Our Honeymoon

The day after our wedding, Parker and I jetted off to Naples, Fl. for a much needed getaway to celebrate finally being husband and wife! All the planning and the craziness was over, and it was just us. We couldn't have wanted anything more. Some of our Phelps family friends, the Blateri's, have a condo in Naples and graciously let us use it for the week. It was beautiful! As luck would have it, it rained every day but one, but we had a couple of beach days and got to have a few adventures around the area.

One of the first things we did was book a deep sea fishing trip. This was definitely a "we are married now so I want to be a good wife and make you happy" gesture on my part. I was less than enthused but Parker was so excited about it, so off we went! Now, this trip was less than glamorous, but it was an experience! About 20 minutes in I got seasick and laid down the rest of the time to try to avoid getting sick in front of everyone. Parker was feeling sick too, but he fought through it and was able to catch a few fish! He even caught 2 fish on one hook at one point.

By the end of the trip, Parker had gotten sick and had to sit down. Funny thing was, we were the only ones on the boat that got sick. Everyone else was just fine. The newlyweds just couldn't hang. I cannot tell you how good it was to be back on land!

We ate at a lot of great restaurants, but I think dining at the Ritz Carlton takes the cake! It was delicious and by far the most expensive meal we have ever had. It's okay though because we were on vacation, right? The Ritz Carlton was right on the beach, so we had a beautiful, scenic walk to dinner as the sun began to set over the water.

We also took a day to visit the Naples Zoo, which was a blast! Hands down our favorite part was feeding the giraffe. I don't really know why, but it was the coolest thing ever. I was obsessed!

I had a tendency to call each animal by it's Disney equivalent, so we had fun seeing Pumba, Baghera, King Louie, Baloo, and Mufasa. We saw a couple of shows, including one with a sloth named Molly. All I can say is by the end of it, I was begging Parker for a pet sloth. They are adorable, sleep 22-24 hours a day, and go to the bathroom once every 7 days like clockwork. Talk about the most low-maintenance pet ever. We thought Jenny was easy, but this sloth made her look like a raging hyena. We were excited for a boat cruise to see the monkeys, but as luck would have it, it started thundering as soon as we left the dock, so we had to turn back. Love love loved the zoo though!

Other than the fishing trip and the zoo, our days were spent laying low on the beach or hanging out in the condo. It was a perfect week, and we came home excited and ready to tackle married life. Every day since has been an absolute gift from God!

Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese

Everyone has a recipe that reminds them of growing up. For me, it's Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese. This is my great-grandmother's recipe, and it is a staple in my family for every major holiday. This Easter we didn't get to go to Texas, but this dish brought me a little closer to home. Nobody makes it quite like Nana, but I give it my best shot and Parker loves it. Parker's parents were in town a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about what we would want our last meal on Earth to be. Without hesitation, I said Deluxe Mac & Cheese. It's that good!

Ingredients:

12 oz. package elbow macaroni
2 T butter
1 lb Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
8 slices of bacon, fried crispy and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 oz jar diced pimentos in liquid
7.3 oz can mushrooms in liquid
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t Tabasco sauce
1/2 t black pepper
Large block extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
2. Cook macaroni and drain. Pour macaroni into greased casserole dish along with butter. Stir butter into pasta until melted.
3. In the top of a double boiler or a medium pot over medium heat, combine Velveeta cheese and milk. Cook until cheese melts. Be sure to stir continuously so cheese does not burn.
4. One cheese melts, add pimentos, mushrooms, bell pepper, bacon, and spices. The sauce will thin. Pour mixture over macaroni and top with grated cheese. Okay yall, the grated cheese. Yes you can just buy pre-shredded cheddar cheese. No, it's not the same. I am all about short cuts, but not with this recipe. Part of it is nostalgia because growing up I would help Nana make this recipe, and it was usually my job to grate the cheese. It brings back those childhood memories and gives me the warm fuzzies, but it really is better. This is an involved recipe anyway, so spend an extra 3 minutes and grate some cheese. :)
5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy!