Hello Autumn! Guanella Pass, Colorado, and Easy Canvas Winner!

Autumn color comes early to the high elevations of Colorado! By mid-September, the aspens along the lower Rocky Mountains are already beginning to turn their shades of golden yellow and oranges. My husband and I returned from a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, last week, and we knew we should take a "Leaf Peeping" trip to catch some of the spectacular colors as soon as possible. Unfortunately, last Sunday was an overcast and hazy day, with predictions of rain, but that made us all the more anxious to see the colors before the trees lost their leaves. Almost as soon as we started out driving west on Highway 285 we were rewarded with our first glimpses of the patchwork colors of autumn aspen trees on the distant mountains!

The closer we drove, the more vibrant the colors became. even with the misty sky! Although it was overcast, it was a fairly warm and pleasant day at lower elevations.

When we entered Clear Creek County, we saw that the aspens had begun the process of changing from green to their deep golden autumn color. We heard that the unusual wet and rainy summer we had in this part of Colorado this year was going to bring exceptional color, and it looked to be true!

Everything looked picture perfect!

We decided to drive the entire Guanella Pass, which connects the town of Grant to the town of Georgetown, both in Clear Creek County.  At its highest point, the 22-mile long pass is at 11,670 feet.

The first 12 miles from Grant towards Georgetown is unpaved and the speed limit is slow--perfect for observing the beauty of the surrounding Arapaho and Pike National Forests and the Mt. Evans Wilderness. which lies east of the pass.  This pass is closed in winter, as it is not plowed by the county during that time.

We stopped at many pull outs and took short walks on hiking trails along the road.

Although I would have preferred the bright blue Colorado sky to be showing in these photos, I think the more subdued, stormy sky brought out the tree colors just as well.

We were surprised to see a lot of reddish colored aspens--it is a rarer color to see for this genre of a tree!

Most of these photos were taken as we drove...

...but every now and then we stopped for a closer look

Would you like to listen to this waterfall?  Just click through to my facebook page at this link to watch a short video. You can also click "Like" on my facebook link-to-follow Mille Fiori Favoriti on facebook at this link.  This creek was running strongly and the water certainly fitted the name of Clear Creek County.

The pine forest remains green all year long, and they are a wonderful backdrop for the bright autumn colors.

I loved this pretty meadow, where even the shrubs were turning fall colors.  

The horses were very intent on grazing.

A view of a beautiful home along the road. Although the land surrounding the pass was comprised of much wilderness there were also areas that were private property.

"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons" ~ Jim Bishop

"Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty., as if nature had been saving up all year for the Grand Finale." Lauren Destefano

Did you notice the deer jumping into the woods in the first photo collage, and the photos of the mountain goats in the collage above?  Click on to enlarge the collages for easier viewing. It is always nice to see wildlife in a natural setting and it is a good reminder to drive slowly when on roads such as this one.

Speaking of wildlife, look at this moose my son and his family saw along the Peak to Peak Highway last week!  Moose are always a rare sight to see in Colorado, as they are not indigenous creatures to our state. Twelve moose were brought to Rocky Mountain National Park by wildlife managers from Wyoming and Utah in 1978. You can read more about this fact on this link. Happily, they thrived and multiplied until their number is estimated to be above 2,000 in Colorado. They can be unpredictable, and their kick can be deadly, so it is always wise to stay a good distance away if you see one!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long as I stood

And looked down one as far as I could 

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

From the poem "The Road Less Traveled By" ~ Robert Frost

We could not take either path for very long that day, as the rain finally came!

We ended our ride on the Guanella Pass in the historic town of Georgetown, Colorado.  I showed more about this town's charming Christmas festival on this link.   This day I enjoyed a delicious bowl of Green Chili Soup at Ed's 1859 Cafe, which was the perfect way to end a perfect Colorado day!

And now for the winner of the 16 x 20 Easy Canvas photo canvas, with free shipping and handling, like the one my husband and I had made from a  photo we took on the summit of 14,270 foot Mt. Evans, that we are absolutely thrilled with!

Using the website Random.org, the following blog comment was chosen as winner # 5! That comment was left by The Gathering Place.  Congratulations, Joann!  Please e-mail me and I will send the free code and instructions on how to place your Easy Canvas order!

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* In full disclosure, this is a sponsored post by Easy Canvas. I was provided with a free wall canvas print by Easy Canvas, and Easy Canvas will be providing the code for one winner to obtain a free 16 x 20 canvas from a  photo of their choice with free shipping and handling. 

Four New Bertolli Entrees Give Away!

The frost was on the pumpkin here this weekend, or at least it was on the grass of the local park I walk in every morning, as you can see by the photo above.  When the temperature begins to dip towards freezing in autumn, I begin to crave comfort foods like stews and homemade soups.  I usually prepare my own, but lately, I have been busy getting my house in top notch condition to sell, and then doing house showings.  This is why I was very excited when Bertolli foods offered to send me four wonderful new frozen entree products to try and review!

The people at Bertolli sent two of their newest frozen Meal Soups for 2 -- Ricotta and Lobster Ravioli in a Seafood Bisque, and Italian-Style Wedding Soup.  If you remember I reviewed their Meal Soup for 2 lines at an exclusive New York City event on this post, and these two new soups are a wonderful addition.

The Ricotta and Lobster Ravioli in a Seafood Bisque Soup Meal Soup for 2 was heavenly! All I had to add is a cup of milk and heat the frozen soup in a saucepan until it was warm and bubbly.  The rich seafood bisque was full of diced celery and carrots and a multitude of bite-size ravioli.  It was gourmet quality, and as a lover of seafood, I know this was a soup I'd order if I saw it on a restaurant menu, so it was a wonderful treat to be able to have it at home.

The Italian-Style Wedding Meal Soup for 2 contains mini meatballs and spinach, carrots and ditalini pasta in a savory broth flavored with bacon pieces.  This is far superior to any canned Italian Wedding Soup I have tried in the past and had a wonderful homemade quality. I served it with a light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top, which is the way my husband likes it. He actually told me it reminded him of the soup his mother used to make, which, in my opinion, is the highest compliment anyone could give to Bertolli!  Yes, it's that good!

The other two frozen entrees Bertolli sent for me to try was their brand new Classic Meal for 2 Risottos. If you have ever made risotto at home you know it takes a lot of attention as it has to be stirred frequently, and the recipe's liquid has to be added frequently as it cooks to keep it creamy. I wondered if a frozen product would taste as good as something that requires so much attention when it is homemade.

The Bertolli Classic Meal for 2 Garlic Shrimp Risotto is Italian style rice and shrimp with zucchini, yellow squash and red peppers in a white wine cream sauce flavored with a hint of garlic.  I was very impressed with the crispness of the vegetables.  They tasted as if they were chopped fresh, minutes before. Plus, the amount of succulent tender pink shrimp in the risotto was generous and they were of good size. The rice was tender and creamy and I was impressed with the quality. This was truly a risotto that would have taken me more than an hour to prepare, yet it cooked up in my skillet in about 12 minutes!

The Bertolli Classic Meal for 2 Roasted Chicken Risotto was outstanding! The generous chicken pieces in the risotto had a savory slow-roasted taste and the Parmesan cream sauce was filled with chunks of portobello mushrooms and slices of crisp asparagus. It truly was of fine gourmet quality, very rich and creamy and delicious! It was a hard choice, but I think this was our favorite of all four entrees!

Thank you, Bertolli, for saving me time at this very busy time of my life, and treating me to your delectable new frozen entrees.  I am going to fill my freezer full of them to make sure I have a quick and delicious meal in a flash whenever I need one!

Bertolli has been kind enough to offer to send four coupons to a lucky reader of my blog, that can be redeemed in your store for Classic Meals Entree for 2, or Meal Soups for 2, of your choice and combination. I will choose the winner by using the random number generator at Random.org from all the comments I receive below on Sunday, October 14, 2012, and I will announce the winner on this post.  Just tell me what Bertolli products you think you'd like to try first! Good Luck!

*10/15/12: The winner of the Four Free Bertolli Entree Coupons as picked by Random.org was # 34.  Counting down from all entries I saw there was one double entry, which I did not count, so the winner was Lisa of Grandma's Briefs. Congratulations, Lisa!  Please send your name and address to me by e-mail and I will send them to Bertolli, who will mail out the coupons to you! Thank you to all who entered.  I do hope you will try these new entrees very soon as I think you will enjoy them as much as I did.

I also wanted to thank everyone for your wonderful best wishes on my wedding anniversary post! We had a quiet, but happy celebration. We've also shown our house quite a few times, and have had positive feedback from all who have seen it, but no offers as yet.  I'm beginning to realize that selling may take longer than we anticipated in this market, but in the meantime, I am continuing to de-clutter and minimize my belongings so when we do sell it will be easier to pack.  Our realtor is also going to begin hosting "Open House" viewings on a few upcoming weekends, so hopefully, that will bring the right family who will fall in love with our house. This also means I'll have more fun places to show you in New York City, so stay tuned!

Consider a Connecticut Vacation $1,000 Gift Card Sweepstakes

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Are you thinking about taking a vacation this year to a state where you can find a wonderful diversity of things to see and do? Where there are quaint towns, stone walls, historical sights, waterfalls, covered bridges, farm stands full of local produce, wineries, antiques, art galleries, designer outlets, world class casino resorts, fine dining and recreational opportunities, as well as scenery that will take your breath away? If so, consider visiting the beautiful state of Connecticut! Connecticut tourism, along with BlogHer, asked some bloggers to tell you why we love to visit Connecticut and is sponsoring a $1,000 gift card give away to one lucky commenter -- see the rules at the end of this post.



My husband and I have been regular visitors to Connecticut since the first year of our marriage. Above are some vintage mid 70's photos of us on a trip to Connecticut's Mystic Seaport and the Museum of America and the Sea, the nation's leading maritime museum. It is a wonderful place for the entire family to visit, and we brought our children here often as they were growing up. In Mystic Seaport you can explore American maritime history first-hand as you climb aboard four National Historic Landmark tall ship vessels, stroll through a re-created 19th-century coastal village or visit the on site Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard, where you can observe as historic vessels are restored using traditional methods and tools. For young children's enjoyment there is a Children's Museum Discovery Barn and playscape area, while older children and adults would appreciate visiting Mystic Seaport's Treworgy Planetarium.



Now that our children are grown and we have an empty nest, my husband and I love to take an occasional long weekend "get away" trip to stay in a romantic bed and breakfast located in one of the eight counties in Connecticut. We love to explore new towns and enjoy the wonderful hospitality we always find at each location. We also enjoy visiting the Foxwoods Resort and Casino on the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Reservation in Ledyard, to see big name entertainers perform. On other occasions we've attended a play at the top notch Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, or attended one of the many craft, art, food or music festivals that are held throughout Connecticut during the year.

The scenic West Cornwall Covered Bridge over the Housatonic River

Litchfield County is one of our favorite Connecticut destinations because we enjoy all its natural attractions including the Housatonic River, Lake Waramaug, Lime Rock, the Appalachian Trail, and Mohawk Mountain for skiing.



Autumn is my favorite season, and Connecticut can rival any other New England destination as far as having the most spectacular fall foliage! I took all the photos above on our last fall trip. Now is the time to make plans and reservations for a trip to Connecticut this autumn, where you can take a scenic drive along winding country roads and keep your camera busy taking photo after photo of the crimson, orange, and yellow trees.

*As full disclosure, I am being compensated by Connecticut Tourism and BlogHer for this post, but my opinions and love for the state of Connecticut are all mine.

Which Connecticut destination would you like to visit? Leave a comment below and you will be entered into a sweepstakes from BlogHer to win $1,000 to help you plan your trip!
For travel information and inspiration, visit CTVisit.com!
Visit BlogHer.com to read other Connecticut travel stories.

If you find you are having difficulty leaving a comment in the special BlogHer aggregate comment box below please go directly to the BlogherSweepstakes page on this link where you enter the $1,000 CT Tourism Sweepstakes there. Thank you and good luck!

Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 6/14 – 8/8.

"Ladles of Love" Give Away

SOUP!

I love soup! I love to make soup and I love to eat soup.  I think I could live on soup!

I make roasted butternut squash soup quite often, as it is easy to do, delicious and nutritious. 

I love using my immersion blender right in the pot to puree all the cooked ingredients...

...and I love to use my nice large soup ladle to serve it right from the pot on a busy evening.

Here is a photo of my husband helping himself to a bowl of roasted butternut soup tonight. Click here to see my recipe.

On really busy nights, when I don't have any time to cook, I love opening a bag of Bertolli Frozen Meal Soups, as they taste home made and a rich hearty broth filled with all natural ingredients. They are available in four varieties: Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken & Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef with Vegetables. The Tomato Florentine with Tortellini is our favorite! Have you tried any of the soups?

To celebrate National Soup Month Bertolli Frozen Meal Soup is hosting the "Ladles of Love" program, benefitting Feeding America on behalf of local food banks and helping to provide 400,000 meals($50,000) to those who need it most. Bertolli asks that you show your support towards reaching their goal of 25,000 facebook app "clicks" by clicking to fill their soup bowl on their facebook page at this link, and to pass the word on about their program through your blog, facebook page or twitter.

In return, Bertolli would like to send TWO coupons for a FREE Bertolli frozen meal, or frozen meal soup, and a beautiful stainless steel soup ladle like the one I use to ONE lucky reader of my blog! All you have to do is tell me that you clicked through on their "Ladle of Love" facebook tab to add another ladle to the total and help them reach their goal of 25,000 clicks.   It’s free, quick and an easy way to help Bertolli feed those in need. I did it yesterday and it literally takes seconds to do.  If you post this information on you blog with the Ladle of Love facebook link and let me know in a second comment, I'll give you a second chance at winning the prize.

The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator from the comments I receive on this post, and will be announced on on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012.  Good luck, and please remember to let me know that you clicked through a "Ladle of Love" to help feed those in need.!

I'm linking this post to the following blog events:

Jenny Matlock's "Alphabe Thursday" for the letter "L."
Design By Gollum's "Foodie Friday"
2805 "Potpourri Friday"
My Romantic Home's "Show and Tell Fridays"
Mom Trends's "Friday Food"

Thanks to all the blog hosts!

Edited February 14, 2012:  The give away is closed.  I had 59 entries and Random.org chose number 25. Carol, of the blog "There is Always Thyme to Cook" is the winner!  Congratulations Carol!  I will notify Bertolli that you are my winner and send your e-mail address to them so they can contact you for your address to send the stainless steel ladle and free Bertolli Frozen Soup coupons to you.  Thanks to all who entered.