Dan turned 30 yesterday! Since this was a big birthday, I decided we needed to "go big or go home". So we went back to the place we met, New Orleans! We spend the weekend in New Orleans. We decided that we enjoy New Orleans better as tourists than as residents! We got to do the things we love in the city and avoid that things that we didn't really enjoy. What Dan didn't know is that I had invited both of our families and lots of friends to dinner on Saturday night. This had been planned for about a month and so far he had no clue!
That was until his mom showed up! She loves Saks and since there isn't one in Lafayette, no trip to New Orleans is complete without going. Dan and I were stuck in traffic in the French Quarter so I told her it was safe to walk over to Saks. Traffic cleared quicker than I expected and as we pulled into the hotel, I spotted his mom. She saw us as well and immediately dove between two taxis. I knew Dan saw her too because he giggled, but I played it off. The next clue came when Dan saw a truck that looked like his dad's parked in front of the hotel.
We parked our truck as I tried to change the subject from these two coincidences. We walked around the quarter and enjoyed looking at artwork that in the past we didn't pay attention to. We walked back to the hotel to change for dinner. We were going to Drago's (one of Dan's favorite restaurants) so he could have some chargrilled oysters (one of his favorite foods). Side note: I dislike oysters, so he eats the slimy things and I dip bread in the delicious butter and garlic sauce- OMG it s so good!
As we walked down to the restaurant, Dan was making comments about liking to spend time just the two of us. As this point, I knew he knew! I managed to find my way to the table when I went to the bathroom and asked the waitress to bring him over. While it wasn't a total surprise, he didn't expect to see EVERYONE that had shown up. The stories began and his mom told everyone about diving between cabs and her conversation with the drivers!
Great birthday weekend for a great husband!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
New Year's Eve came late
I'm what you would call a "grandma". I like to be in bed early. Dan has accepted this about me, but it has been an adjustment in our marriage. As a teacher, I have to be to work for 7 a.m. This means I get up around 5:30, so in the evenings, I get tired early! Call me a grandma, but this teacher needs her sleep. My Christmas break hasn't been any different. We're in bed for 10:30 and awake by 7 or so. My body must be used to the early morning wake ups. When New Year's Eve rolled around, this sleep pattern was no different. We didn't have big plans. We watched the Chick Fil-A bowl (huge LSU fans, despite the embarrassing game) with his parents and when the game was lost, came home and I was ready for bed. While the rest of the world was drinking champagne and popping fireworks, I was complaining that they were too loud in my pajamas.
Dan felt the need to ring in the New Year still conscious and so stayed up to read. Grandma loves her grandpa! The next day I made cabbage, pork, and black eyed peas like momma taught me to, but something was missing. We didn't have champagne the night before! So while Dan was busy cleaning the garage, I put together a tapas dinner, started a fire (with a starter log) and opened a bottle of champagne that we had left over from our wedding. It was perfect! We got to have our champagne be in bed early too! Even grandparents can bring in the new year with style, even if it did come a little late!
Dan felt the need to ring in the New Year still conscious and so stayed up to read. Grandma loves her grandpa! The next day I made cabbage, pork, and black eyed peas like momma taught me to, but something was missing. We didn't have champagne the night before! So while Dan was busy cleaning the garage, I put together a tapas dinner, started a fire (with a starter log) and opened a bottle of champagne that we had left over from our wedding. It was perfect! We got to have our champagne be in bed early too! Even grandparents can bring in the new year with style, even if it did come a little late!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Cooking with Leftovers
With Christmas right around the corner and parties to attend, I decided this week to cook a pork roast in the crock pot and then use the shredded meat all week long. So far, I have not been disappointed. To the crock pot, I put the pork roast down covered with chopped onions a can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water, garlic power, onion powder, worchestersire sauce, and Nunu's (a cajun seasoning). I cover and cooked on low for about 4 hours. The meat just fell right apart. On the first night, I made a pot of rice and served the pulled pork over the rice and topped with gravy. For the gravy, I took some of the juices out of the crock pot, heated it on the stove and added a slurry of 2 Tbsp of water and 1 Tbsp of flour to thicken. Great use of the shredded pork.
On night 2 with the same shredded pork, I made open face BBQ pork sandwiches. They were delicious! I started with a homemade BBQ sauce:
1/2 c ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp worchestersire sauce
2 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp brown sugar (honey could be substituted)
Mix the shredded pork with BBQ sauce and set aside. I also sauteed an onion to add, but that is optional, I just like the flavor. Here's how the sandwich stacked: slice of bread then sauteed onions, then BBQ pork and topped with cheese. Bake in the oven til the cheese is melted. They were awesome and so easy!
The next recipe I'm going to try with the shredded pork is enchiladas. I found a great recipe for a homemade enchilada sauce that uses a can of tomato sauce, sauteed onions and garlic, and spices (cumin, salt, onion and garlic powder). Roll the pork in corn tortillas with a little cheese. Ladle a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place all the rolled tortillas seam side down and top with sauce and cheese. Bake and enjoy!
I'm not a huge fan of having the same thing over and over again, so when I can reuse a main ingredient in a new way, I'm all about it! It's also helped take a little stress out of dinner since the main part is already cooked. Any other ideas for what to do with shredded pork would be greatly appreciated!
Keep Calm and Cook On!
On night 2 with the same shredded pork, I made open face BBQ pork sandwiches. They were delicious! I started with a homemade BBQ sauce:
1/2 c ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp worchestersire sauce
2 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp brown sugar (honey could be substituted)
Mix the shredded pork with BBQ sauce and set aside. I also sauteed an onion to add, but that is optional, I just like the flavor. Here's how the sandwich stacked: slice of bread then sauteed onions, then BBQ pork and topped with cheese. Bake in the oven til the cheese is melted. They were awesome and so easy!
The next recipe I'm going to try with the shredded pork is enchiladas. I found a great recipe for a homemade enchilada sauce that uses a can of tomato sauce, sauteed onions and garlic, and spices (cumin, salt, onion and garlic powder). Roll the pork in corn tortillas with a little cheese. Ladle a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place all the rolled tortillas seam side down and top with sauce and cheese. Bake and enjoy!
I'm not a huge fan of having the same thing over and over again, so when I can reuse a main ingredient in a new way, I'm all about it! It's also helped take a little stress out of dinner since the main part is already cooked. Any other ideas for what to do with shredded pork would be greatly appreciated!
Keep Calm and Cook On!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Nearly Christmas
Christmas preparations are being made and the hustle and bustle of the season is among us! As a teacher, I look forward to the week before Christmas. It's a very relaxed time at work because my students are taking midterms and the work day is only til noon. That leaves lots of time for gift wrapping, holiday baking, shopping, and other household chores.
Dan and I went to a tacky sweater Christmas party on Saturday night. We decked the halls in Christmas turtle necks and wonderfully tacky sweater vests! The party was loads of fun complete with a bonfire and tacky backdrop to take holiday photos in front of. For the occasion, I was asked to bring a salty treat. I forgot about this until the day of, so I looked in the pantry to see what I could do. All of the ingredients for hummus were there and the week before I put pita bread in the freezer! What I had before me was the makings of a perfect salty appetizer.
I don't receive compliments very well, but I was told several times that the hummus was delicious and that it was better than store bought. I decided to share the recipe. It's so easier and much better for you than the store bought.
1 can garbanzo beans (also called chick peas)
The juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 cloves of garlic
Salt to taste (I use approx. 1-2 Tbsp.)
Put all the ingredients in a blender (it gets the dip smoother and creamier than a food processor) and blend til smooth and creamy. Serve with veggies, crackers, or pita.
It's really the simple things in life that make all the difference! Such simple ingredients created a perfect snack for a tacky Christmas party! Just a reminder to myself to "keep it simple stupid". Amid all the hustle and bustle, it's really the simple things that make it special!
Merry Christmas Ya'll!
Dan and I went to a tacky sweater Christmas party on Saturday night. We decked the halls in Christmas turtle necks and wonderfully tacky sweater vests! The party was loads of fun complete with a bonfire and tacky backdrop to take holiday photos in front of. For the occasion, I was asked to bring a salty treat. I forgot about this until the day of, so I looked in the pantry to see what I could do. All of the ingredients for hummus were there and the week before I put pita bread in the freezer! What I had before me was the makings of a perfect salty appetizer.
I don't receive compliments very well, but I was told several times that the hummus was delicious and that it was better than store bought. I decided to share the recipe. It's so easier and much better for you than the store bought.
1 can garbanzo beans (also called chick peas)
The juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 cloves of garlic
Salt to taste (I use approx. 1-2 Tbsp.)
Put all the ingredients in a blender (it gets the dip smoother and creamier than a food processor) and blend til smooth and creamy. Serve with veggies, crackers, or pita.
It's really the simple things in life that make all the difference! Such simple ingredients created a perfect snack for a tacky Christmas party! Just a reminder to myself to "keep it simple stupid". Amid all the hustle and bustle, it's really the simple things that make it special!
Merry Christmas Ya'll!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
I am too blessed to be stressed and yet I'm stressed!
This week has been a crazy week. The week before semester exams always is for a teacher. It's too early to begin reviewing, but you don't want to start anything new either. The deadlines pile up for grades and exams and making copies and the list goes on. The holidays also bring with it their own deadlines: foods to prepare, parties to attend, gifts to buy, family to visit. With all these things, it's hard to do the things you like and maybe need to do for the purpose of maintaining your sanity.
I enjoy running and going to the gym. It's a stress reliever and way to lose those nerves that sometimes plague you when you're running out of time. I also enjoy cooking and baking, for the same purpose. With daylight savings time, extra errands to run and the end of the semester at hand, those stress relievers get moved to the bottom of the priority list.
And then I realize, that because of the deadlines at work, it means I have a job (that I love) in the midst of a not so good economy (to put it nicely). The families to visit and parties to attend mean that I am surrounded by people I love and who love me! Wanting to buy gifts and make food means that I have people I want to buy for and people I want to feed and the money to do both!
At the end of the day, the stress is manageable because there is more to be thankful for. If only I could remember that when I begin my panic attacks at past due deadlines and long lines at the stores. Someone once told me that if you were having a bad day to do the "Grateful ABC's". For each letter of the alphabet, mention one thing that you are thankful for that begins with that letter. About half way through the alphabet, you forget what made the day so bad!
I enjoy running and going to the gym. It's a stress reliever and way to lose those nerves that sometimes plague you when you're running out of time. I also enjoy cooking and baking, for the same purpose. With daylight savings time, extra errands to run and the end of the semester at hand, those stress relievers get moved to the bottom of the priority list.
And then I realize, that because of the deadlines at work, it means I have a job (that I love) in the midst of a not so good economy (to put it nicely). The families to visit and parties to attend mean that I am surrounded by people I love and who love me! Wanting to buy gifts and make food means that I have people I want to buy for and people I want to feed and the money to do both!
At the end of the day, the stress is manageable because there is more to be thankful for. If only I could remember that when I begin my panic attacks at past due deadlines and long lines at the stores. Someone once told me that if you were having a bad day to do the "Grateful ABC's". For each letter of the alphabet, mention one thing that you are thankful for that begins with that letter. About half way through the alphabet, you forget what made the day so bad!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Another Lesson to Learn
I decided when Dan and I got married that I was going to take his last name. I love the idea that we're starting this new life together and I feel that changing my name shows that new state in life. In order to have your name changed, it has to be changed through the DMV and the Office of Social Security. If you've ever been to either then you know that there are much better ways to spend your time (to put it nicely).
Dan and I are doing an Advent reflection by Henry Nouwen. On the first night of Advent, the reflection was about beginning to see others the way that God see them, so that we can love others as God does, unconditionally. The places that I have been taken to change my name have allowed to to take off the judgment glasses and put on glasses of love.
We live in a small suburb of a larger city. On my first trip to the DMV, I went to the one in the "big" city. Mistake number one was not bringing all of the correct paperwork with me. After waiting for over an hour, I was informed that more paperwork was needed. I gathered the paperwork that was needed and decided to go to the small town DMV in a neighboring town. The wait was about the same, but this time was a bit more frustrating. There were workers standing around doing absolutely nothing. There were drivers who had taken a number and then noticed numbers in a garbage can (obviously from citizens who got tired of the wait and decided to leave), so these said drivers took the numbers out of the garbage and ended up being attended to well before I was even though they came in long after me. See them like God sees them!
This morning, during my off period, I decided to try to go get a new social security card. In order to have a debit card on our banking account, they need proof of SSN with my new last name. So down to the Office of Social Security I went. I should've known by the full parking lot that this would be no short trip. As I got in to take a number and sat down, I realized there were about 20 people ahead of me in line. In the hour that I was there, ONE new number was called. See them like Jesus.
To make myself feel a bit better, I stopped in at McDonald's, which is something I never do. In fact, I haven't eaten at McDonald's since September of last year. But somehow their fries make the world a bit better. However pulling into the parking lot, I waited for another car to pull in as well. However, this car didn't want any of the other empty spots, just the one right in front of the door. Love them like Jesus!
Needless to say, I am without a new SSN card or debit card, but what's some official documents when you have french fries in your belly! Merry Christmas!
God works in funny ways and often asks us to practice a virtue instead of simply granting it to us. Happy Advent! If only the world was full of people who could love like Jesus!
Dan and I are doing an Advent reflection by Henry Nouwen. On the first night of Advent, the reflection was about beginning to see others the way that God see them, so that we can love others as God does, unconditionally. The places that I have been taken to change my name have allowed to to take off the judgment glasses and put on glasses of love.
We live in a small suburb of a larger city. On my first trip to the DMV, I went to the one in the "big" city. Mistake number one was not bringing all of the correct paperwork with me. After waiting for over an hour, I was informed that more paperwork was needed. I gathered the paperwork that was needed and decided to go to the small town DMV in a neighboring town. The wait was about the same, but this time was a bit more frustrating. There were workers standing around doing absolutely nothing. There were drivers who had taken a number and then noticed numbers in a garbage can (obviously from citizens who got tired of the wait and decided to leave), so these said drivers took the numbers out of the garbage and ended up being attended to well before I was even though they came in long after me. See them like God sees them!
This morning, during my off period, I decided to try to go get a new social security card. In order to have a debit card on our banking account, they need proof of SSN with my new last name. So down to the Office of Social Security I went. I should've known by the full parking lot that this would be no short trip. As I got in to take a number and sat down, I realized there were about 20 people ahead of me in line. In the hour that I was there, ONE new number was called. See them like Jesus.
To make myself feel a bit better, I stopped in at McDonald's, which is something I never do. In fact, I haven't eaten at McDonald's since September of last year. But somehow their fries make the world a bit better. However pulling into the parking lot, I waited for another car to pull in as well. However, this car didn't want any of the other empty spots, just the one right in front of the door. Love them like Jesus!
Needless to say, I am without a new SSN card or debit card, but what's some official documents when you have french fries in your belly! Merry Christmas!
God works in funny ways and often asks us to practice a virtue instead of simply granting it to us. Happy Advent! If only the world was full of people who could love like Jesus!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Preparing for a Cajun Christmas
The holiday season is in full swing and so are the preparations! I love to bake and usually spend a day with my mom, aunt, and sister making pralines, turtles, and truffles to give to some very lucky recipients! Dan and I live about an hour and a half from my family, so we are planning to go there this weekend to make said goodies.
What we don't usually make is gingerbread cookies. I decided to try my hand at them because they are delicious and the essence of Christmas goodies. They and taste like Christmas! Last night, I decided to do a test run. I didn't know that making these cookies was also going to test my patience, a virtue I struggle with at times. I had all the ingredients except for molasses, so in the rain I went to the grocery. The rainy day drivers were only part one of practicing patience! It's as if people forget how to drive when the roads get wet. After narrowly escaping many accidents, I returned home with molasses in hand. I followed a recipe I found online (http://www.momswhothink.com/cookie-recipes/gingerbread-cookie-recipe.html). Dan was busy dictating a memo at the kitchen table and I tried so hard to be quiet, but to no avail. I also tried to wait until he finished (another lesson in patience), but that didn't happen either. I was ready to eat some cookies! When the dough was made, the recipe said to put them into log form in the fridge for an hour. Dan came over and commented that it looked like a giant piece of gingerbread poop. Thanks honey! That thought didn't even occur to me. I guess one more difference between the way men and women think. The next lesson in patience came as I tried to roll out the dough in order to cut out shapes. Since I didn't have gingerbread men/women shapes, I decided to use some wedding cookie cutter designs. The dough didn't cooperate and ended up sticking to the counter, the rolling pin, the counter, and my hands. With flour everywhere and frustration in the air, I rolled the dough into balls and made round cookies. While not the most "Christmasy-looking" cookies, they were very good.
If you have a good (and less sticky) gingerbread recipe or any tips, I'd love to have it! I'm bound and determined to make gingerbread people complete with faces, hair, and clothing! I sent the test batch to Dan's office. The recipe wasn't quite sweet enough for me, so I dusted the tops with powdered sugar!
Lesson learned today: making gingerbread cookies requires wine. Wine is good for the nerves and thus, makes everything better!
I'm going to try peanut brittle tonight and maybe some toffee (if I'm feeling extra patient!). Any ideas for others? I love recipes!
What we don't usually make is gingerbread cookies. I decided to try my hand at them because they are delicious and the essence of Christmas goodies. They and taste like Christmas! Last night, I decided to do a test run. I didn't know that making these cookies was also going to test my patience, a virtue I struggle with at times. I had all the ingredients except for molasses, so in the rain I went to the grocery. The rainy day drivers were only part one of practicing patience! It's as if people forget how to drive when the roads get wet. After narrowly escaping many accidents, I returned home with molasses in hand. I followed a recipe I found online (http://www.momswhothink.com/cookie-recipes/gingerbread-cookie-recipe.html). Dan was busy dictating a memo at the kitchen table and I tried so hard to be quiet, but to no avail. I also tried to wait until he finished (another lesson in patience), but that didn't happen either. I was ready to eat some cookies! When the dough was made, the recipe said to put them into log form in the fridge for an hour. Dan came over and commented that it looked like a giant piece of gingerbread poop. Thanks honey! That thought didn't even occur to me. I guess one more difference between the way men and women think. The next lesson in patience came as I tried to roll out the dough in order to cut out shapes. Since I didn't have gingerbread men/women shapes, I decided to use some wedding cookie cutter designs. The dough didn't cooperate and ended up sticking to the counter, the rolling pin, the counter, and my hands. With flour everywhere and frustration in the air, I rolled the dough into balls and made round cookies. While not the most "Christmasy-looking" cookies, they were very good.
If you have a good (and less sticky) gingerbread recipe or any tips, I'd love to have it! I'm bound and determined to make gingerbread people complete with faces, hair, and clothing! I sent the test batch to Dan's office. The recipe wasn't quite sweet enough for me, so I dusted the tops with powdered sugar!
Lesson learned today: making gingerbread cookies requires wine. Wine is good for the nerves and thus, makes everything better!
I'm going to try peanut brittle tonight and maybe some toffee (if I'm feeling extra patient!). Any ideas for others? I love recipes!
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