I haven't blogged since April 2nd, almost a whole year! It's mainly due to 5 reasons: 1) I'm still in grad school (and working) therefore extra time to blog is rare. 2) I also don't have as much time to cook, at least cook how I like to (meals that take more than thirty minutes and that taste amazing!). 3) I've been trying to eat healthier and healthy cooking is not my type of cooking which means it's usually boring meals such as steam-able veggies and baked tilapia (boring!). 4) Because of the time issue, especially since both my hubs and I are in school, we've been going out to eat a lot more. Going out to eat a lot=not much cooking=no new recipes. 5) Finally, because I just never could figure out how to make my blog look cute!! Not matter how long I read and reread instructions I could not figure out backgrounds, headings, buttons, etc.!
But...
Now that is is a new year I am ready to begin blogging again! Annnd it's mainly due to 5 reasons: 1) I graduate (with a masters in Speech Pathology) in 117 days which will give me more time to blog! 2) Also, more time to cook yummy meals! 3) I will be adventurous and journey ahead in the world of healthy cooking to find meals that are healthy and that TASTE good! 4) We are trying to spend less money on going out to eat so unless I want to eat cereal or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day, I better start cooking again. 5) I gave up on making a cute and fancy blog! Oh well, maybe one day I'll buy a "blogging for dummies" book and figure it out but right now I just don't care. And actually, a simple kind of thrown together mismatched somewhat cute but mostly simple unorganized average and outdated blog fits me just right! :)
So where to begin. Life over the past 10 months... Cooking over the last 10 months... I guess I'll start with cooking! I cooked many of the same meals that have become easy to me (pork roast, spaghetti, potato soup, gumbo, etc). I haven't tried too many new ones. I started to really love cooking breakfast and became quite proficient at wielding a spatula! I tried all sorts of wonderful breakfast meals such as pumpkin pancakes, gingerbread pancakes, nutella pancakes, peanut butter syrup, baked french toast, eggs in a basket, etc! Oh my love for breakfast food, if only it wasn't always so rich in calories!
I also started drinking coffee hard core over the last 10 months. Well, nothing like how my mom used to drink her coffee. She always made Community black roast coffee and hardly put sugar or cream in it. I don't think she ever went a day without coffee (except for the occasional power outage due to hurricanes). I make mine with medium roast with creamer, splenda, and some heated milk to make it like a latte. I'm not an addict yet, but slowly am becoming one (like mom)! I really hope that in heaven we will be able to have coffee with our loved ones. :)
Coffee and French toast. It cannot get any better! :)
I guess the newest cooking type thing I've dabbled with is cake baking and decorating! I took a class at Michael's to learn the basics and did I learn a lot! Never again can I buy a grocery store cake! A lot of time goes into cake making which is why my new hobby was short lived (I took the class over the summer semester which was less intense). However, after school I plan to get back to baking. Right now I can make a yummy cake but it always looks like a 10 year old decorated it.
So when it comes to life over the last 10 months... I think I'll save that for my next blog update. :)
This was made for my hubs on his birthday! I tried to put all sorts of stuff he likes on it such as LSU, playstation, guns, tools for building, browning symbol for hunting and fishing, and the crawfish represents his love for Louisiana food! :)
Cake for the last day of neuro class!
Harry Potter cake!
Here is a picture of Bella boo with her "I am the queen look!" ha! :)
Well, that's all for now, I need to go to bed! Practicum starts tomorrow! My last semester EVER in school!!!!! :)
"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us." 1 John 4:12
Life has been super busy with work and school thus I've had zero time to blog. Hopefully this summer life will slow down a bit once the elementary school that I work for goes on summer break (I'm counting down the days!). During spring break I had hoped to blog but never had the time. We really enjoyed visiting with friends and family in Louisiana. We were able to eat some crawfish and grill steaks with the fam! Over a month ago for Mardi Gras I made jambalaya for my grad school articulation class (we take turns bringing food to class). I also brought a store bought kingcake (I had wanted to make one but ran out of time). Everyone seemed to like the jambalaya so I thought I'd share our recipe.
Jambalaya
1lb sausage
1lb pork
1lb chicken
2 yellow onions
6 stalks of celery
one bundle of green onions
2 bell peppers
3 tbsp minced garlic
5 cups of rice (I like to use parboiled rice)
Tony's seasoning to taste
Chop onions, celery, green onions. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and slice. Slice/chop meat into bite sized pieces. Start sauteing the veggies (only half of the green onions) in a little butter with a little Tonys, add 1 tbsp of minced garlic. Once the veggies are cooked and caramelized remove from pot and set aside. Brown the meat (dusted with Tonys) add 2 tbsp of garlic. With meat browned and the veggies back, add the rice and the proper amount of water (10 cups). Cook until rice is cooked stirring so it wont stick, turn low and add the other half of the green onions and cook for 2-3 hrs stirring occasionally.
*you can also add 1 lb of shrimp (peeled and deveined) when you add the rice and water, shrimp does not take long to cook and will cook while the water boils to cook the rice. If you want a more New Orleans taste add some stewed/diced tomatoes in the beginning when sauteing veggies. We like it the Cajun country way without the tomatoes :)
Here are some recent pictures of us :)
about to go on a date with my man!
Bella loves Mardi Gras!
crawfish!!!
I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
The Super Bowl is full of crazy hype and a bit ridiculous when you think about it. But am I complaining?! Heck no! I love to have another excuse to cook something tasty and visit with friends! Unless the Saints are in the Super Bowl I don't have a team to root for and usually choose a team based on the color scheme of their uniform. Of course none of the teams can compete with black and gold and a fleur de lis logo! So tasteful and elegant for a football team! Usually, Shaun and I have an annual super bowl party but this year I will be returning from the wedding of the year (also Shaun has to work because the game is in Dallas)! One of my dearest friends will wed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and I'm excited to experience all the elegance and Southern charm that her wedding and reception will undoubtedly have! I'm sure I will come back to Dallas eager to try making a dish from the reception! Anyways, back to Super Bowl party food, one of the best entrees to make for the game is gumbo. It takes a while to cook but is always a crowd pleaser. Considering how much can be made for the price it is also a good bang for your buck. You just can't go wrong with gumbo and it sure beats the usual burgers any day! Another party favorite we make is pigs n a blanket. Make plenty because they will go fast! For dessert I like to make apple enchiladas and serve it with vanilla ice cream! Hope you enjoy these recipes!
Calloway Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 tbsp of minced garlic
5-6 ribs of celery, chopped
2 quarts of chicken broth
1 bunch of green onions
3-4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken or a whole chicken boiled then deboned
2 lbs of Cajun sausage
roux: 1/2 cup canola oil and 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1. combine flour and oil in a large glass measuring cup or bowl. microwave for 3 minutes, then stir with a wire whisk, then microwave for 2 minutes and stir, continue reducing 30 seconds and stirring each time. The roux will get darker the longer you go. Depending on your microwave you may need to go 2 minutes twice. Keep a close watch that is does not burn. It will be done when the color is milk chocolate color.
2. Remove the roux from the glass container and put in the stock pot. Immediately add onion. This will stop the roux from cooking. Add the chicken broth and simmer on low until the roux completely dissolves. Stir often to keep the roux from sticking to the bottom. Add celery, garlic, and white parts of green onions. Keep green parts of green onions until an hour before serving.
3. In a skillet simmer sausage for about 10 minutes then drain on paper towels to remove excess grease (if you cannot find Cajun sausage season pork sausage with Tony's before simmering in skillet). Then add to pot. Continue simmering for 2 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.
4.Season cooked and deboned chicken with Tony's and put on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes then add to the pot (this is to help season the chicken before adding it to the pot, if you are pressed for time you can skip the baking and add immediately to the pot).
5. Add green onions and cook for another 1 to 1 1/2.
Total cooking time should be 3-5 hours. Will serve 10 easily, I usually double the recipe. Season with Tony's, salt, red pepper, and black pepper if desired. Cook a pot of rice and serve gumbo over rice!
half was gone by the time I could snap a picture!
Pigs n Blanket
2 cans of crescent rolls
1 bag of lil sausage smokies
1. Cut crescent rolls into smaller pieces just big enough to wrap around one lil smokie sausage.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the crescents are golden brown on the top.
Better make 2 batches cause they will be gone before the kick off!
Apple Enchiladas
2 cans of crescent rolls
2 granny smith apples
2 sticks of butter
1 tbsp cinnamon
12 oz can of mountain dew (secret ingredient)
1. slice and peel apples to have 16 slices, wrap each slice in a crescent roll and place in a 13x9 baking dish.
2. Melt butter and combine with sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl, stir, then pour over apple enchiladas.
3. Pour about half of the mountain dew over the apple enchiladas and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with blue bell homemade vanilla ice cream!
yet again it's already been half consumed!
Well now I've got to go cook something! Definitely been having cooking withdrawals because of my busy schedule. I'm thankful today was a snow day which caused practicum, work, and class to be canceled so now I can have some time to cook! :)
Verse of the Day:
Do not wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In a blink of an eye wealth disappears. For it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. Proverbs 23:4-5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
I love to cook on Sundays! My mother always made sure that we had a cooked meal Sunday after church for the whole family to eat together. I try and continue that tradition in memory of her. It takes a bit more planning but is always worth it! Sometimes it is difficult since church is at 11. I try and cut up the veggies and meat then refrigerate them before going to church to save on prep time. Also, using a crock pot the night/morning before can save on time. Anyways, for lunch today I made a new recipe for chicken and rice. I also made green beans and rolls. I made my Mimi's chocolate cake for dessert which is amazing! Some of my earliest memories include playing with my siblings and cousins at Mimi and Paw Paw's house in the country. Occasionally Mimi would have the best chocolate cake ever! I called her and asked for the recipe. Since it was my first time making the cake it didn't turn out as good as hers but hopefully next time it will... and it was still really yummy! Definitely a new Calloway favorite!
Chicken and Rice
3lbs boneless skinless chichen breast, sliced then cubed in 1 1/2 in pieces (season chicken with Tonys)
2 small onions, chopped
4 pieces of bacon, cut in 1 in pieces
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup of peas
2 cups of rice
1 tbsp of minced garlic
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1. Cook rice and set aside, Cook bacon on med heat for a few minutes, add onions and mushrooms, add white parts of green onions, cook for about 5 minutes then add peas and cook another 5 minutes until onions are caramelized.
2. Take out veggies and set aside, add chicken, cook until chicken is white all the way through (about 10-15 minutes).
3. Add veggies back to the pot, rice, green onions, chicken broth, season with more Tonys and stir. I like to sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of my portion!
after the veggies have been removed while cooking chicken
pretty tasty!
Mimi's Chocolate Cake
1 box of devil's food cake mix
1 tbsp of sour cream
1 1/2 cups of sugar
dash of salt
1/3 cup of water
2 egg whites
1 tsp of vanilla
1. mix devils food cake, add sour cream to keep it moist, cook as directions on the box instructs and let cool for at least 30 minutes before icing.
2. In a medium pot heat about 1 inch of water to boiling. In a small pot with a handle add sugar, salt, egg whites, vanilla and water. Place small pot inside larger pot (don't let the bottom touch the water) and stir with a blender for 7 minutes of more until the icing is thick and white peaks appear.
3. Let the icing cool for about 5-10 minutes then ice the cake, let the icing harden for about 15 minutes then serve!
cooling the frosting
I love pretty cakes!
:)
Well now the work/school week is beginning again there will be no more cooking for me until Thursday night at least. I had a wonderful weekend and am sad to see it end. Even before the weekend I was given tickets from my practicum site for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra! It was amazing and Shaun and I really enjoyed it! Friday evening I made pork chops and we relaxed at home. Saturday we went to eat at the Cheesecake Factory and saw The King's Speech! I cannot say enough about how wonderful the movie was. Shaun and I both loved it! We'll be buying it to add to our collection for sure. I think anyone can enjoy this movie, ESPECIALLY people who like historical movies based true stories, like inspiring movies, is a speech therapist, and love movies that end happy (basically me)! haha! So go see The King's Speech then make a yummy chocolate cake and enjoy life! :)
We had a sweet couple over for dinner last Friday and of course we wanted to cook for them! I was in the mood to try something new and had never made fried chicken before. I haven't had fried chicken in forever since I stopped getting fast food because of all the calories and preservatives. The first thought many people have when they hear "fried chicken" is "fattening" well sure it's not as good for you as a piece of celery but if you make it homemade it is a lot better than buying it from Chicken Express. Making it homemade means your using fresh chicken, no preservatives and it has never been frozen, and not to mention it tastes way better. So don't be afraid of fried chicken when you make it homemade! I also made scalloped potatoes, green beans, apple pie and rolls. Everything was homemade except for the rolls which I used Sister Schuberts Rolls that my mother in law introduced to me a few years ago. They are the best rolls ever and you can get them in the frozen section of the grocery store. Maybe one day I'll get to where I can make homemade rolls like Sister Schuberts! My favorite part of the meal was of course dessert! The apple pie was delicious and very easy to make! I will definitely be making another one soon in the future (after I run a few miles)!!!
Fried Chicken
chicken legs and thighs with skin (about 4 of each)
2 cups of buttermilk
4 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of dried thyme
cannola oil
1/4 cup of milk
black pepper
salt
Tonys seasoning
1. Rinse chicken, put in a large bowl or pan cover with buttermilk and sprinkle seasoning, let soak for at least 8 hours.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, thyme, and 1 tsp of seasoning (or more), a few dashes of salt and pepper, mix, then add milk, mix with a fork until little lumps form.
3. heat 2 in of oil in a skillet to 365 degrees, or use a fryer and heat till 360 degrees.
4. Coat the chicken in the flour mixture, put chicken in oil for 6-8 min, place chicken on baking sheet covered with a paper towel, to check chicken cut into it and if it is still pink put it in the over on a baking sheet at 350degrees for 10-15 minutes. Then enjoy!!!
after the chicken was soaked in buttermilk
coating chicken
Green Beans
2 cans of green beans
3 pieces of bacon
1 onion
salt
pepper
tonys
1. fry bacon and add chopped onion saute till caramelized, cut down heat to med low add green beans, season to taste after about 10 minutes turn heat to low until serving.
Scalloped Potatoes
5 russet potatoes
1/2 stick of butter
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of milk
2 tbsp of minced garlic
1 onion
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 tbsp of rosemary leaves
5 green onions
1/2 cup of minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp of real bacon bits
Tonys seasoning
Parmesan cheese
1. Use a large baking dish, coat with cooking spray, rinse potatoes and cut very thin, put potatoes in a large bowl and cover with 1/2 cup heavy cream and set aside, chop onions and green onions, keep about 2 tbsp of finely chopped green onions and set aside.
2. In a skillet over med low heat melt butter add garlic and onion until caramelized, add cream cheese and stir a lot, once mixed add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and keep stirring, after a few min add seasoning, rosemary, and chopped green onions.
3. Put potatoes in baking dish, pour mixture on top cook in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, take out and sprinkle a couple dashes of seasoning, finely chopped green onions, and real bacon bits on top, cook for another 15 minutes, to check if it is done stick a fork in potatoes and if the potatoes are soft it is done.
cream cheese mixture
after covering the potatoes with the mixture
all done!
Apple Pie
2 granny smith green apples
small red apples
1 deep dish pie crust that has thawed in the fridge
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1. slice and peel apples, melt 1/4 cup of butter in a skillet, add apples, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, stir over med heat until apples are slightly soft.
2. In a bowl stir 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, 3 tbsp of softened butter and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, stir until crumbly.
3. pour apple mixture into pie crust, pour crumbly over the apples, bake at 300 degrees for 30 minute of until the top is golden brown.
apples, sugar, butter, and cinnamon
the best apple pie ever!!!
Well my third semester of grad school started today. I'm excited to see school friends and get another semester over with but am NOT excited to have to stress again about studies. I wont have as much time to cook but will do my best to at least cook once or twice a week. Also, my laptop decided to die last night (perfect timing with school starting). The screen does not work at all so we'll be saving up for a new one, any suggestions for a good laptop would be great! Anyways, I know everything will work out fine!!!
Verse of the Day:
Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Yesterday evening I enjoyed movie night with a girlfriend of mine! She is also a speech therapist so it's not surprising that the movie we chose related to autism. The movie was Temple Grandin and it was so so good! It is a great movie for anyone interested in understanding what individuals with autism see and feel. I really enjoyed it but of course I work with children with autism everyday!
I wanted to try out a new recipe and thought brownies with peanut butter frosting would be perfect for a girls movie night! This recipe is really easy too.
Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
1 box of Hershey's Triple Chocolate Chunk brownie mix (the best brownies ever!!-cook as directed then let cool for about 30 minutes)
Peanut Butter Frosting
1 cup of powdered sugar
1/2 cup of peanut butter
2-3 tbsp of milk
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Beat with a wire whisk until smooth. Spread over brownies. Enjoy!!!
LSU dominated last night at the Cotton Bowl!!! The final score was 41-24! I'm proud of my Tigers and am excited for next year's season. Hopefully Shaun and I will be able to go to the season opener which will be at Cowboys stadium. I've always been a huge LSU fan even though I didn't go there for college. It seems like being from Louisiana automatically makes you an LSU fan no matter which university you attend. I've cheered for the Tigers as long as I can remember. My mother was a majorette in the LSU band in college. My dad went to undergrad and law school at LSU. Sometimes I live vicariously through my friends that did go to LSU (Lauren! haha!). However, I wouldn't change where I am today because I can see how God has directed my path over the years.
One of the best aspects of LSU football is how it brings family and friends together. Yea, some people get too wrapped up in a game but I don't think there is anything wrong with having pride in where you are from and the tradition to spend time with loved ones while cheering for your team. Of course one of the best parts of LSU football is that it gives us an excuse to cook something yummy! Which is why I felt the need to cook red beans and rice, crawfish dip, and a LSU king cake for dessert!
Red beans and rice is another famous Louisiana dish. It is fairly simple and cheap to make. The crawfish cheese dip has been a party favorite for the last several years. Shaun and I have made it many times and everyone always enjoys it! Shaun's cousins in Baton Rouge gave us the delicious recipe.The king cake was quite an experience. It didn't turn out as pretty as I had hoped. I wanted to make a king cake for the game but also to have a run through before I try to make one for mardi gras. One thing I learned is to always double check the recipe. I did not realize till after it was cooked that the recipe said it would make 2 cakes...oops! I made one (no wonder it looked gigantic and was overflowing!). But what is most important is that it tasted delicious!
Calloway Crawfish Dip
1 lb crawfish tails (rinse and drain)
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 lb pepper jack cheese
1/2 lb of velveeta cheese
8 green onions chopped
1 tbsp parsley
1 stick of butter
Tony Chachere's seasoning
1. Saute crawfish tails, green onions, and parsley in butter until onions are tender.
2. Add cheeses until completely melted. Add Tony's seasoning if desired. Serve hot.
sauteing the crawfish, butter, green onions, and parsley
crawfish cheese dip!
Red Beans and Rice
1 lb red kidney beans
1 onion
3 stalks of celery
1 green bell pepper
3 pieces of bacon
3 smoked ham hocks
Tony Chachere's
2 tbsp of minced garlic
2 cups of chicken broth
rice
1. Soak the beans as directed on the package. In a pot fry bacon then add chopped onions, bell pepper, and celery. Cook till onions and bell pepper are caramelized and celery are soft.
2. Add beans, chicken broth, minced garlic, and ham hocks. Add water or chicken broth until the beans are covered. Add some Tony's seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low to simmer for 2-3 hours.
3. Serve over rice with some cornbread!
Beans never tasted this good!
King Cake
1 (16 oz) container of sour cream
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1 tsp of salt
2 (1/4 oz) envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup of warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 cups of bread flour
Cream cheese filling:
1/3 cup of butter, softened
3/4 cup of sugar
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
crushed strawberries or raspberries (optional)
1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat until butter melts, set aside and cool mixture slightly.
2. mix yeast, 1/2 cup of warm water, 1 tbsp sugar in a 1 cup glass, let stand for 5 min.
3. Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of flour until smooth, add remaining 4 cups of flour (this almost broke my electric hand mixer, I need a heavy duty electric mixer... one of these days!).
4. Once a soft dough forms turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 10 min until smooth.
5. Place in a well greased large bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise for in the oven for 1 hour.
6. Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 22 x 12 inch rectangle.
7. Spread cream cheese filling mixture evenly, leave an inch border. Roll starting at the long side, like a jelly roll. Pinch together seams. Place one dough roll onto a greased pan and join/pinch the ends to make a circle. Repeat with 2nd dough and place on a separate pan.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Slightly cool cakes then drizzle creamy glaze on warm cakes and sprinkle sugars. Let it cool completely then serve!
Cream Cheese Filling:
1. Beat 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 packages of cream cheese, 1 egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth.
Creamy Glaze:
3 cups of powdered sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp of milk
1. stir together first 4 ingredients. Stir in 2-4 tbsp of milk adding one at a time until spreadable.
After kneading the dough
After the dough has risen
The strawberry cream cheese filling spread on the rolled out dough
This is where I made the mistake, I should have put one roll on a pan and joined the ends instead of both on the same pan. I'll know for next time!
The massive king cake!
so yummy!
Luke 12:22-31 22And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!25And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?26If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.28But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.30For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.31Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
I'm a newly married woman learning how to balance a busy schedule and make room for the special moments in life. I'm in graduate school for Speech and Language Pathology and work as a speech therapist assistant. I'm also training for my first marathon! I'm blessed with wonderful family and friends. My husband and I are involved in our church, Watermark, and are thankful for Bible studies that help keep us grounded. I enjoy running, reading, and snuggling with my Italian greyhound, Bella. One of my all time favorite pastimes is cooking for friends and family! I'm not afraid to cook with butter, a roux can be easy to make, and I believe in the "Holy Trinity" of Cajun cuisine: onions, celery, and bell peppers. There is nothing equal to a wonderful conversation while enjoying a yummy meal! Some of the sweetest moments I've had with my husband are laughing in the kitchen while cooking together. I try to cook meals that combine my Cajun French style with his country home cookin style. I also love to make desserts. My desire for this blog is to share some recipes and my adventures in the kitchen (and maybe a few updates about balancing a busy life, crafts, Bella, and who knows)!
