Tag: Washington

Grove of the Patriarchs

~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

Mt. Rainier
This week I was absolutely stir crazy! So I insisted that we go out to Mt. Rainier this weekend. It’s still early in the season, so most of the higher elevation hikes are still snowed in. That said, we chose the Grove of the Patriarchs to hike today. It’s one of the lower elevation trails (although it still had some snow on the ground) that’s very accommodating both in educational opportunity and level of ease. It’s a self guided tour with educational trail markers explaining the flora and fauna. Very enlightening.
The drive was tremendously scenic and the hike itself was humbling. Walking among these giants reminded us just how tiny we are. Sometimes archaic firs are just what’s needed to put things back into perspective.
We fully intend to do this more and more as the weather improves…just waiting on that snow to melt!
Mt. Rainier National Park
Mt. Rainier National Park
Grove of the Patriarchs
Mt. Rainier National Park

Breakfasts, Waterfalls and Cross Country Running

~ Crystle ~ 10 Comments
This is the fourth weekend in a row that we’ve had unadulterated sunshine. The state of Washington can go ahead and thank me now for bringing that California and Oklahoma sunshine this way.
You’re welcome, constituents. Brace yourself for some earthquakes and tornados.
Well, yesterday I cooked up some of my delicious Huevos Rancheros in tortilla cups. Wonderfully delicious. And they’re truly so easy to make.
 At the request of Lauren and Jordan, I’m including the recipe here.
Huevos Rancheros, the Crystle way:
1. Take taco sized soft flour tortillas and thinly coat both sides with melted butter.
2. Tuck tortillas into muffin pan, folding opposite sides to fit the mold.
3. Fill bottom layer of tortilla cup with cooked black beans. I used lime cilantro black beans; leftovers from our taco dinner the night before. You can use what you have around the house. Pinto beans work just as well.
4. Layer on your favorite salsa, or chopped onions/tomatoes mixture.
5. Crack open an egg on top of the mixture.
6. Bake at 375 F for roughly 8-10 minutes, monitor closely.
7. When the white of the eggs have set and the edges of the tortilla have turned brown, pull the muffin tray from the oven.
8. Sprinkle pepper jack cheese (I used monterey) on top of the egg and cover very loosely with foil. Return the tray to the oven for roughly 2-4 more minutes, monitoring closely.
9. Your huevos rancheros are done when you’ve melted the cheese to your liking!
NOTE:
-Feel free to change up the portions of the layers, or the ingredients included. I am definitely not rigid with ingredients or portioning, ever.
-Garnish with hot sauce, cilantro or fresh jalapeño.
After feasting down on a delicious breakfast, we day trekked out to Snoqualmie Falls, WA. I was immersed with the falls, and the gift shop. We picked up some wild huckleberry jam that I’m dying to throw on some toast.
Aaaand a few more images of late:
 
Who would want to hike the “Poo Poo Trail”. Maybe it means something else that I’m not privy to. Probably not.
And I finally got the Sorel snow boots I’ve been coveting all winter. Too bad it’s now spring.
We’ve also been running a lot more lately. We topped our longest distance on Friday with an 8 mile run (marathoners can shut it). I’m pretty sure I’m dead and writing this from the afterlife (which is pretty awesome; there are lots of Red Vines and ample internet access). We’re also awaiting our gold metals and invitations to the white house for that run.
No word from Barry yet…
Alright, we’re headed to Fort Steilacoom Park to soak up some more sunshine.
Happy Earth Day, Earthlings!