le oui-quend...

Well, let me start off by saying, NON, zat iz not how ze French spell "weekend"


 But what a wonderful and relaxing weekend it was. Friday night I spent at home with my huzzbin, lazy-assin and watching re-runs of the Office.  It's what's we do best ;-o

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Saturday was a great day. I spent the better part of the day with my husband and brother in law, kayaking.

Mr. V!ck <3

brother-in-law

That evening we were invited to a party to celebrate 

the 50 year wedding anniversary of my great Aunt and Uncle

There are the 2 lovebirds, after renewing their marriage vows. My uncle even cried. What a joyous occasion. I wish them the very best life has to offer for the next 50 years, and hope to have a loving lasting marriage just like theirs

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Sunday-Funday!

We started off with a lovely brunch at Cafe Americain--it's ALL DAY, by the way! 

{Good info for those of you who enjoy brunch after lunch, like us ;)  }

Afterward, we hit the theatre for a matinee showing of X-Men: First Class

And it was awesome!

Finally, we went home to relax and spend time with our doggies. 

Allow me to introduce:

"Buddha" - our eldest

and his younger brother

"Rudy"

{this is after his summer cut}

And let's not forget lil' sis:

"Stella" - the well mannered one

and last but not least, the newest addition to our pound, err, family:

 "Cooper" or perhaps "Boss"

right now we just call him "puppy"

I like "Boss" though

Maybe "Brew-zer" would be more fitting....

OH! And I forgot to mention, he does tricks!

TADA!! YAAAAY puppy!

 grrrrrr.....

xo,

Mrs. V!ck

Oh Google!

I don't know about y'all but I thought this was great!

I wrote my first one-hit-wonder yesterday. LOL.

But what's even better is this tribute to the Beatles by Les Paul 

"Here comes the Sun"

{I walked down the aisle to this song! Love it!}




xo, Mrs. V!ck

Last Night's Supper Club...

Was a great success! What a great night we had!

...I'm kinda paying for it this morning though ;-/  Somehow we always end up drinking waaaaay too much bubbleh and wine and it {literally} kills me the next day. I hate myself right now.

We started off with an Apéritif of brie, grapes and St. Germaine cocktails

 (An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite.)

Yummy Yum Yum....Mrs. B couldn't get enough!

Anyway, back to supper....

Originally, I had chosen a Provençal dinner theme, because that's the southern region of France that my family is from. But, being the lame cook that I am, I kindof veered away from that in order to make things easier for myself... ha!

But in keeping with the theme, I did choose some nice (and easy) French recipes. Enjoy:

Coq á l’ail (et aux herbs de Provence)  {Garlic and herb roasted hen}

Ingredients:

4 small game hens

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, basil, thyme

Dry white wine

1 small clove garlic, very thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450°F

Lightly spray a large baking dish or roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Wash hens and pat dry. Cut hens in half lengthwise

Season the inside cavity with salt and pepper and arrange in the baking dish.

Mix butter with the chopped herbs. Separate some of the top skin of the birds. Push small amounts of butter mixture under the skin of the breasts, then tuck a few thin slices of garlic under the skin of each breast.

Pat any remaining butter over the outside of the hens and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25 minutes, or until the hens are nicely browned and juices run clear when thigh is pierced at thickest part, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices,

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F about 45 minutes longer

Pour wine, broth and remaining 2 tablespoons oil over hens. Transfer pan juices and garlic to heavy medium saucepan 16 Boil until reduced to sauce consistency

Serves 4 to 6.

 

Frites Coriandre a l'huile de truffe blanc  {White truffle oil cilantro fries}

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 small clove garlic

1 (28-ounce) bag frozen potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the cilantro and garlic in a food processor and process until combined.

Toss the potatoes with the cilantro-garlic mixture and the olive oil, coating evenly.

Spread the potatoes wedges onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the potatoes after 10 minutes to crisp on the other side.

Season the potatoes with the salt and serve.

Following our lovely meal was a fantastic French dessert:  Melon au Vin d'Orange

We simply soaked sliced cantaloup (because Mrs B didn't have one of those fancy scoop thingies to make little balls)  in my mother's home made orange wine and chilled it during dinner.  To serve we sprinkled sugar and garnished with a mint spring. Voila!

I like seeing people with happy faces when they eat my food. Mrs. S and MissD were all about the cilantro fries....and I don't blame them! Try it for yourself. It's a simple twist to spiff up an old fav--the french fry.

I can't wait until next month's supper club at Miss D's....I think it going to be a FIESTA!!

cheers, 

Mrs. V!ck

nomnomnom... Supper Club!

This all started one afternoon in late April, with 3 of my closest gal-pals, over a few rounds of martinis.  I'm not really sure who came up with the idea but we all decided we wanted to start a Supper Club. Each of us would take a turn hosting a dinner night and cooking a delish meal, on the 2nd Tuesday of every month.


Now, considering I'm not the best cook in the world, I figured this would be a great opportunity to learn a few things... really, I'm only as good as the cocktails. Nevertheless, our first Supper Club was on 5|10|11. My bestie, Mrs. H, was the chef of the night while Mrs. S hosted at her quaint little home :)


On the menu that night was *my mouth waters just thinking about it* the BEST Lasagna I have EVER eaten. Unfortunately I have no pics to share of that night, but I do have the recipeeeeee!


And here it is:

Bolognese Sauce (Ragu Bolognese):

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, scraped and finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 16oz pancetta, minced
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (16-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with the juices
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Salt and pepper

Besciamella (Bechamel Sauce):

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until vegetables are translucent. Add veal, pork, beef, and pancetta to the vegetables, brown over high heat, stirring to keep meat from sticking together for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until almost dry, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add the wine and brodo, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until flavors are developed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.
Yield: 6 1/2 cups, about 10 to 12 servings

In a medium saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until light golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat milk in separate pan until just about to boil. Add milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth and bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes and remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg and set aside.
Yield: 3 cups


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a brownie pan, assemble the lasagne, beginning with a layer of ragu, a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano, a layer of pasta, a layer of bechamel, and then again a layer of ragu, a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano etc. until all sauce and pasta are used up. The top layer should be pasta with bechamel over it. Top the lasagne with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake in the oven until the edges are browned and the sauces are bubbling, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.


Remove and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving with a dusting of Parmigiano
(recipe via Mrs. H)


{Dessert followed with Tiramisu and LOTS of bubbleh!}


This recipe is no joke. I know she slaved awaaaaay on this meal. And it was well worth it! So if you're a lover of cooking, especially Italian, you DEF have to try this.  Your belleh will thank you!


Our next Supper Club night is tomorrow! Hostess & Chef du Soir: yours truly :0 
...we'll see what happens.


xo,
Mrs. V!ck

hmmmmm......still working on tabs

So I've come to realize that I may not be able to add posts to my TABS. The content of a tab remains the same, therefore I can't go in and add future posts, like I originally wanted to.

With that said, all my ideas for D!Ys or whatever other brilliant topics I conjure up won't be housed in any tabs, but on daily posts.

Forgive me for not posting anything worth a damn here lately. There are so many fun topics to choose from I just don't know where to start. Guess I should get rolling on this...in the mean time, enjoy yourself with the latest on LoLa Inspired. She was crackin' my sh!t up yesterday!!

hmmm....still learning

So I've created a couple tabs that should bring the reader to another page. But, I don't know how to add posts to that page.

Maybe someone can help.??

My ears are ringing with the sound of wedding bells!

And have been since my friend (the first of many) got engaged to her soul mate, which started a pattern in my social circle. Now, 8 months, 7 engagements and 5 weddings later, it isn't over yet!

I absolutely love weddings- for the most part.  I love the design aspect of a wedding...from the dress to the flowers to the decor. I had so much fun planning my own wedding, and helping with my friends' weddings as well.  The best part is looking back on each one and seeing [their] personalities reflected in the details.

Below is just a glimpse at my BFFs' BIG DAY(s):

First came the Non-traditional Nawlins-style Nuptials, of the most non-traditional couple I know.

 10|23|10.

G-Rat and the Ginger-Jap ;-)

Photos courtesy Robert T Photography (Trent Spann) of via Facebook

After ringing in the New Year, my other bestie tied the knot Louisiana Plantation-style:

1|22|11

 (my fav Southern Belle and her Beau)

 Photos courtesy of Thompson Photography via Facebook

(Next came my wedding....but I'll get to that in a bit.)

Just a week following my wedding was, of course, the Royal Wedding---and I don't mean William + Kate...

In a Bap-Lic style tradition (a term I coined in college meaning a short sweet Baptist ceremony and a crazy alcohol-induced Catholic reception) K+B were married on 4|30|11!

 

Introducing Mr. Right and Mrs. ALWAYS Right!

 Photos courtesy of Aimeezing Faces via Facebook

Last but not least, ME & MR.V!! 4|9|11 It was on this (ridiculously hot) sunny day in the Windrush Gardens of the LSU Rural Life Museum  that I said my "I Do's" to my Mister.

Photos courtesy of Mark H. Saltz Photography

{And Everyone Lived Happily Ever After....}

<3