Sylvia's Scenario

I like roasted chicken for Sunday dinner but I didn't have a chicken so I made Cornish game hens instead using my  roasted chicken with rosemary, sage, and garlic  recipe.   Then I got together a bunch of favorite vegetables to make some winter roasted vegetables, although I threw in zucchini, too, since I plan to make my favorite  vegetable soup  later this week.  Here's how to make a delicious pan full of roasted vegetables: 12 cups of vegetables cut into similar size pieces.  Use a combination of hard (root) and softer vegetables (carrots, red potatoes, red, yellow, orange peppers, onion wedges, whole garlic cloves, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, etc) 3/4 cup olive oil 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1-1/2 Tbsp. paprika 1 Tbsp. garlic salt 1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut vegetables into similar size pieces.  Keep root vegetables separate from softer vegetables. 2.  Mix together olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and garlic salt. 3.  Plac

Tonight we had chili for dinner because of the frigid temperatures we've been having.  It has not been above freezing for about two weeks and this morning it was -2 degrees which is unheard of around here.  Bruce went skiing with a couple of buddies at our local ski area which is less than an hour away. It was beautiful weather up there, nearly 40 degrees.  We are in an "inversion" right now where the cold air is trapped under low pressure keeping it cold and frigid. But if you go up in elevation and above the valley we live in, it gets a lot warmer and nice!  So, that's what Bruce decided to do today.  I told him I would make chili and  corn bread  for dinner. I don't really have a recipe for chili, I just make it with whatever I have in the kitchen.  This batch turned out really good so I'm going to post it.  I put kale in it which worked great.  Another way to include kale in my diet without really tasting it...  (I just haven't ac

We've been home from New Orleans for four days now and we are still eating our delicious pralines we brought with us.  I brought some home to distribute as souvenirs to my two office co-workers, the perfect taste of sweetness of New Orleans.  Now, Bruce and I are planning our Super Bowl party with a New Orleans theme since the game will be played there.  We saw the Super Dome when we were driving to and from the airport as well as lots of signs about it like "Expect Mayhem!"  (since it's also during Mardi Gras) We've been thinking of all the food we want to have at our Super Bowl party that will remind us of this beautiful and historic city. Pralines Pralines are a popular Southern candy that actually originated here. It turns out that the French settlers brought the recipe to Louisiana where both sugar cane and pecan trees are plentiful…makes sense.  Pralines have a creamy consistency, similar to fudge and I've noticed while we were ther

Today is our last day in New Orleans (we leave tomorrow morning) and I can't leave this city without a post about the coffee and beignets.  I was told by those who have been here I must go to Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets.   So, I happily obliged.  It's not too far from our hotel, an easy walk. This coffee stand has been here since 1862, a traditional coffee shop, in my favorite area of the French Quarter, the French Market area.  Here's what it use to look like. I've seen lots of cafes for coffee and beignets, but this one is the largest and most popular.  It's full of old photos like the above photo tracing it's history. So, what are beignets, you ask?  They are what everybody eats here, so must I! They are a cross between a French pastry and an American donut and are really, really, good!  The coffee here is different, too.  (Not Starbucks…)  When you order coffee and beignets, you really order either black coff

As we strolled the French Quarter today , we realized that we really don't know when mardi gras actually is.  Mardi gras or "fat Tuesday" is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday that is the first day of Lent.  So, it's the last big bash before we all start fasting or sacrificing for Lent.  This year it is February 12th.  When we heard today on the street that "the parades start next weekend", we learned that the mardi gras carnival season is actually starting Janurary 19th - next weekend!  No wonder everyone is acting so crazy!  They can't wait!  The parades are put on by social clubs throughout New Orleans and various communities.  There is an organized schedule of events now but when the parades began in the 1850's, it was more random.  There is usually one main parade everyday starting next weekend, some days more than one.  This year, they will pause the parade activity from January 28th-Febraury 5th due to Super Bowl XLVII, which takes place on

I am in the great city of New Orleans this weekend with Bruce who is attending a trade show in town.  I am so glad I was able to tag along since I have never been here and it certainly is a one-of-a-kind experience!  As usual, we got in fairly late last night, dumped our bags off at the hotel and made a bee-line to Bourbon Street. It's not Mardi Gras yet but people sure were in the spirit for it!  It was crazy.  It was late for us but early for the folks on Bourbon Street.  Alcohol is allowed on the streets here so everyone is walking around with the beverage of their choice - lots of daiquiris, hurricanes and other rum concoctions in fish bowls. It made Vegas seem tame. Music was playing so loudly in each venture you couldn't tell which music was coming from which place but they had solicitors outside each club enticing you to come to their place.  I liked the horse patrol. Traffic is closed off on Bourbon Street every night, thank goodness, m