We have been to New Orleans a few times now and when I tell you it is a city like no other, believe me - it is a city like no other.

Most of the year New Orleans is a fun city full of life, cocktails, and music. At Mardi Gras - all of that is amplified by one million. I would recommend going to New Orleans at least twice - once to see the city and everything is has to offer - the second time to see Mardi Gras. These are two very different trips! The best restaurants in the city can be hard to get into at Mardi Gras - and if you can get a reservation, getting to the restaurant can be a challenge.

Where to eat

There are a million places to eat in New Orleans. But not all of them are awesome. There are a lot of places - especially in the French Quarter - that are catering to tourists and serving reheated frozen food. Do not be fooled! I recommend places that are not advertising a happy hour or a special. There are also places that everyone eats - Cafe du Monde being one. The beignets are awesome there, but don’t wait in line. Just go later. Below are my favorites in the city that I wouldn’t miss!

• Antoine’s

  Dinner here is amazing. Go later if possible because if you are lucky, your server may give you a tour of the restaurant once the dining room has emptied. The space is a museum of Mardi Gras past and the history of New Orleans.

• Arnaud’s

  Bananas foster here is epic! It’s made table side and it’s so good. This classic spot is the perfect spot for a champagne cocktail.

• Central Grocery - Muffuletta

  A muffuletta sandwich is a classic New Orleans lunch. Originally made for workers to have a quick lunch that was still hearty, this is basically an antipasto platter in a bun. The original location is often closed - if it is, go to the newsstand next door and ask. They keep them in the fridge.

• King Cake at Sucré

  You must have a piece of king cake while in New Orleans. We bought six when I was there last time. The best king cake is the one that has either a traditional or almond filling, and limited frosting. There are very sweet ones that aren’t great. Sucré is a fabulous little sweet shop with a delicious king cake by the slice.

• Commander’s Palace

  You’ve seen the awning in every classic photo of New Orleans. The blue and white strip is iconic. Inside, it is a party every day with balloons, music and crowns! It’s usually a prix fixe menu so be prepared to eat a lot. And then probably skip eating the rest of the day.
  

Cocktails to try

• A Voodoo Daiquiri at Lafitte’s Blacksmith

  The blacksmith shop is the oldest building in the French Quarter. It’s totally worth stepping in and checking it out. While you’re there, you might as well order a frozen daiquiri to walk the streets with.

• A Hurricane at Pat O’Brien

  The hurricane cocktail is a signature of the city. I find the ones on the street way too sweet for me - which is why I make my own. But you still have to try one - and since they were invented at Pat O’Brien’s this is the one to try!

• A Sazerac

  The Sazerac was invented in New Orleans - so when you’re here, try one! I found them on the menu everywhere we went, but the Roosevelt Bar is most known for their Sazerac.

Books to read

• Dinner at Antoine’s

  This hard to find book is set in 1920’s New Orleans around the time of Mardi Gras. It’s such a fun read for anyone who wants to see a little glimpse of the past. If you have dinner reservations at Antoine’s, the stories of the past come to life when you walk in the door. Buy it here

• Wildsam New Orleans

  Travel guides have become a little out of date as the internet is so much faster than printing. But these guide books are a fun guide to the cities they feature for the stories and histories of the places you know already. Buy it here

• Haunted New Orleans

  What is a trip to New Orleans without the ghost stories?! Almost any book you find has great stories. I loved this one because the stories are short and give you very specific locations to check out! Buy it here

Things to see

• WWII Museum

  I’m not a WWII buff, but this museum is epic. You can literally see everything and because it was created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the displays are all very captivating.

• Mardi Gras World

  The warehouse where all of the Mardi Gras floats are made and stored all year long is available for tours. And it’s worth the tour! You’ll never see these as up close as you can here. Then when you go back for Mardi Gras, you will really appreciate those floats!

• LSU Game

  Yes it’s in Baton Rouge and not New Orleans. But the games are SO FUN! The stadium and arenas are huge, the crowds are so fun, and you get to sing Calling Baton Rouge midway through!

Tips for Mardi Gras

• Wear whatever sparkles and sequins you want. More is more. But stick to the colors of Mardi Gras: purple, gold, green.

• Do not wear nice shoes. Wear comfortable shoes. No one really sees them anyway and comfort is key. There is a lot of walking at Mardi Gras.

• Do not plan to use the St Charles street car. The parade route is on St Charles for most floats, which means the street car does not run during Mardi Gras. Don’t be fooled that the app still lets you buy a ticket.

• Every float throws a lot of stuff. Like a lot. More than you are picturing now. Be prepared to either bring home a lot of things you may not actually want, or get picky. One man near us had a sign asking for the socks. He exclusively collected socks. We ended up with anything Hawaiian themed and playing cards.

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Rhubarb Curd

makes 2 cups

3 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 tablespoon water

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons room temperature butter, cut into tablespoon measurements

STEP 1

Cook the rhubarb and water together over low heat until the rhubarb is soft. The water is just to make sure it doesn’t burn to start off. This step takes about 20 minutes. I often do this with frozen rhubarb, so then it takes a little longer.

STEP 2

Puree the rhubarb until totally smooth - with all of the liquid that has gathered in the pan. The pour the puree back into the pan. Let this cool completely. Like possibly even do it the next day, or slip it into the fridge. If not, the next step will lead to scrambled eggs.

STEP 3

Whisk in eggs. egg yolks, and vanilla while the puree is still cold. Turn on the heat to medium low and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Once it is hot, whisk in the sugar in a slow stream to ensure it dissolves completely. Whisk over medium heat, keeping everything hot.

STEP 4

One tablespoon at a time, whisk in the butter. Make sure each one melts before you add the next one.

STEP 5

Once all of the butter has been fully incorporated, remove from heat and let cool. The mixture should have thickened up but will still seem saucy. Once it cools completely, the curd will be more like a jelly consistency.

To assemble the meringue, make this meringue recipe into one large flat “cake” shape. Then layer the curd on top and dot the top of the curd with berries and chopped mint or basil. Serve right away!

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Basic Meringue

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The Super Bowl is literally our Super Bowl. This is the pinnacle of our football season - we love sports and we love football.

We are obsessed with football in our family.  I don’t know if my kids even realize how much more our family watches football than other families. For me, it began with college football.  My cousin played for the Huskies and I got to go to every game.  I loved everything about it – the noise, unity of everyone cheering for the same team, the bright colors, the cheer leaders, there is literally nothing I love more than a football game.  I had a purple and yellow stripe outfit that I wore to cheer on the team every week. It was hot. It was a sleeveless turtleneck number with matching stretch pants. Welcome to 1988.

I married a football fan and I’ve been lucky enough to pass that love onto my children.  We play fantasy football as a family, we watch games together, and we are at every Husky football game – still.  Which makes the Super Bowl our last hurrah as football season officially comes to an end. 

Planning the food for the Super Bowl is a paramount decision at our house.  Here’s five tips that I use every time, they may help you plan your own football party!

ONE

Buffalo Chicken is the best for football, but frying chicken is a hassle.  I have found that pulled chicken dressed in buffalo wing sauce is just as awesome and so much easier (also, can be made ahead!)

•   Buffalo Chicken Tots

•   Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

TWO

Make cocktails in a large batch or a punch.  No one wants to bartend all night.  I usually try to make something blue or green (Go Hawks!)

• Boozy Church Lady Punch

• Beast Mode Punch

Three

Crunchy snacks are mandatory for stressful moments.  We can only hope for a blow out (by us not them) but that’s never what happens and the stress of seeing your team going for it on fourth and one is real.

• Rosemary Roasted Cashews

• Ranch Popcorn

Four

Don’t forget dessert!

• Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

• Study Treats

FIVE

Clear off your coffee table – or bring in a low table – cover it with a piece of astroturf and load it up with all your food.  No one wants to walk away from the television – between the game and the ads, this is TVs biggest day! And the biggest day for our family. (also, the astroturf protects your table)

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I originally published this recipe for a cocktail in 2014 when I was at the field with Q13 FOX. It was so fun to be in the parking lot with my friends from the station mixing up some fun ideas to celebrate the Super Bowl. Here we are, twelve years later, getting to celebrate again. Football is the most fun to watch, the most fun to be apart of, and I am so excited to celebrate our team again this year in the greatest game.

A punch is a great way to serve your friends for the big game. The less times you need to bartend or have friends digging around for drinks, the more time you can focus on the game and the ads! There’s literally no break in the Super Bowl, so make sure you are well prepared before the game starts.

The only catch with a punch - DO NOT PUT THE ICE IN NOW! Save the ice for when you pour your drink. Leave the ice out in an ice bucket with a scooper. As your guests pour punch in their cup, they will want the ice to scoop in just before.

NOTES:

• Blue curaçao is super sweet. You can limit how much you put in, but 1/2 cup is the perfect blue shade.

• Use a lemonade that isn’t as sweet. I use the organic, natural one that’s all good for you, blah blah blah and it’s not overly sweet. That’s your best bet.

• Shaking this in a cocktail shaker makes it SO GOOD. Something about the extra cold is delightful

• You can easily substitute vodka for gin. I know a lot of you don’t love gin. I get it, swap out.

• If you use gin, choose one that is more floral forward. Or citrus forward. Nolet’s is a great option.

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Last winter I had a lot of nervous energy as we were trying to buy a ski condo but the circumstances seemed like they were changing daily. So to take my brain elsewhere and send good vibes to the purchase, I started carving linoleum.

Super random. Agreed.

But it worked. We got the condo, I made a ridiculously large roll of wrapping paper with my Lino cuts, and I found a new obsession.

It turns out that waiting for your senior in high school to figure out what their next steps are is equally as stressful. There is literally nothing I can do right now to help him. All of his applications are sent in, and now we wait. We wait until APRIL for one school.

I’m turning my brain to other activities and these lino cuts have been a game changer. It gives my hands something fun to do. And a way to turn my doodles into something productive. When I write a recipe or a cocktail or plan literally anything, I doodle it first.

My notebook is full of silly little drawings and now they are out in public.

Also, there isn’t a lot to do with a lino cut once you’ve made it, except press it onto random things. I’ve made wrapping paper, decorated for Lars’s birthday, and made hostess gifts for friends.

Now they are listed here. I’ll add more as I have more energy to burn. I think they make the perfect hostess gift - the coasters with a bottle of champagne and the dish towels with a bottle of L’Avant hand soap.

Growing up there was always a sherbet punch. It’s a classic church lady punch where the scoops of sherbet float and bob on top of a punch bowl filled with a bubbly juice and sprite mixture of some sort. I loved that punch. We never had sherbet in the house growing up so it was such a treat to dip into the bowl of punch and chase a scoop of sherbet.

This is not that punch.

But if you also used to drool over the bobs of sherbet, you will love this boozy version that’s one part church lady punch and one part blended cocktail.

Boozy Church Lady Punch

makes 2 large drinks

1 cup lime sherbert

1 cup lemonade

1 cup vodka

1/4 cup cointreau

1-2 cups ice

Blend everything together in the blender and serve immediately. Or pour into freezable containers and blend again right before serving.

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For a few years I made a meringue all the time. It was Pearl’s request every birthday and they are so light and simple that it was an easy request to fill.

My mom has conditions, like the weather has to be right or the meringue won’t work. I imagine if you live somewhere outside of sea level, this probably works regularly for you. If you live in the Seattle area - or anywhere that has “misty” days, you will need to choose your day to make this accordingly. It really does seem to stay chewier on days when the weather is damp. A dry sunny winter day is actually the perfect day for meringue.

There are three secrets to making the perfect meringue:

1. Don’t make these when it’s pouring down rain, the humidity kills them.

2. Don’t go too fast with the sugar. Be slow.

3. Watch your oven temperature and don’t rush anything.

Basic MeringuE

4 large egg whites

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon meringue powder

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with sil-pat or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and salt until bubbly.  With the mixer running slowly add sugar and meringue powder. Whisk until stiff peaks form - about five minutes.

STEP 2

Divide the meringue into two equal portions and spread to a 2” thick layer on each of the parchment lined pans.

STEP 3

Bake meringues two hours until crisp to the touch.  Turn off the heat and let sit in the oven one hour - without opening the door. Remove from the oven and make sure they are completely cool before topping them.

These store about a week in an airtight container. But I recommend letting them cool, then immediately turning them into dessert! Either layer with my Rhubarb Curd, or any kind of berries and whipped cream.

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A crunchy snack is almost required for every party. I don’t make the rules - but it’s one of the key elements of an appetizer plate, a snack plate, or a football spread. For football, there’s something about crunching when nerves are running high.

These cashews are perfect. They feel healthier, are delicious, and are super simple to make. Our neighborhood has an annual sales for the Boy Scouts when they sell nuts, so if you also bought too many last year, then this is a great way to use them up!

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

1 lb cashews

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (about 3 sprigs)

2 tablespoons salt

fresh cracked pepper

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter and toss everything into the butter. Coat completely.

STEP 2

Pour the nuts out onto a baking sheet and pop into the oven. Don’t walk away! They brown quickly, so watch them for about 10-15 minutes until all of the nuts are toasted. Let cool completely before serving.

Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

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I love a buffalo chicken sandwich and usually the chicken is fried. But you know what I hate doing at home, frying food. It’s messy. It’s smelly. And it feels so unhealthy when you see the actual frying of the food. When the restaurant makes it, I can overlook just how much grease it takes to fry the chicken.

So I decided to see how I felt about a “pulled chicken” sandwich with buffalo and let me tell you - it’s awesome. It’s so simple to pull off and has all of the same flavors that make a buffalo chicken sandwich great.

The slaw is a game changer too. It’s so simple, but has the blue cheese tossed into it, so the buffalo chicken vibe is all the way through the sandwich.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

makes 6 sandwiches

1.5 pounds chicken breast, shredded

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup Franks Wing Sauce

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped cabbage

1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

salt & pepper

brioche buns

sliced beefsteak tomatoes

STEP 1

Toss the shredded chicken with melted butter and wing sauce. If you’re shredding your own chicken, I throw the butter in while it’s hot and let it melt on it’s own.

STEP 2

Toss together the chopped celery, cabbage and blue cheese dressing. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

STEP 3

Toast the brioche buns and top with shredded chicken, celery slaw, a big slice of tomato and extra wing sauce. Serve warm!

TIPS

• Every part of this can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge. Right before serving, heat the chicken and toast the buns.

• Shredding your own chicken is super simple - poach the chicken then toss it in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and blend until shredded.

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Peanut butter and chocolate is such a classic combination - I can’t imagine a better dessert than incorporating peanut butter into a brownie. These brownies are especially fudgy and gooey and perfect for a ribbon of peanut butter.

This is the kind of thing I will make for a football watching party because they are done the day before, they are crazy rich so you don’t need a huge batch, and they are epic - so they will disappear fast! They are also not too hard to make, so they seem like you worked hard (homemade brownies!) but they are as simple as a regular cookie.

The thing that may throw you off is the double boiler. Really, this is a bowl over a pot of hot water. You’re trying to slowly melt the chocolate and butter together to get it to be liquidy. You can do this in a microwave too, it’s just a little more effort because you have to keep checking it and starting the microwave again. The double boiler - over a medium low heat - will do the work itself with just a little whisking.

The only other “trick” to remember is to go super slow when adding the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. If you go too fast, the eggs will turn into little bits of scrambled eggs and that’s not delicious in a brownie. I just turn on the mixer, go slow, and let it splash a little bit. As long as you’re pouring slow and the mixer is on low, the splashing won’t be too bad.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

makes about a dozen

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Make a double boiler by layering a glass bowl over a boiling pot of water. Place the 8 tablespoons butter and 8 ounces chocolate in the double boiler and whisk over medium heat until melted.

STEP 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together the brown sugar and eggs until smooth. With the mixer running, pour the chocolate in a slow steady stream. If you go too fast, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.

STEP 3

Once the chocolate has been incorporated, stir in the flour 1/4 cup at a time. When everything is just incorporated, scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

STEP 4

In a separate bowl, combine remaining butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Dot the top of the brownies with the peanut butter mixture and swirl in to incorporate.

STEP 5

Pop into the oven and bake 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Or clean-ish - a few crumbs will come up at the very end.

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