There is truly nothing as lovely as being in the Rocky Mountains during summer. The afternoon showers, something I didn't get growing up in the foothills of the Sierra's in California, ensure that the mountains will be lush, green, and bursting with grasses and wildflowers all summer long.

The town of Crested Butte was the cherry on top of our weekend camping. Crested Butte just might be my new favorite Colorado mountain town. Telluride is stunning, but rather small. Aspen is a good size for wandering the afternoon away, but way too expensive. Crested Butte is far enough away and stunning enough to feel like you are on vacation, but close enough for a long weekend.


After a hike (Disclaimer: Anything I say about hiking should be discredited immediately as hiking is a highly a-typical activity for me. Most of the time, I just wander along the path thinking, "I'm bored, I don't understand this 'hiking' thing. I wonder if there is a good restaurant near by. I should remember to bring some booze next time we do this 'hiking' thing.") and very long but beautiful drive, we headed into Crested Butte to take a stroll and have a drink. It was such a lovely little town, with great little boutiques, perfect for browsing.


For dinner, I decided to go super simple - White Bean and Sausage Saute. This dish is perfect for camping since it can be prepared in just a few minutes beforehand. I modified the recipe to use smoked sausage instead of raw so that I could simply toss everything together in a tupperware and then just heat through when it was time for dinner at the campsite. And, it was really good. To accompany our sausage we toasted up some french bread.


WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE SAUTE RECIPE
(Adapted from Sunset) 
 
2 cans (15.5 oz. size) white beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 c. olive oil
1 tbl. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced 
4 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 polska kielbasa or other smoked sausage, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp. dried oregano


Prepare all ingredients and place in a plastic bag or Tupperware for easy transport to your campsite. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat (campfire or cook-stove will both work just fine). Dump saute mixture into pan and heat through, about 5-10 minutes. Serve with french bread.