Thursday, November 29, 2018

LOUISIANA THANKSGIVING 2018

By
Gypsy Rhapsody
(a 1977 Airstream that doesn't gobble)


Well, there is no photograph of me during the month of November,
because Vannie and Dave have been in Lafayette, LA practically
the entire month of November housesitting.
Don't want anyone to forget what I look like...heaven forbid!!!

Vannie and I have been talking and texting...
just wanted to get everyone up to date on what's been happenin'...


V and D have loved their housesitting job.
This little guy doesn't live here, but he visits everyday.


Grandson, Cooper Harris, played in a band concert
at the Heymann Center for Performing Arts in Lafayette.
It was a superb concert honoring the veterans in the area.
It was truly "A Star Spangled Spectacular"...
featuring
The All-Acadiana Middle School Band
The Skyliners Big Band
The Lafayette Concert Band
The Pride of Acadiana Marching Band 


Cooper and his parents...Ashley and Diane Harris...


After the concert, they headed over to the Harris' household
to celebrate Ashley's birthday.
V and D never want to pass up a piece of birthday cake.


Downtown Lafayette...
A cold and rainy afternoon
Vannie and Dave were headed to a film festival
at Cite des Arts Theater.


5 short films
T-Girl
(A tragedy strikes a Louisiana ranch when a young girl is thrown from her grandfather's best horse.)
Jane
(A mixed race woman rediscovers a childhood diary.)
Le Flottement
(A dementia occupant suddenly disappears from her rest home.)
L.A. Fadeaway
(A young musician in Los Angeles must prove that talent speaks louder than noise.)
Echappe
(In 1970, a Soviet ballerina suspects that her brother is planning to defect.)


Sunday morning
First United Methodist Church
Friend, Lois Mills, was performing in the bell choir...
Vannie and Dave used to be members of this church many years ago.
It was good to be back to see and visit with "old" friends.


More friends...Carla and Dwight Nelson, Beverly Whitaker,
and Cindy and Jennings Hamilton
Lone Star Steak House


...and then they arrived...
The Salvagio's from Austin...
Maddie lost a front tooth right after they arrived...
Tooth Fairy, come on down.!!!


Maddie and Uncle Ashley
waiting for dinner.


Crawfish Etoufee
YUM
Vannie used an old tried and true recipe from her friend, Ann Dalme and Ann's mom, Margery Bell.
(Ann taught with Vannie at Prairie and Broadmoor Elementary)
1 lb. peeled crawfish
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
med. onion, chopped
1 stick butter
1/2 can celery soup
crawfish fat...optional

Cook onion, celery, bell pepper in butter until soft.
Add crawfish fat and cook 10 minutes. (skip if not using fat)
Add tails and cook 20 minutes
Add soup and heat...
Season to taste...

Vannie said that the pot was licked clean.


Thanksgiving Day Morning
Beautiful Blue Skies


Maddie and Vincent patiently waiting for the grub...
Did I say patiently????


Daughter, Emilie, got in the swing of things...
No, that is not a REAL baby...It's Maddie's baby doll,
and mom is playing along.


Ashley took over whipping the potatoes,
when Diane's arm gave out.


While cooking was going on in the kitchen,
the Macy's Thanksgiving parade was on the TV in the den.
Everyone was waiting to see the Lafayette High Band.
They were the "Santa Band"...the band that leads in Santa.
Exciting.!!!!  What an Honor!!!


Diane loves to cook and can whip out a meal in a jiffy.


Cooper's hanging around waiting for his turn to serve his plate.


Here they are ...Chowing down...

Drum Roll, Please....
Thanksgiving Dinner Menu...2018


Baked Ham


Baked Turkey
with it's Bacon Blankie...


Betsy's Cranberry Jello Salad
(Betsy taught with Vannie at Broadmoor Elementary)
1 pkg. Knox gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 pkg. raspberry Jello (3 oz)
(Sugar Free works fine)
2 cups boiling water
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chopped celery
1 orange...ground skin and all

Soften the gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold water.  Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the Jello and stir until dissolved.  Add softened gelatin and stir.  Let cool a little.  Add other ingredients...pour into a 2 quart mold.  Chill in frig overnight.

Thanks, Betsy... 


Green Bean Casserole
1 T. butter
1/2 cup mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 T. flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 t. salt
black pepper
1/2 cup cheese
16 oz. frozen French cut green beans
13 oz. frozen onion rings

375 degree oven...9x13 pan
Melt butter...Stir in mushrooms and garlic.  Saute 2 mins.
Stir in flour until smooth
Stir in milk...Stir in half and half...
Add salt and pepper...simmer
Stir in cheese...Stir in beans...
Put in baking dish...Add onion rings on top.
Bake 30-40 mins...Press rings about half way down after 15 mins.
Done when hot and bubbly and rings are golden brown.


Tater Tot Dressing
(A favorite)
large onion
1  cup celery
1/2 bunch of green onion
1 stick butter
2 cups chicken stock
2 eggs
1/2 cup potato buds

Saute onion, celery, green onion in butter
Mix in bowl with frozen tots and chopped parsley
In another bowl, mix stock, eggs, potato buds.
Pour in bowl with tots...Mix
Bake 350 degrees until hot and crispy on top...about an hour or so.
You might have to turn on the broiler to crisp up the tots on top.

Dave loved this...even better than cornbread dressing.



Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes
Butter
Milk


Brussel Spouts with dried cranberries
Diane creates this delicious dish.


Baked Sweet Potatoes with toppings
Sweet Potatoes
butter
brown sugar
butter
salt 


Gibbet Gravy


LaLanne's Chocolate Cake
(LaLanne taught with Vannie at Vermilion Elementary)
2 Cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
4 T. Cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. soda
1 t. cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten

Bring to boil water, butter, cocoa...
Pour over flour and sugar
Mix well
Add vanilla, cinnamon, soda, buttermilk, and eggs
Mix well
Bake 45 mins. at 350 degrees

Icing
1 stick butter
3 T. cocoa
5 T. milk
3/4 box powdered sugar
1 cup nuts

Warm oleo, cocoa and milk
Remove from heat and beat in powered sugar
when color turns and add nuts and ice cake hot.

Vannie's Pecan Pies
1 cup Karo Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Mix syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla...
Stir in pecans...
Pour into pie crust
Bake 60 to 70 minutes.
Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.


Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
1/2 cup sugar
2 env. unflavored gelatin
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. allspice
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
2 egg yolks
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup whipping cream
2 T. sugar

Stir together...1/2 cup sugar, gelatin, cinnamon, spices...
Stir in milk...cook and stir over med. heat until gelatin dissolves.
In med. bowl...
Beat yolks with a fork.
Stir in half hot milk...Mix into yolks.
Pour yolk mix into hot filling in pan
Stir in pumpkin
Bring to a boil
Reduce heat...Cook and Stir for 2 mins. more
Remove from heat...chill about an hour
Combine whipping cream and sugar
Fold into pumpkin mix...

Vannie served this without a pie crust.
The pie filling was spooned into small clear plastic cups.
Whipped cream
...and topped with a ginger snap...


... and it was a rap...


After Thanksgiving walk...


Cooper playing with Legos 


Vincent and Roy


Emilie working on a puzzle.


Maddie playing outside with Vannie.



From our house to yours...
Happy Thanksgiving

Artwork by Maddie Salvagio

Dave told everyone bye bye
and said...
"one more month and we get to do this all over again."

THANKFUL






Friday, November 2, 2018

TEXAS COUNTRY AIR RALLY 2018

By
Minuet in G
(a 1979 Argosy that's feelin' back in the groove)

I was tickled pink when Gypsy Rhapsody needed some rest...
so that meant I was the one going to this rally.
Vannie and Dave were really looking forward to this
event...it was only 2 1/2 hours away from Hillsboro in Brownwood, TX.

The Texas Country Air Rally is the largest urban camping event
in the United States.  It included seminars, art,
demonstrations, authors, and nightly live music.
Everything from Yoga to Bee Keeping...
Bee Keeping in an Airstream...to each his own.!!!



Dave is enjoying the gorgeous weather after parking  me.
I was feeling mighty special...being one of two Argosy's at the rally...
and the other one was a plain Jane compared to me...
if you get my drift.


Choo Choo...That big guy is not going anywhere...
but he had a lot of hot air and steam...
obviously a big show-off  every few hours...
Dave said it was all a "smokescreen".
This was located in the Civic & Cultural Center.
Airstreams were parked in all the available places.


The Santa Fe Railroad Depot and Harvey House...
right down the street from the "Big Daddy" in the previous picture.
More Airstreams...



...and more


...and more


...good grief...more


...you guessed it...more


...and Airstream motor houses next to the grain elevations
(about 100 Airstreams in all)


...and then back to me.
Check out that big bad boy on the other side of me.
He's called a SkyDeck...Airstream only made about 10 of those babies.


You can see it a little better out my side window.
It even had a circular staircase inside leading up to the sky deck.
It's owners live at NTAC...same place Gypsy and I live.


Vannie was so excited running into these guys...
Yvette and John Landry from Lafayette, LA.
Yvette and John were head of the Airstream Club in Lafayette.
They, along with other members of the club, taught
V and D everything they know about Airstreaming.


Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum
Dave said that this place was full of railroad memorabilia,
and there was a huge electric train exhibit on display.


Pool, Anyone!
Vannie said that this was one of the yard games in front of the museums.


Elizabeth Jose, Taos Artist...
specializing in Airstream Art
Elizabeth conducted a wonderful seminar...


...and then taught a class in her technique.


This was Vannie's finished product.
I love it...except it's not of me.
She did say it was a great class,
and she can't wait to do another one...of me, of course.


While Vannie was at the art class,
Dave headed downtown (it was in walking distance)
to the Lyric Theater.  It is a restored 100 year old theater.


Guess what was playing...
The Long, Long Trailer with Lucy and Desi Arnez.
We've seen it several times, but it is always funny...
and such a perfect movie to watch during an Airstream rally.



The nightly music entertainment hit the spot.
Night #1...Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys
Our friend, Jett Garren, had the honor of playing
fiddle on stage with Jody.  Jett is only 13.


Night #2...The Original Sweet Songs String Band
V and D were so excited to see these guys.
They led several days of delcimer workshops
 in Red River, NM in August.


Dave with David and Annette Lindsey from the string band.
They know everything there is to know about dulcimers...
from the history to the making of the instruments.


Night #3...Jazz Night Out


This concert was in the Railroad Museum.
The 2 people on the front row...friends,John and Yvette Landry.
John is a former band director...He actually directed the jazz band
at the International Airstream Rally for 9 years.  



Oh...I almost forgot...The Chocolate Seminar
Vannie said it was incredible.
Lots of tasting and laughing and tasting and talking
and tasting and tasting and tasting.
Dave said he felt like he had a chocolate handover
afterwards, but it was all worth it.


The Turtle Restaurant was the sponsor of this seminar.
That case was filled with chocolate delicacies.


V and D headed out Sunday morning for a walk to breakfast.
All the angles and arches in this church were a work of art.


This old church was turned into a museum.
Vannie said it reminded her a of huge sand castle.

The Little Red Caboose
Get your ticket and get onboard...
The Texas Country Air Rally was so much fun...
Vannie and Dave are signing up again for next year.
It's one you don't want to miss.
Choo Choo