Trucks

I used to be a hater of trucks.  I would see a big gas-guzzler on the road with its oversized tires and ridiculous giant toolbox full of lord-knows-what in the back, and think "Why on earth would anyone ever want to drive that around?" or "What a waste of resources.... it can't even fit more than 2 people in it!"

And then I met my husband.

He drove a truck.

Paul +

=

         

I was torn.  How could this smart, handsome, well educated man drive such a vehicle?  Surely he had his reasons.  I soon learned that this truck was going nowhere.  It was here to stay.  I had to learn to love it, or at least deal with it as an appendage of Paul's.  Over the next few years of our relationship I learned to tolerate the truck.  It was not the most comfortable of vehicles in which to travel, and if we had more than two people someone had to sit in the extended cab with the little seat flipped down sideways.  Not an ideal way to travel very far.  But despite my distaste for Paul's truck, it did get him from place to place and came in handy at a few tailgating events.  I still preferred my little Corolla that got twice the gas mileage.

Four years ago Paul moved to Louisiana.  I visited often and thought of it as my second home.  The truck successfully moved Paul and all his belongings (and towed a small trailer with some extras) all the way to from OH to LA.  I was unable to help with this move because I was being trained by the US Army, so I was thankful that he had a reasonable way to get himself all the way down South.  The truck's worth increased slightly in my eyes.

I soon came to realize that if you lived in a small town in Louisiana and you DIDN'T have a truck, you were in the minority.  If you drove a four-door compact car from Japan, you didn't fit in.  I've never liked being an outsider.  The truck began to seem a little more hip.  I began to toss aside the fact that it cost twice as much to fill up the gas tank as it did to fill up my car.  It didn't matter, the only driving you really had to do here is all within a 5 mile radius!

Since becoming a permanent resident of Natchitoches I have noticed more trucks than ever before. This is the scene in the parking lot at a restaurant where we ate a couple weeks ago. No joke.

I have started realizing that what I used to think of as a negative situation has turned into a positive.  Our (I used to call it "Paul's" but now that I like it I'll take partial ownership) truck comes in handy all the time!!!  Throwing this and that in the truck bed to take it across town can be a real time saver.  Our friends ask to borrow the truck to move a piece of furniture or move lumber for a house project.

Not only have I found it functionally useful during my trips to the hardware store, but when I drive the truck I feel like people look at me and might actually think I'm from here! (Note my previously mentioned need to fit in.)

Now when we talk about vehicles we might have in the future, a truck is still in the running.  I'm all in... let's get a giant truck.  Then we can have a full seat in the back and sit up even higher on the road.... we could look down at all the little people and call it our Ford Throne!

Trucks are a Southern way of life.  We can't always explain the reasons why, but we can learn to appreciate them.  I'm sorry I used to hate the truck, Paul.

Experiments in Cajun Cuisine

I am not a picky eater.  I don't like olives (I do still TRY to like them on occasion, and I know you are thinking I should try the "good" ones... and I have, but I just can't eat them.  I think they taste like dirty feet.... or what dirty feet would taste like if I ever tasted them).  Paul, my husband, does not like raw carrots.  He also does not like olives.  We believe our shared hatred of olives is the glue that binds our marriage.  Besides these small olive and carrot hinderances, our palates are pretty wide open.

Back to the point....

There is so much interesting food in Louisiana.  I can't even skim the surface of explaining the fundamentals of Cajun cooking, as I only began to learn about it 4 years ago.  Even then I only was able to eat these cajun meals every few months when I visited Natchitoches.   I have always loved trying new foods, and I hope in the next few months and years to be able to better my skills when creating some of these dishes.  I LOVE eating them, which is good, because if I didn't my dining options may be a little limited.  (Ok ok this is an exaggeration... there are plenty of other things to eat here.  I don't eat Red Beans and Rice every day.... though I think I probably could!)

This week we tried our hand (and by "we" I really mean Paul... I cut up vegetables and handed him things upon request as he cooked) at Gumbo, which can really have just about anything in it, and literally has thousands of variations.  We chose to do something fairly traditional and used sausage, chicken and crawfish.

The sausage was not Andouille sausage, which would have been slightly more authentic, but this Cooks Thesaurus says that Keilbasa is an appropriate substitute, so we were on the right track!  The crawfish were hand-shelled by yours truly about a year ago at a crawfish boil we attended with friends, and had been kept frozen.  I was a little skeptical whether or not the Mudbugs (Crawfish slang for you folks up north... hence the title of this Blog!) would still be fresh, but they tasted great.

Some other other things that really make a Gumbo a Gumbo are a Roux and the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables, which includes celery, green pepper and onion.  I love this reference.

Roux???  Yes I had absolutely no idea what this was until Paul moved to Louisiana a few years back.  Foods I grew up eating didn't use a "Roo."  (Love you mom, but let's be real, you weren't a French or Cajun cook!) I have since learned that this mixture of fat and flour (Paul used Oil) is really what gives many Cajun dishes their thickness... and charm.  Making a homemade Roux can be tedious but the product provides the Gumbo with the right color and texture.  Paul took his time stirring and it worked perfectly.

Put it all together, let it simma, serve over rice ... and Voila!!!!

It was delicious.  Really.  If I was on my own cooking show right now I would take a bite (being careful to skim the spoon with my teeth only, so as not to mess up my lipstick), close my eyes, say "mmmmmm" and congratulate myself on making the most delicious meal ever known to man.




So while the Gumbo was primarly Paul's magic work, the dessert was mine!

I chose to make Cuppa Cuppa Cake.  Yes... the one mentioned by Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias.

There will be a lot of Steel Magnolias references in this blog... as the Movie was filmed in Natchitoches.... but that's a whole different post.

A couple weeks ago my friend Stacey sent me a link to a Cuppa Cuppa Cake Recipe.  It seemed so simple that there was no way it could work, but I gave it a go.



1 Cup flour (I added 1 1/2 tsps of Baking Powder and 1/2 tsp Salt to my all-purpose flour so that it would rise a little)

1 Cup Sugar

1 Can of fruit cocktail

Mix and bake for 45 mins at 350.

I served it with whipped cream and fresh fruit.  Tasty and easy!!!!  I am not really much of a baker and I could do it!

               The tasters approved......









While the Cajun Cuisine was extremely tasty and I hope to learn more about it as I live in LA, I'm not going to lie, the biggest highlight of my week was a couple of days later when I discovered this morsel of culinary excellence at a Kroger (yes there are some Kroger grocery stores down south!) in Alexandria, Louisiana.  It does take me an hour to get there, but trust me, its comforting to know this is there when I need it.



Drumroll please................

      What can I say... I'm an Ohio girl at heart :-)

The long drive down South

I've had intentions of starting this blog for some time now.  My first post was going to be written during the long drive from Washington, DC to Natchitoches, LA.  This didn't happen.  In fact I've been living in Louisiana for almost 3 weeks now and I am just now beginning to write.  I think you'll enjoy this post more than the one I would have written during that first long day of driving.

That day was a flurry of emotion.... ask my husband.  Tears. Excitement. A few more tears.  I was excited to begin a new journey together with Paul, but sad to be leaving my friends, job, and the life I knew in DC.  For those of you who don't know, I have spent the last four years as a member of the US Army Field Band in the Baltimore/Washington area, and my husband has been teaching at Northwestern State University in Louisiana.  We have been living an unconventional life, but making it work.  We have finally decided to pull the plug and live in the same place... in this small Louisiana town.

What I would have written on June 29th would have been about my experiences with my friends in DC and my expectations of what was to come in LA.  While this is certainly not a negative approach, the past few weeks have already given me time to reflect.  Today I decided to begin this blog and dedicate it to my two families (and I don't mean to anyone I'm actually related... though I love you all too.)

First I owe so much to my family of friends in the band and in DC, as they have gotten me through many travels and lonely times away from my husband.  I miss you all everyday.

I am also indebted to my family of friends here in Louisiana, as they will help teach me the ropes and have already done so much to help me adjust to Southern life.  (If you are not pictured here, don't fret, there will be many more posts to come... I have yet to build my collection of Southern photos)

 This guy will certainly have an influence!

Because I live many miles from my Ohio roots, I have, and always will rely on these families of friends. Always.  This blog is aimed at entertaining the masses with stories of culture shock, realized by my midwestern self.  You may also, from time to time, get a musical, travel, or guest blogger post.  I had a long drive South to start racking my brain for things to write about, and as the scenery and climate changed and I got closer to my new home, I knew I would have no shortage of material.  So here we go....