Memorial Day by way of food...

Sigh. I really wish I could/would make the time to get on here more often. Many days, in the middle of my craziness that is going on, I think of things I'd love to blog about, even start writing it out in my head, and then never proceed to getting it out on the keyboard.

We've had such busyness going on the last few weeks...We celebrated Memorial Day with a short trip to New Orleans to stay with Richard's brother. We took the kids to the Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium. We made a short walk through the French Quarter, trying to avoid the spots that might evoke some questions from our dear children that we weren't ready to answer. It was so hot down there, but we enjoyed our trip and really enjoyed the food we got to eat! The first morning there, we ate at the original Broken Egg Cafe. I recently heard of this restaurant because they have opened one in Shreveport, and the owners are friends of my husband's parents. Anyway, when we saw they had one there in Mandeville, we decided to check it out. All I can say is, if the one in Shreveport is a fraction as good as this one was, they will be around for a long time. Richard and I, our 2 kids and our niece went in for breakfast around 9:30. Brian and Tori wanted pancakes, and Rachel ordered French Toast. Very reasonable portions and the price was even better, and on top of that, the food was fabulous! Richard ordered a dish called Crab Covallo which basically was Egg Benedict served on top of crabcakes. It. Was. Awesome. I think I stole a few bites. I had one of their potato skillet dishes with chicken, bell pepper and onion. It was delightful, as well. We will definitely be making a trip to the one over on Pierremont Rd. very soon.

Later that evening, after our long hot day at the zoo, we had reservations at Rips Seafood on the Lakeshore, also in Mandeville. (Richard's brother that we stayed with lives in Mandeville). We had reservations to eat dinner on the front porch, overlooking the lake, however, when we got there a large group had taken up the entire porch and wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. So, we ended up having to sit in the very back corner of the restaurant. I wasn't excited about that at first, but quickly had my attention diverted by the awesomeness of the food we ate. For an appetizer, we ordered calamari and the stuffed mushrooms. The calamari was good, but nothing too extraordinary. The stuffed mushrooms, on the other hand, were a little piece of heaven. They were stuffed with a crabmeat stuffing and cheese, battered and deep fried and served with a white dipping sauce. They were the size of baseballs, and easily could have been a meal themselves. On to the main courses...Richard ordered the Mahi and Scallops, which he loved. Mike ordered the Grouper with Basil Cream Sauce and Shrimp and pretty much cleaned his plate. I had the Ruby Red Trout with Crabmeat Stuffing and Crawfish sauce that was awesome! I have pictures of each of our dishes, but can't figure out how to put them in my blog...will have to work on that.

We also made the traditional stop for beignets at Cafe Du Monde and also ate lunch at a nice little restaurant in the French Quarter called River Edge (I think). I had a wonderful shrimp po-boy there and shared some corn and crab bisque with my hubby. It was delicious.

Then on Sunday we travelled up to Carencro to Richard's younger brother, Chris's house. We spent the evening relaxing and talking while Chris and Richard hovered over the grill preparing a feast of grilled meats to include chicken, ribs, sausage, stuffed mushrooms...it was so good! Chris had bought all of these things at Don's Specialty Meats Market, which we made a stop by on our way out of town the next morning and spent over $100 on different meats to bring home. I can't wait to cook some of them.

Anyway, so most of our weekend was about eating, but we did take time to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. I felt very blessed to be sharing it with my soldier, recently returned home from Afghanistan, when so many are separated from their loved ones this holiday. Also, in the area, last weekend was a funeral for a local soldier that was killed by a roadside bomb. What our country would be without the sacrifices so many have made. So many go and fight for our country, without hesitation. And they don't even know me, or you. Very similar to the Ultimate Sacrifice that our Lord made for each of us, giving up His Son so that we could live a life of freedom in salvation. So take some time, and remember who and what you are thankful for...and give thanks to them.