Happy Monday! Sorry for abandoning you all weekend, but you know, I had to spend quality time with the in-laws! It was fun having more than 2 people to cook for this weekend so, of course, I went all out with a Saturday morning brunch.
Parfaits: Vanilla Greek yogurt + blackberries & strawberries + granola.
I’ve been working on developing my spiritual gift of remembering family members’ food preferences and remembered that my mother-in-law is a big fan of sweet potato fries. I decided to experiment a little and came up with a nice skillet of fried breakfast sweet potatoes! I added cumin and red onion to make them nice & savory (so Kevin would eat them!). The eggs were baked in a ramekin with basil, halved cherry tomatoes, turkey bacon, and parmesan cheese and served with a toasted English muffin.
For dessert, we had leftovers of the best chocolate cake ever!
I know what you’re thinking! Yes, I even made my in-laws get some exercise in! We hiked about 3.5 miles over in Cherry Creek Park. I was actually kind of the one holding the group up!! My left foot had really been bothering me after my multiple poor decisions in breaking in new shoes! It’s feeling better now, but I almost thought Kevin James was going to have to carry me back.
But they got me back for that intense workout…
We all have our nerdy little hobbies. Kevin and especially his dad are apparently big into Lionel train sets.
We decided a train store would be a good place for single girls to meet NERDY available men with lots of disposable income!
I was sorely disappointed that there were hardly any trains chugging around the store!! I just wanted to see them running and doing cool stuff with smoke.
I consoled myself with some celebrity gossip while I waited for them to check out engines and whatnot. I have no clue. 
Our next stop was a lot more exciting! We’d heard about the Tattered Covered bookstore from some friends, and it was something I knew my MIL would enjoy – so it was my perfect chance to check it out! Because otherwise we all know that I’d spend the whole weekend either at home or at the gym!
I was in heaven!! I couldn’t figure out what to look at first!
Paper dolls of great authors caught my eye. I had to send the George Orwell section to my old roommate, Megan. Nobody loves Georgie more than Megan! I was more of a fan of the Jane Austen dolls myself.
I couldn’t resist paging through a book about dog tricks! Never gonna happen with Boyd! But when I get my Vizsla… I can only dream of a dog who can jump rope with me!! I love it!
My in-laws live in Winona – the craziest restaurant there is probably Perkins. So we took them out to our favorite Indian place – India’s Restaurant.
They peer pressured me into ordering something different from my usual Chicken Tikka Masla. I went with Naryal Chicken (chicken cooked in a deliciously flavored coconut sauce). Yum! I loved it, but it was definitely way spicier than anything they’d ever given me there. I usually always order “medium” in spiciness. Kevin and his dad both ordered it “hot” to show what real men they are.
For some reason, I neglected to take any pictures on Sunday. I was kinda beat. But we really enjoyed bringing Kevin’s parents to our Young Marrieds Sunday School, and they obviously didn’t leave town without checking out Yogurtini!
What’s your favorite section to browse in a bookstore? Cookbooks, health, fiction, and children’s books. I found an awesome children’s book called Red Sled. I absolutely loved it! I made Kevin look at all the pictures with me.
How spicy do you like it? Mild, Medium, or Hot. I usually go with medium at a restaurant, but I make things pretty spicy at home. My nose is always running.
Where’s your favorite place to take visitors to your city? We’re really not very good at this yet, but if they are from the Midwest they usually enjoy the restaurant selection. 
OMG. I want that breakfast NOW!!! You had me at sweet potatoes and ramekin eggs
They looked so fancy smanche too… I’m sure your MIL was very impressed!!
I REALLY loved that breafkast!
those parfait cups are cute!! I want a set of those when I have my own house.
get a jump rope video when that happens! cuz that would be amazing!
That is so funny that the hobby store had a women’s reading corner with all sorts of gossip magazines!
That’s really genius, isn’t it!!
That’s awesome that your spiritual gift is remembering food preferences! I think mine is smelling a poopy diaper from anywhere in the house.:) Favorite section of a bookstore: love the magazine section at thrift stores, so I can look for old copies of Runners World. I’m too cheap to buy that junk new. And I love your sweet potato combo!
Your brunch is very impressive!! Your in-laws certainly are lucky!
I liked your comment about the craziest restaurant around them being Perkins. Haha! Good for the for going for Indian (and you for trying a new dish there!)
I definitely head straight or the health and food books in a bookstore (big shocker, right?) When people visit us, we go into DC. Obviously there is A LOT to see there (and I take it for granted because I’ve lived here or almost 32 years!)
Looks like you had a Wonderful weekend! What fun!
What a fun weekend! You are such a great host. I have the hardest time trying to entertain people and find things that everyone will like. Oh, and the train store… well, I’d be reading gossip magazines too. I wouldn’t even know where to start in that store.
Can you come cook me breakfast????? Your in-laws are lucky
My brother and grandfather are obsessed with Lionel Trains. They will put together these huge train displays. Everyone has a nerdy habit.
I love bookstores but I’m always tempted to spend so much money on books. My kindle is dangerous but actual books are amazing. I love going to the library!
I could spend hours on end in bookstores. I love browsing the cookbooks, kids section, healthy living, fiction, non-fiction (especially history!), and travel!
When I have visitors come to NYC, I try to give them the typical toursity things to do like the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, etc but I also take them to my favorite places in NYC – the piers by my house that give you a gorgeous view of the NYC skyline, my fav sushi place and creme brulee for dessert in Brooklyn!
When someone comes to NY I always have trouble because there are so many places to go in the city!! Typically, I try to take them to my favorite local cupcake shop, Billys, becuase it’s so unbelievably delicious
I’ve been hoping to find a great Indian place in Denver – thanks for the recommendation!
Also do you in-laws live in Winona, MN by any chance? That would be crazy because that is where my dad’s side of the family is from there.
You’re in Denver now? I missed that. Yes, they’re from Winona!! My husband is from Winona. We lived there for like one month after we got married. His family probably knows your dad’s family. I’m originally from right down the river in Wabasha.
OMG, Tattered Cover sounds amazingggg. I love book stores. I try to act like I can tolerate spicy foods buttt I can’t. Usually I do medium but it feels super spicy to me.
OK the train gene may have missed Josh, but Joey has it for sure! What you experienced may be Joey’s future wife’s activity as well. And there may be a knock down drag out between Joey and Kevin for the train when Jim passes. Joey also likes his food spicy. He got that from the Kreisel’s too.
LOVE Tattered Cover
The one off of Aurora has a great restaurant attached to it that has an AMAZING chickpea burger…might be a future date night idea.
That IS a great date night idea!! Thanks for the suggestion! That one might be closer too – not sure.
And I meant Colfax
Getting my states mixed up!
You are such a good hostess! Those eggs on the english muffin look soooo yummy.
I love going to the fitness and cooking sections in bookstores. I could spend hours there. I think I know the name of/have flipped through every fitness book they have at my local Barnes and Noble though, so I enjoy going new places and checking out the selection!