February 7th, 2010
In honor of the New Orleans Saints, who have made it all the way to the Super Bowl this year for the first time in club history, I thought I would share a little something that my friend Julie sent me a few days ago that I absolutely love!
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a football fan. In fact, even though mom and dad claim that I used to sit beside dad on Sunday’s and cheer on the Saints at the young age of two, I do believe that my love for football ended, about the time my first serious relationship ended, which happened to be with a high school football player. Even though I didn’t miss many of his games back in the day, I have to honestly say I didn’t understand much about it then, and now 27+ years later, that hasn’t changed.
With all that being said- I grew up with the Saints, and they are a part of my roots. So even though I don’t ‘get’ the game, I love the team, and I love Nawlins’. I’m proud of them for making it all the way, and now I want to see them bring home the trophy.
Enjoy the article below… It’s a little long, but well worth the read.
Dear Miami: Get ready for the Who Dat Nation coming for the Super Bowl
By Mark Lorando, The Times-Picayune
February 01, 2010, 5:06AM
Dear Miami,
The Saints are coming. And so are we, their loyal, long-suffering and slightly discombobulated Super Bowl-bound fans.
While there’s still time to prepare — although a few hard-core Who Dats will begin trickling in Monday, most of us won’t arrive until Thursday or Friday — we thought we’d give you a heads-up about what you should expect.
First things first: You need more beer.
Yeah, we know. You ordered extra. You think you have more than any group of humans could possibly consume in one week. Trust us. You don’t.
New Orleans was a drinking town long before the Saints drove us to drink. But it turns out beer tastes better when you’re winning. (Who knew?) So let’s just say we’re thirsty for more than a championship; adjust your stockpiles accordingly.
And look. When we ask you for a go-cup, be nice to us. We don’t even know what “open container law” means. Is that anything like “last call”?
It’s Carnival season in New Orleans (that’s Mardi Gras to you), and we’ll be taking the celebration on the road. So don’t be startled if you walk past us and we throw stuff at you; that’s just our way of saying hello.
Oh, and sorry in advance about those beads we leave dangling from your palm trees. We just can’t help ourselves.
February is also crawfish season, and you can be sure that more than one enterprising tailgater will figure out a way to transport a couple sacks of live mudbugs and a boiling pot to Miami.
When the dude in the ‘Who Dat’ T-shirt asks if you want to suck da head and pinch da tail, resist the urge to punch him. He’s not propositioning you. He’s inviting you to dinner.
And if you see a big Cajun guy who looks exactly like an old Saints quarterback walking around town in a dress … don’t ask. It’s a long story.
We know that crowd control is a major concern for any Super Bowl host city. Our advice? Put away the riot gear.
Reason No. 1: Indianapolis is going to lose, and their fans are way too dull to start a riot.
Reason No. 2: New Orleans showed the world on Sunday that we know how to throw a victory party. We don’t burn cars. We dance on them.
Reason No. 3: Even if we did lose, which we won’t, leaving the stadium would be like leaving a funeral, and our typical response to that is to have a parade.
Speaking of which: If you happen to see a brass band roll by, followed by a line of folks waving their handkerchiefs, you’re not supposed to just stand there and watch. As our own Irma Thomas would say, get your backfield in motion.
And hey, Mister DJ! Yes, we know you’ve already played that stupid Ying Yang Twins song 10 times tonight, but indulge us just one more time.
To us, “Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk)” isn’t just a song; it’s 576 points of good memories. It’s the sound of a Drew Brees touchdown pass to Devery Henderson, a Pierre Thomas dive for first down on 4th-and-1, a Garrett Hartley field goal sailing through the uprights in overtime.
It’s what a championship sounds like. You may get sick of hearing it. We won’t. Encore, dammit.
Inside Sun Life Stadium, you may find your ears ringing more than usual. We’re louder than other fans. Seven thousand of ours sound like 70,000 of theirs.
Don’t believe us? Ask the 12th man in the Vikings huddle.
Some people think it’s just the Dome that heightens our volume. But you’re about to discover a little secret: We can scream loud enough to make your head explode, indoors or out.
It’s not the roof. It’s the heart.
Well, OK, and the beer.
Don’t be surprised if there are more Saints fans outside the stadium than inside. A lot of us are coming just to say we were part of history, even if we can’t witness it up close. The Saints are family to us, and you know how it is with family: We want to be there for them, whether they really need us or not. Because we know our presence will mean something to them, whether they can see us or not.
Come to think of it, seeing as how you’re taking us in for the week, we pretty much regard you as family, too. So we’re warning you now: If you’re within hugging distance, you’re fair game.
Hugging strangers is a proud Who Dat tradition, right up there with crying when we win.
Most sports fans cry when their teams lose. Not us. We’ve been losing gracefully and with good humor for 43 years. Tragedy and disappointment don’t faze us. It’s success that makes us go to pieces.
Hurricane Katrina? We got that under control. The Saints in the Super Bowl? SOMEBODY CALL A PARAMEDIC!!!
So anyway, don’t let the tears of joy freak you out. We’re just … disoriented.
OK. Let’s review:
Order more beer. Throw me something, mister. Suck da heads. Wear da dress. Stand up. Get crunk. Hug it out. Protect your eardrums. Pass the Kleenex. Hoist the trophy.
See you at the victory party.
Faithfully yours,
The Who Dat Nation
Soup Saturday- Creamy Split Pea Soup
February 6th, 2010
Since I was gone most of the day today celebrating birthday’s with friends, I can honestly say that it wasn’t a Soup Saturday in this household. Instead, we had left overs from last night. I thought about sharing my baked potato soup recipe, but that would actually mean getting up, finding the recipe in the book of recipes that I’ve written over time, and right now I’m too comfortable to do that- so instead, you’ll get Creamy Split Pea soup.
I’ll have to admit that I haven’t made this, and based on the heavy cream, it obviously isn’t for those wanting a ‘light’ low-cal soup for lunch or dinner, but I bet it would make for great winter comfort food. Serve it with some hot whole-grain bread and talk about MMMmmm MMmmm Good!
Let me know if you make it, and what your verdict is.
Creamy Split Pea Soup
1/2 pound sliced bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 pound dried green split peas
2 quarts water
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups diced fully cooked ham
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels; drain, reserving drippings. Add onion and celery to drippings. Saute until vegetables are tender; drain. Add the peas, water, potatoes, ham, salt, bay leaf and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until peas are very tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf.
2. Cool slightly. Process in small batches in a blender until smooth. Return to Dutch oven; stir in cream. Heat through (do not boil). Garnish with reserved bacon.
Thanks to AllRecipes.com for the recipe.
Feel Good Friday
February 5th, 2010
Not only is it Friday, but I happen to be feeling significantly better and that’s enough to make me smile. Other things that have brought a smile to my face today is finally having the opportunity to meet my friend Bobbi’s mother, who is here visiting her grandson who is one month old on Sunday. Baby Luca is something else that makes me smile, and the fact that we were all able to have lunch together today, including our friend Anna, who I haven’t seen in a while. It was a great afternoon.
I also had the opportunity to use the umbrella that Samantha gave me for Christmas, something I’ve been itching to use for a while, but the wind has been too strong and I didn’t want to take any chances of it getting damaged. I love it and the way it feels in my hand. Who knew that an umbrella could make me smile?
I’m also thrilled because mom has mailed my oats, or at least I think she has, which means I’ll have them in my hot little hands soon.
So tell me what kind of great things have happened to you today??
Moving in the Right Direction
February 5th, 2010
Marcel and I went out last night for a belated anniversary dinner. We decided to go to a local restaurant since we weren’t going to be able to make it to where I really wanted to go this weekend. The food was good, and the company even better. We both came home stuffed, but at around 10:30 last night I was starving.
I ended up eating a few cookies, which is something I definitely shouldn’t have eaten. I even made an off hand comment that maybe I should have weight loss surgery just so I’ll stop eating cookies and things. Granted, it wasn’t an excessive amount, and I didn’t beat myself up about it, but since I’ve been sick, I’ve seemed to stay hungry.
I’m back on track today, and that’s where I plan to stay. These things happen sometimes. We just have to continue to move forward so we can reach our goals.
On the Up Side of the Flu
February 3rd, 2010
The past couple of days I’ve been spending most of my time either lounging on the couch, or playing Mahjong until my eyes crossed. I have managed to get a little of my writing done, but aside from that, Marcel has pretty much been taking care of everything, including J.J. I’m grateful that I haven’t had to get out of the house much, and it has allowed me to stay snuggled up and warm, without having to fight the elements along with this flu. I woke up this morning feeling a little better, which couldn’t have come at a better time, since I was prepared to make a visit to the doc.
Our 6 year wedding anniversary was yesterday, and we decided to wait until this weekend to celebrate by going out for dinner. Right now, I’m undecided as to where exactly we’ll go, since I’m really wanting to go to Jamie Oliver’s ‘15′, but it isn’t the best place based on where our other plans are this weekend. That leaves me with the question as to whether we should wait and go next week, or if we should just go somewhere else. Decisions, decisions.
Marcel also worked last night, so the celebration will come this weekend, which is shaping up to be jam packed with fun.
I have quite a few thoughts running through my head at the moment, but since I can’t actually settle on one thing to talk about, I think I’ll leave y’all with a picture of Mister Mistoffelees that I took yesterday. One of these days I’m actually going to write down these ideas that I have as I think about them so that I’ll have something brilliant to entertain you with.
Giving Spirit
February 1st, 2010
I forgot to share this last week, but this past Friday I went to the grocery store, and there were two little girls- probably about 6-9 standing in the foyer of the store with a little table set up. They stopped me and asked if I wanted to buy a cup of hot chocolate for .50 because they were raising money to send to Haiti. I thought it was the sweetest thing and I couldn’t help but get tears in my eyes. It was COLD in that foyer and yet they were trying to raise a little money to help those in Haiti.
I told them I didn’t need any hot chocolate, but that I appreciated what they were doing, and I gave them some cash. They were thrilled, and I was proud of them for having the spirit to give and help others at such a young age. We could all learn from those little girls.
To Doctor, To Doctor
February 1st, 2010
Looks like come tomorrow morning I’ll be taking a trip to the doc so I can see if there is anything he can give me for this flu that I’ve contracted from Marcel. Unfortunately, mine seems to have settled in my sinus region, where Marcel’s didn’t. Needless to say, it’s going to be a little while before I dust off the fitness equipment and start using it again.
At this point, it’s almost a work out to get up and do anything- like walking from the couch to the bathroom. I even took a little nap today, which is the first one I’ve taken in a long, long time. I thought I would just lie down for a few moments, and the next thing I knew, it was an hour later. I guess I needed it.
Tomorrow Marcel is headed back to work from his sick leave, and it happens to be our 6 year wedding anniversary. Doesn’t look like there’s going to much celebrating around here.
Soup Saturday- Red Pepper and Buttermilk Soup
January 30th, 2010
I realized a little while ago that I didn’t even share a soup recipe last Saturday. Shame on me. Anyway- I visited my friend Bobbi this past Tuesday and she had made us some fabulous soup for lunch. She was kind enough to share the recipe, and I made the soup two days ago. I have to say, that I absolutely love the flavor of this soup, and have added it to one of my ‘go to’ soups when I need something flavorful and quick. Because Marcel likes meat, I did add two boneless skinless chicken breasts that I chopped into small pieces. It was good, but I do prefer it without the chicken.
Red Pepper and Buttermilk Soup
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2 Tablespoons olive oil
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3 red bell peppers roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsley chopped (I doubled the recipe)
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2 shallots, peeled and sliced
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2 cups vegetable stock
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1 cup buttermilk (it calls for organic, I used regular)
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Cayenne pepper to taste- I should have added more, because I like spice.
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Salt to taste (I didn’t add salt, because I felt that the stock had enough salt.
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Roast the peppers. You can rotate them over a gas burner until black- charred and then allow them to cool and rub off the skin. (Because I don’t have a gas stove, I roasted mine under the broiler in the oven) Plus if you don’t want to roast them, you don’t have to. You can just soften them by cooking them with the shallots, but the roasting gives it a deeper, richer flavor.
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Saute shallots in olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat until soft.
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Stir in peppers and stock with shallots.
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Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
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Puree in batches (I tried to do it all in one batch and it made a mess. Ooops) in the blender until smooth. Take caution with hot liquids in the blender that you don’t burn yourself.
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Return to pot and add buttermilk, cayenne and salt to taste.
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Serve in bowls and garnish with cilantro.
Trust- How Far Should it Go?
January 30th, 2010
A few days ago I was catching up on news and was reading various articles and came across one in relation to the Yaz problems. I don’t know if y’all have heard about it, but it is a birth control medication which has been proven to be the cause of death in more than 50 women who took this medication.
Personally, I can’t even imagine how the families of these women feel, knowing that they thought they were taking a medication that would simply protect themselves against becoming pregnant, and they ended up dead. In addition to the 50 women who passed away from this medication, there are countless more who have had strokes, gall bladder issues, and even some reported cases of deep vein thrombosis.
The thing that bothers me is the fact that if the FDA had done more tests to learn the potential dangers of this drug, that these deaths could have been avoided, along with those who are now struggling with other health related issues because of the same medication. We trust that when our doctors give us medications, that it’s safe to take, and of course, most medications do have side effects, but I can’t imagine too many people who would have chosen to take this drug rx if they had known that it could lead to their death. I know I wouldn’t have.
I definiitely believe that the FDA should do further studies and really KNOW what the possible problems are with medications before ever allowing them to be released to the public. It could save a life, and that life could be mine or yours.
What do you think?
