Wine, Dinner, and DANCING!

Last week my husband John was out of town with work. He was in a location where we couldn't call each other, skype, or email like we usually do when he travels. It was pretty much the worst five days in a while. He got back on Friday morning and we went out for a special date night Friday night. We had plenty of things to celebrate...

Me and my beloved sangria at Mi Tomatinas Paella Bar, Winter Park, FL.

We were celebrating his getting back from his trip.

We were celebrating the anniversary of when he proposed to me back in 2010.

We were celebrating an early Valentine's.

And the vastness of our love for one another. :)

We started out at the Wine Room in Winter Park. It's a huge wine cellar where you get money loaded onto a card and then go around spending it on tastes of tons of different wine selections on the walls. We left feeling flushed, joyful, and if I may say so, a little frisky. :)

Our next stop was dinner at our favorite restaurant- Mi Tomatinas Paella Bar. Best food in town! We started off with some sangria, bread and a tomato gazpacho dip, and then moved on to a dinner of assorted tapas while we listened to live flamenco music.

We sat outside under the awning and it poured rain. The mixture of the wine and the food, being with my favorite person in the world, and people dancing and laughing over boisterous spanish guitar made for a  euphoric experience. And it only got better from there...

When we got to the house he had me close my eyes and having looked forward to a surprise all week it was all I could do not to peek. While we were at dinner he had some of his buddies come set up a romantic dance space at home. He walked me down the aisle there and we danced. ANd can I just say, my husband has some killer moves!

Best. Night. Ever.

Here's the pathway up to the room, were, as they say on MTV cribs, "all the magic happened." But you know what I think? I think those homies on MTV cribs don't have squat on what happened that night.

It goes down in the Malone history books as one of the most romantic and playful nights we've had.

We'll tell the kids about it one day, and they will plug their ears and say "ewwwww!"

Question of the Day:

What are you doing for Valentine's?

The Superbowl and How We Roll

If you've gotten to know me any kind of well in your time following my blog you know that one of the things I value most in life is simplicity. I love cutting down on the clutter, cutting down on spending, and making do with the little things. It is foundational in our marriage and I think that's one of the reasons we are so happy.

One of the ways we cut down is by saying no to cable. Why spend the money on it these days when you can get instant streaming on Netflix?

The only time this gets to be a problem is superbowl time. Here was our set-up last Sunday....

Yup, we watched the game on a little computer screen situated on top of our Moroccan pouf. I thought it was splendid, and it was nice and low key. I also got to learn how to be a commentator, because when John would run to the kitchen there was no big screen to keep in on the action, so I did my best to bring him back in...

"Ok, they are all lining up."

"Someone just jumped on someone else."

"There's 1 down and 10 of something...."

The only snack I made was this bean dip. I have to say that this picture isn't very appetizing, but as I find most game foods absolutely disgusting, it fits.

This dip is NOT disgusting, though. It's delicious, and even though it's not as healthy as a carrot, it isn't as bad as a steaming pot of queso either...

Mexican Black Bean Dip

1 can black beans, rinsed and mashed
3/4 to 1 cup salsa
1/3 cup mexican-blend cheese
2 tbsp cream cheese
salt and pepper
dash of garlic powder
more cheese for topping

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and microwave until melted (stirring every 30-45 seconds.)

Turn on your oven broiler to high and put the dip into a serving dish and cover with cheese. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Question of the Day?

What's your favorite superbowl food?



Weekend Update| January 23, 2012

Happy Monday! I don't know why, but against all odds I am extremely happy and energetic this morning. Yup, I'm the "looks like somebody's got a case of the Mondays" girl. I just can't wait to find someone to say that to. It feels good to be her every now and then!

John was out of town last week and he came back on Friday night. I enjoyed sleeping in on Saturday and then heading out to do some shopping at Whole Foods and our local produce market. When we got back to the house I made granola protein bars (recipe to come this week) and then took a nice nap.

Protein bar preview!

After my nap I went for a 1.5 mile run. I'm really excited that our training for the 5k in February is starting to take us past the 1 mile marker on a consistent basis. I think I'll finally start to see my endurance build. Today we have another 1.5 miler and then by the end of the week we are pushing up to 2 miles! I've never run that long on my own accord without being in a race. :)

Saturday night I made a really yummy new recipe that I found on the Whole Foods recipe page. I'll also be sharing that this week. So get ready for some awesome new recipes to put on your to-do list. They are called Grilled Veggie Pitas, but I made it with a twist. Here's a teaser....

Sunday morning we got up and ate breakfast, put on our outdoor gear and headed out for some kayaking on the lake. What a beautiful morning! The birds were chirping and water was still. Look you can see my reflection...

We had a blast, and I would love to make this a weekly thing. Not only is it a great upper body workout, but it's so nice to slow down and glide across the water and notice the little things that are so easily missed in nature otherwise.

It was a great weekend, and something tells me that this week is going to be equally magnificent!

Question of the Day:

What is your favorite outdoor activity?

Weekend Update| January 18, 2012

Good morning all! This is one of those "you know your life is a little crazy when..." moments. Posting a weekend update on a Wednesday?? Unfortunately that has become the habit for me lately. But I figure pictures are pictures and you can share them anytime you want...especially if it's your blog and you can do what you want with it. :)

Saturday morning I woke up with my panties in a wad. I mean, the really bad side of the bed. I don't really get mean when I'm in a bad mood. Meanness is usually associated with hunger for me. Nope, a bad mood means I'm careless and unemotional...I'm as cuddly as an ice cube. John knew I was having a bad day and made me pancakes. And then told me to close my eyes for the best surprise of my life....

Yup, that about turned my day back around. Seriously, isn't he the sweetest man you've ever read about?

Around lunch time my mom and step-dad came up from Vero Beach to help me get ready for a bridal shower I was throwing for one of my best friends. One of our projects were making little marshmallow pops for the hot chocolate bar I put together for the shower. Aren't they cute?

Sunday morning we lounged around the house and did some cooking and preparing for the afternoon shower. My mom made this spectacular white pizza....recipe to follow this week. Aren't I such a tease? It was so good!

The afternoon was delightful and the bridal shower went off without a hitch. I can't wait to share my post on the shower and all th creative things we came up with! We had a blast putting it together. This little lady deserved all of it and so much more...

Question of the Day:

What shower has been your favorite and what made it special?



Something Other Than Stretchy Pants....

Oh my goodness, I feel like a brand new woman today. I don't know if it was the antibiotics the doctor put me on, my diligence in taking them, or your thoughts and prayers, but I feel great today! You know you were really sick when a great day means you can breathe through your nose, even if you have to blow it every minute of the day...

I've been itching to get back here and share some photos and an update from last weekend. Remember this post where I talked about my "accomplishments" for 2012? One of them was to seize the moments when John is away and really enjoy spending time with myself. Last weekend I did just that!

I'm so proud of this picture. It documents a Saturday morning where I actually showered, did my hair and makeup and looked pretty for the day! Most my Saturdays are spent in stretchy pants and workout gear with my messy mane pulled up in a nasty bun-thing. But Saturday I was spending time with my girlfriends and took the oportunity to put on some tunes and primp myself for once. I enjoyed it so much I might do it again this weekend! :)

Here I am with my girly friends Kayla and Kate. Kayle (the middle) is getting married on February 25th and we spent Saturday at her dress fitting and enjoying a lunch together. She looks so beautiful in that dress and I can't wait to show you all pictures from her big day.

Kate is the maid of honor and I'm a bridesmaid in the wedding, so we spent the rest of the night together crafting and planning for Kayla's bridal shower we're throwing this Sunday. YAY!  I'll have many pictures coming up. The theme is "I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm."

And now...a immunity-booster smoothie...

Immunity Boost Berry Smoothie
serves 2

1.5 cups orange juice
1 banana
4-5 large frozen strawberries
1 handful of frozen mixxed berries (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry...)
30 drops GSE liquid probiotic
4 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy the boost!

Question of the Day:

What kind of things do you do for you when your husband is gone?



Anniversary Cruise Photos

Good morning, and happy Friday! Not to brag, but I've got the day off today. Three hoorays for being a government employee! I finally had some time this morning to round up my cruise photos to share. I hope you enjoy them (I know we did!) and that it brings some warmth into your day if you're dealing with those chilly temperatures...


Here's some of the photos from on the ship. We were on board the Disney Magic and the service was absolutely wonderful.

Anniversary Cake.

They tied our hands together and sung us a Happy Anniversary song!

A ghost towel for Halloween.

Pirate night. We didn't come prepared but John did find a bandana. :)

We stopped at two ports in the Eastern Caribbean- St. Maarten and Tortola. In St. Maarten we headed over to the French side to check out a fort, and then over to the dutch to visit a secluded beach and do some snorkeling. Tortola was just ok. We got off the boat for about 30 minutes and then headed back to relax by the pool and eat more food...

John at the overlook of the French side of the island.

On our trek up the hill to the French fort.

Gorgeous!

A cloudy day in Tortola. Steve Zissou impression.

Our final and most exciting stop was Castaway Cay, the Disney island. It has everything you could ever want in an island and we had a blast snorkeling and relaxing at the adult beach. We say little Dorie fish, striped angel fish, and even one huge gray fish with warts all over it. Isn't this location breath-taking?

Serene.

Bring me two Pina Coladas...

Fun in the sun!

I hope you enjoyed my trip photos! We had such a wonderful time spending every waking hour together. I guess we're one of those odd couples that never gets tired of one another. It was a much needed break from real life and the perfect way to celebrate a fantastic year of marriage and see a little more of this beautiful earth.

Question of the Day:

What's your favorite spot in the Caribbean?

Anniversary Gift Round Up

Hello Culture Connoisseur, friends!!  I'm Tamra from the lifestyle blog, walks with Bella, and I'm so excited to be filling in for Hannah while she is off enjoying a romantic cruise with her mr celebrating their anniversary.  What an incredible way to celebrate their first year of marriage!!!

My hubs, mfs, and I celebrated our 1st year anniversary just a few weeks ago.  We enjoyed our 365 day old cake, had brunch on the rooftop our reception was held at, and started some new traditions.  You can read about our anniversary HERE.  In the days leading up to your anniversary, I scrolled through pinterest and my favorite blogs in search of inspiration for wedding anniversary traditions and gifts.  

Allow me to share a little round up of those innovative ideas and then come check out my blog and take a walk with Bella. :)

For the wine lovers. 

For the love birds.

For the coffee lovers.

For the couch snugglers.

For the bicycle lovers.

For the foodies.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Seriously, These Girls...

                                                                              Source: stumbleupon.com via Hannah on Pinterest

When it comes to clothing, I dress pretty modestly. It is true that I have tons of goodies, but only one man has the key to my candy shop, we'll say. When I'm in public I err on the side of caution, nothing is hanging out of or squeezed into my clothing. I don't feel frumpy and I don't feel unfeminine. On the contrary I think modesty in public makes me feel even sexier in private with my husband, and it brings him honor when I don't let it all hang out for others in public. I also dress modestly because I wouldn't like it if some tramp walked past my husband, and I don't want to be that tramp for someone else.

But you know, no matter how much effort you put in to respecting other women, their husbands, and their marriages there's always some chick out there ready to jump in where you fell short. You know what I'm talking about...here comes Flossie with her thong hanging out of her hot pants with nothing more than a couple pasties up top. (Well, not literally, but it might as well be...)

                                                                

                                              A semi-example. This is actually modest compared to some...Source: google.com via Cate on Pinterest

Seriously...these girls. I take personal offense.

But I thank my lucky stars that I snagged a good one because while I'm walking past these women with an all out death stare, my husband trots happily along, diverting his eyes to my own so as not to be enchanted Ms. "I think I'm Playmate of the Year."

Seriously...these girls...

But in my dreams at night, that's not always how the story goes. Every now and then I have a dream where John and I are walking down the street or through a store and some floosey comes walking by and John turns his head and starts a conversation with them. They, of course, are flattered and before you know it it's "Hannah who?" The nerve!

I wake up angry every time. Then I realize it's just a dream, roll over and give my guy a big 'ole hug for being so good to me in real life!

Question of the Day:

Do you have bad dreams like this?

Or if this happens in real life do you need to get a gang together to beat on your husband a bit? 'Cause I'm in!

Real Men Do Dishes

                                                                           NOT IN OUR HOUSE!  Source: None via Leah on Pinterest

It is a well-known fact that when it comes to dishes, I rarely have to lift a finger. My husband comes from a long line of dishwashers and it has come to my attention that most other men do not. Apparently, we really push the boundaries of gender roles in our house. ;-)

Last night I was sitting at the dinner table finishing up a glass of Reisling when John walked over to grab a few more dishes off the table and said "you can just keep sitting there, I'll finish things up." Of course, I translated this as "you can keep sitting there if you want to be a lazy bum who doesn't pitch in and help around here." So I responded in suit- "FINE! Sorry for enjoying a drink!"

"Whoa," he said, "I was totally serious. You can just keep sitting there and I'll take care of everything for you.You really thought I was being sarcastic? Malone men do dishes! You just keep sitting there...you cooked dinner!"

Man, am I spoiled or what? 

For the last year of marriage (and years before as we were dating) John has always washed my dishes for me. I still can't believe that he doesn't harbor some kind of secret hatred for me because of it. So every single time he takes care of it I sincerely worry that he thinks I'm lazy...and then every single time I'm blown away by the fact that he genuinely loves to serve me in that way.

And it is always funny to watch the reactions of people that come over for dinner. How many houses do you visit where the man of the house gets up after the meal and starts clearing the table?

Ok, I promise I'm not trying to brag here, really I'm trying to shower John with a big thank you for being so sweet to me, and to poll the audience with the following questions:

Questions of the Day:

How do you divide up chores in your house?

Who does the dishes?

Will you be sharing this post with your husband??? ;-)

Travelogue: Rabat, Morocco

Kasbah des Oudaias

As mentioned in this post, John and I honeymooned in Spain and Morocco. Our few days in Rabat were some of our favorites out of the whole two weeks. Rabat just has something. There's an electricity about the city, the people's smiles are contagious and their surroundings are picturesque. I love Rabat because even though it's a big city (the capital of Morocco) it still has a small town feel and you can really relax and enjoy the culture there.

Overlooking the Atlantic from Oudaias

Rabat is a coastal city bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It has been the country's capital since 1912 when it was moved from Fez. The city is broken up into two worlds- the new city and the old medina. The newer side of the city has nice hotels, bus and train stations, and lots of places to shop. The streets are impeccable (compared to other Moroccan cities, and other parts of Rabat) and are lined with tall palm trees.

John and I walked through the new city, but spent most of our time in the medina and surrounding areas. Our hotel was inside the medina walls in a beautiful old dar (house) owned by a French woman. If you make your way to Rabat I highly recommend the Dar Zouhour and it's central location. See my review here. 

Overlooking part of the city

John and I spent much of our time checking out the major sights and exploring tiny alleys.The oudaias is a great place to do this. Just inside the kasbah walls is a beautiful neighborhood. The whole place is painted in stark white and vibrant blue. On a sunny day the color is almost too much to handle, it just pours happiness into your heart. This is a must see, and on your way out you can take a walk through the tranquil kasbah gardens.

Warning: Men stand at the entrance to the oudaias telling you that you aren't allowed in because prayers just finished up. That's a lie. Blow right past them as politely as possible, anyone is welcome in the city and you can walk in, prayers or no prayers, as long as you stay out of the mosques (generally speaking Morocco does not allow any non-Muslim to enter the mosque, but in some cases you can stand just outside to peak in at a particularly historic one.)

Oudaias

Typical Moroccan doorway. Beautiful!

Another great sight to see is the medina and market (souk) at night. After dark, around 8 or 9pm head over to the souk and get lost in  the crowd. Moroccans love to be where the people are. If they go to the souk and it's not crowded they will go home until later when it's packed out. It is the place to be and it is full of new sights, sounds and smells. If you miss this, then you will have missed Morocco entirely.  Keep some cash in your front pocket for street food and hole in the wall restaurants. There's lots of great shopping around here, but bargain hard.

John and I at Le Tour Hassan

Lastly, but certainly not least-ly, make sure you take a walk over to Le Tour Hassan and the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V. The Tour (tower) is an unfinished minaret built by Almohad sultan Yacoub al-Mansour in 1195. It was intended to reach 60m (the tallest in the Muslim world), but only made it to 44. Even at it's current height, the tower impresses.

The beautiful mausoleum (not pictured) is the burial site of the late King Mohammed V, much loved by the country and visited by many throughout the year. It's a solemn place to visit, and it is great to see all the care put into the design work inside.

To the right of the mausoleum is a large and beautifully decorated mosque. Go visit this area near the time for one of the prayers so that you can stand in the square between Le Tour Hassan, the mausoleum, and the mosque when they sing the call to prayer from the loud speakers. We enjoyed watching the locals flock to the area and leave soon after prayers were finished-  culture happened right before our eyes!

Rabat holds a special place in our hearts and we talk about going back all the time. Even though we visited many beautiful cities in the country, Rabat stood out among them all!

Question of the Day:

What's your favorite sight that I saw?

Travelogue: Ronda, Spain

Ronda- the cliffs and the country.

John and I honeymooned in Spain and Morocco last October and while spending a five day stretch in Malaga, Spain we took a day trip to Ronda. We made it to the bus station just as the sun was rising, with a 3 hour ride ahead of us. The first hour and a half were quiet dull, passing through a number of coastal towns known as tourist spots we realized we were right not to buy into the claims that a beach-side vacation was a must. While the ocean was breath-taking, the towns were dull and lifeless - nothing like the buzzing city of Malaga in which we stayed.

As we turned away from the coast and headed up into the mountains the scenery began to change. The huge tour bus swayed back and forth through the hairpin turns and suddenly John and I found our noses pressed to the windows. We lost all composure. After being presented with beauty after beauty were were presented with what we found to be the crown jewel of Andalusia....Ronda.

Standing on the Puente Nuevo

There's not enough room in the world (or my heart) to contain the beauty of this city. In the brief 8 hours I spent there my emotions were overflowing. The old Spanish town of Ronda is one of the most rustic and beautiful towns I've ever seen. Roaming its streets and hiking its gorge, I couldn't believe that the people of Ronda live there. They wake up in the morning, walk out on their patio, and see all of this. I felt so blessed to see its beauty for just one day,  and couldn't  imagine a lifetime engulfed in it!

The streets were bustling in their own little small-town way and though the residents are no doubt bogged down my the number of tourists clogging their walkways, you can tell they are proud of their city and happy to show it off. The people in Ronda were even more laid back than those in Malaga (if that's even possible) and quite friendly.

La Casa del Rey Moro

Upon arrival we got a bite to eat and then headed over to the Casa del Rey Moro.The house was recently visited by First Lady Obama and I knew there was access through the house to the bottom of the gorge. Those two facts sold me. After spending more euros than we would have liked, we had free reign over the old home. It was built in the 18th century and bits of it were falling to pieces.

The house and old staircase down the gorge had a lot of old world charm and beautiful overlooks of the city. It wasn't until later that we realized there was a much more spectacular way to get to the bottom of the gorge, free of charge.

View of Ronda from Casa del Rey Moro

If you love old architecture, finding fun hiding places, and a bit of mystery to stir your imagination, the casa is for you. But if you're looking to save your euros, you could visit Ronda without a tour of the place and still see everything there is to see.

Waltzing around the city we encountered numerous squares covered in vines and flowers. Locals gathered playing guitar and selling this or that. Out of the corner of our eye we noticed what looked like a group of young Scottish boy scouts gathering to walk off a cliff. Afraid they knew something we didn't, we went to inspect and found an old trail that led to the bottom of the gorge just below the Puente Nuevo. And we so began our journey down...

When we made it to the bottom of the gorge we were the only folks there. We started out with others but mud and a bit of rock climbing acted as a deterrent. There we were- two young people in love-surrounded by the grandeur of mother nature. John laid on a rock and I sat like this, silent, for what felt like hours. If I had the time and an ample amount of food you could still find me there, staring. Places like this stir my soul. When I inhale, I breath in the rushing water. And when I exhale, I send out all the things that weigh me down...when you're surrounded by the gorge all the worries and fears you used to know don't matter any more. All that matters is the beauty around you, and the joy of sharing it with your very best friend.