September 10, 2013 marks my first blogiversary.  It also is my wedding anniversary with my husband.  It’s not a coincidence that they are the same day.  When I was just starting my research on the impact of food and health my husband encouraged me to keep going. He encouraged me to dig deeper and yes……….to see if it would make a difference to our family’s health.  It didn’t take long for me to find overwhelming evidence that eating fast and processed food all the time makes people fat and sick.  These are not titles I want used in conjunction with my family.

My blog, like my marriage is a labor of love.  They both take a lot of work and mean the world to me.  Blogs and marriages need to be worked on daily.  Left to their own devices, they will surely wither.

My husband also encouraged me to spread the word about Real Food with my writing.  I had a lot of concerns about “being good enough”.  Thankfully, there is no one who thinks higher of my abilities than my husband.  He pumped me up until I was so confident that I actually hit the publish button for the first time.  You, my readers responded and have kept me going ever since.

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary this weekend because as expected, we both are running in different directions on our actual anniversary.  He will be coaching flag football and I will be at the high school open house.  We thankfully found some time alone to enjoy each other’s company while the kids were enjoying a sleepover with their grandparents.  Thank you Nana and Poppa.  What did we do?  What else!?  We went out to dinner at a restaurant in town where we were able to have an incredible Real Food meal.

We have become rather picky about our food because we have been spoiled with just how delicious Real Food is.  Lure Bistro and Sushi Bar in Willoughby, Ohio did not disappoint us at all.  We were able to eat out on the patio on one of the few perfect temperature days we have here in Ohio.  We ordered a pumpkin beer and started to relax.  At least I think it was relaxing.  We rarely get to relax so I think I may have forgotten what it really feels like.  We ordered calamari and crab cakes as appetizers.  Each was prepared in a unique way with seasonal ingredients.  We were thrilled to read on the menu that Chef Jaret Havanchak uses all Ohio raised beef, pork, and chicken.  The menu states that their meats are all natural and free of antibiotics and growth hormones.  The menu also states that they serve seasonal local vegetables.  This is music to my ears!

Let me just say here that Lure Bistro and Sushi Bar has no idea that I’m writing this.  I paid for my dinner.  This is not a sponsored post.  This was just a dinner out with my husband and I want to share with you an example of how good food can be at a restaurant if only the restaurant cares about serving good Real Food.

Here is a picture of my husband enjoying his dinner and my company, too.  Smile.

Right away we decided that we would have to come back to this restaurant again and again.  We had a hard time deciding what to order because each item on the menu sounded spectacular.  We were almost done with our appetizers before we decided what we wanted for our entrees.  Who does that?  Our waitress was very sweet and didn’t hurry us at all.  She played a big part in making a relaxing dinner for two overworked and worn out parents.

My husband finally decided on cajun dusted scallops.  He asked if they were spicy and was told that they were only flavorful, but could be made spicy if he wanted them to be.  He loves spicy food and with little kids in the house, he doesn’t often get it.  These scallops were certainly a treat for him.  I like to say he likes things spicy………that’s why he has me.  Too much??  The colors of his dish were incredible.  How could it not be delicious with all that beautiful seasonal color.

 

I chose the grouper.  It was in a butter lemon sauce and was very light and refreshing.  It didn’t have the color of my husband’s dish, but boy was it good.  The asparagus was cooked to perfection.  It is so easy to overcook.

We left for the movie theater very satisfied with our dinner.  I get such a good feeling when I eat food that is not only delicious, but also is really good for you.  Artificial ingredients certainly are not needed to make food better.  Real Food is perfect just as it was created…….especially in the hands of a good chef.  It sure was nice to take the night off from the kitchen.

I want a long, happy marriage with my husband.  Real Food will help us to get there. Healthy food will keep him around for a long time and since it is so delicious………..he will be happy coming home to dinner each night.  Like the old saying goes, “The key to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”  Happy Anniversary, honey!  Thank you for all you do for me and our family.  All of the late night trips to the grocery store in search of organic produce are appreciated more than you could possible imagine.

And to my readers………..thanks for celebrating this first blogiversary with me.  Your kind words and encouragement keep me going.  I commit to you, to keep writing, cooking, and researching as long as you keep coming back to read.

If you would like to see where we started, check out our four part introduction.  Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.