Before kids, Beast and I used to get 20+ ski days in a year. With little kids it is a lot harder to get up the hill so we have been rather impatiently waiting for Ladybug and Bear to be old enough to start skiing. We did a single ski lesson for them in 2019 at Keystone Resort. It was fine but very expensive. Each time we spied on them, Ladybug was sitting and eating snow so we were’t so sure that we were getting what we paid for. This year, we signed them up for a 4-week Kids Club session at Arapahoe Basin. Bear is in Kids Club and Ladybug is in Little Kids Club. I have been really impressed with their progress and how much they are enjoying lessons! The cost is also much more reasonable. In addition, Arapahoe Basin has been our go-to ski resort since we were in college. (At one point we were known by name by one of the bartenders and had our own mugs each year behind the bar.) The food, drinks, and coffee are all very good too (including the raw bar on Sundays) so it is an overall win for everyone!

At the drop off each week it has become pretty clear that many parents struggle with finding the right ski gear for kids so I thought I would share the items we have found (after some trial and error) that work extremely well.

My two main pieces of advice:

1. Do not overdress the kids. I can still remember the ski instructors I had as a kid getting frustrated when kids were overdressed. If kids get overheated and then sweaty it is really hard to keep them warm the rest of the day. It goes better if you focus on keeping the core warm and everything else covered.
2. Let the kids pick out their gear as much as possible. It is a lot easier to get all of that on them when they like the colors/patterns. A few of the things my kids picked out do not exactly match or were not exactly what I would have picked but they happily put them on which makes my life easier.

Gear: All purchased at Epic Mountain Gear

• Skis and boots: Epic Mountain Gear has a fabulous program for kids called their Junior Trade Program. We bought used gear at a reasonable price as part of their Christmas present and then will get to trade it in towards new gear when the kids need longer skis/bigger boots.
• Helmets: Giro kids ski helmets purchased at Epic Mountain Gear.
• Goggles: Giro kids ski goggles purchased at Epic Mountain Gear.
• Head/neck covering: Turtle Fur Lightweight Ninja Balaclava purchased at Epic Mountain Gear.
  • I’m sure you’re asking, “What is a balaclava?” Just the absolute, most perfect item to go under a helmet without being too bulky and cover the neck/chin without being too hot. They come in a ton of fun patterns and my kids really enjoyed picking out exactly the pattern they wanted. I liked the kids’ so much that I wound up buying an adult sized balaclava myself and now I will not ski without it.

Clothes: Mainly from Primary.com

I love primary.com because the clothes are soft, tag-less, and the kids love picking out their favorite colors. The clothes mix and match very well and are very good quality, which means I can easily pass them down from one kid to the next. Also, I feel like they are just touch longer in all the right places so the clothes last just a bit longer than average. Get 20% off your primary.com order with promo code PRIMARYMELISSAG71 or here.

• Base layer pants: PJ Pant (Cozy Sweatpants would work too)
• Base layer top: Long Sleeve PJ Top
• Socks: Burton Kids Weekend Midweight Sock purchased at Epic Mountain Gear
• Vest: Lightweight Puffer Vest
• Jackets: Lightweight Puffer Jacket
  • I strongly recommend this lightweight jacket instead of a bigger, bulkier jacket. It has the right amount of warmth and is thin enough that the kids can easily move around in it.
• Ski pants: Hand-me-downs or VarageSale/Facebook Marketplace finds.
  • This is a great item to look for used because you can find deals that are in great shape or barely worn. I like the overall/bib style for little kids so they don’t get snow up their back when they are rolling around in the snow.
• Gloves: Chakka Snow Blakka Snow Mittens purchased on Amazon.com.
  • The extra long sleeve on these keeps snow off the wrists. My kids leave these on better compared to other mittens.

We have used this set up many times now and it has worked very, very well. We have not heard any complaints from the kids about being too cold or too hot and they have happily skied even in really cold weather with lots of snow coming down.

Again, you can get 20% off your order at primary.com the following ways:

1. Use PROMO CODE: PRIMARYMELISSAG71
2. Follow this link: https://primary.com/r/primarymelissag71

I hope this helps you put together cozy ski outfits for your little ones!

Happy skiing!

Mel

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. The air is cooler, the leaves are changing and hopefully my Kansas City Chiefs and CU Buffs are doing well on the field. Plus there are all the things I love to cook this season.

Chili is definitely something we have at least a few times a month October through the end of winter. This recipe is a blend of my mom’s recipe that I grew up on plus some additions that give it a Colorado touch (i.e. diced green chile peppers).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 red peppers, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 package chili seasoning (Williams seasoning is my favorite but it isn’t available in Colorado. Here is hoping I now have a few packets in my stocking when we go back to Kansas City for Christmas!)
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 1 30 oz can of chili beans
• 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1-2 4 oz cans diced green chile peppers or 4-8 oz of fresh roasted peppers (I would use the hot version if cooking for adults and the mild version if cooking for kids.)

Optional add-ins:

• 1 lb ground pork (I like to add an extra pound of meat when I am serving a crowd)
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (This is a great way to sneak some additional veggies in.)

Toppings:

• Sour cream
• Diced green onions/scallions
• Cheddar cheese
• Saltine crackers

Recipe:

1. Brown meat(s)
2. While meat is browning, chop vegetables
3. Drain fat off of meat(s) if needed
4. Add chili seasoning to drained meat and cook for a couple of minutes
5. If the bottom of the pan gets crusty, add a little water or beer if you have a can open to deglaze the pan (You want all the seasoning making it into the crock pot, not sticking to the pan.)
6. Scrape meat and seasoning into crock pot
7. Add all vegetables to crock pot
8. Add all canned items to crock pot
9. Stir
10. Cook on low for 8 hours
11. Serve with toppings in bowls for people to add what they like

And yes, I know my crock pot is hideous. See my crock pot chicken recipe for the explanation of why I keep it around.

Serving suggestion:

I like to have cornbread with my chili. My favorite brand is Krusteaz and their Honey Cornbread and Muffin mix is very, very good.

I typically mix the box following their directions and spoon out a couple of muffins worth into a muffin pan (these will be for the kids). Then I add a can or fresh green chiles to the mix and spoon out the rest of the batter into the muffin pan (these are for the adults). For those at high altitude, make sure to follow the high altitude instructions of adding a bit more milk and flour.

Now add some football and a cool night and you have a perfect fall evening meal!

Happy cooking!

Mel

We are incredibly lucky to have a fantastic library branch in our county (Douglas County Libraries). They offer a summer reading program with lots of incentives to encourage kids to read more over the summer and all of their facilities are kid-friendly, cool spaces to beat the heat on super hot days.

While I absolutely love having library books in my house, I’m one of those people who doesn’t like the library books mingling with our own books. I live in constant fear of losing a library book for really no reason. When my mom gave the kids some new canvas bags we decided to use them as new library book bags but wanted to get the kids a bit more excited than they have been about previous bags.

I had them sign up for their first library cards and the summer reading program on the same day. A quick hole punch and a key ring let me attach the cards to the bags for safe keeping.

Now the kids keep their library books in the bags and usually have them hanging from their bed. When we go to the library they can use them to carry the books they want to check out. When it comes time to check out, they have their library cards handy and can easily check out their books by themselves. Our library has a pretty cool check out system where they literally can just place their bags on the check out desk and the system will know which books they have.

This would be a great Easter basket gift or special outing for the start of summer. I hope you are having a great summer!

Mel

The other night I was planning on grilling my Chicken and Rainbow Veggies but a windy rainstorm thwarted my grilling plans. I pulled a quick switch to a one pan dinner. What really makes this meal is the grated fresh ginger. You can read about how I easily always have ginger on hand here. It is really easy to grate when it is frozen.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken thighs
• 1 cup broccoli (florets cut from crown)
• 1 cup carrots (cut in long pieces)
• 2 small or 1 large zucchini (cut into half-moon chunks)
• 1 cup snap or snow peas (with ends trimmed)
• 1 Tablespoon garlic (minced)
• 2 Tablespoons ginger (grated)
• 1/4 cup prepared Hoisin sauce
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Optional add-ins: Red or other bell peppers, bok choy, or other vegetables you have on hand.

Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop all vegetables
3. Mix chicken thighs, vegetables, and garlic in an oven-safe pan with hoisin sauce, drizzle of olive, and salt/pepper to taste.
4. Push the chicken thighs to the bottom of the pan.
5. Grate the ginger over the top of the chicken and veggies making sure each items gets a little bit of ginger.
6. Cook for 25-30 minutes.
7. Serve over steamed rice or alone. Red chili paste and soy sauce make good condiments.

This is a great way to get a variety of veggies in front of my family quickly and I hope it works for your family as well.

Happy cooking!

Mel

Making popsicles was on our summer to do list. One off day when I happened to have a watermelon on hand I went searching for a watermelon popsicle recipe. I found this gem: Strawberry Watermelon Ice Pops from Super Healthy Kids.

To make them just a little extra lemony, I zested the lemon prior to using the juice and put all of the zest in the mix.

I poured the mix in the kids’ popsicle freezer molds and had a little bit extra left over. I poured the remaining mix in an ice cube tray and stuck some popsicle sticks in. Now we have some mini popsicles on hand as little treats that have been perfect for after dinner. And enjoyed by kids and parents alike.

There was a little extra leftover after that so I decided to go ahead and freeze in it a plastic cup for thawing later. I’m thinking on our next pool day I’ll be blending that with some rum for a quick daiquiri. Moms need treats too.

Happy cooking!

Mel

I always look forward to grilling season so I have an excuse to do two of my favorite things together: 1) get outside and 2) cook.  I use our propane grill for dinner at least a few times a week once the weather is warm.  Now I know there are some purists who think propane grills aren’t the real deal and swear by charcoal.  For me, charcoal grilling is for weekends and special occasions.  My propane grill works just fine when I have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table!

This recipe is a favorite of mine because it can be made any number of ways simply by changing the seasoning/sauce and or the veggies.  I often use this as a clean out the fridge dinner to use whatever small amounts of various fresh items I have leftover from the week.  My kids like the name and it encourages them to “eat the rainbow” of different items on their plates.

I often try to sneak a little fruit in here too (either pineapple or peaches).  Grilled fruit just feels like summer to me and sneaking some sweet bites into any recipe will always be a winner with kids.  KID TIP:  “Accidentally” only get one piece of fruit in the scoop of veggies and fruit you give your kids.  When they of course eat that first and ask for more, tell them you’ll give them another piece of fruit when they eat one of each of the other colors in the rainbow.  This encourages them to try different things and makes sure they aren’t only eating the sweet bits.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 1 red (purple) onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup carrots, cut into large chunks
• 1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into large chunks
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Seasoning mix or sauce of your choice for veggies and meat
• Salt & pepper

Ingredients above are for the night pictured.  I normally would love to have some green in there and zucchini would be my go-to but I didn’t have any on hand for this night.

Other ingredients you can use:

• 1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 yellow or green zucchini, cut into large chunks
• 2 broccoli heads, cut into individual florets
• 1 yellow or orange pepper, cut into large chunks
• 2 peaches, peeled and sliced
• Really just about any veggie that you can cut into a big chunk will work!  Just rummage around your fridge and get all the one off fresh ingredients you have.

Seasoning or sauce mix ideas:

• Anything that smells good to you from your local spice shop!
• Blackened seasoning
• Garlic salt
• Barbecue rub
• Barbecue sauce (chicken)
• Italian dressing (chicken or veggies)

Instructions

1. Get the kids outside and tell them they can come in when dinner is ready.

2. Open a cool beverage of your choice.  You’ll need something to enjoy while you’re in front of the grill.

3. Preheat grill to medium high.  Have your grill vegetable tray on there so it can get sizzling hot as well.  The tray I use is similar to this one.

4. Prepare chicken breasts.  My preferred method is to put the chicken breasts, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1-2 tablespoons of seasoning mix in a gallon size ziplock bag then beat the chicken to about 3/4 inch think with the back of a ladle.  (You can watch me and my kids do this here.  Seriously, every time my kids see me with a bag of chicken and a ladle, they go and get theirs to “help.”)  For the night pictured, I used a Cajun Blackened mix for the chicken.

5. Massage the seasoning and oil mix all over the chicken to make sure every little nook and cranny is covered.

6. Prepare the veggies and fruit.  Cut all the veggies and fruit into large chunks and throw them in a bowl.

7. Add a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix.  For the night pictured, I used a simple garlic salt mixture for the veggies and fruit and didn’t add any extra salt.  Since the blackened seasoning was pretty strong, I didn’t want to use it on both the chicken and the veggies.  If you have a favorite mix that is pretty potent, try using that on the chicken and then something simpler/milder on the veggies/fruit.

8. Mix the veggies and fruit.

9. Bring your meat, veggies/fruit, and cool beverage to the now perfectly sizzling grill.

10. Throw the chicken one one side and the veggies/fruit in the tray on the other.

11. Flip the chicken once it easily releases from the grill (usually 5 minutes).  This really varies based on the temperature of your grill.

12. Stir the veggies/fruit when you flip the chicken.  Do not over stir!  You want there to be grill marks.

13. Take the chicken off after the other side easily releases from the grill (again about 5 minutes) and put on a large serving tray.

14. Let the chicken rest while the veggies get to your desired level of doneness (for us, just an additional minute or two).

15. Scoop the veggies and fruit on top and around the chicken.

16. Call the kids in and serve.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 4-5 servings

I hope you enjoy your time outside by your grill, cool beverage in hand!

Happy cooking!