The Idea That Started It All...The Cooking Gauntlet Has Been Thrown!

The Bonne Femme Cookbook- I found mine at Amazon.

So the night I first found out about Mason's passing I knew that I was going to need to start cooking. In my life, when I have faced difficult times, times of stress, times when I felt like I didn't have a clue I go to my kitchen- I slice and dice fresh veggies, I go through cookbooks, I create food (not just tasty, but aesthetically pleasing food). I spend time letting my mind focus on the flavors and smells, on the precision of a cut or the placement of a garnish. I pray. I sing.

As I went to my kitchen I was thinking about the movie Julie and Julia, where Julie decides to cook her way out of her rut in life with a Julia Child's cookbook in hand. A friend from work said, "Julie and Julia! Are you going to try Julia Child?" I knew, instantly, that I'm not on level with Julia Child, and well, let's face it, it's already been done. I had visions the Hubs coming home and finding me with my head half way in the oven, holding a partially baked chicken and crying because I got nervous and drank all the wine that said chicken was supposed to be basted in. No- no complicated French cooking for me.

In complete disclosure- I needed something easier. 

I'm not a fussy cook. In fact, I was not a good cook for years. Practice truly does help! My family has been gracious over the years...and did I mention practice...

I like things that are easy, tasty, and pretty to serve. I like finding short-cuts without short-cutting the taste of the dish. You see- I love entertaining, and I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen. I want to mingle with my guests. I want to look them in the eye and ask them how they're doing without worrying about what needs to come out of the kitchen next. I like finding the ingredients I need in grocery store! Please don't send me to 8 different places to try to find some obscure spice I need for this one recipe...that I will never use again...!

So I went to Amazon. "Easy French Cookbook". 

The result: The Bonne Femme Cookbook! 

It boasted all the things I hoped for: streamlined steps, grocery store-friendly ingredients and recipes that will be kitchen to table quick! 

I placed my order. I waited. I wondered. Was it really going to be able to come through on all it promised...?

At Last It Arrived!!!

And to my surprise...it did deliver! I poured over its pages, looking for the spot that proved too difficult for this modest home-cook...but it seemed possible! Best yet, it told stories and gave insights on French food, dining, ingredients, and instructions on traditional and Bonne Femme cooking techniques. 

It came to me: I Could Do This!

La Bonne Femme means: The Good Wife. It is also the term that the French use for a style of cooking. It is a streamlined, simple approach to putting great food on the French table. Seems like a great idea to me! It also seems very much like Mason. 

Mason did cook, but not much. Her husband did a lot of cooking, and a lot of complicated cooking at that. She made excellent cornbread, a great cheese ball, and wonderful pork chops...but that was about it. Mason enjoyed her guests and the meal they shared together much better than being in the kitchen. While I probably enjoy cooking more than Mason did, I have learned an important lesson from her, in that the time with family and friends is far more valuable than being a perfectionist in the kitchen.

After Mason's passing, I told the Hubs that I wanted to get a cookbook and work my way through it as therapy to help me deal with the loss. I believe the Lord lead me to the perfect cookbook. One that fits the lesson Mason taught so well- make it simple and easy, so that you can enjoy your friends and family. 

But then I thought of all of Mason's encouragement of my writing. She loved for me to come to her house and share my recent work. She always encouraged my efforts in writing. So then I thought: why not write about about the journey...my eating, drinking, cooking, party theming journey. This would pair a great "Tracy-Mason kinda cooking model" with a story.

And that friends, is how it all started. 

Sure the cookbook throws a certain "cooking gauntlet", but it won't be nearly as difficult as Julia Child!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

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Au Revoir To The Gulf Coast...For Now...

Sadly, its time to return home. We had a great vacation, but ...

Our last dinner was at Cobalt, the sister restaurant to Cosmo's, which we told you about earlier in the week.

The view from the restaurant's porch is beautiful!

We started with a Crab and Shrimp Dip with Grilled Bread.

The Hubs chose a Bison burger with caramelized onions and applewood smoked bacon.

I chose the Paneed Grouper with Blue Crab and a Mustard Vinaigrette- Yum!!!

This was a delicious way to end our trip to the Gulf Coast!

Cheers to the Beach!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Brunch, A Beach-Worthy Cocktail & A Little Oasis At The Gulf

Good Morning! 

What should we have for breakfast? How about some Curried Egg Salad on toasted English muffins?!

Easy Curried Egg Salad made a great beach-side brunch!

I found this recipe in the April issue of Coastal Living.

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1/2 cup of mayo

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp of fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

Directions:

1. Hard boil eggs

2. Meanwhile, combine mayo and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. Stir in celery.

3. Peel and chop eggs. Fold into mayo mixture. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

4. Slice and toast 3 English Muffins (Coastal Living chose pumpernickel toast points). Spoon egg salad mixture on 6 slices of English muffins.

After a delicious brunch we decided to head for the beach. 

Summer is a great time to try some light and refreshing cocktails. Our favorite summer drink is a Cava Sangria that we first enjoyed at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, FL. The first Columbia Restaurant was opened in 1905 in Tampa, with 5 subsequent restaurants opening throughout Florida: The Columbia Restaurant 

Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe frequented the Ybor City location.

Cava Sangria (we double it!)

Ingredients: 

1 bottle of Cava
1/2 oz Spanish Brandy
1/2 oz Grand Marinier (or other orange liqueur)
2 Splashes of Sprite
The Juice of 1 Orange & 1 Lime
Simple Syrup (to taste)
Orange, Lime & Maraschino Cherries for garnish

Directions:
In a large pitcher with ice, combine wine, brandy, liqueur, Sprite, juice from 1 orange and 1 lime. Stir and add simple syrup to obtain the desired sweetness. Use remaining orange, lime and cherries as garnish.

Try using a BPA-Free shatter-resistant carafe for picnicking! 

Rather than fill our pitcher with ice (which can water down drinks), we choose to omit the ice and add reusable ice cubes to the carafe to keep our summertime cocktails chilled!

For dinner we opted for The Gulf Restaurant. It was featured in Coastal Living's June issue!

The Building is made of old shipping containers.

Our cozy spot for dinner!

Fried Grouper Sandwich & House-made fries. The Hubs opted for a Margarita, while I chose the Mojito.

This sandwich came with a yummy dill aioli.

"Life is Good" at twilight at The Gulf!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Beignets, Parasailing, And What Was On The Menu in 1912!

We checked urbanspoon for some local top picks and with a 90% "Like It" rating Cafe' Beignet was an easy choice!

Cafe' Beignet Store Front. The sign to the left of the door reads: "Open 6:30 am until 12 noonish."

The menu is simple: 1 Order (3 beignets), 1/2 dozen, or 1 dozen. Coffee, Cafe'au lait, hot chocolate, water, coke products.

The have regular beignets and filled beignets. The filled beignets come 2 ways: filled with vanilla pudding and covered in chocolate or filled with lemon pudding and covered in strawberry.

We did try the lemon covered in strawberry. They are good, but very sweet, so pace yourself. 

But our favorites are the regulars- not too sweet:

An order of regular beignets and coffee. The little stick is used to let the steam escape.

We can tell the owners have a sense of  humor- the suggestion box is conveniently located on a shelf near the ceiling...

Yea, they don't need any suggestions...just beignets and coffee. No need to mess with the recipe.

After a leisurely breakfast we headed down the road to Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan is a masonry star shaped fort at the mouth of Mobile Bay, AL. It was named for the Revolutionary War Hero Daniel Morgan, and was a key location during the Civil War at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864. Learn more here:  Fort Morgan, AL

In the museum the Hubs and I located 3 menus from 1912. We were able to take pictures and what you will discover is pretty interesting!

Thanksgiving Menu: Olives, Sweet Pickles, Oyster Soup, Roast Turkey, Oyster Dressing, Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Celery, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Peas, English Plum Pudding, Brandy Sauce, Coconut Cream Pie, Mixed Candies, Assorted Nuts, Claret Punch, Cigars, Cigarettes, Cocoa.

Christmas Menu: Olives, Sweet Pickles, Celery, Roast Turkey, Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Chestnut Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Creamed Asparagus, Early June Peas, Fruit Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Coconut Cake, Cherry Pie, Assorted Candies, Assorted Nuts, Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Cigars, Coffee, Cigarettes.

Fourth of July Menu: Olives, Lettuce, Sweet Pickles, Iced Fruit Salad, Deviled Crabs, Cold Ham, Chicken with Sage Dressing, Giblet Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, French Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus Vinaigrette, Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Old Glory Cake, Lemon Custard Pie, Coconut Layer Cake, Cherry Pie, Pineapple Ice Cream, Assorted Nuts, Assorted Candies, Ice Tea, Lemonade, Budweiser, Cigars, Cigarettes 

I thought this was very interesting. Cigars and Cigarettes were on all 3 menus...with the rest of the edible items! I also wonder what asparagus vinaigrette is? Do you know? And Budweiser on the 4th of July menu!

After our trek through Fort Morgan we decided parasailing would be the way to go. Here are a few pics of our adventure:

No Hands!

Yep- we're up there with that Ad plane in the background.

Dipped in the Gulf!

More adventures to come...

The Gulf Oasis, Seaside Brunch, and a Beach-worthy cocktail...La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Knee Deep in the Water Somewhere...

Gulf Island National Seashore.

"Cause now I'm...
Knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky, breeze blowin wind through my hair
Only worry in the world
Is tide gonna reach my chair?"
- Zac Brown Band
"Knee Deep"

Is the tide going to reach my chair???

I have always heard, and truly believe, that time at the beach works like a balm to your soul. There is something about hearing those waves and feeling the sun on your skin that seems to bring peace and renewed outlook on life.

Last week, the Hubs and I made our way to the Gulf. This trip could not have come at a better time. Life got really stressful all at once: the loss of Mason, stuff at work, etc. So, off we went in search of that sweet peace that comes when one is near the sea!

We spent our week eating, drinking & cooking through Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, AL and Perdido Key, FL. On our way we found this great little brochure...So we HAD to try it!

The first stop on our journey was, in fact, Bates House of Turkey. When I was little my family always took vacations to the Gulf and we ALWAYS stopped at Bates for lunch on the way down. And who am I to break with tradition???

Yes- I have a Bates House of Turkey Shirt. It says, "Eat Turkey, Feel Perky!" on the back.

Their turkey is good! Really good! A lot of people traveling to the beach use it as a lunch stop and then like the turkey so much that they buy extra for sandwiches at the beach. Bates packs it up for the journey and off you go. They also ship. Check them out: Bates House of Turkey

The next spot to try from the brochure was Cosmos: Cosmos Restaurant and Bar

One word: GO! These guys won the Wine Spectator Award in 2013, and the dish that makes the top 100 in AL is a #1 in our book- Banana Leaf Wrapped Fish!

A glass of Lagaria Pinot Grigio (their house white- it is bright and citrusy..wonderful for summer!), and Firecracker Shrimp (think Bonefish Bang Bang Shrimp...its very similar- delicious).

Me and the Hubs enjoying wine at Cosmos.

This is a WIN! Banana Leaf Wrapped Sea Bass with Cosmo's Grits (Creamy Polenta) and Fresh Veggies. 

The fish is tender and delicious! Cosmos uses a house-made rub that is out of the world good!

As a start to this week's look at Gulf Coast Eating, Drinking & Cooking...well, this is a great way to start!

Coming up this week...

Beignets and Parasailing (we think its a great combo!)

The Gulf Restaurant...it, no kidding, looks like an Oasis

And a peak at Fort Morgan Menus from 1912...the stuff that's on these menus might surprise you...

It's La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Theming...A Lesson From My Friend, Linda Mason!

My friend Mason with my Aunt Joyce. Mason was with our family at my sister-in-law's baby shower!

Mason loved theming! She also loved decorative...theme matching napkins. She would have been so incredibly proud of this particular blog post!

I have included pictures of two particularly pretty events. I suppose I caught the "theming bug" from Mason because decorating for a gathering is almost as fun as cooking for it!

Take a look at the gallery below:

A Pretty Pink Baby Shower:

A diaper cake and pink champagne! (The mom-to-be had cranberry ginger ale.)

Dessert Buffet- branches were painted white. Pink birds hung on the branches.

LOVE this bakery- "Sweet Eats" in Chattanooga, TN (http://www.sweeteats.net/). These are marzipan birds!

Garden Party Mother's Day Brunch:

Mimosa's, fruit and yogurt parfait...cookies by Signal Mountain Cookie Lady. (http://www.signalmountaincookielady.com/)

Eggs Benedict and Smoked Gouda Grits.

Oh- it just makes me want to plan my next party!

I find a lot of helpful hints on Pinterest. The baby shower ideas came from The Bump. I love this outlet for creativity!

"Theming" a party is a really fun way to engage my guests and make the celebration seem even more festive. 

Thanks for the lesson Mason!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Super-Easy Key Lime Ice Cream Cupcakes

La Bonne Vie is going Conch today! 

Key West'ers' are lovingly called Conch's after the sea-life they used to harvest. 

Here are a few pics from a trip the Hubs and I took to Key West a few years ago:

A wonderful B&B very near Front Street.

That FAMOUS Key West Sunset!

The Hubs and I on a sunset cruise.

Can you smell the salty, sea air yet??? Maybe this citrus dessert will get you in that beachy mood!

I found this super-easy recipe in the June issue of Coastal Living.

Nut-Crusted Key Lime Ice Cream Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 all purpose flour

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces

3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

2 tsp lime zest

1/2 cup fresh Key lime or Persian lime juice

Garnish: whipped cream, lime wedge slice

My ice cream choice. It is so rich and creamy- Yum!

The BEST lime juice there is- hands down!!!!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake liners. Combine first 6 ingredients in a food processor; process until nuts are ground and mixture is thoroughly blended. Press into bottoms and partially up on sides of prepared cups. Bake 5 minutes; cool completely.

Stir together ice cream, lime zest, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup ice cream mixture into each crust; freeze until firm. Garnish, is desired. 

Makes 1 dozen.

Viola! 

It tastes just like Key Lime Pie!

Heading to the tropics with my Ice Creamy Dessert...La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Father's Day: Sweet & Sour Sausage, Peppers & Polenta

This turned out to be a great surprise...and it made more servings then what I thought it would.

I found this recipe on my Food Network App, and those Food Network gurus...well, they got it from Johnsonville. 

Turns out those guys know how to grill their own product!

Grilled Italian Sausage with Sweet 'n Sour Peppers:

Ingredients:

2 packages (19 ounces, each) Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links

3 tablespoons slivered almonds

1/4 cup raisins

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 medium green bell peppers, cut in quarters and seeded (I used 1 green and substituted an orange one for the second green one...I just like the color.)

2 medium sweet red bell peppers, cut in quarters and seeded (I used one red and one yellow...color again!)

1 medium red onion, cut into 6 wedges

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 Tbsp of Italian dressing

1 roll (18 ounces) prepared polenta, sliced into 1/2 -rounds

I do not make my own polenta. I find the pre-made polenta in the the produce section of Publix, near the tofu and organic produce.

I used Bertolli Extra Light olive oil and the Publix brand apple cider vinegar. 

Directions:

1. Toast almonds in a small skillet over medium heat- 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Stir in raisins. Remove from heat. Let stand.
3. Add vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
4. Return to medium- low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Pre-heat grill to medium-low.
6. In a bowl, combine peppers and onion. Drizzle with oil. Toss to coat.
7. Place sausages and veggies on grill, use tongs to rotate/ stir often. Grill approx. 15-20 minutes or until sausages are cooked through and veggies are tender. ( I left my veggies on a little longer. I use a veggie basket for the grill.)
8. While sausages and veggies are grilling, brush polenta slices with Italian dressing. Place on grill for 2 minutes- each side.
9. Place sausages and veggies in a large bowl. Pour in almond mixture. Toss to coat.
10. Arrange sausages, veggies and polenta on a large platter.

I used a large platter to arrange sausages, veggies and polenta. I also lightly grilled a sliced baguette.

This is a great summer meal! It is so easy and it feeds up to 8 people.

Enjoy!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!