It Snowed...in Georgia! Someone Ate My Shrimp...

Although the second time it snowed in Georgia this winter, it was the first time that it snowed in Central Georgia. Honestly, I don't think many of us actually believed that it would as weather reports advised and even when the school districts posted notices of school closures today.

As you can imagine, as I stepped outside at six this morning to say my morning prayers, I was delightfully surprised to see snow, peacefully falling. Shopai, my dog, woke up about this time. After wishing me a good morning, ran around in the dark trying to bite the flakes before making her version of snow-angels on the ground. What a wonderful sight. For Georgia, it was a decent amount too, I should wonder if it would stick around long enough for my nieces to see it after the sun comes up.

It did and in the shades of the many trees surrounding the house, still some remains at 3 p.m. (I know, this post is up late.) The girls said that after the sun came up, Shopai was curiously looking at the snow as if wondering, what is this? It's her first time to see it.

As the temperature began to drop and as tired as I was from spending the day packing, I pulled out my ingredients and turned on the stove, one final time, to heat the oil that I'd soon add the chopped vegetables too.

Wait! What? There's no easy way to say this, unexpectedly I've been reassigned assignments and am leaving the deep South. This would explain the week of no posts that exists between the last post and this one. I apologize, but as you can imagine, things have been chaotic. Cooking and blogging dropped on the priority list. I felt horrible, however, as we've come a long way. I wanted to post one more thing before my departure.

Being it past the girl's bedtime, the house was quiet as the sweet aromas of celery, onion, and bell peppers began to fill the kitchen - then the house. I feel like I've been doing this for so long that even the sizzling was a type of song that played with magic was being performed. Vegetable Jambalaya - what an excellent foot to leave on.

The first time I ever had Jambalaya was during a regular visit to the Jazz capital, New Orleans. (Don't tell them, but the best Jambalaya I ever had was at a restaurant called Silver Peak in Reno, Nevada.) I don't know the first thing of making the soul-warming dish so as I skimmed various recipes, I had to really trust in the author's honesty. This particular one was vegetarian and she said it was excellent, siting playful criticism from friends and family that it had no meat, but tasted just as wonderful.

As the title suggests, I intended to add shrimp but by the time I got around to actually cooking, it seems someone ate my bag of shrimp. Oh well...might as well stay true to form.

The first thing anyone might notice is that the ingredient list looks exhausting and the instructions complex at first glance until you start to break it down, then it more or less says "chop everything up, throw everything in at this time, then that time, then let it sit for this long." I prepared the first 1/3 of the recipe before I started cooking then raced the clock to shop the next vegetables or rinse the rice (you know me and my commitment to washing the rice.)

Two things, the recipe called for smoked paprika. Our local grocery stores didn't carry it so I ended up using the instructions in the fine print - chili powder and cumin. The recipe also called for frozen okra. I've had okra a few times in my life, never have much cared for the stuff.  I once had a niece explain them to me as, "A hairy pickle." So of course, I'd grab a fresh packet to cut myself just to feel all that more Southern. My sister had some when she returned home from a training for her job and she said that she really enjoyed the okra. It was a nice touch. I have to agree. I liked them also.

Personally, I felt the dish wasn't nearly as flavorful as jambalaya of my past. I give it a 2 (I told you, I was getting stricter with my numbers.) I ended up dumping hot sauce onto mine and even used some Creole seasoning that I'm not sure if it helped or just made it saltier. My sister, however, really enjoyed it. We do have different taste palettes though.

I'm glad I didn't up the spice as she is spice sensitive. This recipe makes enough to feed a small army.

If you'd like to try to recipe: Vegetable Jambalaya

Personally, I think I'll keep searching for a better receipe. (I'm telling you the one in Reno really is good. If you are ever there, stop by and have some. It isn't vegetarian, granted - but it's a dry style jambalaya and I promise you, it's wonderful!)

As for me, everything has been packed and if wasn't shipped, it's ready to go with me. I've spent the past two days really enjoying time with my nieces, thankfully today was a snow day so we were able to just be silly all day. As I typed this, they felt the needed to put on a mini fashion show for me. They are both such beautiful girls, one with her shiny, silver dress and matching wedge shoes. The shorter, in a feathery, pink dress with her Care bear slippers.

As I turned off the light for the next, I 

hung up my apron, at least for this blog

and for this short time, in Georgia.

We plan to have dinner outside the home tonight before they drop me off at the shuttle stop. I plan to stay the night in ATL since my flight leaves early to avoid any mishaps...it really is an ongoing joke among my friends and family that I'm notorious for missing my flights. I'd laugh, but it has happened more times than I can count - including Tuesday morning. (Which is why I leave tomorrow.)

Since I am in transition, this will be my final post until at least beginning to mid-February. Although not in the deep South, some still consider Oklahoma part of the South, the belt buckle of the Bible belt so I will too - just to keep this blog going. I will be transiting off of food and onto my next exploration that I'm not too sure of what it will be just yet. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.

I'm so thankful for my short time here in Georgia. I truly thought I was going to make this home and that I'd be here for at least a few years. Anyone who knows me, however, knows the greatest adventure that I've ever had in life, is my very life and all the directions that it leads. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next month.

Take care and God Bless,
Tyson