Too cold to do anything but eat

The dumbass weather was horribly cold all weekend, including some snow. Thank goodness it didn't stick! Since it was so miserable, I wasn't in the mood to do much of anything besides cook, eat & workout.

Friday night's menu was jalapeño and cream cheese stuffed pork tenderloin, boudin stuffed peppers, fried okra & potato salad.

After a long cardio/weights sesh at the gym, Saturday's lunch was an experiment which turned out really tasty. Sautéed romaine, peppers and celery topped with salmon and an over easy. Splendid!

Papa John was the Saturday night chef.

This is how I had to accessorize INSIDE of the house all weekend. When it gets this cold, I. Cannot. Deal.!!!

Was able to get out for a few things Sunday, including the gym, church, brunch at Local on the Square and a trip to THE Krogers.

It was K's first time to Local. We went with the standby crab stuffed avocado appy, he had the lobster BLT and I finally tried the chicken & waffles. I've been wanting to try them since the first time I went and they were delish but I doubt I will order them again. They are kinda plain in comparison to all of the other great items I've eaten there and I am definitely more of a complicated than plain type of girl.

Working today before I party like it's 1999 for NYE tonight.

RIP Harry

Yesterday was the last day of Harry's tour in this life. He led a long life of almost 3 years and has been returned to the waters from where he came....or the sewer lines running through the city.

It's blizzarding

I know there are a lot of people out there that LOVE snow but I'm not one! I hate it so much!!!! It's cold, it's ugly and it's dangerous. What is there to like? Bleck! We got our first round for the season late Christmas night and I can hope and pray it is our last one. The weather forecasters were saying the area was under a blizzard warning but luckily this is all that happened. I even went to work in it....which hardly ever happens.

St. Landry Catholic Church

This is the church in Opelousas where we went to Christmas Eve mass. I took a few pics because it is kind of special.
-It is the church that K's high school is part of and where he graduated.
-It is the oldest Catholic Church in Louisiana.
-It is where Dale & Betty got married.
-It is where Matt & Jade got married.
-It is where Ryan & Mal are going to get married now that they are engaged and have a wedding to plan!! (That happened on Christmas Eve :)))

Celebrate good times, come on

Family, great food, presents and fireworks made all of the celebrations we went to in Louisiana completely worth the drive down and the all nighter drive home we had to make in order to miss lots of nasty weather completely worth it!

Christmas Eve lunch at Prejean's

Christmas Eve started out with some shopping and lunch at Prejean's. A perfect seafood gumbo and a badass shrimp po boy made me happy!

Beginnings of a Louisiana Christmas

We left bright and early Saturday morning to make it down to Louisiana for some more Christmas celebrating. J & I couldn't get to Krotz Springs fast enough. Krotz Springs is a little town outside of Lafayette, LA where we stop @ Billy's Market every time we go "back home" to get the best cracklins and boudin balls in the whole world!

Christmas celebrations have begun

The celebrations officially started at our house this week.

Kennon and I pooled our money and bought our presents together this year. We outfitted the media room with a new TV, tv stand, coffee table and sectional sofa & it was all delivered Wednesday morning.

My time off from work started yesterday and I finished up the rest of the crack candy that needed to be made and cooked a gumbo. I snapped a picture of the very beginning of the gumbo and then ignored my camera the rest of the day.

Mom, Roy and Sissy came over last night for a Christmas gumbo dinner and then we opened presents. I forgot to take pics of that too but I got an awesome food processor. I've wanted one forever but have refused to spend that much money on an appliance that won't get used all the time.

Tonight J, K and I opened our presents from each other.

Jake got the PS Vita he's been wanting.

K got a pretty cool backpack cooler that I've been wanting......him to have ;)

And I got a bad ass popcorn popper for the media room and have already made 3 batches.

Today was suppose to be the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar but we are still going strong.

Saturday night date, Sunday parties

After fininshing up all of Saturday's chores and resting while watching the Tigers/Louisville game, K and I headed out to try something new. We rolled on over to Firebird's for some dinner and drinks.

I had the pecan crusted trout and it was really good.

K ordered the surf & turf and their steak was surprisingly delicious. I never have much faith in chain restaurants steaks and am always pleasantly surprised when I find a great one.
(I had to borrow both pics from the restaurant's website since I forgot to take my own.)
I slept in really late Sunday. I have been so tired lately, winter is such an energy zapper :( Sunday afternoon was J's baseball club's Christmas party and they had a surprise guest come talk to the boys. Coach Roc from the University of Memphis came and spoke to the boys. He seemed like a really good guy and invited the boys out to a UofM game in the spring.

As soon as Coach Roc was through speaking, we had to run to CTK for J's youth group Christmas party. I swear that boy is starting to have a busier social life than me! I ran some more Christmas errands and met Heather at church while he was partying. It was The Stirring's Christmas service and absolutely beautiful. We are going to Louisiana for Christmas, so I'm glad I was able to get to enjoy at least one of Hope's Christmas services.....even if it was 9 days before.

Partying, baking & wrapping

This should have been posted 12/15/12 but sat in my draft box til I saw it just now :(

I was suppose to be in Nashville this weekend visiting my girl Les and her beautiful little Baby Violet but then too much had to be done this weekend. Yesterday was our office Christmas luncheon and gift exchange. The food was great but the cakes were the best. Getting that stuffed in the middle of the day made it hard to get busy when I got home but I had no choice. There were still lots of things that needed to be done.

#1 on the list of to do's for the weekend was crack candy. The girls at the office and some of the Cajuns have been asking about it so there was no bowing out. Heather came over and kept me company while I cooked and helped me package it all up.

Another thing I was able to mark off the list (almost) was gift wrapping. I got everything wrapped except for 3 things that I need big bags for. I have to say that awesome table that Roy built us came in mighty handy for wrapping!

This is the last thing I have to do today before we head out to dinner tonight. Gotta get this package wrapped and figure out who's going to get her.

Christmas Activities

This week has been busy with Christmas shopping, Christmas cooking, Christmas programs, fires by the Christmas tree and surprises under the Christmas tree.

Up goes the Christmas tree

It only took the whole weekend to get our tree up! We bought it Friday night, searched for the lights and decorations Saturday and got it lit and decorated Sunday afternoon. The temps were in the 70's Friday and I don't care what anyone says, Christmas tree shopping in shorts and flip flops is mighty enjoyable to me.

In addition to the tree, we also busted out National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation for the first time this season. Just as funny the 87th time as the first :)

Other weekend activities included the Annual Mother/Daughter Christmas Brunch which was held at the Local Gastropub on the Square, Kennon's work Christmas party at Brooklyn Bridge, some baseball, some gym time, church and wondering why in the world our dogs beg so much.

While the cat is gone, the mice will play

K left town to go deer hunting Wednesday and Thursday so J and I entertained ourselves with 2 nights of Christmas shopping and out to dinner.

I picked the 1st night so we had a sushi date at the new Osaka on Poplar where the Bookstar use to be and J picked last night....we wound up at Red Lobster. Oh the joys of being an accommodating mom :)

Tacky Christmas party prep and lasagna construction

That's what went on with us last night....