“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

— Jane Goodall

Kristin Croak

Have you heard of the Aspire Foundation?

It’s incredible! They work directly with Payson High School to help our students gain college credits during their high school career. Over 400 students (and counting) have been involved in this program and it’s one of the best kept secrets in the Payson non-profit world! Not only is this foundation helping students get ahead in their higher education at a young age, it is saving them and their families a ton of money in future college costs/loans. Check out their mission statement: 

“The mission of the Aspire Arizona Foundation is to create higher education opportunities in Payson, Arizona and the surrounding Rim Country. We believe education elevates everyone.”

What an amazing organization! Check out the photo of the students from their 2019 Aspire Breakfast event at the Rim Club… look at all those kiddos! If you are looking for a non-profit to support in our area, this one is pretty awesome! 

Learn more here: https://aspirearizona.com/

Recipe to Try

Grilled Cobb Salad

Grilled Cobb Salad

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Ingredients (4 Servings)

  • 1½ cups quinoa

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 bunch scallions

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes

  • 1 avocado, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • ½ cup mint leaves

  • ¼ cup chopped toasted pistachios

  • Flaky sea sal

How to Make It

  1. Bring quinoa, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 8–10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sit 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork; transfer to a large bowl.

  2. Whisk lemon juice and ¼ cup oil in a small bowl. Drizzle over warm quinoa and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

  3. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Grill scallions and tomatoes in a grill basket, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and tomatoes begin to split, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice scallions into 1″ pieces.

  4. Spoon quinoa onto a platter and top with scallions, tomatoes, avocado, mint, and pistachios. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Want To Adventure Like A Local?

Don’t take our word for it, take theirs! In 2020, we hosted three sets of adventurers to come and spend some time in the Payson area to “Adventure Like a Local”.
Adventure Like A Local!