Restaurant August and John Besh

I recently had the opportunity to have lunch at Restaurant August in New Orleans.  http://www.restaurantaugust.com/  It is owned by John Besh and is one of the best restaurants in New Orleans.  Restaurant August was where John Besh got his start - pictured (at least where he was when he became famous).  The restaurant is in an old New Orleans building and is one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city.  The service was exceptional.  Not a moments wait for anything and very friendly without being intrusive.  This is definitely a special occasion restaurant in the city.

First I will tell you about the lunch and then a wonderful memory provided by a great couple.   There was a price fixe menu for lunch three courses for 20.11.  For a restaurant of this caliber it was quite a deal.  For the first course I chose a roasted cauliflower salad with a cranberry vinaigrette.  It was very tasty. 

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

For the second course I had shrimp stuffed with mirliton and andouille sausage.  There was also mushrooms and a brown butter sauce.  Although the dish had great flavor - the shrimp were on the small side and there were only two.  I know this is lunch - but I like a little more for lunch.  If the shrimp were bigger or if there were three it would have been much better.  The sauce and mushrooms had a nice flavor and the remaining sauce and bits of stuffing were delicious with the fresh bread provided at the beginning of the meal. 

The entree - two stuffed shrimp

Of course, I should not complain because there was still the desert course.  It consisted of a chocolate chiboust with a malted ice cream and salted caramel sauce.  Very yummy!!

Dessert - yes I could not wait to take a bite.

In addition to having a great lunch (although I had to hurry to catch a workshop session), the meal reminded of a special time I had six or seven years ago.  One of the fantastic teachers that I have had the opportunity to work with over the years, Becky Robin, was married to the brother of the original owner of August Robin.  She knew how much I loved food and I asked if I wanted to have dinner in the kitchen with Chef John Besh.  Of course I said yes and it was one of my most favorite food memories.  Of course, this was when he was only cooking at August and had not become uber famous.  We had a table in the corner of the kitchen and Mike, Becky, and I enjoyed a meal to remember.  For each course, he brought us each a different option so that we could try all of them.  I don't know how many courses there were, but we left very full and I left with a special memory.  I will always remember that night and want to thank Mike and Becky Robin (and brother August and John Besh) for that.  I wonder if he remembers us.  I was kind of hoping he would pop out at lunch and say hello.  :)

My Profile Picture - Herring - the Dutch Way

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Netherlands (Holland) and stay with a Dutch family that I met through hosting their son as part of an exchange program.  See Camellia Grill story to here more about their visit to Louisiana.  One day during our visit, we spent time with Robin's grandparents.  They live in a small Dutch village where his mother grew up.  Near the end of our stay that day, Robin got very excited about getting me a snack.  He ran out the door and returned a few minutes later with raw herring to eat.  He had gone down to the fish market and returned with this Dutch delicacy.  They were cleaned and ready to eat (which included have chopped onions on top).  I first had to have a demonstration of the proper method to eat them by his grandfather - who gladly showed me what to do.  Now for someone who doesn't eat sushi and is not too sure about raw oysters - this was a stretch for me.  However, Robin's eager anticipation caused me to tilt my head back and bite.  Although it was salty and a little chewy, it wasn't too bad.  Of course, one bite was enough for me. 

Herring - fresh from the market



Robin's grandfather showing me how to eat herring.



My turn- yum.

Spinach Artichoke Feta Ball Recipe - Allrecipes.com

I have made this a few times and love it. Usually just put in a bowl and spread on crackers.

Spinach Artichoke Feta Ball Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Camellia Grill - New Orleans

Robin with his mother and brother waiting outside the Camellia Grill

One of the things that I like to do when I take visitors on a tour of New Orleans is take the streetcar from Canal Street to Carrollton and eat at the Camellia Grill.  The ride takes you past some of the most lavish homes in the city down a beautiful street.  You pass Loyola and Tulane Universities and Audubon Park.  When you finally reach Camellia Grill, you see what looks like the front of a home with white columns.  Most of the time there is a line outside.  My most recent trip was with some visitors from Holland.  The Peters family started their tour of the United States with a visit to the home where their son spent an exchange year.  I had visited them last fall in Holland.  Well, we finally get to the Camellia Grill on the hot late July Saturday about 1:00 and yes there was a line.  You wait outside for a spot to wait inside.  Since we had come all the way down St. Charles we decided to wait.  After about 30 minutes we were seated on the benches inside and then soon after a place opened on the counter.  Although our group of nine did not get to sit together, we did sit in groups of three.  

The food at the Camellia Grill is basic diner food with an emphasis on breakfast.  Here is a link to their menu:  http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/menu/1557319?p=0   I had the Doc Brinker special which was a double cheeseburger on rye with cole slaw and chili.  Although it was good, I am not sure I will get it again.  Mainly because I want to try different menu items each time I come.  They are also know for their freezes.  Since we were the last group to sit and eat and everyone was finished we did not get one.  They are like a blended drink with ice cream - orange is their most popular flavor. 

Our waiter at the Camellia Grill - almost as famous as the food. 

 Besides the food, part of the attraction is the waiters.  Ours was particularly "interesting" - see picture.  Although he was friendly he was not a very good waiter.  He gave us a hand "bump" and was excited but we didn't get our drinks until we were halfway finished with our meal.  His enthusiasm worked because I gave him a good tip - even though he wasn't the best. 

French Quarter location.  The Camellia Grill recently opened a French Quarter location.  Although I have not tried it, I understand that it is the same as the original.  If you are visiting the French Quarter - this would save the two hour round trip on the street car (depending on traffic) but you will miss a part of New Orleans that some tourist never see.  New Orleans is more than the French Quarter. 

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto Recipe - Allrecipes.com

I also tried this recipe today. Now I need some suggestions on how to use pesto. One way that I know is good is mixed into hot freshly boiled and drained pasta. Makes a nice light and flavorful sauce.

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto with Lime Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Wanted to try making pesto. I had some cilantro and tried this recipe. It tastes great.

Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto with Lime Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Schnitzel Night

I was recently going west on highway 22 and passed a local culinary institution, the Taste of Bavaria Bakery http://www.tasteofbavariarestaurant.com/.  This local gem was opened over 20 years ago by Larry and Mary Alice Larreau (sp?).  An authentic German bakery it has provided area residents and visitors from all over with excellent breakfasts, pastries, and breads.  Every now and then the bakery opens for night for a special occasion like Oktoberfest.  This day the sign stated that it would be open the Saturday night before father's day for "Schnitzel Night".  I immediately was reminded of a recent trip that my mother and I were able to take to visit former exchange students and their families in Europe.  One of the families was the Hoffman's from Bamberg.  They were actually our first stop on a two week marathon.  The first night we were there they took us to a local restaurant known for their schnitzel.  We were very excited (at least I was - my mom is not an adventurous eater). 

My mother and I



My half eaten Schnitzel

Till's parents, Gunther and Selma Hoffman

So when I saw the sign, I decided this would be the perfect way to celebrate Father's Day.  Since my father did not go on the trip with us, we could share a little of the trip with him.  Although both he and my mother weren't thrilled about schnitzel night (mom asked if there were any other choices for dinner that night and I said "no").  I was determined to relive and share the experience. 

We arrived soon after they opened because I wanted to be sure that we got in - surely everyone in Ponchatoula was going to be there for this special night.  Well...apparently everyone in Ponchaotula does not know how good schnitzel is because there was only one other couple in the place when we arrived.  The food was good - not great.  One thing I noticed was that all of the schnitzels on the menu that night were made of pork. In Germany, they make them out of veal, chicken, or pork and they are pounded very thin.  The ones we had at Taste of Barvaria were more like pork chops and not thin at all.  My parents had the traditional version whereas I tried one with a paprika sauce.  I chose that as much for the accompaning spatzel as for the schnitzel. 

traditional schnitzel

Schnitzel with paprika sauce and spatzel

In addition to the entree the price fixe menu included an appetizer.  I chose the potato dumpling.  It was very good and commonly served throughout my trip.  I had it at least three times with various sauces and sometimes stuffed.  They were all uniquely good - we really don't have anything like it in our cuisine. 

Potato dumpling with mushroom sauce at Taste of Bavaria



All in all it was a great time and brought back such wonderful memories of our generous hosts, the Hoffmans.  The only drawback to the Taste of Bavaria meal was the price.  At $25 a person it was a little steep.  Of course I felt it was worth it because of my connection with the food, but that is probably why not many people were there to enjoy. 

Tomato Jam

I have heard Tomato Jam mentioned a few times on some of the cooking shows that I watch so I set out to find a good recipe. The one below is the one that I tried and it turned out excellent. Of course, after finishing- you can follow canning procedures to store. Of course, I have already found a variety of uses and will not need to store much of it. It works on cream cheese with crackers, instead of ketchup on a hot dog, and in some baked beans I am making for the 4th of July. A little sweeter than ketchup - it would probably work as a substitute in many recipes that call for ketchup. One that I think of is a topping for meatloaf - mmm... It is a little spicy so you can control the heat by adjusting the amount of red chili flakes. Enjoy!


Tomato Jam Food in Jars:

"Tomato Jam Recipe
makes 4 1/2 to 5 pints5 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped (don't peel or seed)
3 1/2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, simmer the jam until it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat."

Jacmel Inn

No sooner than I had posted the list from Tripadvisor that Jacmel Inn was the best restaurant in Hammond I received an invitation to have dinner there.  Well, you know what my answer was...yesssssssss!  It has been about a year or so since I had been there and the previous post made me remember how good it could be.  Jacmel has been a part of the Hammond community for many years.  I remember going there to eat before a high school prom in the late 70's.  Through the years, I always remembered their fresh baked bread served with butter and house dressing.  The house dressing is described as a peppercorn ranch and their recipe is one of the most talked about recipes in Hammond (along with the Tong Cho sauce at Trey Yuen - more about that in a future post).  I remember a friend of mine from years ago, Sandy Day, had the recipe and I think she gave it me - but I don't know where it is know.  The good news is that one of the guests in our dinner group the other night met her husband (who was the chef) at Jacmel about twenty years ago.  He is now a chef in New Orleans and caters for special events.  She says she may get the recipe from him.

Now, about my most recent meal.  Of course the bread and salad (dressing) was delicious as always.  I also had the French Onion soup (pictured) which was also very good. 

The main course was a filet served with roasted potatoes and a few asparagus spears (picture).  I ordered it medium and it was cooked to that doneness.  It had a nice crusty outside with red and tender center..  The cut could have been better - there were a few pieces that were difficult to chew.  Overall it was a good - not spectacular steak. 

And yes, we had dessert.  I ordered the white chocolate cheesecake with a praline sauce.  It was good, but had an unusual texture.  The cheesecake was not smooth, but a little chunky.  I guess from the white chocolate although the chunks were not chocolate.  It could not have been too bad since I ate most of it.  Of course, since I am a cheesecake connoisseur, my standards for cheesecake may be too high.  : )  Happy eating!!

Tripadvisor for Restaurant Reviews

Another site that I use to find restaurant recommendations when traveling is Tripadvisor - http://www.tripadvisor.com/.  The nice thing about this site is that it covers other aspects of travelling including hotels and attractions.  Users long on and rate the various places and then we can see what they say and recommend.  Just to give you an idea of the coverage and reliability.  Here is a list of the restaurants and ratings listed for Hammond.  Of course this only lists the restaurants that have reviews on Tripadvisor and the ranking is influenced by the reviews that are given.

^Jacmel

^#1 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 8 reviews

Price: $31 - $50

Cuisines: Cajun & Creole, Italian

• “ Great food! ” Jun 5, 2011

• “ Lobster Knuckles, Local Mushrooms, and Lasagna. Can't Beat It. ” Mar 23, 2011

La Carreta

^#2 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 10 reviews

Price: $30 Cuisines: Mexican

• “ This is the best food ever go there every... ” May 5, 2010
• “ Really good food! ” Apr 19, 2010

Adobe Cantina & Salsa

^#3 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 9 reviews

Price: $5 - $20

Cuisines: Mexican

Good for: Families with children, Romance, Doing business, Outdoor seating

• “ Best Mexican food I've had in a long time! ” Apr 13, 2011
• “ 3 good, 1 bad ” Mar 6, 2010

Michabelle

^#4 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 11 reviews

Price: $35 - $50

Cuisines: French

Good for: Families with children, Romance

• “ Awesome Experience! Highly recommend Michabelle's ” Jun 6, 2011
• “ My husband and I celebrated our 21st... ” Oct 16, 2010

Cate Street Seafood Station

^#5 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 3 reviews

Cuisines: Seafood

• “ Loved it! ” Apr 13, 2011
• “ Casual and delicious, good for all tastes! ” Feb 10, 2010

Tommy's on Thomas

^#6 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 3 reviews

Price: $10 - $15

Cuisines: American, Bar, Pizza

Good for: Families with children, Doing business, Local cuisine

Dining options: Takeout

• “ AMAZING!!!!! ” Jul 30, 2010
• “ The food and pizza is GREAT!! My favorite... ” Jan 8, 2010

Kirin Sushi

^#7 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 12 reviews

Price: $15 - $20

Cuisines: Sushi

• “ Great! ” Mar 25, 2010
• “ An oasis of great Japanese food in Louisiana ” Mar 9, 2010

Trey Yuen

^#8 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 5 reviews

Cuisines: American, Delicatessen

• “ One and Done ” Feb 22, 2011
• “ Best Chinese food in Hammond ” Jul 31, 2010

Southern Maid Donuts

^#9 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 5 reviews

Price: $5 - $10

Cuisines: Donuts

Good for: Families with children

• “ Don't Miss These Donuts! ” Jun 1, 2010
• “ Meh ” Aug 4, 2008

Old McDonald's Smokehouse

^#10 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 2 reviews

Price: $5 - $15

Cuisines: American, Barbecue

Good for: Families with children, Doing business, Local cuisine

• “ Great ribs at a good price ” Jan 16, 2011
• “ Great BBQ in Hammond at a reasonable price ” Jan 1, 2010

Brady's

^#11 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 7 reviews

Price: $15 - $30

• “ Great Food & Service! ” Jun 8, 2011
• “ First time ” Jun 12, 2010

Mariner's Inn

^#12 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 3 reviews

Price: $8 - $15

Cuisines: American, Bar, Cajun & Creole, Hamburgers

Good for: Local cuisine, Outdoor seating

• “ great place for an afternoon drink and snack ” Nov 16, 2009
• “ Very good food ” Apr 27, 2009

Tope La

^#13 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 3 reviews

Cuisines: French

• “ Usually reliable good dining ” Mar 12, 2010
• “ Wonderful Food, but a little pricey. ” Feb 10, 2009

Sakura Sushi Bar and Steakhouse

^#14 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 1 review

Price: $8 - $15

Cuisines: Asian, Japanese, Sushi

Good for: Families with children, Romance, Doing business

• “ when kirin is too expensive- plus they have really cool private rooms that you can eat in... ” Apr 24, 2009

Don's Seafood and Steak House

^#15 of 16 restaurants in Hammond

based on 9 reviews

• “ Ok food, terrible prices ” Jan 16, 2011
• “ Must be better restaurants around with much better balanced meals ” Nov 19, 2010

1 additional restaurant with no user reviews

• Ryan's of Hammond #2254

Red Beans and Rice

Had the opportunity to revisit one of my favorite Hammond restaurants, Tope La, for lunch.  We were celebrating the retirement of a colleague.  I tried a unique item they have on their lunch menu, fried catfish and red beans rice.  What makes it unique is the combination of the two different dishes. 

Although it was good - the red beans were not as good as the ones I make at home and I did not care for the sausage that was part of the dish.  Of course the red beans that I make at home are usually very easy to make and delicious because I use Blue Runner cream-style beans.  I begin by browning some sausage and then adding the can of Blue Runner.  I also add some Tony Chachere's (another secret of the Louisiana home cook).

If you have a faovite red beans and rice recipes or a "secret" Louisiana ingredient you want share post on the comments.  Happy cooking and eating!!

New Restaurant - Cafe Nola in Ponchatoula

Went out to eat a week ago to a new place in town, Cafe Nola.  It is on Highway 51 in a new shopping center (I believe called South Oaks).  I had heard a few good things about it and wanted to try it out.  The place is beautiful with lots of earth tone colors and eye-popping art.  I think I noticed a few Michalopoulos (http://www.michalopoulos.com/) prints near the entrance.   The menu is typical for a south Louisiana nice casual restaurant (fried and broiled seafood, steaks, salads, pasta, etc.).  I tried the Delacroix Stack (pictured).  It was fried eggplant that was stacked with fried oysters and covered with a crabmeat and butter sauce.  It was very good.  The ingredients were fresh and off high quality.  My brother had the spaghetti and meatballs and seemed to enjoy them.  The portion was so large he had to bring more than half home.  My day had a seafood and pasta dish that he said was very good. 

We saw some mutual friends there (the Butlers) who told us they had been several times and enjoy the food very much.  They told us that the chef/owner had serveral restaurants in the surrounding area.  You could tell that this restaurant benefited from the successful experience of the previous restaurants.  All in all it was a great night out.  It was also nice to support a new local business.  We knew most of the staff - many of them from our church. 

Steaks

After writing about my birthday dinner which consisted of home cooked steaks I thought this would be a good time to discuss where to find good steaks when eating out.  My current favorite place to eat a steak is Buddies in Hammond.  They have an excellently seasoned steak that is reasonably priced.  I believe that they have a Thursday steak night with an great deal on a steak. 

http://www.buddieshammond.com/index.html

Before Buddies, I remember liking the steaks from the Caboose.  First in Independence and then their location in Hammond.  The first time I went to the Caboose in Independence was with the Sims family after a school board meeting where their son William was honored for being Key Club International President.  That was over ten years ago.  Now I think both the Independence and Hammond location are closed and they have opened a Caboose in McComb.  One day I will need to go up there and try it.  Other places in the area that have good steaks are Jacmel Inn, Don's, and Catfish Charlies.  If you have a favorite place to eat steaks, post it under comments. 

Birthday Dinner - Steaks and Hash Brown Casserole

In addition to trying to have 50 cakes, I wanted to a special dinner with family and close friends that consisted of some of my favorite foods.  My go to protein is steak.  I always enjoy a steak and they are easy to cook at home.  For my birthday dinner, I prepared the steaks two ways.  One was using a dry rub and letting the sit uncovered in the refrigerator all day.  Another method was using a marinade - similar to the one posted below from All-Recipes.  I tried one of the dry rub and it was good, but I put too much seasoning on the outside.  Later I tried one of the marinated steaks and it was very good.  My only problem with cooking steaks at home is that I tend to overcook them on my grill.  I think that because I like more medium well than rare that I err on the side of cooking too long.  I am still working on that part of cooking them at home.  I am also still looking for the perfect marinade.  Any suggestions are appreciated.  In addition to the steaks, a few friends made a hash brown casserole to go with the steaks.  That was the perfect accompaniment.  I found a recipe similar to what they made and posted it below.  Perhaps if one of them read this, they will post the recipe they used. 

Hash Brown Casserole I Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Hash Brown Casserole I Recipe - Allrecipes.com

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe - Allrecipes.com

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Birthday Cake

Well, I celebrated my 50th birthday this week.  When you think about being 50 (when you are younger) you don't think of it as a time to celebrate, but when you get here you realize it really is.  I have been blessed with 50 wonderful and healthy years.  I have been able to go so many places and become friends with so many people.  It makes me excited to think about the next 50 years and what God has in store.  Anyway, to celebrate I thought it would be fun (funny) to have 50 cakes (including mostly cupcakes).  Since word got out and I have some generous family and friends, I began to receive cakes about a week before my birthday.  The first one was a milky way cake from my friend Annette (pictured) and the last (I hope) was a strawberry shortcake from the Cocoa Bean (pictured).  In between I had a chocolate cream cheese cake (thanks Linda), a German chocolate cake (thanks mom), a banana nut cake (thanks Cindy), a carrot cake,  red velvet cupcakes and German chocolate cupcakes.  In all, I had close to 50 cakes and of course some help eating them.  Although it was fun and funny I would not recommend that anyone else try this.  It is definitely not good for the waist line and will not help me get to 60.  For that birtday, I need to try to run or walk a long race and begin training for it now.  I will say that my favorite was my mother's German chocolate cake.  What kind of cake is your favorite?  Post your favorite cake under comments. 

Natchez, MS - Biscuits and Blues



What was left after our first round of biscuits. 



Had the opportunity to visit Natchez, MS this weekend chaperoning the Ponchatoula High School Key Club at the Key Club District Convention and yes, we had to sample some of the great food of this historic city.  Our first stop was a restaurant called Biscuits and Blues.  You guessed it - they are known for their biscuits and live Blues music (at night).  We were there for lunch so we only got to sample the biscuits.  As you can see from the half eaten basket of biscuits - I could not wait to eat before I took the picture.  The biscuits are as good as they look, but what makes them extra special is the butter and orange marmalade spread they serve with - delicious.  The best part is they send them to your table free to start your meal.  I also ordered one of the lunch plate specials - fried catfish.  It came with three sides.  I chose baked beans, corn casserole, and macaroni and cheese.  The fish was good.  The baked beans were very good and the other two sides were just average.  My fellow Key Club advisor, Shane, ordered beignets covered in crawfish and mushroom sauce.  She had ordered it on a previous trip and was looking forward to having it again.  It looked delicious.  I think I will try it the next time - I hope there is a next time.  Those biscuits were too good.  



Beignet with crawfish and mushrooms



Tope La - Hammond

Tope La has been in Hammond for about 10 years and is one of the "nicer" restaurants in town. The food is generally very good. I have eaten their about 10 times for various occasions. This time a group of colleagues and I met for an early dinner after work. I ordered off of the special "rustic Italian" menu they were featuring. A generous friend in the group ordered a couple of appetizers to share. One was the fried olives. (This just lends credence to the idea that we fry anything in the south.) They were pretty good. Since they were green olives they had a strong olive flavor. I like olives so that was OK for me. The other appetizer was outstanding. It was fried eggplant topped with a lump crab meat sauce (picture on right). The crab meat was excellent and so was the sauce. For an entree, I ordered the chicken parmigiana (pictured at bottom). Not sure why, because I try to avoid pasta. It was just OK - nothing special. A couple in our group ordered the sugar cane salmon - it looked delicious.  I always want what other people ordered instead of what I order.  The service is always good as well - this time no different.  Looking for a special occasion in Hammond - try Tope La. 

Strawberry Festival Sunday

It was another wonderful Sunday of worship and food.  Those go together really well.  The Annual Strawberry Festival Breakfast at First Baptist was once again a huge success.  Each adult Sunday School class sets up a table.  In the first picture is the table that I thought looked the best.  It was from Robin Ward's class and decorated by Marie Sullivan.  The had a variety of fruit cut and ready to dip in a chocolate fountain.  The next picture is from one of the older ladies classes, Bonnie Whelan's class, and knew they could cook.  I was at the beginning of that line when they said "amen."  They had what they called a breakfast jambalaya.  It included all the parts of a breakfast meal:  potatoes, eggs, and sausage.  It had a great flavor and it was convenient to have all of those elements together.  They also had homemade biscuits - mmmm.  I had one of those with some homemade jelly.  They also had some delicious smoked ham.  It was a great start to the feast.  After completing that plate, I also enjoyed an asparagus, egg, ham, and cheese casserole.   Mrs. Amanda said that it was made by Charlotte Shaffer and it used fresh asparagus from their garden.  It was wonderful.  Things just seem to taste better when you know the vegetables are fresh.  My final stop was at my friend Annette's table.  Her class is the class that has adopted me.  As a youth Sunday School teacher, I don't have a class to attend.  I was getting full by this time but really enjoyed another breakfast casserole with lots of crisp bacon on top.  Not sure who made it but it was good.  Everything was great and the fellowship was even better.  I could not stay as long as I wanted, because our choir director was waiting on us to rehearse for the service.  Can't wait until next year.