This 4th of July was a busy one for us. We traveled north for my 20 year high school reunion and to visit with family. It was a weekend filled with hiking...

...and climbing rocks...

...to see a waterfall (Faery Falls):

We watched the hometown parade complete with loud firetrucks...

...pretended to drive Grandpa's Jeep...

...and played croquet:

We watched Mt. Shasta grow pink with alpenglow at sunset...

...and had a driveway fireworks show:

We dressed up and reunited with old friends, some who I hadn't seen for 20+ years:


It was hustle-bustle, but it felt good to get out of town. The hike to the waterfall was a bit of a wakeup call for my inner adventurer. We had to walk on a skinny and gravely (aka slippery) trail on the edge of a drop-off to get to the falls. The walk was totally worth it- I need more of this!

Nutritional yeast isn't exactly the most appetizing name for a food, is it? Some bloggers have taken to calling it "nooch" which doesn't sound any better to me! Even so, it can be used in a variety of ways and I really like the flavor.

Nutritional yeast is usually in a flaked or powdered form and many brands are fortified with vitamin B12, making it popular with vegans. It also provides some extra protein and makes a decent substitute for cheesy flavors in vegan recipes. Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat nutritional yeast:

You can buy nutritional yeast online, in your local natural foods store, or in the natural foods section (or sometimes in bulk foods) of your supermarket. Be sure to check the nutrition label to make sure that the brand that you are purchasing is fortified with B12.

(Updated from the original post, published April 2008.)