Let's Gab: May & June 2022

A brown dog on a leash sits on the street during a colorful parade in June 2022, with people holding pride flags and wearing rainbow-themed clothing.

Greetings from summer Sarah! Who apparently forgot to write a Let’s Gab last month (which could have something to do with starting a dog food blog, going to Scotland, and publishing more here on Live Eat Learn than we ever have before 🥵).

So anyways, here’s a random assortment of adventures, near and afar, that have kept life interesting lately.

A person sits on a saddle, drinking from a bottle, in front of a neon sign reading IM YOUR HUCKLEBERRY and next to a whiskey barrel inside a rustic room—Let’s Gab about it like it’s June 2022.

Rhubarb and I made the long drive down to Texas for a quick vacation, where she got to experience the beach for the first time! While she was less impressed by our baby shark find (who made a safe return to the water), she loved taking coastal naps – whether it be on a kayak, under a car, or under a hat.

Woman in sunglasses and a sun hat smiles while holding a small shark on a pier in June 2022. A man fishes in the background and a dog stands nearby.

A brown and white dog sits on a yellow kayak in the water, surrounded by fishing gear and fishing rods, under a clear sky. This peaceful scene was captured during Lets Gab in May 2022.

A brown dog wearing a hat rests on rocks near a concrete pier while people walk along the rail, with the ocean and blue sky in the background—capturing a tranquil moment from Lets Gab, May 2022.

The drive between Denver and south Texas leaves much to be desired, but we broke it up with fun stops such as “potentially definitely haunted house” and “look at that hill”.

An old, weathered wooden house stands alone in a dry, open field, viewed through a barbed wire fence under a clear blue sky—capturing the quiet essence of June 2022.

A small, dome-shaped hill rises from a flat grassy plain under a partly cloudy blue sky, viewed from across a paved road in June 2022.

A large camping tent is set up on a grassy area near a dirt road, surrounded by trees and rocky hills under a clear blue sky during May 2022.

Back in Colorado, we kicked off camping season in style! Or, we thought we did. Not remembering which of the two air mattresses was leaky, we stacked them to form a mega bed and considered ourselves “glamping” masters. Until we woke up to two very deflated air mattresses and two sore backs.

A scene from June 2022: Two stacked air mattresses inside a large tent, with a cooler nearby. A person kneels next to a brown dog near the tent wall, while trees and blue sky appear through the windows.

Interior of a large tent with a partially deflated air mattress covered in sleeping bags, pillows, and clothes scattered on the floor. Sunlight filters through the tent walls—reminiscent of our Lets Gab camping trip in May 2022.

We had a few run-ins with wildlife, to include a fox near our campsite that Rhubarb had absolutely no interest in becoming friends with (adding Fox And The Hound to our movie list), a fortunately non-venomous snake that Rhubarb insisted on finding, and this tiny hummingbird in her nest.

Oh, and the hungry squirrel in our backyard who has a habit of stealing Rhubarb’s half eaten treats (and then the squirrel went viral).

Back in Denver, things got exciting with the Avs winning the Stanley Cup! To solidify our standing as “coolest house on the block”, sister and I projected the game as big as humanly possible.

Other standouts from the month included Tacolandia, an all-you-can-eat taco experience where dozens of taqueria food trucks shared their best tacos. I wore my stretchiest skirt and ate 13.

We also celebrated the birthday of sister, who – when gifted a pineapple and painted piece of coral – cried. (And no Bond birthday is complete without our famous healthy chocolate cake.)

Then there were Rockie’s baseball games and Kentucky derby hat-wearing and concerts at Red Rocks. Summer in Colorado!

In the kitchen, things have been equally busy. I’ve been trying to cover a mix of staple recipes (like these roasted chickpeas or this roasted broccoli), while also making some fun experimental type recipes (like a vegan bahn mi that’s coming soon!)

And because social media doesn’t seem to be going away, I’ve been working on incorporating more video content into my recipe creation process. Which, given that it’s only me cooking and shooting, is exhausting. But also fun! Check them out here.

And the latest addition to Live Eat Learn has been weekly meal plans! I wanted to create a way to bring back old recipes while also helping make people’s lives a bit easier, and done-for-you meal plans seemed like the answer. Do you have any themed week requests? Let me know in the comments!