We Don't Need No Stinkin' Jack-in-the-box!

Ever seen one of these? Of course you have. If you grew up some time in the 70's or 80's you might even remember this exact one. Funny thing about Jack-in-the-Box is that: Some people love'em. Some people hate'em.

You know, you turn the handle, it plays a little tune and at some point, the scary little clown comes popping up sending an adrenaline rush through your entire body.

Well, in Colorado, at altitude, we don't need no stinkin' Jack-in-the-Boxes, 'cause we got PILLSBURY!!

Those impossible cans of yumminess. Ok, so just like a Jack, you hold on to the paper handle, turn the can and although there may not be any music, the scary little biscuits come popping out with a mini explosion, sending an adrenaline rush through your entire body.

Guess what? That has not once happened to me at Sea Level. I'm waiting. I'm waiting, and NO POP!

I've had to take matters into my own hands. Looks something like this:

After you hold the foil-icious paper and twist the can, lay it on the cutting board and give the seam a whack with a wooden spoon...problem solved with control.

Next time you are out west, go to the mountains and go big with your adrenaline rushes: Pillsbury!

Sea Level Baking

 I can't wait to show you what I achieved today, Asiago Cheese Bread!!

mmmmm, and now for the story!!!

Today is a momentous day in our Palm Beach house by the sea...I am making bread...not a quick one and not with the bread machine...I know, right?

I've been a bread machine baker for years. Not a lot of loaves but I did manage to figure it out when we lived in Denver, the Mile High city, and even in Blue River, Colorado, at an elevation of 10,200 feet, just south of Breckenridge and 10 minutes from South Park {the real one, closely related to the  funny one!}

Altitude can dramatically effect the way ingredients work together, as does humidity. {flour is much drier in Colorado...lacking in humidity!!} So trying traditional bread baking is new to me and achieving it would feel like quite a feat. I am thrilled at the prospect of baking bread at sea level. I found a recipe: asiago cheese bread on Betty Crocker.

So excited to give this a go...
I gathered my ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, hot water, chopped asiago cheese and rosemary...

I love that you can actually pronounce all the items... I followed the recipe and what do you  know??? It worked!

Forming the loaf

It raised beautifully.

A deep cut down the middle and the addition of asiago!

Yummy, indeed!

 Maybe it is your turn to try something new. Find a recipe and make it. Go dancing in the rain. Try a new craft. Hug more...laugh more...give it a try.

Thanks for stopping by today...I wish you could smell my house.
Eli

Until next time, Eli

No more Gasping for Air!

Jumping out of the car in front of our new house brought me tears of joy and an overload of O2. The heat and wet of the air slapped my face and clogged my confused lungs with an over-abundance of the life-giving substance. I soon discovered breathing at sea level to be a multi-step process:

1. Suck in
2. Chew
3. Inhale
4. Exhale

Repeat!


{Source}
As I familiarized my face with the process and kept practicing, it came more naturally. Now, I have come to appreciate a plethora of the stuff we call air. So, does that make it healthier to live here?

Hmmm, after a little internet investigation, I found an interesting article that says living at altitude actually has benefits. Research, as seen in an article from GO2Altitude blog, found that living at high altitude can reduce the risk of heart conditions...leading to a longer life.

It goes on to tell how beneficial Colorado is, "The top 20 counties with the highest life expectancy . . .were located in Colorado and Utah." So having thin air can help you live longer.Good for you high altitude friends.

My little "tiddlywink" above doesn't cover the whole story, so go check it out yourself and see what other life-altering info they share.

Until next time, Eli