Hello, friends and fellow home cooks!
This is my weekly newsletter, which includes 7 weeknight meals + 3 healthy salads (for the week of September 23-29, 2024) + 3 new posts published in the last 7 days!
At the bottom of this newsletter, I’m sharing some amazing photos from our hike to Columbine Lake near Silverton, Colorado. It’s a lesser-known but challenging and strenuous hike that rewards you with a breathtaking turquoise glacial alpine lake sitting at 12,690 feet!
7 weeknight meals + 3 healthy salads
DAY 1: Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp Pasta
DAY 2: Lemon Pepper Chicken with Creamy Garlic-Lemon Sauce
DAY 3: Mediterranean Salmon with Rice, Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta (One-Pan, 30-Minute Meal)
DAY 4: Chicken Risotto (creamy rice) with Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Parmesan Cheese
DAY 5: Southwestern Black Bean and Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole (Meatless. You can use sweet potatoes or yams instead of butternut squash).
DAY 6: Chicken Florentine Bake with Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Cheese (30 Minutes, One-Pan)
DAY 7: Vegetable Beef Soup with Carrots, Potatoes, Bell Pepper, and Green Peas (ONE-POT)
SALAD 1: Apple Spinach Salad with Pecans, Dried Cranberries, Goat Cheese, and Maple-Lime Mustard Dressing
SALAD 2: Strawberry Mango Salad with Arugula/Spinach Mix
SALAD 3: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Spinach, Apples, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, and Feta
New posts published in the last 7 days!
NEW: Sausage White Bean Soup with Spinach and Carrots (30 Minutes, One-Pot)
NEW: Steak Enchiladas
NEW: My Best 26 Apple Recipes to Make in the Fall (both Savory and Sweet)
Top comments of last week!
I’m so lucky to receive so many kind, sweet, and heartfelt comments about my recipes—it seriously makes my day! I even screenshot them and add them to my “Affirmations” folder on my iPhone (yes, it’s a thing, at least for me!). Now, I’ve decided to start sharing my top 3-5 most encouraging and uplifting comments from the previous week in my newsletter. Spread the love!
From Deirdre on my Facebook page:
“Julia’s Album, I have to shout out a Thank You to you!! I have been battling numerous health and surgical issues and these recipes not only give me joy to make but my surgeon and oncologist are so happy that I am trying to stay as healthy as possible in between surgeries. It is all thanks to your delicious and healthy meals!!!
😀😷😷🙏🙏🙏”
From Claudia on my blog:
“Hi Julia! you are wonderful! thank you for sharing your passion about food! that’s great….. blessings. today, my husband and I are following your creamy shrimp and mushrooms pasta recipe.
Cheers!!”
From Fran on Facebook:
“Your recipes are ridiculously delicious. You’re like a food savant! My sister and I are nuts about everything we’ve cooked of yours. Pics are fabulous!”
From Kristine on Facebook:
“Love the hiking pics! We have been enjoying lots of “Julia dinners” this week. Keep up the great work! You are so loved and appreciated at our house!”
A huge shout-out and THANK YOU to everyone who leaves comments on my website! Your feedback and recipe reviews are everything—they keep me motivated and prevent me from feeling like I’m just tossing recipes into a culinary black hole!
Hiking Columbine Lake near Silverton and Ouray in Southwest Colorado
Let me tell you about another one of my favorite hikes—Columbine Lake, nestled in the San Juan National Forest near Silverton and Ouray in Southwest Colorado. It’s a 7-mile round-trip hike to a stunning alpine glacial lake that sits at 12,690 feet elevation! The elevation at the trailhead (where the hike starts) is 10,350 feet, and your ending elevation at the lake (at the end of the hike) is 12,690 feet. So, you’re looking at a solid 2,340 feet of elevation gain over 3.5 miles one way to the lake. Then, of course, you retrace your steps on the way back. It’s an out-and-back hike, and wow, it is worth every step.
Columbine Lake is located in a glacial bowl surrounded by peaks over 13,000 feet. Alpine lakes always have a stunningly clear, jewel-like appearance.
What makes it extra special is that it’s one of Colorado’s hidden gems—not as well-known, but absolutely gorgeous. You start by tackling a steep trail through the dense forest, then break through the tree line into breathtaking alpine meadows, and finally, you reach the jewel of the hike: a crystal-clear glacial lake, framed by rugged 13,000-foot peaks. It’s nothing short of magical.
Now, I’ll be honest—this hike is no joke. It’s strenuous, off the beaten path, and you need to be in good shape and acclimated to the altitude to really enjoy it. We barely saw a soul on the trail—maybe three people total—which was part of the charm. If you’re an experienced hiker, this is an unforgettable adventure. But for a casual hiker? Probably not the best choice.
Here are some photos from our adventure! I cannot wait to do this hike again!
Right from the start, the trail kicks off with some steep switchbacks through a spruce-fir forest, and let me tell you, it wastes no time getting your legs burning! You’ll be gaining elevation fast. But once you power through that, the trail chills out a bit, and you find yourself in wide-open meadows above the tree line. Normally, these meadows would be bursting with wildflowers, but since we hiked in September, this was our view:
Here we are entering the zone above the tree line:
The trail becomes steep again in the middle of the basin, and we found ourselves climbing through rocky meadows. We had to hike across scree slopes and piles, which can feel like navigating a giant slide made of rocks. You have to be careful, pay attention, and wear the right shoes.
And there’s Kevin, standing at the edge of the abyss—probably pondering whether he’s brave or just slightly crazy!
After all that hiking and climbing, we were finally rewarded with a stunning view of Columbine Lake at 12,690 feet! It’s definitely above the tree line—no trees anywhere in sight! Just pure mountain glory!
Columbine Lake is set in a glacial bowl surrounded by rugged ridges over 13,000 feet. The elevation at this lake is 12,690 feet.
On the way back, the weather changed fast, and it started raining. Here we are, descending from above the tree line into the wooded area.
These things were falling all over me at one point. Not sure what it was – rain and wind or an angry squirrel.
We had lots of rain (again!) on our way back which made the descent actually easier because the trail had more traction. On dry days, some trails can have loose gravel or compacted dirt that acts like a layer of sand, causing hikers to lose stability. So the rain can sometimes be a hidden advantage on some trails, as long as you’re not climbing up or down huge slippery rocks and as long as there are no bolts of lightning.
At this point, we were almost done with our hike. Take a closer look and you might just spot a moose hanging out by the water’s edge!
There’s another moose we spotted! There were three in total—one was an adorable baby calf. The other two were “playing hide-and-seek” behind the trees and bushes, popping out every now and then.
Life can be so sad and I think it’s important to focus on positive things we have and things we can still enjoy.
Please don’t be shy and say Hello in the comments and let me know where you’re from (I am from Colorado) or share one good or fun thing that happened to you this week! (For me, it’s all about hiking these days, lol!) Or, tell me if you’re planning to try any of my recipes, it’s a meal plan, after all! 😍🥰
