Really glad you asked about that trail we did last weekend. Honestly it was one of those spontaneous decisions where we just packed some snacks and water and headed out around seven in the morning. The weather held up nicely, not too humid, and the path was shaded for the first couple of miles. We saw a few deer early on and there was this one spot near a creek where we stopped for almost twenty minutes just watching the water. My legs were sore the next day but it was totally worth it. I think if you go during the week it's way less crowded. We ran into maybe three other people the whole time. There is a longer loop that adds about four miles but we stuck with the moderate one this trip. Definitely want to go back and try the extended route before the season changes. Let me know if you want directions or the parking situation because finding the trailhead was a little tricky at first. There is a small lot just past the general store. Anyway that was our little adventure and I am still thinking about how peaceful it was out there.

I finally tried that lentil soup recipe you sent me last month. Honestly I was a little skeptical because I usually mess up anything with more than five ingredients but this one came together really well. I used green lentils instead of brown because that is what I had and it still worked. The key was letting the onions caramelize slowly instead of rushing it. I added a splash of lemon at the end and that brightened everything up. Made a big batch on Sunday and ate it for lunch all week. It actually got better by day three. I am thinking of trying it with sweet potatoes next time or maybe tossing in some spinach right before serving. The texture was hearty without being heavy. Let me know if you have any other recipes that are forgiving like that one because my confidence is up now and I want to keep going. Also I finally organized my spice drawer and found three jars of cumin so that was a fun surprise.