I was 21 when I finally tried salmon for the first time. Of course, Travis is the one who got me to try it. I didn't think I liked any seafood except shrimp at the time. Turns out, I love all sorts of seafood and salmon is my favorite fish of all time. You can ask my friends, I seriously order salmon at every restaurant that offers it! My sister-in-law made me salmon patties once, and I was in love. I used her recipe and a recipe I found online, mashed them together, and created my own delicious salmon patties. I love making them because 1) they are easy to make, 2) they are delicious, and Continue Reading
Our Favorite Road Trip Snacks
Travis and I love traveling. When we lived in Georgia, we were exploring the area like crazy. Now, that we are here in Missouri, we love to explore too. We have a huge list of places we want to visit nearby and things we want to do in the next couple months. We've already took the two-hour trip to Branson, and soon we'll be heading to St. Louis. Our weekends are filling up quick! We love going on road trips together. I especially love it because it means uninterrupted quality time with my husband where he can't be distracted by TV or his cell phone. I love our deep discussions in the truck Continue Reading
Secret Spinach Smoothie
Popeye knew what he was doing when he was eating all that spinach! It nourishes our eyes, builds our bones, and helps with our digestive system. Spinach is full of vitamins and minerals. Did you know that research studies suggest that spinach in juice form is one of the healthiest ways to consume the green goodness? It's true! Of course, I wouldn't want to drink straight spinach juice. That sounds gross. But I love this secret spinach smoothie -- it's full of spinach but you can't even taste it. Instead, it tastes like a chocolate, peanut butter, banana smoothie! Perfect to give those Continue Reading
How To Handle a Disagreement
Today is our anniversary. Travis and I have been married for two years. It feels like it's been longer than that to me. In our two years of marriage, we've already learned a lot about each other and ourselves. Travis and I really don't fight -- at least yet -- but we have had a few disagreements. Just two months ago, we had our biggest disagreement. I am really proud of us for how we handled this disagreement and worked through it. Every single married couple has disagreements. There's really no way around it. But there are ways to handle disagreements in a healthy way. I've asked some Continue Reading
5 Tips for Caring for Your Curls
Let's talk hair. I have naturally curly hair, and I love it. I get more compliments on my hair than anything else, and my husband loves my curls. But as a young teenager, my hair did not look good. I had no idea how to treat my hair. As I grew up, I learned better ways to take care of my hair and which products work best. Do you have curly hair? If you wish you loved your hair more, I hope this post will give you ideas for taking better care of your curls. 1. Use a Wet Brush I got this for Christmas one year and it has changed my life! Curly hair gets tangled so easily, but the Continue Reading
Post-Workout Food Options
Like I've mentioned before during my veggie posts, I've been working out a lot lately. Riding the bike machine at the gym on post and then walking/jogging on a treadmill at an incline. I'm not a fitness master. I'm not in great shape. But I'm stronger than I was yesterday. As long as I'm keeping up with my workout each day, I'm always stronger than the day before. I'm improving. Slowly. But I am. When I get home after my workout, I either shower or eat depending on how hungry I am. I usually get home from the gym close to noon, so it's lunch time. The worst thing to do would be to open Continue Reading
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
I got home from working out and had a salad for lunch. It was good, but within an hour I was hungry for something else. Something sweet. I was tempted to pull out a bag of Reese's cups or grab a spoon and a pint of chocolate peanut butter ice cream from the freezer. But instead, I went with something a smidge healthier. I still got the chocolate and peanut butter taste, but I threw in a banana! Fruit = healthy, right? Well, it turns out bananas are a great post-workout food! They have fast-acting carbs that help restore your body's energy levels and rebuild damaged muscles. Plus, it has Continue Reading
The Perfect Pot Roast
The first time I made this meal, Travis practically broke out in applause he loved it so much. And If I could do a back flip I would have in celebration of such an amazing success of a meal. I love roast beef. I love potatoes. ( I don't think there's a starch I don't like!) I love carrots. And this recipe puts all those things together, but it's not just your normal pot roast recipe. This one is SOOOOO flavorful! It's one of those meals that makes you want to eat slowly to savor each and every bite. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! So let's get on with it, shall we? Here's what Continue Reading
Baked Zucchini Fries
I've sorta been on a health kick lately. I say sorta because I also still like my ice cream. I can't help it. We're supposed to have dairy in our diet anyways, right? So while I haven't stopped eating ice cream, I have tried to start eating more vegetables. Lately, we've had green beans, asparagus, broccoli and now zucchini. I really like zucchini, and there are tons of things you can make with it. Travis and I tried something new for us though -- baked zucchini fries -- and they turned out awesome! They are crunchy but soft on the inside with lots of flavor on the outside. We didn't even Continue Reading
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
Remember what I said about vegetables in my green bean post? Well, I'm trying to change that a little bit! So prepare yourself for veggie mania! Today, we're talking about broccoli. Yum! I like broccoli! Add garlic and I love broccoli! :) This recipe I'm writing about has a great roasted taste, because, well, the broccoli is roasted. Here's what you'll need: Broccoli (However much you want) Olive oil Salt and pepper Garlic Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. I lay down aluminum foil over my baking sheet to make clean up easy. (All I have to do is throw away the Continue Reading