There’s something magical about the intense blue skies of New Orleans, Louisiana around the month of December. It is powerfully beautiful!
One holiday season (many moons ago), I recall dropping down to the Crescent City on Southwesten Airlines, when my parents lived there and being blown away by the pristine beauty of that intense sky.
Something happened that moment, the way the blue infused into me and I will never forget that experience.
Luckily, I’ve had the chance to enjoy Nola during subsequent Decembers and still revel in that same exquisite Sky Blue feeling. A treasure to hold in my heart.
Sometimes life can be perfect, seemingly run so smoothy, without any glitches. That’s how the past few days have felt for us. Maybe life has a way of handing you that gift, after you experience hardships? Who can say?
Will drive for food. Not Lazy!! That’s my husband and my motto. Typically we give each other the gift of dining out instead of other gifts.
During this trip, you might say we scored a 'culinary home run' ! On a scale of 1 - 10, our food experience was a 12!! If you have had the pleasure of eating out in this fair city, you know what I’m talkin’ about.
The unique history of melding many food cultures together, resulted in it’s own unique and fantastic cuisine. One, that's in a class of it’s own. I admire greatly the chefs of New Orleans for carrying on the tradition, and bringing it forward with modern and delightful twists. But great food can be found throughout the state of Louisiana, where people love to eat and aren’t shy about using their spices or having a good time!
Above image from Criollo, the new restaurant at Hotel Monteleone
So now it’s almost Christmas and I can’t believe that it has arrived so quickly!
Over in the past four years, we’ve invited our friends over for dinner on the 25th, and this year will be no exception, but now my mother won’t be with us.
I heard her speak to me in my mind a few days ago. Has that ever happened to any of you? It was a good thing, a happy gift.
For our party, Meiko offered to bring the turkey and we were ecstatic, as hers is super great! She brines her bird in saltwater, cider vinegar and brown sugar for sixteen hours. It makes the most tender turkey (not sweet or sour as the brine ingredients may suggest)!
I’m going to make everything else, which will kick my creative imagination into gear & pronto!
Thanks for taking the ride to New Orleans with me.
HOPE EVERYTHING IS HAPPY FOR YOUR HOLIDAYS, IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS and THAT YOU CAN FEEL SOME PEACE TODAY!
LOVE,
CONSTANCE
