Good evening!
I’m not sure about you, but today has flown by for me. My in laws were here today and Eric was also working from home, so we had a full house! I still have a lot of work to get caught up on tonight. My MIL was off to Ireland this afternoon to meet her brothers for an Ireland-Spain road trip. I attempted to hide in her suitcase, but unfortunately she is an over-packer much like her daughter-in-law…
She was SO proud to show me one of her purchases for her trip from a store called Ricki’s…
She knows how much I love lace and detailed-backs on tops. We actually have a very similar style…we are always complimenting each other on each other’s clothing! One thing she got me hooked on are brightly coloured scarves…I never used to wear them and now I always do. They are a great way to accent clothing or spruce up an outfit.
For dinner, Eric and I threw together a huge salad. We realized that it is our CSA pick-up tonight (Week 2!) and we still have a lot of veggies to plough through! We managed to demolish about 75% of our produce in these salads. Not bad!
This was one of the best salads…wait, I said that last time. :lol: They are ALL amazing, I will just leave it at that!
In this huuuuge salad contained: 1.5 organic romaine hearts, 1 small avocado, 1 tomato, 1/2 cup leftover stir-fry veggies, 3/4 cup lentils mixed in pasta sauce (on bottom), 3-4 tbsp of my better than bottled balsamic vinaigrette (obsessed!!), sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
A little tidbit about Eric- he used to only eat Caesar salad when I first met him 10 years ago, but he has developed a love for all kinds of salads now. Sometimes we have to fight over the last of the lettuce!
For dessert, some dark chocolate…
I LOVE this chocolate!!! I may have snuck another square when I was putting it away… :whistle: Cannot stop eating it.
Some backyard photography ensued..
Nature makes my heart go a flutter.
Don’t these pictures just make you want to go camping??
Swoon.
Health News Round Up
- 10 reasons you hate to cook and what to do about it – Huffington Post
- How to maximize the life in your produce – Fitsugar
- 10 Delicious and mouth-watering meat-free meals – Yum Sugar
- 7 Tips for a less toxic world – Huffington Post
- A lovely write up on Green Monsters – My Adventures In Veg
- Workout clothes for hot weather- what is best polyester or cotton? – Thatsfit.ca
- Are there really benefits from being a grump!? – BBC
- When a Crazy Produce Sticker Lady and Crazy Produce Sticker man collide… – Florida Food Snob
- Bethany’s Light Gazpacho recipe – Health
- Follow a personal trainer as she completes the Insanity DVD workout challenge – Physique Speak
- Should fast food restaurants post personalized calorie counts on the receipt? – That’sFit.com
- Pricey grocery stores attract the skinniest shoppers – MSNBC
- Trying to kick the pop habit? here are some fun tricks to spruce up plain water – Globe and Mail
- Too old to start yoga? This 90-year old grandma will prove you wrong – Huffington Post
- Try these simple tricks to slash your laundry bill by 90% – Casa Sugar
Spotted:
- 60 second black bean dip
- Vegan Overnight Oats
- Spelt pancakes for 2
- Banana soft serve vegan overnight oats and again here
Tonight’s question- Are you a nature girl? Do you like to go camping? Any camping stories/tips to share?
I am a huge nature girl! I feel like I am in my element when I am in nature. That is why living in the big city for 2 years didn’t really mesh with my personality. Eric is the same way. I’m on the fence with camping…I have only been a couple times (we don’t own tents) so I don’t really know HOW to camp. I feel like I need a tutorial…I wouldn’t know what to bring or what food to pack. Might make for an interesting blog post though! :biggrin:
When my best friend and I were young (grades 7-9 mostly), we used to camp in my backyard. We would pack all kinds of food (enough for a week!), grab our flashlights, and then put a super-powerful trinket lock on the tent. One time we woke up to a crazy pheasant trying to get into our tent! That was the end of that!
We are off to pick up our CSA box!
I absolutely love nature because it is FREE. If you go to my blog, over the last month, I’ve visited a couple of nature parks and sanctuaries, all for free and they are beautiful. I have never been real camping (does a tent in the backyard at age 10 count?). not because i’m opposed, just haven’t been.
I would love to go camping once the summer heat calms down. Apparently florida has some good camp sites, too.
Yah for being a Nature girl. I am too 100%, I love camping, although I have moved up from a tent now – I like campers!! ahha but I do love being out there!! So fun1
I love nature more and more the older I get! We went camping in Big Sur at the beginning of May and it was incredible. I love your comment about Eric and Caesar salad – my fiance is the exact same way! In the 1.5 years we’ve been together, I’ve opened his eyes to all types of salads. Now one of his favorite places is the Whole Foods salad bar!
ohh Ive heard that Big Sur is SO gorgeous! I’d love to go someday.
I love camping! My favorite camping trip was when I took a road trip out to Montana to visit a friend. We went camping literally in the middle of nowhere. We had a lake all to ourselves, ate and hung out. It was fun!
I LOVE the outdoors, but am not a huge fan of camping! I think my biggest problem is how I’m always left smelling smokey from a camp fire! Oh, and I have to let my hair go natural!
Thank you Angela :)
I *LOVE* camping (my tent has a porch – ha!). I don’t know if I have any tips, except pack light if you are hiking / backpacking. You only make THAT mistake once, ahem.
Jason and I lived in the noisy city in a (really awesome) buzz-entry building for three (long) years. Now we are out on 2 acres with a golf course on the other side. ahh, pure bliss and QUIET. :) we can see stars, there are NO city lights.
that salad? YUM
hahah your tent has a porch…I have ALWAYS wanted one of those!!!!
I can’t wait to get my produce delivery tomorrow. I am running sparse on veggies around here. I had to pick up a few for dinner tonight to make it through
I love the pictures from your backyard! You have such pretty flowers.
I’m a huge nature girl! :D I used to do canoe trips up in Northern Ontario once or twice per summer. The scenery is stunning there!
Eric has done that in algonquin park…he said it was amazing. I’d love to go someday.
i definitely am a nature girl, but within reason :) i love camping and getting outside, but i really enjoy my shower and clean sheets too!
I’ve sadly never been camping, but I know I would absolutely love it. Especially the traditional food. Smores, anyone?
We (Fiance and I) do a bit of hiking though – at least twice a month- and are planning to tackle the 16 mile trek to Half Dome in Yosemite this year. Must stock up on Glo Bars for that hike!
That sounds incredible! Send me pics if you can :)
I am definitely a nature girl, as you might have guessed by my blog title! I love all things summit and mountain-related. I have some of the best memories of my life from the times I’ve spent exploring the great outdoors. From hiking to rafting to camping to climbing, I love being outside in nature. It invigorates my soul!
Definitely a nature girl. My B.S. is in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and my Master’s is in Fisheries. Anything outside makes me happy. :) My trail running partners laugh at me because I’ll stop and take pictures or I’ll make them stop and smell some wild gardenias. Ahhhh, I love being outside. I love your picture of the dogwoods. Apparently, Canadian dogwoods are different than the Florida ones. Florida’s are more rounded – I like the pointed ends to the petals of yours. They look so dainty.
I’m so that person who stops and takes pictures when on the trails…and not just for the blog either…I used to be that way before the blog! I love photos of nature. I could stare at them all day long.
You inspired me to google dogwood varieties :) http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/features/section5/dogwood/dogwood.htm
That sounds like an amazing degree!! If I were an RN, I would love something like that. I’m in Florida, too. Pinellas county.
weren’t*
Hi! Love your blog!
Im a huge nature girl and grew up camping. If you love nature, you’d love camping! I prefer tent camping even though im no spring chicken-I feel there is just something truly magical about waking up in a tent, feeling so close to nature. I have a 3 person tent, queen size air mattress and use an old sheet set & feather comforter so that its very comfortable. For meals, I have a small propane stove, and usually pre-make a few meals at home (do a stir fry and just quickly reheat it in a pan or make yummy burritos). I eat fruit and cereal for breakfast and have a french press for my coffee.
And im weird, but I love how I smell of campfire when I get home! =)
ohhh I think an air matress would be KEY! haha
What a pretty shirt!
I WISH I could get Nick to like salads aside from Caesar!! Working on it… ;)
I love the city, but I am a total nature girl too! I LOVE camping… I actually worked (and lived) at a camp all summer last summer! And then Nick and I went camping towards the end of the summer… and he FORGOT THE TENT POLES. An hour away from his house at 10pm at night, and no tent poles. He had to use rope and rig it to the tree! ahaha. It was fun, nonetheless :D
xo
K
Hi, Angela! I discovered your blog a few weeks ago, and decided it was about time to comment! hehe. The salad looks soooooo good. As does the chocolate. I’ll have to give that brand a try.
I’m a nature girl, yes, though I typically pass on the camping. Trees. Mountains. Flowers. Wildlife. Creeks. Recycling (ha). A nature girl with bug spray at the ready ;)
Nice to meet you! :)
I think the worst part about camping IS the bugs…they love me for some reason and I get huge bumps from bites.
What lovely photos! I LOVE camping – it brings back so many fond memories of my childhood! Sadly as an adult I havent gone camping much – so I must change that when summer comes back :)
I love being outside! My husband and I go camping, backpacking, and rock climbing any chance we get. We are all set up whether car camping or backpacking and there is nothing like being in the middle of nowhere and drinking in the beauty of it all with your husband! He even proposed when we were on a week-long camping trip!
What kind of gear do you use for rock-climbing?
My husband has been climbing for over 15 years and I picked it up about 4 years ago so we have about everything you could need. We have harnesses and multiple pairs of climbing shoes, which is enough for a climbing gym, then we have ropes, gear to place in the rock, lots of forms of safety protection, webbing and I could go on and on. We love to climb indoors and out, but we are very safe climbers, so we have lots of stuff!
So glad to find your site. I cannot wait to try that salad dressing!
Camping’s one of my favorite! A bunch of friends and I would go every year for an end-of-the-school-year celebration. We’d spend the nights on the lake and making smores then wake up in the morning for a grilled breakfast. It’s so nice to just turn off your phone and star gaze.
I agree one of the benefits is disconnecting from technology!
I’m a bit of an outdoorsy girl, but I also love getting dressed up and feeling girly. I find I’m more nature driven in the summer than in the winter – probably due to the weather.
Loooove the shirt by the way. It will look so cute on you :) I have a few pieces from Ricki’s that I wear all the time.