Sausage Making: “Follow Your Dreams” and Keep Your Day Job

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Teresa

There seems to be this notion that you aren’t truly committed to following your entrepreneurial dreams unless you quit your job, cash in your retirement, and put everything on the table.  That’s naive and frankly, irresponsible.  (Yeah, I’m that curmudgeonly ol’ battle axe, shaking her cane at kids and growling about how unaccountable they are.)  

I believe that the true test of one’s commitment and mettle as an entrepreneur is to keep your day job AND pursue your dream of starting a business.  Try yourself by the refining fires of 80 hour work weeks and the nearly schizophrenic division of your mind between “employee” and “business owner”.  

This blog post is part of a series I’m writing about my experience starting a business.

Starting a Business is Not About Money

Do you ever go to a business and think something like, “gosh, they charge  $30 an hour for a bike rental and they have 10 bikes!  I was here and all the bikes were rented, they must make some good money!” 

I’ve done that.  I’m pretty sure people do that with our business too.  “She’s charging $50.00 per hour per person, and is booked all day!  Wow!” 

Great day to ride! Join us! 888-414-1619

This kind of thinking gets dreamers like us into business to begin with.  The (erroneous) math has us cashing in our retirement, quitting our day job, and hanging out our shingle.  Without those green-tinted glasses convincing us our business idea can not only support us but probably gild our existence, I doubt we’d launch a single venture.  In a way, we need that complete lack of fiscal rationality.  One man’s impossibility is another’s opportunity. 

Because folks often ask about our business and how we started (and I can see them doing that crazy math when they ask) I wanted to write a bit about why cashing in our retirement, quitting our day job, and hanging out our shingle is actually a terrible way to start a new business.

When I started out I knew that I was in no position to quit my job, even though on paper it was totally doable.   A few things kept me from handing in my resignation:

  1. There were far too many unknowns about the new business.
  2. I only knew one horse-based start-up that had succeeded (and being a horse person, I knew of a lot of horse-based businesses).
  3. I had a good mentor and network of friends and colleagues at my job.
  4. I didn’t HAVE to quit my job.

Do you know what the leading cause of start-up business failure is?  It is NOT lack of money! 

Running out of money is a symptom of internal issues, not an external force over which you have no control.  Lack of funds is caused by: having a bad idea to begin with, lacking leadership/entrepreneurial skills/business skills, and/or assembling a team ill-suited for the job.  Can a crap economy have an impact?  Yes.  But for the 80% of start ups that fail, there are 20% that succeed in the same economy. 

There is no shortage of studies and articles about business failure.  Go out to Medium.com and do a search for “failure”.  You’ll turn up a gold mine of mea culpas (mea culpi?) from founders of failed businesses.  The central theme of these has nothing to do with money.  My favorite one is by the founder of “Dinnr” – a grocery-ordering app.  (You can read his story here.)   Note that the VERY FIRST SENTENCE he says he had secured MORE MONEY from his investors.  And he turned it down because he couldn’t take it in good conscience knowing that his business was already failing. 

Money is funny stuff.  I think where we go wrong is the belief that throwing money at a business idea is an “investment”.  We place our emphasis on money as a tool rather than a measurement, and I think that’s where start-ups really falter.  It’s hard to watch a money stream dry up and have the wherewithal to reflect on the real cause – the business owner, us.  Ultimately WE are our business.  Our business is us. 

Consider the initial investment in a start-up as a loan to a shifty brother-in-law.  It’s necessary to keep the peace, unlikely to be repaid, but a pleasant surprise if it is. 

That’s why I just couldn’t justify ditching my day job.  I knew I needed the leeway to make mistakes, because as a business owner, I’m green.  I make mistakes on a daily basis – from pricing decisions to staffing schedules to purchasing.  This is the stuff that keeps you up at night, every night.  There is a cost associated with every move we make as business owners.   At least with a secured retirement and steady income, I wouldn’t be paralyzed with fear over my inadequacies as a business owner.   

Cashing in my steady income and retirement for a 4:1 gamble required a greater depth of naivete of business and myself than I already have. 

And that’s saying a lot.

Why I’m Glad I Kept My Day Job

  1. All of my planning, cyphering, and budgeting looked great on paper. Sadly, it had no basis in reality and was completely off the mark.
    1. I’d done no more market research than a few anecdotal conversations with my friends.
    2. I really didn’t know what the market WAS.
    3. I had no clue what my budget needed to be for things like taxes, vets, insurance, licenses…
  2. I have failed with (relative) impunity.
    1. Whacko pricing structures, the aforementioned market ignorance, the decision not to operate for most of the month of July due to heat – any of those could have wiped us out. Fortunately, we just tightened our belts a bit.
  3. I sleep pretty well.
    1. Yup, sometimes the ol’ money stream from the business just dries up. I ponder my mistakes, and move on, knowing that I can still keep the lights on.
  4. It actually has been a great networking opportunity to keep my job.
    1. People want to see their friends do well. They want to be associated with people doing cool things.  I’ve received tremendous encouragement.
    2. The more people you meet during the day, the more people will hear about your business. Not that I storm the halls of the office with a megaphone and announce ride times and prices, but the subject of my business often comes up.  Usually it starts with someone asking, “wow, you are so tan!  What’d you do this weekend?”
  5. Because starting a new business should never be viewed as your ticket out of the life you have.
    1. Until you identify and change what got you into the discomfort of your current situation you are destined to find yourself equally miserable in a new situation.
    2. The new business isn’t about the money, it’s about the adventure of pursuing a difficult path with only a hope of a reward.

It’s been tough, having the job and business at the same time, but I’m glad to’ve chosen this route.

My next blog post about starting the business is about how one day with Buck Brannaman completely changed my life and I believe changed the outcome of the business.  It was one of the toughest days of my life. 

 
Here are some great insights about starting a business:

How to Know You’re Ready to Start a Business (Inc)

When to Quit Your Day Job (Inc)

9 Reasons Startups Fail (Entrepreneur Magazine)

13 Reasons Startups Fail (Forbes Magazine)

5 Reasons 8 Out of 10 Businesses Fail (Forbes Magazine)

 

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Recipe: Israeli Stuffed Peppers

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Teresa

On Pandora: Big Head Todd and the Monsters station.

I don’t know about you, but I love some background music when I’m cooking.  And wine.  Wine is good too.

These stuffed peppers are my idea of comfort food.  We had them often, and I’m not sure where mom got the recipe, but here it is for you to enjoy:

Israeli Stuffed Peppers
Serves 6
These are pretty easy and inexpensive to make, but make a really pretty presentation.
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Ingredients
  1. 6 large bell peppers
  2. 1 lb ground beef (I sometimes use lamb)
  3. 1/2 c grated onion
  4. 3 T raw rice
  5. 1 egg, beaten
  6. 2 T cold water
  7. 1 t salt
  8. 1/4 t black pepper
  9. 2 T vegetable oil
  10. 1 c chopped onion
  11. 1 29 oz. can diced tomatoes
  12. 3 T lemon juice
  13. 2 T sugar
  14. 1 clove garlic
For the peppers
  1. Wash peppers. Cut stem end out and scoop out seeds and fiber.
  2. Mix together the meat, grated onion, rice, egg, water, salt, and pepper.
  3. Stuff the peppers and replace tops if you wish (I don't bother with the tops).
For the sauce
  1. Saute the onion and garlic in oil for 10 minutes.
  2. Mix in tomatoes and salt and pepper.
  3. Arrange the stuffed peppers in an upright position.
  4. Cover and cook for 45 minutes over low heat.
  5. Add lemon juice and sugar and cook 30 minutes longer, basting frequently.
  6. Serve.
https://www.redmountaintrails.com/
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Meet the Horses: Nevada

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Teresa

We have an unintentional geographical theme to our horse names:  Yukon, USA, Nevada, and you could argue “Wrigley” is a place too (Wrigley Field). 

NevadaNevada is a dream horse — a beautiful red gelding with tall white socks that go to his knees.  He is a sweet guy who LOVES “horse yoga”.  Seriously.  He has a little hitch in his shoulder that sometimes bothers him, until I pick up his leg and stretch it way out in front of him and massage that shoulder.  He almost falls asleep, every time.  

You know that saying, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth”?  Nevada was a free horse I found on craigslist.  He belonged to a church camp where he was used for lessons and for the owner to ride up into the Mt. Rainier wilderness.  

Nevada was clearly a beloved family pet, but unable to ride into the mountains any longer because of that darn bum shoulder.  I felt pretty sure that our easy, flat terrain would suit him well, and when I visited him I could tell his sweet disposition would fit well with our program.  NevadaAce2

Nevada has been a wonderful addition.  He is a steady-Eddie kinda guy who just likes to get along with everyone.  He’s in semi-retirement, and is especially suited to kids camps and lessons.  He enjoys the attention and light exercise.  

We rotate the horses between irrigated pastures and a dry lot.  Every time we rotate his herd into the irrigated pastures from the dry lot, he’s the first to run and kick.  He does love to play in the grass!  

Nevada has been with us from the start — 3 years now — and he’s been a gem.  

NevadanAce

NevadanSienne

Nevada and his Cowgirl.

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Red Mountain Roundup (7/16/15 – 7/22/15)

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Teresa

Beautiful sunset ride.A roundup of events, places to stay, and things to do on Red Mountain for the week of 7/16/15 through 7/22/15.  

Weather:

Looking forward to a beautiful, sunny weekend with temps in the 90s.
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/99320:4:US

Events, Places to Visit:

If a tasting fee for a winery isn’t listed below it’s only because I don’t know what it is, there still may be a tasting fee charged.

  • Red Mountain Trails – Fri – Sun by reservation.  1/2 hour and 1 hour trail rides.  
    Family BBQ and Wagon Ride — Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday by reservation.  
    Sunset Dinner and Wagon Ride — Friday and Saturday nights by reservation.
  • Cooper – tasting room open 11am – 5 pm Thurs – Mon.  Tasting fees often go to various charities.  
  • Frichette – tasting room open daily 11 am – 5 pm.
  • Kiona –  tasting room open noon – 5 pm daily.  Tasting fee $7.00 (refundable with purchase) Red Mountain Trails offers trail rides through Kiona Vineyards on weekends and by reservation.
  • Fidelitas – tasting room open daily 11 am – 5 pm
  • Hamilton Cellars – tasting room open daily 11 am – 5 pm, Thursdays 11 am – 7 pm 
  • Hedges – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Sat, Sun.  $5.00 nonrefundable tasting fee
  • Tapteil – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Fri – Sun.
  • Hightower – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Thurs – Mon.
  • Col Solare – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Weds – Sun.
    • Sunday 2:00 pm — vineyard and winery tour.
  • Terra Blanca –  tasting room open daily 10 am – 6 pm.
  • Tucannon – tasting room open Fri – Sun 11 am – 6 pm, Wed – Thurs 11 am – 5 pm.  $5.00 tasting fee.
  • Tri-Cities Events

Places to Stay:

  • Vacation Rentals by Owner — Red Mountain has some really nice vacation rentals available for your visit.  Most of these are right on Red Mountain and visitors get a discount on their trail or wagon ride when they stay.
  • Bella Luna House — gorgeous vacation rental offered by Tapteil winery.
  • Camping and RV — 
    • Beach RV Park – situated in Benton City — lots of pretty trees, gorgeous setting along the Yakima River waterfront, 5 minutes to Red Mountain.
    • RV Village Resort – West Richland.  Easy access to Red Mountain and Richland for restaurants, shopping, and wine-tasting.  Indoor pool and spa.
  • The nearest hotels are located in Richland and Prosser.

Places to Eat

There are a number of chain restaurants around but here are some “off the beaten path” recommendations:

Red Mountain in the News

“A Taste of Red Mountain Found in Rural Clark County” — The Columbian

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Meet the Horses: Suzzie

Posted on July 13, 2015 by admin

For such a dainty, delicate looking horse, Suzzie has been the cornerstone of our operation.  She’s a registered Arabian mare.  Arabians are notoriously friendly, docile, high-strung, and energetic.  Prone to spook at pretty much anything.  They have exceptional endurance and are used in endurance ride competitions.  

Then there’s Suzzie.  She has all the toughness of the breed, she’s probably the toughest horse I’ve ever had.  She can ride all day with any size rider and never miss a beat.  

The breed is often noted as being “easily spooked” or “sensitive.”  But nothing bothers Suzzie.  “High strung” and “energetic” are not in her DNA.  

We joke sometimes that she’s our “stoner pony”.  She just likes to snack and chill out.  She does nothing with ambition, she is just happy to enjoy the trails and her new people.  

Suzzie is a beautiful mare — technically she’s called a “grey” (most people call her white).  She has small freckles in her coat and a white mane and tail.  She has the longest, prettiest white eyelashes you’ll ever see.  She hates water – I blame her desert-dwelling roots for that – but loves instead to roll in the hottest sand she can find in the summer.  

Hurry up guys! Friends and horses and vines. Awesome. Suzzie!Suzzie GabbyandSam

 

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Sausage-Making — Starting a Business that “Can Never Work”

Posted on July 10, 2015 by admin

I’m sitting at my kitchen table.  The house is positioned on a little knoll such that the majority of property (and horses) can be seen from the dining room window or deck just outside.  I can see 11 horses in the field in front of me — feeding from the giant hay bunkers, milling around, dozing with a hind-foot cocked.  It’s my favorite view in the world.  

The horses enjoy a little nap in the dirt.

The horses enjoy a little nap in the dirt.

When I was 17 and just graduated high school I cashed in what little I’d saved up, sold my beat-up truck, and went on a modern-day ‘walkabout’ — to Oregon, Wyoming, and ultimately New Zealand.  I experienced resistance, mostly from my family who wanted me to stay.  My worry-stricken grandmother called to talk me out of doing it, scoffing, “You’re just a dreamer!”  I thought, “That’s the POINT!”  

It seems like there was a movement that became trendy in the 90s – ditch everything and follow your dreams.  The temptation is strong, and the justification is easy enough — if you can just live on ramen noodles for a few years until your business takes off, things will be fine.  

I’m asked frequently “what made you think of this” or “what made you decide to do it?”  I’ll admit that starting the trail-ride business was an idea born of equal parts frustration and dreaming.  Frustration with my job, frustration with the constant ticking of the clock, frustration with the gap between “the dreamer I was” and “the static person I am.”  The dream was to replace all those frustrations with the things I dreamed of – riding horses, writing, and being my own boss. I could have stepped instantly from my existing job into my new life as writer, horsewoman, business owner if I’d only cashed in my retirement and taken the huge gamble.  I’d done it before and looked back without regret.  

Temptation ran high.  Especially when everywhere around you people encourage the “slash and burn” approach to life change, and when you are often described as “adventurous”.  

Who knew?

Who knew?

In 2010 my mother died after 2 years with ALS.  As we cleaned her house we found a box labelled “travel”.  It was empty.  I knew that mom dreamt of travelling to Ireland, Italy, Sweden.  She never left the U.S.  Since her death I’ve had this niggling anxiety that I too might die with an empty box labelled “dreams”.  I still have this anxiety — to stop waiting for the perfect time, perfect idea, perfect launch point and get busy living.  

Still, I knew very few “wildly successful” small businesses, and even fewer “wildly successful” horse businesses.  Honestly I was probably the biggest nay-sayer whenever I’d take a friend riding out here and they’d say, “You should start a business doing this!  You could charge for it!”

Over the next few weeks I’m going to share a series of blog posts with you about how the trail-riding business came to be for me, some lessons I’ve learned along the way, and how the business has grown and changed.  I think it’ll be of interest to you if you a) have ever wanted to start a business, b) think your business idea is doomed for failure, or c) you just are curious about the inner workings of a small business.  I think a lot of what I’ve learned from the first 3 years is applicable to any start-up.

The first blog post will be about why I didn’t choose to cash everything in to launch the business.  It’ll be about the power of networking, support, and a steady paycheck that comes from keeping your job.  It’ll also be about the reality of cashing everything in.  

Thanks and Happy Trails!

~Teresa

good Bye!

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Red Mountain Round Up (7/9/15 – 7/15/15)

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Teresa

A roundup of events, places to stay, and things to do on Red Mountain for the week of 7/9/15 through 7/15/15.  

Weather:

We are looking forward to cooler temperatures on Friday the 10th and onward.  Oh thank heavens!  

Still, be sure to carry water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a brimmed hat with you!

Events:

If a tasting fee for a winery isn’t listed below it’s only because I don’t know what it is, there still may be a tasting fee charged.

  • Red Mountain Trails – Fri – Sun by reservation.  1/2 hour and 1 hour trail rides.  Wagon ride dinners.
  • Cooper – tasting room open 11am – 5 pm Thurs – Mon.  Tasting fees often go to various charities.  
    Sat, July 11th – Food Truck Saturday featuring Kindra’s Wok and Roll 
  • Frichette – tasting room open daily 11 am – 5 pm.
  • Kiona –  tasting room open noon – 5 pm daily.  Tasting fee $7.00 (refundable with purchase) Red Mountain Trails offers trail rides through Kiona Vineyards on weekends and by reservation.
  • Fidelitas – tasting room open daily 11 am – 5 pm
  • Hamilton Cellars – tasting room open daily 11 am – 5 pm, Thursdays 11 am – 7 pm 
  • Hedges – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Sat, Sun.  $5.00 nonrefundable tasting fee
  • Tapteil – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Fri – Sun.
  • Hightower – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Thurs – Mon.
  • Col Solare – tasting room open 11 am – 5 pm Weds – Sun.
    • Sunday 2:00 pm — vineyard and winery tour.
  • Terra Blanca –  tasting room open daily 10 am – 6 pm.
  • Tucannon – tasting room open Fri – Sun 11 am – 6 pm, Wed – Thurs 11 am – 5 pm.  $5.00 tasting fee.
  • Tri-Cities Events

Places to Stay:

  • Vacation Rentals by Owner — Red Mountain has some really nice vacation rentals available for your visit.  Most of these are right on Red Mountain and visitors get a discount on their trail or wagon ride when they stay.
  • Bella Luna House — gorgeous vacation rental offered by Tapteil winery.
  • Camping and RV — 
    • Beach RV Park – situated in Benton City — lots of pretty trees, gorgeous setting along the Yakima River waterfront, 5 minutes to Red Mountain.
    • RV Village Resort – West Richland.  Easy access to Red Mountain and Richland for restaurants, shopping, and wine-tasting.  Indoor pool and spa.
  • The nearest hotels are located in Richland and Prosser.

Places to Eat

There are a number of chain restaurants around but here are some “off the beaten path” recommendations:

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Hot Days and Hot Horses

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Teresa

For the most part, our little herd is content to pass their time with their heads buried in their feed bunker.  To the casual observer, it probably looks like we are raising a rare breed of headless horse.  

I rarely feel the urge to bathe the horses, considering they reward my efforts by making sure to roll in the freshest pile of manure they can find as soon as I release them back to the herd.  The more indignant will even make sure to fart a few times while rolling.  

Some horses enjoy getting wet.  Some will follow the sprinkler’s pivot pattern around as it runs, making sure to graze while never stepping out of the path of falling water.  One horse even figured out how to turn on the inline valves in order to refresh herself.  

JoJo was a free horse — a “great trail horse”, retired from a brief and unsuccessful career as a race horse.  Given his quirks, I could easily see where racing conflicted with his other interests: snoring very loudly while sleeping, braying like a mule while rolling in the dirt, eating, and swimming.  JoJo spent far too much time partaking of life’s many indulgences to have any kind of time for racing.  And if there was a puddle on the racetrack?  Literally, all bets were off. 

JoJo came to us early in the summer when trails were bone dry.  Every step of the horses’s hooves on the dirt trail puffed a cloud of dust into the air like a smoke signal.  He plodded quietly and serenely, especially for a former race horse.  

We worked him into our trail string, where due to his popularity with kids, his trail-ride earnings quickly eclipsed his racetrack earnings of roughly $150.00.  JoJo was so fully relaxed at any given time that his bottom lip flapped when he walked, such that you could hear him coming — feet shuffling and lips flapping — long before you saw him.  

Grape harvest starts in the late summer out here, and it’s common for vineyards to start running sprinklers at that time.  Our trail rides follow the ‘sprinkler trail’ — navigating from one dust-free, damp trail to the next.  

JoJo was the type of horse who loved sprinklers.  Some days I’d stand at the fence with the spray nozzle of the hose pointed into the field,  JoJo and USA would come to the fence, jockeying for the cold spray on their chests and backs.  

JoJo was a pretty mellow, compliant horse on the trail rides.  That is, unless there was a puddle.  The average horse will give a few warning signs before rolling — they lower their noses to the ground, slow down, maybe paw a little.  I suspect JoJo learned that those tell-tale signs warned his riders to spur him on, so he developed a stealthier approach.  He’d barely so much as flick an ear at a puddle before collapsing his front end, groaning, and flopping himself into it like a homesick mudpuppy.  

His owner warned me of his water-loving ways, so the first time we got near a puddle, I egged him on before we ever reached it.  He complained but complied.  Still, I could feel him under me, resisting my urging and truly weighing his options between assuming the mud-angle pose, or continuing on the trail.  

We have a pair of matched black and white draft horse mares.  They are 3/4 sisters (dams are sisters, sire is the same) and they fall at opposite ends of the water-loving spectrum.  Caitie, very much a diva, surprised me during her first bath, curling her upper lip and bobbing her head under the hose.  Her laid-back sister, Siobhan – so tolerant that you can crawl under her belly in the field and she’d never think twice about it – pitched her first ever fit the first time I bathed her.  Strange, their personalities.  

That’s what makes ’em so fun, though.  

To Swim or Not to Swim?

To Swim or Not to Swim?

Posted in Happy Trails, Horse Tales, The Horses | Comments Off on Hot Days and Hot Horses

The Possibilities are Endless

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Teresa

I truly believe (and have experienced) that you can manifest what you want. I don’t know exactly how it works, because I have never manifested a winning lottery ticket. But, there have been things that fall into my lap in the strangest of ways, seemingly just by me seeking them (saddles, trips, business opportunities, horses, experiences, people). Maybe it’s through being sort of “open to possibilities” instead of meticulous planning (which is inherently CLOSED to possibilities).

I don’t know, but I’ll tell you this… There is a chuck wagon in my near future. There’s a cost associated with it, and I know that. But it’s not a top-dollar cost, and the chuck wagon is a perfect fit for me.

Finding my ideal chuck wagon that is perfectly suited to me is like finding a needle in a haystack. That’s why sometimes I think that “manifesting” things works — there is no other way the thing could happen than through external forces.

I think we all experience it from time to time — those serendipitous circumstances that connect seemingly unrelated events or people to arrive at exactly what we’ve always wanted.  

I’ve tried to think of how I’ve gone about manifesting things.  I think there have always been these steps involved:

  1. Save up a bit of money.  Not the full-price amount of the item, but an amount you can save up.  (I wanted a $3000 dollar saddle, but when I saved up $1500 for it, I began step 2.)  Squirrel that money away and don’t touch it.
  2. Make it known.  Rather than going out on Craigslist right away and making a bunch of calls, I will just post something on Facebook (or my blog), and talk to friends and make sure that I mention what it is I’m looking for.  In this case: a chuck wagon.  People love to help friends and by doing this, you’ve just rallied your friends to your cause and they’ll start looking for your “thing” too.  (I can’t tell you how many friends have sent me craigslist ads, ebay, etc. of whatever it is I say I’m looking for.)  
  3. Never settle on the first one.  No matter how perfect it is, it’s not the one.  I don’t know why, it just never is.  I think that there must be some sort of “learning curve” we have to go through when we’re conjuring up these things.  So, you have to press on past the first “perfect needle in a haystack.”  More are on their way.  (As an aside, if you do get the first one, commit to it like a Catholic marriage.  It’s part of that learning curve, apparently.)
  4. Relax.  It seems like when I’m manifesting something and I make it known what I’m looking for, there’s a flurry of activity and options, and then a lull in the action.  That’s always when “the one” surfaces for me.  It’s just “easy”.  When I started looking for that saddle, I wanted something specific, that would last me a lifetime, that was high quality.  I knew the saddle I was looking for had a price tag of $3000 at least.  I got a flurry of options when I made it known what I was looking for — all either within my budget but not the quality I wanted, or outside my budget.  Then, nothing.  You couldn’t find a saddle like I wanted if you were Sherlock Holmes.  Then, there it was, under $1500, great quality, and only used twice!  

I know, it all sounds like some sort of strange, new-age stuff and maybe it is.  On the other hand, maybe it’s just as simple as focusing our minds, sorting through the distractions, and not settling.  All I know is, it’s a strange recipe that seems to work for me (except in the forementioned case of lottery tickets), and if nothing else, let it be known I’m looking for a chuckwagon.   

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Spinach, Orange, and Avocado Salad

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Teresa

I first learned this recipe as a whitewater raft guide on the Salmon River in Idaho.  Every guest loved it and I’ve made it for our wagon ride dinner guests, who’ve also enjoyed it.  It’s a wonderful, cool salad that is perfect for hot days.  Try it and tell me what you think!  Don’t feel like making it?  Book a dinner ride with us and let us do the work!

Spinach, Orange, and Avocado Salad
Wonderful, easy salad that has been a hit for years.
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Ingredients
  1. pre-washed baby spinach (1 bag)
  2. slivered almonds
  3. 1 avocado
  4. sliced mandarin oranges (drained)
  5. dried cranberries
  6. poppyseed dressing (I recommend Brianna's)
Instructions
  1. In a large salad bowl, mix together ingredients. (portions are personal, you might like more almonds and fewer cranberries. I pretty much just throw a handful of each in.)
  2. Drizzle with poppyseed dressing, tossing salad until you have the coating of dressing as heavy as you like.
  3. Serve.
Notes
  1. This is an easy one to make right there on site. Because it's tossed with the dressing it doesn't store altogether well, but I have had it a day later and it was okay.
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