Florida Intermezzo: Lizard Nightmares & the Evolution of Food.

The Metrics: 

 x - 5    =  The current number of anole lizards in the backyard.

400%   =  The increase of square footage in our current abode versus our old apartment (and the corresponding increase in cat shenanigans).

10        =  The number of delicious meals cooked while on vacation.

2          =  The number of cuisines that we shamelessly bastardized (see below).

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He is that which stalks you, haunting your tiny lizard dreams.

If you see him, lurking in the shadows of that poolside shrub, it's too late.

He pounces with 99% accuracy, but 0% mercy...

He is.... RAGS!  The LIZARD BANE!

(Dun, dun, DUNNNNNNNNNNNN!)

And he comes right to your door, conveniently shipped in a cardboard box!

That's right, folks.  Our cat is a lizard-hunting fiend.  I've done my best to intervene (I happen to like tiny lizards), but Rags is quick and the creatures are apparently very tasty.

Be swift, little lizard.  Be swift.

Needless to say, the cats have been having a very good time while we've been on our Floridan vacation!  They've been romping, chasing, playing, stalking, and exploration-sleeping (that's where cats make a point to sleep in a new spot every chance they get).

Case in point.  Cats in closet, second to top shelf.

The group-nap technique.

"But, Moooom... I wanna eat birds, tooooo...."

They've been having a grand ole' time, it's true.  But Dan and I have been having a blast, too!  We've been working out a lot, progressing nicely toward the Tri-half-alon goal, as well as enjoying the pool & beach, soaking up the sun (read: burning and / or freckling), and making lots of delicious meals around the house. 

As you probably already know, we love to cook.  (And we especially love to eat.)  So, here's a little photographic food journey for you!

Tikki Masala & naan.

Dan makes a killer Tikki Masala recipe.  It's rich, super-spicy, and tastes incredibly authentic.  And he made an off-the-cuff sourdough naan that was simply amazing.  We made a vat of Tikki Masala, so we had (and still have) plenty of leftovers.  You'll see what we do with them farther down on the page.

Burgers and tots like you've never seen.

This would be my personal favorite: A red wine & shallot burger, served with a sauteed herb & mushroom topper, and parmesan & white truffle tater tots.  YES.  YESSSSS.  It was just as tasty as it sounds.  Maybe tastier.

Dan bread!

What is a blog post about food without mention of made-from-scratch Dan bread?  This one is a Vermont Sourdough, made with whole wheat.  And... with that same dough... we made....

Chicken Pizza Masala!

LEFTOVER PIZZA!  The above is, as the caption says, "Chicken Pizza Masala."  Clever, no?  It's just our leftover chicken and curry spread over the dough, with a little bit of light shredded Italian cheese over the top.  It was... strangely amazing.

And it doesn't stop there!  We also made a leftover pizza with the burgers!  Crumbled up burger patty, a sprinkle of the sauteed mushrooms, shredded cheese, and a drizzle of white truffle oil.  Friggin' phenomenal.

Dinner of champions.

Dan, posing with his creation.

So, there you have it, loyal readers!  We're having fun, eating well, and trying to enjoy every minute of our time together.

Thanks for reading!
WR