Food

  • Beer,  Food,  Hiking,  Travel

    Hiking Rampart Ridge and Exploring Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park

    We arrived to Mount Rainier National Park early, as we heard the entrance could get crowded. I was doubtful it would be crowded this time of year! Half of the park was still closed for the winter. At the lower elevations, though, the sun was shining and everything was GREEN! We parked at the Wilderness Information Center at the Longmire Entrance to the park. We asked one of the Rangers what hike would be best to do, and she suggested the Rampart Ridge Trail, which was connected to the Trail of Shadows. Trail of Shadows was an easy little hike through the forest around a pristine meadow, which offered a…

  • Cooking,  Food,  Nutrition

    Adventures with an Instant Pot

    I got an Instant Pot for Christmas! If you haven’t heard, Instant Pots are all the rage right now. It is a 7-in-1 multi-cooker that acts as a slow cooker, saute pan, pressure cooker, steamer, rice cooker, yogurt maker, and warmer. It also has 14 smart built-in programs. With a touch of a button, you can set it to make Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Sauté/Searing, Steam, Rice, Porridge, Multigrain, Slow Cook, Keep-Warm, Yogurt, Pasteurize & Pressure Cook. I have a slow cooker that I love using. But I think the IP will soon take it’s place because the IP is like a speedy version of a slow cooker! It can…

  • Food,  Nutrition

    Blueberry Mango Protein Smoothie

    I came across this great post yesterday written by Australian Sports Dietitian, Dietitian without Borders, entitled “Do You Need Protein Supplements?” – I tend to share posts like these on social media because they align with my views on supplement use. Overall I think most athletes and those that are active in “gym culture” tend to over-consume supplements–specifically protein supplements. There are so many products available these days, it’s overwhelming and mostly unnecessary, not to mention a waste of money, since many of these products claiming health benefits are way overpriced. The bottom line is that unless you have a hard time getting protein from actual food sources, you don’t…

  • Food,  Nutrition,  Product Reviews

    Blue Apron Meal Delivery Service Review

    After hearing about Blue Apron (and the many other meal-delivery services out there), I finally decided to try it. I picked Blue Apron because I had a discount code for three 2-person meals for $19.99 ($59.00 regularly) and because I’ve been in a recipe rut and hate grocery shopping. Note: this is not a sponsored review, just my honest opinion in case you were curious about these meals. Friday my first box of food got delivered in a large box filled with ice packs to keep the food cold. I wasn’t home at the time but Jordan unpacked it all and put everything away, so it was in the fridge when I…

  • Fitness,  Food,  Mountain Biking,  Restaurant Reviews,  Travel

    Mountain Biking in Klondike Bluffs, Moab, Utah

    Our last full day of the trip was an action-packed one. Jordan and I were on the fence about renting mountain bikes during the trip, but decided to go for it on the last day. We were in Moab, after all, where some of the best and most famous mountain biking trails are located. Our hotel was also right across from the best bike rental shop in Moab, Poison Spider. The night before we picked out and got fit for our bikes. I chose an Ibis Mojo HD3, an extremely high end, 27.5 wheel size, carbon fiber, full suspension mountain bike. We asked our friends who had come to Moab previously…