Strong Beginning to Week in Paradise

We're heeeere, and life is good at The Beach Club Resort in Gulf Shores, Ala. So far, I've used the fitness center, attended a church service on the veranda and listed to live music by the pool.

On our way down from Arkansas Saturday, we stopped on Highway 59 at Burris Farm Market, a fabulous stand in Loxley. This spacious, open-sided building is lined with hampers of Alabama-grown goodies ranging from asparagus and broccoli to summer squash and zucchini. We loaded up all of that, plus gorgeous vine-ripened tomatoes, plump juicy peaches, the sweetest sweet corn and a couple of watermelons that "thumped" just right.

Our schedule is loose enough for plenty of time on the beach. Yesterday, we rented a set of beach rental lounging chairs shaded by an umbrella for the entire week. I spent most of the morning riding the waves on a neon green raft, laughing with children and loving the day. Later, I took a nap to the lullaby of a pleasant morning breeze while Myron played a round of golf.

By the time late afternoon clouds exploded into a thunderstorm, we were safely tucked under the tin-roofed patio at Lulu's Homeport Marina. On the banks of the Intercoastal Waterway, Lucy Anne Buffett has carved out a niche with far more than the "Cheeseburger in Paradise," made famous by her ballad-singing brother. LuLu's new cookbook, "Crazy Sista Cooking: Cuisine & Conversation With Lucy Buffettis already in its second printing.

And if the Summer Shrimp Salad wasn't enough, we crooned "Brown Eyed Girl" and other crowd favorites with singer/songwriter Greg Brown.

By sundown, boasting the firstfruits of our tan, we slept soundly - looking forward to our spa appointments this morning!

P.S. Pictures of me coming later today!

I'm BAAAAACK!

Wow! June has FLOWN by, and although blog posts have been scarce during these last few weeks of travel, I've held fast to the BestLife program guidelines to "eat less and move more." This picture was taken dockside in Jacksonville, N.C., just before boarding a charter eco-tour with Capt. Chris Sewell, pictured to my left. (I'm in the red shorts. Did I say 'shorts?!')

Perhaps the best news this week is my new bling...the big 5-0!! Coupled with a loss of 41 inches, I'm a happy camper, now only 15 pounds from goal weight.

Thanks to everybody who has continued to stop by while I've been away. Now, I'll begin to catch up on YOUR news...

Sweet Sunshine News

Last week, while much of the Midwest endured tornadoes and flooding, the weather in Michigan's thumb provided a string of mild, sunny days. Friday morning, we enjoyed these early morning rays while eating a healthy breakfast on the back porch of Inn the Garden Bed & Breakfast in Lexington, Mich.

Surprisingly, "The People's Chemist" Shane Ellison crosses the grain of prevailing medical advice, saying that
sunshine is actually good for you.

Furthermore, he poo-poos popular sunscreens , calling them
cancer-causing agents:

1. Sunscreen blocks the production of melanin (pigment causing a protective tan to form) resulting in higher risk of skin cancer.

2. Sunscreen blocks the production of vitamin D. A deficiency of vitamin D weakens the immune system and increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. In children especially, vitamin D deficiency is also correlated with tooth decay and crooked teeth.

3. Many of the chemicals found in sunscreens are actually carcinogenic (cancer causing) and estrogenic. If you see any of the following ingredients, steer clear: Benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone), PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O or octyl dimethyl PABA), Cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, octyl methoxycinnamate), Salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl salicylate), Digalloyl trioleate, Menthyl anthranilate, and Avobenzone.

Contrary to what sunscreen manufacturers wish you to believe, sunshine is not a death ray. It is a healing ray.

Ellison cites four main benefits of sun exposure:

1. It boosts neuropeptides that boost our mood and regulate appetite.

2. It reduces risk of the deadly skin cancer melanoma and 16 other types of cancer.

3. It reduces the risk of osteoporosis and increases bone density courtesy of enhanced "mineralization."

4. It increases sex drive. Not that I want my kids libido to be rockin’ but this is good info for the Dad who needs to get his bedroom energy back.

Note that he's not suggesting that you or your kids should ever get sunburned. You can definitely get too much of a good thing. Use clothing to block the sun or go indoors if your skin is getting pink.

His advice is to use a natural sunscreen like UV Naturals. Not only does it protect your skin from excess sun exposure, it also helps your skin look and feel younger with "youthanizers." They include green tea extract, bees wax, vitamin E and grape seed oil.

My plans later this week include deep-sea fishing and kayaking trips in Jacksonville, N.C. I'll be looking for UV Naturals before I leave Tuesday.

Food, Glorious Food

To our surprise, Flint, Michigan's ABC television affiliate showed up to interview some of us who were visiting the world headquarters of The Coffee Beanery, where I bought Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. But if any one of you tells my husband I spent $70 on two pounds of coffee, I'll ban you from this site.
(Just kidding. Honestly, I had NO IDEA it would be that much, but with 30 other journalists watching, what could I do but smile and hand over the card?)

This has absolutely been the most challenging week of any press trip this year, as far as staying on course with healthy eating.

Check out this breakfast yesterday morning. FYI, a HALF order of bacon is a half pound!!



One guy in our group went out on a limb and ordered a banana split for breakfast just because he had heard how outlandishly huge they were.

Or how about this delightful duck soup, mentioned in the restaurant menu as having been created "from an Old World recipe in the tradition of our family." What is NOT mentioned is that in addition to vinegar, plums, raisins, noodles and duck meat, the primary ingredient is duck's BLOOD. Yummo.

Exercise equipment has been sorely lacking since Monday, and our schedule has been so crammed, I've scarcely had time to blog, much less work out. On the other hand, every day has been filled with endless walking, enthusiastic hosts and engaging attractions. And I've made the best choices possible from food that's been available. We'll see how successful (or not!) I've been when I return home tomorrow.

Getting Enough Veggies?

The advice is old as cooking: Eat your veggies.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition says a diet with eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables representing 18 plant families is more effective in preventing DNA damage than a diet with an equal number of servings from only eight plant families.

I don't know about you, but some days, it ain't gonna happen -
at least not on my plate. Especially when I'm on the road, I often don't have the privilege to order my own food. What's offered to me is more frequently designed to showcase local culinary specialties than it is to meet my daily nutritional requirements. Still, I understand the importance of eating the right
combination of colorful foods.

My ace in the hole is Nutralite Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables.

Two easy-to-swallow tablets a day gives me enough crucial phytonutrients from natural fruits, vegetables, and plants to equal the amount found in over ten servings. And it's a lot easier to pack a few tablets than it is to put a bushel of veggies in my suitcase!

The key to this power-packed formula is Nutrilite harvests fruits and vegetables ripe with the right phytonutrients fresh from their fields and then concentrates them for maximum potency. With patents for many of their discoveries, Nutralite has been doing nutrition right for over 70 years.

I should know. I even got my OB-GYN to prescribe Nutralite
Double X as my prenatal vitamin - 26 years ago!!

Now, go eat some veggies!!

Daily Bread

Happy Memorial Day, everybody. I'm one of the fortunate ones whose son came home from war; but not a day goes by I'm not conscious of and sensitive to the families whose hero paid the ultimate price for our freedom. All the rights and privileges we enjoy today are the result of our soldiers' loyalty, valor, commitment and sacrifice.

Yesterday's meals were less artistic than others we have enjoyed on this trip, but were more representative of the historical traditions of the area. At French colonial Ft. Saint John Baptiste, we sampled a one-pot meat and corn stew cooked over an open fire, started by using "char cloth" to catch a spark from flint rock and cedar shavings.



An oven made from bousillage (pronounced BOO-see-yahzh) - a mixture of clay, Spanish moss and animal hair (usually deer or horse) - takes several hours to heat, then about 45 minutes to cook bread, which the costumed historical interpreter offered for tasting.

Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a picnic on the grounds of Oakland Plantation, one of only two National Bicentennial Farms (owned by the same family for 200 years) west of the Mississippi River. Shaded by centuries-old live oaks and surrounded by the most complete set of plantation buildings in the South, it was easy to get lost in the romance of plantation life - until we remembered how much hard work it really was. Thank GOD for air conditioning!

Plenty of walking, plus nibbling on the fruit and protein bars in my camera bag helped to keep me on course with healthy eating, despite limited food choices during the day.

Have you had similar experiences where advance planning has helped you eat right?

Slim Pickins

Remember that Hungry Man's Breakfast I mentioned yesterday? Well, it's real. Only this picture (not my meal) doesn't show the softball-sized blob of sweetened whipped cream, served as an accompaniment to the pancakes! I opted for a fresh vegetable egg-white omelet with a slice of whole wheat toast.

The REAL specialty at Strawn's Eat Shop, however, is their homemade icebox pies - which, according to our server, sell for $13.75 each. On a non-holiday day, they sell an average of 50 pies, including take-outs. On any given holiday, they sell between 300-500 pies at each of their three Shreveport locations.

We spent the morning touring Melrose Plantation, home of former slave Marie Therese Coincoin (kwan-kwan). Here, she earned enough money to buy the freedom of all four of her children and two of her grandchildren - who ultimately amassed nearly 16,000 acres of land and became the most prosperous free people of color in the region. Many of her descendants still live in the area.

Back in historic downtown Natchitoches - the oldest settlement in the La. Purchase - we ate lunch at famous Lasyone's Meat Pie Restaurant.Cited by a plethora of food writers around the world, this little meat-filled fried pastry is the signature culinary identifier of the town. During "regular" weeks, the restaurant sells about 3,000 meat pies a week. During festivals, the number rises to nearly 30,000. (After dabbling in a few bits of the meat filling, I worked my fork back over to a fabulous salad of baby greens, mandarin oranges, sunflower seeds, feta cheese and grilled chicken.)

One note about traveling to Louisiana: Take your own packets of low-fat dressing. Other journalists are now placing bets whether the next restaurant we visit will even offer the low-fat variety. Most of the servers sort of chuckle when I request it, wondering why I'm even in the state if I'm trying to eat healthy. I just play along, and request extra lemons to drizzle over the greens if all else fails.

Dinner at Antoon's was a fitting capstone to the day. Although most dishes were loaded with Chef Todd's imaginative heavy cream sauces, he accommodated my special request with a made-to-order surf and turf combo served over steamed vegetables.
A true gustatory delight!

Heart and Soul Food

Whew! Yesterday's meals presented plenty of opportunity to practice the lessons I've learned about healthy choices and portion control.

We jump started the day in Monroe, La. at The Coffee Bean, where owner Kim Neck says, "The coffee is probably the worst thing on the menu." Not the best opening statement to six coffee-addicted journalists who haven't seen a decent cup of coffee since we got to north Louisiana.

In case you're not familiar with the diverse coffee culture of the state, here's the short version. In south La., coffee is typically dark-roasted and served steaming hot - sometimes as "au lait," with milk. In north La., coffee is usually a mild roast (translation: watery, as in, you can see the bottom of the cup) and is rarely hot.

Kim does a whopping business, however. Her breakfast menu includes a variety of muffins (none of which are low-fat or multi-grain), cinnamon rolls and beignets (the fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar) and quiches. I did manage to squeeze in a bowl of fresh fruit to go with my coffee - which eventually turned out pretty good after I asked for an extra shot of espresso plus a zap in the microwave.

Her blockbuster items, though, are tomato basil soup, chicken salad (300 pounds a week!) and takeout casseroles.

Thirty miles west, we at lunch at Blue Light Cafe in Ruston, La. Owners David and Eula Wright, married 53 years, treated us like family; while niece Lina Venzant cooked up some of the best "home cooking" I've ever eaten...at least since I was in Monroe at Big Mama's!

Private dinner at Shreveport's ArtSpace was dubbed, "Someone's in the Kitchen with Chef David." Owner of local restaurant Bella Fresca, Chef David says he enjoys blending the Cajun/Creole traditions with the north La./Texas style of cooking.

The result was crawfish fritters, BBQ shrimp over stone-ground grits, couchon de lait (pulled pork) over dirty rice and banana pudding cheesecake. I enjoyed tiny bites of each item. (Thank goodness for the fresh fruit plate in our hotel room!)Yep, that's a piece of braised pork belly in the picture.

In an hour, we're off to Natchitoches (NACK-uh-dish), La. for another round of culinary delights...but not before we eat breakfast at Strawn's, home of the Hungry Man's breakfast. Thank goodness I've already done my cardio this morning in the hotel fitness center!

Happy Trails

Well, it's that time again. Tomorrow begins another culinary press trip back to Louisiana - this time to the northern portion of the state.

Today virtually slipped through my fingers, beginning at 3 a.m. here at the computer to finish a story for Sunday's paper. After teaching a ladies' devotional class later in the morning, I spent the rest of the day getting ready to leave town. One project included having my jeans taken up and buying one new dress in my smaller size!

Keep holding good thoughts as I travel. I'll keep you posted how we adapt on this trip.

Home Again

Saturday was my last day to travel in other parts of Arkansas. Highlights included the stunning views from the Lodge at Mount Magazine, Arkansas's highest mountain, rising dramatically over 2,700 feet above the broad valleys of the Petit Jean River to the south and the Arkansas River to its north.

At the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain, we viewed the new President's Lodge accommodations and drooled at the opportunity to "get away from it all" in such a serene environment, where the biggest attraction is the lack of distraction. On the other hand, the facility is equipped with a broad range of outdoor and fitness activitiesthat once would have been off my radar completely, but which now look rather enticing!

Before I headed home, we visited Subiaco Monastery and Academy, where a group of Benedictine monks has lived for 130 years.

When I got home late Saturday afternoon, menacing weather made working on the computer an unwise choice. The good news is that by making healthy food choices and keeping exercise a priority, I still lost weight while I was on the road! BLING!

For Mother's Day, I got up before sun-up to practice the solo cello pieces I was scheduled to perform at my mother's church later in the morning. Following the service, DH and I joined mom and her husband for lunch. After a healthy meal, I spent the the rest of the day at their home, helping them plan a September driving vacation from San Francisco up the Pacific Coast Highway to Vancouver.

Back home with only enough time for a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood, I joined DH for supper out...after which, I crashed on the couch by 9 p.m. and slept until 9 a.m. this morning!

Tonight, my son and his wife arrive to spend the night and to drop off my 14-month old grandson for his first "stay-alone" visit while the parents - both new college graduates this week - attend a convention in Las Vegas. From now until Sunday, I'll be blogging on the fly!

To all my fellow HYC bloggers, my apologies for lack of comments last week. The schedule was grueling. I'll do my best to catch up this week while the baby is napping!

Spare the Spine

Greetings from Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas. Located virtually in the center of the state, the city is also centrally located
in the country.

Muscles located in the central area of our bodies are called core muscles. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) says that core strength is important because the muscles of the lower back and abdomen serve as a solid foundation for nearly all bodily activities, movement, and posture.

Core training is rapidly gaining in popularity for one reason:
Sitting leads to a weak core.

Risks associated with a weak core include a common ailment...lower back pain. Other problems include poor posture, being injury prone, having minimal strength and (drum roll, please) a bulging waistline.

Professor Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at University of Waterloo, cautions that even some widely held notions - like, "stretching the back and increasing the range of motion will help prevent injury" - are questionable. In fact, he says research shows that people who have a greater range of motion in their backs are more susceptible to future injury. How's that for blowing a hole in your exercise routine??

One of my (mother's!) primary concerns as I began jogging and lifting weights was the risk to my lower back. "Once you've injured your back, it's not something that's easily fixed," she argues.
Point well taken.

So, for the health of all our backs, please take a few minutes to review Dr. McGill's recommendations for how to maintain
lower back health and prevent injury to this vital skeletal component.

This week, I'm staying at the newly remodeled Holiday Inn Presidential, one of the nicest properties in the company's portfolio, where I'm taking full advantage of the hotel's fitness center to keep my core in shape!

Day of Rest - HA!!

About once a month, I really enjoy sleeping a little longer than usual - say, until about 9 a.m., especially if it's raining outside. That way, DH is home instead of at the golf course, and we can get in a little extra cuddle time.

Well, this wasn't the weekend for sleeping late, cuddling or lounging around. The weather outside was beautiful, DH was on the golf course, and I've been working my tail off getting ready to leave town Tuesday.

Still, I love my home and the privilege to work from a home office. One thing's for sure, though: The bed will feel good tonight!

Final Score: Rebecca - 1; Culinary Trail - 0

I DID IT! I survived eight days on south Louisiana Culinary Trails and still lost a pound!! Although, without a scale on the road, I could't report for yesterday's Healthy You Challenge Tuesday Weigh-in. What's more, I lost additional body mass, bringing the total inches lost since January 15 to 26.25". (Not a mistake this time.) WAHOO!

DH Update: Monday's gall bladder removal went fine. He is moving around enough to prevent soreness, and resting while watching the Master's Tournament. Duh.



And in answer to Felicia's Fun Photo Challenge requesting a picture of where we live, I am posting a picture of Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Ark., where our string quartet performs a majority of weddings on the schedule.

Thanks again to all my HYC friends who stopped by to offer encouragment while I was on the road. I'll begin catching up on blog reading tonight.

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 7

Yesterday, we mentioned having eaten at Restaurant La Provence, where Chef Rene's big focus is "farm to table." Another journalist on this trip was savvy enough to upload a short video of our trip to a crawfish farm last Thursday so that you can see how these tasty crustaceans are harvested. Click here to meet Chad. (Okay, if you didn't click, you are r-e-a-l-l-y missing out on some healthy south Louisiana scenery.)

Before we left the hotel, I got in a workout on the treadmill in my room, and then ate a healthy breakfast from the Omni's Ideal Nutrition menu.

Once outside the hotel, our group started the morning with famous cafe au lait (coffee with steamed milk) and beignets (ben-YAYS) at the French Quarter's famous Cafe Du Monde. (*sigh* I took pictures and drank my coffee and chickory straight.)

Later in the morning, Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu stopped by the Savvy Gourmet to show his support for the state's Culinary Trails program.

While we were there, Chef Matt Brewton showed us how to make an authentic roux using equal parts all-purpose flower and oil (not EVOO or walnut, which will burn). We watched as the cooking flour turned from blonde to paper-bag brown to milk chocolate to dark chocolate. Finally, the group got to sample a chicken-andouille (pronounced ahn-DOO-ee - which is a course, spicy smoked sausage) gumbo and a separate pot of crawfish etouffee.
(I ate moderate portions of each, without the rice.)

By mid-afternoon, we were touring the Audobon Society's newest attraction, The Insectarium. Scheduled to open this summer, it will be the largest free-standing museum in the U.S. devoted to over 900,000 insect species and their relatives. And yes, we were guests for a cooking show at the Cultural Cafe, where a zany chef introduced the "joy" of cooking with insects. Did I sample? No.
I figured if I'm "giving up" so many other foods all week, I'm definitely not going out of my way to eat insects! Nearly every other journalist, however, eagerly chomped down on crickets and ants.

Finally, we said our good-byes at Couchon Restaurant (pronounced COO-shon). Nominated in 2006 for Beard's Best New Restaurant, we enjoyed Chef Stephen Stryjewski's old-style German-Acadian traditions, which he learned from co-owner Chef Donald Link, who showcases the food he grew up preparing and eating at his grandfather's side. I ordered wood-fired oven grilled red fish accompanied with pickled onions and a side of collard greens.

By the way, DH had his gall bladder removed yesterday morning. I'll be flying home today, ready to take over care taking from his parents - who drove up from Louisiana to be with him during surgery.

Thanks again to everybody who stopped by here this week. I'll be visiting your blogs again once I get home. And I'm READY!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 6

Last week, the Brennans of New Orleans joined only two other families - the Marriotts and the Busches - to be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America as one of America's leading hospitality families.



Saturday night, we ate dinner in a 148-year old building overlooking New Orleans City Park at Ralph's on the Park, owned by Ralph Brennan.


Yesterday morning, we enjoyed the time-honored tradition of Sunday brunch in the French Quarter at Brennan's, owned by brother Ted Brennan. Since Katrina, we learned, the restaurant has been busy, but not as busy as before the storm. "We will not accept reservations for more guests than we have staff to handle," says Brennan, "simply because we will not compromise the level of service our customers have come to expect since 1946."



During the afternoon, we trekked up to the Fouberg Saint John (neighborhood area) to celebrate Super Sunday with the Mardi Gras Indians. I can only imagine how many calories they burn inside those elaborate costumes, made by hand and worn only twice a year - on Mardi Gras Day and on St. Joseph Day.

Last night, we drove across Pontchartrain Causeway to the Northshore area of New Orleans for a fine dining experience at Restaurant La Provence. With great emphasis on source to table protocol, Chef Rene Bajeaux delighted our palates with artistically presented authentic terroir cuisine. Several menu choices in the "healthy" category made this outdoor dining experience one of the highlights of my week.

YAY for another on-plan day, and thanks again to everybody who has chimed in with enthusiastic encouragement. I'm looking forward to catching up on your blogs!

Until then, stay tuned...Later today, we're suposed to eat INSECTS!!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 5

Still in Baton Rouge yesterday morning, we didn't leave the Embassy Suites hotel until 9:30 - which left plenty of time for a workout in the hotel fitness center. And because we didn't have a group breakfast on the itinerary, I was able to order oatmeal and fat-free yogurt from the lobby buffet.

Yesterday's meal adaptations and compromises were similar to those I've shared with you in the last several posts. Each chef was happy to help me stay on plan by honoring my special requests.

Last night, we've moved to our home for the next three nights at the Omni Royal Orleans in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I nearly squealed with delight when I walked into my room and saw the treadmill, an amenity which is part of the Omni's Get Fit rooms.

The Omni Hotels Ideal Living program is designed to help you maintain a healthy attitude and lifestyle while you’re traveling. Healthy meal options are available as part of their Ideal Nourishment Program. And Get Fit Rooms like mine are set up for private, in-room workouts. In addition, all of the Omni Hotels' fitness centers have been renovated, complete with top-of-the-line equipment.

What a blessing!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 4

First of all, you HYC gals are awesome! All through the day, your comments show up on my Blackberry email. And although I can't reply to let you know how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness at the time, I want you to know how grateful I am for such amazing encouragement.

Now, to the food. Breakfast at Hub City Diner in Lafayette, La. concluded with this plateful of aromatic comfort food. For appetizers, owner Jason Redmon prepared sweet potato biscuits, blueberry muffins and sweet potato pancakes - all accompanied by butter and syrup. (I ordered oatmeal.)

By lunchtime, we were on Avery Island, home of McIlhenny Co. and TABASCO brands, to attend a press conference to unveil the official Louisiana Culinary Trails Guide and to announce the new website.
The McIlhenny family treated us to this fabulous meal of fried shrimp, crawfish etouffe over rice, green beans and bread pudding. I ate two shrimp, all the crawfish - minus the rice and "sauce" - plus the green beans.

Our evening's exquisite wine dinner at Vic's Chop House in Baton Rouge was jointly sponsored by the restaurant and TABASCO chef Jason Gronlund, and was hosted by the Southern Breeze Wine and Culinary Festival - which we will attend tomorrow.

The five-course meal - each of which was paired with Australian Heath Wines - started with Duck Confit En Croute: tender duck with caramelized shallots, gouda and dill havarti cheese wrapped in puff pastry, served with pepper jelly. The soup course was a Deconstructed Oyster Rockafella Soup, consisting of tender baby spinach nested in a creamy broth, topped with crispy Louisiana oysters and crispy leeks with a dash of TABASCO habanera Pepper Sauce.

Our salad was Parma Chopped Shrimp Salad Cannoli-Style: mixed chopped greens in a light anchovy dressing with La. shrimp served in an aged Grana Pardano cannoli shell with a dash of TABASCO Green Pepper Sauce. (pictured above)

The entree was East-West Surf & Turf: miso-braised pork shank served with lobster eggroll, braised napa cabbage and fuikake mashed potatoes.

Finally, the dessert was a Brule Fruit Kabob with Greek mojito dipping yogurt accompanied by a spiced sangria martini.

I thoroughly enjoyed a bite of duck, a bite of soup, all the salad and about three ounces of pork shank and cabbage. Taking pictures and talking to the chef worked just as I had hoped it would to take the foucs off the fact I wasn't eating complete portions.

By day's end, the total calorie count was once again just under 1200. And the afternoon schedule was loose enough to squeeze in 35 minutes on the hotel's treadmill.

Another day, on the road, on plan. YESSS!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 3

The gracious hosts at Camellia Cove Bed & Breakfast in Washington, La. were not offended when I ate only my cantaloupe wedge, but passed on the Eggs Benedict. (Please don't tell her that one of the very few things I just can't seem to swallow is runny egg yolks!)

By lunch time, we were in Lafayette, La. at the Vermillionville historic education center in a cooking class, learning how to prepare a delicious, authentic Cajun/Creole meal of crawfish Etouffee in pastry shells; biscuits with fig preserves or Steen's Syrup; Creole shrimp and okra gumbo; chicken, sausage and tasso jambalaya, corn macque choux (pronounced mock-shew'; and bread pudding with sauce.

Already prepared with a meal replacement bar in my purse, I was ecstatic to learn that one dish would be made without a roux (pronounced roo), the flour and oil base of many Cajun dishes. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1/4 c. olive oil
2-pound bag of frozen okra
1/3 c. vinegar
1-1/2 c. Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 c. celery, diced
1 c. bell pepper, diced
2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp, seasoned with Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1-1/2 quarts water

1. Heat oil in pot 60-90 seconds.
2. Add okra and saute to brown stage, or until it reduces to about half. When okra begins to get slimy, add vinegar to eliminate slime.
3. Add Rotel and other vegetables; cook for five minutes.
4. Add water and shrimp. Simmer on medium heat until shrimp are cooked.
5. Serve over rice. (Cajuns always use white rice. I use brown.)

This recipe will easily serve 8-10. I calculated a very filling, complete-meal portion using four ounces of shrimp and 1/2-cup of rice at 369 calories. Yummo!

Here's the lovely salad the chef at Charley G's prepared for me as an alternative to the sauteed-in-butter fixed-course entree.






And here's the dessert I enjoyed photographing, but not eating. The coffee was great, though!


Back to the hotel, I jumped on the treadmill for 35 minutes and knocked out six exercises on the weight machines. Now, it's time to say good morning and THANK YOU to all you wonderful, precious supporters who help to keep me strong and focused on my goals!

P.S. Pattie, I haven't had a lot of time to think about a six-word memoir, but here's one for now: "This is not the final act."

The Three B's

Some of the foods I let pass me by today were boudin (pronounced BOO-dan), backlava and bread pudding.

Some of foods I enjoyed were boiled shrimp, grilled tilapia and ahi tuna. I did try one fried jalapeno pepper stuffed with shrimp, crabmeat and Parmesan cheese. YUM!

Take a look at this pile of fresh cracklins our group sampled today with boudin from Billy's Boudin in Opelousas, Louisiana. (Click on the picture for a full-size idea of the fat content in each tasty morsel!) Most of the writers loved the local culinary specialties, which they had never tasted before.

Every place we visited, we met warm, friendly people who prepared lavish spreads of rich, Cajun food for us to enjoy.

At breakfast, I was fortunate to be able to order oatmeal and fruit; and our hosts had apples in the van for snacks this afternoon. At both lunch and dinner, the chefs were kind enough to prepare my entrees without cream sauces or butter, and to substitute fresh vegetables for starches.

Because I had eaten enough at each meal to feel totally satisfied, can you imagine my shock tonight when I saw the total number of calories I consumed today hovering just under 1200??! I almost passed out.

And even though I didn't get to do any cardio, we did walk over two miles today.

All in all, another good on-plan day on the road. Wahooooo!!

Saved by the Crawfish!

Greetings from Lafayette, LA!

Decent weather, a comfortable flight schedule and good crews made for pleasant travel yesterday. I navigated the airports with a meal replacement bar for breakfast and lunch, plus a large apple for a 3 p.m. snack.

By dinner last night, I was hungry - but not desperate - to eat. Perhaps the anticipation of getting to eat my first boiled crawfish of the season fueled the appetite. Nonetheless, I had already researched the nutrition info for the spicey protein bites, and was pleased to learn I could pinch three ounces of tails before I logged 70 calories. That, plus a green salad with lo-fat dressing was great!

Whatever I did eat, I definitely worked off on Randol's dance floor (click that link for MUSIC!)and on the treadmill back at the hotel!