My Big Easy

Tonight, I hold my glass high in a toast to them all in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) that they are safer this time around.

Anyone who has held a lengthy conversation with me, would probably find out that I love New Orleans more than any spot on earth. I enjoy Vegas, a warm sunny beach, and Memphis - but when I visited NOLA the first time, a place in my heart was forever taken. When that plane taxied away from the gate, Steve noticed I had a tear in my eye. I told him I loved that city so much, I wondered if we could move there! We were lucky enough to visit there twice before Katrina. Last Christmas, we skipped going to Vegas, and went back to NOLA for the first time since the storm. The picture below was taken from a barge on the Mississippi River facing the French Quarter. If you will notice the bottom row of windows on the church - these are actually the windows of the second floor! Remember, the Quarter sits "down in", and the levees hold back the water. The levee is the rocky bank that runs horizontal in this picture. I love this picture, and picked it to represent NOLA to you. (if you click on it, it will be larger to look at)


Now..........here is "the best thing going " in NOLA. They are called beignets (ben-'yays), and often accompanied with cafe au lait, as shown here. Cafe au lait, is very strong chickory coffee mixed with warm milk. There isnt anything even close this far North.
For the beignets.....they are squares of a dough, deep fried, and then while they are warm and a little greasy, they are drenched (yes drenched) with powered sugar. This is how I would describe heaven-on-earth! You see the little balls of sugar on the plate? Those are little pellets made up of grease and sugar. They're kinda like crack- and just as addicting! My belly growls and heart aches for this snack - while sitting at Cafe du Monde in the Quarter, listening to the sounds of sax musicians, watching the artists sell their wares over at Jackson Square, and the faint sound of a tugboat sounding his horn up over the levee on the river.

With ALL of my being, I pray that Gustav is easy on them. May they all have the wisdom, and means, to evacuate. To all, again, someday: Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!......means "Let The Good Times Roll". God Speed, NOLA!

Congrats to The Ohio State Buckeyes on their first win of the football season! My favorite part about football season, is that it means basketball season is right around the corner!