A scaly friend
We have a few.. creatures… in the backyard….
Check out this guy!
He’s been chilling under one of our patio tables all day.
It’s funny because when we first moved in, the Pilot saw that we had quite a few HUGE lizards in our backyard and texted my brother saying “we’ve been infested with Gila Monsters.”
Not a Gila Monster –he’s still learning Arizona, haha- but still majorly creepy… mostly because it’s a dinosaur cousin.
I was a mover and a shaker today. Got quite a few things ninja-kicked off the list, ran all over Tucson for errands, and munched some a la purse snacks along the way:
I’ve always loveloved dulse, and actually looked at the nutrition stats today. 1 serving has 38 calories and 3g of protein- baller 😀
For lunch I wanted something cold and refreshing, so I made a salad based off one my cheffer brother made at work yesterday.
In the mix:
-greens (a combo of kale, swiss chard, arugula and spinach)
-organic strawberries
-goat cheese
-lemon vinaigrette (lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sea salt, pepper, a little honey)
-fresh mint
WOW.
A super summery salad beast 🙂
Dinner is slow-cooking away for tonight… our house smells like a giant foodgasm. Any guesses as to what’s in there? It’s a standard slow cooker meal over here 🙂
I also may have embraced the slow cooker when we unpacked it yesterday- scarily stoked for someone else to cook dinner 😉
Off to pump some iron!
See ya in the morning <3
xoxo
Gina
Something to talk about: Now that I’ve been reunited with my slow cooker, do you have any fave slow cooker recipes to share? Feel free to link away! It will be an awesome dinner option when we’re both at work all day- we can come home and dinner will be served 🙂
Something to think:
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
Frederick Keonig
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That is one HUGE creature! When I used to live in Dubai we always used to find lizards on our house (and at night they would all be occupying the lamps in our yard, kind of like a tanning bed haha)
that salad looks awesome!
and i’m guessing sweet potato chili in the crock pot! 🙂
i’ll be comment stalking for recipe suggestions!
Hmm…sweet potato black bean chili? Or snobby joes? 😀
Woooo salad BEASTYNESS!! I love strawbs in salad more than annnything. It is so refreshing. Especially paired with almonds and balsamic! Dulse is innnteresting 😉 I prefer my seaweed snacks!
I LOVE strawberries and goat cheese together on salads. YUM!
I guess those lizards are like Arizona’s version of squirrels? 😉 How does Bella react to the invaders?
totally like our version of squirrels. she chases them! and i hope she never, ever actually catches one
I DO have a couple favorite slow cooker recipes! My favorite is for BBQ Pulled Chicken: http://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/2010/05/10/slow-cooker-bbq-pulled-chicken-a-sweet-treat/
But another favorite, which you might enjoy Gina, is my Crockpot Veggie Stew: http://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/2011/01/03/low-fat-crockpot-veggie-stew/
I was actually thinking of breaking out the ‘ol slow cooker tomorrow, so I’ll be stalking this post for some ideas too 🙂
I spy sweet potato chili? It’s one of my faves and I can’t wait to make it this fall when it cools down.
Sweet potato chili? I made it once before btw and it was aaaaamazing! Good on its own, as a dip, on crackers, on salad…any way I could think to serve it, it ws delish.
And that mini dinosaur is crazy scary. I live in Florida and we have tons of little lizards that constantly go scattering when I walk around outside, but nothing as dinosaur looking as that! (oh yes, you would totally be familiar with them from livingin o town before!)
One of the things I love most about summer: the abundance of fresh and tasty food and flavors 🙂
What doesn’t goat cheese go well with, btw? 🙂
That salad looks awesome. I think I’ll add some strawberries to my salmon salad that I have planned for tomorrow’s lunch! and creeeeeeeeeeeepy backyard friend – we have little geckos here which are still so icky. unfortunately my boys do not share in my sentiment towards them and like to invite them inside.
wow, i would cry
ha, that is a glimpse into your future!
hahah, so true!! EEEEEK
Ewww!! That scales reminds me of similar humungous lizards in my hometown, during childhood days. So. Not. Missing. It 😀
I am currently curled up in the fetal position after seeing that lizard
haha!! sorry for scaring you!
This is my favorite place to get slow cooker recipes from:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2007/12/alphabetical-listing-of-recipes.html
Every single one I have tried has been great!
SWEET POTATO LENTIL CHILI!?!?!? Thats my favorite meal ever!!! Especially the one from EDBV!!! SO good!
I’m gonna guess your sweet potato black bean chili recipe? I actually have that baby saved to my computer 🙂
My bets are on sweet potato/bl. bean chili? I have made it before and it’s great! Even better the next day.
Here is one of my fave CP recipes–Vegetable and Chickpea curry from Cooking Light. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/vegetable-chickpea-curry-10000000701091/ .
It is chock-full of veggies and super, super easy to thrown together (despite the long ingredient list).
Definitely loving that salad!!! 🙂
That salad looks yummy….
speaking of yummy…. Trader Joe’s Spotlight Cheese this month…. Honey Goat Gouda. I want August to never end!!!
what?! how have i not seen this yet?
it’s amazing…
oh and just another thing to add to August being awesome … National Goat Cheese Month.
whoo hoo!
Lemon vinaigrette sounds great for summer – I love citrus! Do you have approx. measurements for the olive oil & lemon juice? I’m new to the whole idea of making my own salad dressings.
i do double lemon juice to olive oil, but i like things acidic. if you like it more even, try 1 part olive oil (like 1 T) and 1/2 part lemon juice (juice of half lemon) for 1 serving
Thanks!
I spy sweet potatoes! I’d highly recommend Kath’s curried b-nut squash soup made in the slow cooker. It’s amazing. http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/creamy-curry-butternut-soup
YUM- thank you!
YUCK! I would die if that thing was living in my yard. Gross gross gross! I don’t envy you one bit.
I’m going to have to go out and buy stuff to create that salad. I’m totally drooling over it right now!
Ahh! Lizards! Thank god you live with your husband! I would be so scared!
Slow cooker chili!!!! That’s kind of a given though! I haven’t made anything in the slow cooker in a while, so if you have any great vegan or vegan-izable recipes for it, then please please post them!!
Hahaha – “…mostly because it’s a dinosaur cousin.” So true!
I never think to use the crock pot in the summertime, but totally should! We love chili, I should make a big pot tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Haha I would be be pinking it up if there ok too, I love reptiles. My uncle had a large Boa Constrictors and I would let it wrap all around me, my mom was soo freaked out and most my friends were also. Now you show me a spider and I’m in total girly mode lol! That salad looks good, my parents have been getting a salad mix at an organic farm near there camp and its very good and has flowers in it, had that for dinner yummy!
wow picking not pinking lol!
Is it a Horned Toad/Horned Lizard? I went to TCU and our mascot is a Horned Frog (same thing)… and that little creature looks sorta like our mascot! I think there are all different varieties. But they’re known for shooting blood out of their eyes to protect themselves!! I’ve never seen one in real life, though… that would scare the heck out of me if it just appeared in my backyard!
That quote is fabulous. Thanks as always for sharing. 🙂
That lizard is one scary little dude!
My guess is some kinda Indian food. And it’s funny you’re making a slow cooker meal and it’s probably like 100F+ in AZ right now…ha! I love that you’re breaking out the slow cooker regardless. I havent touched mine since last fall and it’s almost cool enough here for me to do it. I just can’t think hot food in the summer, weird, huh.
Oh that lizard….we have them in Aruba. Even after being around them for 10 years or so..I still get creeped out by them! You’re brave! 🙂
Strawberries and goat cheese make an excellent salad combo. I like to add some nuts like walnuts or pecans to the mix as well for some crunch. Yum!
Never heard of that flavour of larabar. Next time i’m in the us, def. gonna be buying that one!
Yikes that is a huge lizard! I’d rather have huge lizards than huge bugs!
I love that quote! It really spoke to me this morning as I’m really appreciating the things in life I (already) have even more so than ever these days. 🙂
I’m a big fan of the lizards out here because they eat the spiders 😀 My apts were swarming with lizards but I never saw a single spider
I’m guessing your Snobby Joes! Are those made in a slow cooker? The idea sounds awesome…
I love split pea soup in the slow cooker. If you use the golden split peas, it doesn’t look quite as gross!
1 cup golden split peas
4 cups veggie broth
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp mustard
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
Cook on low for 4+ hours. For one cup,
Calories: 224
Total Fat: 1.0g,
Total Carbohydrates: 41.8g
Dietary Fiber: 14.7g
Protein: 13.7g
Sweet potato black bean chili! One of my all-time faves!
…and now I’m jealous. Enjoy 🙂
I bet it’s sweet potato black bean chili!
My all-time favorite slow cooker recipe is YOUR sweet potato black bean chili–that stuff is awesome!
You’re probably used to them being from Tucson but, those lizards scared the heck out of me when we lived in Florida. Somehow one got into the house about a year after we lived there and I saw it out of the corner of my eye while watching TV. I then proceeded to stalk it with a tupperware by turning off all the lights and sitting perfectly still until it came out from under the TV stand. 2 hours later. Yes, I sat there waiting for 2 hours! There was no way I was going to sleep that night until I knew it was caught and OUTSIDE of my house!
ahhh that would freak me out. I saw a snake in our walkway this morning and was scurred.
Yuck that thing looks like the lizard in holes.. creeepy. That salad looks amazing! 🙂
I love my slow cooker, and don’t use it near enough! I’m stalking the comments for some good suggestions:-) And BTW- that creature totally made me shiver. Ack!
Last fall while on apple overload I made apple butter in the slow cooker. It cooked for almost 48 hours and made my house smell AMAZING. Kept very well in the fridge and jars make good gifts!
Love the little caption on the dulse bag! So cute!
The little cute scaly guy is a bit creepy too. Haha! It freaks me out how quick the can be!
I love strawberries and goat cheese salads too, good call… I might make that later this week.:)
I use to snowboard for 7 years and the crockpot saved our lives after getting home from a long day on the mountain. One of my great reipes is a Chili, just put it all in accordingly and skip the cooking steps, here it is:
http://monicanelsonfitness.com/blog/meals/low-carb/veggieturkey-chili/
Have a great day. 🙂
Oh, my son would go crazy over that lizard! He would probably try to keep one as a pet! haha
I made a salad similar to that a few months ago. I was obsessed for about 3 weeks… lunch every day. Strawberry salad w a few chunks of avocado is ah-ma-zing, too! http://chocolatecoveredkristen.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-goat-cheese-salad-with-honey.html
PS – They have sliced goat cheese at my TJ’s right now. I have never seen it before! So yummy on grilled cheese 🙂
Wow, that lizard is intense! I would be so scared. I love that happiness quote :). I love Rachel’s pumpkin chili in the slow cooker. I just use fake ground beef.
http://www.rachelwilkerson.com/2010/10/14/pumpkin-chili-recipe-cooking-naked/
I have a slow cooker suggestion since you are a fellow Indian food lover! A lot of the Indian lentis turn out fantastic in the slow cooker- such as daal makhani or chana masala!!
I ama HUGE slow cooker fan… I need to get on making some more recipes in there. So perfect for summer… Here are some of my favorites:
My favorite –> http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2011/01/thai-one-on-five-ingredient-crockpot.html
2nd fav: http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2011/02/white-chicken-chili-in-your-crockpot.html
3rd fav: http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2010/11/turkey-lentil-stew.html
http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2010/05/marys-mexican-pulled-chicken.html
http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2010/06/buffalo-chicken-sandwiches.html
http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2010/04/marys-slow-cooker-chili.html
http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2011/01/mexican-chicken-soup.html