Guess what? October’s finally here and we’re as pumped as a pumpkin-spiced latte! Can you feel the excitement in the air? Or is that just the tantalizing aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting from local bakeries? Either way, we’re totally here for it!
October is the time when fall goes into full diva mode and struts its stuff. We’re talking golden leaves fluttering down scenic drives like nature’s own confetti, cozy spiced drinks that hug you from the inside, and spine-tingling scary movies that make cuddling under a blanket an absolute must. It’s the seasonal shift that we’ve all been waiting for, a magic carpet ride of colors, flavors, and feels!
And speaking of flavors, you’re going to fall head over heels in love with this month’s issue.
We’ve packed this edition chock-full of autumnal awesomeness, from jazzy twists on your favorite fall beverages (Ever tried a Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned?) to community heroes who are literally warming hearts and bellies. We’re also throwing in a sprinkling of the most wholesome fall activities that make Loveland the snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug place we all know and love.
So dig in and savor the soul-nourishing stories that spotlight how the Loveland community shines like a harvest moon. New recipes, local spotlight stories, and the most buzz-worthy happenings in town—we’ve got it all! You’ll leave this issue feeling not just full, but absolutely stuffed with comfort and joy.
Happy Feasting and Frolicking, y’all! Let’s make this October one for the (cook)books!
Forever Fall-ing for Loveland!
JAHNA EICHEL, PUBLISHER @LOVELANDANDSOUTHLIFESTYLEOctober 2023
PUBLISHERS
Jahna Eichel | jahna.eichel@citylifestyle.com
Jason Eichel | jason.eichel@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Macey VanDenMeerendonk macey.v@citylifestyle.com
PUBLISHER ASSISTANT
Morgan Henderson morgan@thecreativeagencyco.com
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Matthew Hart | matthew@thecreativeagencyco.com
Paula Megenhardt | paula@thecreativeagencyco.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
The Creative Agency hello@thecreativeagencyco.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Allie Bellows
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Tiffany Slowinski
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS Jennifer Robinson
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein
CONTROLLER Gary Johnson
AD DESIGNER Josh Govero
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain
Where neighbors can see and be seen.
Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @lovelandandsouthlifestyle
Members like you started this co-op. Neighbor joined neighbor and together, we empowered homes, farms, and business across Northern Colorado.
Today, your cooperative delivers more than just safe, reliable electricity at the lowest cooperative rate in the state. We also provide rebates, energy efficiency solutions, rewards programs, bill payment options, and more to ensure our product fits your lifestyle. Explore all your cooperative membership benefits at www.pvrea.coop or scan this code.
Mom moved into our basement apartment nearly two years to the day after Dad passed. It was 2004, our girls were 5 and 8. She had sold the house in Mitchell, South Dakota, a year before and was living in an apartment. Upon arriving in Colorado, she quickly jumped into the stream of our lives, taking the girls to their activities, helping with dinners and going with us on camping trips. She worked in the garden and made lots of baked goods.
Over the next 14 years, we were blessed to have her as an ever-present part of our family. It was so welcoming to come home to the sweet smells flowing from the basement. Although she made cakes, pies, rice krispie treats and an occasional rhubarb crisp, my favorite was her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Together, we modified her recipes to accommodate my gluten intolerance. I would have one a day—she kept her cookies in her freezer to keep them fresh. The girls ate more than I ever knew, but that’s a secret they kept with Gramma.
Gramma’s vigor and balance diminished over time. Nearly five years ago, my oldest sister welcomed Mom into her home where she now lives. This summer I visited her for her 97th birthday. Her appearance and wit belies her years. She’s nearly as sharp as ever and offers her granddaughters and me her insight and thoughtful opinions.
Now the space downstairs welcomes Airbnb guests with a plate of gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Her recipe hangs on the wall in her handwriting and a brief history is written in the notes for our short-term tenants. I have received texts and photos from former guests who have made their own version of her cookies. When I visit her, I leave a batch of cookie dough, spooned into balls in the freezer, so she can have freshly baked cookies long after I’ve gone back home.
• 1 c grass-fed organic butter
• ¼ c organic sugar
• ¾ c organic brown sugar
• ¼ c tapioca starch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• ½ c almond flour
• ¾ c GF baking mix flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3½ c oatmeal
• 1 c Enjoy Life mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream the butter and the sugars. Stir the eggs and vanilla together then add. Mix together the flours and soda, and add to the wet mixture. Once combined, fold in the oatmeal and chips. Batter will be stiff. Spoon onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 350˚ for 11-14 min.
Fall is officially here! And Loveland offers so much when it comes to seasonal activities and festivities. As the days get colder and the trees become vibrant with color, explore the greatness that is Northern Colorado in the fall!
Osborn Farm has been a running operation since 1861, and provides a family-friendly pumpkin patch experience today. The 2023 season starts on September 30 and the farm will be open everyday through October. On the weekends, guests can enjoy food vendors, hayrides, the barrel train, and a petting zoo! With so many fun activities, Osborn Farm is the perfect place to pick out your pumpkin and purchase fall decor!
www.osbornfarm.
com/#hoursandlocation
This rooftop tasting experience features the Colorado Farmhouse Cheese Company and Stem Ciders on October 19. The perfectly paired cheeses and ciders, marries with the ambiance of the rooftop venue to give attendees a fantastic fall experience. Purchase a ticket to taste four delicious local cheeses and ciders before the event sells out!
allevents.in/loveland/cheesecider-pairing/10000689274487547#google_vignette
Grab your lederhosen and get ready for Berthoud Oktoberfest! October 7 will be a day full of celebrating all things German heritage with this annual cultural fundraising event. Enjoy delicious food and drinks from food trucks and breweries, and join in the fun by entering in the stein holding contest, pretzel eating contest, and the lederhosen and drindle contest! It’ll be a day packed with family-friendly activities and celebrating the community!
berthoudcolorado.com/oktoberfest/
Scary good tips for pet safety during this spooky season
Halloween is fun for the whole family, even our furry friends! While the holiday is filled with sweet treats, creative costumes, and spooky stories, Four Seasons Veterinary Specialists wants to help keep your furry loved one safe this year. If your pet struggles during this holiday, Four Seasons Veterinary Specialists has some suggestions on how to make sure your pet has as much fun as everyone else this Halloween!
Schedule an appointment to talk with a vet about precautions and preventive measures ahead of time. Professionals can offer tips and tricks like baby gates to keep your escape artist in the house when trick or treaters come to the door or prescribe anti anxiety medication for your nervous pets. While we love to include our pets in the fun, sometimes their version of fun is being kept in a comfortable space away from costumed visitors!
Many of the delicious treats people love to indulge in are toxic for our pets. Four Season Veterinary Specialists suggests planning out where you’re keeping candy for the evening so there isn’t an opportunity for your pet to steal a few pieces, or the whole bowl. If your pet gets into the goodies, save the wrappers to inform the vet of what your
pet got into, call a poison control hotline, and inform your vet as soon as possible so that immediate action can be taken if needed. While there is a fee associated with the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, (888) 426-4435, and Pet Poison Helpline, (855) 764-7661, callers will speak directly with a toxicologist to form a plan with their pet based on what they have ingested. Both of the hotlines and Four Seasons, (970) 8001106, are available 24/7/365.
GIVE YOUR DOGS AND CATS THEIR OWN HALLOWEEN TREAT THIS YEAR!
FROZEN PUMPKIN TREATS
Ingredients:
• 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
Directions:
1. Mix pumpkin and yogurt together in a bowl
2. Divide the mixture evenly into an ice tray or mold
3. Freeze for 24 hours
4. Pop the treats out of the mold and share them with your furry friends! Keep treats in a freezer bag for storage.
Gaylord Rockies is the Colorado resort experience like no other
ARTICLE BY ALLIE BELLOWS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY DEYO
A vacation getaway for the whole family is closer than you might think—and no plane tickets required. Since opening its doors in 2018, Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center has become the staycation destination for the Front Range. There is something for everyone who walks through the revolving doors into the lodge-inspired lobby of Gaylord Rockies. With so much to offer leisure travelers, Gaylord Rockies is making sure its staycation crown stays right where it is with its plans for the future.
The sheer size of Gaylord Rockies is indicative of the multitude of activities and surprises that await at this resort, like no other in Colorado. Located near Denver International Airport, the sprawling property has much to offer every guest.
Summertime is always a popular time for families to get away and take a vacation, but it doesn’t have to be summertime for the family to get pool time in. The heated outdoor pools are open year-round, much to the delight of every child who comes to the resort. There are waterslides, a lazy river, whirlpools, and hot tubs, so everyone can play or relax, even when the weather is acting like, well, Colorado weather.
The award-winning spa, Relâche, is the perfect way to achieve full body relaxation. Using the latest cutting-edge technologies in skincare, like the Hydrafacial, as well as a variety of massages and other treatments, there is no better way to relax and be pampered. Combined with a stroll through the botanical gardens creates the perfect relaxation experience.
No resort experience is complete without talking about the delectable and mouth watering cuisine. Gaylord Rockies doesn’t just have unique culinary experiences the whole family can enjoy, but with the addition of pastry chef, Brielle Fratellone, the desserts are an experience in themselves.
When Chef Fratellone first came to Gaylord Rockies, she had a vision to make the pastry department a memorable experience. With a pastry kitchen reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory (chocolate
CONTINUED >
waterfall and all), every tasty morsel created in the kitchen is made with incredible precision and expertise.
In the Rockies Marketplace, the front table is adorned with offerings from Chef Fratellone’s pastry kitchen. Above the world-famous Gaylord Rockies bonbons and the splits of wine perfectly paired with unique chocolate concoctions made in-house is an exquisite sculpture, which changes seasonally. Made entirely from chocolate, the attention to detail is absolutely stunning.
Chef Fratellone’s first large purchase request when she began working at Gaylord Rockies was a chocolate tempering machine, aka chocolate waterfall, which enables her and her dedicated team to make not only the desserts and pastries for every restaurant and occasion on-premises, but incredible chocolate decorations. The time that goes into each delectable bite is impressive. “We’re not a quickfire challenge kitchen,” says Chef Fratellone. Everything takes hours, if not days to make, ensuring guests get only the most delectable treats around.
“Pastry is a science in itself,” says Chef Fratellone, which is entirely evident in her kitchen. She describes the kitchen as
a “learning kitchen” with her team constantly learning new techniques and mastering the art of pastry. With high-tech tools, in combination with her team’s passion for all things pastry and dessert, their expertise in the science of pastry turns everything they make into edible magic. From croissants with dough and butter meticulously layered through the sheeter, to the bonbons filled with flavors ranging from a smoky mezcal pastry cream to Palisade Peach, everything coming out of Fratellone’s kitchen is exquisite.
The most wonderful time of year for Gaylord Rockies is right around the corner. Every year the Holiday Spectacular comes to the resort, leaving all who see it in absolute awe. This year, more than 6,000 massive ice blocks are going to be carved into scenes from the beloved holiday classic movie, “A Christmas Story”. ICE! is just one part of the holiday fun at Gaylord Rockies. The line-up of events and activities happening at the resort this holiday season is even longer than Santa’s naughty list.
Looking beyond the holidays is where things get really exciting at the resort. Currently under construction is an irresistibly alluring wedding venue and new restaurant concepts, including Garden and Grain, bringing a local and health-conscious focus with dishes for every kind of diet, including vegan and gluten-free.
The perfect ending to every day at Gaylord Rockies, no matter how you spend the day, is watching the beauty of Colorado in full force, as the sun sets over the Rocky Mountains. With the expansive view, Gaylord Rockies is the perfect place to get away and still experience and appreciate all of what our breathtaking state has to offer.
"WITH SO MUCH TO OFFER LEISURE TRAVELERS, GAYLORD ROCKIES IS MAKING SURE ITS STAYCATION CROWN STAYS RIGHT WHERE IT IS WITH ITS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE."
Apples are the trademark fruit of fall, and with the many varieties to choose from, there is an apple that is sure to please any palate. They can be included in both sweet and savory dishes and are delicious and incredibly healthful. We all have heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While they aren’t a cure-all, apples are packed full of polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamin C, B vitamins and fiber. Make the most of autumn’s best produce and the flavors of fall with these simple recipes.
Easier than pie but with all the same textures, this gooey warm dessert is sure to please. For simplicity, this can be made with a premade crust.
Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup iced cold water
Filling:
• 2 apples, peeled and sliced into thin slices
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Caramel sauce
• Optional: 1/4 chopped walnuts or pecans
Crust:
(Note: If running short on time, store bought crust works great, too.)
Mix flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Cut in the butter. Add water and mix until moistened. Lightly knead the dough and then form into a ball. Next, flatten dough into a thick circular form and refrigerate for one hour.
Filling: Mix the apples, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar together in a bowl.
Assemble and Bake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into a circle and set on parchment paper. Arrange apples in center of dough, leaving about one inch of space for the edges. Fold crust over the apples and press to seal edges. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with pecans or walnuts. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve with caramel sauce and ice-cream.
ARTICLE BY ANGELA BROOCKERD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
This take on the classic grilled cheese is sure to satisfy your fall cravings. With the combined flavors of savory and sweet, it packs a punch for your taste buds.
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sliced sourdough bread
• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces Brie, sliced
• Fig jam, or preferred choice of jam
• 1 Granny smith apple, sliced
• Arugula
• Thinly sliced ham, optional
Heat olive oil in the skillet and add sliced onions. Cook for a few minutes and then add brown sugar. Sauté until soft. Set aside. Butter the outside of the sourdough bread. Next, spread jam on the inside of both slices. Add cheese, apples, onions and arugula. If using meat, add as well. Top with slice of bread and grill on skillet until both sides are toasted and cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!
This Indian-inspired dish is the perfect fall topping for pork chops and also pairs nicely with ham. This is so easy to make and will fill your kitchen with the aroma of fall.
INGREDIENTS:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups Granny Smith apple, chopped
• ¼ cup pecans or walnuts
• 1/3 cup apple juice
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat butter in saucepan, then add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until the sauce has cooked down and the apples are tender. Serve over pork chops. Enjoy!
flapjacks. The local brewery extraordinaire, City Star got in on the action, making “breakfast beer flights”, five highly creative and expertly brewed breakfast-inspired libations. $2 from each flight of beer sold on Flapjack Day goes directly to the Berthoud Historical Society.
ARTICLE BY ALLIE BELLOWS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAULA MEGENHARDT
This Labor Day was a picture-perfect day in Berthoud, Colorado. Beautiful blue skies, barely a cloud in sight. Fully restored vintage cars lined Mountain Avenue, sparkling in the sunlight and sporting pristine paint jobs. The smell of cooking batter on the griddle wafted up and down Mountain Avenue through the line of people patiently waiting to get their plates of flapjacks and sausage. It could have been a scene from the 1950s, but it was this year, in 2023, with the reinvented Flapjack Day, a day the entire community looks forward to.
A Berthoud tradition from 1948 to 1958, Flapjack Day was originally a day hosted by the Chamber of Commerce in Berthoud, for the community to come together, play some games, have some fun, and have free flapjacks and coffee for all. A Miss (and later Mrs.) Flapjack Queen was crowned each year. The popular event was canceled in 1958 due to financial constraints.
Fast forward to 2015, when City Star Brewery owner Whitney Way had an idea to bring Flapjack Day back. But she didn’t stop with free
The title of Flapjack Queen was also reimagined. A flapjack eating contest where the winner consumes a flapjack stack with butter and syrup, required to use a fork and knife, in record time. Flapjack Day became a major Berthoud event once again, with proceeds and donations received going straight to the Berthoud Historical Society.
The Berthoud Historical Society, the most active historical society in Northern Colorado, has more than 200 volunteers and members. It is a true treasure of the town, much like City Star. President Mark French is passionate about the place he calls home and how the organization “preserves and interprets the history of Berthoud.” Keeping the small town feel alive, preserving, and presenting the history of Berthoud is part of the society’s mission, and is on full display at the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum, run by the Historical Society.
The Historical Society’s own Diane Levy, now a Berthoud celebrity in her own right, has been in charge of the batter for the flapjacks since its reconceptualization. The “Batter Queen” herself is out there on Mountain Avenue, every year, making sure the pancakes coming off the griddle are just right, and never doughy or overdone. Levy remembers telling Way, “Whatever you do, do not use a store-bought mix. Make the flapjacks from scratch. I have a recipe you can use.” Her buttermilk pancake recipe, adding cornmeal to make it a flapjack, has been used since,
having a special place not only in Berthoud’s history but in the hearts (and stomachs) of all who attend.
French, Way, and Levy are just three of the incredible people making Flapjack Day happen. It’s all hands on deck at City Star as their entire staff cranks out hundreds of beer flights. Levy is backed by a wonderful team of volunteers, all making sure each link of sausage and flapjack is perfect. It’s the community who comes to this event that really makes it special. French says of people who live in Berthoud, whether they have moved from elsewhere or are natives, they “crave the feeling of a small town. This event builds a sense of community and creates a good relationship people have with their town.”
The sense of community is strong in Berthoud, thanks to people like Whitney Way, her husband John, Mark French, and Diane Levy. The community is not only brought together with events like Flapjack Day, but it’s a family-friendly event, steeped in tradition that is like nothing else in Colorado, and that everyone loves attending.
Supporting the mission of keeping the history of Berthoud alive makes for an absolutely flippin’ great time.
Pairing wine and chocolate together can be a delightful sensory experience that can elevate the flavors of both. While the concept of pairing wine with food is well-known, pairing it with chocolate may seem unconventional at first. However, when done correctly, it can create a harmonious balance where the flavors of the wine and chocolate complement and enhance one another.
Wine and chocolate have a lot of similarities to each other. Both contain flavanols (antioxidants) and polyphenols (compounds found in plant-based food) that are good for you and have anti-inflammatory properties. These characteristics affect flavor so it’s somewhat challenging to pair wine and chocolate together. The more polyphenols, the more pronounced the bitter taste.
For example, if you sip a delicious dry red wine alongside a hunk of dark chocolate, the wine will start to taste bitter and sour. The taste imbalance is coming from the heightened levels of flavanols (different types of tannin) found in both chocolate and wine that end up clashing against each other on your tongue.
While it might sound counterintuitive, a good rule of thumb is to pair a wine that is “sweeter” than the chocolate itself. “Sweet” doesn’t refer to dessert wines alone. In the wine world, the term “sweet” is often used to denote ripe, fruit-forward flavors in a wine. These characteristics provide a nice balance to the bitter flavors of cocoa.
Both wine and chocolate can have intense, dry flavors. In order to find the right balance, it’s best to choose wines that are a little bit softer and juicier than the chocolate you’re pairing it with.
We’ve done the footwork to find several wines that partner well with chocolate. Here are our guidelines for matching chocolate with wine and a few of our favorite wine and chocolate pairings. We hope you’ll try them and then get inspired to experiment and create your own.
ARTICLE BY HALEY WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CASSANDRA CASTANEDA
When it comes to pairing chocolate and wine, you don’t want to strike a balance, you want to match sugar to sugar. Sweeter chocolate like white chocolate does better when consumed with sweeter wines and bitter chocolate like dark chocolate enjoys being paired with dryer wines. Think of it as matching sugar with sugar. A good rule of thumb is to always pair wines that are equally or slightly more sweet than the chocolate being eaten with it.
If you pair an incredibly delicately flavored dark chocolate with a full-bodied, heavy red, the intensity of the wine will destroy any of the subtlety that might have been present in the chocolate. The opposite is also true: strong-tasting chocolate will blow a delicate wine out of the water. Keep this rule of thumb in mind: light-flavored chocolates enjoy being paired with light-bodied wines and intensely flavored chocolates prefer being paired with full-bodied wines.
Wine and chocolate both carry their own intense flavors. If the chocolate contains other ingredients such as nuts, fruit, or caramel, consider how these flavors will play with the wine. This is especially helpful to remember when enjoying truffles with wine. To avoid creating a palate power play between the two, do your best to match fruity or floral chocolates with fruity wines like Moscato or White Zinfandel. Enjoy chocolate-covered nuts alongside a nutty wine like a Madeira or Marsala. Chocolate studded with dried cranberries might pair well with a fruit-forward red with berry undertones.
Just as you would with any other tasting, it’s best to start with light chocolates and wines, increasing the intensity as you go along. Start with white chocolates and light wines and save the richest, dark chocolates and wines for last. By doing this, you will keep your palate from starting out too strong and missing out on the subtle sensations found in more delicate chocolate and wine selections.
DARK CHOCOLATE
Bitter to semi-sweet dark chocolates, that are 50 to 100% cacao, have intense, bitter flavors, and earthy to fruity undertones. Match the intensity without adding more dryness by pairing these chocolates with full-bodied, yet fruit-forward wines.
Pairs well with:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Port, Merlot, Shiraz, Barolo
MILK CHOCOLATE
Milk chocolate is typically creamier and sweeter with flavors of brown sugar, vanilla, and cream. It requires a wine that is light to medium in body, with a ripe fruit character.
Pairs well with: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sweet Riesling, Ice-Style Wine
WHITE CHOCOLATE
White chocolate has a sweet, buttery flavor with notes of cream and honey. Sweet white and rosè wines help cleanse the palate of the rich flavors from white chocolate, as does sparkling spumante like Moscato d’Asti.
Pairs well with:
Sweet Riesling, Moscato, Semi-Dry Sparkling Whites, Gewurztraminer
SATURDAY,
OCTOBER 28 TH NOON-4PM SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28
Our Halloween Hullabaloo Street Festival is ba-aaaack. Come out for a frightfully delightful list of free, kid-friendly activities. Crafts. Treats. Pumpkin bowling. And at 3pm, a costume contest for everyone in the family including the dog.