How is it already over half way through July?! I feel like a broken record saying this, but summer is seriously flying by. I feel like I need to catch you up a bit on what we’ve been doing the past few weeks as it’s been awhile since I posted. Where to start…we’ve been doing a lot, hence the lack of posts coming your way lately.

Over the 4th of July weekend, we took our main summer vacation to Colorado to spend time with Philip’s family. We crammed in as much as we could during that short, extended weekend! And boy, did we live up our #yearoffun on that trip! So many good memories were made.

We didn’t waste any time getting started on adventures. We arrived into Denver on Friday evening and early Saturday morning (and I mean early! *cough* 3:30am *cough*) we woke up and made it to the trailhead of Gray’s Peak, a “14er,” by 6:00am with Philip’s sister, brother, and sister-in-law. In case you’re not familiar with the Colorado lingo, such as 14er’s (don’t worry, I wasn’t until about a year ago either), they’re mountain peaks that are over 14,000 feet in elevation. It’s quite the feat to summit them, and the more you’ve done, the more impressive you look. :) We’ve done one! Yay!

Even with the clouds and mist hiding most of the view, it was still a gorgeous hike and a lot of fun to accomplish the hike all together.

Colorado is known for it’s crazy switches in weather and we definitely experienced that. While Saturday was cold and rainy during the hike, it was just as hot and sunny when Philip and I took a 4th of July hike on our own on Monday in Boulder, CO. It seemed like a piece of cake compared to the earlier hike we had done. ;)

It may seem like hiking was all we did, but that was just part of what we did. From stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) with his brother and sister-in-law in Fort Collins to visiting New Belgium’s brewery and watching the fireworks with our niece and nephews, it wasn’t easy flying back home. We can’t wait to visit again!

Colorado was fun, but this past weekend, with a completely free weekend on the calendar (when does that ever happen?!), Philip and I made the most of it and explored what was in our own backyard — Devil’s Lake State Park. We had gone last fall, but it was amazing to see the buzz of activity going on during it’s prime season. Thankfully, Philip and I were able to escape the crowds at the beach and go on a quiet hike together. It was so peaceful and gave us a chance to admire the beauty around us that we all too often overlook.

Between lots of bike rides and fun adventures like these, this summer has been a good one! Another fun adventure for this year has been being a part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for the first time this year (because let’s be honest, we couldn’t keep our garden alive. Ha.) Way back in March we bought a “share” of the harvest a local farm produces. Basically, they do all the hard work and every other week we get to enjoy the bountiful harvest! My vegetable intake has been through the roof the past few weeks with as many vegetables as we’ve been getting.

Like many of you may be experiencing in your own gardens or CSAs, zucchini is in abundance! We literally received a bag full of zucchini in our last share. In case you’re looking for new ways to use up your zucchini or are just wanting a great summer side dish that doesn’t heat up your kitchen, Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini is perfect.

It looks fancy enough to serve for company, but is so quick to put together it’s great for a weeknight meal. If you’re having burgers on the grill (or anything on the grill!), make up a batch of these zucchinis while you’re at it and add them to the grill, too. Simple, flavorful, nutritious, and done in minutes. You can’t beat that!

Keep having a wonderful summer full of adventure, bountiful produce, and good eats, friends!

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

Serves 4 – 6 (depending on how big your zucchinis are)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 4 small zucchini (about 1 pound total)
• 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine oil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Make crosswise cuts every ½ inch along each zucchini, slicing almost to the bottom but not all the way through. Gently fan the zucchini to open the cuts wider. Place the zucchini on a double layer of foil.
4. Place a small piece of Parmesan into each cut of the zucchini. Brush the oil mixture over the top.
5. Place the zucchini the grill and let cook, without turning, until browned and tender, 10–15 minutes.

Slightly adapted from: Eating Well