Low Country Shrimp Boil

Looking for a fun date idea that you can do at home? My husband and I have been wanting to do a shrimp boil for some time. We always heard of people having shrimp boils and so we decided that we would try it out!

I highly recommend inviting another couple to enjoy the fun and tastiness!  It was also nice because we split the cost of the ingredients! Shrimp is pretty expensive so this saved some money. 

We actually used a big turkey fryer to boil everything outside. As we waited for it to cook, we sat around the boiler in camping chairs listening to music and talking. It was so much fun! And it smelt delicious! 

Here is the recipe that we used, which was really yummy! 

After it was all done, we laid out some newspapers and poured everything on the table. We also made some homemade cocktail sauce to dip the shrimp in. Here is a quick and easy recipe for cocktail sauce.

We are definitely having another shrimp boil in the near future! We got the shrimp from Publix, which I would recommend. All of their seafood is super fresh! 

This date was a little more on the expensive side, but it was worth it! We have tons of leftovers! 

Grills Riverside Seafood Deck

It was my birthday weekend so my husband let me choose where to go for dinner. I was craving seafood (like always) so I was asking around the office for good recommendations. There were two people who mentioned Grills Seafood. They mentioned that the food was awesome and the atmosphere was fun! Let me tell you, they were not lying! 

When we first got there, we heard the music playing from the parking lot. I don't always love super loud settings when I go out to dinner, but this was super fun! The wait was a little longer, but outdoor sitting was first come first serve. We had already decided we were going to sit outside so we waited about fifteen minutes to get a seat. 

We sat right next to the river, which was amazing! We watched as boats went by and kept our eyes open for dolphins. We didn't see any, but a couple sitting next to us had seen some earlier. 

The live music was fun to listen to in the background. People were on the stage dancing and having a good time. I thought about getting up to dance, but my husband wasn't too fond of the idea. 

The food was amazing! Some of the best seafood we have had in Florida! I got coconut shrimp with a side of Tahiti tators and brown sugar glazed carrots. Everything was so delicious! My husband got bacon-wrapped shrimp, which he really liked as well! They messed up on his order and first brought him out scallops. He said those were also very good! Check out their menu here!

We walked down by the water, which was beautiful! I am hoping that next time we go, it will be a little earlier in the day so we have a better chance of seeing the dolphins that hang around there. 

I love going to new restaurants and trying new things with my husband! We always have such a good time! 

Orange Bowl Lanes

Bowling is not my favorite activity. My husband has asked me about 5 or 6 different times if we could go bowling for date night. My response is always, "Id rather spend money on food". Well, I finally gave in to his request and we went bowling. Orange Bowl Lanes was actually a pretty fun and lively place!

They had really good music playing, which made a big difference. It was also super clean and well taken care of, which isn't what I am used to. I think part of the reason I have never really liked bowling is because most of the bowling alleys I have been to have been super dirty and run down. This one, on the other hand, I would definitely go back to. The staff was also super friendly and helpful. Even when I changed my shoe size about three different times. 

My husband is pretty good at bowling, but I still insisted on making a bet with him. The bet was if he won, he got to choose where we would go for dinner and if I won, I would get to choose. Unsurprisingly, he won the bet. 

On Friday and Saturday nights from 10 PM to 2 AM they have cosmic bowling. This includes laser lights, disco lights, black lights, and runway lights. I wouldn't mind going back sometime to check it out! 

Another reason I never really liked bowling is because it always seemed to be kind of expensive. Orange Bowl Lanes was actually decently priced. Check out their prices here. 

It was super fun to cheer each other on and encourage the other to try different tricks. We ended up playing two games, because I wanted another chance to try and win. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of gutter balls. I think it is safe to say I wouldn't mind going bowling again with my hubby in the near future. 

The Lone Cabbage

My husband and I heard so much about the Lone Cabbage  that we decided to check it out for ourselves. Their southern-style seafood, country music, and airboat ride made this date perfect!

I love trying seafood from all over the state of Florida, because chances are, its going to be fresh. With not knowing how long we are going to live in Florida, we try and eat local as much as we can. My husband never used to like seafood until we moved down South. This was a good thing for me, because I have always loved seafood. 

This place was a pretty busy place filled with both locals and vacationers. We decided to eat right when we got there because we were both super hungry. We both ended up getting their Catfish with a side of fries and hush puppies. 

On Sundays they have their World Famous Fish Fry, which we heard was excellent! This would definitely be worth checking out! 

The airboat ride was awesome! They take you on a 30 minute ride through the grassy marsh of the scenic Saint Johns River and Lake Poinsett at speeds up to 45 mph. The boat captain slowed down when there was wildlife to see so that we could take pictures. We saw several alligators, which was pretty neat! It was amazing how the boat could go through pretty much anything. It was also a fairly decent price for the ride that we went on. Check out their prices here. They also offer a more adventurous ride, which does cost a little more. 

We had such a fun day eating delicious food and riding on an airboat! This is definitely somewhere that we would love to take family to when they come visit us! 

Go check it out! You will be glad you did!

Disney World: Hollywood Studios

Everyone knows you cant live near Orlando and not visit Disney World! So what did my husband and I decide to do? We made it a date! We had a choice to buy park hopper tickets or tickets to just one of the parks. It was a difficult decision choosing between Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. We decided to go to Hollywood Studios. We made a good choice! 

There was so much to do! When we got there we started from the back of the park and made our way to the front. This was a tip that some of our friends told us about. When people first get there they tend to start at the front and make their way to the back. Starting from the back of the park made a big difference. The lines weren't too bad and it didn't feel very busy. 

The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was our favorite ride! My husband and I love roller coasters so  we both had a good time riding.

My favorite show of the day had to be Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It was so cute! My husband's favorite show was Indiana Jones. It was a pretty impressive stunt show! 

                                      

We ended the evening watching Fantasmic. It was a fun musical with decorated boat floats, fireworks, and Disney characters! 

We had been talking about going to Disney World ever since we moved to Florida. It was a long wait, but well worth it! There was so much to do and see in just this one park. We also got to read about Walt Disney and some of the background behind his story. It was a fun experience that we will never forget!  Next time, we are going to make a trip to Magic Kingdom. 

Okeechobee

Looking for a fun day date? Okeechobee is the place to visit! Strategically placed along the northern rim of Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s "inland sea," the city of Okeechobee offers visitors an old-fashioned – and truly relaxing – Florida vacation. The town provides a convenient access point to the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. The lake offers boating, freshwater fishing, hiking and biking. My husband and I will most definitely be back to do some fishing and hiking here.

My husband and I love old towns so visiting Okeechobee was definitely on our bucket list. It was our first time visiting and we have already decided that we will be back. 

Once we got into town we decided to grab some lunch. Being the small town that it is, we pulled over and asked a friendly guy for restaurant recommendations. He pointed us in the direction of Los Cocos. We have come to realize that we are never dissapointed when we ask for locals' opinions about places to eat. It was delicious. Their fresh homemade tortillas and salsa were amazing. 

We both decided to get the burritos since they were a popular item on the menu. 

Okeechobee has some fun little shops downtown. So after lunch we went to Eli's Western Wear. My husband isn't much of a shopper, but I knew I could get him into a western store. Not to mention that everyone we have talked to has told us to check out Eli's. The atmosphere was great and the employees were super friendly. 

After walking around town for a bit we headed to the lake down the street. It was beautiful! It was a super big lake with fishermen and boaters all over. It was definitely a popular place to be. 

We walked down the pier and couldn't help but notice this guy below us. It was fun to watch him! 

I am glad that we were able to make this trip and see all the things that we did. If you and your spouse are interested in old towns, good food, or lake activities, I would highly recommend checking out Okeechobee. Since it is about an hour and a half drive from Orlando, make it a day trip! It was well worth it! 

Florida Ranch Rodeo Finals

There is always something going on at the Silver Spurs Arena! This past weekend, my husband and I went to the Ranch Rodeo Finals. We both love rodeos, so it was the perfect date! Each week there is usually some kind of event going on at the arena so check out their website for fun things to do! 

We got to the arena around 10:00 AM on Saturday for the Working Florida Cowdog Competition. This was an event that my husband had been dying to see. In Florida, it is common for cowboys to use dogs when working cows. In this event, cowboys had to get their cowdogs to do certain things to the cows in a certain amount of time. It was amazing to see how trained the dogs were! The cowboys barely had to say a word to get their dogs to do what they wanted. I didn't always know what was going on so I had to ask my husband a ton of questions. He didn't mind though, because he knows a lot about that stuff since he works on a ranch. My husband and I both really enjoyed this event!

We came back to the arena at 7:00 PM that night for the actual rodeo. They had so many different events to watch! They had bronc riding, calf branding, wild-cow milking, team doctoring, double mugging, team sorting, colt riding, and the stampede race. My favorites to watch were the bronc riding, wild-cow milking, and the colt riding. They also had really yummy food! We got a fresh baked pretzel and nachos. 

Tickets were only $10 each, which isn't bad for three hour entertainment. Ranch rodeos are fun for everyone- you don't have to be "country people" to have a good time!

Make sure to check out the other events going on at the Silver Spurs Arena, because there is always something! The next event that caught my eye is the 7th Annual Steak and Lobsterfest. My husband and I both love steak and lobster so we may just have to make it into a date! It includes dinner and musical entertainment- can't beat that! 

The Catfish Place

You can't live in Florida without trying alligator! So my husband and I decided to head to The Catfish Place! Ever since we moved to Florida, we had people constantly telling us to try this place out. I was a little nervous seeing how they are known for their fresh lake food- alligator, turtle, and frog legs. But it was an awesome experience!

The atmosphere alone was great! You could definitely tell that you were in Florida! The big painting on the wall was gorgeous! 

We decided to share this experience with some friends from Utah. They were looking forward to trying the Florida Cracker Special. This was a platter full of catfish, frog legs, turtle, and gator tail. They insisted that I tried it all; so I did.

This is a picture of me with our friend's food that I tried

My husband got gator tail and I got shrimp. 

Check out their menu! Gator tail is actually really yummy! Turtle was okay and the frog legs...we weren't really impressed. However, it was a fun experience to try all of these different kinds of foods you wouldn't normally get anywhere else!

We all had a fun time and would recommend trying this place at least once! 

Jimmy Bear’s BBQ

If you and your spouse love good BBQ, Jimmy Bear’s is the place to go! My husband is from Texas so he knows what good BBQ is all about! This is the first BBQ restaurant that we have been to in Florida that comes close to what he is used to. The atmosphere alone says it all! “When BBQ restaurants have a whole roll of paper towels on each table, you know it’s gonna be good!” Jimmy Bear’s is a little hole in the wall in St. Cloud, a town just outside of Orlando.

It was a busy little place, but the service was friendly and fast. There were so many different selections on the menu, so it made it difficult to choose. We told them that it was our first time there, so they brought us out three or four different kinds of meat to sample. We loved it all! Everything was decently priced as well, which is always a plus! Check out their menu!

My husband ended up getting the Popper Bear with a side of baked beans and fried okra. He thought it was amazing!

I got the prime burger, with a side of fries. It was delicious!

Their BBQ sauces were also amazing! Make sure to try them all!

This was such a fun date! Not only was the food on point, but my husband and I enjoyed the southern atmosphere and hospitality. As we ate, he told me about all the BBQ places he used to go to in Texas, and how Jimmy Bear’s brought back so many delicious memories.

Make sure to give this place a try! You and your spouse will not regret it! We will most definitely be back again!

Disney Springs

Want to experience a magical part of Disney without paying such high rates? Disney Springs is an outdoor dining, shopping, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. The best part: it’s free! I had been begging my husband to go for a good couple of months. We finally got to go last weekend. I had heard about it from a friend and she highly recommended going, especially during Christmas time when they have everything lit up with Christmas lights. It was a fun experience (and even my husband enjoyed it)! I cannot wait to go back in December!

                                                                                  

It’s always hard to get a picture of us

together. We need to invest in a selfie

stick!

We got there about 11 in the morning and there was already so much going on. They had bands playing and a huge variety of stores and restaurants. My favorites were the World of Disney and of course, Ghirardelli, where they hand out chocolate samples. So yummy!

It was so fun just walking around and hearing the music being played in the background. They have a Lego store where they make different characters out of pure Legos. They are massive! And super cool!

This was one of my favorites! Hence the picture above.

We also enjoyed watching the Red Amphicar at The Boathouse Orlando. We didn’t ride it, because it was a little on the expensive side, but it was so fun to watch others! Check it out!

This was a fun day-date that I would recommend to anyone! It is free and relaxing! Two of my favorite things about a date! Parking is also close and free; which isn’t usually the case for things like this in Orlando.

Go check it out and let me know what you think!