Need a spicy end to your weekend...Louisiana Bloody Mary!

I'm back! Did y'all miss me? I should warn y'all that I do tend to pop up, blog a bit, then fiddle off and focus on something else, and then come back. Nasty habit. It seems to be my online life. I seem to go through spurts of Facebook attentiveness, followed by internal group Facebook attentiveness, followed by attentiveness to my personal email, followed by attentiveness to the blog, followed by attentiveness to my bedroom closet and sock drawer...  ;)


Not all in the same day...

Obviously.

I have not forgotten about the cookie challenge I gave to myself just over a month ago. My official cookie taster is on a little mini vacation so that will pick up again when she comes home. My other cookie taster seems to like Snickers Bars a lot...so I'm working up something along that line. That might take a bit. A long bit.

A very long bit.

I just returned from Shreveport Louisiana and I was so excited about the trip. I was really looking forward to being inspired by the food and the different tastes (different to me that is, I moved to Texas after spending my entire life in San Francisco less than three years ago). I had big plans, for food...I researched and researched and researched...really thought about what I'd do if this or that was on a menu...and then I went to the Dr. last week and he said those words that every bariatric patient loves to hear. "Liquids for seven days."

"Excuse me?"

"Full liquids for seven days."

Ummm, and it was Tuesday. Heavy sigh.

Okay then, plan "b". Protein drinks in an ice chest...yeah me! Yahoo.

It wasn't that bad.

No really, well I'm only on day five, but it could have been worse.

So off my boyfriend and I go to Louisiana early Saturday morning. He'll tell you I was running "late", but ignore him. We were on the road by 9:00 am. I drank my first protein drink of the day in a Loves gas station parking lot just past Canton by 10 am, so we made good time, despite me feeling the need to put on "my face" prior to a three hour ride on a black cherry Harley (named Cheri)...with blue...nah, I'll save that story for later.

Because we arrived in Shreveport several HOURS before we could check into the hotel (see I didn't make us "late"), we ate lunch at a Harley dealership in Bossier City. Eh...well he ate lunch. I envied his hot dog (I love hot dogs) and I drank a protein shake. Little piece of trivia, in case you've never had a bbq hot dog/hamburger in a Harley dealership parking lot. They serve beer. Now, square that I am, this totally shocked me. I was told it was common and that was that. Neither of us had beer...too hot, plus the bubbles make my stomach full. I was very thankful he ate the hot dog before the hamburger, because as I mentioned I was on my fourth day of liquids only and I love hot dogs. I then was tortured by a six-year-old eating a hot dog as slowly as she possibly could. I believe she even got in trouble for playing with it. I knew I had been on liquids far too long when my only thought was offering to help her eat her hot dog when no one was looking.

I survived hot dog gate without a bite and we drove a few miles to the hotel. Which was really quite lovely. So to recap, I've been up since 7 am drawing a perfect face on my face, spent just over three solid hours of riding on the back of a motorcycle (we stopped every 60 to 90 miles so the ride itself wasn't bad), and it was H O T. Did I mention it was hot? And I was wearing a helmet (because Louisiana has a helmet law). I think my brains are still cooking even though I've since taken off the helmet. So the first thing I want to do when we get there was nothing. I was tired and a whole host of other things related to being mandated on liquids for four days.

By the time 5 pm rolled around, the band (Creeper) was there checking into their rooms and the hotel bar had just opened, so I went down for a cocktail with two of my favorite people, Mina and Carrie.

I should offer in advance that I've returned my second camera in a few weeks, so there are no photos of us having cocktails, but we had so much fun!

Mina and Carrie ordered Bloody Marys (and I ordered a Manhattan). I tried to keep my face grimicing down to a minimum because the idea of vodka and tomato juice just never "struck" me as something I'd be interested in.

I did watch the bartender, because I am currious at this point. I don't think I've ever been in a room, much less inches from someone who was drinking a Bloody Mary. The bartender did not use what I would have considered a traditional glass, it was more of a round, tall margarita glass with a stem, something that could hold eight plus ounces. She used a lime to prep the rim of the glass for salt and poured ice into the glass. As she was mixing the drink she asked if they wanted Worchestershire sauce and both practically jumped off their bar chairs and onto the bar with excitement as they both said "Yes!"

Then they told me that Worchestershire isn't used in a Texas Bloody Mary...okay, so now I'm really currious so I HAD to ask for a sip...okay I had a few (thanks Mina). Technically it was a liquid vegetable and I really, really really had been lacking in the vegetable department for the past few days.

;)

Mina and Carrie also spoke of their use of celery salt, so I had to throw that in as well.

In honor of Mina and Carrie, I had to post my conception of the Louisiana Bloody Mary.

Louisiana Bloody Mary


Makes 2

Ingredients

3 oz quality vodka

6 oz tomato juice

The juice from two fresh lemons

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Dash freshly ground black pepper

Dash freshly ground white pepper

Dash kosher salt

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp celery salt

Tabasco sauce to taste

Louisiana hot sauce to taste (optional...makes it spicy)

1 lime wedge (to adhere salt mixture to rim of glass - lemon works too)

1 tbsp horseradish (optional...makes it spicy)


And for an extra special kick of flavor, 1 tbsp A-1 Steak sauce (my kids fav, so it's always in my pantry...works rather nicely. Hey...I have to sample what I blog about!)

Celery stalk for garnish

Kosher Salt and Celery Salt mixed for rim of glass. 3/4 Kosher salt to 1/4 celery salt.

Prep glass with lime wedge and salt mixture. Add ice to brim. In a pichter mix ingredients and serve in glass. Garnish with celery stalk.

Want more variations?

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Mary_(cocktail)

My Favorite Restaurant in the World is in Atlanta, Georgia and it's called...

Confession...

In 2007, just as I was "thinking" about starting my weight loss journey, I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia on business. When I arrived, I was informed that I was going to be a dinner guest at a restaurant named "10 Degrees South."

I nodded...and didn't think that much of the name. Not that I didn't like the name, I didn't think about what type of food it would be and then my host volunteered. "You'll love it, it's South African Food."

I think at that moment you could have heard a pin drop.

I was...am...one of the most finicky eaters in the world. I'm getting a little better in my old age, I mean I'll no longer cry if someone accidentally puts mayo on my burger, but I still want nothing on a deli sandwich except mustard...and meat...and cheese. Mustard first though, that's the most important ingredient. Same with hot dogs. No mustard, I'm not eating it.

(And I love hot dogs.)

My boyfriend is on a Harley two week road trip that will take him from Dallas to Laconia, New Hampshire and back in 14 days (respectively). Tonight I got a phone call from Georgia and I immediately remembered that eating at 10 Degrees South, was literally the most magical food experience I've ever had in my entire life.

I remember they'd pair beef with cherry sauce, and lamb with apricot...I love love love meat, so I fell in love with the restaurant. Sadly, I've only been there once, but...I found out they sell one of their sauces, so I intend to buy it, and I'll try to replicate one of their dishes...(wish me luck).

I haven't forgotten about the cookie challenge. More recipes and the photos of the Peanut Butter Bon Bons are coming.

Really, I promise.

:)

Ref: http://www.10degreessouth.com/index.aspx