Best of 2014 so far

Being a movie buff, I find 2014 a major disappointment. Here we are at the midpoint of the year, and unlike the last recent years, I can think of only a handful of movies possibly worthy of seeing a second time.  The short list includes "Captain America 2", "Heaven Is For Real", "Malificent" and "Edge of Tomorrow". We did see "The Monuments Men" early in the year, and that was outstanding. But according to Metacritics the release date for that film was in 2013.

Granted that's my opinion. Some will like movies I don't, just I like some movies others will not. And in fairness, I've only seen a small portion of films released so far.  But judging from the plots, as well as plethora of negative reviews posted on Metacritics, most of the movies this year just plain suck. I'm wondering if the problem in Hollywood is too much medical marijuana or too little!  

Now I realize that Hollywood saves it's best for last.There's still hope. Even this month, the list looks very promising:

•  "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes".  The reboot with Mark Wahlberg was okay, but the first sequel with James Franco was outstanding. Hope the trend continues.
• "A Most Wanted Man".  I thought the world of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Hopefully his last was his best. Even if it's just average PSH, it'll be worthy.
• "Guardians of the Galaxy". It's Marvel, so it can't be bad. Stan Lee won't permit it.

Later this year are other promising flicks: "The November Man", "The Hunger Games: MockingJay", "Exodus", "Hobbit 3", "Grace of Monaco" and "Unbroken". There's also a couple of comedies that probably won't get good reviews, but the kind that leave me in stitches: "Birdman" and "Dumb and Dumber To". Again, great movies aren't always about great stories and great performances. Sometimes we just want to be (well) entertained.
 

 

My wicked garden

At one point this Spring, I was tempted to follow the words of a Stone Temple Pilots song and burn my wicked garden to the ground.  But patience, some TLC, and a few replants later, and the thing took off. And I mean took off!

When we moved to Cotile from Baton Rouge, one of my first priorities was putting in a garden. And fruit trees. After two decades of nurturing, my BR garden had ascended to crowning achievements - loads of tomatos, bell peppers, cucumbers, okra, snap peas, chinese cabbage, broccolli, cauliflower, cantalope, and much more.  All from a limited space thanks to the wisdom shown me by Mel Bartholomew, a.k.a., the Square Foot Gardener.

In March, I setup the Cotile garden. Two plots of 12-foot by 6-foot, framed by 2x6 weather-resistant boards screwed together. Each plot was dug 2 feet deep, surface vegetation removed, then mixed with a combination of composted cow manure, peat moss, and Miracle-Gro topsoil.  The MG topsoil contained fertilizer with iron.

The plants included 5 cucumbers (Sweet Slice), 3 cherry tomatos (Sweet 100), 3 large tomatos (Better Boy, Sunmaster, Celebrity), and 6 bell peppers (California Wonder, Golden Bell, King Arthur, Aristotle). Thanks to SFG, all those plants were able to fit in Plot #1.  So I left Plot #2 empty, with the idea of filling in with hot weather options like okra and beans at a later date.

Normally my Spring garden was planted in early March. Perhaps the change in latitude, or altitude, or the Polar Vortex of 2014 was to blame, but cold weather persisted and the plants didn't get in until the end of March.

The weather wasn't entirely to blame. For whatever reason, a few plants didn't survive. Others struggled. I watered them with Miracle-Gro solution a couple times and it still seemed like the garden might go wicked any day!  Thoughts of despair ran thru my head - the soil is bad, it'll take years to rebuild what I had in The BR, should I have even planted a garden.  Then within one week, the plants exploded. In fact, there's loads of tiny tomatos and small cucumbers and lots of flowers on the peppers. Can't wait for the results!   

Like a mini-Callaway

One of my favorite places to visit is Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Even before the Federation of Fly Fishers Southeastern Council held a trio of their "conclaves" there, I'd made visits there to enjoy the flora. The 6,500 acre gardens contain nearly every plant native to the southeastern United States.  And yes, I also went to enjoy the world-class fly fishing for giant bass and coppernose bluegill. 

Callaway is spectacular in the spring. Everything is in bloom, and the vast array of colors and scents overwhelm the senses. When Lisa and I decided to look for a home in the country, the Kisatchie area was appealing because of it's diversity of wildlife and plant life. Looking over the landscape this morning, everything was in bloom, both the "transplants" and the "natives". They haven't added a "smell widget" to Blogger yet. Too bad. It's a wonderful aroma that fills the air today. Thank God I'm not allergic to flowers!

Glenda's Cajun and Creole Kitchen

I spent this past weekend in Cecilia, attending the Acadiana Conclave and banquet on Saturday, and time with my parents on Sunday.  For Sunday lunch, my mom suggested we get plate lunches from Glenda's Cajun and Creole Kitchen in Poche Bridge.
 
Although Poche's gets a ton of publicity - and rightfully so - this little gem of a cafe is not to be overlooked by any means.  It certainly wasn't by Anthony Bourdain, who has visited Glendas and loves all their home-cooked food.

The Sunday plate lunches included choice of pork roast, BBQ chicken, ribs, sausage, and something else (can't remember), along with 3 sides. For $8.  I ordered a pork roast with rice dressing for my parents to split, and one for myself.  That single box of food provided three (3) meals!  Was it good?  Cher, make a bulldog break his chains!

They're only open from 11am to 2pm on weekdays and Sundays, but during Lent they're open until 8pm on Fridays. I saw the catfish plate and it looked awesome.  The greater Lafayette area has MANY great places to eat, and now I've found yet another.

Marilyn's Place - as good as advertised

Over the past three years, I've become acquainted to Shreveport-Bossier dining in my many trips to the metro area. Early on it was by trial and error, some good, some not so good. But as Cokie explored her new surroundings and made friends with local students at her college, every dining experience soon after was a gem!

Still, there are new restaurants popping up all the time, so for advise on those I turn to the Eatery Review forum on Jeff Guerin's site at www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com
 
In the spring, Jeff wrote about a new place called Good Eats, and soon after Cokie reported she and her friends were making regular trips there.

Last month, Jeff found another new spot - Marilynns Place on Fern. He pointed out that this was New Orleans food gone north... and just as good!

Saturday night we were thinking Imperial Cathay (awesome Chinese food) but the crowd was thick.  So I said "Let's go try this place that Jeff recommended".  First, we drove within a block and missed it, then didn't find it again until 15 minutes later.  It's a converted gas station so it will fool you!

Jeff nailed it. Everything he said about the shrimp poboy was right on. The gumbo looked awesome, when I saw some young lady with it at their table.  But when I ordered  a cup (yes, they'll sell you a cup even if it's not on the menu) they had run out.  So instead they offered a few substitutes.  I said "I'll take the bread pudding".  They gave me 4 slices of bread pudding - one for each of us (no extra cost).  The bread pudding was delicious on it's own, but it comes HOT in a chocolate sauce to die for.  I'm still thinking about that pudding...

Cokie ordered the crawfish etouffee. She said it wasn't as good as Moms, but close. Since nothing is as good as Moms, that's a high recommendation!

The menu is all "New Orleans" and Cajun style food. The owner lived in The Big Easy at one time and fell in love with the ambience and the food.  Marilyns has personality and the music that plays fits it just right. You won't be disappointed.

Oh... and they serve beignets!

Catch's skimmer

Twice a year, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold a marsh outing they refer to as "Catch-and-Eat", one in the Spring and one in the Fall.  Attendees fish Friday and Saturday. Everyone is asked to contribute a small portion of their catch (redfish, speckled trout, etc.) to a Saturday night fish fry.  In addition to fresh fish, we enjoy fresh shrimp, fried okra, fried eggplant, french fries and onion rings. Check your cholestoral before you make this trip!

We usually have 3 cooks serving 20+ folks.  Getting food cooked both quick and properly done isn't too big a challenge when you have a 14-quart black iron pot.  But getting the food out of the pot can be.  For that reason, a good skimmer is important.  Several folks have seen mine and inquired about my pro-quality skimmer.

Here's a link to the Eastman Outdoors webpage that has specs:
http://www.eastmanoutdoors.com/stainless-steel-skimmer

I received it for Christmas last year, and no kidding, it's probably the best present I've had in several years!

Last Saturday, we had a small army of relatives that gathered at my in-laws house for a seafood feast.  The combination of this skimmer, along with my black iron pot and propane burner, and I was able to fry enough fish, shrimp and crawfish for everyone in less than an hour!

The Eastman Skimmer used to be sold at Bass Pro. But apparently they've gone to a cheaper model (but not cheaper in price).  However, Gander Mountain carries it now. Makes an excellent Christmas gift.