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Friday, December 28, 2018

Euro Trip Itineraries

If you know me even a little bit you know I'm an extensive planner so much so it is almost a detriment to me. LOL. But MOST of the time it comes in handy like when I'm planning a trip.  My Europe trip over the Summer was an extensive trip that had a lot of boxes to check and so going in unorganized and without a plan just wasn't an option. I wanted to utilize every minute and literally map it out to ensure we maximized our time in each destination.  Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome are huge cities that you could easily visit time and time again and still have things to see and do.  I have been to Paris twice now and still have things that I haven't got to experience and both times I've had a plan.  I spent, I would guess, upwards of 40 + hours building this custom itinerary, buying city passes, and researching transpiration to ensure my Mom and I were fully prepared.  

How I made the itineraries? Well I first made lists regarding each destination of must eat restaurants, sights, and experiences I wanted to do.  I then bought the necessary tickets like our Crazy Horse dinner and show tickets as well as the opera tickets in Venice and booked our AirBnb experience in Florence.  Once I had all the MUST have items booked I pulled up my map application on my Mac and grouped each day's sights and activities in a general area of one main item on my must do list.  Of course some items just weren't important or didn't work out but I tried to maximize our days in each destination by grouping activities in the similar vicinity and then mapping out detailed transportation when we needed to travel further around the city.  After building the itineraries and then putting them to use I can say now I am SO glad I went in so prepared.  We accomplished so much but also felt relaxed doing it.  We also were able to stumble upon things as we went along with our plan.  

So here is the nitty gritty of my Europe trip over the Summer in detailed itineraries

**Legend** 
Completed according to planned
Didn't Complete
Completed but on different day
______________________________________________________________________________

Paris, France
Arrived by: air at CDG (Charles de Gaulle airport)
Dates: Arrived June 8 left June 11
Must getParis Pass for museum entry and public transport easy access- purchase HERE before your trip
Tips:  
  • Book Eiffel Tower tickets in advance
  • Utilize the subway system- it's the best
  • get to Notre Dame before opening time and be prepared to stand in line if you plan to enter
  • Study and book in advance the correct ticket to skip the line and enter Versailles
  • Ask your hotel for dinner recommendations they always have great suggestions nearby
_________________________________________________________________________________

Venice, Italy

Arrived by: air from CDG (Charles de Gaulle airport) to VCE (Venice)
Dates: Arrived June 11 left June 14
Must get: Purchase shuttle bus ticket from airport to Piazzale Roma in Venice HERE, purchase water taxi pass at one of the water taxi terminals.  I bought us each the 3 day tourist pass and we utilized it A LOT.  If you plan on going to Murano and Burano make sure your ticket fare includes those stops as some do not. 
Tips:
  • pack light as you will more than likely have to walk from bus station to hotel
  • the private water taxis are VERY expensive. We used one to dinner just for the one time experience but other than that utilize the public transit water taxi system
  • make sure your phone battery is charge fully and if possible have a portable charging station as you will use maps a lot and it kills your battery life
  • If you have any restaurant musts be sure and make reservations for entire stay because of the dense tourist population during high season restaurants usually only go off of reservations and they book up FAST

_________________________________________________________________________________

Florence, Italy
Arrived by: train from Venice
Dates: Arrived June 14 left June 17
Must get: If you want to climb the Duomo book WAY in advance if possible it was booked over a week out when we were there. Book THIS AirBnb experience!!!!!
Tips:
  • get a seat early and stay until dark to view the sunset over Florence at Piazza Michelangelo
  • Get a Firenze card, Florence city pass.  HERE this pass was worth it ALONE for getting into the Uffizi
_________________________________________________________________________________


Rome, Italy
Arrived by: train from Florence
Dates: Arrived June 17 left June 20
Must get: Roma Pass HERE , Vatican tour booked BEFORE travel HERE
Tips:
  • I didn't figure out a good transportation plan before hand in Rome and also didn't realize it is super spread out.  Utilize public buses as taxi's are very expensive and can add up quickly
  • DON'T go in the Summer months of May- August 
  • Go into any church/ cathedral you come across. There's more than you can image and all worth a look.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Welp...you should be set if you want to visit any of these cities for at least 3 days or more.  These itineraries are very jam packed and if we were slow movies or gallery gawkers it could have easily made us not be able to accomplish as much.  

Thursday, December 27, 2018

I Took My Mom On Vacation...Here's What I Learned


Some people wouldn't dare to spend two solid weeks with their parent on a trip overseas but I didn't think twice about it.  My Mom is one if my best friends and I never fear us getting along or having conflict.  I mean if we do we get over it but it wasn't about to stop me from making one of her dreams come true of seeing Paris and then extending our trip into a tour of Italy.  I was excited for it to be my turn to teach her after a lifetime of lessons she has taught me!

Even though we spend a lot of time together we haven't slept in same room and shared space in close to 15 years and I really noticed things like wow we are really alike...



  • We pack the same, are both really organized, and have similar routines
  • We don't do well when tired and know when its time to rest...pretty much LOL
  • We aren't quitters.  I know we aren't quitters individually but the entire trip was packed full of activities and walking, and traveling from town to town and she never complained or quit.  Even though I know she really wanted to after walking literally miles and miles daily with jet lag and overwhelming culture she never cracked!!  Was so proud of her


I loved seeing her experience the difference in culture and helping her become more open minded.  Overall she is pretty set in her ways but she did good to try things that I threw at her.  

We LOVE onion soup!

Although we are very very similar we have some noticeable differences IE: her amount of makeup products and her conservative vs my pretty free spirit.  We don't judge each other and are accepting of our differences but we are sure to give each other a hard time about them LOL


I was sure to take her on activities she wouldn't have done herself like the burlesque show at Crazy Horse which is way more art than burlesque.  It took the 2 hour show and a cab ride back to the hotel for her to soak it all in and see that it wasn't a STRIP tease like she had been thinking and that it was a neat experience even though she would have never picked it herself. 

If you want to make amazing memories with your mother and a lifetime of laughs and stories then take her on a trip that is just you and see what you learn that you might not know!  Our trip over the summer is something that I will cherish forever.  I hope this isn't our only time to be able to make this happen.

If you missed our trip check it out HERE!

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

O' Christmas Tree

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How loyal are your leaves/needles!
You're green not only
in the summertime,
No, also in winter when it snows.
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How loyal are your leaves/needles!


Growing up we always had a real tree.  We would go usually around my birthday, the 16th, and hunt down the "perfect" tree or so I thought until a few weeks ago. LOL Once we found it my Dad would cut it and we'd haul it back home, stick it in a 5 gallon bucket with rocks and get to decorating.  We've had trees with ants, trees fallen over when we wake up, and debris everywhere but all those things never stuck with me.  All I remember is it being so fun going out as a family finding that "perfect" tree and just loving the holidays that much more.  Now 15+ years later after saying it for a good 5 years..."THIS YEAR WE ARE GETTING A REAL TREE".  We finally got a real tree!  

None of the junk from Lowe's or Home Depot...a REAL tree from the wild! The weekend after Thanksgiving we scouted around for trees on our land but they were all really mangy.  Holes in the branches, full sides missing and entire sections too, too tall, or too little.  I told Hendrik we always had "PERFECT" trees growing up. LOL I don't know what the problem is??? He said to ask my Mom how "perfect" they really were, maybe my childhood memories were betraying me LOL.  Yeah, well my Mom confirmed his thinking...they weren't perfect LOL.

On the way to Mt. Pleasant I saw the perfect tree on a tree line of some property that I just happened to know the owner.  I called them up and told them the whole story of me finding the perfect tree and if I could cut it down.  They told me to go for it!  That next Sunday Hendrik and I grabbed Case for the adventure since my brother and Lara were working.  



After we cut it and loaded it up I had Case take our picture and he did so good for a 3 year old but hey it is 2018. Then he had to have his picture and we were off towards the house. 



Once home we trimmed it up and got it in the stand then in the house.  Hendrik helped me string up my vintage bubble lights I purchased for my "perfect" real tree then he took Case back to my Moms for a nap.  I was left to decorate it and once I had drug out all the Christmas decor I was feeling pretty defeated.  The tree just wasn't what I had in my head.  It struck me as ugly especially after looking so perfect in the field.  I put a few decorations on it but I wanted a special look and most of my decorations didn't fit my plan so I made do and cleaned everything up feeling let down. 

Here is the finished product of the "perfect" tree.  


It took a few days for all of it's perfect imperfections to grow on me and I did feel really down and defeated.  Which now looking back is insane I mean it is a tree but I just had such a grand picture and memories in my head and I wanted my tree now to be all that I remembered PLUS more!!!

Now that I can reflect and fully appreciate this beauty I can see that like this tree life isn't perfect and with my Type A personality maybe I need to learn to love all of the imperfect things in life a bit more.  Maybe I should laugh at those things and wave them off a bit more.  Lesson learned tree, lesson learned.

Not all things in life are perfect and they certainly aren't all that my mind conjures up just like my PERFECT tree!  Merry Christmas

Book Review: The President is Missing


My 12th book that I finished for 2018 was a collaboration with President Bill Clinton and James Patterson.  I bought this book while in Europe for some travel and night reading and it took me a full 5 months to finish it!!!  If that doesn't tell you a bit about the book them let me say...they drug this sucker on, and on, and on, and on and on and...well you get it.  The entire book happened over a time period of like 5 days to a week and literally I felt like everything could have been said in a few pages.  It was very anticlimactic and the only reason I even finished it was that I'm not type A that I had to finish what I started but I don't recommend it.  It's really slow moving and drawn out and I just felt like the story wasn't a great story.  


The President Is Missing confronts a threat so huge that it jeopardizes not just Pennsylvania Avenue and Wall Street, but all of America. Uncertainty and fear grip the nation. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view . . . 

Set over the course of three days, The President Is Missing sheds a stunning light upon the inner workings and vulnerabilities of our nation. Filled with information that only a former Commander-in-Chief could know, this is the most authentic, terrifying novel to come along in many years.

Currently reading and trying to finish by the end of the month Girl Wash Your Face & A Steep Price

2018 in Review

Boy did 2018 fly by...Looking back on the year I see how busy I was, how much I have tried to grow internally, and also how I can do better.  So ready or not 2019 is coming at us FAST so let me do a great review of 2018 so we can start out 2019 on the right foot.  First, let's take a look at my goals for 2018 that I compiled at the end of 2017....

2018 Goals: updates in blue
  • Read 15 books-BEST BOOK REVIEW OF 2018 read fully 12 and have 3 in the works hopefully I'll finish a few before the end of the year in a couple weeks
  • Practice self love- make exercise a must not an option, get back on my healthy eating, drinking plenty of water, and take care of my skin and hair- still working on this
  • Get dressed for work in REAL clothes 3 to 4 times a week and only wear Tri County apparel once a week on Friday's- HAHAHAHAHA yeah maybe next year
  • Cut down on watching TV during the week and utilize those hours blogging, reading, or working in my home office- some weeks this happened and some it didn't 
  • Work on my yard and have the best garden of all my gardens- added and did more/ different things and had a good garden but wasn't the best YET
  • Cook new recipes each month- yes I feel like I did accomplish this goal with the help of me enrolling in a subscription service called eMeals.  LOVE IT
  • Take weekend trips either with Hendrik or my girlfriends or both- NOLA, Charleston, Palm Springs, Miami- travelled so much this year and Hendrik and I did knock out a NOLA long weekend trip
  • Go on a mother daughter tour of Italy- YES done 
  • Visit 2 new countries with Hendrik- visited El Salvador so only hit 1 new one this year
  • Use my time at work and be the best boss babe to maximize efficiency and be less stressed- feel like I have worked on this constantly all year and although I have gotten way better I can still continue to work on this
  • Relax and enjoy all those little moments rather than worry and looking past them- really been working on this and the last 5 months or so have done way better at this

As you can see I accomplished some goals, a few I didn't, and others I maybe didn't complete them fully but I did work on them which is better than nothing.  Lets take a fuller look at 2018


January
- I took a trip to Austin for BMT training with my team HERE
- Hendrik and I went with Paul and Lauren to a Kid Rock concert to celebrate Paul's birthday HERE

February
- Had a staycation in Dallas and tried some new restaurants HERE


March- Hendrik and I traveled to El Salvador HERE


April- went on a girl's trip to Waco HERE


May- Hosted an epic Mother's Day Brunch that I hope will become tradition HERE





June
- Harvested my first ever crop of carrots and potatoes from my garden
- Went on a once in a lifetime trip with my Mom to Europe HERE


July- Went to Oklahoma with Paul and Lauren for some kayaking

August
- girls trip to Oklahoma to see Backstreet Boys (concert was cancelled) but had awesome time
- spent time refreshing different nooks and crannies in my house and catching up on a ton of work


September
- annual Mexico trip for Hendrik's birthday HERE
- got a new Jeep



October
- took Case to the state fair HERE 
- spent the weekend in Denver for a BMT seminar with my team HERE 


November- spend Veteran's day weekend in New Orleans with Hendrik HERE



December
- hunted down our first real Christmas Tree Griswold style (my first since I was a teenager but OUR first together)
- turned 32
- December is and has been always busy with family plans, wrapping up year end work, and trying to survive through end of year

Over the year we have been so busy with so many activities and travel and work and life but also a trying year in that I'm really trying to learn to balance all the things life throws at us.  I'm still not all the way back on my fitness and personal health routine like I want to be but I'm taking one day at a time and that is my focus.  Ready to move forward with growth, positive vibes, and fun plans in 2019!

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Bucket List Vacation

Due to work projects and requirements we are having to adjust our vacation schedule the upcoming years.  Our first major vacation in 2019 has to be no later than the first couple weeks of March so we decided to go somewhere in February.  When I happened across $450 round trip tickets to Zurich the trip planned itself!  I'm sssooooo EXCITED that we are headed to Switzerland to have a vacation truly for the bucket list. Skiing and snowboarding in the Swiss Alps  in the village of St. Moritz!  We will be staying at the Kempinski, a luxury hotel and spa that is ski in an ski out.  I can't wait for this trip!!! It is going to be EPIC! Here is a little preview!  eeekkkkk

the village of St. Moritz
map of the mountains
our beautiful hotel

Now time for shopping for all our gear!!

Monday, November 26, 2018

Mental Health is Important


Mental health is such a hot topic these days from the abundance of suicides to postpartum moms as well as anything and everything in between mental health deserves to be talked about.  Having a mental weakness or fighting mental battles don't equate crazy, they don't make you a bad wife, parent, or whatever else you are...they are NORMAL parts of life.  With our hectic lifestyles and the stress to DO IT ALL we should all be talking and working on our own mental health. 


Something I do in my down time of driving or when it is quiet in the office and I can listen while I work I have a handful of podcasts that I love to listen to.  A couple that are really informative and bring a lot of women's issues from business to health to the forefront and there are really important conversations had with some really smart people in each field.  Those podcasts are Goop and also Girlboss Radio.  Especially the Goop podcasts really makes you think about a lot of stuff and also helps you feel better about things that go on in every one's life.  Little failures or things you purposely let fail, the idea and image of having it all, and what the pressure of that idea does to a person, the balance of love, life, career etc., as well as self-love and self-care.  

A few of my own mental health struggles are worry and anxiety.  These two things can literally ruin DAYS and weeks of my life when out of control.  Thankfully I have started doing things to help me TRY to manage those two demons as well as identify things that have always helped me manage them.  As I get older and more in the know with issues of womanhood, adulthood, and possible pending motherhood the more I need to learn to manage my stress and anxiety so I can be the best version of myself.


To help sort through and make sure I am in the best possible place for myself, my husband, my career, etc... 

What I do physically to help myself mentally?

~Turning to my husband for help~
~Live a healthy lifestyle with healthy diet and a lot of fitness~
~Counseling~
~Down time with just me to relax, read, run errands, or just do exactly it is I want to do~
~Distance myself from toxic relationships that increased bad mental health issues~
~Listen to podcasts and stay informed~
~Research hot topics that could impact me so I am aware and prepared~

I understand there a lot more troubling and severe problems people have regarding mental health but these are my own personal struggles that are at times detrimental to my state of being.  I hope to get to a point that I don't have to worry about worry LOL!!!

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Long Weekend in New Orleans

I've been wanting to hit up New Orleans for a weekend of sights and food for years.  I've only been one other time and that was only to get on and off a cruise ship after high school graduation.  Now that I'm older and know my travel style I was so excited to book and go on this long weekend in New Orleans.  I had a lot of things for us to do planned but also I think we had the perfect balance of relaxation and wondering.  We drove down and left the house a bit later than I wanted.  I really wanted to leave and be on the road by noon so we could see most of the scenery and also get into our VRBO at a reasonable hour but of course with work that didn't happen.  We still had a very relaxed and fun drive down on Friday November 9th.  We stopped off in Baton Rouge for dinner at a great LSU dive, The Chimes, that was loaded with a ton of beer options.  We got some fried alligator to start and then Hendrik had a po'boy and I had an amazing crawfish étouffée.  I have an awesome original recipe of crawfish étouffée from a dear friend and you could have compared them side by side and not been able to tell who's was who's.  It was so good and made me very excited for the rest of our weekend.  We arrived at our house for the weekend around 9:30 that evening and at first glance we were weary of our neighborhood only because we weren't sure what to expect but by the end of the weekend we felt our little street was perfect and reflected NOLA well.  Since we had already ate dinner we settled into our home got showers and headed off to bed so we could explore the next day.






Our VRBO for the weekend was everything we could have wanted and more.  It looked just like the pictures, was super clean, and had a great story.  I HIGHLY recommend this property and we will stay here again when we return.  It is perfect walking distance to most things we wanted to do and if not then the streetcar can be caught at the end of the street.  We chose this property for a couple main reasons: 1. it was more than half the price of the hotels in the area, 2. the hotels are in really busy populated areas that make for a very loud and very tourist experience.  This property was PERFECT!  Check it out and book your stay HERE!







Saturday November 10th we woke up naturally.  Of course I was up before Hendrik...long enough to make and drink a few cups of coffee and then I was ready to wake him and get ready to head out for the day.  Our host of the property had a really informative binder with awesome breakfast and brunch joints that were in the neighborhood as well as other great tips and tricks for our stay.  We chose the Ruby Slipper for Saturday brunch which is housed in an old bank.  The wait was a bit but I got us a couple amazing bloody Mary's to hold us over.  Louisiana, I discovered, adds a couple of pickled green beans to their bloody Mary's and it really set it off.  The Ruby Slipper also puts a bacon slice in it and I have to say its the best bloody Mary I have had.  The menu reminded Hendrik and I both of a cool spot in Dallas on the Southside that we ate  at a year or so ago.  It was really hearty and had a lot of gravy's and sauces involved.  Hendrik got the classic breakfast and I got their spin on biscuits with sausage gravy.  It was really good, really rich, and a really big portion.  The Ruby Slipper is highly recommended by us and it set us off on the perfect foot for our day of exploring.




After breakfast it was close to 11 so we headed out walking towards Jackson Square.  I loved all the classic and colorful houses, the iron railings, and all the old touches down to the tile work street names on each corner.  We wondered around Jackson Square, entered St Louis Cathedral, and stood at the river front before heading around to Marie Laveau's house of Voodoo.  We needed to make some change so we had to buy a drink down Bourbon street and see it in all of it's glory during the daylight hours.  We made a stop at The Bottom of the Cup for a tea reading.  I ended up changing my reading to a tarot card reading and was pleasantly surprised with what my reader told me.  Hendrik didn't participate and he was skeptic if I should since I'm already so anxious and a worrier he was worried I would dwell on the reading but it was a really positive experience and I'm glad I did it.  











We made our way to the cemetery to try to hop on a tour before it closed.  We cut it close and caught a tour that had just started.  I recommend doing this instead of booking a tour before hand.  This way you can play it by ear a bit since you never know what you are going to stumble upon or get yourself into.  There are tours all through the day and you can easily ask the gate keeper and they will put you in one for a fee at the gate.  To enter St. Louis Cemetery #1 you MUST have a tour. You aren't allowed to roam inside the cemetery alone due to vandals.  The tour was informative and also I don't want to do it again because I mean I've done it but I do recommend it as there is a lot of history to learn. 




After the cemetery tour we waited forever for the St Charles Avenue streetcar and it never came so we decided we would drive down the street the next day on our way in or out of town while doing our other exploring.  Instead we stopped over at the Bourbon House for a pretty early dinner at 5:30 before things got super crowded and also our Ruby Slipper breakfast had disappeared by then. LOL  We were really excited to eat the oysters and we were not disappointed.  We had charbroiled oysters that had a really yummy garlic sauce, and also three different types of sausage.  We then shared a oyster and pasta dish.




After dinner we scooted over the see the Carousel Bar inside Hotel Monteleone. The bar was packed and we were full from dinner so we didn't stay for a drink at the bar but it was really neat. We then started our journey UP and DOWN Bourbon Street stopping in at different bars that caught our attention with the music they were playing.  We really had a great time and around 8:30 stopped in a joint for a slice of pizza.  Once we are in daylight savings time and you have dinner at 5:30 a night on Bourbon Street is a LONG night LOL.  We sang and danced and of course drank. On our way back home we needed more than a shared slice of pizza after our trekking and drinking so we stopped over inside the Clover Grill.  If you ask Hendrik the Clover Grill is the best food we had our entire weekend!  I mean it was good its a greasy spoon type of joint that is relative to truck stops and pit grills.  Hendrik had a breakfast plate and I had a really good loaded hamburger.  It is a small diner with a few seats but the food is good and I can see that right off Bourbon Street serving greasy food if you happen to fall through the door you're on your way to curing your hangover.  





Sunday, November 11th started the same as Saturday.  We slept in, had coffee, and got ready.  We decided to stop over for brunch at a spot we had seen when leaving the Ruby Slipper the day before.  It was an eclectic hippy joint with fantastic food. Horns did NOT disappoint!  Hendrik had a classic breakfast and I had étouffée over a crab cake with a biscuit and two poached eggs.  It was a different type of étouffée more vegetable and less buttery sauce but it was equally as good especially with the poached eggs to add that creaminess.  After brunch we headed back to the house to grab our stuff and head out to see some plantations down River Road.  Our plan was to see Laura, Whitney, and Oak Alley plantations but we ended up only having time for Whitney and Oak Alley.  They were two beautiful plantations and the drive around and down River Road was equally amazing.






We first went to Whitney Plantation.  You must visit the plantation through a tour and we arrived at 12:30 with the next tour starting at 1.  We went ahead and got our tickets and while we killed time we went back up the road about a mile to take some pictures of some stunning driveways and houses that we had already passed.  The large live Oak trees and the Spanish moss hanging low is really my Southern girl dreams come true.  They seem to just take you back to a different time that was slower and easier paced.  I wanted to grab a nice glass of tea and watch the world pass by.  So beautiful there just really aren't words for me.






At 1 we were back at the Whitney Plantation and ready for our tour.  This tour was very solemn and focused on the slave life on the plantation.  It was very interesting and our tour guide was very informative.  You could tell that she had a real passion for the history of the Whitney.  The Whitney Plantation was a working plantation up until the mid 1970s!  There was several memorials around the plantation that you could view and read some testimonials from slaves that had been interviewed that had lived and worked at Whitney.  Reading their words made it all come to life and really was incredible because it was true not just historical facts.




After our 90 minute tour at the Whitney Plantation concluded we rushed to Oak Alley Plantation.  It was the one I REALLY wanted to see and it was getting later in the afternoon on a Sunday so I wanted to have plenty of time.  We weren't sure if we had to have a tour to see that plantation but thankfully you just paid a fee and you could roam the grounds freely.  If you wanted to go inside the Oak Alley mansion then you did have to have a guide and that was included in our entry.  We got in line and the tour was quick and informative.  The Oak Alley tour mainly focused on life of the house residents with a small insight into the slave life.  I liked how the two plantations we visited told two very different sides of the slavery and plantation life.  Oak Alley plantation hasn't been a working plantation since the late 1800's which is surprising because it is one of the more famous plantations.  A plus of us going to the plantation not only in the Fall season but also on a Sunday afternoon is the crowds were minimal and I got some great pictures of an uncrowded walkway that really showed the beauty of the once driveway and front of the house.  I was amazed by the trees and was told by the tour guide that the 28 live oak trees that line the drive were transplanted to the plantation in the 1820's and were already between 20 and 25 years old.  The trees are absolutely stunning. I could have stayed on the grounds forever.  Too bad live Oaks take so long to grow and mature to the beautiful trees they are or I would be planting them all on our property.  




We headed back NOLA around 4.  We drove down St. Charles Avenue to see the fancier side of the city and stopped over at a organic market. We got some sushi supplies and also I picked up some pickled green beans to bring home since I had never seen them at our grocery stores.  Since we were on that side of town we went down to the industrial warehouse type district and had dinner at Cochon.  The food was good but not great, I don't think it was what we really expected.  I did have a great brussel sprout casserole much like green bean casserole but with brussel sprouts instead and OMG, it was good.  I also had a really meaty pork chop. Hendrik had a rice and short rib dish.  To start we got oysters and also boudin balls. 





Monday November, 12th we got up a bit earlier and packed the car to head home.  We stopped at Cafe du Monde for some beignets and hot chocolate before setting out at home. We stopped for lunch in a little town and had a final creole meal before arriving back at home around 6 that evening.  



What a great weekend we had!  I knew it was going to be awesome but it surpassed all my expectations.  We had some awesome food that really left me inspired and since our trip I've been whipping up some really tasty meals including my spin on the brussel sprout casserole!  I can't wait to head back for more exploring!

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