A Taste of a Good Road Trip

So-I'm in Houston now! Just got finished driving the 15 or so hours here and it reminded me of how much I love road trips! Here are my top 5 musts for a good road trip:

1. GOOD music. This is an absolute must. New music mixes with good sing-a-long songs that everyone along knows the words to are very necessary. Road trips aren't great times to introduce new music. Road trips are times to belt out all the words to "Colors of the Wind", "Scrubs", "Any Man of Mine", "A Whole New World", and "Love Shack." 2. Good road trip car games. Now, I have no idea what all of these games are actually called, so I'll just call them my own made up names: 20 Questions, the Name Game, "I'm Going on a Trip", Famous Name Game, and Would You Rather. Car games can ALWAYS be made up. 3. Good snacks. Now the great thing about road trips, is that calories don't count. At all. Here are some of my personal road trip favs: Twizzlers, beef jerky, cashews, peanut butter M & Ms and Diet Coke. Whatever your vices are, grab a few snacks to enjoy for a good road trip! 4. Adventure and Spontaniety. Planned road trips are never a bad thing, but always be willing to take a little detour or change your schedule around a bit when you find something that looks fun or interesting! p.s. to go along with this-leave your watch and cell phone in your suitcase. You're on vacation! 5. Good friends. When you're with good friends, it doesn't really matter where you go. Anywhere you go with good friends will be a good time!

These will mean nothing to most of you but just a little reminiscing for me. A few good road trips I've been on: All my family vacations growing up hitting up about 10 states in 3 weeks seeing lots of National Parks, KOAs, & amusement parks. Easter Road Trip Freshman year of college to Oregon w/ Sarah, Melody, David H., Chad F., and Zach! Delirious concert & Oregon Coast trip. Jr. year road trip to CO with Kara W. singing Ace of Base all the way there! Jr. yr. of college road trip to CA for Spring Break w/ Zach, Sarah, & Mike D: Six Flags, Price is Right, Hollywood, & Disneyland. Sr. yr. of college road trip to Seattle & the mtns. for Spring Break w/ Zach, Sarah M., Sarah W. Katie, Tyler & Me. Road trip to CA Memorial Day weekend with Katie, Tyler & Tim (?) before I moved to Nashville. Road trip with Liz to KC for Thanksgiving-singing all the way there! Road trip with Jon & Jess for Noah's birth. Road trip with Dev, Jess, & Meg to Charleston, SC. SUCH a great road trip & Jess peed her pants. . .Road trip to Destin, FL with Dev & Jess. Road trip with Dev to Wisconsin for Dan's show. Road trip with mom to Branson, MO. Road trip to Chattanooga with Jess, Seth, & Kim. Road trip with Leah for Noah's birthday. Road trip to Gatlinburg with Jenn & Jess. Road trip for Estrogen Weekend in Asheville, NC in 2010. Here's to many many more great road trips! Hope you've gotten to experience one yourself-if you haven't, grab some good music, some car games, good snacks, an adventurous spirit and spontaniety, and good friends and you are on your way to some good times!

Sweet Side panel Station Wagon: http://rwethereyetrwethereyet.typepad.com/arewethereyet/car_travel/

A Taste of Beauty

"Discover beauty in everyone." Romans 12:17 The Message

EVERYONE, yes EVERYONE has beauty in them. It just needs to be DISCOVERED. Some people's beauty is seen easily while others it can be quite a search to find. But because God created each one of us we each have our own unique beauty. It's our job to discover it in each person we meet.

One of my Mom's beauties is her selfless nature. I can not remember a time when my mom did not put someone else's needs or wants above her own. She lives her life in service to others. She regularly sacrifices something for herself while helping someone else out. And she doesn't do this begrudingly, she does it with joy and kindness. I saw this so clearly when she stayed with me for 2 weeks after my accident and attended to my every need WITH JOY. I remember apologizing over and over that I had to ask her for help with things and she always responded with grace and love. As a pastor's wife, my mom has invested in people's lives and displayed this same selfless nature for almost 40 years. This is one of her beauties.

One of my Dad's beauties is his ability to make anyone and everyone feel loved and cared about. He has this way with people. He is able to strike up conversation with anyone. He has dear friends all over the country and world because he makes an impression on people. He invests his time in getting to know people where they are and for that, they feel loved. He reminds me of Romans 15:3 where Paul is talking about Jesus and says,"He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. " My dad has been a Pastor for almost 40 years and for those 40 years has invested in countless lives and made them feel God's love. This is one of his beauties.

So those beauties are pretty easy for me to find.

What about that person at work that annoys you? Or the homeless person selling newspapers at the intersection? Or your family member that gets on your last nerve? Or that obnoxious driver who just cut you off? It's pretty hard to find beauty in people sometimes. The ugly is much easier to find. It's much easier to complain about. It's hard to forget sometimes.

But Paul challenges us to "Discover beauty in everyone." How do we do that? To be honest, I don't know all the answers, but I know some. And God's word gives us ideas on others. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." "Love from the center of who you are." "Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other." "Love never gives up. Love cares for others more than self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always 'me first', doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best."

So this is what I'm going to try to do. I'm going to try to discover beauty in everyone. I believe everyone has that beauty, I may just need to look a little deeper in some. But I want to find it. And I want one of my beauties to be that people walk away from time with me and feel loved and valued. I want to be like Jesus, and I believe that's how people felt when they spent time with him. They felt loved and known. He saw their beauty when no one else did.

A Taste of 28

So it's the last day of being 28! Here are some highlights from a great year! I'm sure I'll miss something!

-Lots of time with my "Little Sister" through Big Brothers Big Sisters
-Snowday Extravaganza with the Roomies
-Roadtrip for Noah's 3rd Birthday
-Girl's Trip to Gatlinburg with Jess & Jenn
-Ladie's Retreat with Church
-Dave Barne's Concert
-Trip to Nampa to meet my BF Sarah's first baby, Alison! Getting to see college friends!
-Family Reunion
-Labor Day Weekend Trip to see Matt, Mel & Noah
-Got to meet Court's husband and see her pregnant
-Roadtrip for Bekah's Wedding
-Halloween Party @ JMoores
-Need to Breath Concert @ the Ryman
-Trip to Nampa for Homecoming & getting to see college friends!
-Estrogen Weekend in NC
-Finding out I'd be an Aunt again!!!
-Thanksgiving in Nashville with fam
-Seeing the Rockettes at the Grand Old Opry
-Seeing the Nutcracker at the Nashville Ballet
-Christmas with my family
-Garth Brooks Concert w/ Jess
-Small group
-Teaching 3 & 4 year old Sunday School
-Book Club
-Volleyball league with church
-Ladie's Bible Study at church
-Loved my job
-Great roomies
-Great friends
-Lots of live shows of Devin Belle & Danny Mitchell
-Lots of trips to Wildhorse
-Several opportunities to share my testimony
-Getting in the habit of reading my Bible daily and CRAVING my time in the word
-Getting a job in Houston w/BBBS & being able to live close to my sis,bro-in law,nephew & niece!
Interstate 28: Google Images

A Taste of Being a Nomad

A nomad can be described as, "a member of a group who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons." By this definition, I would consider myself a nomad. Here are the places that I've called "home."

I was born in Farmington, NM and lived there until I was 5.

I lived in Denver, CO from age 5-13.
I lived in Colorado Springs, CO from age 13-17.
I lived in Divide, CO for the summer I was 17.

I lived in Grand Junction, CO from age 17-18.
I lived in Divide, CO for 3 summers from 18-20.

I went to college in Nampa, ID from age 18-22.
I lived in Ward, CO for the summer I was 21.

I lived in Seattle, WA from age 22-23.

I went back to Nampa, ID from age 23-24.

I've been in Nashville, TN from age 24-29.

Now I'm moving to Houston at age 29.

Now, don't feel sorry for me and don't think I'm crazy and unsatisfied. I have LOVED LOVED LOVED each of these places that I've lived. Each time that I have moved, I have felt clear that this is what God had for me and looking back on all of my experiences in each different place, I am BEYOND POSITIVE that God was in each move. Now it's not that I didn't have challenges or feel lonely at times, but I believe God used those times as well as all of the fun and happy times to form me into who I am and to teach me to rely on Him and the Church. The community of believers that I found in each place really made each place so special.

In each place I have dear friends who impacted my life and who are still so important to me even if we don't speak regularly. They helped shape who I am so I consider them a part of me. So many of them I can not see or talk to for a while and when we get together, we just pick up from where we ended. That shows to me that we have a true friendship. I have NO IDEA how I will decide who will be my bridesmaids in my wedding. . . .you think it would be awkward to have 20?

Going back to the definition, it says someone with "no permanent home" and "moves according to the seasons." I really like that part about the moving according to the seasons. Some people talk about different times in our lives as different "seasons" of life. I very much look at each place I've lived as a different "season" of my life. Some seasons were seasons of growth, while others were seasons of learning, seasons of struggle, seasons of joy, seasons of sadness, and seasons of friendship. Usually the seasons blended together and could be one way one day and another on a different day. Each of those seasons though were important and necessary.

So, I'm by no means saying that everybody needs to move to get new perspectives, or to grow, or to experience different seasons of life, but maybe you just need a change. Or need to be open to something new that God is trying to show you. Or a new way to minister to someone. Or a new job. It could be any number of things. But I would encourage you, stepping out and doing something new is not always easy, and I don't think that God always makes His will super clear in the beginning. I think sometimes God gives us choices and will bless our decisions when we are trying to follow Him. I think He gives us desires and may provide opportunities to fulfill those desires. I pray that each one of you will ask God to help you be sensitive to what He may have for you! I can attest that He is a faithful God and will bless you for your obedience!

Nomad pic: Google Images

A Taste of You Tube

So sometimes my friends and I sit around and laugh at You Tube videos. . .here are a few of good ones!

"Bacon Is Good For Me"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T_obaO46Bo

"Double Dream Hands"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm7yAWpX1Mc

"Kittens Inspired By Kittens"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtX8nswnUKU

"Hello My Future Girlfriend"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge7mozA-ptI

"Noah's Convo with Aunt Carrie"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDVLEh_kwL0

"Bon Qui Qui at Burger King"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkdcYlOn5M

"Nail Salon"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o&feature=fvw

"Kitty is a Very Bad Mystic"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bTbAsmPOKo

"Charlie Bit My Finger Again"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

A Taste of Ramen

Who said Ramen's only for poor college students? Here's a delish salad I made for the Super Bowl Party! It's great served hot or cold!

Asian Chicken Ramen Salad Recipe

Mix the following in a skillet on the stove and cook for about 20 min:
-1 bottle of terayki sauce

-1/2 cup of canola oil

-16 oz. cole slaw

-1/4 c. sugar (or less. I think I used closer to 1/8 this time)

-4 packages of crushed up Ramen noodles (don't use the seasoning)

Cover for about 10 min. on low or until noodles are not crunchy anymore.

Mix in another skillet and brown:

-2 cups of cooked diced chicken (i used 2 bags of Tyson's precooked chicken strips cut up)

-1/2 bag of slivered almonds

-3 T of butter

Mix everything from both pans and mix in one bunch of diced green onions! Chill and enjoy :) It's also good served hot! I promise it's better than it looks!

A Taste of My Crazy Dreams

So I have the craziest dreams. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and text myself parts of the dream so that I'll remember the details to tell somebody. Haha but really I do this. Sometimes I'll also come up with "amazing ideas" in the middle of my sleep and wake up and also text those to myself. . .those have been ideas for baby names, ideas for baby showers, ideas for work, ideas for parties, etc. SOMETIMES the ideas don't end up being that great but sometimes they really are great!

So last night I dreamed that I was on a Peter Pan type adventure complete with about four main characters including a little Michael. Stephanie Frame was one of the characters and she went along on our adventure picking up any of the snakes we came across and throwing them away from us. I always knew she was a brave one!

I had a dream recently about being in the WNBA (women's national basketball league) where everybody was wearing mom jeans instead of regular jerseys. Women even had "jean endorsements." I was getting frustrated because no one else agreed with me how stupid everyone looked playing in mom jeans. . .one lady even went as far as wearing a sparkily red sponsor prom type dress. Oh yeah did I mention they were terrible players and I was like "How in the world did you get into the WNBA with mom jeans and no skills!?"

Apparently one time I had a dream that I was singing the National Anthem because one time in college I sat up in bed and sang the entire National Anthem WITH MY HAND OVER MY HEART and then bowed and said "thank you, thank you." Apparently I even hit the high note. . .

I think I'd be a millionaire if I could somehow record my dreams and make movies out of them. . .they'd be pretty entertaining I think! If you're lucky, maybe you'll be a star in my dreams someday and will be the lucky recipient of a text from me telling you about your staring role and how you look in mom jeans. Until then. Hope you have crazy dreams too!

Thanks for the mom jeans. http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/potus-in-mom-jeans_b20370

A Taste of the Perfect Weekend

I used to be an extreme extrovert. I still definitely have extrovert tendencies but I'm mixed in with some introvert tendencies as well the older I get. The perfect weekend for me would include any of the following:

Friday night. A night out with friends. Lately I've really been into seeing live shows. I have several friends that are great musicians, and I've really enjoyed hearing them play live along with other great songwriters and musicians. A good dinner out together, good conversation, maybe some games together, ending with a movie at somebody's house. A little line dancing never hurt anybody too. Lots of laughing. Read till way too late at night. Perfect Friday night.

Saturday. Sleeping in. Now that's a MUST to a good weekend. I feel NO NEED to have a productive day. It's my weekend, I've been productive all week. Saturdays are my days to relax! A good Saturday may include reading a good book, playing a little tennis, going on a hike, laying out, cooking or baking something, a little laundry, and maybe a movie at home. Hanging out by myself or just with one or two friends. Maybe playing some cards together or Scrabble or something. I know that sounds lame. Perfect Saturday.

Sunday. Teach my kids at Sunday School. Write down all the hilarious things they say. Go to church. Worship, be encouraged and challenged, fellowship with my church fam. Go out with friends for lunch. 2-3 hour SUNDAY NAP! Small group with my friends. Get home. Go to bed early so it won't be AS hard to get out of bed Monday! Perfect Sunday.

Also gotta throw in every once in a while a good camping trip, a roadtrip, some time out on the lake, hours at the pool with a good book, shooting at the shooting range, seeing a play or musical, seeing a movie, going bowling, movie marathons, a girl's weekend, and having a girl's night.

A Taste of Surprise Parties

So I LOVE surprises. LOVE them. This post was sparked by the fact that my friends have planned a surprise birthday for me and my friend Dan tonight! Can't wait!

All throughout college, my friends and I knew that we always would have some type of party for our birthday, but we never knew when or where. In fact, I used to (before the day of cell phones and texting and Facebook) email out to everyone the details of the "SUPRISE" parties. Yes, I spelled "SURPRISE", "SUPRISE" ALL throughout college. I planned probably, no joke oh, 30 surprise parties during college and not until my senior year did my friend Sarah say, "You know you always spell "surprise" wrong, don't you?"

I would emphasize several times that the party was a SURPRISE and to not share the details. I THINK most of the time, people actually kept the parties surprises. I had great surprise parties all throughout college. Freshman year my sister took me out for the day and when we got back, the lobby was full of my friends throwing me a party! Sophomore year, my friends woke me seranading me with "Happy Birthday" (even the guys stood outside my window and sang too) and took me out to breakfast (tradition of my Dad) in our sweatpants and bed-head and then brought me to Merritt's Country Cafe for some great food AND karaoke! Jr. Year of college, my friends raided my room and told me to dress up nice, we were going out for a fancy dinner! I believe Melissa Fishburne (Proctor) said, "Put your pants on!" in a very manly voice. So they blindfolded me and drove me all around town. We walked into a restaurant. I remember trying to listen to the music and guess where we were. . .I couldn't figure it out. . .we sat down at the table, took off the blindfold, and I saw a candlelight table in front of me. . .and then looked around and saw the soft lighting of Taco Bell! SO PERFECT! AND they gave us ALL free meals! I got another surprise party in the lobby later that night/or maybe that was Senior year-I'm getting old! Then another-Sr. Year of college, I again was kidnapped in "Air Force One" as we called me Jeep that year and again, I think blindfolded and driven around. We walked into the "restaurant" and heard some beautiful Italian music. . .we were in my apt. but it had been transformed to a fancy Italian restaurant complete with a menu for what I could order and waitresses to take my order! Unfortunately everything but pizza was either out of season, out of stock, or unavailable for some other funny reason! Finished off by a Blondie from Applebees (which my friends were so excited because they thought it was my favorite), and I awkwardly said something like "Oh I don't really like those that much!" Haha so much for gratefulness and creative friends!

Well a few weeks ago, I told my kiddos at church (who are all 3 or 4 years old) that I'd be moving to Houston soon. They very sweetly said, "Oh, we will miss you!" followed by an enthusiastic, "We've got to plan a party for you!!!" They decided that the party would be on the "first Sunday of Valentines," haha whatever that means! I was told that during their children's church later that day, all they could talk about was the party. They were even delegating out which mom would do what for the party. "Well, my mom's good at making cake, so she'll do that. Whose mom is good at decorating?" THEN, after church, one sweet girl came up to me and told me, "Your party is going to be a surprise party!" SO sweet, I look forward to whatever they have planned and will sincerly miss them each so much!

So surprise parties. For those of you who hate them-you are CRAZY. For those of you who love them. I know why. For those of you who didn't know how to spell "SURPRISE," well now you know.

A Taste of Southernisms

So 4 1/2 years in the South has enlightened me on some popular Southern phrases. Here are some of my favs with Southern phrases then "Yankee" translations:

-"Cut the lights on." or "Turn the lights on."

-"I'm fixin' to go to the Wal-Mart." or "I'm getting ready to go to Wal-Mart."
-"Can y'all get me a buggy?" or "Can you get me a shopping cart?"
"We're fixin' to have a cook out." or "We're going to have a BBQ."
-"Y'all kin?" or "Are you related?" (the accent on this can confuse this more because when said with a thick accent it sounds like "Yallkin" which means NOTHING to me!)

-"Bless her heart!" or "She is so dumb! I can't believe she did that!"

Other things I love about the South:

-Lots of "yes ma'am, no ma'am"

-Magnolia trees
-Great country music

-Country line dancing

-Southern accents

-The close proximity of other states

-Southern side dishes

-I have no interest in football, but very much respect the diehard college football fans out here

-Beautiful plantations & other historical sites

-You can say anything about anyone followed by "Bless her/his heart!" and it erases the meaness of what you just said
-Warm weather

-Lots of fireflies

I truely have loved living "in the South" which many may say that Nashville isn't really the South, but the farthest South I've lived to date! I will miss living here but so glad that I got the opportunity to experience it all! I have met some of the most incredible people here that I will never forget and that have helped shape me into who I am today!

Magnolia picture from: http://www.tree-land.com/

A Taste of Mentoring

So I've mentored this little girl (now almost 12 years old!) for about a year now. It has been an INCREDIBLE experience. My eyes have been opened in so many ways. It's one thing to say you understand poverty, it's another thing to see it lived out in the life of someone you care about. But let's not start there yet because that's just one factor of who she is, a very important influence, but only a part of who she is. My "Little Sister" is incredible. She soaks up everything that we talk about. I talked about a book club that I'm a part of and the next week she told me about a book club she started at school. The best part was, that they were reading the same book that my "20 something" book club also considered doing! Oh, "Twilight!" A good majority of the things we did together were some "first time" experiences for her and each quickly became her "favorite new pizza place" or "favorite new cupcake." She was so open to trying new things and so willing to incorporate what we talked about in our conversations. The conversations were very slow at first; I had to get comfortable with silence. One time she told me, "I want to do something big with my life!" When I asked her what she meant she said, "Like help homeless people and stuff." Then she went on to say, "When I get older and get a job, I want to buy my mom a new car! But don't tell her, because I want it to be a surprise!"

So I tried to give her opportunities to do something big and to encourage her in her pursuit of her dreams. The cycle of poverty that she is in may well be very hard to break, but I think that she can do it. And really, if she continues to live in poverty and is happy, I'm ok with that. I just want her to be happy and to live a full life. To me a full life used to consist of things like going to college, having a good job, buying a house, buying a boat, and living in a good neighborhood. Now I more than ever realize that those are very temporary things. I hope that as she grows she realizes that as well. It's not that I don't want her to have dreams, I just want her to realize what is really important. I want her to experience God in her life and true happiness because of His love for her.

It's interesting to compare my life with her family's life. Her mom is actually about a year younger than me. Her mom has 3 kids and one on the way. I don't know how much schooling she's had. She lives in a very poor and unsafe neighborhood. It seems like she is stuck in a cycle of poverty that she will never be out of. By all appearances, most people would say, I have the better life. I'm single, have no children, have a good and stable job, live in a decent apartment with nice furnishing, a decent car, a checking account, and have a variety of options for where my life will go.

What people fail to see though, is that she's a great mom. She loves her kids and would do anything for them. She does want "better" for her children. She does whatever she needs to so they can be in good schools and get a good education. She sacrifices things for herself so her kids can have what they need and even a little of what they want. So many people struggle with the fact that people who live in poverty spend money on entertainment, nice clothes, nice cars. Well I used to. And still sometimes do. But I do understand that they want to enjoy life too and that's what we've been taught we need to enjoy life: nice clothes, video games, nice TV, nice car. . .so maybe they are just chasing the American dream the only way they know how.

Well that was a pretty long tangent, but all of this to say, I'm learning. I'm loving my time with my Little Sister and so sad that it will officially end soon as I'm moving to Houston, but am so greatful that I've had this time to spend with her and to learn from her.

I volunteered to mentor because I wanted to make a difference in a child's life. And while I do think I did that, she also made a huge impact on mine. I hope I don't forget what I've learned.

If you ever get the chance to mentor someone, TAKE IT. God has each of us in a place where the experiences we've gone through, talents that we have, resources that we access to, lessons we've learned can impact someone's life. It doesn't have to be through an official mentoring organization like I did (Big Brothers Big Sisters) but opportunities abound to impact someone's life. It's well worth the investment. Just do it. And prepare to learn a little more about life.

www.mentorakid.org is how you could get involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters if you are interested!

A Taste of Nashville

Well, I've been here in Nashville now for 4 1/2 years! It's the longest place I've lived since college. I have LOVED it here. It is a fantastic city for many reasons. For this post, I'll concentrate on the places you should eat, but there are MANY MANY places you should also visit-so let me know if you're going to be in town and I'll give you the low-down!

If you ever come to Nashville, here are some places you need to "get a taste of." I love cooking, baking, AND eating, so I have a great appreciation for good and unique restaurants and Nashville has a lot of them!
-McDougals (famous for their chicken fingers and a cool atmosphere, free ice cream too!)
-The Pancake Pantry (so famous you almost always have to stand in a line outside the door)
-Jackson's Bar & Bistro (GET the cookie dough eggroll!!! Big fan of the Rio Roll sub fries)
-Wild Horse Saloon(line dancing lessons on the hour, live music, great food, & free pool)
-Sweet CeCe's (DELICIOUS frozen yogurt place all around town)
-Calypso Cafe (try the Black Bean Nachos or the Lucayan salad)
-Rafferty's (delicious potatoe soup, great chicken salad, and my RD lunch place of choice!)
-Baja Burrito (go for the queso)
-SATCO (San Antonio Taco Company-fun atmosphere, fun ordering system, great queso)
-Cupcake Collection (go early in the day to have the most variety, $1.50/cupcake, red velvet & sweet lemonade are my favs)
-Mellow Mushroom (best pizza in Nashville and fun atmosphere, good lunch special)
-Cafe CoCo (get the Island Girl wrap, it'll rock your world, kinda crazy crowd here)
-Mafiaosas (just great Italian food all around and cozy atmosphere)
-Amerigos (go during the Early Bird time 4-6pm and get a few dollars off each entree! Great Italian food and fancy atmosphere)
-Whichwich (great spin on a sandwich shop! fun ordering system, lots of options, & Sonic ice!)
-Pie in the Sky Pizza (2nd best pizza place in Nashville. Fresh ingredients, open-air seating in the downtown one, good lunch special)
-The Silly Goose (in East Nashville, uses lots of local products and healthy fresh food, fancy presentation but reasonable prices, VERY minimal seating)
-Jim 'N Nicks (best BBQ place, the cheese biscuits are to die for and all around good other food)
-Dan McGuiness Pub (grilled chicken wrap & fries are my suggestion! GREAT live music on Tuesdays as well from 6-9pm)
-Zoe's Kitchen (great better for you food! I'd recommend the chicken salad, pasta salad, fresh fruit, and chocolate chip cookies! One of THE best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! AND they have like 3 or 4 diet drink options!)

*Nashville Skyline at Night - Photo Credit : Gary Layda and Nashville CVB