As promised

How To: The New Orleans Edition – Part Duex

1. How to breakfast in NO:

Watch your step on the way to Nola Beans, our favorite local coffee shop.  Every visit to NO includes many a visit to Nola Beans.  It’s bright and fun and boasts some pretty colorful treats.

Fleur de lis cookies

Turtles!  We bought more turtles at another bakery and conducted a “Turtle Taste Test” and these were the hands down winners.  Yummy sugar cookie topped with a fudgy blob and pecan feet (I don’t like pecans so good thing these were easy to remove!)

Brunch at the Ruby Slipper was goooood and I was MORE THAN STARVING. 

Being able to mix breakfast with lunch is the glory of a brunch menu!  Our schedule for the day got all messed up so this was the first real meal of the day at 2 pm and I needed a mimosa to revive myself.  Followed up by sweet potato fries.

Confession: The above pictured meal was not actually mine.  I actually had a mushroom, thyme and brie omelette with grits and multigrain bread, ALL of which was delicious and really hit the spot.  Anything multigrain is wonderful if you ask me 🙂

The BBQed Shrimp and Grits belonged to my mother.  This seemed more like a broth to me than a bbq sauce.  It was scarfed right up!

2. How to spend an afternoon in NO

Make sure you get a chance to see all the important New Orleans landmarks, like the Real World House.

Kidding, wasting time on such a site is only for those who have been to NO numerous times and have previously seen everything there is to be seen.

Cool off with an authentic New Orleans snowball

Let’s get some facts straight:

• Snowballs are made with FINELY shaved ice, it’s like snow
• Dowsed with syrup that comes in almost any flavor — Red Velvet Cake, check!  Wedding Cake, check! Tiger’s Blood, che– wait what is Tiger’s Blood??  I don’t know, but it’s good!
• Served with both a straw AND  spoon so you can eat the ice and slurp up anything that melts
• This is NOT a snowcone, a slurpie, an icee or anything of the like
• They do not have these in Colorado (I’ve only seen them in NO actually) and I don’t know why but it’s highly depressing

Above are lemon lime and white chocolate chip.  DO.NOT.LEAVE.NEW.ORLEANS.WITHOUT.HAVING.ONE.OF.THESE.  May I suggest you try one from Pandora’s

3. How to spend an afternoon in the French Quarter

The Cafe du Monde serves up beignets and coffee.  If you don’t know what a beignet is just imagine a big donut covered in powdered sugar — they remind me of sopapillas!  If you’ve never had one go ahead and give them a try.  I decided to skip out on the sugary snacks this time 🙂

4. How to re-fuel after a hot walk in the quarter

Slice on Magazine Street serves up some pretty pleasing salads

I got the Mesclun — organic greens, walnuts, goat cheese and local fresh berries.  I like the sound of that!  And the taste too!

Beanie “doesn’t do dairy” so we shared a veggie pie sans cheese.  It may have been better cold the next day…

5. How to survive a almost 6-mile run in humidity city

It took a mile or so before I felt like I could actually breathe.  My uncle and I did a couple laps in the park and then he said “keep going, see you in 13 minutes” and I was off on my own.  A quarter of the way around it started to rain, then it started to POUR!!!!  I could’ve stopped but my family was waiting on the other side and the rain actually felt pretty good so I kept on going.  Was joined by my uncle for the last quarter of the lap and ended up SOAKED but proud of myself for finishing, even if it was a little short of 6 miles (5.56 miles at a 9:35 average to be exact).

What a wonderful uncle I have who would come find me and join me in a rainy run 😀

Southern Soul Food: Red beans and rice.  This is one of those throw it in the crockpot and let it be meals.  Every Monday night my uncle dishes up some tasty rb&r for what has become known as “Bean O’Clock.”  This was JUST what the doctor runner ordered!!  The sausage and pickled pork MAKES the meal.

My mom’s red beans are much thicker and she uses ham.  Both versions are so good, I just can’t pick a winner!

6. How to make the most of your last day in the Big Easy

Indulge in one last bowl of homemade bread pudding.  Beanie and I have a new obsession

Jackson was having a well-behaved moment in the background

Talk.about.yum!

Doesn’t he look sad that we were leaving?

Beware of caterpillars crawling on your rocking chair

I already want to go back 😦  On the upside I’m so happy to be back in charge of when I get to eat — this girl needs her meal schedule!

A BIG THANKS to my wonderful boyfriend for taking on a huge blogging responsibility 🙂 🙂

Happy Thursday!