King Cakes Will Be the Death of Me

 

In 2011 I wrote that the kitchen was producing 160 King Cakes a day (read about that here). The sales doubled in 2012 despite a shorter Carnival Season. This year the season is shorter still (only 5.5 weeks) and yet we anticipate selling more than last year. Currently I have been requesting from the kitchen anywhere from 400-800 cakes a day depending on the weather (nice weather = more store traffic) and day of the week (Monday = more Internet orders going out since we have not shipped since Friday). As with each Mardi Gras season that I have dealt with King Cakes: I CANNOT WAIT FOR IT TO END!!! There is so much going on. Crazy busy at work, tons of parades, this year the Super Bowl?!, random house visitors, etc. Dear Lord it is all so exhausting. But, as I somehow manage to do every year, I believe I will survive to tell the tale of another epic King Cake season at Sucre.

 



 

Burger... King?

OMG who doesn't love a good cheeseburger? Anyone? Yeah, I guess vegetarians aren't screaming "yay!" right now, but I sure as hell am! As a kid I was a chicken/hot dog fan and never even tried a burger until I was in college. Now I am a cheeseburger snob of sorts. I have never eaten a fast food chain burger and don't plan on trying them. If I am going to indulge, my ideal burger is a medium cooked patty topped with cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and mayo. Oh yeah. A toasted bun doesn't hurt either.  

 

Sure po-boys, jambalaya, and gumbo are usually the first things that pop into people's heads when they think about N'awlins cuisine but man there are so many yummy places to get a good burger in this town! Luckily these delicious concoctions of beef, cheese and bread are a favorite of a co-worker of mine so I always have a lunch buddy when I get a craving! Out of the places I have dined at, Cowbell is by far my favorite. They are a little pricey, but oh so tasty. If I am looking for an option that is a little easier on the wallet, Smashburger and The Company Burger (garlic and basil mayo anyone?) are at the top of the list. I tried Truburger for the first time this week and it did not disappoint either. The only place that I have not enjoyed is Juicy Lucy's...I tried it on two separate occasions and have concluded that stuffed burgers just aren't my thing. So for now when a good ol' cheeseburger is my meal of choice, I know I have plenty of options to satisfy my palate in NOLA :)

 

Toot Toot

I'm going to toot my own horn for a second. I am starting to realize that I tend to over help with situations at work. It isn't in my nature to walk away from things or half-ass tasks and that often leads me into undertaking more than is expected. Examples of going above and beyond include taking on projects that benefit others, helping departments other than my own with assignments, and sacrificing my desires to ensure the job gets completed. Sometimes I wish I could leave well enough alone and literally just go home, but I am a 110%er. It's kind of exhausting caring this much. *Sigh* Damn parents, they must have instilled some sense of responsibility, dedication, and work ethic in me. So yeah, I hope that didn't come off to pompous, I just think that if I were hiring someone I would pick me. LOL!

My Movie Reviews

I have been frequenting the theater recently and figured I'd share my thoughts on what I have seen.

 

Gangster Squad: C

Hmmm...not as good as I wanted it to be. Ryan Gosling = gorgeous eye candy. Emma Stone = lovable fun actress. Josh Brolin = notorious bad boy. Sean Penn = legend. Unfortunately none of those factors were enough to pull this together for me. I never felt like Emma and Ryan's relationship was convincing, Josh and Ryan didn't seem to click, and Sean seemed to be so much further into his character than anyone else. Bummer.

 

 

Mama: B-

I love a good horror/thriller and am not easily scared by what I see on the big screen. While there were lots of moments intended to make you jump, I always sensed they were coming, and therefore did not jump. Nice try though. Putting children in scary movies is a clever tactic because kids are terrifying enough as it is without creepy ghost-seeing abilities. Things were going well until about the last 20 minute then the cheesy factor increased tremendously and they lost me.

 

 

Silver Linings Playbook: B+

I think Bradley Cooper did a marvelous job of playing a mentally unbalanced guy trying to pick up the pieces of his life. I loved seeing Chris Tucker in something other than a Rush Hour flick. Jennifer Lawrence appeared to be as uninterested in conforming and pleasing people on screen as she seems to be in real life. Overall I think that this movie was charming and while the themes were kind of depressing I left the theater feeling content .

 

 

There ya have it, my personal opinions about my latest cinematic adventures. Has anybody seen any good movies recently?

New Years Late

Prior to being stricken with the death flu I did get the chance to welcome 2013 with friends and champagne! For the second year in a row I went to Jackson Square to watch the fireworks and the huge fleur de lis descend.

 

Me with Zach.

 

The stage facing the river. Max, AJ, and Zack looking dapper.

Zebra & Ostrich Racing

What did you do Saturday night? I enjoyed a lovely 70 degree January evening at the Fairgrounds watching zebras and ostriches race. Yes, you read all of that correctly. After the horses had done their thing spectators were treated to the unusual sight of zebras "racing". I put that in quotes because they seemed less than interested in crossing the finish line in any timely fashion. The ostriches were a little swifter in their competition but the jockeys had a hard time staying on the oddly shaped creatures.
Check out both races below (sorry the quality is so poor--but you can get the idea)

 

 

 

Brie and me at the track. Evan, AV, and others were there as well to take in this seemingly once-in-a-lifetime event!

Pupusas For Lunch

On Friday the office was treated to Maura's authentic El Salvadorian cooking! She prepared pupusas served with homemade salsa and cabbage slaw. YUM!

 

Her process went something like this:

Mix corn flour with water. Grab a glob of this dough in your hand and flatten it to your palm. With free hand grab a glob of meat/veggie/cheese mixture. Spin and shape in you hand to encase the meat within the flour. Once the meat is hidden inside the dough flatten into a patty. Toss this patty into a buttered skillet. After a few minutes flip it over until both sides are browned and the inside is cooked through. Top with cabbage slaw and salsa then enjoy!

 

 

Wow! She made some with just cheese for the vegetarians in the group. I tried both a meat and a cheese pupusa and was partial to the meat version,  but both varieties rocked!

The Flu Kicked My Butt

Holy crap the flu sucks! I couldn't tell you the last time I felt so completely awful. Between the lower back pain (is this what labor feels like?!), the coughing fits, the nausea, the chills, and the general feeling of puniness I thought my end was surely near. But lo and behold with a little help from some Tamiflu, a couple of Gatorades, and LOTS of sleep I have pulled through. While I was out from work King Cake season started. It has taken me a few days to get back on track with things, but I think I am going to make it. Not exactly the ideal way to ring in a new year: next winter I may consider getting a flu shot!