Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS is a Can’t-Miss Summer Spectacle

Here in Colorado, we are used to seeing peaks surrounding us. Most are rocky and snow-capped. Our major airport reflects this in it’s iconic white-tent roof. The newest and most colorful is located in the heart of Denver meaning one wonderful thing: Cirque du Soleil has returned to the city with yet another whimsical, jaw-dropping show. KURIOS-Cabinet of Curiosities is tumbling, flying, and bending in steampunk style until July 26, 2015.

If you’ve seen a Cirque du Soleil show, you might think you know what to expect. Cirque experiences are always packed with humor, oddities, fearless feats, joyful music, and eye-candy costumes. KURIOS delivers all these treasured elements. I’ve seen other Cirque shows and was continually surprised by creative innovations in this new-to-Denver touring show. How can they top themselves over and over? I had a big dumb grin on my face from start to finish. I clapped like a seal and oohed and ahhed like it was the Fourth of July.

If you’ve never seen a Cirque du Soleil show, now is an excellent opportunity to make the plunge into its fantasy oddball world of character, color, and the best circus acts in the world. Maybe you’re picturing old-school trapeze and tight rope? Maybe you think there couldn’t possibly be anything fresh or fun about bendy people performing in a tent?

Imagine flying bicycles, fish soaring to the blue and yellow peaked roof, living dolls, an airplane landing on stage, tumblers defying gravity and good sense, and laugh-out-loud comedy bits. Now, pair that with lights, live music, special effects, and a trampoline that makes your backyard model look like a kitchen sponge and you begin to get the idea: Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS is special. They are richly blessed to showcase some of the most talented performers from around the world, hailing from 15 countries.

We visited backstage and met some of the people behind this enormous spectacle. They live and breathe their art, whether its performing, costuming, music, or production. You can see how much love and dedication they have and that translates into a wonderful experience for everyone who gets the privilege to watch Cirque du Soleil in action.

KURIOS-Cabinet of Curiosities is located in Denver’s Pepsi Center parking lot. You can’t miss the arena-sized blue and yellow tent. It’s quite a sight, built to withstand all weather conditions. You might be worried about our rainy weather pattern and how it might effect the experience. We saw KURIOS on one of the most rainy nights in recent memory and stayed safely warm and dry.

Hurry and get your tickets to see KURIOS! It will only be here until July 26th, and then it heads to Chicago. Don’t let it escape your summer-in-Colorado experience. Your kids will write the most stellar “what I did this summer” essays for their new teachers. It’s appropriate for all ages. Concessions are available in the lobby and they have an intermission to stretch your non-bendy legs.

For more information, visit Cirque du Soleil. You can buy tickets and learn more about the story of KURIOS-Cabinet of Curiosities.

The Luck of The Irish and A Recipe for Corned Beef & Cabbage in The Slow Cooker

In anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day, I started experimenting traditional Irish meals. I’ve always been curious about what exactly is corned beef and learned the term “corned” comes from putting meat in a large crock and covering it with large rock-salt kernels of salt that were referred to as “corns of salt” to preserve the meat. The Irish were the biggest exporters of Corned Beef until 1825.

According to Livestrong, a cooked standard serving of corned beef, weighing 3 oz., has 80 mg of cholesterol and a whopping 15 g of protein. If you want a healthier cut with lower levels of fat and sodium, ask for an extra-lean corned beef cut. When ordering from a butcher, the top layer of fat should be fully trimmed off the brisket. Be sure to cut away the visible fat both before and after cooking. Steam-cooking helps melt fat off the meat. Return beef slices to the steamer to help remove some interior fat. Boiling the sliced meat in fresh water can also help lower sodium content.

In addition to corned beef, I also wanted to do something different. I could make colcannon, or an apple-parsnip soup or even irish soda bread, but I was thinking something other than food this time. At my son’s school, the teachers are always making this awesome scented play dough. I didn’t have the recipe, and always forget to ask, so I looked on Pinterest… my first mistake.

I thought that making green play dough with my son would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. It would be an activity that we could do together, and it looked super easy to make. I measured out my ingredients, and had everything in place, all I had to do was follow a recipe and then have this awesome play dough. The first recipe I tried was for a kool-aid play dough. Cool. I went to the store, bought what I needed and got to it.

I made the play dough just like the recipe called for and I ended up with a sticky ball of goo… so I figured I’d try cooking it. Mistake number two. I tried again, with a new batch of ingredients, and ended up with the same results. End Result: Epic Fail.

Back to Pinterest. I found a recipe for Jello play dough. This recipe was a little bit different. So again, I measured out the ingredients and followed the recipe. Not a complete fail as in the kool-aid play dough experience, but a very, very sticky and kind of stringy ball of green dough. End Result: Fail.

Now with two failed attempts at play dough making, I figured I’d just stick with what I know and share a tried and true recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage.

[yumprint-recipe id=’13’]May the luck of the Irish be with you on this St. Patrick’s Day!

-Lindsie Lizotte, Mom’s Bistro

Just Like Mom’s: A Quick & Easy Meatloaf Recipe That Your Kids Will LOVE

Warm, filling meatloaf is the classic comfort food. You most likely have a favorite recipe, whether its a family recipe passed down from grandma, or the kid-approved version that you’ve picked up along the way that you now call yours. If not, or if you’re just looking for a new spin on the classic this recipe is for you. With only using four ingredients (salt and pepper are freebies) which you probably already have in your fridge and pantry, this meatloaf is ready from start to finish in only 45 minutes!

Picky Eaters? This Recipe for TaterTot Casserole is Sure To Impress Any Kid! The Ultimate Kid-Approved Meal!

Being a cook at a daycare has taught me two things:

1. even the pickiest eaters LOVE tater tots, and
2. kids like anything in a casserole. Thus… TaterTot Casserole. What I love about this recipe is that it is easy to hide vegetables inside without your kids even knowing that they are in there! Bonus. What’s the benefit for mom? Easy clean up. I used one pan, one bowl, one spoon and one casserole dish.

Gather all of your ingredients. I think that this is the most important step in making dinner – having everything out and ready to go!
Not Shown: cream cheese

Brown ground beef and season well with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Mix in cream cheese, sour cream and cream of mushroom soup. Stir until it is all combined and looks a grayish cream color.

Put the meat in the bottom of a casserole dish, and place your tots around the casserole dish.

Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Give it a little shake to let the cheese get in between the tots. Yummy cheesy potatoy goodness!

This is what it looks like from the side. Stick this baby in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

After 35 minutes it is crunchy and cheesy and oozing with deliciousness!

Enjoy your hard work and watch your kids gobble this up and probably even ask for seconds 😉

[yumprint-recipe id=’12’]

Love it and want some more kid friendly recipes? Check out my list of the Ultimate Kid Approved Meals!