"Tasty Travels" - WWOOFing, Day 6 & 7

Day 6: I've taken a voluntary vacation this week from serious cardio. As a result, I was feeling a bit sluggish. Claire said she had a perfect hike that would certainly break the no-cardio streak. We drove over to the Liberty Cap trail, only a few miles from Claires. As we begun our ascent, Claire casually mentioned that this hike was her "outdoor stairmaster". She was right! We make it to the base of the "cap" in about 45 minutes.

Then it occurred to me that I'd be doing a bit of rock climbing to get to the peak. At this point, I realized I had a serious fear of heights. Even thinking now of the "Spiderman Scaling" we did to get to the top, I get butterflies in my stomach. Talk about an adrenaline rush! It definitely felt amazing to make it to the top, but I was quickly ready to get on steadier ground. 

After the hike down and some stretching, we went back to Claire's, did some watering, ate a yummy lunch of local bread, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. In the afternoon, we planned on visiting a 3rd farmers market in Colorado's Western Slope, in the fair city of Palisade.

Conveniently, a distillery and a score of wineries were within walking distance! So, the lovely ladies of WWOOF and Friends embarked on a seriously awesome wine tasting tour (gave Napa/Sonoma a run for its money)!

First, we moseyed on over to the Peach Street Distillery. This rustic watering hole makes a kind of artisanal vodka called GOAT (Greatest of all time?) Vodka. (Which is slightly coincidental, as you'll read about another goat run-in in a moment). They serve most of their drinks in copper mugs, which means a clean and delicious product. I was treated to a Peach Punch drink with peach juice, vodka, and ginger beer. It was so refreshing and a perfect way to cool off on a warm Colorado Sunday afternoon. 

I could have lounged around all afternoon drinking this Peach Bliss, but we had to move onward to wine.

We went to Carlson's Vineyards next for peach wine, plum wine, and a bottle of Carlson's Reisling we all shared. A fellow group of wine tasters that we'd seen at the distillery showed up at this winery. With a goat. And not just any goat. A metal-built, ornamental-lawn-style, anatomically-correct goat. Apparently they bring this goat to wineries, parties, etc.

We were asked if we wanted to give the goat a drink. Sure! 

Apparently the winery's resident cat was afraid of fake goats. 


We stopped in at the Canyon Wind Winery next. Everyone bought a bottle for sharing at dinner. They make a red called "47-Ten" that's delicious. Here's the view from Canyon Wind Winery!

It was quitting time and the wineries were closing, so we took our bottles and went back to Claire's. For dinner, we made whole wheat pasta with a mushroom marinara sauce and a spinach salad. It took less than 30 minutes and is a great, healthy go-to meal if you're in a hurry!

Spaghetti, Sauce, and Salad

Whole Wheat pasta (Barilla and Trader Joe's are both tasty brands)

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
1 Tbsp of Italian herb seasoning

1 jar marinara sauce (we used Trader Joe's)

6 cups baby spinach, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
Good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing

Boil pasta until al dente. Drain. Put back in pot and drizzle with olive oil. Mix well.

While pasta is cooking, saute onions, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms in olive oil, over medium heat. Once vegetables are soft (about ten minutes) add tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Chop spinach and avocado and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy with a glass of wine!

Day 7: The day started with some locally bought bread (toasted) slathered in peanut butter and jam. I sliced up a peach and spooned out a 1/2 cup of Wallaby plain yogurt with a few drops of maple syrup. After doing a couple hours of weeding, I packed up my stuff, said goodbye to my WWOOFing family, and was off to the airport.

WWOOFING IN REVIEW:

This was a great experience that people should take advantage of. Granted, I had a wonderful host who was pleasant and open to new ideas. My host offered peaceful accommodations and well thought-out meals (all vegetarian, as a teaching point to WWOOFers). Above all, she has a passion to teach women the joys of organic farming and organic gardening. She shared the tools and wisdom to create a place that supports and enhances the land and life around it. For this, I am thankful. A big thank you to Claire and Three Sisters Harvest!