Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary

There are so many vegan adventures waiting to be had in Colorado and one of the best ones can be found at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary, which describes itself as "a safe haven for rescued farm animals who have been given a second chance at life." The sanctuary is full of cows, goats, pigs, geese and many other animals who have been given both a second chance at life, but also a chance at a life of freedom and joy. The experience of visiting the sanctuary and hearing Michele talk about each animal's story is indescribable and highly recommended. Peaceful Prairie is a small organization and always welcomes volunteers (just send an email their way!) and donations. Peaceful Prairie is located about 45 minutes outside Denver and is absolutely worth the trip. If you can't make it to the sanctuary, please consider donating or sponsoring an animal through their website- every dollar counts for the animals at Peaceful Praire. From meeting Bumper the cow to watching a llama enjoy their freedom by rolling around in the dirt, the experience you will have can be described at nothing less than magical. 

South Pearl Farmers Market

The South Pearl Farmers’ Market is one of my favorite weekend traditions. I don’t even know how many dates I’ve taken there (OK, yes I do... 4. But only 3 were this year). Point is, I love sharing this local market experience with everyone I can (it’s also secretly a test. Treat me to blackberry lemonade? Points. Don’t tell me I have blackberry bits stuck in my teeth? Fail. Actually know some of the fabulous vendors personally? A+!) If I’m having a bad weekend, a bike ride into a morning spent at this Sunday morning market resets my clock and my attitude, and can turn a blah weekend into something fabulous. South Pearl Farmers Market visits are often followed by hours of cooking super fresh veggies in my kitchen, then having “family dinner” with my best friend that night---a great Sunday tradition in our household.

Vendors I LOVE that are staples in this darling market:

Quiero Arepas. They sell fluffy, warm corn pockets stuffed with heaven. (Assuming heaven is a mixture of black beans, avo, & fried plantains).

The Soap Crone
Amy and her husband Izzy make a plethora of great soaps and other products, many of which are vegan friendly. My faaavorite is the salt soap, a non-abrasive but still exfoliating soap that has--you guessed it--salt as a main ingredient. It’s a treat for my skin, particularly as the weather changes and gets drier (who says my skin has to do the same?!) I also use a variety of their hand-soap, which you can get refills on by bringing any type of glass jar that has measurement markings on the side.

Watercourse Foods
YES cupcakes for breakfast! With the usual gluten-free options. Hard to beat splitting a savory biscuit with that special someone as you peruse the other offerings at the market. Everything they make in their bakery is vegan; everything they make is delicious.

MMLocal
Boulder-based canning group that sources ingredients, some of it surplus, from local farms, cans ‘em, and then sells them via shares (and when you can catch ‘em at markets) to lucky us. I have a share this year for the first time (it starts a bit later this season) and am looking forward to extending my season while also ensuring what could be excess produce from different farms becomes canned goodness with MMLocal’s niche expertise.

Ela Family Farms
This fab farm has been with the South Pearl Market from the very beginning, and they are an obvious anchor to the market hubbub. With fresh, organic fruit picked and delivered every week from Hotchkiss, CO (not to mention the generous samples!) they're a crowd pleaser. You can even sign up to receive fruit shares for an entire season. I did this year, and it was totally worth its weight in... apples, peaches, plums, cider, pears, and apple sauce. 

Styria Bakery
Bread so good that Abbie basically devoured a whole loaf herself. It doesn't last long in my house, either. Crusty outside, fluffy-soft-chewy inside. Perfection. Another market anchor that's been around since the beginning. Go see why. 

The market has grown to over 60 vendors, plus there is always a band playing and the shops along the street are open for the bustling business that the market brings. 

I've never experienced a more pet-friendly market, either. The South Pearl Farmers Market often has a variety of the rescue and shelter groups in Denver there with precious friends romping around, waiting and hoping to be taken into a good home. Earlier this year an entire block just north of the market was dedicated to an adoption run for cats and dogs in need of TLC and a home to call their own. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and I saw several happy market goers heading home with beautiful little best buddies. 

Head out there this coming weekend (Sunday the 30th) for an end-of-season Halloween celebration! Tricks and a multitude of treats await. I'm banking on the many dogs who attend the market regularly to be sporting their best costumes.

The market is located on South Pearl Street (just south of I-25) at Florida. See you there!

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway or a day trip for hiking. With 416 square miles to explore, it holds something for everyone--including a home for the many elk, cayote, big-horn sheep, bears, and mayhaps even the occasional moose that traverse its peaks and valleys. And also it holds something for you, too. Meandering trails range from easy to difficult in hiking, and offer spectacular views. Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in America! It's closed for the cold months due to snow and wind, but opens during the summertime and makes for a challenging but oh-so-worth-it bike ride for those of you who also enjoy pedaling 20 miles uphill with a headwind. And for campers, Rocky Mountain National Park offers pristine locations to hike into that are established with specific camping spots so they preserve the surrounding areas, but they're areas that are tucked far enough away so that you feel completely alone with the natural world.

The view from my tent in Rocky Mountain National Park a couple of weekends ago--spectacular Odessa Lake.

Things to note!

• you cannot bring your pooch with you to the backcountry or on hiking trails, but doggies are mostly allowed anywhere a car can go, and can hop out of said car if leashed. Further pet details are available.
• it costs $20 to enter the park; backcountry camping is another $20 and must be purchased at the backcountry office. It's something of a pain to get to, but very worthwhile as the Rangers there helped us re-map our entire visit and it was so much better than the route we had planned originally.
• if you have your heart set on camping (and why wouldn't you?) the Plan Your Trip page is SUPER helpful; don't forget your bear-bin!
• RMNP is only about a 90 minute drive from downtown Denver.
• Estes Park has a charming (if somewhat touristy) downtown that you can hit up if you're feeling all natured-out after a day (or several) in the park.
• most camping sites are no-fires, so pack that stove.

Here's a fun recipe, adapted from my high school days when I did revvy war interpretations (for you non-history nerds, this means I dressed and acted like someone from the revolutionary war in a living history exhibit) and cut school once a year to spend all day Friday at our local fair dressed in someone else's clothes, preparing for war by keeping calm and carrying on with making our breakfasts. I wasn't sure whether to call this particular recipe a scramble or a stew, or a conglomeration of deliciousness, so I went with a "Yum" instead.

Waterford Fair Harvest Yum

ingredients

• 2 apples, cubed into quarter-inch pieces (don't go granny, get something seasonal and local if possible)
• 1 package of your favorite vegan sausage (the kind that crumbles)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 large potatoes, cubed into quarter-inch pieces, any variety you like (i go with sweet!)
• 1-2 Tbs. olive oil 
• salt & pepper to taste
• other miscellaneous herbs you favor (I like the outdoorsy, autumnal taste of sage)

In your little camp stove, heat up the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the onions and saute until translucent (5-10 minutes, depending on how crisp you like 'em). Add the vegan sausage and break up into pieces with your camp spoon. Get some of the pieces brown on one side, but keep stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Then add the potatoes and apples and put a lid on it! Sometimes I add a little water to the pot to "steam" things a bit. The potatoes take the longest so use those as your tester, and take off the lid every 5 minutes to give a stir and a taste. Throw whatever herbs you have in when you're 10 minutes from done. Once I add the potatoes it usually takes about 20 minutes for it all to cook together nicely. When the stew is at a consistency you like, add the salt and pepper to taste. Then devour.

If you have other veggies you'd like to add (parsnips? carrots?), do experiment! If you have it, this tastes phenom in a cast iron pan. But it's pretty darn good in a cook stove after a day's worth of hiking. This amount above serves two happy vegans. Sorry bears--none left for you.

Downtown Denver Roundup!

Today is Wednesday, and that means today's MoFo post is all about sightseeing and what to eat while you're doing it. I'm pumped (PUMPED!) to be doing a downtown Denver roundup, because a) I lub this city, and b) I'll have a link to send when people tell me they're coming here and they don't know what to do. 

Anyways. Denver is great. It's not too big, not too small, not too hot, not too cold, and there's a 40 foot tall bear perpetually trying to break into the convention center. And there is plenty eat and plenty to do. 

Locally made Cows Gone Coconut coffee ice cream in Civic Center ParkFirst things first: Food

• Biker Jim's started out as a hot dog cart, and now has a restaurant location that offers not one but two varieties of house-made vegan hot dogs (herby or spicy). They're big, delicious, and served on a big grilled bun with your choice of toppings. They've got Boylan soda on tap, amazing french fries, and charred cauliflower as a side.  
• City, O' City is technically in Cap Hill, but it's easy walking distance from downtown. City O is an all vegetarian restaurant and bar, with tons of vegan options, including the best buffalo seitan wings you've ever had (more on those later this month). Bonus: they open early and close late. 
• Hi Rise is a bakery on Larimer that features tofu scramble as an option on breakfast sandwiches, homemade cashew spreads for bagels, and a daily vegan sandwich for lunch. 
• Illegal Pete's is Denver's hometown burrito joint. They don't offer a vegan protein (besides black beans), but their guac is killer and they have a great patio. 
• Linger is just outside of downtown, across the river. It's worth the trip if you're looking for an incredible view of the city and some fancy pants vegan food. 
• The Mellow Mushroom might be the only national pizza chain that offers tempeh, and we've got one right on the 16th Street Mall. Go here for a quick bite, and Daiya, tofu, and tempeh on your pizza. 
• Mercury Cafe, also known as The Merc, is a Denver institution that features at least one vegan item on every menu. 
• Tokyo Joe's is a local Japanese fast food chain that does a pretty great job with tofu. Think Chipotle, but with noodle bowls instead. 
• The Wynkoop is Denver's oldest brewpub! They've got several vegan and veganizable dishes on the menu, including a great hummus plate, Vegetarian Chicken Cacciatore (ask for no cheese), Quinoa Vegetable Salad, a house-made veggie burger, and Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. Bonus: there's lots of great Colorado beer on tap. 
• If you're in Denver in the spring or summer, be sure to check out Civic Center Eats, a twice-weekly gathering of food trucks in Civic Center Park. There are plenty of vegan options, including Quiero Arepas and their plantain/avocado magic, and Cows Gone Coconut, locally made vegan ice cream that comes in killer flavors like Salted Caramel and Walnut. Check out our Food Truck Roundup for more vegan food truck options. 

MCA Denver; Photo from www.ericwaldemar.comIf you can move after all that food, here's what you do:

• Get yourself some culture at the Denver Art Museum (it's huge), The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Colorado Ballet, or the incredible downtown library, which has an impressive and creative schedule of workshops and classes. My top pick is the Museum of Contemporary Art, because it's always a crowd pleaser, and they've got a beautiful rooftop cafe where you can sometimes find vegan croissants. 
• See a Rockies game at Coors Field, even if you don't like baseball. The stadium is beautiful, and rockpile tickets are cheap cheap cheap. Plus, they have veggie dogs. 
• Lay around in a park. Denver has largest park system in the nation, so you can barely throw a rock without hitting one. Visit the giant kale, chard and flower beds in Civic Center Park, have a beer picnic by the river at Confluence Park, or roll down a perfect green hill at Commons Park. 
• Spend some money on the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall, visit bookstore heaven at the Tattered Cover, or head up to great shopping with quirky, independent stores on Platte Street and 15th. 
• Drink! Denver is known for its beer, and you can get the good stuff at Great Divide Brewing (amazing beer and a great patio), The Wynkoop (plenty of vegan options), Falling Rock Taphouse (75+ beers on tap; 130+ in the bottle), 1Up (arcade for grownups; giant Jenga), or City, O' City (home of the nation's best vegan buffalo wings). 
• Get around on the Free Mall Ride, the light rail, or Denver B-Cycle. 

Denvertopians: Did I miss anything? Lemme know. 

P.S. The lovely South Broadway (vegan shoes and ice cream, you guys) happens about a mile and half outside of downtown, and Lauren covered all the best parts last week. 

P.P.S. You can see the complete Denver restaurant guide here. 

Get on your bike and see some urban agriculture!

Denver Urban Gardens is hosting a free tour of community gardens in Denver's Baker Neighborhood. Join DUG for a free, leisurely tour through several community gardens, ending with a potluck in the Fairmont Elementary Community Garden. All food provided by DUG will vegan. Space is limited, so RSVP here.