Honeymoon Road Trip (Part 1)

I want to start off by saying that these honeymoon posts will be the longest I'll ever write, but I want to remember everywhere we went and all the fun things we did.

Khanh and I finally escaped the cold Michigan winter to go on our honeymoon. We loaded up my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited and headed out on the open road for 15 days. We stayed in 7 cities in 5 states. Though it wasn't the honeymoon we were dreaming of, it was absolutely perfect and I wouldn't trade it for any other trip. OK, maybe Hawaii!

Our first overnight stop was Nashville, Tennessee. But, first, we made a quick pit stop just outside of Bowling Green, Ohio at the National Corvette Museum. This stop was special to me because my grandpa was a member of the museum's founding board and his name is on a brick located near the front entrance. We also got to see the huge sink hole from February 12, 2014 and all the cars that were salvaged.

We arrived at the Residence Inn Nashville Airport in Nashville, Tennessee just before dinner. My grandparents friend, Dr. Bob, who is a vocal surgeon for all the country stars, made reservations for us at the best table at Sperry’s Restaurant, a steakhouse in the cutest little neighborhood. This was the only meal we splurged on during our entire trip because it was also my birthday!

We woke up the next morning and had the continental breakfast provided by the hotel. After filling up on waffles, we headed out to explore Nashville. Our first stop was the Grand Ole’ Opry. Unfortunately, we arrived too early and the only thing open was the gift shop.

Next on our agenda was exploring downtown Nashville. We got gypped paid for parking and started looking for the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. It’s a big, beautiful bridge in the heart of downtown Nashville that connects the city on both sides of the Cumberland River. After exploring the bridge, we wanted to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame, but decided against it after seeing the admission prices. Here’s the thing, Khanh isn't a country music fan and didn't want to spend money to look at something he could care less about. I know, I know, what horror! I’m working on him still. After all that excitement for the morning, we found ourselves back at the hotel for a quick nap before being locked in a room with four strangers for an hour.

The Escape Game – Nashville, was hands-down most fun we had in Nashville. We decided to give the Classified Room a try this time around. Our group was acting as anti-terrorists trying to find clues that would lead us to terrorists (or in this case just unlocking the door to escape in the allotted 60 minutes.) We escaped with seconds to spare!

After such an intense game, our stomachs were begging to be fed and Edley’s Bar-B-Que hit the spot. I always gravitate towards pulled pork at any BBQ place, and this time it definitely did not disappoint.

Back at the hotel, we packed our things up before our heads hit the pillow. Stay tuned for our next stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

New Year Goals

I used to make new year resolutions, but - like most people - I found that after a few weeks I even forgot what I was resolving to do that year. If you are one of the few people on the planet that can actually stick to their new year resolutions, good for you! Pat yourself on the back for me. We had a breakthrough moment on our road trip (more on that in another post!) over Christmas break. My husband asked what my goals are for this year. Insert my mind being blown here. Goals? I've never thought about new year resolutions in the form of yearly goals. I'm not sure if the word resolution intimidates me or if the word itself implies that I'm being forced to give something up. Whatever it may be, I'm not a fan. But, goals? I like that word a heck of a lot more! Goals are achievable. Goals are not intimidating. Goals push you to be a better you.   After the initial shock that making new year goals make 10000% more sense than trying to keep new year resolutions, Khanh and I came up with four goals that we each want to accomplish during 2015. Below you can find my personal goals.  

  Goal 1: Publish at least one blog post per week. If you're a blogger, you know how hard this can actually be. This goal includes finding new organizational tools and sticking to a schedule.   Goal 2: Finish designing my blog. Blog design is very time consuming when you don't know any HTML code. I have to watch YouTube videos for almost everything I want to change. I could pay someone to work with me on designing my blog, but I feel like that's the easy way out - unless you have absolutely no free time. There is a sense of accomplishment and pride just knowing that I created my blog from scratch, even if it takes hours days!   Goal 3: Move to a different department at work. I'm lucky enough to work for a company that wants to see their employees succeed. Moving to another department will allow me to gain important skills to further my career, learn more about the company, and ultimately end up doing what I'm passionate about.   Goal 4: Find a local church. This is a goal my husband and I both share. Since Khanh and I moved across the state, we haven't found a church we can call home. Even more important to us, is finding a community within that church of young married couples. Learning about marriage, life, and God is so much easier when you have like-minded people to encourage you along the way.   What are some of your 2015 goals?

Bloglovin' Page

I have a short and sweet post for all the bloggers out there. 

I now have a bloglovin' page. 

You can click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

My love for Mexican food has resurfaced! Subtract the flour tortillas, add some quinoa and you're left with this delicious (and healthy!) Quinoa Enchilada Casserole.

To be quite frank with you, I was nervous to try this recipe because I have never had quinoa before. After one bite, I knew this recipe needed to be added to our rotating list of weekly dinners. Healthy and delicious? Score!

We were able to get 6 servings from this recipe, so plan accordingly.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa - I used red, unbleached quinoa

1 (10-oz) can enchilada sauce

1 green pepper

1/2 cup corn - frozen or canned

1/2 cup canned black beans - drained and rinsed

1 tomato

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 avocado

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook quinoa in 2 cups water. Cook according to package directions.

2. While quinoa is cooking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 8x8 or 2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, green pepper, corn, black beans, tomato, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

4. Spread quinoa mixture into coated baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses.

5. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheese melts, about 20 minutes.

6. Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and more tomato, if desired.

Do you like quinoa and eat it on a regular basis?

If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it!