Gator Hater?

Hmm...I don't know, she seems kind of fond of her new toy.

Now, that's more like it!

Favorite Dish: Shrimp & Grits

Believe it or not, even after living in the south most of my life, I had never made shrimp & grits before. That is, until last night. I found a tempting, "low-cal" recipe in the latest Cooking Light and after Ryan spotted it, we just had to make it! One round of burnt bacon setting the smoke detector off later, my sous-chef and I created a melt-in-your-mouth, nice-spice-to-it dish. It did not disappoint!

Check out the recipe here. Next time, I want to swap bbq sauce for the hot sauce - reminiscent of our favorite app at the Oceanaire Seafood room. Yum!

Soooo sleepy...

Happy V-Day!

What a perfect Valentine's weekend! We actually celebrated yesterday, and my husband surprised me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and a pretty candle when I got back from a hair appointment. He is so good!

Later in the evening, after a quick trip to the outlets, we were on our way to a fantastic dinner at The Oceanaire seafood room. We don't really exchange gifts for V-day, but took advantage of our little shopping trip by stocking up on the good deals at JCrew. Then, off to dinner, which was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

We were lucky enough to have a gift card to the same restaurant where we celebrated our first anniversary, and it did not dissapoint the second time around. After yummy bbq shrimp & grits, I enjoyed "black and blue" sea bass while Ryan had a little surf and turf. Yum! The best part was that we paced ourselves and saved enough room for dessert - which meant leftovers for lunch today. Double yum! Ryan tried his very first latte (and didn't care too much for it) with a baked alaska (too funny) and I had capuccino with a chocolate cupcake.

I am so lucky to have such a loving husband to share the day with - not just Valentine's but every day!

Jax-iversary

It's hard to believe that a year ago Ryan and I were driving back and forth around town from adoption center to shelter on the hunt for the perfect puppy to expand our family. Little did we know that when we met our little Jax and brought her home, she would steal our hearts and make such an impact on our lives. I have to be honest, I was a little nervous at first and wasn't quite sure I would cut it as a dog owner. But I wouldn't trade this sweet girl for anything and am so happy that we found her!

(a look back at when we first got her, and a few months ago - sadly, I don't have any decent recent photos!)

Tennis Update

The latest in my tennis world...0-4 but still loving it! Yes, unfortunately, I have yet to win a match in the two leagues I'm in (that's right, I joined a second one!) but I had a moment of pure giddiness the other night leaving a match because I am just so happy to be playing again!
I have never been one for running or individual exercise, and my regiment has dramatically declined ever since our wedding. But playing in a competitive sport, as individual as it is, is right up my alley...pardon the pun.
So, I'll take these two leagues as a learning season to help me get back into the groove - and hopefully will pull out a win before they're both done this spring. Either way, I'm loving the great workouts and being able to bond with my husband in mixed doubles and girlfriend in ladies doubles.
Now, to start building my tennis wardrobe...maybe some new clothes will help me play better? A girl can dream!

Oh my darling, oh my darling

I finally broke down and paid the $5.99 at Publix for a "box" of clementines. I've had one with every meal since, so I guess it's been worth it. Yum!