Rip Van Winkle Gardens

Here it is, August 16, 2015, and I've finally run out of scheduled posts. Looking through my archives I realized that I never posted my Mother's Day pics. Boy, I have really been slacking on my blog and picture sharing this year. So let's get to it!

We spent a delightful Mother's Day at Rip Van Winkle Gardens in New Iberia, LA. Cafe Jefferson, located on the property, overlooks Lake Peigneur. We chose a table near the water and enjoyed a delicious, sinful meal. The Live Oaks, roaming Peacocks and meticulously manicured grounds made you feel as though you might run into Scarlett O'Hara at any moment. I do declare!

"Seafood Heaven"
Creamy basil sauce with jumbo shrimp, crabmeat chunks and crawfish.
OH. MY. GOODNESS!

White Chocolate Bread Pudding
served with white chocolate and raspberry sauce

In less than three weeks my daughter will be married! Next Monday will be my last scheduled post until I return. Hopefully, I'll have plenty of photos to share of our 10 days in Portland.

Birthday Paddle

The month of May is crazy for the Dixon household. Double D's birthday falls during the first week of May; mine is the next week; and Mother's Day comes somewhere before, after, or ON my birthday. While Double D wanted to kick up his heels in The Quarter for his big day, I was perfectly content to paddle on Lake Martin for my birthday. The highlights for me were the Black-crowned Night Heron and Barn Swallows.

Before kayaking, however, I had to have some nutrition! My grandparents' used to love Pat's Fisherman's Wharf in Henderson, LA. Thankfully, it was on the way to the lake. I had not been there since I was a child, and I'm happy to report that it hasn't changed a bit. The food was as wonderful as I remembered. We got there way past lunch time, so that's why there aren't a lot of people. Just the way I like it.

You can see from my expanding mid-section that I ate every single bite of my shrimp platter.
I was then presented with this delicious, SINFUL slice of doberge cake and serenaded by our waitress.
We pronounce the cake DOUGH-bahj. Some say DOUGH-bearj.
Here is a more thorough history and a recipe of the famous cake.

I made fast friends with Emilean, our waitress. We Facebooked each other right then and there!
She made my day extra special. Not only did she give me extra shrimp AND a piece of cake,
she shared a personal experience that helped me tremendously concerning panic attacks.
It was one of those God-things, y'all.

Now, on to the show!

Water Hyacinth

Double D paving the way.

I learned that when gators are resting with their mouths open, they are cooling off since they
don't have sweat glands. Whew, good to know!

Black-crowned Night Heron

DD was after the Prothonotary Warbler and the Northern Parula

Prothonotary Warbler

So, that was my big day!

Thank you, Anni for hosting

Click the link for more birds around the world!

Fontainebleau

After I scheduled my previous post, my aunt called to let me know about a couple of state parks good for birding. One of them was Fontainebleau State Park. This is the most visited state park in Louisiana, with over 300,000 visitors per year. Fountainbleau has over 2,800 acres and was once an old sugar mill. It is located on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain and also bordered by Bayou Cane and Bayou Castine. As soon as I read that there are over 400 different species of wildlife, including birds, I asked Double D if we could go to Fontainebleau instead of Lake Martin. Being the happy-go-lucky, good ol' boy that he is, of course he obliged. Enough chit chat. Come see what I saw!

Double D spied this bald eagle twice on our hike. It helps to have a second set of eyes when birding.
For this shot we were about 30' away from the tree.
That's the closest either of us has been to a bald eagle. Easily the highlight of the day.

Red-headed woodpecker. Had several opportunities for shots, but he was always very far away, thus the subpar shot. :(

A pavilion that looks over Lake Pontchartrain. The Causeway Bridge is in the distance.

I'm 99.99% certain that this is a Swamp Sparrow. Interestingly, they only winter here.
They live year long on the East coast and parts of the Great Lakes. 

Hurricane Isaac tore up several areas of the park, including Alligator Boardwalk.
Seems to me this should have been repaired by now. I'd also like to add that all the bathroom facilities
were boarded up. Kind of disappointing. Doesn't the state carry hurricane insurance?

Eastern Bluebird. Oh, I have so many of these. You'll likely be seeing him a few more times. :)

After hiking 4 miles with no lunch (only breakfast) we wanted to stop off at Friends Restaurant in Madisonville for an early dinner.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Isaac caused damage there, too, and unfortunately we didn't find this out until we pulled into the parking lot.
We ended up at another seafood restaurant nearby, and I was delighted with this deluxe seafood salad which included
lump crabmeat, shrimp and crawfish. I even peeled the bug and ate the tail meat at the end!

No dinner is complete in Louisiana without enjoying a big honkin' slice of bread pudding. We shared, of course.
Don's Seafood Restaurant has my favorite because it has NO rabbit poo (raisins), but has white chocolate cream sauce. YUM!
I think I earned this indulgence after all the hiking. Now my knee is hurting, so I think I'll go rest now.

Please visit Madge and her wonderful meme. Thank you so much for hosting!

My Insatiable Appetite

The other night I was watching one of the early Seinfeld episodes where Jerry would do a stand up bit first. This one hit me like a ton of bricks:

You know, I tell ya, I gotta say that I'm enjoying adulthood. For a lot of reasons. And, I'll tell you reason number one: as an adult, if I want a cookie, I have a cookie, okay? I have three cookies or four cookies, or eleven cookies if I want. Many times I will intentionally ruin my entire appetite. Just ruin it. And then, I call my mother up right after to tell her that I did it. "Hello, Mom? yeah, I just ruined my entire appetite...cookies." So what if you ruin it. See, because as an adult, we understand even if you ruin an appetite, there's another appetite coming right behind it. There's no danger in running out of appetites. I've got millions of them, I'll ruin them whenever I want!

The large, bolded part got me thinking. Why do I binge eat? Why do I insist on gorging as though it's my last meal? I'm going to have another appetite and another opportunity to eat several hours later. Unless I get hit by a truck or my pie hole disappears, I'm going to eat again. I'd really like to understand the psychology behind overeating.

Today, my friend and I ate at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Mi Cocina*. They have the BEST grilled chicken with sour cream sauce. It's a pretty good sized breast, grilled and smoked. Accompanying that is a huge dollop of guacamole, rice, and pico de gallo. Oh, and the chips and hot sauce sit there on the table ganging up on us, taunting us to eat even more.

All of this food is really too much for me to consume all in one sitting. If I had any self control, I would eat half and take the other half home. But I can't stop until I have eaten every last grain of rice on my plate. Afterwards, I'm miserable.

Yes, I'm sitting here so uncomfortable that I want to get rid of what I just ate. I just spent $21 for lunch and all I can think about is regurgitation. I immediately came here to my blog, miserably typing, seeking answers as to why I would eat to the point of being uncomfortable. Why? Anyone have any suggestions?

*I tried to take my own photo, but the restaurant was too dark. This one is courtesy of Tengo Hambre NYC.

Riceworks

Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps. Try them. You will not regret it. Unless you're like me and have a weakness for crunchy food, then you will be unable to keep your hand out of the bag.

According to the web site, these wonderful crisps are wheat and gluten free, all natural, and contain no preservatives. There is no trans fat, no cholesterol, 33% less fat than potato chips, vegan and celiac friendly, and kosher certified.

Something this healthy shouldn't taste this good.

Although they look like Doritos, they have distinguished themselves by using the term "crisp". The word crisps sounds so much more sophisticated then chips. The powers that be made a pretty smart move there, although they are positioned on the same aisle with the lowly potato chip.

My only complaint is the high price and small size of the bag. So far, these two negatives are actually a positive since it's keeping me from becoming a full-blown crisp-aholic.

The Sweet Chili flavor is completely intoxicating. Proceed with caution. You have been warned.

Homesick

In my family, and most of Louisiana, it is a tradition to buy or make King Cakes in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras. Hidden inside is a tiny plastic, pink baby, and if you're the one to find it: YAY for you! That's really all I knew.

According to Wikipedia if you find the baby you're King or Queen for the day and are responsible for bringing the cake the following week. The baby is sometimes thought of as baby Jesus. Surprisingly, other countries use the King Cake for their festivals and carnivals. Colonists from France and Spain brought it to Louisiana.

I miss Louisiana customs like this! I'm so homesick today. :( Even though New Orleans has changed drastically since Hurricane Katrina, I hope the people are partying like only they know how. Geaux New Orleans!

Proud

Tonight I walked ONE MILE! Honestly, I couldn't believe I made it. Not only that, I was thoroughly enjoying it. Well, until I developed blisters on my heels 1/2 mile into it. If it hadn't been for the blisters, it would have been perfect. New shoes are in order.

Double D had Spenser and Chance on a two-lead leash and I had Sparky. The dogs had big smiles on their faces. It's true; my dogs smile when they get to explore the neighborhood. It truly made me happy that we were all doing something so healthy. And I didn't die. At first, when I got to the end of our street, I thought to myself, 'I'll never make it'. It really pissed me off that I was already struggling so soon. Then that other voice I've heard before told the negative voice to suck it up and DO IT. Suddenly, I hit my stride and forgot about dying.

Also tonight I tried to duplicate Chick-fil-A's Chargrilled Fruit Salad and I came pretty close. I left out the cheese, granola, and mandarin slices, but other than that, my version was awesome. Double D even remarked several times how good it was. If you know Double D, you know that some of his previous comments about my cooking caused me to go on strike for nine months.

If you'd like to try it, mix together the following (enough for 2):

4 Chicken breast tenders, browned with salt, pepper and basil, thinly sliced
Strawberries
Red grapes
Diced apples
Mixture of baby spinach greens, radicchio, carrots
Sunflower seeds
Croutons
Low fat raspberry vinaigrette

Chick-fil-A's dressing is called Berry Balsamic. The balsamic really has a nice punch, working very well with the fruit. The raspberry vinaigrette was okay, but didn't deliver the same wow factor. At any rate, it felt so good eating this for dinner. I wasn't weighed down at all, which is why I was able to walk a mile.

I'm really going to walk at least a few times a week and fix a healthy meal every night. My tuna lunch is ready to go in the morning, so no more fast food! With a little preparation, I should be successful. Wish me luck!

My Nemesis

When we first purchased this torture device piece of equipment last year, I used it steadily for two weeks, hating every step. The slightest jog made me feel as if I would vomit and pass out. Watching Seinfeld DVDs and listening to my iPod did nothing to diminish that hatred. Even the ceiling fan and the built-in fan on the machine could not deliver me from the imaginary flames as I trudged along.

I have always detested exercise, except for the twelve years I played tennis. In 2001, when I could no longer play due to a skin condition, I became a lazy, food junkie, adding 5 pounds or more each year to my small frame. At 5’4” I should weigh 125 pounds, but two weeks ago at the doctor's office, to my horror, I nearly broke the scale. Even being nine months pregnant did not put this kind of weight on me. The next day I began eating healthier and I've already lost 7 pounds. I’m going in the right direction; I just need to add exercise to the equation.

Yesterday, I decided to push aside my intense aversion for the dusty black machine and get down to business. I reasoned that I would walk at a slow pace for at least 5 minutes. Simple enough, right? One would think so, but the thought of putting on a pair of tennis shoes seemed too big a chore. Even I thought this reaction was absurd. Nevertheless, I began to whine internally. ‘Craaaap. I don’t want to put on shoo-ooes!’ which was instantly followed by, ‘Good God, woman. Are you going to let a trivial task such as placing shoes on your feet stop you from getting healthy?!

After guilting myself into locating the !%#@!! tennis shoes, I was ready. Slip on and go – so easy, see?! It’ll be OH-KAY, I told myself. I walked into the newly painted room which housed the gigantic apparatus and saw that it wasn’t plugged in, AND it had an old comforter sitting on top of it. ‘Craaaap! I’ll have to bend down and retrieve the cord which is way underneath the machine and tangled up with the power strip. And where will I put the comforter? Lawdy, lawdy Miss Claudy. It’s hopeless’, I whined again.

I started to walk away; in fact I half turned to head toward the door when my brain started arguing with itself again. ‘Really, Gail, this is ridiculous. Just move the comforter to the floor, bend down and plug the thing in. It’s not that difficult.’ The other side of my brain quickly chimed in, ‘Oh, forget this [expletive]. It’s too much trouble. I give up'.

Seriously, I could not believe the exchange going on inside my head, as though there were two people taking up residence in that fuzzy, addled space known as my brain. One entity was acting in my best interest and the other clearly wasn’t. I finally succumbed to the more sensible voice and reached down to fling the comforter across the room, albeit angrily. After finagling with the cord/power strip and getting that untangled, there was no turning back. Power for the treadmill and more power to me. Victory!

Or was it?

After 2 minutes of walking on level 2 I began to think I couldn’t go another step. Pathetic, right? I kept going though, because the deal I struck was to walk for ONLY 5 minutes. Thirty seconds later I bravely bumped it up another level to slightly jogging. That lasted about 10 seconds and I was certain Double D would have to call an ambulance, but finally I was able to focus back on the #2 button for a more leisurely walk. Whew, okay, I can do this. Around the 3 minute mark, I thought I could try jogging again. WRONG! At 4 minutes I began cursing and feeling sick. Dismal, I know, but I pressed on. At 4:59 my finger was poised over the beautiful red STOP key. I did it!

They say it is supposed to get easier each day. I’ll let you know - if I live to tell the tale. Maybe Sparky will team up with me. Nah.

Archer Farms, how I love thee

I have always been the type of person to turn my nose up at store brands. Even when I was poor, I refused to buy the generic version of my favorite foods. I tried to buy them a few times and was always disappointed in the quality. Target's "Archer Farms" brand, however, has become the exception to my snobbery.

Perhaps the packaging caught my attention or the word Organic; whatever it was, I took a chance and it certainly paid off. I think. My waist and hips might tell a different story. The first thing I remember trying was a huge container of Asian mix. Crunchy, salty things are my weakness and this doesn't disappoint. Filled with peas, rice crackers, sesame sticks, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts, this is one of my favorite snacks. If I could customize it, I would remove everything but the peas and rice crackers, as they are my favorites, but having the other crunchy companions does give it variety.

After that delightful experience I wanted to try more crunchy, salty offerings by Archer Farms. Wasabi has been on my radar for a while, so when a bright green bag of Archer Farms' Wasabi Mustard potato chips caught my eye, I had to try it. Oh. My. Can I just say mouth orgasm? Well, I did, so there. The problem is, when I open the bag, I can hardly control myself. From the crunch to the perfect blend of mustard and wasabi flavor, I am a goner every time. Recently, I refrained from buying them due to my lack of self-control, but caved and bought a bag on Sunday. When I finally allowed myself to open the bag yesterday I was all "Oh, Wasabi Mustard chips, where have you been? I've missed you so", and proceeded to commit one of the seven deadly sins, demolishing half a bag in one sitting. I could have easily eaten the entire bag, but I do still have a smidgeon of self-respect left.

Double D has also caught onto Archer Farms' delectable delights. His favorite is the Party Mix which contains pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, and sesame sticks. He would like to do away with the pretzels, though. He eats them reluctantly, and/or gives some to the dogs. The dogs are very grateful to partake in Archer Farms' snackage. Izzy has even started to drool when Archer Farms is in her presence.

Getting brave in my quest of all things Archer Farms, I branched out and discovered Pineapple-Peach salsa. YUM! I am very picky about salsa in a jar, so the fact that I buy this every week is a testament to its goodness. The heat is mild with the fruit taming it down even more, adding a unique combination of flavors. I adore sweet and hot together and this is a marriage made in heaven. I first bought the small jar, still not quite trusting the "store brand", and now the large jar is a staple on my weekly grocery list.

My waist line is proud to show off all this snacking, but right now, I just don't care. I am freaking, fracking smitten with Archer Farms.