10 days to Spring!

The seeds that I planted last week are coming right along. The tarragon and basil have already sprouted. The cantaloupe I pre-planted is also coming up quickly. I had to plant a few things that germinate fast to help me have patience for the other things that take longer like the tomatoes.

It is another beautiful day and I am getting anxious to start planting outside, however, it is supposed to get cold again this week. I have learned the hard way not to set things out to early.

Hello to everyone from North Carolina. Y’all are now 3rd in the most  readers of this site. I remember being in Fayetteville on Easter one year and the dogwoods and azaleas were breathtaking. I have a funny story about an experience in Charlotte that I will have to tell y’all about sometime.

Thank you to everyone who visits and reads my ramblings. I wish I could personally meet everyone of you. I bet that would be a lot of fun.

Today’s Lagniappe: Green Beans with Bacon
You probably don’t need a recipe for this. Just watching my Mama taught me how to make it. Just in case your Mama didn’t show you how:

* 2 1/2  pounds  green beans, trimmed
* 3  bacon slices
* 1/2  cup  chopped shallots
* 1  teaspoon  freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/4  teaspoon  salt
* 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Cook green beans in boiling water for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. (Now, we know that Mama cooked them longer in the day but she might do it this way now).

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add shallots to drippings in pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add beans, juice, salt, and pepper to pan; toss to combine. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring often. Remove from heat. Sprinkle bacon over bean mixture; toss.

'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma chere amio!

Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie, File Gumbo . . . This song has been in my head all week. This is what comes from planning a Mardi Gras party. My husband, in an effort to make this clearer to me found 101 versions of the song on the internet and played them all for me. Isn’t he sweet? I didn’t know there were so many artists who sung the Jambalaya song.

I guess it is appropriate to have that song in my head as I am making the King Cake and other goodies, but, what about when I am planning a business seminar or talking to clients on the phone? People may wonder what I’m smiling about.

When I go for walks, I always have a song in my head that plays over and over whether I want it to or not. Does anyone else do that? Anyway, the party is tomorrow night. I’ll be sure to post pictures next week and, once this party is over, I’m getting a new song!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Today’s Lagniappe: Cajun Crawfish Maque Choux

12 fresh ears of corn cut
1 lg. onions, chopped
1 lg. bell pepper, chopped
2 pods of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 c. onion tops, chopped
1 c. parsley leaves, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes, diced
2 lbs. Crawfish tails
1/2 c. salad oil
1 stick butter

Shuck corn away from cob (cut corn away) and have ready.

To cook Corn: In a cast aluminum pot, heat salad oil then add corn and smother-cook until tender.

Smother bell pepper, onions, garlic, celery, parsley and onion tops until tender but NOT brown. Add corn and a small amount of water. Cook covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occassionally, until all ingredients are cooked.

In another aluminum pot, melt butter. Add the crawfish, Rotel tomatoes and the juice. Cook until crawfish are red, about 10-15 minutes. Add corn mixture to this. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes for flavors to mix well. Serve hot over rice.

Great song by Alan Jackson. Enjoy!

Click on pic to hear the song.

Happy Wednesday everyone!