Castle Rock

Because Ian travels every week for work, we try to play on the weekends.  This weekend we checked off another item on our bucket list of things to do in Colorado.  On Friday we hiked to the top of Castle Rock and had a picnic of KFC at the top.

Castle Rock has a famous rock nicknamed "The Castle Rock."  You take a short hike to the base of the rock and then scramble up some rocks to the top.  I have never hiked as fast as we did to get to the top before our KFC dinner got cold!  This picture shows Ian a happy man because the chicken was still warm.

A nice view from the top with Pikes Peak in the background.

Conquering Democrat

This weekend Ian and I hiked a 14er, Mt. Democrat.  Colorado has 54 mountains that are above 14,000 feet, properly nicknamed 14ers.  Although we have both hiked several of these mountains with other groups, this was the first 14er we have hiked together.  We camped the night before at the trailhead, which sits at about 12,000 feet.  Ian made a delicious soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Here is the group as we started hiking the next morning at 6:30am.

We finally reached the top after several hours of hiking.  There were about 100 other people at the summit so reaching the top didn't provide the solitude that we sought.  The scenery was spectacular and provided the prize that I always seek: the spectacular view at the top.  You can see for miles in every direction.  

We had a great group that treked up the mountain with us.  Ashton, Garrett, and Brett (shout out to Ashton and Brett for summitting their first 14er) from our ward and Heather (a friend from Utah who grew up in Colorado with me) joined us on this beautiful summer hike.  Pictured below are Heather and me at the top.

Ian insisted that I add this picture to the blog.  He is very proud of the fact that he has summitted 5 14ers in the same pair of sandals.  How bout them Chacos...

What's Cooking In My Kitchen

So tonight I finished a big project.  I decided I was tired of looking in so many different cook books for my favorite recipes and having to sort through all the recipes I haven't tried/don't like to find my favorite recipes.  I decided to put all of my tried and true favorite recipes into one binder that I can flip through easily.  Hopefully one day all the recipes will be electronically stored, but for now this works.  For a recipe to make it into the recipe binder, the recipe has to be tested and delicious.  After looking through some of my most favorite recipes I thought I would post one of my old time favorites on the blog.

This recipe was found after my mom was diagnosed with cancer several years ago and my family started on the path toward healthier eating.  It was one of the first vegetarian recipes that made me realize that healthy food can also be delicious food.  Hope you enjoy!

Black Bean Salad
From Rachael Ray

Dressing
1 small clove garlic
pinch salt, plus 2 teaspoons
Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 T)
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears of corn)
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small avocado, halved, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

To make the dressing: smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste.  Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt, and chili powder together in a bowl.  Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.

For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet.  Toss in the black beans and cook until warm.  Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro.

To serve, put greens (spinach and lettuces) on your plate, top with brown rice if desired.  Then top with the black bean salad.  Enjoy!