Friday, January 28, 2011

Lafayette, Round 2!


I’m back in Lafayette for a Saturday Texas Braid workshop! I may be being passed around like a football, but as long as there is no field goal kicking, no fumble, no foul, it’s all good!

I just returned from the dress rehearsal for tomorrow’s Mardi Gras Ball for the Crewe of Victoria. I had the best time being dressed up with more beads, more bling, more bracelets, and a whole goodie bag of fun trinkets to bring home! It’s been a crash-course in parade tradition and how things are run! I learned one thing is for sure, it’s any excuse for a PARTY!

Last night’s lecture in Baton Rouge was terrific, and JoPaula sent me a link to her photo album so I could make copies of the pics. Of course, I only saved the ones where I was NOT making funny faces In love

When I look at how my quilts DO dwarf me, it’s no wonder that these two bags of quilts weight over 100 lbs! This just shows SOME of the quilts that I bring, but you get the idea here, especially on the size of the hexagon medallion as it grows!

This morning I was greeted ((Oh yes, after writing last night’s post about how I need to watch my portion control..LOL!!)) by this GORGEOUS King Cake! It had cream cheese/strawberry filling, and oh my…..there were also two bags of fresh & hot beignets to tempt me as well!

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How can you say NO completely to this? It’s impossible! The beignets got me first, yummm..and the king cake was soon to follow!

Another great day sewing away! You know how it goes when you are chain piecing, and doing ANY kind of production sewing? It seems like working on multiple units at one time takes FOR.EVER. And then, it seems, all at once, everyone had multiple blocks and we were laying them out, taping them to the cabinets and the walls so we could step back and take a look at what they look like and different ways they can be set!

It was after the class that I was driven back to Lafayette, checked back into the same hotel I was in earlier in the week and promptly fell asleep for a much needed nap before going out for the Pre-Mardi-Gras activities tonight.

We ended the night at the Blue Dog Café—I guess it is Legendary in these parts! And I can see why. My opportunities for cajun food are winding down, and I went with the blackened pan seared cat fish, the crawfish ettouffe, and a corn dish I can’t remember the name of! I thought catfish filets were small, but look at this!

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It was tender and flakey and NOT fishy at all…perfectly seasoned and oh so yum! Yes, I hate to admit it, but I am kind of developing this need to document all the yummy different foods. I’m not taking back that many souvenirs, but the pics of my meals will always stay with me! LOL! ((In other words, let’s face it – I have had little time to do ANYTHING else but teach….and EAT!))

Oh Gym, I definitely NEED to reacquaint myself with you when I return home!

It’s only 10:45, but I’m tucking in to bed. Tomorrow morning I check back out of here again, go teach the braid workshop for the Quilter’s Acadienne, and then….get this..it has been arranged to drop me off again with the ladies from Prairieville ---so the drivers only have to each drive part way only, the designated drop off station is a rest stop..Hehehe!!! I love it! Earlier they were joking about just dropping me off in some parking lot somewhere, but at least the rest stop has facilities! Oh, what an exciting life!

Night night everyone….catch you on the flip side!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Baton Rouge Bonanza!


Food and Quilts and Quilts and Food, is there anything else better to keep me busy? It’s a constant battle to fight re-gaining the 30+ lbs I have lost in the past two years right back, and yet at the same time I know that food—GOOD food—not junk food—is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

I’ve thought a lot about it. Why do we struggle so much with this issue? Where is the balance between living a healthy life at a maintainable weight – and still enjoying good food, good friends, good fun? Where does that scale tip?

((If I really had to answer honestly, it tips because I can’t resist!!))

I’ve tried to leave my big meals as my dinners. And because of the meeting schedule I’ve been on, it’s always been an early dinner.

However, while in California, the hotel provided a full cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes or french toast, hashbrowns, toast, bagels, muffins, fruit, etc…and because it was there ((and included)) I ate it!

Yes, I was going going going and walking as much as possible to burn it off, but I’m a bit freaked out about all the eating out!

Here in Baton Rouge, we stopped at Fresh Market to pick up a couple yogurts, fruit, and cereal bars for my breakfast since the hotel doesn’t provide breakfast, and I’m feeling a bit better about that…

Today I did salad and soup for lunch, I feel okay about that ---but we went to TJ RIBS for dinner….and started out with THIS!

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Do you know what THIS is?! It’s eggplant spears! I’d love to pass this off as a “vegetable food group”, but who would I be fooling?!? It’s strips of eggplant battered and deep fried, topped with mozzarella and served with marinara and ranch. OMGoodness! But never fear, this platter served about 10 of us, we all shared bits and pieces just to have a taste.

And you know, I ordered CHICKEN as my entrée, but it came with a side of grilled sausage! LOL! And Squash Casserole and a bowl of Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms. Low cal meal? I think not! Oh, and don’t forget the cup of GUMBO that I had to have, because after all it IS Louisiana!

I’m setting the alarm for 6am and hitting the elliptical trainer in the fitness room before tomorrow’s workshop! I’ve been told there are plans to bring Beignets to tomorrows class, and you know what? I certainly am NOT going to turn them down! Rolling on the floor laughing

I will be amping up my gym routine as soon as I get home, but you know what? The ONLY time I want to be skin & bones is when I'm 6 ft under. Life is to enjoy ALL of the senses. It's just a balance between portion size and frequency!

Wanna see what we did today? These are the pics from the Cathedral Stars workshop!

Our lecture/trunkshow tonight was hosted by the River City Quilters of Baton Rouge, with an open invitation to all other area guilds to come attend too! We had a full house, lots of laughs, plenty of questions and a terrific evening of being together!