The family dinner went alright, I ate and drank a bit more than usual, most of the trip, but probably not more than about 1,300 or 1,400 calories on the day. The biggest thing I ate was a medium sized helping of the jambalaya, just had to do it, my first jambalaya since going on the diet. It was good, a chicken and sausage jambalaya made by my cousin who is getting married. The party was not so wild as I expected, and the wedding today will probably be even a little lower key.
For anyone who doesn't know Cajun is short for Arcadian, they are descended from French driven out of Canada by the English in the later half of the 18th century. They made their way to French Louisiana and settled in the rural bayou country of south Louisiana. My father's family moved from Kentucky to Cajun country in about 1900, all of the men except for my grandfather married Cajuns. My father's only sibling married a Cajun, so all of my living cousins on my father's side are half or more Cajun, but I am not. The cousin getting married, D, is a half Cajun first cousin. In Louisiana half Cajun is close enough, he's Cajun. Cajuns are known for their food, music, and parties, a lot of fun, good to be related to, even if only by marriage.
This is not D's first marriage, and his first was an event to remember. He has always been a black sheep of the family, his first profession was as manager of a particularly seedy stripper bar. And his first wife was one of his Cajun strippers. I have one cousin who's wife still won't talk to D over the happenings at his first bachelor party. And it leaves a lot of fun things to talk about, when the new wife is out of the room anyway. Like how much to tip your cousin's wife for a lap dance, do you get a family discount? Anyway D has done a turnabout, he went back to school and got his nursing degree, and the new wife is a Methodist minister. Cajun stripper to Methodism minister is about as far as you can come down here. She is a very nice woman, one who will be much better for D than his first.
I'm in love with sea, and rivers and lakes, and I could swim and be on the beach for whole day!
So am I, growing up I was rarely dry and never wore shoes, I can swim in most any thing, though pools are at the bottom of my list.
Enjoy a bit of decadence tomorrow with the wedding feast
Thanks Emily, and I did yesterday, will try and do better today at the reception.
I make jambalaya at times but I suspect nothing like what you will be having
Hey Petal, I am sure your's is good. Its hard to make a bad jambalaya, it is made many different ways, for me the key is cooking the meat, ususally chicken and sausage, with a lot of onions and spices. Then boiling the rice in the cooked chicken and broth letting the rice soak up the chicken flavors (and fat) as it cooks. There is no Cajun translation for the phrase "low calorie".
Looks you're striking the balance between socializing and restriction pretty well!
Thanks LaMa, I am trying, having fun whilst at least keeping calories well below what I would have done last year.
Leftneck isn't a term I've heard before haha
I think Grant made it up, his politics have gotten him banned from a number of places, he is not in the majority in the mostly red, but not left, neck south. It does pretty clearly set him apart from the yankee liberals who are usually the brunt of local disgust. He used to have a bumper sticker than read "Slave States for Bush", I was surprised his car never got burned. He has some new songs that mention our current president, not in a very favorable light.
Rob, your friend's song is hilarious & I love it! I'm saving that.
I agree, Grant is one of my favorites, he has lots of others on Youtube.
Now that's a phase I have never heard, thanks Amy, maybe I will try it at the reception this afternoon.
The last wedding I went to was a disaster
I understand, and I rarely go to weddings, but had to make an exception for this one. Thanks!
have a blast at the wedding Rob! Try not to stress about food too much while you're there.
Thanks Cory, I am trying, on both counts.
