Posted by Larimer Associates on 12:03 PM
Check out these great arts events in Denver in the next few months. There are great exhibits at the museums involving History and Shakespeare through May. Keep reading to learn more about the events and how you can attend.
‘Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age’
Through May 27, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001
Colorado Boulevard, Denver. Life-size models of Ice Age behemoths,
fossil tusks and skulls, touchable teeth, spear points, cave paintings,
interactive displays, and videos bring this fascinating time in Earth
history back to life.
‘Shakespeare and Me’
Feb. 22 – March 16, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Byers-Evans
House Museum, 1310 Bannock St., Denver, 13th Avenue Entrance. Joey
Wishnia shares his personal, dramatic, and often hilarious, experiences
with Shakespeare. Throughout his long career, He has appeared in 19 of
Shakespeare’s plays and directed five of them on three different
continents.
For more information see
Villager Publishing.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:54 AM
Check out this great recipe for a healthier alternative to that pie
you crave. This is a great recipe that everyone will enjoy at your next
dinner party. Check it out below and follow the easy steps to make
your own apple pastry.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup ice water
For the apples:
- 4 Granny Smith apples
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
- 1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water
Directions
For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a
food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to
combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in
small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water
down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come
together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball.
Wrap
in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler
and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet
pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the
stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples
crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples
diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows
on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple
slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the
arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot
with the butter.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the
edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking.
If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to
let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but
the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly
together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry
completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula
so it doesn't stick to the paper.
Allow to cool and serve warm or at
room temperature.
For more information see
Food Network.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 10:30 AM
Driving on black ice is something that no one wants to have to deal
with. However, with this rough winter we have had it is better to be
prepared. Check out these great tips for dealing with black ice on the
roads.
1. Understand that black ice is like regular ice. It is a glaze that forms on surfaces (especially roads, sidewalks,
and driveways) because of a light freezing rain or because of melting
and re-freezing of snow, water, or ice on surfaces. It's called "black
ice" because it tends to look like the rest of the pavement on the road,
although in reality, it's actually clear. Black ice forms without
creating bubbles, which allows it to blend in with any surface it forms
over.[1] Black ice is dangerous precisely because it's hard to detect in advance.
2. Know where to expect black ice. Black ice usually
forms just about the freezing point. Sometimes in frigid weather
conditions on highways, black ice will form due to the heat of tires on
the road coupled with the freezing temperature. Keep an eye on the
weather and highway reports.
- Black ice forms most commonly at night or in the early morning when
the temperatures are at their lowest, or when the sun isn't around to
warm the roads.[2]
- Black ice tends to form on parts of the road without much sunshine,
such as along a tree-lined route or a tunnel. It will also form more
frequently on roads that are less traveled on.
- Black ice forms readily on bridges, overpasses and the road beneath overpasses.[3] This is because the cold air is able to cool both the top and under the bridge or overpass, bringing about faster freezing.[4]
3. Know when to expect black ice. Black ice tends to form in the early morning and evening. During the daylight
hours, the road is usually warmer and less likely to create black ice.
But remember: less likely does not mean "never". Always be prepared for
the possibility of encountering black ice. See the signs of black ice.
If you are driving and see cars suddenly swerve for no apparent reason,
black ice is a likely cause.
4. Know how to see black ice - sometimes. While black
ice is transparent, it can sometimes be seen in the right lighting
conditions - if you are looking for it. Black ice almost always forms in
very smooth, very glossy sheets. This glossy surface is your indication
of potential black ice. If the majority of the road you're driving on
appears a dull black color, but the patch just ahead of you appears
shiny, you may be about to drive onto black ice - don't panic, follow
the instructions below.
- This technique for helping to detect black ice won't work at night, but dawn, daylight and dusk all offer enough light to see.
- If you are unfamiliar with this glossy appearance, think of a nice
new car's black spray paint compared to an older, un-kept car's black
paint job.
- You won't always be able to see black ice, but looking for it can't
hurt. It may also help you to stay focused in less than ideal driving
conditions. Just be sure to keep your eyes on the rest of your
environment as well.
5. Practice driving on slippery surfaces. If possible,
(and with a seasoned winter driver) practice driving on ice in a safe
surrounding. Find a nice, large, empty parking lot with ice on it. Drive
on ice. Practice braking on ice. Understand how your car feels and
handles in these conditions. Know what ABS braking feels like if you have it. Practicing this under controlled conditions can actually be a lot of fun!
6. Deal with a black ice encounter. If you do hit black
ice, your first reaction must be to remain calm and avoid overreacting.
The general rule is to do as little as possible and allow the car to
pass over the ice. Do not hit the brakes, and try to keep the steering wheel straight.[5]
If you feel the back end of your car sliding left or right, make a very
gentle turn of the steering wheel in the same direction. If you try to
struggle against it by steering in the opposite direction, you risk
skidding or spinning out (see below for what to do if this happens).
7. Slow down by de-accelerating. Lift your feet off the accelerator completely and keep your steering wheel fixed in the position it's in.[6] Slowing down will give you more control and prevent needless damage.
Do not touch the brakes. Doing so will likely cause you to
skid. The idea is to slide over the ice in the direction the steering
wheel is facing; usually black ice patches aren't longer than 20 feet (6
meters).
8. If you can, shift into a low gear. Low gears will give you more control.
9. Head for areas of traction. Black ice is virtually
invisible, but you may be able to head towards areas of pavement that
offer more traction. Such areas of traction may include textured ice,
snow-covered areas, spots with sand, etc.
10.
If you skid or lose traction, stay calm.
Hopefully, you are now going slow and this will make it easier. Black
ice is often (although not always) patchy, so hopefully your tires
will soon find traction. Use the minimum amount of braking possible,
although some braking will be necessary if skidding a lot, as follows:
- If you have anti-lock braking system (ABS), just put your foot on
the brake, apply firm pressure and the car will pump the brakes for you
as you skid.[7]
- If you don't have ABS, pump the brakes gently as you skid.[8]
- Always steer the car in the direction you want the car to go.
11. If you end up going off the road, try to steer into things that will cause the minimum
amount of damage.
Ideally, steer into an empty field, a yard, or a fluffy snowbank. Of
course, you may not have much choice in the matter, but you can at least
try.
12. After the black ice encounter, stay calm.
You're likely to be a bit rattled, but panicking
isn't going to help at
any stage. If you must keep driving, do so very, very slowly. Alert
other drivers that you're going slowly by flashing your lights at all
times.
13. Get off the road as soon as possible. It's better to
wait a while at a rest stop, diner, or even
on the side of the road
until the road crews can salt and/or sand the roads than to deal with
an
accident. This will also provide you with a chance to recover your
senses and feel less
panicked. Have a hot drink and relax a while.
- If there is a pile up: Very rarely ice and/or black ice can make
extremely hazardous conditions that can cause multi-car accidents on a highway.
You will have to evaluate quickly whether staying in your car (where
you have some safety protection) or getting out (where you can flee
further collisions but will have to walk on icy surfaces, in freezing
temperatures, with other cars spinning out of control around you) is
safer. Consider your location, the speed of travel, geographic location,
your warmth, and your physical abilities.
14. Prevent or minimize future encounters with black ice.
There are several things that
you can do to reduce the chances of being
surprised by black ice. While knowing how to
drive on it remains a
number one priority, here are some other things to do:
- Travel slowly. Don't try to speed during icy weather as this will take away any control you might have had on the black ice.
- Don't tailgate.
- Keep your windshield
clear of ice, snow, dirt, and anything else that can prevent you from
seeing out of it properly. To get snow and ice off the windshield of
your car, you might be tempted to turn on your windshield wipers. It
might seem like the wipers and the washer fluid will work, but they
don't. In fact, if you use your windshield wipers to get ice off the
windshield, you could ruin them. Use an ice scraper to scrape the ice from the windshield of your car before starting the vehicle.[9]
- Turn your headlights on early in the afternoon to help you see any possible sheen from black ice.
- Check your tire tread.
Worn tread causes accidents in any conditions, and will ensure you lack
traction when needed on black ice. In addition, consider having snow tires fitted.
- An important thing to remember is to NEVER drive in potentially icy conditions with your cruise control active.
For more information see
WikiHow.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:58 AM
Are you a Bronco's Fan? John Elway was voted second in the Sporting News' Executive of the Year. He is the Executive Vice President of Football Operations at Bronco's headquarters. He has been the first executive to post continuous improvements in his first two years with the team.
Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway came in second place by just one vote for Sporting News' Executive of the Year.
In 2012, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway became the first executive in the Super Bowl era to post consecutive four-win improvements and division titles in his first two years with a team.
It was enough to make him the runner up in Sporting News' Executive of the Year voting.
On Monday, the publication announced that in a close vote, Elway came in second for the award by just one vote. Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson took home the honor for 2012 with nine votes.
Elway's banner year began in the offseason, when he helped bring four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning
to Denver. In all, Elway secured -- via the draft, free agency or contract extensions -- 23 of the 33 players that started for the Broncos in 2012.
In addition, 15 of the team's 16 draft picks from Elway's first two seasons on the job are currently with the team in some capacity, along with four college free agents.
Sporting News polled more than 800 NFL players, coaches and executives for its 2012 awards. Only coaches and executives voted for the executive of the year award.
For more information check out the
Broncos.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:06 AM
Check out this great healthy recipe for your family. It is delicious and only takes about 25 minutes to make total. This will be a great dinner when your family is in a rush during the week!
Lemon Chicken
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Prep Time:10 min
Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:15 min Level:Easy Serves:4 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan (preferred brand: House of Tsang)
1 tablespoon (a splash) white or rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
8 ounces (1 cup) prepared lemon curd
1/4 cup hot water
1 lemon, zested
2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped
Directions
Coat the chunked chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt. Heat a large skillet or a wok-shaped nonstick pan over high heat. Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium.
Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up any drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through. Remove the pan from heat, add the scallions or chives and zest, and toss chicken pieces well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce. Serve with Special Rice, recipe follows.
Cook's Notes: Wok oil infused with ginger and garlic is usually available on the International Foods aisle in many markets.
Chicken broths and stocks are available in resealable paper containers, making storage of remaining product easy and on hand in the refrigerator; they are found in the soup aisle.
Lemon curd is a sweet lemon spread available in most markets. It is on the jam/jelly aisle.
SERVES 4
Calories: 400
Total Fat: 9 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 40 grams
Total carbohydrates: 35 grams
Sugar: 16 grams
Fiber 0.5 grams
Cholesterol: 99 milligrams
Sodium: 349 milligrams
For more information see The Food Network.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 11:34 AM
Are you an NHL fan? This week hockey is having their mini camp in order to get ready for the abbreviated NHL Season. The Avalanche will face Minnesota in their first of 48 games on Saturday. The team will be offering promotions and contests in order to thank the fans for staying with them through this difficult strike.
There isn't much the Colorado Avalanche can do to woo back longtime fan Paul Wampler even though the 49-year-old is precisely the one the club is working hard to keep.
An ardent fan who has attended a few games each year as economics allowed, Wampler said the team's lockout-shortened season was unnecessary and hurtful.
"This was just stupid, completely avoidable," said the wholesale auto parts worker, adding he won't be buying a ticket this go-around. "Hockey is an expensive ticket. Most fans are blue-collar types, and it's not easy to buy into it blindly anymore."
Without the lockout, the Avs' 82-game season would have started Oct. 11 at home. Following the approval of a new contract between players and owners, it opens
a 48-game schedule Saturday at Minnesota.
This isn't the first time NHL owners and players squared off in a lockout. Most recently, the entire 2004-05 season was canceled.
Despite the tarnished history, the Avalanche is pushing a variety of ticket promotions to draw back a fan base that once rivaled the league's best. And although the Avs say 90 percent of last year's season-ticket pool remained true, the team won't say how that number compares with the Stanley Cup years of yore.
"In a shortened season, you have to line things up just right and quickly," said Kurt Schwartzkopf, chief marketing officer at Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the Avalanche owners.
"With a schedule so quick to be done, it's a game-by-game map-out to be customer friendly. We apologize to the fans that they're not watching hockey," he said.
The team plans to make that clear with an apology letter handed to each fan who attends next Tuesday's home opener, Schwartzkopf said. It will be signed by owner Stan Kroenke, general manager Greg Sherman, coach Joe Sacco and captain Gabriel Landeskog.
Like nearly every other hockey franchise in the league, the Avalanche is proffering deals to entice as well as entertain.
For instance, tickets to the home opener, against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, are being offered at a 2-for-1 price — and season ticket holders can also grab four free additional tickets.
The following game, Jan. 24, is against Columbus, not a game that usually draws a crowd. The Avs' answer: Dollar Dog Night! Oh, yeah, and Guys Night Out, with heavy discounts in the cost of a ticket.
"We understand the work involved," Schwartzkopf said of getting fans back into the Pepsi Center. "The mission is not taken lightly and the fans understand that we get that."
Although last year's NBA lockout gives Kroenke executives valuable experience in winning back fans, it's not a slam dunk.
"I've always felt the Avs were very fortunate to have won early in their history here and there weren't many who became Avs fans when they were bad," said Dan Price, owner of Adrenalin Inc., a sports marketing firm in Denver. "They didn't feel a slide in attendance for a long time."
That means a team that went into the lockout in bad shape was likely to come out the same way, Price said.
But when all is said and done, there's not a whole lot this year that's different than last. While season ticket holders are getting a number of complimentary tickets, they're also getting a few perks such as free jerseys.
"The fair-weather fan will show up to the team that performs, and potentially a short season will benefit them," said Marc Ganis, owner of Sportscorp in Chicago, which runs a number of marketing enterprises. "I'm not so sure the season-ticket base is where the big focus will be."
Indeed. In Minnesota, where tickets can be hard to come by, some fans upset by the lockout are rallying for a boycott of games, espousing attendance at local businesses around the home arena to watch the contests instead.
In Chicago, the Blackhawks have come to running a police-like car about town with a large placard on top proclaiming the few days until opening night. The idea is for fans to tweet when they've seen it and win player-autographed merchandise.
St. Louis Blues fans are allowed free access to all practices and given face-to-face Q&A sessions with the players afterward.
Ultimately, though, no matter the promotion or the discount, the product is what matters — and the Avs control that future.
"If the Avs get the Stanley Cup, no one will remember it's in a short season," Price said. "Winning takes care of everything."
For more information see the
Denver Post.
Posted by Larimer Associates on 10:41 AM
It is the New Year, which means it is time to get organized. Calendar Apps on your smart phone can be a great organizational tool to keep your schedule handy and updated. There are many apps to choose from, but these are some of the best apps on the market listed for all types of phones. Make sure to share this article with your friends and family that want to get organized for their work or school in the new year.
My
personal assistant (aka my smartphone) keeps me informed and organized.
But while the calendar utility that comes standard is functional, I've
discovered there is a myriad of more versatile and powerful calendar
apps well beyond any phone's stock app. With so many to choose from,
I've narrowed it down to some of the best for Android, iOS, and Windows
Phone 8.
iOS
Left: Week Calendar - Right: 2do: Tasks
Week Calendar
If
you're the type to see your calendar through the weeks more than
anything than I highly advise Week Cal. It's a colorful, concise and
simple interface that makes it easy to see what the week has in store
for you. Events can be color coded based on criteria that you set which
results in a more real experience that you won't have to spend too much
time on. Week Cal supports iCloud, Google, Outlook and Exchange
calendars. $2
2do: Tasks
When
you need your calendar to be more than just a list of events, 2do:
Tasks is also a versatile taskmaster. This app is designed like a
personal planner that not only allows you to add events to your calendar
but integrates your impending tasks to it as well so deadlines can't
possibly sneak up on you. If you have an iPad this app is a two for one
syncing seamlessly across devices. $10 - Also available for Android
Runner Up: Fantastical
Quick
mention for Fantastical, a quirky calendar app that creates events
based on a small blurb. For example Lunch, Saturday at 2pm with Susan
creates an event for the nearest Saturday for 2pm with the person and
reason in the title. It's a clever little app that I find worth a
mention. $4
Android
Left: Jorte - Right: Business Calendar
Jorte
A
great app for a great price, Jorte is a personal calendar that can look
any way you want and accepts your events with as much detail as you
could possibly want. Jorte caters more to the individual and doesn't
look as daunting or sterile as common calendar apps usually do. It's
quirky, fun and advisable for people who just want to organise their
lives. Can't go wrong for that price either. Free
Business Calendar
For
the professional Android user, Business Calendar is a good choice. I
personally love the grandeur widget that displays either a daily, weekly
or monthly calendar on a home screen page, making it always accessible.
Other than the standard event management features what does Business
Calendar offer? More frequent events can be added with ease, events can
be dragged and dropped and the multiple themes make this an app that
pays for itself rather quickly. $5
Windows Phone
Left: Calendar[+] - Right: Beautiful Calendar
Calendar[+]
Calendar[+]
is THE calendar app for your Windows Phone. It's versatile, fast, easy
to add events, has room for multiple accounts and is well rounded.
Events can be pinned to the home screen as a constant reminder or filter
certain appointments off the calendar. Best of all, it doesn't cost a
penny. Free
Beautiful Calendar
For
a more robust all in one calendar, Beautiful Calendar offers event
creation and management as well as notes and taskmaster functionality.
When it comes to the calendar it certainly lives up to the name with a
nice, simple color scheme including special ones for birthdays,
anniversaries and holidays. Another worthwhile option in Windows Phone
growing app marketplace. Free
