Happy 4th of July! If yesterday’s motto was “go-go-go,” today’s motto has been “relax, and take it slow!”
First, let’s back up to last night. 
Ben and I got semi gussied up and headed out to dinner at our favorite restaurant in the state of Iowa…
Miyabi 9 is the ONLY place to get sushi in Des Moines (if you ask me!) and how fish this fresh makes its way to the middle of Iowa is still a mystery to me.
Owner Miyabi “Mike” Yamamoto runs the restaurant, which is super tiny and inviting. With only 12 tables, and a front row seat to all the action at the sushi bar, there’s not a bad seat in the house.
Here’s my other reviews of the restaurant, including an interesting fact about the owner and the deadly puffer fish! 
We got right to work picking out our sush.
Ben struggled…
but I knew exactly what I wanted! Spicy Scallops for my entree,
and salmon nigiri for “dessert”! This stuff is so good, I truly think of it as dessert. YUM!
While our chef’s got to work, we kicked back with some refreshments – Miller Lights.
‘Cause we’re classy like that. 
Wheeeeeee!!!! The first platter to come out contained my salmon nigiri, and Ben’s dessert – tuna nigiri.
Plus a refreshing Avocado Cucumber roll, sprinkled with lightly toasted sesame seeds. The best!!
Artsy!
Can we just examine the size of this salmon?! Each piece has to be 1.5-2oz and is the freshest you will ever taste. I swear they have a top secret travel portal in the back of the restaurant, connecting them directly to the docks in Japan.
Next, our other rolls came out. Spicy Scallops for her, and Eel Cuc for him.
OMG!
Fresh, bubble-gum scallops paired with soothing cucumbers to cool down the spicy sauce on top. FYI – I want these as my last meal on earth!
After contemplating ordering more rolls (they were so incredible!) we decided to take a stroll around the area instead. It was a beautiful night. Not too hot, not too cold,
and ripe with mischievous husbands…
There we go!
We actually decided to head back to our place for some quality time on the back deck to enjoy the weather, each other’s company…
and mojitos! Skinny Mojitos, actually!
Skinny Mojito
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon sugar
3 mint leaves
1 lime wedge
1.5 oz light rum
ice
Diet lemon-lime soda
Directions:
Muddle sugar, mint and lime in a cocktail shaker. Add rum and fill the shaker 3/4 of the way up with ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Top with soda!
REFRESH!
Having spent some time on the back deck, we decided to give the front porch some love, too.
This,
is the good life.
Today we woke up to grey skies and the pitter patter of rain, which has continued on all day! Shhh, don’t tell, but Ben and I are secretly semi-happy. Sometimes it’s nice to have an excuse to not do anything!
Except smoke, that is.
Yeah! Ben busted out the smoker he got last weekend so we could have ourselves a 4th of July FEAST, despite the rain!
He soaked some hickory chips in water, then fired the beast up,
and hoped for the best.
At least it’s smoking! That’s got to be a good sign, right?!
We’ll know in a couple of hours if it worked. In the meantime, I’ve got some very special beans workin’ away in the oven, and some super fresh corn waiting to get shucked (I just wrote sucked).
I hate shucking corn.
Good thing the results are worth the effort! After dinner we’ll be watching the fireworks from Washington DC on tv. Not as good as in real life, but still spectacular.
Here’s hoping your 4th of July (or your Sunday for our international friends) is going great!
~~~~~
How’s your celebration going?!
Everything looks delicious as usual! It sounds like a great birthday weekend, don’t you love those? My birthday is on the 8th and I just love a few days of fun. Your Japanese dinner looked great-reminds me of those Bento lunches, which are super cool. As for the smoker, I can almost smell it over here in Illinois, lol!
Your food photography is contagious. This is the second day I posted food pics on my blog and my blog isn’t even about food.
Happy Birthday and Happy Fourth!
Did you happen to get that dress at Target? I just tried on the black one yesterday but I didn’t end up buying it. It looks SOOOOOOO much better on you than it did on me!
Mmm, sushi dates and mojiots on the deck. Doesn’t get any better.
Happy 4th Kristin!
oh man this post is so great! I love the title. plus the sushi. most of all the sushi.
You make me miss Iowa! We are having a rainy 4th in Denver too
Good luck with the smoking! Since I got rained out I nixed the grilling and made BBQ ribs in the crock pot and oven roasting the veggies – I’m not so tough as you guys 
Happy Independence day!
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You do realize you have perfect hair, right? ; )
LOVE the BW sushi photo you arts-ified up!!! So much fun!! Happy 4th!!!!
Oh man, do I ever want some sushi now! I’d be sitting there checking off nearly every box on that dang menu!
looks like you’ve had a great 4th, I ran a race this morning and then spent the rest of the day with my family. Its honestly been perfection!
Mmm, we had Miyabi earlier this week as well! That place NEVER disappoints. Love it.
Hope you have a great birthday, Kristin! : ) Happy 4th of July!
We just watched one of the greatest fireworks displays ever!! We scoped out seats on the Stonearch Bridge around 7/7:30 and ended up with prime viewing. It was awesome. And the show was such that you could feel the fireworks in your chest – amazing, I tell you! There was a chance of rain up here, so we ended up ditching the picnic for grilling at our friends’ house. In the end, we all decided that’s how we should do it next year.
And since it’s technically the 5th as I type this, Happy, Happy Birthday to You!!!!!
Happy almost birthday! You guys look so cute! Now I want sushi. It’s been far too long.
Happy day after the 5th, aka HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
You look gorgeous & I’m craving sushi post all that grilled yumminess from yesterday!
We just found a new hiking trail by our house so we got in a rike (run + hike) before grillin’ up some black bean burgers (for me) and CA caliente spicy bratwurst from the deli for DF.
Have a great day today! You don’t look a day over 22!
Looks like a good day, nice and relaxed.
Fresh sushi is the best. I love when it feels like it just was pulled out of the sea.
Where did you get those cute striped slip-ons?!
Oops, nevermind! Just saw in your previous post
Now you have me craving Miyabi. Love the soft shell crab!
Little known fact is that it’s easier to get all those annoying little strands off the corn AFTER you boil/steam it. Just take most of it off and the rest will fall right off when it’s done cooking.
[...] Among the things I’m into right now are Melon Bowls, Skinny Mojitos, [...]
[...] favorite is a Mojito! A Skinny Mojito, [...]
Hey Kristin!
I love your blog! Just wondering if you would be willing to share where you got the great “P” initial in your mantle? I love it! Thank you!
Thanks Lisa! We got it at Homemakers!