flavored and accompanied with a light yet filling Italian meat sauce. I say “light” because unlike a lot of meat sauces, this was NOT greasy. For garnish, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and shredded basil was added.

Pappardelle alla Bolognese – homemade spinach pasta with an Italian meat sauce

My mom ordered the Spaghettini with rock shrimp, chopped eggplant, diced tomatoes and garnished with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese in a light tomato sauce. It was excellent…. extremely light, yet packed full of flavor.

Spaghettini with rock shrimp, eggplant, diced tomatoes and fresh basil

My dad ordered the grilled New York steak with green peppercorn sauce, accompanied with a scoop of mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. His steak was nicely seasoned, and even though I hate eating steaks at restaurants since they are so salty and overly seasoned, this was was very good and had a unique flavor. (Sorry, we have no picture… it was blurry!)

Since our main courses were so delicious, we thought we’d finish it all off by splitting a piece of Tiramisu four ways. The tiramisu consisted of marscarpone and cream layered between ladyfingers soaked in coffee, and topped with cocoa sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was good. If you like dark chocolate, you’ll love this! It was extremely rich and dark. I’m more of a milk chocolate fan, so you know where my preferences land.

Tiramisu dell’ ‘Hostaria – ladyfingers, marscarpone, cream, coffee, and cocoa

***We were all so impressed with L’Hostaria that my mom and I came back the next evening and ordered the potato gnocchi for take-out. We all ate our “own” dinners at the hotel that evening: Matt and my dad split a pizza while my sister had grilled chicken.

The gnocchi my mom and I split was outstanding! It was so fresh, and almost seemed to melt in our mouths. Again, the sauce was very light. The gnocchi was accompanied by freshly diced tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese. Yum!

What did I like best? I can’t choose…. it depends on what mood I’m in. All-in-all, all pasta dishes were homemade, fresh, and light. You’ll get full, but won’t have that miserable “stuffed” feeling like many restaurants give off from their greasy, processed food. Next time you’re in Aspen, you must visit L’Hostaria. We will be back for sure!

Potato gnocchi with diced tomatoes and basil

Dinner at Cantina – Aspen, Colorado

Dinner time in Aspen! For our first meal of the trip, we headed to Cantina – Aspen for some good’ole Mexican food. My sister and parents had eaten at this same restaurant a few days before Matt and I arrived to Colorado. They said it was great, and were game to try it again.

We were still all on Dallas time, and even though it was only 5:30, we were all starving! I think high-altitude makes me hungry, in addition to the fact that it was 6:30 PM back at home.

What did I think of Cantina? I thought it was very good. The chips and salsa were very fresh. I could see freshly diced fire-roasted tomatoes, chopped onions and sliced green onions in the salsa.

Cantina – Aspen from the street

Cantina menu

Chips and Salsa

Matt and I split the Mexican Street Tacos which consisted of chicken, diced onion, cilantro, and spicy sauce, all rolled in corn tortillas. The corn tortillas were a little tough… probably because they coated them in oil so they would not break. Other than that, it was very good. (P.S. Matt is a “double-beans guy, so no rice on our plate!)

Street Tacos Mexican – soft corn tortillas filled with grilled chicken and topped with diced onions, cilantro, and a spicy salsa

My sister ordered the chicken fajitas. The chicken was very tender, the seasoning not over-powering, and the pico de gallo was fresh and one of her favorites.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas served with grilled onions and peppers, rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa fresca, and warm corn tortillas.

My dad ordered the salmon, which had a bold, spicy sauce that really added to the flavor of the dish. I loved his! (Sorry, no picture…it was blurry). My mom ordered the chicken tortilla lime soup with shredded chicken and cheese, tortillas strips, and avocado. No complaints there!

Overall, we would return to Cantina – Aspen. However, since I’m from Texas, I’ve had better Mexican food. My all-time favorites include Mi Cocina and Anamias in Dallas, and Escalantes in Houston. For Colorado, though, I thought this was pretty good food.

Sundeck & Frisbee Golf on Aspen Mountain

Want to know my all-time favorite restaurant in all of Aspen? Sundeck!!! Sitting at 11,220 feet at the top of Aspen Mountain, it’s got incredibly delicious, hot, freshly prepared food at a relatively reasonable price.

When you come to Aspen, you must buy a gondola pass to take you to the top of the mountain. Not only do you get to eat incredible food and enjoy breath-taking views of Colorado, but they have tons of activities for kids and adults alike: frisbee golf, corn hole, ropes course, a mini tree house, digging for “gold” nuggets, rock-climbing, clowns, trampolines, yoga, ATVs, hang-gliding, guided nature walks, hiking trails… take your pick!

Anyways, take a look at the outstanding food we ordered from Sundeck below.

Sundeck – Aspen Mountain: 11,220 feet

Sundeck

Veggie burger with tahini, sliced carrots, cucumbers, tomato, sprouts, lettuce and Feta with a mixed green salad.

Turkey sandwich with bacon, sprouts (Dad omitted), cranberry sauce (Dad omitted), tomato with mixed green salad.

Grilled chicken salad with black beans, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and curry quinoa.

We cleaned our plates!

After lunch it was time to hit the “slopes”, not to ski, but to play some 18-hole frisbee golf! We actually only played the first 9… the back 9 holes are hard! One off-throw, and you’ll be trekking down a steep black diamond slope to go find your frisbee that could either be lodged in-between scattered rocks and boulders or high up in a pine tree! (This has happened to us before!)

Frisbee golf with the family.

Matt and me.

Time to head back down to town for some relaxation. You burn a lot of calories walking up and down this mountain!

Next up…. dinner plans. Mexican food in Colorado? Stay tuned to see what we thought!

Dallas Duo in Aspen & Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Have you ever been to Aspen, Colorado? If not, add it to your bucket list, because it’s one of my favorite places on earth to visit! Last week, the Dallas Duo took a trip with the family to Aspen to enjoy the cool Colorado temperature, the gorgeous tree-lined trails, the Roaring Fork River, and of course, all the five-star + restaurants Aspen has to offer!

Before I get to the food, you’ve got to hear about our journey to Aspen…it wasn’t as easy as we had planned, but we sure made an adventure out of it!

Everything was going as scheduled as we arrived at the airport; plenty of time to spare, and even a little leisure time to spare in the American Airlines Admirals Club.

However, just 5 minutes before we boarded the plane, an announcement was made over the speaker that the winds were too strong in Aspen, and our plane was probably not going to make it. After 30 minutes of trying to figure out if they were to send us to Grand Junction or Vail or request volunteers to get off the plane, they finally came to a decision.

$500 vouchers were offered, per person, to the first 30 people who volunteered to get on another flight to Vail, Colorado. We jumped at the offer, fearful that if we stayed on the Aspen flight, we might get diverted mid-air to Grand Junction, Colorado.

If you’ve ever traveled to DFW, you know its a HUGE airport…I’ve heard the 3rd largest in the U.S., but don’t quote me. Anyways, we were in Terminal C, and the Vail flight was in Terminal B, so we high-tailed it on the sky-link tram, and 15 minutes later were sitting on a nice, big 757 ready to take off. Because of our flight dilemma, the passengers on the Vail flight had to wait an extra 35 minutes for thirty of us Aspen passengers to make the trek over to Terminal B…no one on the Vail flight seemed to complain though :).

DFW Airport

Finally, an hour later than I had hoped, we departed out of Dallas and made our trek to Vail. Shortly after takeoff, it was snack time! The glory days of free pretzels or nuts may be over, but for a few dollars, you can order a “Triple Shot” Chocolate Chip Cookie (it contained oats, cranberries & milk chocolate chips).

Oh my…. was it GOOD! It was probably one of the best prepackaged cookies I’ve ever eaten! I looked on the label, and the cookies are actually from a Southlake, Texas bakery called Cookies Crumbs and Crust. You need to try it! () I could taste the cinnamon and brown sugar in the cookie, which made it amazing! (PS…I think I’ve seen other Cookies Crumbs and Crust sweets at Neiman Marcus!)

“Triple Shot” chocolate chip cookie on American Airlines.

After a short 2 hour flight, we landed in Vail. If anyone knows my husband Matt, you know he’s a talker and very social. Anyways, we got to talking to some random people on the plane and pretty much hitch-hiked a ride to Aspen with two fellow passengers! (The rest of the Aspen passengers road in 15-passenger vans that American Airlines had scheduled for us when we landed).

The car ride from Vail was quick…about an hour and thirty minutes. The lady driving was very nice and was actually staying in the same hotel we were: the Hyatt Grand Aspen. The other lady in the car was on a business trip to Aspen to redesign the St. Regis…what a cool job she has!

Driving from Vail to Aspen.

Finally, about 3 1/2 hours later than expected, we arrived to Aspen. After nearly what felt like a full day of traveling, we had made it. Time for the relaxation to begin! Stay tuned….great Aspen restaurant reviews to come!

Grand Hyatt Aspen