Monthly Archives: September 2012

Sep182012

Whole-Wheat Pizza — No Yeast Necessary

Hey there, ladies and gents, here’s a dish that will make you drool the instant it’s about to go in the oven and even more so after. And the recipe will make your stress meter happy: it’s a quick one (surprisingly, for pizza). If your dough is right, then it could take just twenty minutes (including cooking time!). AND YOU DON’T KNEAD ANY YEAST (sorry I had to). I don’t know if you’re getting it…it’s an easy quick recipe! I got it from this blog, but altered it a good deal. Okay sorry, let’s get to business.

Ingredients:

2 cups regular whole wheat flour
2 cloves garlic (pressed)
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
anything you want to put on top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Put all those ingredients [spare the toppings (anytime I say ‘spare,” I think of Voldemort’s “Kill the spare!” sorry I digress)] into a big bowl and mix by hand. You want to knead it all together to make a dough. You want it to feel spongy and happy.

Get a baking sheet, oil it lightly and press the dough down onto it in whichever shape you desire. Try to get it as flat as possible without tearing it

Bake for 5-15 minutes, depending on how thick your crust is. You want it to firm up so you can put your toppings on
Take out and put your toppings on! I started with pesto and marinara sauce, with garlic pressed into it too

Then I put grated cheddar cheese and brie all over. On one half, I loaded on the spinach (eat your vegetables!). I also put dried basil and oregano on top

Put in oven for 10-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of the crust). You want it until the edge of the crust is a light brown and your toppings are cooked

And there you have it! That wasn’t hard, was it? It’s near impossible not to enjoy this–unless you burn your mouth, so be careful! This dish maybe lasted eight minutes. Maybe. Just try it, you won’t be disappointed.

Sir, you’re drooling everywhere

Sep172012

Movie Review: Resident Evil Retribution

So, in typical birthday tradition we saw the newest Resident Evil film in the live-action series because it’s always released on my birthday weekend. Now, I did not think that any of the first four live-action films were good, as a fan of the series and as a blank slate, looking for an entertaining film. Some were better than others, but the only good Resident Evil feature length film was Degeneration, which was animated and starred characters that actually played a prominent role in the series, Leon and Claire.

Alice (Milla Jovovich) and the Red Queen, along with Rain and the White Queen, are all major film characters that were in fact created strictly for the films. They do not appear in any of the MULTIPLE video games in the Resident Evil (or Biohazard, as it is named in Japan) series. And that’s fine, it’s alright if you do not accurately portray the series… and although I might not like it, I have obviously still been open to watching them all. However, when you go against the story line of the series directly contradicting many important matters, then I have a problem!

So with that, they essentially took a bunch of characters that either did not exist or never met or worked with one another, and had them all shoot off 300,000 rounds of ammunition in this movie. Barry, Leon, Ada, Jill, and Wesker all together at the same time, this late in the chronology? A licker the size of an eighteen-wheeler fighting them in a car chase? Wesker trying to save humanity and not drowning in a pit of volcanic lava while trying to destroy the planet? And what happened to Chris and Claire Redfield who were with, I thought, Alice at the end of the last movie. Sequel? I hope not.

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 12: (L-R) Actors ...

Actors from the film

The actors in this movie did a horrible job. Horrible. And we think Milla is top notch, but she couldn’t even convince in this role because she probably knew how ridiculous it was. Leon didn’t look right for me, Ada didn’t look right for me, Barry didn’t look right for me, but their costumes were spot on and you could tell they tried. It’s always hard to cast perfectly for an animated character because there might not be anyone that looks identical. As for the effects, it was just overkill. Too much slow motion, too many bullets being fired off, the Las Plagas infected either looked too cheesy or not infected enough. It was just bad, too much was off for a fan to like it and it was just too bad of a movie for anyone else (Alana said it was one of the worst movies she’s ever seen).

Resident Evil video game

So with that, having seen it in 2d the day after it was released, I would have to give it a 1/5. And being from a genre that I generally love, horror, and having it be a video game based movie, that’s bad. Really don’t see it. Even if you saw the last five, don’t see it. It’s a waste of time and money. Wait until it’s either a waste of time or money, not both. So disappointing with my personal most anticipated video game release of the year, Resident Evil 6. October 2nd, it’s preordered and set up for release day delivery via Amazon. Scott Reiners, I hope you’re ready for co-op cause we have a Platinum Trophy with our name on it.

Sep152012

Cardio X: Worth it or Ditch it?

So, a few days ago, I was feeling in the mood to get my heart pumping, but not necessarily go for a run or go to the gym (time constraints + weather + lack of gym membership AT THE CURRENT TIME). Hmmm…oh right! I bought the P90X set for $4 at a garage sale! Didn’t it have some cardio thing in it? Yes, boys and girls, it did.

Sep142012

Movie Night V2: Reel Rock Tour 7

For the past six or seven years (and we had no idea), the Reel Rock Tour has been spreading its love for “climbing” throughout the world (mostly the U.S.). This is obviously a big deal in Boulder, a hub for climbing and outdoor enthusiasts, so they decided to kickoff the tour here.

Marga and Megan were super nice enough to not only invite us, but also get us tickets to this amazing and popular event. The mini film festival started at 7:30 p.m. last night and we had made it just in time. One of Marga’s friends, Sheri, had saved us some great seats so we were very fortunate there because these were films you would not want to miss. They announced that the “theatre” at Chautauqua Park held 1300 people and that the event sold out for last night and tonight as well. On the trek up the hill to the big log cabin/barn where it was being held, we were given not one, but two free Clif bar samples! Awesome stuff Boulder. As Alana said, if Clif was trying to push their products, then they are in the wrong place since they’re already so popular here. And then the event began…

After some announcing and thank yous and introductions and what not they finally turned the lights off and began the show. First up was The Dura Dura, or the hard hard for our non Spanish speaking readers. Chris Sharma, a very “rad” American climber”, and Adam Ondra, a very not-rad Czech climber, competed against each other to conquer the hardest route ever climbed. It was old school vs. new school but in the end, they bonded and learned from one another. Afterwards, there was a short segment on the recent surge of powerful women climbers that have decided to not just sit back and do the easy routes, but get hungry and do the 5.13s and 14s despite the powerful moves that are required. It was a well-put together and informative film that capture some great climbing of the new hardest routes in the world that have been found in Spain. Really great stuff from amazing climbers.

Adam Ondra

Then they decided to show what I thought was the best film of the night, The Shark’s Fin. The Shark’s Fin is a part of Mt. Meru in India and it is a ridiculous climb for alpinists because of the weather and altitude. The film gives a lot of background on Conrad Anker, one of the greatest alpinists of all time. After failed attempts to climb the fin in his past, Conrad has some unifinished business with his deceased best friend. Conrad puts together his 2008 expedition, despite one of the three members having gone through a skull-shattering ski accident. Through strokes, broken equipment, -25 degree temperatures, and frostbite, the close crew tries to make it to the “center of the universe” (as Hindus dub it) in their final attempt. The emotion of the story and beauty of the mountain make this film one anyone, climber or not, cannot miss.

Then there was an intermission with poorly organized giveaways! We could have gotten free gear but they didn’t explain what was going on! There was a headstand contest for the best prizes, but we are both HORRIBLE at them, especially me, so we didn’t even try. Alex Honnold, the star of the 4th film, signed posters and Sheri got one for Alana! We just wanted the next films to start asap because, thus far, they were incredible.

Next was the Wide Boys, a shorter film about crag climbing (climbing off-width cracks, using and contorting your body to hang on). It’s an insane looking and painful sport that is far less common than other forms. It is like ultimate fighting against a rock, or so they say. The film highlights Pete and Tom, two Brits that decide to leave the weak off-widths of Great Britain to climb all the cracks in the American Midwest. After two months of training in a cellar, the boys conquer them all and even end their “world tour” with an attempt at the Century Crack, the hardest off-width (that we know of) in the world. It has never been done before. This film had some great footage, but it was short and failed to really develop their story; there wasn’t the same connect as the first two films had. The emotion didn’t emerge.

Finally, the film that had everyone’s hands sweating, Honnold 3.0. Climbing is actually very safe if done with proper prep and gear. Alex Honnold is the exception to that notion of safety. Alex is arguably the greatest soloist in the world, and not a shabby sport, speed or boulderer at that. This film shows his reclusive life living out of his van with his new girlfriend. Alex trains in Bishop, CA, where Chris Sharma lived for quite some time, in order to prepare his next big feat, something that has never been done before, a triple crown of Yosemite up Mt. Watkins, the Nose, and Half Dome, in under 24 hours. He’s done all three by himself but 7,000 ft of vertical walls with free soloing (NO GEAR) 95% of his climbs, and fatigue setting in, just how safe can this invincible fearless superman be? The footage of an amazing attempt at an amazing feat was top notch and Honnold is such an interesting character that getting to see him not in hiding is a treat. A great film.

Well that’s it, we left afterwards and forgot to support the Access Fund and the American Alpine Fund by joining both for 35$, usually it’s way more than that! Silly us, we were tired and forgetful. See if the tour is coming to a place near you because its worth it!

Sep132012

Happy Birthday, Chris!

You’re an old man now (24 to be exact). So, I’ll direct you to this post for what we did over the past weekend (kind of our birthday weekend/week). That was all a bunch of fun, definitely some good times. His exact birthday was yesterday, September 12th.

Anyhow, two nights ago we decide to have a joint birthday dinner. I ask Chris what he wants for dinner and he says (can you guess?)…SUSHI! So sushi it is! We invite Marga, Ben, and Megan to meet us for a 7:30pm dinner at Sushi Tora. It was nice on the interior and very busy. We arrived in the rain, and were lucky enough to find a spot right in front! A very rare occurrence anywhere near Pearl St. Once everyone arrived, we started off with some Magic Mushrooms–a very popular appetizer there. I believe it contained salmon, mushroom, and some sort of other flavor. Looked good.

We stayed there for a few hours and ordered a lot off the menu (well, Chris did at least). I got some delicious tuna and smoked white tuna sushi (nigiri). I didn’t really like the smoked flavor of the white tuna, just because I’m so in love with white tuna (it’s my favorite, just so you know)

Chris ordered two entrees: cod and mackerel (not raw). He ate them up pretty quickly.

Mackerel: GREAT protein-wise and omega-3s!

Megan and Marga then split a DELICIOUS tempura-battered brie with sliced apples (or were they pears?) with honey. Very very good.

Then, Marga, Ben, and Megan split a bunch of different rolls, all of which mostly contained salmon and eel, I believe. They looked very tasty.

We then ended the night with banana tempura, which was extra delicious. Very sweet and under a base of caramel, mmm! Overall, this place was good, not great, but still an excellent time with family and just enjoying the night. The price didn’t quite match the value, but it’s a big step up from Japango. Our next Sushi adventure will be at Sushi Zanmai, which is supposed to be superb. Can’t wait to try it out!

We went to bed full and happy, having had a really fun night. The next morning, we woke up to wet grounds outside and a steady trickle of rain. I looked at the forecast: 57 degrees alllll day. I knew Chris would be happy. He likes the cold. I don’t quite like the cold (sorry, I’m from SoCal), but I do enjoy my rain and it gives a great reason to stay inside and be happy. Which we did when we could. With the looming chore of the DMV before us, I wanted to take Chris out to a place that had good croissants for breakfast. So I put on my jeans and my NZ gumboots (rare recently, due to it being a usual 90 degrees and all) and we drove to Spruce Confections.

It was delicious (see above). We got two croissants, one mixed berry with chocolate scone, hot chocolate, and Bhakti Chai. We really enjoyed the croissants–they were fresh, buttery, and had a perfect taste. The scone was good, but didn’t compare to the croissant. The hot chocolate was soul-warming, but needed to be a tad bit sweeter, but we will definitely again. Now, the Bhakti Chai was intense. It had the strongest ginger flavor I had ever tasted in a chai before! If anyone is sick, pick up a cup of this stuff! Well, anyhow, it was an adorable little cafe/bakery with quirky girls working the shop, rain dripping down outside, and a couple of cute dogs hiding under tables waiting for their owners to hurry up with their drink. They will definitely see us here again. We can’t wait to go here during the winter, I have a feeling the scene will be perfect.

I then spent the next 3 hours in the DMV, getting a Colorado license while Chris happily sat in the car, playing a new game I got him for his birthday on his 3DS. We then both had work, but by the time 8pm rolled around, we were hungry. Chris picked me up and we discussed dinner. We had recently walked to Marshall’s and on the way, our noses were hijacked by the most wonderful smell…wafting from a big Indian restaurant (Jai Ho). So, last night, we decided to go. It was very good, very quiet, and very atmospheric. We had samosas, garlic naan, a mushroom dish, and a curry dish (which was spicy even though the waiter insisted it was the non-spicy one Chris could get). I guess we’ll need to say “non-Indian non-spicy” next time.

He also got a lot of great birthday loot, including some video games, music, checks, and cards, so thank you everyone!! Cheers 🙂

P.S.- Sorry for skipping a day, beloved readers, as you can see we were very busy yesterday and the night before. Thanks, as always, for reading!

Sep112012

Holding on for Dear Life

Yes, that’s us: desperately wedging our chalked, cramped fingers into the cracks of humongous rocks, boulders, and man-made wedges. We have started the awe-inspiring sport of rock climbing (thanks to Marga and Megan). It’s an unreal workout, working your finger tips, to your hips, to your toes and leaves you feeling incredibly sore the next day–especially in the forearms.

Boulder Canyon

One of our first days of just arriving in Boulder, Marga and Megan took us to Boulder Canyon to do our first outdoor climbing. We had both done various indoor climbs, just for fun, and nothing serious. This was a whole different story. The fresh air whipping past you as you’re trying to figure out a reach to your next hold, the incredible view from all sides, the real-life feeling that gets you energized–all on nature’s rock. It’s great. You feel giddy afterwards, even us rookies on easy climbs, once you finish, because you look down from the top and feel pretty awesome that you climbed all that (with amazing belayers).

I think our first climb was a 5’6, a standard ‘easy’ one, and it was a blast. Now, Chris is afraid of heights (pretty much the only thing he’s scared of), and he crossed the tyrolian which is two ropes doubled over secured between either rocks or a tree or rocks and rocks which hangs over a river. And then, he goes ahead and climbs up a freaking mountain. Pretty awesome for facing your fears, I’d say. Anyhow, unfortunately we didn’t get pics of that climb, it was so much fun.

Fred using the tyrolian to cross the river

Our next climbing adventure was indoors at the Boulder Rock Club, a totally immersive climbing gym with tons of walls and a pretty unique gym area too. Tons of levels of climbing from 5’3 to 5’12+ (something I won’t be able to even try for at least a year). We had a chance to do a bunch of them, trying out our skill with no fear of falling. We also got to try out bouldering, an activity Chris really loves. It’s just climbing low to the ground (but still very hard stuff), so you don’t need equipment. It’s a killer workout and really fun to challenge yourself with it.

Chris on the rock wall

And finally, I got out on another trip with Marga, Megan, and Fred. We went to Boulder Canyon again, but this time in Avalon. For me, it was definitely a step-up difficult-wise. The climb was a 5-7+ and it was at a slant with less big boulders and rocks to grab onto and more just flat surface with cracks in the rock to jam your fingers into.

The hike there was pretty nice, too, very steep and climbing up rocks (but not exactly rock-climbing). We got to use the tyrolian there too (as seen in picture above).

So on this climb, I struggled a bit more in where to place my hands and feet. It’s not about grabbing as hard as you can. It’s kind of like an art: it’s about grace, balance, and pressure. You just need to lightly snug your fingers onto a hold (even the smallest of holds) and you will find support. I also found that I definitely need to work on my flexibility as I almost pulled my groin as I was reaching up for another hold. But, again, that feeling when you get to the top is great. And if you know me, I love feeling sore or even having tired muscles the day of.

Marga very generously donated her old climbing shoes to me so I am slowly on my way to getting all the gear (kind of an expensive sport). We’re on the hunt for some shoes for Chris. Also, once we feel steady money-wise, we definitely want a membership to the Boulder Rock Club as they have great climbs but also a cool gym with equipment like rings, finger holds, and a rope. I am so grateful for my family introducing us to this sport, it’s something we will DEFINITELY be pursuing.

Sep102012

Happy Birthday, Alana!

So, I failed Saturday because I was feeling lazy and Alana bailed me out, AND yesterday I was feeling sick and she didn’t bail me out. So here’s a few-days overdue post of our plans for Alana’s birthday and how they actually worked out. So basically…

We wake up on Saturday, September 8th and Alana is nearly 22 years old, American age. She’d be 23 in Korea. Now, she says she was born around 10 am Pacific time, so it’s not quite her birthday but that’s fine. So, actually at midnight, the night before, Alana opened her presents/cards from my family back home (thanks Mom, Dad, and Andrew for the check) and her family back home, thanks Kai for making so much and being so generous, and thanks mum and Dad for the jandals, tiger shirt, and being so generous. So, back to Saturday morning.

Marga invited us out for breakfast and we found ourselves at 10 a.m. at Tangerine on Iris and 28th. It was SOO busy so we knew it was a trendy spot with most-likely delicious food. Two minutes into the meal we got a surprise when Ben showed up. Ben and Marga got lattes, Alana got a chai, I drank water, and the food came out really quickly (it is breakfast food, but fancy). Alana got a vegetarian eggs benedict highlighted with pesto. The pesto was powerful and the eggs were cooked to perfection, along with some well seasoned taters. Marga got a prosciutto di parma wrapped egg-based dish, I think. It was really good and Ben eventually stole it because he wasn’t in the mood for his classic Belgian waffle with fruits and nuts on top. I couldn’t decide, because being a new pescatarian isn’t compatible at a breakfast place usually, and I got the flight of the pancakes, which is their sampler of three different pancakes. One was classic buttermilk, one was whole grain with some interesting toppings, and one was sweet with ricotta and blueberries on top. The maple syrup was good and by the end of the meal, after some plate passing, everything was finished off.

We sat around for a while and had some great conversation, about the democratic national convention and our political views. It is Boulder after all, so talking about politics was safe for us. Marga and Ben split the bill because they’re awesome. Ben had to leave to coach his girl’s soccer team and, as we left, Marga being the ridiculously nice and thoughtful person she is, gave Alana a present wrapped in a bag and some pet spot smell remover for our kitten accidents.

So, we got back home, Alana opened the beautiful wine glasses from Marga (thank you!) and we decided to go to the Boulder Farmer’s Market. We didn’t need much so we just got some Persian garlic. We walked there and back since it’s close and it was a beautiful day… it’s finally been getting cooler and I hope it wasn’t just a phase. Afterwards, we took a nap with the kitties and really did little to no work or chores.

5:30 rolls around and we have plans to visit my friend in Englewood (near Denver). The Buffs game ended hours ago and the Broncos didn’t have a game so we thought traffic wouldn’t be that bad. Well, it wasn’t LA or New York, but it took 80 minutes to go 33 miles on all highways. We stopped at Whole Foods to pick up some hard cider and a salad for our get together. We were going to make a salad at home, but our greens weren’t fresh and we weren’t about to serve them to friends.

So we roll into Englewood, interesting little area, and Garrett lets us into the parking garage. Now, Garrett was my co-worker at Hollister during high school. We played against each other in soccer and basketball in high school. I went to a small public school and he went to a smaller private school. We were both really bad schools for sports in general so nobody really won or lost. I haven’t seen him since high school because he went to CU Boulder and never returned because he loved it so much. Their apartment is beautiful and twice the size of ours, but they only have an original x-box and no matter how many emulators you have for retro-gaming, after selling 90% of my systems, our gaming is better.

But I digress. I was feeling very sick by the end of the day, but we still had a great time, meeting new people like Garrett’s better half “Lee.” She has a fun story having two parents in the military/government, I can’t say more because then my life might be in danger. Oh well, we just ate and hung out and caught up and can’t wait to see them again. Thanks everyone for an amazing birthday. Oh, and I got Alana a Star Wars the Old Republic graphic novel, Super Smash Brawl, and a huge zodiac tapestry for the bedroom wall. And that’s about it! OH and thank you Grandpa and Grandma Powell for the super generous card!!! 🙂

Sep082012

Need Some Protein? Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

I know, I know, it’s a pretty cheap way of protein, but I had to catch your eye somehow. But maybe just the word ‘cookies’ would’ve done it. Hmmm…

Anyhow, this is a real easy recipe and takes no longer than 20 minutes (including prep time!). It’s great to have with a nice cup of tea (for me, Chai tea). I originally got the recipe from here, but as always, it’s altered. Take a peek below for ingredients and directions!

Ingredients

1 cup of peanut butter (I used creamy natural)
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix the peanut butter, butter, honey, sugar, and egg til it’s smooth like…butter

3. Then stir in the whole-wheat flour and baking powder until blended in

4. Make little balls out of the cookie dough and place them on the cookie sheet

5. Place in oven for 13-15 minutes (depending on how you made the cookies)

6. Enjoy!

Let us know if you enjoyed this recipe! We’d love to hear back from you. Cheers 🙂

Sep072012

Work your Glutes Gracefully — the Plié Squat

We all want to better up our buttocks–whether it be to look nice or to gain a good amount of muscle and strength. Either way, you need a path to get there. And now I give you…the Plié Squat (with turns)! It’s good for anyone wanting to build quad and glutes muscle or simply tone. Trust me, it’s a toughie (I’m still feeling the remnants of muscle fiber tears, three days later).

Your Very Own Gluteus Maximus

Just because it sounds fruity and fluffy, doesn’t mean it won’t kick your glutes into gear. And this is not just a exercise for girls, it helps build great muscle which is where a lot of your leg strength comes from. And, anyways, anyone who knows me, knows that I hate gender restrictions and suggestions. Do what you do and do it for you. Usually, it’s just a Plié squat, pure and simple. However, I like add two lunge turns to one rep (inspired by Women’s Health) to really get the heat burning in my quads and glutes. Want some power? Get ready for a Plié!

The Plié Squat (with lunge turns)

You can choose to do this with or without weights (I typically like using a barbell with weight because it’s easy to control)
Attention! Begin in a wide stance, with your toes pointing away from your body (like horse stance, nice wide stance, but remember that toes point outward!). You will look like you are about to do a very wide-stance Plié.
Squat down as low as you can without compromising your form (back should be straight, knees in line with toes, and neck straight). Make sure your knees do not fall inward.
Turn to your left from the squat position, creating a lunge to your left side
Return to squat
From squat position, turn to your right for a lunge to your right side
Return to starting standing position
Looks below for a picture instruction of these steps

That’s one rep. So I hope that you’re starting to see that maybe this isn’t as easy as the name makes it out to be. I usually go for 12 reps (painfully groaning my way there) and 3-4 sets of those reps. You will definitely feel your legs crying of fatigue after this and most certainly feel those muscle fiber tears the next day (and the day after that…aaand the day after that).

Tell me how this went for you! And as always, if you want free consultation or workout plan, feel free to email me at alana.ppowell@gmail.com

Cheers!

Sep062012

Gourmet in Boulder: Pizza Bagels

So, I’m not actually talking about those delicious little treats that can be found in the frozen food aisle. We know as long as you toast them in the oven and steer clear of the microwave (best-worst invention ever) that they’ll be reliably delicious, in a very cheap sense. I’m talking about pizza and bagels, specifically in Boulder. This will be similar to the sushi post; another rant because I’m not comfortable/in-shape so no fitness posts quite yet.

Now I won’t say that New Jersey or even New York has the best sushi, although Masa is supposed to be top notch, but it does truly have, overall, the best bagels and pizza in the United States, and from what I’ve tasted, in the world. I’m not talking about gourmet style artisan pizza, for the record, I’m talking about a good old fashioned throw it in the oven family style pizza pie. Some people say it’s the water where we’re from, some people say it’s the dense population of Italian-Americans, and some people say its the climate. I don’t know what the secret is, but there most certainly is a difference. And that has become very apparent in Boulder.

New Jersey

When Alana first came to New York, she thought she had good pizza in the city, but I brought her to New Jersey and had her experience real pizza. She’s stubborn and proud (in a good way) but she easily admitted how good it was. Then we moved onto bagels, where North Jersey took it home again. No competition. So growing up with pizza and bagels all the time, I wanted to keep eating them in Boulder. Alana didn’t object because the ones she had in Jersey made her crave them all the time. Then we got to Boulder and tried…

Cosmos, Blackjack, and Abo’s… and for bagels we went to Moe’s (all of these were recommended by individuals who have lived in Boulder… for their whole lives)… this is how it breaks down. And for the record, Colorado Daily, you had an article last week that talked about Abo’s being New York Style Pizza… you clearly don’t know what it is and you should do some more research before you put it into circulation. Here, I can make a mistake, because no one reads this.

We’ll go from worst to best.

Moe’s – Overpriced in every sense. The bagels are much more expensive than back home, they’re literally half the size, maybe even a third, and they don’t have the proper texture. I saw that a New York Style Bagel Sandwich was nearly $8. It had tomato, onion, lox, cream cheese, and something else. I had never heard of that before… so there goes the authenticity. Even if it is authentic, it can’t be because people from New York would know! Plus, that sort of sandwich wouldn’t be more than $4 back home, and it’d be twice the size. Moe’s bagels are smaller and harder than Dunkin Donuts. We had the Italian and the Pesto, and they were little rocks. I can’t even put into words what it’s like to bite into a bagel back home, but it was the total opposite of this. I got an egg and cheese on the pesto bagel. The egg was one of those disgusting pre-made patties. This was just garbage. Alana disagreed but I gave this place a 0/5, no questions asked. I wouldn’t consider going back there again. But then again, there are several locations. They didn’t even have ketchup so I could drown the taste of that horrible sandwich. Her Italian bagel with cream cheese was better, but still not even good

Blackjack – Horrible Domino’s ripoff. Same style but worse taste and texture. We didn’t know it was like that so it was our mistake. If we want that kind of cheap late pizza we’ll never go back to Blackjack. Domino’s is the easy choice, same price and better quality. Delivery service was good though.

Abo’s – Again, that article was very off in calling this New York style. It’s not. The texture wasn’t bad either… the texture was in fact almost good enough to want to get again. It was the taste that killed it for me. It tasted like… absolutely nothing. Some of the blandest pizza I have ever had in my life. The sauce, the cheese, the dough… all bland. Plus, it was relatively expensive for the size of the pizza. Alana didn’t mind it, but she’s not as picky as I am with pizza. Delivery service was good, but at that price for that serving size and quality, wouldn’t get it again.

Cosmos– There is some real potential here. With the reasonably priced extra large pies, and a solid texture to the pizza, Cosmos is hands down the best we’ve had so far. The marinara is a bit spicy for me, I don’t think it’s the right move, but that’s the chef’s choice and I can’t do anything about it. Even with that spice, it’s still got the texture and flavor to buy again, which is what we did. We’ve already had it twice, and with a jar of spicy ranch in the fridge for Alana, we’ll definitely get it many more times.

Well that’s it for tonight. As we have more pizza and bagels in Boulder and the surrounding areas, I will make sure to update the blog with what we’ve found but until then this is what we’ll have to work with so I’ll be missing Jersey a bit more than normal.

P.S.- This may have sounded kind of harsh, we didn’t hear back from the jobs we wanted today and the darn bulb in the bedroom blew. We love you all! Thanks for reading