What I Couldn't Get Enough Of This May

The Perfect Camping Trip Salsa Recipe And A Summer Backyard Upgrade In Progress

I’m going to need someone to explain to me how May is already over. I swear, it feels like just a few weeks ago that the trees were still waiting for their leaves to return, and now it feels like summer has been here all along.

You won’t find me complaining, though. I’m a self-proclaimed hater of all things winter. Dead grass? Sad trees? Shoveling snow off the driveway? No thanks.

Safe to say I’m coming back to life.

The Salsa Recipe That I Won’t Stop Eating

My husband is a master at coming up with random yet insanely delicious recipes completely off the cuff.

And the other week he experimented with his own homemade tomatillo mango salsa, Dare I say it may have been one of the best salsas I’ve ever had in my life? Dramatic? yes. True? Also yes.

I just kept thinking over and over again: this would be perfect to pack up and bring on a camping trip.

Note: You could totally use pineapple or peach instead of mango. Both would be great alternatives. And if you want more of a kick, highly recommend adding some fresh, diced jalapeños.

Figured I couldn’t keep the recipe all to myself, so if salsa is your thing, you’ll want to save this one and pull it out for your next al fresco dinner party or weekend camping adventure.

Ingredients:

• 6 tomatillos

• 1/2 a yellow onion

• 4 garlic cloves (we do not skimp on the garlic in this household)

• 1/2 - 1 cup of mango (depends on how fruity you like your salsa)

• 1 bunch of cilantro

• 1 drizzle of olive oil

• a couple tablespoons of lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon of a black pepper and coriander ground + mixed together

• a pinch of red pepper flakes

Recipe:

There aren’t really any set steps here. If you like your salsa chunky like I do, just chop up your tomatillo, yellow onion, garlic, mango, and cilantro and mix them together with your spices, olive oil, and lime juice.

Or if you like a smooth salsa, you can whip out the blender and make this more of a puree.

If you end up trying this one out, please let me know! Would love to know your thoughts.

Getting Outside This Month

You know it’s finally almost summertime when you’ve been stocking up on bottle after bottle of sunscreen. And boy have we been blowing through them.

This month has had no shortage of outdoors days, to say the least. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Backyard Patio: Loading

It’s finally warm on Colorado’s Front Range, and I’m basking in the sun and the return of regular Vitamin D (can you tell I don’t care for cold weather?).

I’ll be honest, I’ve spent so much of the past several years on the hiking trails that I’ve entirely neglected to consider the outdoor spaces at home.

But that changed this month! We’ve began working on making our backyard an outdoors escape.

And that started with making our patio less of a boring concrete pad and more of a place we actually want to drink our morning coffee and eat our dinner while the sun sets.

It’s still a huge work in progress, but I’m loving the direction so far. Eventually, we’re going for an oasis of plants vibe, but it’s probably going to take a couple summers before it completely gets there.

The highlight? The fire pit. Just imagine having your campfire s’mores sesh any night you desire, instead of only on your camping trips. The dream.

Canyon Drives And Horse Hangouts

We’re lucky to live a short drive away from a beautifully winding stretch of road that cuts through towering rock walls jutting hundreds of feet upward, with a raging river racing alongside it.

And let me just say, when you have kiddos who aren’t in the mood for a full-on hike but who want, nay need, to get out of the house, the canyon is the perfect escape.

On the occasion that the canyon drives are a no-go, we’ve also spent much of our time hanging out with the local horses down the road from us.

I swear every farm here in Colorado has horses, and it’s a childhood dream.

We swing by with the stroller and chat with them while they munch on their grass and prance around the open field. It’s soul-feeding.

It’s Garden Season, Y’all.

If there’s one think I’m immensely proud of, it’s how we’re raising outdoors-loving kiddos. And a big part of them is letting them feel a sense of responsibility and accomplishment in the garden.

That means they have their own plants. They plant them. They water them. They help transfer them from their inside pots to the backyard garden beds. They give the plants motivational kisses (Just my kids? Ok, cool.)

Outdoorsy Reads I’m Loving

Mom life has me crazy busy these days, so I haven’t had much time for reading books of my own. But we have been reading some fun outdoors kiddo books.

Right now our favorites are this little board book about national parks and some of the animals you can find in them, and this little French book about a spring celebration (such an adorable read with a cute little twist!).

May Trail Report: What Went Live This Month

I have to say, this May was absolutely brimming with some of my favorite pieces I’ve written so far on Substack.

You’re Not Imagining It. The Quality Of Outdoor Gear Is Getting Worse.

Is fast fashion taking over the outdoor industry? And how can we avoid buying gear that sucks?

New To Hiking? Don’t Waste Your Money On This Gear.

My top 3 picks for highly overrated gear you don’t really need…at least not yet. Because it’s exhausting how often we’re pushed stuff we don’t actually need to invest our hard earned dollars in.

What’s With All The Egotistical People On AllTrails?

Seriously, the concept of humility is entirely lost on some hikers. But this trend is just as risky as it is annoying. I explain why.

My Secrets To Planning An Epic Outdoorsy Road Trip.

All the planning tips and tricks you didn’t know you needed, from a self-proclaimed road trip obsessed gal.

Aaaaaaand with that, May is over. And I couldn’t be more excited about June and July, two of my absolute favorite months of the year. The epitome of outdoor adventure, and some of the best hiking months here in Colorado.

And on that note, gotta go lace up my hiking boots. Catch y’all next week!

Any specific topics you want me to cover in future posts? I’m all ears. Drop a comment to let me know!