I took a trip up to Bryce and Zion just to see it, and oh man was it amazing. I am planning another adventure up there soon!

    I stopped by Horseshoe bend on the way back to see the sunset:

    I ended up doing a night hike through Bryce which was AMAZING - the moon lit up the snowy trails and made hiking possible without even a headlamp!

    The sunrise was equally amazing:

    I also stopped by Zion on the way back, and trust me - I plan to make it back as soon as possible.

    Until next time, happy journeys y'all.

    This soup basically combines all of my favorite foods. The ginger, cilantro, and ACV really serve to bring out the flavors that make you go WOOOO WOOOOOOOOO THIS IS GOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Ingredients:

    - Head of broccoli
    - One leek
    - Cup or two of spinach
    - Around 75 grams ginger
    - Around 30 grams cilantro
    - Any other vegetables that seem delicious until your pot is full
    - Tbsp Pasture butter
    - Tbsp apple cider vinegar

The Soup:
    The beauty of this soup is that it is really easy to make, and you can adapt the recipe (like most of my recipes) to whatever vegetables you have and how hungry you are feeling.

    All you need to do is chop up your vegetables and put them into the pot until it seems that you have enough OR your pot is full (I usually do the latter).
    Then, fill your pot with water until it covers about half of your veggies (or less). Steam your veggies until they are soft but not over cooked.
    Pour the veggies and water into a blender and liquify. After the soup is fairly well liquified, add in the butter and ACV, and re-blend.

    Finally, serve and enjoy.

    ... For chili, of course!

    This will be sure to warm you up as you relax and read by the wood stove, its soft orange glow filling the room with dim, comfortable light while the elements rage outside the window. And, hopefully, it will spice up your taste buds, too.


Here in Flagstaff, AZ, it is cold. When I woke up this morning and went out to ride my bike to work, it was -8 F. BRRRRR! Good thing I know how to make this when I get home, and it is quick, easy, and low-toxin!

Ingredients:
        - 1 Head Bok Choy
        - 5 Slices of Kale (separate the stalks and the leaf)
        - 1 Stock of Broccoli
        - 50 g ginger
        - 30 g cilantro
        - 4 Cauliflower Florets
        - Couple pinches of spinach
        - 1 lbs. Ground Pasture Beef (preferably from a local ranch)
        - 1 can of coconut milk (Optional depending on your dietary preferences and taste buds. If you choose to include, go             full fat, not the 'light')
        - 1/2 tbsp MCT Oil (optional also)
        - 2 tbsp Grass-Fed Pasture Butter
        - Pinch Cumin seed
        - Pinch Tumeric

- Add the stalks of the bok choy, kale, and Broccoli into your food processor along with all of the cauliflower (or if you want a workout while cooking chop them all really small yourself).  Toss these ingredients into the pot on medium heat. No oil necessary. Stir occasionally, allowing the stalks to steam but not to become stuck to the bottom of the pot.

- While your stalks are cooking, prepare your ground beef by seasoning it with a few cumin seeds. Also prepare your bok choy and kale leaves, broccoli florets, spinach, cilantro, and ginger by throwing them in the food processor and chopping them small. You will use these veggies in the last step.

- When your stalks have cooked (the steaming has slowed after 10 minutes or so), pour the can of full-fat coconut milk from a can into your pot, and add in the 1 lb of beef that you have slightly seasoned. Go ahead and also add the pinch of tumeric. Stir and cover - cook for around 10 minutes. Remember to try to keep the beef rare.

- Finally, when the beef is cooked rare, turn off the stove and add in the finely chopped veggies from the food processor. Stir. Then, add in the MCT oil and the Grass-Fed Pasture Butter and stir until they melt into the chili matrix.

- Stir, serve, and enjoy the deliciousness.

    The sound of birds softly singing stirred me from a deep sleep. I found it strange, largely due to the fact that it was 4:30 am. Usually my alarm goes off around 6:30.
    I jumped out of bed and got dressed immediately, skipping the usual early morning cold shower. I had to get to the airport for a much-anticipated visit to San Francisco for New Year's, so there was no time to dawdle. I made some Bulletproof coffee, grabbed my bags and ran out the door into ... the snow. What a nice surprise.

    There was about an inch of snow covering the roads and my newly-acquired vehicle. "It's only an inch," I thought, "the highways should be fine." So I warmed up the 4x4 while I scraped snow and ice off the windows and loaded up.
    As I had predicted, the highway was fine. It had been freshly plowed, and visibility was fine. I cruised at 65 - 70 mph, thankful that it wasn't a bigger storm! And then Murphy's law decided to offer proof of its existence...
    Just as I hit the edge of the Mogollon Rim, decorated with yellow signs reading "CAUTION MOUNTAIN GRADES - NEXT 15 MILES," a blizzard came upon me with fury. There was no warning - one second I was cruising at 70 on a road with two clear tire tracks leading the way through the light snow, and the next I was in a totally white landscape. The road blended seamlessly with the edge of the highway, and huge, fluffy snowflakes obstructed any views beyond a few feet in front of me.

    I shit you not (ironic pun intended), I felt my stomach walls slam together and begin to knot, and my bowels release. I was fairly certain I had just soiled myself.

    Unfortunately, there was no time to fret about my pant predicament. I had to slow the truck quickly in the snow before I went flying off the road into one of those big, fluffy-looking snow-covered mounds that I am sure were not as fluffy as they appeared. Luckily, I slowed, regained composure, and began to drive slowly down the mountain grades, still unable to see much of anything. The rest of the drive is details, but it involved a lot of clutching the steering wheel, squinting, and praying. Eventually the snow cleared, and I sped down the highway to Phoenix in hopes that I wouldn't miss my flight.

    When I got to the airport, I was running dangerously late. No time to check myself. Ughhh. I sprinted into the terminal and, with a brief delay in the security line (they had to inspect my 'rock rings' - training holds for climbing) I made it to the gate as they were finishing boarding the plane. I hurried down the tunnel at the gate and onto the plane, found a seat, and started imagining people saying to themselves "DUDE... where did this guy come from!? He smells like he shit himself!"
    When the fasten seatbelt sign blinked off, I ran to the bathroom. Finally, the moment I had been... well... dreading. In the tiny confines of the plane's bathroom, I pulled down my pants, slightly bending over in the process. The bend caused my butt to hit the wall behind me, propelling myself forward and smashing my head into the other wall. Damn tiny airplane bathrooms!!!
   
    Anyway, to end the drama, all was well. Apparently in my terror, I had overestimated the damage; in fact, there was no damage at all. What a magical relief. Then, I relieved myself further and returned to my seat.

    As the old saying goes, you learn something new everyday. Today, despite my estimation mistake, I can say that I have a far better understanding of what it means to 'scare someone shitless'.

    By the time you see this post, it will probably be your birthday, so don't have to much fun without us kids. Thanks for having us home, providing us with toys fit for 6-year-olds, feeding us delicious food, and sending us off prepared for the apocalypse with allen wrenches, hammers, car jacks, jumper cables, screwdrivers, ice scrapers, and socket wrenches. We (ok, I - Garrett will be back in 3 days ) can't wait to come see you again soon, and we certainly could not ask for a more thoughtful and providing father. Thanks.

    Grandparents, it was a pleasure to have you visit. I certainly hope to make it to Houston to visit y'all soon, as I know we keep discussing. I love you all very much!

    Mom, I don't want to leave you out. Thanks for putting up with us while we were home. I know it's easy because we are perfect kids.

    Finally, since I am on a role of not leaving anyone out, thank you Maggie. You accepted me as family right from the start. I quickly found out that you probably would have treated me the same if I had been a robber breaking into the house alone, but at the time we met I did not know this about you and therefore felt welcomed home. It was great.

Now, off to the wide-open West again. 


    Much love, family

                            -moose

    After our family festivites at home wound down, we headed into the District to see what we could see. And see we did! The moon was coming up over the Nation's Capital and the tree out front of it.

    Closer to home, we went sightseeing around our neighborhood. We came across this house: a full 'Clark Griswold-style' house decoration (Christmas Vacation reference...).

    Holiday cheer is in the air! 

    Well, I am going to be driving with Garrett for the next couple days, so I will probably see y'all again next year! Happy New Year in advance!

    There's nothing better than family. 

    I came home to spend Christmas with my mother, father, brother, grandparents, and my new sister, Maggie. Christmas spirit is in the air, with Maggie leading the charge. She wears a Santa hat as she parades around the house, chew toy held high, and infuses everyone with holiday cheer. She also casually sprints across our winter pool cover. 

    In other news, here is a gift I received that I found incredibly touching. My family knows me well...

    Merry Christmas, y'all