Forget the fireworks and hand me a tuna sandwich.

In lieu of lighting portable fire hazards this 4th of July weekend, I will be eating a Blackened Tuna Steak Sandwich from the Red Onion in Joplin, MO. We will be loading up the car tomorrow for a day trip to see my in-laws, my husband's parents, my children's grandparents.

I have come to realization that my husband and I are primarly compatible because of our love for food. Yes, we love each other, enjoy each other's company, and have very similar senses of humor, but our marriage is really just based on food. Last summer, Hot Springs, AR was chosen as our anniversary vacation destination solely because it was within driving distance of a Zaxby's, a fast food chicken restaurant that we grew to love during our time in Tallahassee, FL. Every couple of months we consider visiting Tallahassee again, not for its close proximity to a beach but because of the abundance of genuine Southern sweet tea and such restaurants as "1" and Sonny's BBQ.

You may have guessed that I have spent the last 11 days dieting and that is why all my thoughts are centered around fattening foods. (Yeah, yeah "dieting is bad." I know. Bite me.) But what better time to discuss good food than over a holiday weekend?

Since my blog is now a member of the BlogOklahoma webring (woot woot), I should spend a short moment giving a shout-out to the local eateries we enjoy. Daylight Donuts. The Pink House (Claremore, OK). Hideaway Pizza. Braums. Taco Bueno. QuikTrip (gas station AND tasty food provider). To those people that have never lived outside Oklahoma, you don't appreciate these places until you don't have access to them.

Speaking of QuikTrip, this has to be the most underrated establishment in the world. Where else can you fill your gas tank, take out cash (with no fees) from the easily accessible Bank of Oklahoma ATM while picking up your basic neccessities like buffalo chicken sticks, frozen cappuccino, sunglasses, Corn Nuts, dog food, and a freshly baked donut? True story: my birthday meal came from QT this year, and it was perfectly enjoyable. And the bathrooms, my God, the bathrooms. When the bathrooms at my house get a little too disgusting, I just drive up the road and utilize the spotless sinks at my favorite gas station.

Anyhoo- if you enjoy food as much as The Becks do, feel free to check out my husband's blog: http://whatsfordinner.weebly.com/. Since I do not cook (at all. ever.), his posted recipes mean nothing to me. However, I can vouch that his meals and recipes are tasty. Also, he reads cookbooks like novels, so he has tons of little information nuggets to share. Check it out, but then come back here. I need you.

If I don't see you before then, have a happy and filling Independence Day. Remember, you dieting on the 4th of July makes our soldiers sad. So eat up!

Until tomorrow, or the next day.

~Heather