is there any more pie?

When we were in New Orleans we took a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. We watched gumbo being assembled while a pot of red beans simmered on a nearby stove burner. Banjo Man loves red beans and has tried many times to make them successfully.

There have been ups and downs.

Last week I took the recipe from the class and attempted to make something that would impress my husband (who was coughing and deaf). I even ordered the Camelia-brand red kidney beans from Amazon.

How did it go? Well, they looked good bubbling beautifully in the pot. But when I tasted them they were way too salty. WAY too salty. Where had I gone wrong?

I used “Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning” instead of “Joe’s Stuff Seasoning”. Not a good decision.

So…what to do…

I added more water, more chicken broth.

I splashed in lime juice, then lemon juice.

Then I tried adding slurries of corn starch and water.

Tablespoons of sugar.

More water.

After all this, my beans were barely semi-edible and served over white rice they were okay. Sort of.

The next day I put them back on the stove with slices of raw potato and more liquid. That helped and we ate red beans and rice for two more days.

I will share the recipe once I’ve figured out the proper seasoning. More research is required and maybe another Amazon order, this time of “Joe’s Stuff”.

Wish me luck.

Yesterday my grandnephew was born! Such exciting news for our family, as he is my brother and sister-in-law’s very first grandchild.

And the first one is so very, very special. A whole new world opens up and the love pours in.

Congratulations to everyone. We can’t wait to meet him.

We have no snow, which is just the way we like our winters. Those dry roads make it easy for us to get to our gazillion medical appointments and for Banjo Man–who has recovered from his nasty virus–to go to the grocery store.

He happily ventured out for the first time in weeks last Saturday and didn’t return for four hours. Granted, he went to the dump first, but he went to four stores afterward. The man knows how to use “digital coupons” and proudly pulls out his phone at the cash register to access the sale prices.

It’s unimaginable, but I have seen the proof stuffed into brown grocery bags. Am I impressed? Absolutely. He still can’t operate the tv remote and now he can buy groceries?

Go figure.

And what was I doing while he was cruising the aisles of the grocery store? Working on this.

Yes, this is a strange quilt top, but I was inspired by a similar one in my new quilt design book by Kaffe Fassett. I was determined to use the 20+ year old striped fabrics I had stored in my closet and this was the result. There is one more border to sew. I will do that later today.

I am not sure how to quilt it. It’s going to take some time to figure that out.

In the meantime I will work on something else. And search Pinterest for a chicken stew recipe. I have a craving, but not a lot of energy for cooking. That happens in January!

Stay warm, everyone.

Happy New Year!

Winter is here, according to the Weather Channel. I hope you are all safe and warm and dry.

I don’t know about you, but I feel as if we’ve just had five Saturdays in a row. The week that wouldn’t end.

While in Texas we watched two movies. Banjo Man didn’t feel well enough to go out, so we cozied up in the condo after Christmas, ate cookies and watched tv.

We loved this movie. We had to pay for it, something I find annoying because I subscribe to so many channels, but it was worth it. Inspired by a true story in 2014, Pierce Brosnan plays a 93-year old WW2 veteran determined to go to the D-Day anniversary despite being confined to a nursing home. We all enjoyed it. One thing: the movie ends, “The End” is on the screen, it goes black and then? The story–the epilogue–continues and it is a great ending. If you watch it, don’t turn it off until it’s really over.

“The Man Who Invented Christmas” was so much fun. I don’t know much about Charles Dickens’ life–except to have walked by his house in London years ago–so his history with his father and his childhood were news to me.

The story of how he wrote “The Christmas Carol” was fascinating, with all sorts of characters in the mix.

Let me know if you’ve seen these movies and what you thought. And stay warm!

Time for resolutions? I think not.

I thought this was worth a giggle or two. If I had any 2025 thoughts, they might be to cook less and quilt more. Hire someone to clean. Eat more avocadoes. Get rid of more “stuff”. Buy pretty clothes.

We are home, as of Sunday night. Banjo Man is ever so slowly recovering from the “coughing crud” he had for most of our time in Texas. The day before we left I was hit by one of the ever-present and infamous Texas allergies that tortures its residents year round.

The flights home were plagued with severe ear pain and tears. Yes, I cried. A lot. Like one of those poor infants who scream during takeoff and landing. Daughter Nancy picked us up at the airport and drove her weary parents home. I suspect we were pathetic. And maybe a little…elderly.

I went to bed Sunday night and didn’t get up again until this morning. I feel sooooo much better, though Banjo Man does not. He explained he is suffering from plugged “airplane ears” and is going to try all the remedies he just read on Google.

I hope one of them works so he will smile again.

I want to wish you a very happy, peaceful and healthy New Year. May we all find joy in every day.

I saw this online and had to share.

I have seen other lists, but I like this one most of all.

We are having one of those lovely “slow mornings” here in New Orleans. Eventually we will stroll down to Cafe during Monde for coffee and beignets.

At 1:00 we’ll be in the audience for one of our favorite jazz pianists, Richard Scott, followed by a late lunch at Mr.B’s and then a concert at the St Louis Cathedral at 6:00.

I have yet to do any Christmas shopping, unless a jar of spices for the annual Christmas gumbo counts.

I am having trouble writing this post. Oh, the internet! So I will leave it here and get on with my quiet morning.

The French Quarter is undergoing a badly needed facelift of some streets and sidewalks. There is a lot more to do. I cannot believe the disintegration of the sidewalks on Decatur and Royal. Bourbon Street is being “repaired”, supposedly for the benefit of the Superbowl visitors.

This special historic area of the city has been neglected and has lost a lot of its charm.

We still love it, having experienced its better days.

But I find it sad.

Yes, it’s my birthday and that’s how old I am! Am I going to party? Yes, I am!

The coffee tastes especially good this morning.

So, what is this old party girl going to do to celebrate? Should I tell you???

I’m going to Costco. Yes, Costco. There’s one less than an hour away now, in Connecticut, and daughter Nancy, Banjo Man and I are going on a little road trip this morning to check it out.

I mean, really, who doesn’t want 48 rolls of toilet paper for their birthday?

Actually, I do have a thing about NEVER running out of toilet paper. This started a long time before Covid shortages and the world-hoarding of paper products. So buying a massive amount of toilet paper will be great fun for me.

Thrilling, even.

And because I have gotten rid of so much “stuff” over the last couple of years, there is plenty of space on the storage room shelves in which to store it. Yay me.

Assuming my birthday was all about thrifty spending, Banjo Man quite seriously asked if I wanted the $1.50 Costco hot dog for my birthday lunch.

Think again, pal. We’re going to our favorite Italian restaurant and I am ordering pizza.