One place that I think every American should visit is Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Independence Hall is a place with historical facts that will clear up many of the untruths being perpetuated by today’s media regarding the founding fathers of the United States. Namely that the United States was not founded on God. There are more documents here that will verify this truth than anyplace I have ever seen. Here a few photos from my visit.
Alligators really blend into their environment and you always have to be watching for them especially in Florida. This one caught my eye while walking along a trail near the water’s edge. Do you see it?
I have no idea how this solitary pine cone made it to St. Andrews State Park Beach in Florida, because there were no pine trees for miles, but it made for a great photo.
This photo was taken near Panama City Beach, Florida by me. It is an osprey nest being protected by momma and daddy, It is truly amazing at how far these birds had to fly all these branches to build this huge nest.
My love for Cajun food called me to the kitchen today to cook some new recipes. I love eggplant fries now more than potato fries. Oh, my! They are so light and bursting with flavor. The Andouille sausage adds life to the white beans and makes you want to dance. Hot corn bread with a tad of butter makes the hearts spin over your head as if you just fell and saw stars. Enjoy!
Cajun White Beans and Andouille Sausage
1 pound small white beans
1 large onion chopped
1/4 cup green onion tops
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup butter (optional)
1 link of Andouille Sausage chopped
Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste
Wash your beans and let them soak at least eight hours or overnight. With enough water to cover beans, bring to a boil and add all ingredients except optional butter. Simmer for three hours. Beans should be tender. At the end you may add butter and stir for additional flavor if you so choose. You can eat these by themselves in a bowl or serve over white rice. This recipe will serve 6 people easily.
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Eggplant Fries
2 eggplants peeled and sliced like fries
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
3 eggs beaten with about 1 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
Salt to sprinkle on eggplant
Cayenne Pepper to taste
Canola Oil for frying
Salt your eggplant fingers in a colander for about 15 minutes. Rinse them well after they drain and dry them. Take the flour, breadcrumbs, and cayenne pepper and mix thoroughly. You will use this for your coating. Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture, bread, and fry. This recipe serves 6-8 easily.
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Cornbread
As for the cornbread, everyone has their own recipe or short cut. For me, I use Martha Stewart cornbread mix to save time.
Today, I took time to cook some Muchines de Yuca which are Ecuadorian Yuca Fritters. I must say they are FABULOUS! They are hard work, but the flavor is AWESOME. The Macaroni Salad is a Cajun recipe which I am not posting in the advent of saving time, and the salad is pretty basic with romaine, green onions, tomato, celery, and a little balsamic vinaigrette.
Here are Muchines de Yuca.
For the recipe, I referred to this link.
Over the years, and through experience, I have learned a lot by observing relations and people. The following are not all-inclusive, or 100%, but they should definitely be looked at when considering being with a person for the long haul, because any negative answers to these questions, can, or might mean character flaws in the person, and problems for you later on. The reality is more often than not, a stable life with success produces a better mate, than an unstable life with chaos and no success. If the person your considering as a life long mate refuses to be open about some questions consider it a red flag.
Today, I created a masterpiece vegan salad. The flavors are balanced and you can just feel the freshness, power, and energy with each bite. Here is the recipe and photo. The little celery stick on top with peanut butter and raisins is called Ants On A Log. This was created by one of my children.
Bulgar Wheat Vegetable Salad
1 cup of Bulgar wheat
1 onion finely chopped
5 pieces of celery off stalk finely sliced
5 carrots grated
1/2 pound of fresh snow peas
1 can of garbanzo beans
1/3 cup of fresh mint
1/3 cup of fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup of roasted/salted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Optional: Half moon orange slices for presentation
1. Boil two cups of water with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. When it starts to boil, remove from heat and add 1 cup bulgur wheat. Allow bulgur wheat to absorb all water which takes about 15 minutes.
2. In a skillet heat the 1/8 cup of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, and snow peas. Cook these for about four minutes.
3. Add all the vegetables, herbs, juice, seeds, and bulgur wheat to large mixing bowl.
4. Mix everything together thoroughly and enjoy.
This recipe will serve 6-8 people.
Lately, I have been experimenting with a lot of vegetarian based dishes. I decided to try Napa Cabbage for the first time and I am hooked. The flavor is so much more milder than traditional cabbage. I gathered ideas from a few websites regarding Napa cabbage, and ultimately created my own recipe and dish off the ideas.
My recipe is as follows:
Orecciette Pasta Salad with Napa Cabbage, tomatoes, Mushrooms, Onions, and Herbs
1lb Orecciette Pasta
1 yellow onion chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic pressed or chopped finely
1 head Napa cabbage
1 8 ounce package of sliced mushrooms
2 fresh tomatoes
3 tablespoons fresh basil
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to your taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Optional toppings: Crushed Red Pepper and Parmigiano cheese
The first order of business is to saute all of the vegetables with seasons and herbs in olive oil until slightly wilted for cabbage and slightly softened for other vegetables.
Place all the sautéed vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
While you are doing this cook pasta 10 minutes until al dente or follow package instructions.
Mix the pasta, vegetables, and herbs in the large mixing bowl together with a little more olive oil.
Serve and enjoy.
This recipe will easily serve 6 or more people depending on portion size.
When I travel, I always look for interesting things in a city. Of all the things I have ever seen, I think this Parthenon replica takes the cake. The Parthenon is located in Acropolis, Greece, and the replica in Nashville, Tennessee of all places. The Original was dedicated to the Goddess Athena and the replica was built for a Tennessee centennial. This is why Nashville is known as, “The Athens of the South.”
Here are a few photos of this monster-sized museum. If you’re in Nashville, stop by and check it out along with the other beautiful sights of the Country Music Capitol.
Albert Moyer, Jr. 