Emerald Lake is a great place to spend a few hours exploring! It’s beyond picturesque, and it also makes for a great rest day in between hikes. We had just hiked the Iceline Trail and Takakkaw Falls the day before, and we were pretty beat. So before making a beeline for the coast, we decided to make a stop at Emerald Lake. I definitely recommend going either early or late because it gets seriously busy during peak mid-day hours....

So I might just lead with the fact that these doughnuts are insanely pink! I thought I was going for a more mellow shade, but I completely spaced the fact that beet juice powder gets more intense as it sits… so these beauties happened quite by accident. By all means feel free to dial it down a bit, but after a seriously long winter, I’m actually loving the vibrance. These doughnuts also get quite a bit of color from a special ingredient – freeze dried strawberries – these are so fun to work with, and I know there’s going to be more creations in the future....

Is there anything better than vine-ripe tomatoes so full of flavor they’re bursting at the seams, (sometimes quite literally)? I never get enough homegrown tomatoes. Their season is so short, and the flavor is incomparable. Not that I don’t buy out-of-season tomatoes or anything, (because I do, but they just can’t compare!). I just really appreciate the real thing when I have it. And… as a side note when you are buying out-of-season tomatoes, cherry tomatoes always have the most flavor and best texture....

I knew when I made this 3 weeks in a row it was time to write it down! I hardly ever measure when I’m cooking for the two of us. So when I know for sure I’ve got a keeper, I get serious about getting it written down to share. This recipe makes a pretty big batch of stir fry, clocking in at 6 servings. So that means that we ate this Teriyaki Stir Fry 3 days a week for 3 weeks in a row....

We’re big into prepping our lunches ahead of time around here. Neither one of us is what you’d call a ‘morning person’, but our work schedule is such that we get up at 5am. And so having things ready the night before is an absolute must. Mornings are just so hectic when I don’t have our lunches and such prepped ahead of time. My brain isn’t quite awake, and it’s just too much to put things together....

Mount Fairview is aptly named as you’re most definitely going to see some really ‘fair views’. We had previously done Mount St. Piran, (twice actually) which is the mountain across on the other side of Lake Louise. But it looked like the views from Fairview would be quite a bit different. So we decided to give it a go since it would be overlooking a lot of The Plain of 6 Glaciers area....

This soup is the definition of cozy and comforting! I started making it back in March, and it really just came together based on what I had in the pantry/freezer. It was such a hit, I’ve been making it ever since. So during the colder months this year, I’ve been making this soup for anyone we know going through a hard time, or that is feeling under the weather. It’s just the right amount of filling when you’re not at your best....

After many requests for more creamy soups, I’m back with another one! We started with my creamy Chicken Broccoli Soup and today I have another cozy option inspired by Italian flavors. How to make this recipe step by step I really hope you enjoy this Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Tip: Use a garlic press to speed up your prep time....

Kung Pao Chicken has been my favorite stir fry since childhood, and it’s one of those favorites I’ve never grown tired of. You know how sometimes you can overdo it on something you really love and then have to put it aside for awhile? I don’t think that’s even remotely possible with Kung Pao Chicken, my love of this stuff truly knows no bounds. In fact with each of the batches I made leading up to this recipe, I could barely wait the next morning to get some out for breakfast, even the less than stellar batch where I overcooked the zucchini noodles and it turned out watery....

I use lemons in my kitchen for cooking almost everyday and I really enjoy half a lemon squeezed into my water. Needless to say, there are juiced rinds of lemons around almost everyday and it is the best thing that ever happened to my nails. I have never had super nice nails, I have been a gardener as a profession for 8 years now and I don’t care what soap you use, the dirt never seems to come entirely off....

This might just be the most mouthwatering curry I’ve ever had! And really I don’t say that lightly. My recipe for My Favorite Yellow Thai Curry has long been my favorite, and no other curry has ever come close. Don’t get me wrong, I love curry of all sorts, but that yellow curry is something else. However, this mango chicken curry is a new contender for first place alongside it....

The hike up Mount Washburn in Yellowstone National Park will take you up to the lofty elevation of 10,223 feet! A wide, well maintained trail leads to the top with expansive views in all directions. We hiked this trail after a full day visiting most of the geyser trails. And it was the perfect way to take a break from the heat. Yellowstone can be very hot at times in the summer....

That’s not to say there aren’t drop-offs on this hike, but you’re not so close to them. The trail is quite wide wherever there’s a drop so it’s easy to stay on the inside, far away from the edge. This trail is also considered one of the more strenuous hikes in the park, and I can see why with the significant elevation gain. There’s also the element of the sun, whenever you go to Zion be sure to start early because that desert sun can really get to you....

What’s your favorite pecan pie memory, and is it a holiday tradition in your house? Pecan pie bars have been a longstanding tradition for us during the holidays. But we serve them for breakfast with scrambled eggs and great coffee! Pecan pie skeptics say it’s too bland and sweet. However, when you use whole food ingredients they’re just rich and delectable, with plenty of flavor to go around. Instead of corn syrup, I use Grade B pure maple syrup which adds incredible flavor....

Some days are for low and slow cooking like my Slow Cooker Pork Roast. But other times I want the tasty pork roast flavor, but I’d like it in less than 8 hours. That’s where this simple Pork Sirloin Roast comes in. I like to cook this roast with extra liquid in the bottom of the pan so there are enough juices leftover to make a simple pan gravy. You can also just drizzle the juices over the sliced meat as well....

Every week as I make out my next grocery list, I peruse the fridge and take out everything that’s no longer at it’s prime. For fruit I cut it up and make Freezer Smoothie Packs with it. This method also works great on my leftover greens, because I just put it into the bag with the leftover fruit. But for anything that doesn’t fall into that category, I either sauté/blanch any leftover veggies and freeze them for later....

If you’re in need of a good dairy free cream sauce, today’s your lucky day! But even if you’re not dairy free, hang with me for a moment to revel in the lusciousness of this incredible sauce. When I posted my family’s special occasion recipe for Life Changing Rosemary Mushroom Cream Sauce around the holidays, I received lots of requests for a dairy free version. So today I have a substitute for heavy cream that makes an incredible base to add all sorts of delicious flavors to....

This salad came about because I was in a rut with brussels sprouts. I pretty much just roast my them the same way every single time. It’s really good, but I haven’t posted it since it’s barely a recipe. I just lightly coat them in olive oil, sea salt, and garlic powder and roast until caramelized. In fact they’re so good this way, I got into a habit of making them the same way for the last couple of years....

I’m in full scale spring mode and I’m not looking back. This is in spite the fact that we’re at least 1 month away from local produce yet. And of course there’s still lingering snow around here. But luckily for us California is experiencing spring and sending all the berries our way. In the meantime, I’m nose deep in the seed catalogs trying to figure out what we’re planting in our garden this year....

Cracker Lake is located in the Many Glacier region of the park, and it ranks among most people’s top 10 hikes to do in Glacier National Park. Many Glacier is probably my favorite section of the park for it’s intense stunning beauty and glacial colored lakes. Even so, I’d never been to Cracker Lake until this year, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed! The color of the lake is unreal, it’s turquoise hue is due to rock flour from the now melted Siyeh Glacier....