GOODLUCK NEW ORLEANS!

“Someone’s worst nightmare realized!” that’s this first thing that came to mind when I saw reports of the new hurricane approaching New Orleans. It rained maybe ¼ of an inch when I was there just three weeks ago. I remember planning the trip and praying the storms would stay away. New Orleans is such a beautiful city; so much life, so much character. It's so very unfortunate that the people of the Big Easy live life with the thought of life shattering hurricanes lurking. I really do hope the city escapes this latest menacing storm without major damage. GoodLuck New Orleans!

GOOD TIMES

The last few weeks have seen some eventful moments. As I stated in previous post the wife and I flew down to the Big Easy to see the bloke’s godfather get married. We had a wonderful few days in the N-O before driving through swampland to Lafayette (the actual location of the wedding). I must say New Orleans is an amazing city from a scenery and setting standpoint. If the city is a shell of its former self, I regret not seeing it at its peak. Hopefully we can revisit the Big Easy in a few more years when it’s had time to regain its bluster.
Of course our little bloke seemed to age a few months in the few days we didn’t see him. We also theorized that the little guy grew a couple of inches. Typical parents reaction to not seeing their child for any amount of time…. But something actually did change with the bloke. Yesterday, as we sat at lunch, someone asked him his name, which usually causes one of us to reply with the answer in a follow along voice; instead, the bloke blurted out “NOOO AHHH”. The wife got teary eyed with pride. I happened to be away from the table at the time, and I couldn’t believe what happened as the wife recanted the story.

The wife said, “Watch!… What’s your name?”

“Noah!” the bloke replied.

The excitement of seeing your child reach major milestones! Momma Green tried telling us to write down the date and time of everything major the bloke does. We, like many other first time parents, didn’t head her advice. Who needs it scribbled somewhere when the moment is permanently branded in your memory? I guess a kids timeline guide of major milestones could server a purpose when they get old enough to ask, “Mom, Dad, when did I do ______ for the first time”

What a bad day in the office looks like….

I went into work Wednesday hoping for an easy day a day before I hit the Big Easy. Best laid plans of Mice and Men…. I was swamped from beginning to end. To make it worst I could not get in touch with my babysitter that was coming in from New York (AKA GRANDMA). Just as worked eased up, and I saw the possibility of spending the last hour of the day finishing the prep work for my trip, Grandma Gee-Gee called to let me know they were already in DC (sigh). I left work early with barley enough time to print my trip itinerary and headed to the District to pick up the Bloke sitting staff.

Hey Jim, your not JACK!

I usually like to fly with a friend. Even though my wife is great, she reads and does her own thing and she doesn’t provide the level of comfort that my friend Jack provides. Being that our flight to New Orleans was around noon, I figured I would do without Jack for once. Right after I ordered my diet coke the four gentlemen to my right all let Jack’s name come out their mouths. I had no choice; I sprung into action and let the steward know that I too would enjoy Jack’s company. The steward served Jack in a tiny plastic bottle next to a cup of iced ginger ale. I mixed Jack with the Ginger ale and threw the combination across my palate only to find the taste very unfamiliar. I immediately looked down at the plastic bottle to see if I had been fooled by a generic knock off, and too my surprise I saw the name JIM! Oh plane liquor gods why have you forsaken me. I find myself cozying up to a bottle of Jim Beam, not as tasty but just as effective.

IN FLIGHT , NOW TYPE

Take off was successful and I now find myself cruising at thirty thousand feet. The preflight instructions were quite entertaining. This is the first time I’ve been on a plane without video preflight instruction. I felt like I was on “That 70’s show” as the steward and stewardess flapped their arms about. I cant help to feel like I should of taken an airborne as the air quality of this plane seems suspect at best.
I have not been a consistent blogger of late. I hope the 2 hours or so I have on this plane will allow me to blog a bit before hitting the streets of the Big Easy.

Jalapenos Kryptonite

Jalapeños jalapeños, I think I have you fooled. You thought you were going to make your way into my salt and pepper squid, and after being consumed, you planned on terrorizing my stomach for hours on end. You laid there cut in to cute circular pieces plotting your tumultuous trip through my digestive system. You watched as squid and its new friend shrimp got bathed and dipped in cornstarch. You watched as the bath of golden oil heated up waiting for squid and shrimp to be tossed in. You chose not to warn shrimp and squid as they lay in the brown bag with no view of their impending doom. You smirked as shrimp and squid drowned in the scorching hot oil. You thought you were safe, but little did you know, the oil now littered with cornstarch crumbs, had one last victim. That victim was you! You looked dumb founded as your ride along the cutting board took a turn for the stovetop. By the time you felt the touch of the oil you were already soaked in your own sweat. Your stay in the golden bath would be brief, but your powers to terrorize were neutralized and you found yourself feeble upon emergence. I devoured you with a little help from the misses. I went to bed with a cozy squid filled belly, and awoke in the morning discomfort free, I believe I have solved the mystery of the hellish jalapeño, I have found your kryptonite mister Jalapeño, and its name is HOT OIL!

OH Jalapeños!

There has been so much talk in the news lately about Jalapenos, The little peppers have become impossible to buy in your average grocery store, especially on the east coast. You mention salmonella and the whole country starts treating the infected produce like the plague. I too have shunned the peculiar shaped pepper, but for a whole different reason, and not totally by choice (by the way I have a whole bag of Jalos in the fridge thanks to my father-in-law sending them from Cali via the Bro-In-Law)
I love salt and pepper squid. I use to have it for lunch once a week, despite knowing that I would be keeled over with stomach pain the following evening. I never really knew what about the dish didn’t sit well with me. The dish contained things I normally ate separately with no negative reaction; squid, oil, and peppers. I figured the stomach pain a small discomfort for such a taste sensation. After the restaurant I ordered the dish from closed down, I set out to learn how to make the dish. I was successful, but found the same digestive discomfort with the homegrown version. For a while I stopped eating the dish as I had grown weary of the risk reward factor.
So I recently cooked S&P squid. I happened to have all the ingredients available, and was looking to go a few weeks without eating red meat. I made the dish with a pepper other than the Jalapeno it usually calls for. The taste was slightly off but, I suffered no digestive issues. As I mentioned earlier, an unexpected shipment of jalapeños arrived at the house, so I made the dish again with the proper ingredients. BAM! I was keeled over with stomach pain a few hours later. DING DING! WE HAVE A SUSPECT!
Basically I have made the dish several times over the last two weeks, anytime I use Jalapenos I get sick. Any other pepper renders no ill reaction. The problem is, other peppers don’t quite complete the dish like Jalos do. I am saddened by these developments, but I will continue my quest for a Jalapeno substitute. There is no shortage of pepper species and with at least 2,500 new species of pepper being created each year, my perfect “Salt and Pepper Squid” Pepper is out there somewhere.

DID YOU KNOW…. (from wikipedia) The Scoville scale is a measure of the hotness or piquancy of a pepper. These fruits of the Capsicum genus contain capsaicin, a chemical compound which stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes. The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Some hot sauces use their Scoville rating in advertising as a selling point.

Scoville scale
Scoville rating
Type of pepper
15,000,000–16,000,000
Pure capsaicin[5]
8,600,000-9,100,000
Various capsaicinoids, such as homocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin
2,000,000–5,300,000
Standard U.S. Grade pepper spray[6], FN 303 irritant ammunition
855,000–1,041,427
Naga Jolokia [7][8][9][10]
350,000–580,000
Red Savina Habanero[11][12]
100,000–350,000
Habanero chili,[13] Scotch Bonnet Pepper [13]
100,000–350,000
Datil pepper, Capsicum chinense
100,000–200,000
Rocoto, Jamaican Hot Pepper [6], African Birdseye
50,000–100,000
Thai Pepper, Malagueta Pepper, Chiltepin Pepper, Pequin Pepper
30,000–50,000
Cayenne Pepper, Ají pepper [13], Tabasco pepper, some Chipotle peppers
10,000–23,000
Serrano Pepper, some Chipotle peppers
4,500–5,000
New Mexican varieties of Anaheim pepper,[14] Hungarian Wax Pepper[15]
2,500–8,000
Jalapeño Pepper, Guajillo pepper
1,500–2,500
Rocotillo Pepper
1,000–1,500
Poblano Pepper
500–2,500
Anaheim pepper [16]
100–500
Pimento[6], Pepperoncini
0
No heat, Bell pepper [6]

LIVING TO 100

Dan Buettner of The Huffington Post wrote an article pointing out nine healthy habits that’ll help get you to 100. Here is an excerpt….
For the the last five years, I've been taking teams of scientists to five pockets around the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. We call these places the Blue Zones. We found a Bronze-age mountain culture in Sardinia, Italy, that has 20 times as many 100-year-olds as the U.S. does, proportionally. In Okinawa, Japan, we found people with the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world. In the Blue Zones (Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, Calif.; and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica), people live 10 years longer, experience a sixth the rate of cardiovascular disease and a fifth the rate of major cancers.

Move naturally: Be active without thinking about it. Identify activities you enjoy and make them a part of your day. Cut calories by 20 percent.

Cut calories by 20 percent: Practice "Hara hachi bi," the Okinawan reminder to stop eating once their stomachs are 80 percent full.

Plant-based diet: No, you don't need to become a vegetarian, but do bump up your intake of fruits and veggies.

Drink red wine: In moderation.

Plan de Vida: Determine your life purpose. Why do you get up in the morning?

Down shift: Take time to relieve stress. You may have to literally schedule it into your day, but relaxation is key.

Belong/participate in a spiritual community.

Put loved ones first/make family a priority.

Pick the right tribe: The people surrounding you influence your health more than almost any other factor.

At first glance most of these habits seem pretty simple; the problem is very few of us practice these habits. I submit our upbringing as Americans lead us astray from these habits. To deprogram may be the first step to aligning yourself to these healthy habits.
I take particular interest in habits 8 and 9. How many of use have negative people in our lives? Who really eliminates the rift raft from their life? I believe that 8 & 9 are intertwined, too often we see family as automatic members of our tribe and we neglect to vote them off the island no matter how toxic they become.
I really hope people come across Dan’s article and walk away practicing at least one of the habits (and not the RED WINE one, that is far to easy).