Newlywed in New Orleans

Plotting my Return...2012!

2012-01-18T10:48:00.000-06:00

It's been so long since I've Blogged I'm almost embarrassed to return! Life has just taken me over...

- At the beginning of December nearly half of my office was layed off which has left us "Survivors" barely treading water...I'm currently working three different positions right now...
- My Mom and Grandmother were in town for a Long weekend right before Christmas which was fun but hectic...
- I had a very treasured Girl Scout Volunteer pass away...who had no family...so I'm planning her Memorial Service...I've never planned a Memorial Service...not sure how that's going to turn out...and yet another time when I want to scream "This isn't in my Job Description"!!!!
- We made the trip home to Tennessee for the holidays, but it was such a short trip it almost wasn't even worth it...After criss-crossing the state twice we did get to see all of our friends and family...but barely...
- We came back to New Orleans for New Years Eve, which was fantastic, but left me hungover for three straight days...Alright, admittedly this is my fault...
- Up and running, I'm still working the jobs of 3 people, but in only 3 days a week because I'm currently blessed to be serving my Civic Duty as a Orleans Parish Criminal Court Juror - in Orleans you get Jury Duty for a Month...I have to come in every Monday and Wednesday in January in *hopes* of being placed on a jury...most of the time I just have to sit in silence...
- We've had House Guests, first for the National Championship Game and then a friend from High School who is currently spending a year bicycling across country...
- Ohhh...and I'm about to fall into Cookie Season Hell...

To be honest with you I haven't even had time to Blog! But I am determined to start the year off on a good foot...even if it is 3 weeks late! To help make the burden of starting back up after so long easier...I'm electing to forgo blogging the Holidays...at least for right now...But I would like to share are beautiful Christmas Card! I'm super happy with how it turned out!

Anyways, I'm back...it may just be a couple times a week...but I'm back.

Earring Exchange with the Girls!

2011-12-14T18:42:00.000-06:00

Last night my Happy Hour Group did our Christmas get together! We did Dinner at Boucherie and then a few after dinner drinks at Oak! A few too many glasses of Red Wine later we had a great time!

Last year we did an ornament exchange, but this year we did an Earring Exchange instead which I thought was a super fun idea, because who doesn't want another fun pair of earrings!? And when you're with a group of girls who all have great taste you know your going to end up with something great!

Thumbprint Cookies!

2011-12-12T17:42:00.001-06:00

Its Holiday Season, and with Holiday season comes Holiday Parties! Tonight I went to a party with my volunteers in Belle Chasse and I decided to bring thumbprint cookies that were a take off of my regular Shortbread cookies!

I started by making my standby Shortbread Cookie Dough but instead of putting it in a cake pan I made little balls, about the size of a Golf Ball, used my thumb to make a little bowl and baked for about 15 minutes on a Cookie Sheet.

This was a bit of an experimental baking adventure. I made two different variants, one with Almond icing and one with Raspberry Jam. The more traditional thumbprints were filled with the Almond Icing that I made with Confectioners Sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter, a dash of almond extract, and then added a little milk until the icing was the right consistency. I spooned the icing into the cookies thumbprints and then topped with a little dash of rock salt to give it a good sweet and salty taste! It did take longer than expected for the icing to harden (I was making these right before the party so I had to stick them in the refrigerator to speed up the process). To make the Raspberry Cookies, before baking I just added Raspberry Jam to the thumbprint and then drizzled with a little almond icing. They were so good and so easy I think these are going to be my new go to!

Sunday Someday Dream Home...

2011-11-27T22:33:00.000-06:00

I've got some free time on my hands this time of year as Zach is busy with Exams and my potential for new troops is lulling as people get into holiday mode, so I've found myself relying on an old stand by the occupy my time, I'm going back to blogging and stalking for my dream home. Since we aren't really in a place to be seriously considering buying a home (we dont even know what state we'll be living in 6 months from now...) I'm going to start compiling photos of things I love...I found all of these perusing real estate listings in NOLA on Realtor.com, If I had been thinking I would have copied the links for the listings too, but I didn't, sorry!

I Love how they've utilized this attic space with the exposed beams and brick - two of my favorite things~Plus I love the exaggerated green ottoman in the middle of the room! Also beautiful hardwood!

Ahhh Outdoor space and what a beautiful balcony view of the French Quarter and Downtown! I dont need a big yard, just somewhere sit and enjoy a bottle of wine al fresco!

I love taking baths and I wish I had a great tub...and shower...and dressing area...and really just a bathroom where I have some elbow room...

More exposed Brick, and with the partial plastering, wide hardwood planks and a rich Oriental Rug...

Big Windows, Lots of Light, spacious kitchen (while I have to say this ones appliances are lacking...)

A Library or Den...even a Bedroom with Floor to ceiling bookshelves...this is why I will never switch over to a Kindle or the like, Books are just so beautiful!

I'm a sucker for the Secret Garden, and a water feature...not overly landscaped, just a quaint green patch...maybe even somewhere to stretch out in the sun...

This is in a Converted Warehouse on Conti...I love the extreme ceilings, light and brick...I think I could do the Warehouse district for a couple of years...live it up somewhere fun and hip as a two income household before the worry of kids...

Dark floors and white cabinets...and space...I would just love a kitchen where I dont have to set the cutting board on the sink to have enough counter space...

I need to keep stalking the listings...it was fun seeing what the market looks like down here...and very educational! All these houses were in excellent shape, but part of me wants a fixer-uper...but I doubt just how handy Zach could be...

Sweet and Salty Shortbread

2011-11-13T22:06:00.000-06:00

As the Holidays get closer thoughts of sugar plums are dancing in my mind, and tonight my cravings for shortbread cookies did. We went to the grocery earlier and I withheld from getting one of those tins of little danish cookies (Zach and I both have a weak spot for those...) but my cravings returned.

I found a great recipe for Shortbread cookies and conveniently I had all the ingredients in the apartment already!

Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Cups of Butter (2 1/2 sticks cut into little slices)
- 2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/8 cup Cornstarch

Directions
- Mix Four, Butter, Sugar and Salt on low speed until blended, then increase to medium and mix until dough "comes together" ie. looks like cookie dough...
- Press Dough Evenly into a 9inch round cake pan.
- Sprinkle with Coarse Sugar (I only had colored but I thought that made it festive!) I also really like mixing sweet and salty so I sprinkled it with Coarse Salt too!

- Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes until it becomes lightly browned.
- "Cut" the Shortbread while it is still warm with a fork....now I thought this was odd, but a knife kinda tore it up, scoring the wedges by poking a fork in it actually worked better!

Eat and Enjoy! I must say it was pretty good and I was amazed at how flavorful it was with even with as simple as the recipe was! I'm going to have to try this for a holiday function a definite repeat!

Julie & Julia Inspiration

2011-11-12T19:28:00.000-06:00

Well it has been a while since I've blogged. I'd like to say it is because I've been so busy, which I have been, but I don't think that's it. I think I've become lethargic about blogging...and I think I know why. Lately I've had alot weighing on my mind, mostly this worry that "This may be our last Fall in New Orleans" or "This maybe our last Halloween in New Orleans", "This maybe our last this and that in New Orleans"....and to be honest it maybe. Zach's graduating in May, and in the process of job searching, he's had a few interviews, but only one in New Orleans. Our chances of ending up in NOLA as just as great as us ending back in Tennessee or Atlanta or somewhere random like Birmingham or Jackson...there is no guarantee and that's scary.
Zach is out of town this weekend, visiting his parents in Destin for the weekend, and I've had some time to myself this weekend. I got caught up on some work, got to have some girl time, and got to watch the movie Julie & Julia. When it was in theatres I got sooo aggravated with the constant commercials but I finally sat down to watched the movie and it was pretty good. Its the story of Julie who is systematically cooking and blogging her way through Julia Childs cookbook. There were times when Julie didn't want to blog, then she was down but she kept going it was her outlet, so I'm bucking up and recommitting myself to blogging! I also think I need to start branching out with my cooking too...

Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! In honor of Halloween I wanted to post some pictures of my favorite Halloween Decorations in town!

My favorite House on St. Charles is the "Wedding Cake House". Not only is the house beautiful year round, they go all out with their holiday decorations!

Lots of people go with the creepy ghosts and spiders for their Halloween Decor.

The owners of the Wedding Cake House decorate with whimsical skeletons!

Each year they add more skeletons with topical plays on words!

We didn't do a whole lot for Halloween this year, Other than stalking around for fun decorations, Saturday night we did dress up and go see the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Prytania again like we did last year, but tonight we've opted to not go out in the Quarter and down on Frenchman because Zach has an interview first thing in the morning! And for a firm in New Orleans - So fingers are definitely crossed! Happy Halloween!

He's a Bee!

2011-10-30T15:45:00.001-05:00

This weekend was Our big Rivalry game...Zach went to Georgia Tech, I went to Clemson, and this weekend they were matched up...and lets just say it didn't end well for me.

Until this weekend, Clemson we undefeated...#5 in the Country...and then we lost, to Georgia Tech...Not only did that dash my dreams of a Clemson National Title game here in NOLA! but Hobo suffers too because instead of being a Tiger for Halloween...he's a Bee!

And lets just say...Hobo wasn't too happy about the Clemson loss either...But I'm not going to lie while the costume makes Hobo miserable...he is absolutely adorable in it!

There's No Place Like Clemson!

2011-10-16T22:45:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Zach and I both had our own College Day Homecomings! We road tripped it North, I dropped Zach in the ATL, so he could have time with his guy friends, and then I headed to South Carolina for Clemson's Homecoming!

I kinda hate that I only get to make it up for one game a season, it's just one of the downfalls of living 10 hours away...But at least I made the most of my visit! Seeing old friends and getting crazy just like we did back in undergrad! There is no place like Clemson!

Cork Trivets!

2011-10-14T19:06:00.000-05:00

Zach and I drink a lot of wine, not an unhealthy amount, but we definitely enjoy our evening glass...or bottle...and have TONS of Wine Corks sitting around. I don't have a lot of time to craft these days, but I came across this super easy project while perusing online...Wine Cork Trivets!

I've tried to utilize the bottles in different ways (Wine Bottle Window Treatment and Wine Bottle Mantle), but have been looking for neat ways to use the corks! I had thought about saving them to make Christmas Garland, but I think that would be a little too rustic? to go along with my beautiful glass ornaments...

Anyways my parents are coming into town next week and I was doing a little cleaning and got very frustrated by my current iron trivets...they were a pretty pewter when we got them and now they are dingy and black. I tried soaking them and just couldn't get them to come clean...which is when I remembered reading about the Wine Cork Trivets! The directions called for hose clamps (whatever those are...) but I used embroidery hoops and they turned out beautiful!

I set the rings on a plate and started lining up corks (I only used real cork...not the fake ones, I was a little worried those might melt?). Once you get the the middle you have to put a little elbow grease into mashing the corks into the rings but you need to make sure they are tightly packed so that none of the corks creep out! I think they look great and will be super effective!

Spicy Apple Pork Tenderloin!

2011-09-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend I had a little free time and I finally got a chance to cook! And I made a fantastic Pork Tenderloin dish! Pork Tenderloin was a standby for my Mother when I was kid, because it was pretty hard to screw up...but I definitely think I improved on our standard!

Spicy Apple Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Dry Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 Pound Pork Tenderloin
- 2 Cups Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Powdered Clove

Directions
- Mix together Flour, Salt, Mustard and Peppers and coat pork.
- Heat oven to 325 degrees and cook pork for 15 minutes
- Mix together Applesauce, Sugar, Cinnamon and Clove.
- Pour Applesauce Mixture over Pork and cook for 30 more minutes occasionally basting.

I served our Pork with some store bought biscuits and mashed potatoes and it was a pretty top notch meal! The pork was sweet and appley but then had this spicy undertone from the pepper rub. I really liked this dish - a definite repeat and it heated up well, we just had it for dinner tonight again!

Cookies were the Star!

2011-09-19T00:13:00.000-05:00

I've been busy this weekend, but not with work. For some reason, I volunteered to make several hundred star-shaped cookies for an event at the Tulane Theta House.

Earlier in the year the chapter's house was repainted and just recently it got a brand new set of Letters to top off the new look!

And I was clearly feeling pretty masochistic because I also decided to make my own cookie dough from scratch!

Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
2 Sticks of Butter softened
1 1/4 Cups of granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups all-purpose Flour

Directions
- With an electric mixer beat Butter and Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg together until fluffy.
- Add in Egg, Milk and Vanilla.
- Slowly add in Flour with Mixer on slowest setting.
- Roll Batter in Parchment Paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Lightly flour table and roll out batter, cut into desired shapes (I used fun star cookie cutters in various sizes!)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes or until edges are golden!

I wanted just a light glaze icing for the cookies:

Cookie Glaze
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Milk (add until desired consistency)
Food Coloring
- Mix together ingredients and paint onto each cookie with a synthetic paint brush. Then I sprinkled mine with colored sugar!

These Star Cookies were the perfect Thetalicious touch for the Letter presentation! They were hell to make but they turned out so adorable I might be convinced to make them again!

Crazy and Chaotic!

2011-09-18T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well it has clearly been awhile since I have blogged. This time of the year is absolutely chaotic for me. Every night another Recruitment, Open House or Leader Training each for a different troop each for different schools. I have talked to so many people in the last month I don't know how I can remember my own name let alone theirs! But all of my hard work is paying off! Each year I have to set a goal for myself for the number of girls that I need to recruit, with the assumption that by the end of the school year I will have reached 100%. But we have other benchmarks along the way...By September 1st I was to be at 60% and by December 1st I have to be at 85%. Well after this weekend's push to get girls registered to be able to participate in the Fall Product Sale I have officially gotten to 75% of my overall goal, which means I will easily by to 85% if not all the way to 100% by the time December rolls around!

In the midst of all of my craziness I have had some fun! Labor Day weekend Zach's Parents were in town and despite all the rain from Tropical Storm Lee it was a great visit. While we weren't able to get out and about too much we did eat well with dinner at Tommy's Fine Cuisine, Dante's Kitchen, Ralph's on the Park, and Emeril's. We also did a little sightseeing and finally made it over to Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World to visit all the Floats in the off season!

Mid-Summer Mardi Gras!

2011-08-29T10:21:00.000-05:00

This is my crazy time of the year with work...I'm out and about all day, everyday and each night too! I even worked all day this Saturday! But at least I had the opportunity to have a little fun with Mid-Summer Mardi Gras on Saturday Night!

One of the many roaming bands in the parade - in costume of course!

Last year we went to Mid Summer Mardi Gras on a whim and it turned out to be one of the most ridiculous Non-Holidays of the year. Needless to say I marked my Calendar to make sure we would be there this year!

We were parading with some of Zach's Law School Friends but I met up with some of my friends too!

Mid-Summer Mardi Gras isn't exactly like your standard Mardi Gras parade, it's more of a Second Line, Flash Mob, Costume Party, Pub Crawl winding around the Riverbend Bars - stating at The Maple Leaf, Carrollton Station, Snake and Jakes, Bruno's, up to Madigan's and ending back at the Maple Leaf.

Just a few of the crazy costumes!

Even though your marching past so many bars, its pretty hard to head in for a drink, so we just brought out own along the route, I even saw someone who had a keg in a Baby Stroller! Mid-Summer Mardi Gras was the perfect Siesta from my hectic schedule and couldn't have come at a better time!

My Birthday at August!

2011-08-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

Zach and I finally had an opportunity to Celebrate my Birthday this weekend with Dinner at Chef John Besh's Restaurant August!

We went for the first time when my Mom was here in May, and since then it continues to be my favorite restaurant in town!

Yet again we had an amazing dinner, but I was a little disappointed that the menu hadn't really changed since we were there in May...A restaurant of this caliber I would have anticipated that we would have have a unique menu each time...

Not that it bothered me too much, I had the exact same thing I had before and loved it just as much! I started with the Crab and Truffle Gnocchi, then had the Duck with Foie Gras and Strawberry Preserves, and finally for dessert I had the Napoleon with salted toffee that might be the most amazing thing I've ever eaten!

Zach Started with the Pickled Pork Belly, then the filet and finished with the "Snowball".

Snowballs are a New Orleans tradition, but Besh's wasn't like the real thing...it was more of a conceptual Snowball - a brownie topped with chocolate ice and condensed milk foam! A Unique twist on an old favorite!

After dinner we went to see "The Help" at the new Canal Place Theatre, my review to come, but it was the perfect way to end my Birthday celebration!

Zucchini!

2011-08-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

It has been a slow transition to get Zach to realize he likes food other than Beef and Potatoes...to get him to embrace Veggies!

I got another Recipe out of Martha Stewart Everyday Food, this time for Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mozzarella!

Ingredients
- 2 Zucchini
- 1 Can Diced tomato
- 2 tablespoons chopped Fresh Oregano
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 "bulb" Fresh Mozzarella

Directions
- Drain tomatoes and mix with chopped fresh Oregano, Salt and Pepper in a small bowl.
- Slice Zucchini in half length wise and scoop the seeded area out on the middle with a spoon to create a small groove in each slice.

- Top Zucchini with Tomato Mixture and Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

- Thinly slice bulb of Mozzarella and place on top of Zucchini.

- Broil the Mozzarella topped Zucchini for 5 minutes. (The picture shows the cheese browning...but mine never did).

I loved this recipe! I served it with some simple baked chicken, and it was a great side dish, but could also have been a main course with some pasta too! Definitely a repeat recipe!

Turkey Burgers!

2011-08-10T14:22:00.001-05:00

It's time to get back in the swing of things with cooking after what seems like eating out for two weeks straight!

Last night I cooked Mushroom and Swiss Turkey Burgers from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food!

Ingredients
- 1 small red onion
- 1/2 Pound Button Mushrooms
- Coarse Salt and Pepper
- Vegetable Oil
- 1 Pound Ground Turkey
- Swiss Cheese
- Whole Wheat Buns
- Red Pepper

Directions
- Finely chop Onion (1/3 Cup) and sauteed over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Coarsely chopped Mushrooms and saute with Onions too, seasoning with Salt and Pepper
- Add Onion and Mushroom Mix in with Turkey Meat.

- Form Meat into 4 or 5 Patties and Grill
- Lightly Saute strips of Red Peppers
- Top Burgers with Red Peppers and Swiss Cheese and Serve on Whole Wheat Buns!

These Burgers were so good and a healthy alternative to traditional Beef Burgers - only 345 Calories per Burger! Since we used our little George Foreman they were quick and easy enough to make on a busy schedule!

Fat Hen Grocery!

2011-08-08T13:52:00.001-05:00

When we got back from the Beach on Saturday, the last thing I wanted to do was go to the Grocery and cook dinner, so instead we decided to try the new Cafe, Fat Hen Grocery, across the street from our Apartment that opened while we were away!

Fat Hen Grill opens! So much more Curb appeal that its predecessors.

This has been a cursed location, in the two years we've lived here this is the third restaurant to go in, the former have all failed, and fast. When we moved in the building was vacant, but within 6 months Cabana Grill had opened and closed within 3 months. This Caribbean inspired cafe had really good food, but was pretty pricey...Lunch with no alcohol ran about $40 for us. After sitting vacant for another 6 or 8 months Moroccan Cafe opened just before Christmas.

They've done a great job re-doing the inside with quirky cutcherie murals.

From the Looks of it Moroccan Cafe was pretty successful. I wasn't crazy about the food, but they seemed to have a consistent Lunch and Dinner Crowd. They had a quite a bit of competition from the nearby and similarly themed Babylon Cafe and Lebanon's Cafe, but that type of food tends to do well around college campuses. In March they put up a sign "Closed for Mardi Gras be Back in Two Weeks"...they never re-opened.

They also do Catering, and Sell Meat and Cheese by the Pound!

So when I noticed activity brewing across the street in the space, I was immediately eager to see what would be going in next...And then right after the 4th of July they unveiled the secret, Fat Hen Grill would be opening a Riverbend Location!

Mmmm, Reuben with Potato Salad - fantastic, it was more like a Deviled Egg Salad!

Fat Hen's original location is just down the road from my office, and is a regular Lunch spot for me and my co-workers. They had great sandwiches (the Reuben is my regular) and entrees, but also serve breakfast all day!

I'm really excited about Fat Hen moving in across the street, the food was just as great as the original, and since they already have an established client base I hope that it will have the support it needs to really catch on! Plus having breakfast that close will be super convenient...I'm seeing alot more Brunch in my future!

25¢ Martinis on my 25th!

2011-08-07T13:47:00.003-05:00

Before we went to the Beach we kicked things off right by celebrating my Birthday NOLA style!

We Started with Lunch at Commanders Palace...a LONG Lunch (I took the day off...I clearly wasn't going to work on my Birthday...)!

Zach and Kate had the Cochon de Lait braised in Abita. Mere and I Both had the Seafood Cakes...a fun twist on a traditional Crab Cake but with Red Fish and Shrimp too!

Laura had the Chicken 3 ways...I'm not exactly sure what the three ways were...Fried? Grilled? and something in an Eggroll? Regardless, it too was fantastic!

And after our Lunch we each had the Bread Pudding Souffle...light, airy, covered in a Whiskey Cream Sauce...Perfect! When mine came out they also had the whole upstairs sing Happy Birthday to me...Commanders isn't exactly the kind of place where singing happens...it might have been the Martinis...

But the Bread Pudding was not the best part of the meal...our 25¢ Martinis were! According to the menu there is some 3 drink maximum...but when you're the Birthday Girl they tend to make exceptions! To be honest every time I've been to Lunch with a crew of cute girls they never seem to mind!

After 6 or so rounds of Martinis we were definitely feeling good. And after a quick nap and a costume change we were off to the Quarter for Drag Queen Dingo at OZ!

Oh...I'm not kidding, Zach however did opt out on this part of the Day's Festivities...We had a fantastic time - Cute Guys (who cares they weren't interested!), Strong Drinks, Lots of Laughs, a Sense of Competition, and Great Music!

A Lucky Dog as a snack and a short walk down Bourbon and we found ourselves at Pat O'Briens...it has some sort of hold over me, a magnetism if you will that draws me in and wont let me go...Or it does, but only after its erased my inhibitions and my memories...so that's about where the story ends...We did make it to the Piano bar were I found out that Alvin (the guy who comes out and clicks on the silver tip tray with thimbles...if you've been to the Piano Bar you know who I'm talking about) and I have the same Birthday! Not just a coincidence!

I may not know how the story of the night ends, but I had a great time ringing in my 25th year with some of my Bestfriends...it was a great indication that I have many more years of fun to come! My hangover the next morning however a clear indication that I'm getting old...very old.

Back from the Beach!

2011-08-06T12:53:00.003-05:00

I'm a Little Sunburnned, a little peel-y, and maybe even a little hungover still...but I've had a wonderful week at the Beach with some of my best friends!

Zach, Anna, Crouch, Laura, Kate, Me, Beth, Amanda and Eric at Graffiti's!

We had lots of fun playing in the water, despite all of the Seaweed...

Armed with our Flotation Devices to get out to the Sandbar!

...and our new found fears since all we watched on TV was Shark Week...But with a few Bud Light Limes and some of "Crouch's Lemonade" our inhibitions were at rest making way for lots of Fun!

A Real Live Shark!...well not Live, but earlier that Day it was! Shark Week!

We cooked Dinner in Twice, Once Buffalo Chicken Dip (yummy recipe to come!) and my "Commanding Kabob's" then just simple Cheeseburgers.

Grouper Parmesan from Dewey's...Fantastic!

And ate out the rest of our Dinners: Pompano Joe's, Hammerheads in Baytowne, Harbor Docks, Dewey's in Destin and Graffiti's in Baytowne and the Original.

Christmas Card? I wish we could have included Hobo...he made the trip to the Beach afterall!

We Ate too much, Drank too much, Sang too much and had too much Fun. Plus it was a wonderful opportunity to get away for a few Days with Friends...Hopefully Beach Week will become a Tradition, one where more of our Friends will join us each year!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-07-29T09:36:00.000-05:00

Well it's been awhile since I've Blogged but I've been super busy with work so that I can kick back and relax for my Birthday and trip to the beach next week!

Not my Birthday Cake but I wish!

One of my Best girlfriends Meredith came in town on Wednesday, another Best Kate is flying in as we speak and will be here with Laura and Zach to help me celebrate today! And then its onto the Beach where several other of my Best Clemson Girls will help me kick off my next Quarter Century! Blog entries of our Shenanigans to come! I'm such a Lucky Girl!

Summer RUMble!

2011-07-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

Saturday night Zach and I met up with Scott and Noel at the Old New Orleans Rum Distillery for the Summer RUMble benefitting the New Orleans Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I always hear about events at the Distillery, but this was my first time going! The Distillery definitely has good Space for an event, mixing and mingling among the aging barrels of Rum, that you can smell the moment you walk in the door! The only downfall was that the Rum has to age at a certian temperature which is a little hot...it made the event very hot and stuffy dispite the fact that they had tons of fans going...

Anyways the event was alot of fun. It was a competition to see which of the participating restaurants had the best Summery Signature Cocktail made with Old New Orleans Rum. There was a Watermelon Mojito, Hurricane, Rummy Margarita, Frozen Pina Coladas, Ginger Beer Mule and several other drinks in addition to Rummy Desserts too!

Yet again, I have to say, these benefit events are THE best bang for your buck for a fun night out...Your Drinks, Food and Music are all included and in this case, for $20 a person? That's alot more than my Bar Tab would have been on a Saturday night!

Perfect Pansy!

2011-07-13T21:29:00.000-05:00

I maybe almost 3 years out of College, but everytime I see something that "Screams" Clemson or Theta I still get excited!

While perusing online I came across this Pretty Pansy Vase from Anthropologie - Perfect for a little Thetalicious touch and a steal for only $18! They also have other flowers in several other striking color combos!

La Crepe Nanou!

2011-07-11T18:29:00.000-05:00

Friday night Laura and I had a Girls night out! After a bottle of wine at her place we headed over to La Crepe Nanou!

I've walked by it a dozen times, the Glossy Red Cafe at the corner of Prytania and Robert Streets, just across the road from two of my favorite NOLA spots: St. James Cheese Company and Creole Creamery. Usually when we're passing it we are 3 miles into a walk...no exactly the time when you want to stop in for a heavy dinner!

Laura had the Crepe a La Crabe - filled with lump crab meat in a moray sauce and topped with creamed spinach - that was great! In addition to a wide selection of Entree Crepes, La Crepe Nanou had a good offering of traditional French Dishes as well (Veal Scallopini, Seafood Au Gratin, Filet with Bearnaise). I went with the Moules et Frites. My mussels were in a fantastic garlicky cream sauce (a little thinner than I am used to on Moules, but still really good!) that we both ended up soaking up with french bread.

After our entrees were so good...we clearly had to order dessert too! We Split the Crepe Lucie - stuffed with Chocolate Sauce and Strawberries and topped with Vanilla Ice Cream, that was also fantastic!

La Crepe Nanou was a much more high end restaurant that it looks from the outside, but is actually pretty economical! After every ounce of food and sauce was soaked up we headed over to Kingpin for a few cocktails before going to Tipitinas for Free Foundation Fridays to see Good Enough for Good Times!

Confederacy of Dunces...

2011-07-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

AI'm Done! It's taken me almost three months (I only read right before bed, so I only have about a 20 minute window before I fall asleep), but I have finally finished the Confederacy of Dunces A Confederacy of Dunces. COD is considered one of the best portrayals of New Orleans in Fiction, examining the city's culture, its people, politics and corruption. I was very excited to start reading the book, but I have to say, it wasn't as great as I had hoped it would be.

Ignatius Reilly, the main character, is a lazy slob of an "intellectual" forced to pause his musings to enter into the job market, first in a clerical position at "Levy Pants" and then as a Lucky Dog vendor in the French Quarter. While you do get an interesting perspective about "Quarter Dwellers" Ignatius far from wins over your heart. I was completely unsympathetic towards him, and honestly a little repulsed - which I do realize is where the comedy derives. I thought the book started VERY slow (I even contemplated abandoning it about 100 pages in) but did end on hilarious high point that was almost enough to redeem the book in my eyes, but not quite. Onto more New Orleans Fiction I go!

Boden Blow Out!

2011-07-07T21:37:00.001-05:00

As of this Spring my new favorite store is Boden! I'm not sure they have any brick and mortar stores, (maybe in the UK where they originated) but they've got some of the best clothing online! Most of my spring's best outfits have been Boden, they are fun but classic pieces in great colors - exactly my taste!

The Pink Ikat Print Sundress. That I wore to the Louisiana Derby and to Ben's Wedding in Philly!

Sassy Silk Dress in Ruby Floral that I wore to Jersey Boys on Broadway!

Shamrock Swirly Spot Skirt in Central Park (and I also wore on St. Patty's Day...how thematic)!

Well Boden is currently having a HUGE sale, some things even 50% off! Here are my favorites...

Plum Mosaic Jersey Tie Dress (Now 30% Off!)

Pintuck Skirt in Caramel Lace and in Sapling! (Now 40% Off!)

Perfect for Work and Play right? I can wear it to Work and then out for Happy Hour later...that's just how it is these days, I've found myself low on "going out attire" and I'm not going to lie I don't mind, I guess I just left that "want" back in college...who knows maybe I am really growing up!

Yo Mamma Burgers!

2011-07-06T09:44:00.001-05:00

On the 4th, after the Fireworks show on the Riverfront, we wandered our way down into the French Quarter to get dinner at Yo Mammas, some of Zach's Law School friends had been there before, but this was our first time! If I had been asked before, what the best Burger Joint in the Quarter is, I would have immediately answered Port of Call, but now I'm not so sure!

Yo Mamma's has a much wider selection of Food and more specialty burgers than Port of Call. I had the Peanut Butter Burger. I know what you're thinking, gross right? Peanut Butter on a Burger? But I'm not going to lie, I really liked it! You had your standard burger topped with a smear of peanut butter and then bacon bits! It's a little out there, which is honestly why I ordered it, but really great! Nutty, Salty and a little sweet. Paired with a side of their Spicy Potato Salad that had Fresh Jalapenos chopped up in it...I was super impressed with Yo Mammas.

Zach opted for the Bull Fighter Burger, the restaurant's spiciest, topped with Avocado, Jalapenos and Salsa...it kinda made my nose burn! but Zach loved it! Yo Mammas is a must return to, and since its located just across St. Peter from the Side entrance to Pat O'Briens, a place I foresee frequenting late night. Plus they have the cheapest beer I've seen in the Quarter, their "Big Beer", 32 oz, is only $4.50, which is ridiculously cheap for the Quarter. Many times you'll even see bottles of Bud Lite for $5, so the "Big Beer" is a steal!

Dueling Barges Fireworks!

2011-07-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Every year I go to West Tennessee for the 4th of July, and the Last two years (July 1st was the official 2nd Anniversary of our move!) since we moved to New Orleans have been no different. But this year since the 4th was on a Monday, my family elected to do our cooking on Saturday and our big Backyard Bar-B-Que on Sunday instead of actually on the 4th. Well this allowed us the opportunity to actually be back in New Orleans on the 4th in time to head down to the French Quarter to enjoy the Dueling Barges Fireworks display on the River!

I really didn't know what to expect...except that this is New Orleans and we rarely do anything just halfway, but the Fireworks show was Amazing (and is apparently ranked the 5th best Fourth of July Fireworks show in the country)! We watched from the Aquarium/Woldenberg Park area and had a great view of the Fireworks being launched from the two barges in the Mississippi River in front of us.

They had a great variety of Color, and unique bursts, plus it was beautiful getting to see the reflections on the water!

I had thought that by the title "Dueling" Fireworks that would would have each barge "one-uping" one another until they ended in a huge grand finale, but instead you pretty much had the same display from each of the barges, which did allow for more people to collect along the riverfront to watch, but not as much variety as they could have had.

During the Grand Finale...actually quite beautiful, even though the picture looked like a War Zone!

Also from what I had read online there was supposed to be music to go along with the show, but from where we were, I never heard any. Regardless, the show was Awesome and I hope I get the opportunity to see it again!

BBQ in Brighton - The Perfect 4th!

2011-07-04T11:12:00.001-05:00

My Summer isn't complete without a trip up to West Tennessee for the 4th of July, and this weekend Zach and I made the 6 hours trek up, stopping first in Memphis and then heading north to Tipton County.

Friday Night we stayed in Memphis to take in Beale Street...Our favorite Bar was Silky O'Sullivan's which felt like Pat O'Brien's...Probably why we felt at home there!

As a kid I would spend a pretty good chunk of my Summer in Brighton, TN on my family's farm just off Hwy 51. What started as a lone farm house, has turned into the "Huffman Compound" a conglomeration of now 6 houses stretching along Huffman Drive along the edge of the Farm. There I would go and stay in the original house with my Aunt Molly who taught me all about cooking sweets and decorating cakes. When she was gone during the day I would make my way next door to "Granny's" aka my Aunt Edith's house to make her signature "Granny Rolls" or Soup Mix. If learning the ropes around the kitchen wasn't my choice for the day, I would be outside running through acres of Cotton fields or Climbing towering Magnolia trees where my Cousin Liz and I had our "No Boys Alouwned" club.

The new generation of little ones in their Playhouse...with a Keg that somehow ended up in there...I was totally uninvolved...Maybe...

I cherish that I was able to grow up being allowed to run free, be independent, get dirty and in all sorts of trouble that you can only get into in a small town way out in the Country. I may have been a little sheltered at home, but not on the Hill!

Me with my parents on the Hill!

These days you wont find me climbing trees, or doing any running about, now going to West Tennessee for me is the opportunity to Drink too Much, Eat too Much and spend time with my rather expansive family who I adore. I may have grown up an only child, but my Huffman Family is enormous, and unlike most big families, exceptionally close as well. Our 4th of July gathering this year, which from my count had nearly 100 people attending, was a fun and lively opportunity to reconnect with family that unfortunately I only get to see about twice a year.

The "Aunts"...my Grandfathers Amazing Sisters!

To feed all of those people, my "Aunts" (My grandfather's sisters, so technically my Great Aunts) put out quite a spread of Beans, Slaws, Potato, Fruit and Green Salads...and Desserts! - all the fixings for the perfect Cookout, including the Bar-B-Que. When I was a kid we used to cook a whole pig, now a days we we cook tons of Butts, Shoulders and Ribs so that there is less waste and more efficient cooking. Our meat is cooked all through the night so that in the morning it is falling off the bone and ready to be pulled. I steer clear of Bar-B-Que all year...I just can't eat it because I'm so spoiled by how great my Family's is!

Makes you Hungry right?! And I loved the divided plates this year so that none of my food was touching! And yes, I went back for seconds! You have to try everything!

We had a great time in in Brighton this weekend and I can't wait for the opportunity to go back... Unfortunately it probably wont be until Christmas! For most the 4th of July is a time to be thankful for this great country we call home, for me it is also an opportunity to celebrate what a great family I have as well! This July marks 10 years since my Papa's passing, and even though our "link" to the Huffmans is gone, the Hill is somewhere I can still call home!

Fourth of July!

2011-07-01T08:30:00.004-05:00

I'm getting so excited about the Fourth of July...it's just around the corner! We will be leaving this evening to head to West Tennessee for the weekend! I love everything about the Fourth...the Food, getting to see my Family, the Weather (except when it's real hot), Fireworks, the Patrioticism, and as a Kid the Fourth of July meant that my Birthday was just around the corner!

I've been stalking around and found this fun Fourth of July Craft...even if you dont actually make the little rockets into Confetti Poppers they are still super fun to hang inside, on a porch or under a gazebo (thats where our 4th action happens!). Let your Freedom Ring!

Clemson Inspired Bedding?

2011-06-29T16:04:00.000-05:00

Five years ago, I was anxiously awaiting my start at Clemson University...after a less than perfect first year just up the road in Greenville, SC at Furman University, I was ready to have a second shot at a "Freshman" year...

As girls prepare for a start to a new school and the random roommate, the most excitement is about finding out who that random roommate would be and then planning your new Dorm Room Decor! How cute would this Annette Tatum Bedding be for Clemson Room? Color thematic but without any Paws or Tigers...I love it!

Storage Solution...

2011-06-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

You would think that between my closet, my rolling closet, my chest of drawers, my cedar chest, my under the bed storage, and my closet for out of season clothing up in the attic that I would be pretty set in terms of storage...but I'm always looking for a way to free up some space for more clothing, and in this case accessories!

We're just shy of 2 years living in New Orleans in our little apartment, and the whole time all of my purses have been shoved up in the closet, out of sight, out of mind. To be honest there are times when what purse I'm currently carrying dictates what I wear because I don't have the energy to face the potential avalanche of purses!

Well today I bought an Over the Door Purse Rack and I'm so excited about how much space it left me in the top of my closet (I'm thinking about moving my t-shirts up there?) and how much more accessible all of my purses are now! My clutches and hard sided bags are still in the closet, but now I can really see everything I've got!

Chili Chicken and Zucchini Fries!

2011-06-26T15:51:00.001-05:00

So I've finally gotten back to Cooking after our Vacation...Yes, I know it was two weeks ago, but I just couldn't get up the Energy or Time to go to the Grocery, and sometimes subsisting on what you can buy at the corner Rite Aid (ie. my Special K and Milk) is just all you can muster!

But This Weekend I did cook, and one of the best meals I've made in a while! Chili Chicken and Zucchini Fries!

Chili Chicken

Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts (Split in half butterfly style...I'm working on reducing our portions...and Zach doesn't notice he's getting less food when I do this...and since he NEVER reads my blog, the secret is mine! Plus you get more leftovers this way!)
5 Serrano Chilies
4 Jalapenos
4 Garlic Cloves
4 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Molasses (I couldn't find...?...so I just added Karo Syrup and more Brown sugar...)
3/4 Cup Ketchup
1/3 Cup Cider Vinegar
Juice of 1 Orange
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
- De-Stem and Seed the Peppers and add to Food Processor...then add the rest of the ingredients...(The directions say to mix all this up in a Blender...but, I was worried my Future Margaritas would taste like Jalapeno, so I just used the Food Processor, which was the perfect size)
- Marinate Chicken Breast in Chili Sauce for 2 Hours
- Bake Chicken Breasts at 350 for 30 minutes (Flipping half way through)
- You'll have extra Marinade, Freeze for Future use...you Will want to repeat this dinner...

Zucchini Fries

Ingredients
1 Large Zucchini
2 Egg Whites
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese (the good stuff, not that powdered crap...)
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Spray

Directions
- Preheat Oven to 425 degrees
- Mix together Dry Ingredients (Panko and Seasonings)
- Slice Zucchini into "1/2 wedges" (I tried to get all of mine to be about the size of my little finger)
- Working one at a time dip Zucchini pieces into egg whites then toss in breadcrumb mixture and arrange on "Pam-ed" Cookie Sheet....not going to lie, this is a long process but well worth the effort!
- Bake until coating is Golden Brown, about 20 minutes, flipping half way through.

Yall, this was good, like really good...everything was a bit spicy, but so flavorful! The Zucchini was soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, and I really like working with the Panko Bread Crumbs instead of the traditional...I thought they were crispier and alot prettier (food should be pleasing to the eye as well as the tastebuds!).

This is a must repeat dinner, with enough for leftovers. Even though the Zucchini didn't warm up very well the Chicken was great even the second time around!

Bizarre in the Bywater!

2011-06-24T11:39:00.002-05:00

One of Zach's Fraternity Brothers, Paul, was in town for work on Thursday...so we got to go out on Thursday Night! Thursday nights are probably my favorite night out in New Orleans because of the standing gigs at some of the best music clubs in the city...I especially like going out on Thursdays during the summer because I don't have work on most Fridays!

We started the night off at one of my favorites, Bacchanal, in the Upper Ninth Ward. Admittedly, Bacchanal is not in the best area of New Orleans...and you drive through an even sketchier area to get to it, but I have never felt anything but safe while I was there...we did freak Paul out a little, but like everyone who we drag over to Bacchanal, they love its diamond in the rough feel!

We ate dinner at Bacchanal, Zach and Paul both had the Flat Iron Steak with Roasted Peppers and Frites, while I went with the Grilled Pork Chop with a Pickled Pepper Greek Salad...both were wonderful as usual!

Me and Laura with Kermit Ruffins!

It is officially Hurricane season in the Gulf and with that comes the rainy season...we ended up leaving Bacchanal a little earlier than expected due to the rain, and headed around the corner to Vaughan's to see Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers!

Zach and Paul with Andrew Zimmern - Ahh the Theta Chi House memories of "Is this your First Time Eating Beaver" episode...

Not only did we get up close and personal with Kermit, but we also got to meet Andrew Zimmern the host of the Travel Channel show Bizarre Foods that was filming at Vaughans Thursday night! (Clearly he is currently filming a NOLA episode because via Twitter I saw that he was also at Willie Maes Scotch House, Parkway Bakery, and Dooky Chase) Zach and I have become self proclaimed Foodies, and Bizarre Foods is one of our favorite shows...combining our love of Food, Travel...and the Weird into one great show!

We hung out a Vaughans enjoying Kermit and his fun modern twist on traditional Jazz for a while until we made the decision to head into the Quarter for a few Hurricanes in the Piano Bar at Pat O's! All and All a great Thursday night in NOLA and we have continued our Star Sightings, (Current tally - Meredith Vieira, Ja Rule, Jeff Fisher, Bryan Batt, Kermit, and now Andrew Zimmern) in just two weeks!

Summer is Here!

2011-06-21T23:20:00.002-05:00

Its the first day of Summer but I feel like its been Summer for months with as hot as it has been down in NOLA lately! At least this afternoon we got a good rainstorm to cool things off!

Perfect for the Summer heat, I'm in Love with this Seersucker Dress from Dillards. The lace bib/neckline gives it a fun but conservative 60's look, and it also has pockets - which has pretty much become a requirement for me these days! Plus nothing says Fourth of July like the nautical Blue and White stripes!

Stella and Dot!

2011-06-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

This weekend my friend Amanda hosted a Stella and Dot party and I ordered two super cute pairs of earrings: the Paradise Studs which I felt like would be a great alternative to me wearing my pearl studs all of the time!

And I also ordered the Signature Clover Drop Earrings. I used to have a really pretty pair of gold chandilier earrings but these are far more fantastic...I love the quatrefoil design...they remind me of some of David Yurman's pieces!

I was really impressed with alot of the Stella and Dot jewelry, and if I had had the cash (drained after NYC) there are several other pieces that I would have gotten, especially some of the big statement pieces like the Charlotte Necklace!

I liked the concept of Stella and Dot, where you go to trunk shows and get to see all of the jewelry up close, and get to try it on before you buy! Nothing ever looks the same in person as it does online and Stella and Dot helps cut through that ambiguity! I can't wait til my pieces come in...(only down fall is that you purchase but dont walk away with your new gems...)!

Put the Lime in the Coconut...

2011-06-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

Sooo, you know that ridiculous Song? The "Put the Lime in the Coconut / Drink them both Together / Put the Lime in the Coconut / Then you Feel Better!" well turns out it isn't as ridiculous as it sounds...and their is some medical backing for the fact that Coconut Water does make you feel all better!

So my friend Rebecca had been telling me about the "healing powers" of Coconut Water on a hangover...I tend to have some pretty terrible hangovers so I decided to try out the Coconut water after a night of Bourbon Street Boozing this weekend. I had one 8oz Coconut Water before "going to bed" ie. passing out, and one the next morning when I woke up...I went back to bed for another hour or so, and I'm not going to lie I felt pretty good!

Coconut water isn't the best thing you've ever tasted...(in fact I might add a little Lime to my Coconut from now on)...but it's well worth it! I bought 6 more bottles! I've been drinking the Naked brand, but am eager to try some of the other brands to see if they taste a little better. Apparently the Coconut water has tons of potassium and electrolytes and is much better for you than sports drinks...I dont care about the science, all I know if that Gatorade has never made me feel this good! I'm sold!

Mad Men!

2011-06-18T11:34:00.000-05:00

It's the summer and all of our shows have ended for the year...while I anxiously await their return, Zach and I have started watching some new shows to add to our TV lineup! Right now we are marathoning our way through AMC's Mad Men.

I knew it had gotten alot of hype over the past few years (currently there are 4 seasons...we just finished season 3) so I figured I should at least check it out. Set in the 1960's at a New York Advertising agency, you not only get the feel of what it would have been like to have been a Top Ad Exec back in the day, but it is also a great look into the 60's Life, Pop Culture and Consumerism. You see the way the characters deal with events like Marilyn Monroes death, Kennedy's Assassination, the Space Race and the building of the Vietnam War...it's historical, fascinating but also current and a little edgy, with wonderful cinematography.

Now that I'm full on obsessed with the show I've started researching some of the characters...Christina Hendricks, the sexy red headed secretary Joan is from my hometown Knoxville, TN! and Bryan Batt, Sterling Cooper's Art Director is from New Orleans! He graduated from Isadore Newman (as did the Mannings) and Tulane before getting involved in Theater...he also owns one of my favorite Magazine Street shops, Hazelnut!

Bryan Batt...Such a Cutie...I mean a little old for me but still..too bad all the good ones are Gay...

Sooo such a small world, that I would currently be at the Apex of my Mad Men obsession when...while happy houring with some girlfriends at Mike's on the Avenue Thursday night, Bryan Batt walks in the door with his partner (a local event planner) for dinner! They were sitting at the table right next to me! I could hardly contain myself! I thought about nerding out and going over to say something...but I couldn't, nor did I want to be "that girl" who ruined their night out.

My creeper Cell Phone pic of Bryan Batt!

Stars are among us even in NOLA!

Carlos Bakery!

2011-06-17T15:26:00.001-05:00

On our way back to New York after the wedding in Philadelphia we had a little time and decided to swing through Hoboken, NJ to Carlos Bakery!

I had read horror stories of 3+ hour long lines to get in...I knew we didn't have that much time so I hoped for the best!

Luckily we only had to wait a little over an hour...but it was well worth it! Also while we were waiting Zach and I took turns embracing the wander a little bit around Hoboken, which is a quaint little town, even though it is just across the river from NYC.

The line outside controls how crowded the inside of the store is...but it was still a mad house. Once you are able to cross into the story and out of the line you are given a number. You have until your number is called to squeeze through and scope what you want...

Everything in the store looks to die for...but knowing we were going to have to travel with what ever we bought we were pretty conservative in our purchases!

While Carlos is known for their Cakes, because of the TLC show Cake Boss, they were a little pricey ($50 for an 8inch cake) so we opted for some of their delicious baked goods instead!

We went with a Cannoli and a Lobster Tail for each of us...the Lobster Tails were so crispy and flaky filled with a divine cream inside, the Cannolis were equally fantastic and had a great nutmegy taste in addition to the chocolate chips! I glad we were able to make the detour, because the sweets made the plane ride home so much better!

The River Cafe!

2011-06-16T15:13:00.000-05:00

Our trip up North's purpose was to go to Ben's Wedding...the purpose of our detour to New York? To celebrate Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary! We chose to celebrate in style by going all out and having dinner at the River Cafe!

The River Cafe is one of New York's most unique Special Occasion restaurants, on a boat nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge so that as you dine you can have some of the most spectacular views of Manhattan, the East River and the Bridges that span it.

Most weekends, especially this time of year, it is booked for wedding receptions, but lucky for us we were in NYC during the week and were able to get a reservation...and then upgraded to a window seat! The views were stunning even though it had been raining earlier in the evening.

The scenery wasn't the only thing that was amazing...the food was wonderful! Honestly probably one of the best meals I've ever eaten!

For our Appetizers Zach had the Wagyu Steak Tartare (mixed up tableside) while I had Yellow Fin Tuna Pinwheels stuffed with Foie Gras and wrapped in Italian Bacon topped with a Black Truffle Vinaigrette! The Pinwheels had incredible flavor, salty from the Bacon, fishy Tuna flavor and the buttery Foie Gras and this rich cream sauce...it was out of this world good!

For our entrees Zach had the Rack of Lamb I had Sea Bass with a Chorizo Sausage and Shrimp Stuffing on top of sauteed Zucchini!

It wouldn't be a great dinner if it didn't have a sweet ending...for Dessert I had the Apple Tart with a Calvados Glaze and Granny Smith Sorbet while Zach went with the Madeira wine tasting each paired with a mini chocolate.

And as we finished our bottle of wine, even after polishing off our desserts they brought us a sampling of their handmade candies...Pistachio Pralines, Macaroons and Truffles!

When by chance a Firework show started up river it was one of the most Magical Moments! What a perfect way to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary!

Les Halles!

2011-06-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

Our second night in New York, and before we headed to the Broadway Musical Jersey Boys, Zach and I went to Dinner at Les Halles.

Named after the Central Food Market in Paris, Les Halles is the New York restaurant where Anthony Bourdain (Travel Channel's No Reservations) got his start as a chef. Now while Anthony isn't behind the scenes anymore, is now the Owner, Chef-at-Large, and regular during his visits to NYC.

I knew we were in for a treat, Bourdain's food preferences (from years of watching No Reservations) tend to be for the No Fuss but Crazy Good variety...and that is absolutely what we got! Were they the prettiest, most artfully displayed dishes...No, but they were packed with a ton of flavor from those traditional french sauces...

For our Appetizer, we split the Foie Gras sauteed with Apples, Walnut and a Calvados Sauce (Zach and I became obsessed with Calvados when we studied Abroad...it is like an Apple Brandy...in Normandy they make a lot of deserts flambeed with Calvados!). It was fantastic, the sweet fruitiness of the Apple etc. was the perfect complement to the rich buttery foie gras. The dish also had a bit of crunch since the sauteed foie gras was served on a crostini...Unlike a Book, I feel like You can always judge a restaurant by its first course, and this was fantastic!

I stayed in the Duck family for my entree too, getting the "Magret de Canard" - translation, Roasted Duck Breast in a Pomegranate Sauce served with Green Beans with Beets (I picked around the beets...I'm just not a big fan...) and Potato Gratin (not your standard, more of a cheesy chunky mashed potato!)...Fantastic...literally melt in your mouth!

And Zach got the Restaurant's Signature dish, Filet coated in Cracked Peppercorns and Frites! Zach's favorite thing about our time in France and French Food in general, is the popularity and acceptance of eating French Fries or "Frites" with a nice dinner, and these fries were perfect - Crispy but still potatoey! He was in heaven! And the Steak great, a strong but not over-powering peppercorn flavor with a Red Wine Reduction Sauce on top!

I finished off the night with Les Halles' Creme Brulee...I mean you can't go to a French Restaurant without Creme Brulee right? (I actually had a quest during our Summer in France to find the BEST Creme Brulee...so I consider myself a bit of an expert...). It was good...was it great? No...but definitely good. The caramelized sugar coating on top was perfectly torched so that it had a nice shatter when you broke into it (my dad is who taught me to appreciate a creme brulee's cracking...) but the flavor wasn't anything extraordinary. In hind sight I wish I had gone with the Profiteroles!

I was impressed with not only the quality of the food and the ambiance...but Les Halles was a great bang for your buck too! My next time in New York - it is a must return to! Les Halles did not disappoint and was the perfect place to start off our night in the city...but what would you expect when Anthony Bourdain puts his name on it!

Our Trip to NYC!

2011-06-14T00:40:00.001-05:00

Zach and I had a great trip to New York! Were home, settled back in, but I'm still exhausted...this was far from a relaxing trip - we were on the go constantly! Below are some of my favorite places that we went!

St. Patrick's Cathedral - Was right around the corner from our hotel, even after traveling in Europe, it still looks funny seeing something so old (Built in 1879) next to towering skyscrapers!

New York Public Library - I was so excited to get the opportunity to go to the New York Public Library, it looked absolutely stunning in the 1st Sex in the City Movie (where Carrie and Big were supposed to get married) and even more beautiful in person! The reading rooms (where photography was unfortunately not allowed) were like the most beautiful study in a private home, only large enough to accommodate at least 100! I wish I had had a place like that to study in!

Girl Scouts Headquarters - New York is the home to GSUSA, or the National Girl Scout Headquarters...if it had been out of the way I probably wouldn't have made the effort, but centrally located right on 5th Avenue, how could I pass it up? They had a great little Girl Scout Museum and the whole line of Girl Scout collectibles, I'm glad I went!

Dining - For Dinner our first night we went to a little place in the Meatpacking District/West Village called "The Place" - it wasn't great...wasn't bad, just wasn't great, but it did introduce us to a great area of town, one that felt like it could be home! New York is a big city...but there are these areas that feel like somewhere I could call home! Just because The Place wasn't great, didn't mean that everywhere that we ate was ho-hum...much to the contrary, our next two dinners were out of this world (posts to come!).

The High Line - Built in the 1930's as an elevated track to keep trains out of the hustle and bustle of the expanding city, the High Line stopped operation in 1980. For 20 years the Line stood vacant until it risked demolition and it as decided the High Line would be saved and turned into a Public Park/Garden and Walking Trail! The first part was opened in 2009...the second phase, while we were in New York this weekend! How Crazy! And what a great use of the space - the city would have spent a ton demolishing the tracks but instead was able to give the city another wonderful recreational green space!

The Frying Pan - Was a fantastic little bar in a most unusual setting. The Frying Pan is a historic Lightship docked on a barge at Pier 66 in the Hudson River. It had some of the most spectacular views of Manhattan he barge and across the river to Jersey City. We sat up on the deck of the barge and had a few drinks while watching the world float by...it was very relaxing (on a Tuesday) but is apparently a real hop spot on the weekends!

Brooklyn Bridge - This iconic part of the New York skyline provided some of the most beautiful views of Manhattan. It was quite a hike (that bridge is alot longer than I had thought) but it was absolutely worth it! Now it did make Zach nervous when he realized that the pedestrian portion of the bridge was just wood slats over water...but its the Brooklyn Bridge...its stable?

Jersey Boys - Wednesday night Zach and I went to see Jersey Boys on Broadway - the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in musical form. The show started out slow as they were setting the stage for the storyline...and the end, well it just sort of petered out...but the middle of the show was fantastic! It had the audience tapping their feet and singing along...I didn't even realize what great music they had!

230 Fifth - Was one of the best bars I've ever been to, a Midtown rooftop with some of the most amazing views of the city! It was even hoping on a Wednesday!.

American Museum of Natural History - How can you go to New York and not see the Dinosaurs and the Huge whale suspended from the ceiling? But as cool as they seemed when I was small, they weren't nearly as cool as I had remembered! I was also amazed at how dated many...scratch that most of the exhibit were! But its still a NY must see! We took the Night at the Museum tour from their iPhone app and it gave us a great overview of the Museum!

Central Park - I had never been to Central Park before this trip, and Zach and I explored it fro top to bottom! After the Museum of Natural History we walked up to explore the Carousel, the Boathouse, the "Mall" and the Conservatory. When you are in the middle of the park, you hardly realize that you are in a city of 8 million!

And that's it! Our trip to New York in a Nut shell! I've still got to write about our favorite restaurants so check back soon! What an amazing city!

Ben and Melissa's Wedding!

2011-06-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

Well we are back from our trip up North! We started our trip in New York (posts to come) but our main reason for our trip was for Zach's Fraternity Brother, and close friend, Ben's Wedding just outside of Philadelphia!

Scattered across the country (Philadelphia, DC, San Diego, Savannah, Orlando, Atlanta and New Orleans were represented this weekend), Weddings have become great way and excuse to get together with our College friends.

Our place settings were these little pots of herbs...They were even accented with the same wax seals that were on the invitations!

Last summer was like a Wedding marathon, but this was our only one for this summer!

Beautiful wedding cake with Chick-fil-a Cow topper - "Jus' Mareed" - so fun!

Friday night before the wedding, we all stayed in downtown Philadelphia so we could go out on the town...Bright and early Saturday morning we headed to the suburb of West Chester for Ben DiFrancesco and Melissa Jen's Wedding!

The Ceremony took place at the St. Maximilian Church in West Chester and was followed by a Reception at the Concord Country Club.

Theta Chi Boys with their Groom!

We had a great time dancing the night away and catching up!

Zach and I with the Bride and Groom!

Melissa chose a really unique color palette of spring green, white and grey with highlights of orange. She did a great job of incorporating hers and her family's Chinese heritage with crispy spring rolls as passed appetizers and Chinese tea canisters as the containers for her centerpieces!

Centerpieces of peach roses, hydrangeas and coffee berries in these really cool Chinese tea canisters!

Ben and Melissa's wedding was the perfect end to our trip! I wish them all the happiness in the world and as the best man said in his toast, Little Almond-Eyed Ginger Babies!

Twice as Nice!

2011-06-06T16:12:00.002-05:00

A year and a half at the the Girl Scouts, Two years of Law School, a Move 5 States away, a Cat, a new Car, Countless Crazy Nights out, even more Slow Nights in, a few fights - but none that sent me running home! Today is officially Our Second Anniversary! I know people always say that time flies, but I really feel like its been years since June 6, 2009!

No Big plans for tonight, we may go grab dinner at one of the restaurants around us, but we leave tomorrow morning for New York City! One of Zach's best friends is getting married in Philadelphia on Saturday, so we are spending 4 days in NYC celebrating our Anniversary before heading down for Ben and Melissa's Wedding! I can't wait!

Cowbell!

2011-06-05T15:09:00.001-05:00

Sick of Pizza, Sick of Chinese, and Saving for our trip to NYC...last night we wanted to go out to dinner, and after a whole day at the Girl Scouts Bullying Conference (I had to be up at 5:45!) I wanted it to be quick, easy and close.

We went to Cowbell, a new (well new to us) Burger/Southwest~Americana Restaurant at Oak Street and the Levee...it was both quick, easy, close, and surprisingly fantastic.

Cowbell is in an old service station turned kitchy diner...it isn't modern...it isn't 60's...but an interesting mix of the two! There is indoor and outdoor seating at big tables made of old doors, we were seated with another couple but the proximity wasn't uncomfortable. Its a fun spot with good food and a casual atmosphere!

Zach and I both stuck with Burgers, even though the restaurant does feature other dishes (Tacos, Steak, Chicken, Grilled Cheese). Zach had the Burger topped with Bacon Cheese and a fried egg! I went with the Zinfandel, Onion and Bacon Compote topped burger - which was GREAT! Their fries were crispy - handcut and double fried! Cowbell also makes its own ketchup (which tastes more like a sundried tomato vinaigrette) and Agogo Sauce (a spicy Thousand Island style sauce) which went great with my burger and fries! Cowbell is a definite to return to!

Red Velvety Ice Cream Cake!

2011-06-01T23:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my Lovely Theta Little Sister and one of my Absolute Best Friends, Laura's 23rd Birthday! We hung out almost all weekend, but for her birthday I had to do something a little special!

Sunday night after a day of laying out, and going to see the Hangover 2 at The Prytania, we walked over to Creole Creamery for a little late night ice cream! I went with the Salty Smokey Chocolate Almond (which I'm literally dreaming about now...I've become a big fan of Sweet and Very Salty...) and Laura went with the Red Velvet Ice Cream...Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream with chunks of Red Velvet Cake - an Idea was born!

I had planned to make Laura a Red Velvet Birthday Cake that we could have once we got home from her Birthday Dinner at Carretas but then decided that I would make a Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake!

The first step was to soften Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream (I used New Orleans Ice Cream Co. brand) and scoop it into an 8 inch round cake pan lined with Wax Paper. I put it back in the freezer and let it harden up for about 2 hours. I did pull it out to smooth out the ice cream about an hour into it refreezing.

I then mixed up a box of Red Velvet Cake and baked half in my remaining 8 inch round...and then cooked the other half.

I leveled off each of the Red Velvet rounds (saving the excess) and sandwiched the Hardened Ice Cream between the two rounds. I then worked to ice the cake (with whipped cream cheese icing)...which was a bit difficult since the ice cream kept melting. I ended up resorting to icing the cake while it sat inside of our freezer taking long breaks to give the Ice Cream a chance to refreeze!

I used the excess cake that I had cut off while leveling the rounds, crumbled it up and dusted the sides of the cake (which did help to disguise my crappy icing!). It might not have been the prettiest cake...but it tasted great and was well worth the work! Happy Birthday Laura!

Greek Fest!

2011-05-30T21:23:00.001-05:00

This weekend wasn't just Memorial Day Weekend, a weekend for us to all celebrate our American Heros...in New Orleans it was a weekend to celebrate everything Greek!

Greece on the Bayou is New Orleans' Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral's Greek Fest. The Church's side yard stretching along the Bayou St. John and just across from City Park was the perfect place to host the Festival.

Zach and I did a Date night to attend the Festival, to "revisit" Greece, where we went on our Honeymoon!

It was no Greece, but we did have a great time! The food was marginal (Except for the Spanakopita and the Baklava Ice Cream Sundae - both of which were great!)...but then again the authentic stuff wasn't too great either. The wine was a little olive oily and the music was pretty pitchy, but all and all pretty true Greek!

Was it the best festival ever? No, but I'm a sucker for nostalgia...! Plus it was an absolutely beautiful evening and Zach and I had a great time eating, drinking and dancing our way back to our time in Greece!

Oak Times 2...

2011-05-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

I've been several times in the last year since its opening, but I managed to make it the Bar "Oak" on Oak Street twice this week! The first time was for Happy Hour to celebrate my Friend Emily's Birthday! They have great Happy Hour Specials - A Featured Red and White Wine and a Signature Cocktail!

Me, Rebecca, Amanda, Jesse, Nina and the Birthday Girl Emily!

My second stop at Oak this week was as the second stop on the Abita Summer Pub Crawl introducing the Seasonal Wheat! Our first stop was GB's and the last was Carrollton Station - both were much more "Pub Crawl" than classy Oak! Also, Oak is laid out more for leisurely, comfortable wining and dining...not for 400 20-somethings chugging $1 beers...

It might not be the Pub Crawl kind of place, but Oak is one of my favorite little places now! So clean and crisp inside...not too crowded, plenty of wine and close to our apartment! I might not be going twice a week from now on, but more often...Absolutely!

Bayou Boogaloo!

2011-05-24T21:21:00.001-05:00

This weekend after the Girl Scout event, Zach and I met up with my work pal Noel and her husband to go to Bayou Boogaloo in Mid City. I wasn't exactly sure what a Boogaloo was (Apparently a style of Latin Dancing)...But I liked the name, so we went! Bayou Boogaloo is a Festival - Music, Crafts and Food - laid out along Bayou St. John in Mid City.

Being set up along the Bayou gave this Festival a very different feel from some of the other festivals because you had tons of people to came to the festival by boat...canoe...raft...and assorted water inflatables - so they could hang out and listen to the music in the water! Plus the water gave you a nice cool breeze!

But we had come for the music, one of my favorite bands in the city, Flow Tribe, was playing that night! So we made a point of doing our shopping and our eating in time to find a good place to lounge by the stage!

I Loved this Artist, Stephen Rue and his "Rouxster" Paintings! He also designed the Poster for the Festival this year.

The set up was kind of odd, because you had 3 music stages, but they were never playing at the same time...I'm not sure if that was a ploy to keep the crowd moving by all of the vendors...or if they didn't have enough bands to play 3 stages all weekend, but it was nice because we were able to grab a close stop with little competition because everyone was down at one of the other stages...genius.

Anyways, we had a great time a Bayou Boogaloo, the crowds weren't crazy, and the weather was perfect....I hope to see this festival grow in the future! Or maybe not, sometimes you have the cherish things before they get too popular!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad and Dijon Grilled Chicken!

2011-05-23T21:47:00.001-05:00

It has been a while since I've cooked...especially anything new, but tonight was a different story, I cooked and it was wonderful! As an entree we had Dijon Grilled Chicken and as a Side Dish we had this AMAZING Mediterranean Orzo Salad!

Dijon Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breast split in half
Salt and Pepper
5 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp Lite Mayo
Directions:
- Coat each Chicken Breast with S&P and a Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard.
- Grill Chicken until white all the way through
- Mix 1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard with 2 Tablespoons of Lite Mayo and 1 Tablespoon of Water
- Spread topping over each Chicken Breast and Enjoy!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Ingredients:
1 Cup uncooked Orzo Pasta
2 Cups Chopped Baby Spinach
1/2 Cup Chopped Oil Packed Sun Dried Tomato Halves
3 Tbsp Chopped Red Onion
3 Tbsp Chopped Pitted Kalamata Olives
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 6oz Jar of Artichoke Hearts undrained
3/4 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
Directions:
- Boil Water and Cook Orzo for 7 minutes.
- Mix all ingredients together, including the Artichoke Marinade!

Hats off the Our Volunteers!

2011-05-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the Girl Scouts hosted a Hats Off to Our Volunteers Luncheon at Our McFadden Cabin in City Park! It was a little Hot and a Little Sticky but we had a great time and we had a great turn out too!

With Some of my CoWorkers in the Membership Department! Anita, Carmen, Me, Lerin and Noel!

But more than anything it was a great way for us to say Thank You to all of our Wonderful Leaders, who give so much time to help the girls in their community, and Honor some of our most exceptional Volunteers!

August!

2011-05-17T20:28:00.001-05:00

New Orleans is a city known for its food and its gourmet restaurants with thier traditional elegance...the Commanders Palaces, Court of Two Sisters, the Brennans...but a new generation of Restaurants have come to the forefront of the NOLA culinary scene in recent years, restaurants who stray from tradition in every possible way! This last weekend while my mom was in town we got the opportunity to go to Chef John Besh's August, one of the city's best new generation of restaurants!

I had heard great things, but our dinner was amazing, absolutely wonderful...even better than I had hoped! We started with their Fried Oysters and "The Best Thing I Ever Ate: In a Bowl" Gnocchi with Blue Crab and Perigold Truffles. The Gnocchi was so tender it melted in my mouth, add the creaminess of the truffles and crab, it was perfect!

My entree was amazing too! Sugar and Spice Duckling served with Stone Ground Grits, Roasted Duck Foie Gras, Candied Strawberries and Collard Greens!

My mom had wanted a Softshell Crab all weekend, and luckily she got one on her last night, that was also amazing!

But the best thing that we had that night...and not going to lie one of the best things I have ever had was the Napoleon or Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Mousse and Caramel brittle topped with Salted Toffee Ice Cream, it was THE perfect mix of Sweet and Salty! No joke I've had a craving for it everyday since we had it! August was amazing and I cant wait to go back...and hopefully soon!

Houmas House!

2011-05-15T21:09:00.000-05:00

The Second River Road Plantation Home that my mom and I made it to was Houmas House!

Houmas House was completed in 1828 by Revolutionary War hero Wade Hampton (Ring any bells my South Carolina Loves? You always here the names of schools but never think about them being real people!)

The house was absolutely beautiful. It had tons of unique touches, for starters, its Yellow (usually you just see White homes...) and had many interesting architectural elements like this beautiful nautilus spiral staircase!

The current owner of the House, who I would love to meet because I know he has to be fabulous, has done a wonderful job of tracking down pieces that were original to the home and purchasing them so that they can be returned to their original home! Much of the furniture as you make your way through the home are "reclaimed" originals. That mixed in with some contemporary touches like Gallery walls, almost give you the impression you have walked back into an 19th century art museum!

Clearly a Collector and Lover of the Arts, the new owner also has a flair for Landscape Design and has done a wonderful job of having some unique touches put into the gardens as well!

I was surprised to make my way behind the house and away from its towering oaks to see this Japanese inspired garden and Lily Pond!

I was even more surprised once we got up to the pagoda to find either a Chihuly or Chihuly inspired chandelier there! You expect to see very traditional manicured topiary gardens at a Plantation Home...the fact that they decided to step outside the box was wonderful!

The home did have its more traditional gardens that surrounded the Fountain Courtyard immediately behind the home, but most of Houmas House's Gardens were beautiful hodge podges of indigenous flora, thrown together like an intentional wildflower garden. I say intentional because it wasn't like they just threw a mix of wildflower seeds outside to see what would grow, the gardens were bountiful with little pockets of different plants (that apparently they change out seasonally so there is always something in bloom!).

I know Oak Alley gets alot of attention for being "THE" plantation outside of New Orleans...but I have to say these two lesser known gems sparkled just as much (and with fewer crowds!)...Houmas House maybe even more that Oak Alley! Houmas House also apparently has a FANTASTIC Restaurant inside the House that I would love to come back up and go to...the House and gardens themselves are well worth a second visit!

Nottoway Plantation!

2011-05-14T21:42:00.001-05:00

On Monday of my Mom's visit this last weekend we drove up to see some of the River Road Plantations! We had already been to the most famous of these Plantations, Oak Alley, and while it is stunning we opted for some of the lesser known but just as beautiful Plantation homes!

Our First stop was Nottoway Plantation, the White Castle of White Castle, LA! At 53,000 square feet it is also the largest of the River Road Plantations still in existence.

Not only was the exterior impressive, but the inside was beautifully renovated too! My favorite room was the White Ballroom - decorated just as it would have been back in Nottoway's Day!

While the light fixtures are original to the home, most of the other furniture and decorative accessories are not. I was a little disappointed to find this out, especially since the home was decorated so beautifully, but after a series of 6 owners in 150 years its impressive that the original pieces that are in the home have been able to be retrieved!

One of the other unique things about Nottoway is that the home has been turned into a Bed and Breakfast, and you actually stay in the home instead of just being on site!

I was impressed with Nottoway inside and out, what a beautiful American treasure!

Jazz Fest!

2011-05-12T22:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday Me, Zach and my Mom spent all day at the New Orleans FairGrounds at JazzFest!

Second only to Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest is the largest event on the New Orleans social calendar and I was amazed by the the crowds...early estimates say that there were 125,000 on Saturday alone.

One of the things I was most surprised by was that Jazz Fest is more than just Music. They have at least 50 craft vendors (and different stuff...not the usual New Orleans Art Market vendors) and food...tons of food! My favorite? Crawfish Bread...like a Crawfish and Cheese Calzone. But they had Gumbo, Jambalaya, Boiled Crawfish, PoBoys of every imaginable type - Zach had a Fried Gator, Onion and Jalapeno one!

The Crafts and the Food weren't the only surprises...we also got to see the Mardi Gras Indians parade!

But the main attraction, for us at least, was the Jimmy Buffett show - The Grand Finale on the Second Saturday.

As always, Jimmy was fantastic. His fans were out of control and alot of fun to get to know while we waited for him to start. Jimmy epitomized Jazz Fest - Drinking, Smoking, Eating and having too much Fun! I hope next years lineup is as good as this year's!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to have my Mom in town this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day!

We went to Brunch at Commanders Palace on the Big day, but we had a super busy weekend with JazzFest and visiting Plantations too!

We've been to dinner at Commanders several times, but this was the first time we had been for Brunch and it was amazing ~ I left absolutely stuffed!

Mom "won" the appetizer round with the Fresh Fruit Parfait ~ Candied Berries in a Brandy Honey syrup in this Crispy Pecan Tuile...

My entree was fantastic too! Lox with Poached Eggs in Lemony Caper Sauce on top of a fried Bagel!

Needless to say, after such a huge brunch we spent most of the day relaxing in the apartment...I had gotten a bit too much sun at JazzFest the day before (notice to color difference between my arms and legs...yah...) so some inside time was needed! But more about that later!

Fit for a Royal!

2011-05-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I have Blogged at all, and a really long time since I've taken the time to write about the Wedding stuff that I have been stalking, but I'm back. Zach has his last Final exam today, but while he has been studying I've been distracting myself with Desperate Housewives. I've vaguely followed the show over the years but have been taking the time to watch the show start to finish. DH in addition to scrapbooking all of my Pre-Wedding parties and Honeymoon has left me VERY distracted over the last few weeks.

I did take a break, along with all of America?, from both to become completely obsessed with the Royal Wedding! From Pre-Wedding coverage to the Lifetime Movie, I think I've watched it all! I watched the Today Show coverage Live, the Good Morning America Coverage later during the day and the E! coverage during the Royal Wedding Party I hosted later in the weekend. Each time I have gotten re-emotional all over again - it truly was a beautiful day!

I'm not sure the wedding met all of my expectations...I had hoped we would have gotten a glimpse into the receptions, I also was a little disappointed with Kate's Bouquet and the flowers at the wedding as a generality. I loved the trees lining the aisle of Westminster Abbey, but aside from that there wasn't much to the decor. I was really looking forward to the beginning of some new Wedding traditions and fads!

My two favorite moments of the day were Kate's "Wow!" as she walked onto the Balcony of Buckingham Palace and their everyday "getaway" in the decorated convertible! Both really drove it home that these really are just two young Love Birds regardless of their Royal status!

Keg Hunting in Mid City!

2011-04-19T10:47:00.002-05:00

Sunday we spent the day doing the NOLA Brewery's 3rd Annual Easter Keg Hunt!
Last year the Hunt was through the French Quarter, but I kind of enjoyed the Change of scenery and being able to explore Mid City - a interesting area of town the I don't often frequent! Last year we zig-zagged all around the Quarter, but this year was so much better because the clues had us traveling in a much more organized "C" that kept the walking/back tracking to a minimum.

CLUE: "Head over here and you won't see any sad or droopy faces. Only great beer on draft and in the cases."

The Hunt left from City Park right by Delgado College and headed straight to The Bulldog. I'm used to the Bulldog on Magazine, but was pleasantly surprised with its Mid City location. The patio wasn't as great for people watching, but there was significantly more room inside. Instead of having a dark cramped pub feel inside, it was more like a men's smoking lounge with big comfy sofas and gentle lamp lighting!

CLUE: "This place can be spooky, but march on and be brave. Follow the calls of l'chaim from beyond the grave."

Next stop was the Gates of Prayer Cemetery, the oldest Jewish cemetery in the city. Clearly random, but interesting...definitely not something I would have ever discovered on my own!

CLUE: "A cozy place to watch the game and grab a beer? This place will no fall short. But this is not the place to go to find a cognac or a 'port'"

The Next Stop was the Mid City Yacht Club...which contrary to the name was not on the water, but a cute little hole in the wall bar in a slightly sketchy area. It did have some interesting infused alcohol though: Skittles Rum, Bacon Bourbon, and Veggie Vodka perfect for Bloody Mary's!

"No matter which side of the pond you are from you can watch your 'football' here. It's a lovely place to throw darts, disappear, and grab a proper pint of beer."

From the Yacht Club we hit up the Lemonade Parade on Carrollton, The Gambit building and Finn McCool's. We assumed that Finns would be one of the stops...and had kind of thought about just going their first to get a head start, but figured we would have missed all of the fun of exploring earlier...plus you need a souvenir (match book, napkin etc.) from each location to get into the final stop.

We did take an extended pit stop at Finns before heading to the Jefferson Davis Statue and finally the Bayou Beer Garden where we found the Easter Kegs!

This year they gave away prizes for First, Second and Third to Finish...along with Last Place, but also prizes for the best team name and costumes! My Favorite were the "Eastern Eggs" who all had on Indian style clothing (think Saris and turbans) but with bunny ears and tails! One of the "Eastern Eggs" had on a name tag denoting that he was a "Hare"Krishna! Too funny! Next year I want to do costumes too!

Back at Bacchanal!

2011-04-17T18:54:00.000-05:00

On Saturday Night Zach was able to break himself away from his studies long enough for us to grab dinner with two of his Law School Friends, Jordan and Courtney. Saturday was absolutely beautiful and there was nowhere better to embrace the perfect weather than at Bacchanal!

We started off with Seafood Ceviche - Black Drum, Baby Octapus, Calamari and Shrimp marinating in this wonderful Cilantro Lime juice...unbelievably flavorful and refreshing!

Our entrees were equally as awesome - Grilled Steak with Fingerling Potatoes and Rosemary Pork Chop with Greek Salad - top notch!

We had planned on having a quick night out, dinner and then home to study more...well the four of us poured through four bottles of wine...and then found ourselves out at bars in the Uptown...oops?

Whats Cookin?!

2011-04-16T17:42:00.000-05:00

I never wrote about this because I didn't have any photos...until Now...when I found out that I had made it into St. Charles Avenue Magazine (in February...guess I missed that edition...)!

Back in November I volunteered along with other Kappa Alpha Theta Alums in the New Orleans area to work the "What's Cookin with CASA" Silent Auction! In addition to being an Advisor for Thetas at the Tulane, I am also the CASA Chair for the New Orleans area Theta Alumni Chapter. Because of the later position I am in charge of the Silent Auction at the Event...well this year I just worked the event, but for the 2011 event I'll be in charge of getting silent auction pieces for the event! What's Cookin with CASA was a wonderful event with cooking demonstrations and food from some of the city's best restaurants (Bayona, Cochon, Dorignac’s, Herbsaint)...plus booze. Not going to lie, these charity events, and their open bars may be an untapped avenue for the future...

NOLA's Largest Happy Hour!

2011-04-14T22:37:00.000-05:00

When Kermit Ruffins took the stage at this week's Wednesday at the Square, he thanked the crowd for the opportunity to play at "The City's Largest Happy Hour!" And I'm not going to lie, I look forward to spending my Wednesday evenings for the next 2 months in the CBD's Lafayette Square at Wednesdays at the Square!

We missed the first 2 Squares (work, work WORK!), but I'm glad that we were able to make it this week to see Kermit Ruffins ~ One of my favorite local Celebs and Musicians!

Not only that, the weather was perfect! I'm amazed to see just how much Wednesdays in the Square has grown just since we've been going! They've even had to move the food vendors across the street to allow for more room in the Square! It is impossible to go without running into several people you know!

French Quarter Fest!

2011-04-13T09:59:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Me, Zach and an estimated 600,000 people headed to the French Quarter for the 28th Annual French Quarter Festival!

For the First time the Festival stretched 4 days and had 18 stages...Far larger than the festival had ever been before!

You had everything from the Large Stages along the Riverfront to Tents pitched on Bourbon, Royal and Chartres with a more niche offering.

French Quarter Festival Attracts an audiences from all walks of life. NOLA Natives to Tourists from all over. Rich and Poor. Black, White and Hispanic. Children to elderly - Like the Girl Scouts' own Ms. Sally Bennett who I ran into taking in some of FQF's wonderful music!

With so many different stages, there was also a wide variety of music being offered too, insuring that their was something for everyone!

The Wild Magnolias!

My preference tends to be for the Hip-Hop inspired Brass Bands, but I also love the Traditional Acadian peppered Zydeco "Swamp Music" - which had a French Cajun influence but a Bluegrass sound!

And while the people tend to focus on the Music at FQF, it wouldn't be a true celebration of the French Quarter if there wasn't also a focus on the Visual Arts and our city's Food!

BBQ and Bourbon Shrimp PoBoy from Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse that was well worth our wait!

Many of the city's best restuarants (and bars too!) have vendor tents along the Riverfront, at the Mint, and in Jackson Square, so that you are never too far from food and beverages!

One of my highlights every year is the Rouses Crawfish Boil...$8 for a pile of Crawfish, Potatoes, Corn and Sausage! They may be messy, but it just isn't spring for me now without a Crawfish Boil!

Debris PoBoy topped with picked red onions from Boucherie! We also had their Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding!

New Orleans is becoming so trendy in the (pardon my pun) wake of Katrina, that tourists are looking for ANY reason to pour into our city and FQF is a great one! This was our 3rd FQF...2 while living down here, and our first was while visiting the city when Zach was scoping Law Schools. French Quarter Festival is one of the reasons we fell in love with this city, and for good reason - it does showcase all of the best facets of our wonderful home! I look forward to our 4th, a French Quarter Festival that is sure to be bigger and better each year!

Slacking...

2011-04-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry! I've been Majorly Slacking in my posts again. Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day is coming up and I have been making TONS of Cake Truffles and Chocolate Covered Pretzels for my Volunteers, in addition to writing over a hundred Thank You notes!

In addition to all of my baking/candy making I did have a good weekend. On Friday we had Dinner at Gordon Biersch then went to House of Blues to see Country Jam Band, Reckless Kelly. It was my first time seeing Reckless Kelly...well I'll be honest it was my first time hearing of them too! But they were really good - kind of had a Corey Smith vibe! I wish I had gotten the opportunity to Dance more...I was too busy talking with the girls we came with, but we had a wonderful time!

On Saturday morning, bright and early I headed over the the Westbank to Scrappin Friendzee for a Crop Day with some of my Volunteers. I have yet to Scrap book Our Wedding...or Our Honeymoon...or my Pre-Wedding Parties - so that is what I focused on! Unfortunately I only got through 4 parties (in the 14 hours that I was there...), so I'll have to go back another weekend!

I've got a busy week and then French Quarter Fest is this Weekend which should be Fantastic!

Spicy Potatoes with Peas and Chicken!

2011-03-29T18:51:00.001-05:00

Mmmm...Another Everyday Foods Recipe ~ Spicy Potatoes with Peas and Chicken!

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin

- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground Coriander (couldn't find so I just had to grind my own...with out a mortar and pistol...which I also couldn't find...)

- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (it called for half as much but I really liked the spice)

- 1 pound potatoes cut into 3/4 inch pieces

- Salt and Pepper

- 1 bag of Frozen Peas

- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil

- 2 Chicken Breasts cut in half (Recipe called for chicken thighs...but I don't like dark grisly meat with bones...not my cup of tea)

- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

- 2 tablespoon Cilantro

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a small bowl mix together Cumin, Coriander and Cayenne
- In a medium pot bring salted water to a boil with the potatoes until tender.
- Remove potatoes from the water and add the peas, cook for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile in an ovenproof pan heat oil over medium high heat and cook chicken breasts on each side for 5 minutes.
- Cook chicken in oven for 25 minutes.
- Once chicken is cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
- Add Spice mix and potatoes to the left over fat in the Chicken Pan. Cook until potatoes are golden, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in peas, Lemon Juice and Cilantro. Top with the Chicken.

This was a really tasty dish...but I do wish it had been a little bit spicier, maybe if I had used a little Tabasco. Before moving to Louisiana I would have NEVER complained about something not being spicy enough, I guess my tastes really have changed!

Louisiana Derby!

2011-03-27T18:32:00.002-05:00

After I had such a great time at the Starlight Race last week, I insisted that Zach go with me to see the Louisiana Derby with me on Saturday!

The Derby had a very different feel from last week's Starlight Races.

Starlight had a fun "Club" feel with a much younger crowd. Now even though there were substantially more people at the Derby Day...they were much more focused on the races, and for good reason.

The Louisiana Derby is a really big deal...its a qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby! And thus people were REALLY into the race, which just made me more into it too! I actually started watching the races to see how the bets on the horses changed, and even placed a few bets of my own! As the horses reached the finish line people went crazy, it was sooo exciting!

There was still Fun at the Derby too. Down in the Miller Beer Garden they were hosting a party called "Fillies, Fashion and Fizz!" and if you were "Dressed to Impress" you got free champagne! They also had a Fashion Show and vendors selling hats! It was too cute!

After we got home from the Derby we met up with Friends Rebecca and Jacob for Dinner at Figaro! Figaro is only a Couple of blocks from our Apartment, and was quite a surprise actually...really good!Three bottles of wine later we were on our way to Le Bon Ton Roule and then finished off the evening with some cheese fries at F &M's...it was definitely a fun Saturday!

Most Valuable Burger...and Shakes!

2011-03-26T18:49:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I'm just now writing about my last week's MVBurger Outing!

We've been to MVBurger before, but this week was super special because their featured Milk Shake was the "Fat Mint" made with Sucre Mint Chocolate Chip Gelato and Thin Mint Cookies! All in honor of Girl Scout Cookie Season!

The Shake was TO DIE FOR! (Sadly they had run out by the time I was ordering Zach's to go order, I was MVBing with Girls...Zach was Jealous all around...) But so was last weeks Burger...the "Get in My PortaBelly Burger"! Topped with grilled portabellos, braised leeks, lemon and artichoke aioli, and goat cheese that Burger was Wonderful! We've now learned that you can get a Double Patty Burger if you ask to make yours "Huskey"...I still opt for the regular Burger, but Zach is a Huskey kinda guy!

Krewe of Barkus!

2011-03-24T23:06:00.001-05:00

This Carnival. while my parents were in town, we went to the Krewe of Barkus Parade!

Barkus, as the name may suggest, is a Dog and Master only parade through the French Quarter.

But Barkus is far from a traditional Mardi Gras Parade.

There aren't really any Floats other than the Queen's Throne Float, so most of the participant walk through the Parade.

Tiny Chihuahua in a Hanging Basket!

And the only "throws" are the occasional dog treat to the hundreds of canine onlookers.

Barkus is actually more like an enormous Dog Costume party - Each year with a different theme.

"Piddlers" on the Roof!

Past themes have included "The Wizard of Paws" "Raiders of the Lost Bark" and "Lifestyles of the Bitch and Famous".

This year the theme was "A Broadway Tail" which was a wonderful excuse to dress the pups up in Broadway themed costumes!

I was really amazed at the outpouring of attendees for what I had assumed would be a silly niche parade in the Quarter, but there were thousands in attendance - many of whom with their own dogs!

My Favorite Pup of the Day!

My Parents, and especially my mother enjoyed the Parade so much, she even discussed bringing our Goldens down from Tennessee to participate next year! With or without them this concept is sure to grow and Barkus will be even bigger and better next year!

Mardi Gras Skirt!

2011-03-23T09:45:00.000-05:00

Yall, I am so behind on Blogging! I've been working and Partying too much to write! My mom just reminded me that I hadn't Blogged about my Mardi Gras Skirt...or for that matter, most of their visit to New Orleans 3 weeks ago!

After Last years Mardi Gras I had been looking for crafty ways to use my Mardi Gras Beads. I made a Mardi Gras Wreath...but I wanted to do something else! People wear Crazy Costumes during Mardi Gras (see the guy above in his Armor made out of Doubloons!) so I thought what would be better than to cover a skirt in Mardi Gras Beads!

I spent pretty much all of the Summer and Fall looking for a skirt that I could use to cover...I wanted cheap and a solid color but pretty much everything I could find were those skirts with the big elastic bands and I was worried that the weight of the beads...it might fall off? So I ended up making a skirt. Yes I made an article of clothing with nothing but stitch witchery, my hair straightener and a little tread!

I wanted it to have a large waistband so that it would fit tight around my waist (again to make sure it stayed up) and I also fashioned it with large pleats so that it was poofier and so they maybe next year I can put a big petticoat on under it...

Initially I wanted to cover the entire skirt in beads...and not just do Polka Dots, but the skirt got pretty heavy the more beads I added. I started by super gluing Doubloons on the skirt in no particular order, then sewing strings of beads around the Doubloon by making a stitch between each bead. It was pretty time consuming, but I was very happy how it turned out, and I received so many complements! I wore it for Muses on Thursday and had planned on wearing it on Fat Tuesday too, but they called for bad weather and I didn't want to risk it getting messed up...there is always next year!

Starlight Racing!

2011-03-22T16:44:00.000-05:00

Friday night me and some girlfriends decided to head off the the Races!

The Horse Races! At the Louisiana Fair Grounds! I guess I had just always thought that the Fair Grounds were just the Home of Jazz Fest, but it is also home to a beautiful horse arena!

Since we were a little clueless about the whole lay of the land...what and where to go...we watched the first couple of races from the Clubhouse which was really quite beautiful inside!

But by the end of the night we had made our way down to the track level and into the Miller Beer Garden where there were several food trucks including the Boucherie Purple Truck and Taceaux Loceaux as well as this really cool Club scene.

At times I hardly realized there were horse races going on...I wish I had known about these Starlight Races earlier, because this is the last of the Season (there was one every month since December)! Next year though, I'll be at each one!

After the race we hit up Monkey Hill and then F&M's...yet another night that devolved into a trip to F&M's!

This Saturday is the Louisiana Derby, and I cant wait! I asked around at the Girl Scouts and one of my co-workers reccomended a hat store, and now I have my Derby Hat too!

Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops!

2011-03-21T16:40:00.001-05:00

The Second of my Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipes that I tried also featured Pineapple...This time it was Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops!

Ingredients

- 1 whole pineapple (I didn't buy a real Pineapple, but in the produce section they had a whole pineapple already de-spiked and that's what I bought...)

- 1 Bunch Scallions

- 1 Small Habanero or 1 Large Jalapeno Chili - Stemmed and Seeded

- 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme

- 2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

- 2 Teaspoons Ground Allspice

- 4 Pork Chops (The Recipe calls for bone in...but I think bones are messy, so we used 2 Butterflied Pork Chops)

- Salt and Pepper to Taste

- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil

Directions
- Cut 4 1/2 thick rounds from the Pineapple. Set Aside
- Cut the Remaining Pineapple into Large Chunks - Add to a Food Processor Along with Scallions, Chile, Thyme, Garlic, Allspice and Pulse until Coarsely Chopped.

- Season Pork with Salt and Pepper and Place in Dish along with Pineapple Rounds. Top with 1/2 of the Pineapple Marinade. Cover with Plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

- In a Large Non-Stick Skillet heat Olive Oil.
- Scrap off Marinade and add Pineapple and Pork to Hot Oil. Cook until browned and cooked through - about 10 minutes. Flip once half way through.

- Serve Pork and Pineapple with the rest of the Pineapple Marinade and Enjoy!

I used a Jalapeno...and I kinda wished I had "Kicked it up a Notch" and used a Habanero instead. I think the dish could have used a bit more spice than it had - but over all very good! Definitely a dish I will repeat!

Sweet and Spicy Salmon!

2011-03-19T16:40:00.001-05:00

For Christmas my Grandmother got me subscriptions to both Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food. And I'm not going to lie I never realized just how much I would Like Everyday Food - each month new and wonderful recipes! The perfect thing to keep things new and dynamic in the Kitchen!

This week I made Everyday Food's Broiled Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Pineapple!

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup

- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- 1 pound Salmon filet

- Salt and Pepper

- Fresh Pineapple Rings

- 1 Lime

Directions

- Spray a Cookie Sheet with Pam and arrange Salmon and Pineapple Rings in a single layer.

- Mix together Cayenne Pepper with the Maple Syrup - brush half on Salmon and Pineapple

- Broil Salmon for 10 minutes, brush on more Syrup mixture half way through.

Ummm...so easy, and really tasty! I served mine with this WONDERFUL Tomato Uncle Ben's Rice and I was really impressed! The only thing I wish I had done differently was use REAL Maple Syrup. That's what the recipe calls for, but whenever I can, I try to cut calories ...I used Sugar Free Maple Syrup and I just feel like the Salmon would have browned up a little better and would have had alot more flavor if I'd gone with real maple syrup...but all in all, a recipe I'll definitely repeat! Also as a PS...this did NOT reheat well...wish I had used half the Salmon called for instead of trying to do leftovers!

St. Patty's Day Festivities!

2011-03-18T16:37:00.001-05:00

Port Cities mean two things...Seafood and Immigrants, and New Orleans, we've got people from what seems like every country...but what we've got alot of? Irish - which makes the New Orleans St. Patty's Day Celebrations right up there with other port city Irish Hot Spots like Savannah, New York and Boston!

This years Fun started the weekend before the 17th with the Irish Channel Parade which was just as much fun this year as it was Last! Drank too much, Listened to music from Bagpipes to U2, and got Kissed by a few boys (All in the name of being Irish)!

The goal for the end of the parade is to have collected all of the ingredients necessary to make a traditional Irish Stew...Potatoes, Cabbage, Carrots and Beer - which can be pretty dangerous projectiles off of a Float!

When we weren't Catching Beers, we were buying Green Beer, Green Jello Shots and Bailey's Chocolate Pudding Shots...Let me run that by you again - Chocolate Pudding, made with Bailey's and in Shot form -WOW how my college life would have been different had I known that sweet little trick!

On the Big Day I headed down as early as I could to the Magazine Street/Irish Channel Block Party. New Orleans always has its priorities in line - Drinking, Music and Partying will trump Traffic Rules, Regulations and Civil Obedience Any Day - And this Party Screwed them all up from 10am til 10pm!

I made the rounds with Laura, Kalin and their Law School Friends (since Zach was in class til 8...exactly why I never went to Law School...it would interfere with my Social Calendar too much!). We made many new friends and celebrated all of the best of being Irish!

New Friends!

2011-03-12T20:44:00.001-06:00

One of the best things about hanging out on the Parade Route all day are the people that you meet (great for networking)...but also the kids that you get to play with.

I made friends with Nike, a Kindergartner that really wanted Footballs off the floats...So for the rest of the day I screamed for Footballs til I was hoarse. We watched the parades together all day on Sunday. I even got him to play the instruments in the band that got stuck in front of us while the parade was broken down! I was a ~~little~~ very disappointed in his mother who completely ignored him - but he had me!

Zach also made friends...but with a little girl named Britton who was ABSOLUTELY adorable during the Lundi Gras parades!

I continue to hold fast to my Rule...Zach Graduates...Gets a Job...We buy a House...Adopt a Dog...And then, and only then do we have Kids...but Nike and Britton kinda made me wish I could fast forward...but just a little bit...

The Crowning Glory!

2011-03-11T20:45:00.000-06:00

When I have a spare minute I do enjoy reading...and not just Blogs and Magazines, but actual living breathing paper books. Since Moving to New Orleans, I've found that I love the "Louisiana Living" niche of books. I just finished reading Rebecca Wells' latest : The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder.

You've probably heard of Rebecca Wells from the Ya~Ya Sisterhood Books and Movie - which are also set in Louisiana (Note to Self: Need to go back and read those...I Loved them the First Time around!) and The Crowning Glory had a similar feel. It follows a Young Woman, Calla Lily Ponder from her childhood in "La Luna, LA" through love and loss to Beauty School in New Orleans! It was a really fun read - I thought the first half of the book was much more well written than the latter, but all the little details about NOLA were fun! Definitely a good Beach Book!

New This Year!

2011-03-10T20:33:00.000-06:00

Many Things made this Year's Mardi Gras very different from Last Year...

Last Year I went in with some girls from work on a Mardi Gras Apartment just a Block off of the Parade Route...which was the perfect place to store all of our stuff, and use the bathroom. This year our Coordinator was Preggers for Mardi Gras (But Congrats to Meghan on Beautiful little Molly Jane!) so we did it alone - and even braved using Porta-Potties!

With no place to rest our weary feet during the Parades, we ended up bring camp chairs to the route everyday. Staying out on the route between parades turned out to be a wonderful way to meet new people by chatting with our "neighbors" around us! Zach got this great one last year as a Groomsman present from Jesse Dubberly - Two Chairs with a Cooler in the middle - Perfect!

Last year I wasn't so great with pacing myself. I wasn't exactly aware that Mardi Gras would be quite the Marathon that it is...and I didn't make it to Tuesday...

But this year I did! While I didn't costume myself, I loved seeing all the ridiculous costumes people were wearing out on Fat Tuesday. From kids to adults...even the elderly were embracing the crazy!

With "Santa" and the "Tooth Fairy"!

Since I was a little better at pacing myself this year, I was also up for going out on Bourbon on Mardi Gras Night, to take advantage of all of its...assets?

After a night of people watching, dancing and drinking, by midnight when the cops cleared out Bourbon for Ash Wednesday I was ready to go home and crash. It was a long week, but I cant wait til next year!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

2011-03-09T20:41:00.002-06:00

I'm slowly recovering from what was an awesome Mardi Gras Weekend!

Contrary to what you might think...Mardi Gras is a Marathon not just one crazy night, and this year, I did a far better job or pacing myself, to get through the Marathon!

Last year we had a huge crew in town...this year just one of my Clemson Bests, Kate Hausmann and we had a Blast!

Despite the fact that we partied smarter this year...I'm still exhausted and our apartment is a TOTAL disaster zone!

Lundi Gras night involved an intoxicated attempt at cooking my "Commanding Kabobs" which has left the Kitchen covered in Mustard, Honey and trimmings or Onion. And yah...I'm Blogging instead of actually cleaning it up!

Now Lent is start and I need to suck it up and detox both my body and life!

More about Mardi Gras to come!

Mardi Gras 2011 Part 1!

2011-03-01T23:14:00.002-06:00

This weekend was not only the first weekend of Mardi Gras! but my parents were also in town!

My parents...well especially my mom, really wanted to experience "Mardi Gras" but...I didn't exactly want them here during the "real" Mardi Gras...So I encouraged them to come down for the first weekend of parades to get a little taste of the season!

Maybe when I'm older...or have "baggage" Mardi Gras will be a little more "parent friendly"...

Anyways we had a great first weekend of Mardi Gras with my parents! Going to parades! Exploring the Quarter! And going out to wonderful restauruants! More to come!

25 Years Wasted!

2011-02-22T10:01:00.000-06:00

Yeah...Almost the story of my Life! But no I'm talking about the Krewe Du Vieux Parade and its theme for this year!

Last year we kind of stumbled upon the parade when Zach's Parents were in town, but we enjoyed it so much we had to head back down to the Quarter for it this year!

I genuinely think that it is the Best Parade during Carnival!

Not because of the Throws (which usually include baughty things like Condoms, humorous stickers, and "cigarette" rolling papers) or the lavish floats (theirs are the traditional paper~mache floats as opposed to the flashy fiberglass)...

But because of the Themes! The Costumes! The Sarcasm! The Satire!

I also like the fact that it is the only parade that goes through the Quarter! So it is even more lively on the tight streets!

Of course this year included quite a bit of BP criticism, TSA body scan parodies, as well as the long time favorite Ray Nagin satire.

Kudos to one of the only parades to make you think and laugh out loud...that is far from 25 Years Wasted!

Bacchanal

2011-02-19T20:16:00.000-06:00

I went back and Looked through all of my earlier Blog entries and realized that I have NEVER written about Bacchanal!

Bacchanal is one of my Favorite spots in New Orleans, its a Patio Wine Bar, with Live Music and Wonderful food - it is everything I could want in an evening out. We've been several times over the last year, but I guess I never got around to blogging about it!

I first heard of Bacchanal through the TV show Treme. It is featured several times as both a music venue and an outlet for chef Janette Desautel once her own restaurant closed. But in real life it represents everything wonderful about New Orleans.

Bacchanal from goNOLA.com on Vimeo.

Located in the 9th Ward, from the street Bacchanal is just a wine store. Like the above video says, you select your bottle grab a few glasses and head out into their courtyard. Its nothing fancy - a fenced in yard, with a few trees strung with white lights, and a rag tag assortment of Wrought Iron tables and chairs but there is something that makes it almost magical!

In one corner you have a Jazz Band playing away, but not the kind of band you go to see...the kind of band that is the perfect background music for dinner, drinks and conversation. In another corner you have the grill where Chef Joaquin Rodes is cooking up his weekly menu, unless its Sunday when a Guest chef takes over the cooking!

The weather lately has been perfect...absolutely perfect! Sunny, in the 70's, breezy...I mean literally perfect! Which made us think that this Friday night would be an amazing night to head to Bacchanal. Well others had the same idea and it was crowded, but not uncomfortably so...We grabbed a table and had new friends join us shortly (its rude for two to take up a table that could seat 8!). We started out with a Bottle of a French Rose (not to be confused with some White Zinfindel...) and a cheese plate. Inside the wine shop there is a small refrigerator of cheeses for you to choose from, buy the cheese and for $5 extra you get a platter of grilled breads and olives to go with. They somehow grill their bread so that it is warm and crusty but still soft and chewy!

For our Entrees we split the Pork Shoulder Chops on top of Braised Collard Greens.

And the Grilled Filet atop Cooked Brussels Sprouts, Strawberries and Bacon with a Citrus Pecan Sauce...Yum.

Bacchanal is a wonderful taste of all New Orleans has to offer...I love it and will continue to visit on a regular basis!

Gumbo!

2011-02-18T21:33:00.000-06:00

I've become quite fond of many of the "traditional" Louisiana Foods. I try to have Red Beans and Rice every Monday, Crawfish has become a favorite, and I crave the desserts like Pralines and Bread Pudding. But more than anything else, I love Gumbo, which is odd because as a generality I hate Soup. The idea of being able to drink your main course grosses me out a bit...I'll wait my time to have to eat a liquid only diet...But Gumbo, doesn't have the same anti-allure.

This week I have tried my hand at making my own Gumbo...and I have to admit it turned out great. It might not be your traditional Gumbo...more of a "Gumbo Inspired Stew" but it was Wonderful!

Ingredients
1 Box Zatarain's Gumbo Base
1 Baked Chicken Breast
Leftover Pork Tenderloin (2 pork chop sized slices)
2 Andouille Sausage Links
1 Can of Kidney Beans
1 Diced Bell Pepper (Generally you would use Green...but I prefer Red)
1/2 Diced Onion
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Directions
1. In a large Pot add the Zatarain's Gumbo Base to 6 Cups of Water and the 2 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil. Bring to a boil.
2. In the meantime brown the Andouille Sausage (I went ahead and cut it up into small bite sizes, cutting each slice into quarters).
3. Allow the Onion and Bell Pepper to cook with the Sausage.
4. Once the Gumbo Base is Boiling, add the Cooked Sausage, Onion, Pepper, cut up Chicken and Pork and Beans.
5. Simmer over Low heat for at least 30 minutes, Serve over Rice.

One of the Great things about Gumbo is that you can throw in just about anything...I had the chicken and the Pork just sitting in the refrigerator so I threw it in too, but it would have been just as good with just the sausage!

The Gumbo I made ended up being enough for us to eat 3 meals each off of, and kept very well in the refrigerator. Quick, Easy and Affordable - the Perfect Meal!

Cake Truffles!

2011-02-16T19:59:00.001-06:00

Last Summer at Zach's Friend Eric's Wedding we had these adorable little Cake Truffles at the Rehearsal Dinner. Decorated in the weddings colors they were tasty and festive! I've been looking for a fun occasion to make some myself and I finally found it! I am now serving as the Vice President of Education Adviser for the Tulane Chapter of my Sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. For the first meeting of the Chapter's "New Girls" I brought my own Cafe Truffles!

I made 4 different types of Cake Truffles, Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Icing, Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing, Chocolate Cake with White Icing, and Finally Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Icing! The First step is to Bake the Cake, just according to the Box Directions or whatever Recipe that you want to use! Pop the cake out of the pans, break it up into chunks and just let it set out to dry over night. Note that I said DRY and not Cool.

Take your now slightly dried out Cake and crumble it up. It will still be kind of moist but should crumble easily.

For each Box of Cake, Mix in 1 can of Icing in whatever flavor that you wish. The Icing serves to congeal the cake and turn it into the consistency of Cookie Dough.

Create small balls of the Cake/Icing "Dough". Place on Cookie Sheet, Cover with Saran Wrap and allow to harden in the Refrigerator for at least an hour.

In the Baking aisle you should be able to find Candy Coating or Chocolate Bark in both White and Milk Chocolate. Melt several Squares of the Chocolate in the Microwave. It usually takes 2 minutes to melt, and I stir halfway through so that the Chocolate does not scorch.

Drop each Cake "ball" in the Liquid Chocolate, cover completely and allow to cool on Wax Paper (this is VERY important. Not only does it help with Cleanup but prevents the balls from becoming "glued" to the cookie sheets.

Finally I added a little bit of Food Coloring to the White Chocolate to give the Truffles a Decorative Touch. Sometimes The Food Coloring will cause the chocolate to harden...you can add a little Crisco to the chocolate to keep it creamy and runny enough to use to drizzle on the Truffles!

These Cake Truffles turned out almost perfect on my first try so I look forward to another opportunity to make them again!

MVBurgers!

2011-02-14T21:01:00.000-06:00

I wrote a few weeks ago about Pizza Delicious, the "pop up" Pizza Joint down in the Bywater (that has become so popular that they are now open on Thursdays too!). This weekend we tried another new "pop up" hot spot in town, MVBurger.

Most people know Slim Goodies as a greasy Diner Breakfast Spot on Magazine Street right by the Bulldog. But as good as it is...it is never open for dinner.

But now on Sunday nights beginning at 5pm and lasting until the burgers run out, Slim Goodies is playing host to MVBurgers.

Every week MVBurger tweets their weekly Special Burger that lines up next to their standard Burger and Cheeseburger. In addition to a wonderfully crafted Burgers they also have Shakes (made with Sucre's Gelato).

This week was our first MVBurger Experience and it was fantastic. The Special Burger was topped with Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions and Bacon - which was out of this world, flavorful and Juicy. The Specialty Shake was Cookies and Cream, and we also had their "Delta Foose Fries" - thin cut fries topped with chili and...wait for it...Pimento Cheese. Wonderful. This may have to become a new Sunday Night Tradition!

Bistro Daisy!

2011-02-14T20:03:00.000-06:00

Zach and I Celebrated Valentines Day early this year, with a date night out on Saturday Night.

Me and My Plaquemines Parish Volunteers

We started the evening by swinging by my Westbank Service Unit's Girl Scout Father Daughter Dances! I was very impressed by the turnouts and how many Dad's were there for their daughters. I remember loving Father~Daughter Dances when I was a kid, and what a great example Dads can set for their Daughters!

For Dinner we tried Bistro Daisy on Magazine Street. I've only walked by the restaurant a million times (on our regular walk to graze for tasty treats at Whole Foods), and had assumed it was a casual, maybe even whimsical little Lunch Spot. But after my friend Rebecca told me how good it was for dinner, I've been dying to try it!

One of the great things about most New Orleans Restaurants is that they are very open to BYOB. Whenever we go home it seems like our parents are always sending us back to NOLA with several bottles of wine. But its nice wine, and I feel horrible drinking it with something I've cooked - So I'd rather bring it with us for a Nice Dinner Out! Bistro Daisy doesn't have a corking or glass fee for bringing your own wine so we were able to bring two nice bottles with us and save on our drink costs!

For an appetizer Zach and I split the Daisy Oysters - Baked in a creamy Fennel Sauce with Pancetta, Truffles and Sour Dough Croutons! The sauce was so good...I'll admit to soaking the rest of it up with the table bread!

For our entrees I had the Evening's Special - Seared Flounder topped with a Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce and Shrimp. The fish was wonderful, and had a great crisp to the crust. The Sauce was also particularly flavorful and complemented the Fish well. The Shrimp? kind of reminded me a grocery store shrimp cocktail...they were chilled and totally lacked flavor, I could have done without them...

Zach out ordered me, he had a Roasted Pork Loin that was on top of this mound of this Cole Slaw-ish Sour Kraut that had Pancetta and Sauteed Mushrooms in it too! I could have eaten an entire bowl of that cabbage salad! We finished up dinner with Chocolate Crepes with dried black cherries on top. We had a wonderful meal at Bistro Daisy and are sure to return soon!

I Haven't Gone Crazy...Yet!

2011-02-11T16:28:00.000-06:00

I'm Still Breathing and Haven't Gone Crazy...Yet! I have NEVER taken a break from my blogging for this long, so I apologize! Life has been crazy this last week or so.

I'm swamped with work because of Spring Recruitments and the Cookie Sale(My Service Units have Sold 63,000 boxes of Cookies during the pre-sale alone!). I feel like life has been an endless stream of Phone Calls and Emails...which means the Last thing I want to do when I get home is get back on the computer. Dont feel bad, I haven't been online shopping either!

Also, Zach has been pretty "down" lately about his Grandfather. Zach did fly home last weekend to "say his goodbyes" and has been better since returning to New Orleans but is really taking this hard...thus I've been in Cheer Up Zach mode! Which means I've been cooking (recipes to come!) and have been watching ALOT of TV. We had been hearing that Modern Family was a Great Show, so we downloaded all of the first season and to-date on the second season and have been tackling it like a Marathon (maybe we should actually escape the house and get real exercise instead of marathoning through TV,,,). We are both obsessed and are now all caught up!

But the real reason that I haven't had a chance to blog is that I have been crafting, and this epic project is nearing completion. I am in the process of...brace yourself...beading a skirt with Mardi Gras Beads to wear on Fat Tuesday!!! Many people dress up all crazy on Mardi Gras, and while I don't want to wear a full fledged costume, I would like to be festive! So I'm hoping this skirt fills the need! Pictures to Come! And For Real, like soon, I'm finally out of my Blog Coma!

Acme Oyster House

2011-02-02T10:54:00.001-06:00

I'm almost ashamed to say it, but Last Night was the First Time we've eaten at Acme Oyster House since moving to New Orleans more than a year and a half ago...And the verdict: This Uber-Touristy Spot has some crazy-good Oysters.

Photos Complements of Foodie Finder, I left my Camera at Home!

We don't often find ourselves in the French Quarter, mostly because parking is impossible, the streetcar takes forever, and to be honest, Most of the Restaurants and Bars in the Quarter aren't nearly as good as the Restaurants and Bars Outside of the Quarter...That's my Uptown Superiority Complex shining through. But Last right we did make it to the Quarter to see one of Zach's Fraternity Brothers, Paul Robinson, who was in town on business (Doesn't that sound so grown up?). Like most newbies to the city (and because of the early morning he had today) he wanted to stay in the Quarter and suggested Acme. We were game, and even better, there was NO line on this Rainy Tuesday Night.

Initially looking at the menu I was a little disappointed. I was expecting to see 50 different options for Oysters (Like the Bubba Gump Shrimp of Oysters). This was not the case. We had two options: Raw and Chargrilled, so we went with the Chargrilled and they were Fantastic. The Chargrilled Oysters are grilled in this garlic-y, butter-y, Parmesan cheese-y goo until they are crispy. Put that on a little french bread and they are out of this world. I have to admit I found myself going back and picking off the crispy cheese from the shells even after I had finished my oysters it was so good!

I would have been content with ordering another dozen, but instead Zach and I split the Fried Peace Maker Po-Boy which had Fried Shrimp and Oysters with Tabasco Mayo, which gave the sandwich the perfect amount of spice. The Peacemaker was good, but didn't hold a candle to those Chargrilled Oysters - they might actually inspire me to go to the Quarter on a more regular basis! After Acme we grabbed Hand Grenades, moseyed down Bourbon, and headed into Pat O'Brien for a couple rounds...all in all a pretty good NOLA Night!

Cigar Box End Table

2011-02-01T15:51:00.000-06:00

My Parents always ask where I got my crafty gene? Neither of my parents have ever been particularly crafty. My Mom...she has her talents, but they are far from the Domestic realm. and My Dad has always been Handy...but not really Crafty, or so I thought...

My Dad was a bit of a Weekend Warrior and sent me the pictures from his Super Crafty Cigar Box End Table that he made for his "Man Cave" - screened in porch. Dad is an avid cigar smoker, and the pile of old cigar boxes was like getting to be a teetering leaning tower of Pisa in the garage.

Something had to be done, but he knew he didn't want to throw the boxes away. After all, once you've smoked them the boxes are the only things left! In an effort to reduce the pile, and make use of these beautiful boxes he ended up making a very vintage end table out of some of his collection. The different woods and cigar seals add a lot to the look, plus all the little doors open for secret storage! He even thought about decoupaging the cigar bands to the top of the table for some added interest! Snaps to Ralph for being so Crafty! I'm so proud I've rubbed off on him!

On a sad note, Keep Zach's Family in your prayers...his Grandfather has fallen into very ill health after a series of strokes. I think Zach may be making a trip home to Tennessee this weekend to be with his family. Let us all appreciate our Dads and Granddads while they are with us!