Inside COS Town Tidings Issue #24-005

🤣 Today’s Chuckle
🌨 COS Weather - Snow and icy road conditions

📰 Weather Woes: Delayed Starts and Icy Roads❄️

📰 Tech Triumph: Colorado Springs Secures $90M for Microchip🎉

📰 Winged Wonders: CMZoo Elevates Bird Conservation🐦

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📆 Local Events - updated daily

Wellness: 🌿 Favorite Adaptogen: Your Stress-Busting Ally 

Recipe: 🥘 Homemade Vegetarian Chili

Go ahead, admit it…you’ve done it. It’s a true Coloradoan right of passage.🤣

Our hope is that we made you smile today…pass it on.

Snow with icy roads today

❄️Weather Woes: Delayed Starts and Icy Roads 

Current weather conditions today exhibit an unsettled pattern with anticipated partial cloudiness and limited morning snow, followed by a potential inch or less of snow in the late afternoon and evening. However, icy road conditions have developed overnight causing numerous school and business closures or delayed starts.

Click here for a comprehensive list for reference with a search function for your convenience.

🎉Tech Triumph: Colorado Springs Secures $90M for Microchip  

Colorado Springs' Microchip Technology on East Cheyenne Mountain Blvd could receive a $90 million federal investment under the CHIPS and Sciences Act, with plans to modernize facilities and expand production, potentially creating 400 new jobs.

🐦Winged Wonders: CMZoo Elevates Bird Conservation

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) members have contributed funds to install three bird-tracking towers in Colorado Springs as part of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. These towers, financed through the CMZoo Member Conservation Vote, focus on studying migration paths and breeding patterns. The Motus system utilizes lightweight telemetry tags resembling bird 'backpacks' to collect ongoing data via radio telemetry. CMZoo's initiative aims to bolster the Colorado network of towers, facilitating collaborative research and promoting bird conservation.

Bird enthusiasts at home can try their hands at birdwatching for Colorado winter birds by playing with the CMZoo Colorado Backyard Bird Bingo cards!

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Upcoming COS Area Events

• Jan 5th-6th, 2-5 PM: 3-Hour Original Colorado Springs Food Tour @1 Tejon St $69-$87

• Jan 5th-7th, 2-7 PM (5th), 10 AM-7 PM (6th), 10 AM-5 PM (7th): Colorado Springs Home Building & Remodeling Show @Norris Penrose Event Center $3

• Jan 6th, 10:30 AM - Noon: Confections by Charlee Winter Warm Cookie Decorating Class @Library 21c CREATE SPACE, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr $60

• Jan 5th & 6th (every Fri & Sat in Jan), 3:30 PM: 2.5-Hour Cocktails & Canapés Walking Tour @1 N Tejon St. $79 per person Must be 21+

• Jan 6th, 5:30-7:30 PM: Pastel Forest | BOGO Drinks @Painting With A Twist, Downtown $35-$49

• Jan 7th, 10 AM - 2 PM (every Sun): Backyard Market at Park Union @108 W Cimarron St FREE

• Jan 9th, 6:30-8:30 PM: Farmhouse Snowman on Wood or Canvas | $3 Drinks @Painting With a Twist | Powers Blvd $35-$60

• Jan 9th, 6:30-7:30 PM: New Year Intention Candle-Making Class @Munchies 719 122 N Tejon St $24

• Jan 9th, 7 PM (every Tues): Free Comedy Night Every Tuesday @Trainwreck Colorado, 213 W Las Animas St

• Jan 11th, 6-10 PM: MUSIC BINGO & KARAOKE NIGHT @Notes Bar 13141 Bass Pro Dr FREE

• Jan 11th, 7-9 PM (every Thurs): Trivia Night @Bell Brothers Brewing 114 N Tejon St #100 FREE

• Jan 12th, 7:30-10 PM: New Moon Circle for the feminine @Yoga Studio Satya $45

🌿 Favorite Adaptogen: Your Stress-Busting Ally

As we conclude our Adaptogens series, we're thrilled to spotlight a cherished favorite among our staff—Ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha: A Transformative Journey to Calm

Our personal experiences with this powerhouse adaptogen has been nothing short of transformative. Daily use has allowed us to navigate stressors with newfound calmness and flexibility. It's been a life changer, enhancing our ability to roll with life's punches.

Ashwagandha is renowned as an adaptogen for reducing anxiety and balancing hormones and energy levels. Research shows it can lower cortisol, boost brain function and rebuild strength after illness. The earthy, herbal taste makes it easy to add to smoothies or tea. Start with 500mg once or twice daily.

We get ours at Costco and stock up when YouTheory brand capsules are on sale as it has the KSM66 active ingredient and works well for us, at a decent price. It takes about a month to kick in, but once it does, it allows us to face life's challenges with a newfound sense of composure.

In a particularly poignant experience, we introduced Ashwagandha to a family member with advanced Alzheimer's. While the effects took a bit longer, the reduction in agitation and increased calmness were profoundly impactful. 🤍🧠

While we’ve had great personal experiences with ashwagandha, remember effects can vary. As with any supplement, consulting with a holistic nutritionist and your healthcare professional is advisable. 🩺🌱

We hope you’ve enjoyed discovering how adaptogens can help you adapt to the new year and life’s stresses. Here’s to health and happiness in 2024!

*Information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Please consult a health care professional, nothing above should be construed as medical advice.

🥘 Homemade Vegetarian Chili

Great recipe to warm your belly during this cold weekend. The smoky, complex flavor of this simple vegetarian chili comes from basic pantry ingredients, vegetables and spices! It makes great leftovers, too. Recipe yields 4 large or 6 moderate servings of chili.

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 40 mins | Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 2 ribs celery, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 2 tablespoons chili powder*

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika*

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 large can (28 ounces) or 2 small cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes**, with their juices

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 cups vegetable broth or water

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing

• 1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or lime juice, to taste

• Garnishes: chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream or crème fraîche, grated cheddar cheese, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

3. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the drained black beans and pinto beans, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the chili from the heat and discard the bay leaf. For the best texture and flavor, transfer 1 1/2 cups of the chili to a blender, making sure to get some of the liquid portion. Securely fasten the lid and blend until smooth (watch out for hot steam), then pour the blended mixture back into the pot. (Or, you can blend the chili briefly with an immersion blender, or mash the chili with a potato masher until it reaches a thicker, more chili-like consistency.)

5. Add the chopped cilantro, stir to combine, and then mix in the vinegar, to taste. Add salt to taste, too—I added 1/4 teaspoon more at this point. Divide the mixture into individual bowls and serve with garnishes of your choice. This chili will keep well in the refrigerator for about 4 days or you can freeze it for longer-term storage.

NOTES

• Make it vegan/dairy free: This chili recipe is vegan as written. Just be sure to choose vegan/dairy free toppings, such as avocado and tortilla chips.

• *Spice note: If you are sensitive to spices or using particularly potent spices, you might want to scale back. Start with half of the amounts listed and add more to taste. That said, the author enjoys spicy food and found this chili to be well-balanced as written.

• **Canned tomatoes note: the author recommends Muir Glen brand—they have the best flavor and their cans are BPA-free!

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