Month: April 2021

When we first started camping, I literally had no idea what to bring food wise.  We fell into the trap of always buying cheesy hot dogs, burgers, and chips, every single time. After one summer of camping, I had enough hotdogs and burgers to last me for a very long time.  I really didn’t know where to start, but I just knew I had to get creative. I found a treasure of camping food ideas on Pinterest.  I made a board and decided to start trying some of those ideas out the following summer.  It was exciting breaking out of the hotdog rut when camping! 

 I encourage you to do the same.  Be willing to get creative and try new things. I want you to allow yourself grace in the process, because there will be times things just don’t turn out. I can tell you that there have been some foods that just did not taste great, foods that were burnt to a crisp, and foods that just didn’t turn out. There were times we forgot the salt and pepper. (Kind of important)  But along the process, just like we did, you too will find some amazing campfire/camp stove foods. Today I want to share my favorites with you that I have discovered so far.

1. Appetizer-Campfire Nachos. These are super easy. You just need a disposable aluminum pan to put them in.  The basics you will need are tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Beyond that, you can bring whatever toppings you would like.  I used diced bell peppers and some bacon bits. Then we brought some sour cream to dip them in. We put all the toppings on, then covered it with foil and placed it on the grate over the fire.  We checked them every couple of minutes. They took about 10 minutes and tasted amazing with the wood smoked flavor. 
2. Breakfast-Bacon Cheese Hash.  Buy some potatoes O’Brien.  Then you can add shredded cheese and whatever meat you like.  We used bacon, but you could also use canadian bacon, or sausage or add egg to it for your protein.  You can make this over the campfire or over a camp stove. Whatever option you choose, this makes a delicious and easy breakfast that everyone can enjoy. 
3. Lunch-Sandwiches. We usually bring lunch meat and cheese and just do sandwiches.  The reason-we don’t want to have to start a campfire mid-day or have to take out the camp stove.
4. Dinner-Campfire Quesadillas.  For these, the basics are tortillas, shredded cheese, and chicken or whatever meat you would like.  We just shredded up a rotisserie chicken for ours the first time we did these. Another time we used fajita meat and bell peppers for the inside.  If you choose the fajitas option, you just have to cook the fajita meat and peppers first.  Then I just wrap the quesadillas in foil and put on the grate. Once they get melty-take the foil off and put them directly on the fire grate. This will crisp the outside up. They will have a delicious wood fired taste.
5. Dessert-Kebleer Cookie S’Mores.  For these the basics are your favorite Keebler cookies and marshmallows.  We chose the fudge strips and thin mints. Then you roast your marshmallow and stick it between two cookies. They are absolutely delicious. 

Now that you previewed a few of our favorites, I can’t wait for all the delicious foods and meals you will prepare camping. Keep getting creative and try new things.  And of course, if you have a delicious campfire meal, please share in the comments. Happy campfire cooking.  Happy adventurous wanderings! 

Mountain air is truly lovely.  It allows you to take the deepest breath imaginable of crisp, clear, clean fresh air.  Air that smells of pine. Air that in so many ways helps a person both mentally and physically. 

Growing up in the Colorado and then the Montana mountains, I never knew how spoiled I was. I would take a deep breath of fresh air whenever I wanted to.  I ended up going to college in the midwest.  Living there with the humidity, it never felt like you could take a deep breath of fresh air.  This is why I always loved coming home. The first thing I would do when I got there would be to take a deep breath of fresh mountain air. 

Even after living in Colorado now again for almost 4 years, my thankfulness for the ability to get out in the mountains and breath fresh air never goes away. 

Last fall, we had been getting smoke from not only the historic forest fires in our state but all over the western states.  It really settled into the air on the front range in the Denver area for almost three months. Along with the smoke and smog we already have, my body had not been doing well with it.  I went to the emergency room so many times, nebulized more than anyone ever should, and had 10 rounds of prednisone.  

However, in the midst of this, I would find times where I found refuge in the mountain air where there was not a fire happening. There was one weekend in particular when we went up to the mountains and the air was clear.  I laid in a hammock by this beautiful mountain lake and just breathed in deep breaths. Those deep cleansing breaths. Ones that were not full of wheezing from yucky air. I felt stronger that day than I had in a long while.  The mountain air was good for me that day both mentally and physically. 

You might wonder what I mean about the air helping me both physically and mentally.  Let me explain.  Physically, the air is usually clean and pure.  You can take a deep breath and feel it oxygenating you in a way that is free of pollutants.  Especially during a hard hike when you are breathing a lot, you know in that moment that your lungs are getting stronger. It feels at times like the air wakes up your brain.  Which leads me to the mental aspect. There is so much going on in life.  A lot of things can weigh you down mentally.  When you get outside, whether it be hiking or camping or really whatever, it feels like the mental junk is able to dissipate and you can think clearly.  

I share these experiences with you today to encourage you get out.  Got sit on a ridge as the sun is setting and just breath. (Picture above)  Get outside in the mountain air. Enjoy the clean, fresh mountain air.  Happy Adventures Wanderings! 

We all want to put our best selves out there when it comes to social media. I am guilty of it and at times you might be too. I have found that trying to always look a certain way robs me of the amazing moments that come from journeying through the outdoors. 

I posted two photos today.  The first one is what I wanted people to see. The one where we were at the highest point on the trail with the epic view in the background.  The second picture  is when Kevin and I were exhausted and literally just sat down in the middle of the trail. 

In this blog post I would like to share a little about my husband Kevin and I. I hope this inspires you  to journey with us into wandering into the outdoors.

Kevin and I are not the normal face of outdoor lovers. We both work full time jobs, but we love spending our weekends and time off in the mountains. We enjoy hiking, camping, hammocking, and really anything that allows us space to be in the mountains. We are not extremely in shape, although we are working on it! It’s been a journey for us. We lived in Missouri for a long time where physical fitness was placed on the back burner and unhealthy lifestyles were encouraged. 

We moved to Colorado in 2016 and the mountains actually led us to the realization that we needed a change. We have found the outdoors to be a cheerleader toward setting goals to become stronger both mentally and physically.  

When we first started hiking in Colorado, we found ourselves feeling insecure many times.  Other hikers would pass us by conquering extremely steep inclines as though it was a walk in the park.  There were times we felt we could not take another step up the trail.  We had to take lots of breaks.  We brought a ton of protein bars and drank tons of water. However, we refused to give up our spot on that mountain. We kept challenging ourselves to go farther. We pushed each other past the point of wanting to quit refusing to give up our love to wander into the outdoors.

Almost 5 years later, we are still working to get stronger. We are always setting goals that go beyond the limits of what we have done before.

I write this blog to inspire you to get out and wander into the outdoors. It doesn’t matter what level you are at-beginner or expert.  You don’t have to have it all together.  You just need a starting point.  Don’t worry about being your best, but rather just enjoy where the trail leads you. Happy outdoor adventures.