Food, Travel, & Love

Special Edition: Coffee Love

Days ending in Y

Emily has loved Cocoa Dolce since its inception. Cocoa Dolce originally was located in Northeast Wichita, but now has two other locations. Lately, Emily has been going to the Cocoa Dolce downtown.

Emily’s two favorite coffee drinks are the iced Mexican Mocha and the hot Turtle Mocha. They also have delicious gelato. Cocoa Dolce was known for their chocolates before they began to grow. Emily’s top three pieces are Champagne, Cocoa d’Or, and Mocha. Looking for something to eat with your morning coffee? Try a chocolate chip cookie or the broccoli & ham quiche.

Food, Travel, & Love…and Coffee- Emily

Flashback Date

28 December 2019

Last year we went to visit Emily’s family back East. Emily decided to surprise Chris by taking him to A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, Ohio. We arrived after Christmas and thought for sure the lines would be short. Once there we were informed they frequently have long lines. There was so much to look at that we did not notice the time we spent in line.

Plan to park down the road and walk a couple of blocks. Parking is very crowded. It seemed to be a semi-decent neighborhood and very well traveled: your unattended vehicle will be fine.

Rowley Inn is on the same street as the museum. If you have no preference of your food tasting good, eat there, otherwise look for the nearest fast food restaurant. While we do not remember what we ate, we remember it was completely horrible. Even beer could not have saved the meal. The only interesting thing about the restaurant was the fact the cast would get their meals there. Take a picture and keep walking is our suggestion.

Chris has always loved this movie. Since visiting the museum Emily has a new appreciation for the movie herself.

Before you leave Cleveland drive over to Lake Erie. It had a chilly wind coming across it, but for us Kansans we were reminded of home. It was a cool (no pun intended) item to cross off our traveling bucket list.

Food, Travel, & Love- Chris & Emily

Sedgwick County Zoo

28 December 2020

What do you do when it’s 50 degrees in the Winter? We typically get out at and enjoy the fresh air. This particular day we decided to go to the zoo. Sedgwick County Zoo (SCZ) is in our opinion one of the best zoos in America. With that being said, we have been to the Columbus Zoo, which was run by Jungle Jack Hanna.

Trying to explore the rest of the zoo, but got sleepy.

SCZ is not just for families with kids. Adults have things they can enjoy while there as well: sign reading for interesting facts, pretty trails to explore, adult beverages with friends, cool picture spots, and not to mention adorable animal watching. (We will cover food later.)

Basking at our Nation’s bird, the Bald Eagle

Chris and Emily both enjoy any of the cat exhibits. Chris is typically the photographer while at the zoo as Emily is trying to talk to all the animals like Doctor Dolittle.

The one thing SCZ could work on is their food. While they have upgraded The Beastro their prices appear to be paying for the upgrade. Pictured below is the meal we split. $20 total for a mediocre pizza, two bags of $3 a bag chips, and a dry brownie.

Check out their website for Covid protocols and visiting information.

PSA: We did wear our masks when we were in the buildings, per SCZ policy.

Food, Travel, & Love- Chris & Emily

Christmas Through the Years

After the year’s ending of 2016 with two deaths within days of each other, many hospital visits, and a whole slew of other things, Emily decided to have themed pajamas to make Christmas just a little merrier. Enjoy our themes through the years.

I, Chris would like to point out one thing. My wife does not like matching pajamas where the family wears the same exact pajama set. She prefers what she calls, “coordinating pajamas.” She makes me smile.

Christmas blessings to you and your family!

Food, Travel, & Love- Chris & Emily

Thanksgiving Dinner

28 November 2020

What’s this? Two posts in one day? It must be a holiday. When we got married six years ago we wanted to start our own tradition. We decided to have our Thanksgiving meal the Saturday after.

Each year we have done a different theme. Every year the premise is the same, home-cooked and from scratch.

2014- Colonial Feast w/ Ham

2015- Cena italiana del raccolto

2016- Traditional w/ Smoked Turkey

2017- Big Texas Thanksgiving

2018- Cosecha de la Familia Jensen

2019- Dinned at Luciano’s in Mulvane, Kansas. Every 5th wedding anniversary our plan is to dine out at a local restaurant.

2020- Cajun Fried Turkey, Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, Cinnamon Sugar Glazed Carrots, and Amish Bread w/ Fresh Butter. For dessert Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies.

Brought to us by our friends the Miller family.

Cheers to traditions and we hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Food, Travel, & Love- Chris & Emily

Michael Murphy & Sons- Augusta, KS

28 November 2020

Not all dates have to involve getting dressed up and going out to dinner. Some days it’s just as nice to get up early, bask in nature, and blast away at the sporting clays.

The owners at Michael Murphy & Sons were great! They made sure we had what we needed and knew what to expect before going out on the course. We would highly recommend what Emily calls “Redneck Putt Putt” for your weekend morning pleasure.

For our fellow gun enthusiasts, Chris shot a 12 gauge and Emily shot a 20 gauge. We highly recommend Michael Murphy & Sons for the entire family. You all will have a blast!! 😉

Food, Travel, & Love- Chris & Emily

Blast from the Past

www.facebook.com/605445498/posts/10155700212075499/

5th Wedding Anniversary

9 November 2020

Our fifth wedding anniversary was not how we envisioned it at all. At the end of Summer Emily injured her back. We decided we were not going to do anything that would potentially prolong her recovery. Traveling was out of the question! We heard Tanganyika in Goddard had an “Origins Tour.” We decided the tour would be a perfect fit for us!

Not only did we get a look behind the scenes at some cool non-cat species, but we also got to see some other amazing cats (besides the ones pictured).

Traveled the path and saw these beauties.

What sold us on this excursion is the fact we got to feed the lions. If you know us, you know we are suckers for any sort of “kitty cat.”

They made adorable rumbling noises as we fed them.

Finally, they brought out their only male lion. He was adorable and reminded us of an oversized house cat.

While our anniversary did not turn out like we wanted, we will never forget the magical experience we had at Tanganyika for our 5th wedding anniversary last year.

Food, Travel, & Love- Chris & Emily

Special Special Edition: Coffee Love with E & C

25 October 2020

Hello!

We are happy to be back blogging. It has been a busy few weeks for us. Lots of overtime for Chris, Yoga certification training for Emily, and soaking up the little moments we have together. Enjoy a special edition of a recent time when we traveled for coffee together.

Twelve Brew Drive-Thru Coffee: Newton, Kansas

Cleanliness (4), Cost (5), Customer Service (3), Espresso (5), Food (0), Location(s) (4), Milk Alternatives (1), Seating (0), Speed of Service (2), and Unique Finds (4). Grand total for Twelve Brew Drive-Thru Coffee is 28.

We were in disbelief when we pulled up and the coffee shop was in an old car wash. If for no other reason, go visit Newton to enjoy this unique experience.

Emily’s Order- The Aloha: Iced (mocha & coconut). Very tasty!!

Chris’ Order- Iced Caramel Macchiato with an extra shot. While not his favorite drink, he said the espresso was good and he would be willing to try another drink from the shop.

Do not feel bad if your date is not elaborate. We have been known to drive the Kansas country side and pick up coffee from random places and call it a “date.” 😉 All that matters is spending quality time with those you love.

Food, Travel, & Love…and Coffee- Emily & Chris Jensen