Mom & Dad's Visit to Alabama!

Hi Dad! (and Mom) Sorry I have been so absent on the blog! We've been on Alabama time for almost a year now, and the pace in the deep South is a bit slower than the rest of the world! ;-)
In January, Alex and I were lucky enough to get to have Mom and Dad visit our sweet home in Alabama for a few days and to experience a little bit of what Army life is like at Fort Rucker!

The first full day here, we spent the afternoon at the Aviation Museum and in the evening we were able to celebrate Mom's birthday with dinner and cookie cake for dessert.
That night, Mom and I made ourselves some hot tea, and I introduced her to the fabulous British drama "Downton Abbey," poor Dad had to retreat to his room to read for the rest of the night and Alex was stuck studying. By the end of the week we finished the first season, and watched a couple episodes of season 2!

Mom and I made a trip to the nearest town, Dothan, and we went to one of my favorite stores- Hobby Lobby, we spent a couple hours sipping coffees and browsing through all of the neat household decor and craft items there. For the remainder of the time, we went out to dinner, gave a tour of the post and visited the helicopter airfields, had some DQ blizzards, watched movies, played "Loaded Questions" and went to the church we go to here in Alabama. We are so thankful for the time we were able to spend together and are already looking forward to the next time we will get another visit! Love you! 

There have been some rumors going around in the family that I could be the milkman's daughter, I hope these two pictures put that rumor to rest. I am and forever will be the mailman's daughter. :-)

For this post's recipe, I want to share what I made for our Valentine's Day Dinner, Pioneer Womans Asian Noodle salad. Alex and I both loved this recipe! It has plenty of fresh vegetables and a wonderful homemade sesame lime dressing. This recipe could literally feed an Army, so next time I would halve the recipe. Also, I wouldn't leave out any of the ingredients, as they all blend excellently together! Your tastebuds will thank you for making this!

Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad

• SALAD INGREDIENTS:
• 1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled
• 1/2 head Sliced Napa Cabbage
• 1/2 head Sliced Purple Cabbage
• 1/2 bag Baby Spinach
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
• 1 bag Bean Sprouts
• Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste
• 3 whole Scallions, Sliced
• 3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
• 1 can (about 10 Oz.) Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet
• _____
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
• 2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapenos, Chopped (Make sure to wear gloves!)
• Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs and serve in extra large bowl or platter.