Cooking for a full house

As every weekend approaches I am always faced with the same question. What will I be feeding my friends and family? This task usually includes the lunch I will be bringing to the ski hill on Saturday. Skiing is so much more to me then going down a hill, it's the whole lifestyle that comes with it. I am going to share my favourite and easy lunch recipes with you from one of my favourite blogs Two Peas & Their Pod. I love making their Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili It is easy to prepare and all I need to is bring my crock pot with me and plug it in. When you are out on the hill skiing and breaking a sweat you don't want to come to a lunch of fats and sugars. My goal every week is to make a healthy and enjoyable lunch, and this recipe always is a big success. 

 

There is nothing more satisfying then getting off the hill on a cold day and enjoying a nice big warm bowl of chili. This recipe is easy follow, and the ingredients are easy to come by. In most ski towns the grocery stores are small and don't always have  specialty  items. This recipe has simple and healthy ingredients. I love this chili because its light on the spice so everyone can add more to their individual taste if they like (if I remember to pack extra). 

When making this recipe at home, I love to serve it over brow basmati rice or quinoa.(check out my friends quinoa blog, its sure to inspire you) This makes for a hearty meal that is sure to satisfy all your hungry skiers.

I hope you are inspired to get outside today, try an activity and enjoy a healthy lunch. 

-Joanna

What I ride.

This week called for an equipment review. First things first, know your level of ability.  I am categorized as an intermediate to expert skier, make sure you know your level before you go out an buy equipment. I will be reviewing the 2011 Salomon Lady and my boots are a 2013 Salomon X-Max 110 W. I got this equipment from my local ski shop The City Garage. They take the time to make sure I am well equipped and answer all my questions.
The Salomon Lady skies are categorized as an all over the mountain ski. The skis took turns with ease and their wide base pushed me through all the powder on the mountain. The bright colours definitely drew me in and I was not disappointed. The skis were easy to maneuver across all types of terrain. The twin tips made it easy for park and mogul skiing. I really enjoyed these skis and would give them a 9/10.
The Salomon X-Max 110 W boots fit like a glove. They were a little difficult to get on, but once they were on they were as comfortable as a ski boot could get.  With an adjustable circumference, and heated insoles they boots felt as custom as one could get. These boots also offer a 360 custom shell technology allows the entire lower boot and portions of the cuff and my leg and foot. This was a stiffer boot, which is what an aggressive skier enjoys. I was able to get forward while skiing and still feel full support. I really loved these boots and would give them a 9.5/10. 
Overall I really loved these skis and boots. I recommend checking out your local ski shop for a demo your next ski trip. Can't hurt to try something new.
-Joanna

2014 Olympic Mania

Olympic mania has begun.  The 2014 games have begun in Sochi Russia and I Olympic mania has begun. The 2014 games have begun in Sochi Russia and I couldn’t be more excited. Again life gets in the way of me being able to camp out at home and watch the winter Olympic games. I could spend weeks talking about the Olympics, but I don’t want to get sidetracked from my main event and Canada’s Gold medal event, Freestyle skiing mogul competition. 
Freestyle skiing has been in the Olympics since 1992.  It once included moguls, aerials, and ballet. In 1994 ballet skiing was dropped from the Olympic games and moguls and aerials remained an olympic sport. 

 Canada's freestyle team was said to be the team to beat, and the critics were right.The Canadians placed first and second in both the men and women freestyle mogul event.  The women’s event was first and Canada had two sisters on the podium. Justine Dufour-Lapointe placed first and her sister Chloe Dufour-Lapointe came in right behind her in second.  Over in the men’s mogul event Alex Bilodeau defended his gold medal with fellow Canadian Mikael Kingsbury close behind in second.
I grew up in the moguls and have such a respect for these athletes.  The training they endure is not only intense but can also be very dangerous. Mogul skiing can also take a great toll on your body and these athletes have pushed through the pain to represent Canada in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. I couldn't be more proud to be a Canadian and a mogul skier. 

Let the games continue. 

GO CANADA GO

-Joanna

My fun filled weekend

My godmother and myself on Chute Chairlift

I made it to Ellicottville safe and sound on Friday. As I mentioned in my past blog, this weekend my godmother was in town from Chicago. When we arrived we quickly unloaded the car and got our groceries ready to make our dinner. We decided that tonight we'd keep it simple and have a steak, salad and of course some wine. This was the perfect meal to give us energy for tomorrow's adventures on the mountain.

Tomato Bisque & Grilled Cheese Croutons

A rustic tomato basil and Parmesan soup topped with grilled Texas toast and creamy granquesso croutons.

When we woke up Saturday we knew it was going to be a good day on and off the mountain. We made the coffee, got dressed in all our layers and were ready to brave mother nature. The conditions were perfect, the weather not so much. It was a little overcast, but with the right goggles I was ready. My godmother and I skied the whole mountain. At 10 am we went in for our coffee and to meet some of our family friends. After coffee our group grew and we all took off to explore the rest of the mountain. Holiday Valley is not a large mountain like Vail or Aspen but it offers a range of options depending on your ability.  We skied till noon, when we called it quits and went into the lodge for an après ski drink. We finished our drink and decided it was time for lunch. Usually we bring a big lunch to the hill, but since it was just the two of us we figured we'd go out.  We headed into town to the Ellicottville Brewing Company also known as EBC. Where we had tomato soup with grilled cheese. It definitely hit the spot after a cold day on the mountain.  After lunch it was home to relax before dinner. I'd say it was the perfect day, and the weekend wasn't over yet.

Super Bowl Sunday was a blast. My boyfriend had us up to his house to watch the game and enjoy some pizza and chicken wings. While the game was disappointing, the company was not. 

Overall I had a spectacular weekend with some of the people I love.  

Now it's back to the grind.

Hope your week flies by.

-J