We’ve Got the Dirt on Composting!

With the growing concern over the environment there is an importance for our community to do what we can to pitch in and help. At Y.Lo we understand this growing concern and love to do whatever we can to help make an impact on helping our environment. Something we love to offer is on-site composting! We are happy to bring the materials needed to compost the remaining food that does not get eaten at your next event! At home you can easily start your own compost pile adding scraps of food from home cooked meals, gathered leaves and or newly cut grass from your yard. Instead of throwing way these raw materials, think about trying something as simple as Passive Composting. This involves the least amount of time and energy on your part. This is done by collecting organic materials in a freestanding pile. It might take a long time (a year or two), but eventually organic materials in any type of a pile will break down into finished compost for you to constantly use for fertilizer for your garden or plants! So if you’ve got a back yard and lots of table scraps why not give composting a try?

How to create a Passive Composting

To start you want to find a spot in your yard that will allow the pile to get both sunlight and rain. This sunlight will help heat up the pile and help speed up the decomposing part of the process along with the rain providing the pile with the moisture it needs to help this process as well.  You can then build a 3-sided enclosure made of fencing, wire, concrete blocks, or wood, which keeps the pile neater and less unsightly.  This will also help to keep the pile intact. Some also use a garbage can. Start adding grass clippings, leaves, and kitchen scraps (always cover these with 8″ of other material). The pile will start to shrink quickly as the materials compress and decompose. Wait a little bit over a year or two before checking the bottom of the bin for finished compost. When you feel it is ready, shovel the bottom section into a wheelbarrow and add it to your garden beds or before you mulch. Continue to add greens and browns to have a good supply of finished compost at the ready. After the first few years, most simple piles produce a few cubic feet of finished compost a year.

Happy Composting!

Courtney Hall & YLo Team!

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YLo and Regis Celebrate a New Campus for the University!!

This past Thursday, August 25th Y.Lo Epicure had the great honor of catering the ribbon cutting ceremony for Regis University‘s new Dual Language Campus in Thornton, Colorado. The Dual Language campus will focus on providing programs that allow working adult members of the Latino Community with the opportunity to further their education and pursue amazing new career opportunities.  Roxanne Gonzales, academic dean of the College for Professional Studies, said “Having all bilingual faculty and staff ensures students can communicate and receive services in their preferred language, and our bilingual faculty are rigorously selected and trained specifically to work with adult students”. They’ve already projected enrollment for the first group of students this fall  to be nearly 150 students, and the majority of those being undergraduate students. Classes begin this fall.

For the event we really wanted to celebrate the Latin Culture honoring this accomplishment. We were able to have fun with the decorations providing them with bright colorful flower displays courtesy of Capelli Floral and we loved their request for large cacti displays. The food was an amazing display of some of our best Latin dishes including Braised Peruvian Short Ribs, Brazilian Beef Empanadas with Dried Apricots and Cranberries, Grilled Seasonal Vegetables topped with Homemade Chimichurri, and Mini Crispy Tortilla Bowls filled with Fresh Shrimp and Guacamole and topped with Pico De Gallo. We also set up a beautiful refreshing  drink buffet with Ice Tea, Lemonade, Sangria, and Iced Water with Sliced Fruit. We satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth with Mexican Brownies with a Hint of Heat, Cinnamon Sprinkled Churros and Sweet Cherry Empanadas. While people enjoyed the food and drinks they enjoyed festive music by the band Tit Del Barrio Malaga. After the Ribbon Cutting ceremony a mariachi band played to celebrate the occasion!  It was an amazing event and a new chapter for the rapidly expanding University, and we were so happy to help celebrate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Back to School!,

 

Courtney Hall & YLo Team!

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How to Make Amazing Yogurt Concoctions at Home just like Yolonda!

On our breakfast menu is one of our amazing items called “Yolanda’s Amazing Yogurt Concoction” and I got to deliver this amazing dish this morning for the first time and it looked soooo good I just had to share! However, we can’t give you Yolanda’s secret Yogurt Concoction recipe, but I will give you some tips on how to make something similar at home! This is something great to make if you are looking for something light and healthy.  It’s a great way to start off your morning and to get calcium and protein in your diet.  So I love to stock up on yogurt at the grocery store as a way to add more calcium in my diet, plus it’s just soooo yummy!  I’ve also really grown to love it because of how much fun you can have with it adding different ingredients to spice it up such as granola,fresh fruit, honey, nuts, dried fruit, etc. So the following are some really great fun tips, and ideas to have fun with your yogurt!

FUN TIP #1 – Make It Thick and Creamy! 

One thing you can do is drain the yogurt of excess water. This allows the yogurt to get that extra-thick consistency that Greek Yogurt has. Then later you can add different fruit juices to it to add flavor and thin it out a bit more if you would like.

Directions

To drain yogurt, line a large bowl with several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Dump the canister of yogurt into the cheesecloth, then gather the ends and fasten them tightly with a rubber band. Slip the rubber band over a cupboard knob and hang the bundle over the bowl. There will be a thin stream of water that comes out immediately, which will slow to a drip.

Leave hanging all afternoon, or transfer to the fridge and drain all night.

Fun Tip #2 – Homemade Granola!

Making your own granola allows you to have fun mixing different dried fruits, spices, nuts, and sugars to come up with your own unique concoction and to really add the flavors you really like to your yogurt. I’ve included one recipe for an example, but don’t be afraid to have fun with it!

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cups sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup good honey
• 1 1/2 cups small diced dried apricots
• 1 cup small diced dried figs
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the oats, coconuts, and almonds together in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl. Pour over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a 13 by 18 by 1-inch sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even, golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, and cashews. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.

Fun Tip #3 – Spice it up!

Don’t be afraid to get into the spice cabinet and get out some dried spices and extracts and have fun! Something simple would be to add a little Vanilla Extract, or you can add Hazelnut, or maybe even try Mint Extract! You can even break out the dried spices and sprinkle in a little bit of Cinnamon, or maybe a sweet spice blend like an Apple spice blend! Don’t be afraid to have fun with it!

Enjoy these fun tips and Lets us know what fun and crazy concoctions you come up with!,

Courtney Hall & YLo Team!

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A Beautiful Colorado Country Wedding

As soon as we drove up to the location for Matt and Ellie’s wedding we knew we were going to have a blast catering this wedding! Located off a country road miles away from neighbors Matt and Ellie picked a beautiful Estate in Sedalia, CO to host their wedding. With a love for country music the beautiful rustic barn on the estate grounds was the perfect location for their reception. Their wedding was beautiful to set up. They had an amazing display of  wild flowers in various antique jars, a fun photo wall for picture taking, and strands and strands of lights and lanterns. With a younger crowd for the guests we were able to have  lots of fun with  the food! The menu ranged from Fancy Beef Empanadas to their college favorite Jalapeno Poppers! Our appetizer table, which included Corn and Pinto Bean Salsa, Queso Dip, and our out of this world Guacamole was a favorite among guests awaiting the fun night of dancing ahead of them! As a full service catering company we were more than happy to take on the role of playing Bartenders. We were happy to serve the guests Beer, Wine, and Margaritas so that the Bride and Groom and their families could focus on tending to their guests. We really loved watching the guests dance the night away to country music and watching everyone get up from the tables to do another line dance. The evening ended with satisfying the guests sweet tooth’s with cupcakes and cake!! It was such a beautiful Colorado Country Wedding and we loved being able to help Matt and Ellie make their wedding one to remember!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!,

Courtney Hall & YLo Team!

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Last Week to Vote!!

It’s the last week to VOTE!! We’ve appreciated all the support we’ve received. As of last week we were able to get to #1 and we’d love to keep that going!! Voting ends this Friday, August 19th. Y.Lo has been nominated for the 5th consecutive time.  We are competing with local businesses to be Denver’s BEST CATERER!  Please show your support by clicking here.

At Y.Lo, we always strive to provide you with the freshest ingredients, tastiest entrees, and greatest service in the Denver Metro. We thank you for your continued business and support throughout the past 9 years!

 

 

Thank you again for allll your support!!

 

Courtney Hall & YLo Team!

 

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Veggie Friendly Stuffed Peppers!

I came across this recipe in an issue of Food and Wine magazine and I always love trying new recipes with flavors I haven’t used before. I haven’t had much experience with Thai flavors so this recipe peeked my interested. I would definitely make this recipe again! It’s hearty enough to please any meat eater and it ends up not being very spicy so don’t be scared by the Jalapeno or Thai Red Curry Paste. So if you’re ever looking for a vegetarian option don’t be afraid to give this one a try! Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers with Thai Curry Rice and Mushrooms

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & Pepper
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 large jalapeño, finely chopped with seeds
3/4 pound oyster mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped Thai basil, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice the tops off the peppers and cut the tops into 1/4-inch dice; discard the cores and stems. Boil the hollowed out peppers until just tender, 4 minutes. Using tongs, carefully transfer the peppers to paper towels to drain, cut side down. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water. In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and cook over moderate heat until softened, 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until toasted, 4 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, ginger, curry paste and the 1 1/2 cups of reserved pepper water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, 25 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced bell pepper tops and the jalapeño and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook, stirring a few times, until tender, 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are browned, 4 minutes longer. Add the chopped spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 minute. Add the vegetable mixture to the rice and stir in the basil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and set them in a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, until the rice filling is heated through. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Sincerely,

Courtney Hall & YLo Team!

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YLo and Colorado Coalition Helping Denver go back to school with a Healthy Start!

Hope you had a great weekend!,

Over the weekend YLo got the opportunity to help out the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and their Back-To-School Healthy Kids Fair. Did you know one in 50 children in Colorado are homeless? We could not believe this! And so we were so happy to help them out and provide over 400 children on saturday with a healthy sack lunch! We had such a great time as a team making sandwiches and putting together a sack lunch that  included fruit for the kids.  As we drove away from dropping off the sandwiches I noticed there was already a line around the corner of kids and their family members waiting to get in. Not only do they provide a healthy lunch, but the kids can also go there to get the basic health screenings and the immunizations that they might not have been able to receive. They also provide the kids with new backpacks filled with school supplies, hair cuts, dental care, hearing, and eye exams! Everything you need before that first day back to school! This is an event that the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless puts together every year and we have gotten the opportunity to help support them several years now and hope to continue to support them in the future.

Thanks Colorado for letting us Help!,

Courtney  Hall & YLo Team!

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Enjoy this Sweet and Savory Summer Strawberry Basil Iced Tea!!

I came across this recipe on Martha Stewart’s Website when the heat was getting the best of me and I was starting to crave something sweet and refreshing to drink after a long day at work. With Strawberries still in season and a pot of Basil on my patio needing to be used up this was the perfect recipe to us! I actually ended up doubling the amount of water I boiled to steep the tea in because I was afraid it wouldn’t make enough and it came out perfectly. It’s an easy fun recipe to make after a long day at work! Enjoy!

 

Strawberry-Basil Iced Tea

 

Ingredients

8 black-tea bags
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved (quartered if large)
1 cup water, plus more for steeping
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
Ice, for serving

Directions

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add tea bags, and let steep for 5 minutes.
2. Place strawberries in a bowl. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add basil, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain over strawberries; discard basil. Toss to coat. Let stand until cool, about 25 minutes. Combine strawberries (with syrup) and tea in a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice, and garnish with basil.

Sincerely,

Courtney Hall & YLo Team!

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Meet Courtney!! YLo’s Newest Employee!!

Another one of Y Lo’s newest employees Courtney is taking on the role of Marketing and Business Development! She grew up in Indiana and attended Indiana University where she was very involved in an Academic Business Fraternity, and discovered her love for cooking and learning about food. Her love for the mountains, skiing, and the outdoors recently brought her out to Denver in 2010. Her passion for helping business grow, especially YLo, by networking and building relationships has made her another great asset to our company. She also loves to be involved in the community by participating in races, joining sports leagues, getting involved in the Italian American Business Association, attending IU Alumni events, and getting involved in various chambers across the city. She is very excited to be working for YLo and we are so very happy to have her!

Sincerely,

YLo Team!

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