New Year New Attitude!

My lapse of blogging is due to moving and what a time I picked to move!!  Holidays and the added stress of packing, cleaning, moving, and commuting because the house wasn't finished is not the way to begin the new year!! 

All is good.  We are in the house and I have sort of  learned to let go of "stuff" in order to stay organized and sane.  I am still learning how to use space wisely!  I lost a linen closet and a huge front room closet, but gained a beautiful new home! 

I love my easy and quick commute to work now.  I love being truly in a central location!  It feels good! 

Ok, now for the new attitude!  Keywords for me this year:  focus, forgive, healthy, live and give back!

RIP YS3

An icon passed away last week (February 14, 2011).  A surfer who made his world better by doing what he loved to do and sharing his faith with all.  Yesterday, the paddle out brought me to tears.  Not just for mourning someone who touched so many with his actions and his love of the sport of surfing, but for the massive number of people  who came out to honor his memory and celebrate his life.  I tagged along with a couple of the Louisiana surfers who wanted to pay respects and did some video of the event.  Walking through the crowds of people I have to admit I was overwhelmed. 

Back to what I love the most.... cooking and food.

This blog may end up as my version of the Julie and Julia blog, except I am not really going for the French cuisine.  I am so into finding the ultimate recipes that make me and those around me happy. 

Ever since my trip to Pensacola a couple of months ago, I have been searching for a copy cat recipe of the Smoked Yellowfin Tuna dip that we ate at Peg Leg Petes.  I think I have found something similar but for once I am actually afraid to try a recipe with the fear that I might ruin an awesome piece of smoked tuna ( way too pricey to experiment with).  While searching the internet for recipes and asking everyone that I know, I have come across many versions and apparently everyone on the coast has their own version and opinions about the taste.  When we were staying in South Walton after Katrina some friends of ours introduced us to a Redfish Salad that was pretty amazing as well.  It wasn't smoked but grilled and then prepared like a tuna salad. 

While having one of many conversations about food with my surfer friend (I am so happy he is a cook and actually probably way better than me) he let me know of one of his favorite foods that I had to admit I have never tried.  Crawfish Bisque with stuffed crawfish heads;  apparently the dish is pretty complicated (takes a few days to actually prepare) which is why I have probably never had the pleasure of trying it!  I was talking to another friend and when I mentioned it, I watched his eyes roll back in his head and he claims that is his all time favorite food as well.  His grandmother's recipe sounded a little different than my surfer friend's version but then again those damn Italians inject that red sauce in everything that they cook.  This recipe takes a few days to prepare, but I am up for the challenge.  I have volunteered my services as a helper in order to learn and also record the recipe!

The Crawfish Bisque debate will continue, red sauce/roux versus true brown roux.  I will be sure to let you know which one wins!!

on a side note: Lessons that I am finding hard to learn:   Do not over analyze situations.  If things were meant to be they are meant to be!  Quiet faith is better than no faith at all. Breathing gets easier if you get things off of your chest!!! 

Men in tights, wigs, makeup, dresses etc.

Ok, this morning as I sat outside my building smoking with the cool smoking crowd a friend walked up and I casually asked if she had a "Marilyn Monroe" wig.    Without batting an eyelash she said "no", but I have green or pink bob wigs if I needed one of those or she would call her sister, because she was sure her sister had one.  We both laughed as we thought about our conversation exchange.  She finds humor with me on a daily basis because I continue to surprise her with my anitcs.  Is it a New Orleans thing that we don't have a problem with men wearing tights or a crown or seeing odd costumes when it isn't Mardi Gras or Halloween?  On a certain day each year we have a city full of men in red dresses and all types of accessories during the Red Dress Run and  this year we had a parade in honor of Buddy D where all the men wore dresses because of Buddy D's promise to wear a dress if the Saints made it to a Super Bowl. 

My original Halloween costume idea was shot down, but never fear I had a few alternatives.  My favorite is my nurse scrubs with knee pads.  Yes, I know it is a bit risque, but c'mon.... this is a risque city!  A friend had me laughing so hard this morning as I listened to his rant about his costume and the quest to make it just right.  He had to run to Target in search of tights, only to get home and find out that they were too tight.  That was only the beginning of the issues with making his costume functional.  The alterations ran all the way down to adapting his boxers.  I am still smiling about that conversation and also the text I recieved from the crazyness of the fabric store 3 days before Halloween.  (and no, wearing tights with your costume doesn't make you metro, it makes you cool as hell in my book for being brave enough to wear a cool costume)

I have a friend from Texas who last year commented on my picture of Drew Brees as King of Bacchus.  She wondered who that person was wearing a tunic, tights and a crown and why we loved it so much.  She had to be clued in to the fact that he was a Saints player and why it is ok for men to wear those kinds of costumes.  She is still a bit concerned about our way of thinking but I am sure if I can ever get her here she will see that it is ok and acceptable.   (on a side note sometimes you can tell who is slated for being King of a Mardi Gras Krewe, look for the beard growth on normally clean shaven men) 

Now, after waiting patiently for my co-worker to dig through her box of costumes to see if she still had the Marilyn Monroe dress that I desparately wanted to wear, I am in possession of it!  I need to find that perfect wig and hopefully since I put the word out via Facebook and a mass texting to those in the know.  Might be interesting to note that one of my son's friends has a Dad who is a female impersonator, and maybe, just maybe he might come through for me.  

I just got informed that I have to dress on Friday.  Hmmmmmmmm appropriate costumes for the office.  Is there such a thing?

Cooking Stuff

Where do you begin to explain our food fascination in this city? Obsession? Passion?  Whether it is my own struggle to put meals on the table with an mindful watch on the healthy side of recipes or my frugal side trying to get the most meal for my buck I guess I do obsess in some ways. 

I love a good pot of something cooking on my stove, whether it is red beans, white beans, gumbo or even a pot of "red gravy", the process for preparing all of the above is so similar in so many ways.  The smell of onions, green bell peppers, and garlic is intoxicating (celery too depending on the recipe).

This weekend I am cooking ravioli!  Last night I danced in the kitchen while chopping onions, green peppers and garlic.  There is nothing better than being able to cook and not rush things!  Granted, I am still the queen of a 30 minute meal, I think I rival Rachel Ray to some point, but I love being able to take my time and put the love in my food.  With the right planning and the right ingredients anyone can get it done! 

I put sauce in the freezer for later and left some for today's yum.  I am making the pasta from scratch and making meatballs for the inside of the ravioli!  I found out recently my surfer friend is a phenomenal cook.  His white beans made me propose to him. I am really glad he has a sense of humor.  The best thing I found out is that he also takes the time to do stuff right and make sure that everything is perfect.  He chooses his ingredients with care and puts love in his food as well!  I don't think he is a kitchen dancer though. 

This day is passing quickly and I have to get some housework done and that is a hard thing to do when the weather is perfect and I have cooking on the brain.  I am going to discipline myself and just get it all done. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Endings and Beginnings

I ended my vacation and began a new work week.  I actually learned alot about myself last week.  I learned that I have a hard time doing "nothing" and that I hate being alone.

I am so neglectful of my new blog, but it is only because of being extremely busy coming back from vacation and this week has flown by. 

There are so many endings and beginnings for me right now.  Some things are seeming a bit more complicated but nothing I can not handle.

 I love this time of year.  We have beautiful mornings and evenings and I get a bit more motivated to exercise more than just the "necessary" amount.  My music tastes seem to change in the Fall as well.  I tend to listen to more country music.  I am not sure what that is all about but just the way I am!   I am looking forward to this weekend.  I am going to watch football, clean out closets, start some craft projects, and cook.  What a fabulous plan! 

When the weather is as lovely as this, I love hang out in the quarter more.  I love walking the streets, peeking in shop windows, window shopping and wishing I could have all of the art and antiques I see on display.   There is always some kind of festival or activity going on in the little parks scattered across the city.  It makes for fun weekends and plenty of activities!

I have received my first camera ticket from the city.  What a bitch!  I am usually not a speeder through my neighborhood because the streets are narrow and usually too much foot/bicycle traffic to not be cautious.   I keep reading about the controversy and I am hoping that I wont have to pay this ridiculous thing.

There she goes reading another book.

I just finished an amazing book by Tiffany Baker.  The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, was an accidental find at a garage sale but turned out to be a great read. 

The strength of the main character was over the top of the WOW scale.  I wish my writing skills were a little more above avergage because I am afraid that I can not properly describe the emotions I felt while reading this book.  I tend to get overly excited by strong female characters.  I hate when weakness is shown and love when the main character prooves to be alot more than is seen.  

There are strong women and there are women who are not so strong (trying to avoid calling women weak, although some women show weakness).  We are allowed to be feminine without losing that strength and we are allowed to be stong/hard and still be soft/ sweet.    The not so strong women in the world tend to be a bit too fluffy for me.  I don't need a man to change a tire for me, but I damn sure would prefer that he did!  Just because I like to have long fingernails and pretty toes doesn't mean I am afraid to get them dirty.  Why is there a need of the "fairer" sex to fake weakness in order to have a man attracted to them?  I am guessing it more an ego stroking than anything else.

I started reading Eat, Pray, Love and so far I am very impressed.  I was told to watch the movie first but I kind of like the book before the movie!  I love her descriptions of not only the scenery on her way through Italy but the details and informative tidbits.  Not sure my Sicilian friends would appreciate her calling Sicily the third world of Italy. 

She (Elizabeth Gilbert, the author) is right about Americans not being able to do "nothing".  I am finding it hard to relax on my vacation this week.   I did manage to get some pool time in and floated back and forth across the pool, but as usual had a book in my hands.  I have listened to music and I have read one book and started the next.  I miss my world at home, but have enjoyed the change of pace. 

Two more days and then back to the real world.