Laissez Les Bontemps Rouler!! {Part 3}

I am FINALLY back with my last NOLA recap! I know this is quite the awkward delay, but I was prisoner to a loaner computer for a while while mine got worked on. No computer = no pictures = no blog post. Sigh. So, in case you forgot where you left of, you can see Part 1 of my recap here and Part 2 here.

Our trip to New Orleans was quick, but it was packed with tons of fun! The city is truly amazing and it was such a nice getaway for my family and me.

On Day 3, we walked from our hotel in the French Quarter to the National World War II Museum. The walk was so scenic. I love the charm of the architecture in New Orleans. Every building we passed had such flair. I stopped and took a picture at Lafayette Square while we walked too because it was so pretty.

The main event of the day was our trip to the National World War II Museum. It was SUCH a neat experience. I actually love museums and this museum experience was very special as my paternal grandfather served in the army during World War II at just 19 years old! He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart. He is truly my hero. 

The tour started with an interactive movie that gave such insight into the war. It was a 3D movie and it was intense and informative. There were flashes of lights and gunshots, and the seats even moved. I really enjoyed the film and was just in awe of our nation pulled together to fight. Everyone helped in the war effort. Patriotism was so strong. It was incredible. Then we proceeded into the main exhibit. They had tons of great artifacts and pictures. I really enjoyed learning more about the war and felt a deep connection to my Papa. Currently the museum is expanding and I can't wait to go back! It's definitely worth a visit!

After our trip to the museum, we walked past the Mississippi River to Jackson Square. It was a long and chilly walk, but the views were well worth it!

When we got to Jackson Square, it was packed! Definitely a great tourist destination. There were artists set up everywhere selling their unique paintings, restaurants dotted every corner (all looked amazing) and people were everywhere! We stopped into St. Louis Cathedral and it was gorgeous. The architecture and decor was breathtaking. And the beautiful blue skies didn't hurt either!

At this point, we were all STARVING (hangry if you will), and walked around a little before stopping at the Old Coffee Pot Restaurant in the French Quarter. We didn't realize it, but it was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives! How cool is that?! The service was a bit slow, but hey, it's the Big Easy and the food more than made up for it. Our meal tab included a Fried Oyster Po Boy (such a classic!), Crawfish Pie, Chicken & Andouille Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo. Of course there were also Bloody Mary's and a couple of glasses of wine involved, too! All was delicious!

After our yummy lunch, we headed back to the hotel to rest before we headed to Huck Finn's Cafe, a New Orleans sports bar, to watch Clemson kill LSU! We were the only Clemson fans in the bar (no surprise), and it was so fun to watch our team beat the locals! While we didn't get entrees, we honestly ordered half of the appetizer menu. Everything was SO.GOOD. I didn't take a pictures of everything we ate, but we killed so much food. We had the BBQ Pork Nachos, Blackened Alligator (next time I'd get fried, though!), the Fried Pickles and a Shrimp Quesadilla. I think the waiters loved us. Plus, we ordered quite a few drinks. I think we probably helped them break even that night ha!

By the time we actually left the bar, it was already very late! We seriously posted up at our table at Huck Finn's for over 5 hours. Oops. After our food fest, we headed to Jackson Square to ring in the New Year! We got there at 11 p.m. and honestly couldn't move. It was wall-to-wall people. Knowing we'd have to wait an hour before 2013, we ended up just walking back to our hotel. We walked down Bourbon Street and it was a fun experience! Beads were being thrown everywhere and people were clearly having a good time, haha!

After grabbing a pre-midnight snack at Krystal Burger, we watched the first fireworks of 2013 from our hotel room. It was such a nice night and I loved ringing in the new year with my favorite people, my family!

We woke up (painfully) early on January 1st to head home. I was so sad to see our trip come to an end, but seeing the first sunrise of 2013, over the Mississippi River no less, was beautiful and made leaving a little less bitter. I cannot wait to go back to New Orleans and would love to hear from you all of any other places I need to go to when I return!

Laissez Les Bontemps Rouler!! {Part 2}

I'm back with more of my NOLA trip!!! Yahoo! I know you've been anxiously awaiting my next recap. Don't worry, here it is.

On day two of our New Orleans adventure, the fam and I headed to the Super Dome to watch the Panthers beat the Saints! We were so excited to watch our hometeam in an away game, and it was all the sweeter to watch them end the season on a win!

It was really cool to be in a different stadium than we are used to. First, the Super Dome is indoors (duh) which is just so different from Bank of America Stadium. Second, the food options they offer at the Super Dome are so unique to New Orleans! You can get fried alligator, jambalaya and crawfish! It was great (and I can confirm that the jambalaya is indeed delicious).

The game took up most of the day (after we napped - lazy), but we went to a fabulous dinner at Pierre Maspero's. The restaurant itself was very charming and had a great ambience. We ate to our heart's content. We all shared Spinach & Artichoke Dip to start our dinner because well, you can't go wrong in that department  I ordered the Blackened Redfish because I kept seeing it on lots of menus and it did not disappoint! It was seasoned to perfection. My dad got the Fettuccini Corn Maque Choux and boy was it good. It was rich, creamy and decadent. My oldest sister, Kelley, ordered the Crab Cakes and they were served over a bed of veggies - the entire plate was heavenly. My mom and sister, Megan, went the lame route and ordered salads, but they were satisfied. Overall, it was probably my favorite meal of the trip. Would definitely recommend a stop here if you'll be in New Orleans!

Our last day in New Orleans was definitely our most packed, so get ready for Part 3 of these updates! Hope you have a great weekend!

Laissez Les Bontemps Rouler!! {Part 1}

My family and I headed to New Orleans over break for New Years. It was a total surprise to my sisters and me!  My mom sent a mass text to our family while I was taking finals saying that we would be headed to NOLA for the holiday. After a rough 2012, my mom said that she wanted us to have something to look forward to when ringing in the new year! It was the best motivation to power through my tests.

We had such an amazing time in the Big Easy. My parents had been to New Orleans before, but it was the first time for my sisters and I. Our biggest draw to the city was that the Carolina Panthers were playing their final game of the season in the Superdome! We had to cheer on our hometeam!

Our road trip began as all road trips should, with a stop at Cracker Barrel...

...seriously their pancakes are the world's best.

When we pulled into New Orleans, it was early evening and we were greeted by sunshine and a surprisingly pretty construction site.

Our first night, we walked around Bourbon Street and happened to run into some of our favorite (current and former) Panther players, Jordan Gross and Jake Delhomme! Obviously we asked for a picture and my mom pretended she was BFF with them. They were very nice (and huge!).

Being on Bourbon Street was a fun culture shock for us Carolina folk. It is a crazy atmosphere, but we embraced it pretty well I'd say. We even stopped in at Hotel Monteleone where my paternal grandparents spent their honeymoon in 1951. The hotel was gorgeous and it was fun to see a little slice of my family's history!

We then headed to dinner at a cool and casual spot, Crescent City Brewhouse. After a full day of traveling, we were all looking for somewhere not too fancy so we could relax. The Brewhouse had a great variety on their menu, and I ate a the Decatur St. Burger with sweet potato fries and it was fabulous. My mom and sister, Megan, split a Brewhouse Caesar Salad and the Grilled Grouper on Flatbread. My oldest sister, Kelley, had the Seafood Andouille Gumbo and raved about it. My dad, the driver on the trip, rewarded himself with a rack of the Brewhouse Ribs. It was too dark to get pictures of the food, but it was all soooo yummy.

After dinner, my dad wanted to take us to Pat O'Brien's Piano Bar. It's known for its hurricanes, but none of us were brave enough to drink one! The atmosphere inside was very fun with live music and everyone was singing along. While we couldn't get seated (this place is popular and PACKED), we enjoyed the music while we were there.

Our night ended at Bourbon Street Blues Company. When we walked by and heard the band, we knew we had to stop in! It was so fun just to enjoy being with my family, dancing and having a good time. It's not often that our family goes out like this all together!

Oh my gosh, aren't my parents the cutest people you've ever seen? Thought so.

Day 1 was a success, but it's only a portion of our trip! I'll be back with more of this NOLA recap! Hope you are having a happy Hump Day! 

Snickerdoodle Bread

Happy New Year to you all! Sorry for the delay in my wishes, but I was down in New Orleans with my family to ring in 2013! It was such a wonderful trip. I fell in love with the city and will definitely have a full NOLA blog post for you soon! 2012 was a rough year, so I am hoping that the fun my family and I had in New Orleans is telling of the great things to come this year!

As for New Year's Resolutions, I don't really make them...well, I don't make traditional resolutions. I'd never make a food or exercise resolution cause let's be honest, I'd never keep it. Everything in moderation right?! I kept my resolution last year to drink 64 oz. of water a day and I seriously felt so much better. I don't know if I am just saying that, but now I can't live without all that water! This year, I just am hoping to keep in better touch with friends and family and focus on being a more well-rounded and kind individual. It's not always easy!

But, since I am not cutting off sugar and carbs and all that fun stuff, I present to you this Snickerdoodle Bread. This is a recipe that I've eyed on Pinterest for over a year but have never made. I finally hunted down Hershey's Cinnamon Chips (gracias, Walmart) and put them to work! I made this bread for our neighbors' Christmas gifts, but my family kept a loaf for ourselves too! We munched on this bread while opening stockings on Christmas (hence the platter in the photos).

While the bread isn't the most photogenic, it sure is delicious. The cinnamon flavor is there, but it isn't overwhelming or overpowering. The bread is super soft, and it complements nicely the slight bite of the cinnamon chips. Like most quick breads, my FAVORITE part to eat is the top. The top of this bread is a bit crunchy from the cinnamon sugar mixture poured on top before baking...it's divine. I wanted to cut the tops off all the breads and save them for myself, but Christmas is about giving so I refrained (whomp).

Even if you are making a resolution to eat better, you should give this bread a try! Everyone's sweet tooth deserves a reward now and then! Enjoy!

***I linked up this post over at Taste and Tell,Chocolate, Chocolate and More, Recipes For My Boys, & Food Done Light  

Snickerdoodle Bread
Recipe from Eat Cake for Dinner

Bread:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup sour cream (I used light) 
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 pkg. Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

Topping:

• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease either 4 mini loaf pans or 2 regular loaf pans and set aside.
2. Whisk together your flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer) cream together butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix well.
4. Add your dry ingredients (flour and baking soda) to your wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Once all other ingredients are mixed well, stir your cinnamon chips into the batter.
6. Divide your batter between your 4 mini loaf pans or your 2 regular loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-38 minutes (mini loaves) or for 55-65 minutes (regular loaves). Let cool before removing from pan. Enjoy!