Life is About Latitude

What I mean when I say Life is about Latitude is that life is really about choices, but choosing to be happy is all about Latitude and Attitude. No, I’m not referring to a certain Jimmy Buffett song and I don’t mean catching a flight to St. Somewhere and sipping margaritas on a Caribbean beach. Although that could make me very happy, unfortunately I am not a millionaire like Jimmy. Even if I was, money doesn’t buy happiness…it’s a choice we have to make every day. Any way you slice it, no matter how good you got it, life is an UPHILL climb and that’s what I mean by latitude.

No one likes to feel down or low. There’s a reason they call a good feeling a high.  Every single day we have to make a choice to climb the hill, or for some, it might be a mountain. There are things in life that happen can bring us down, IF we choose to allow it! We may be dealing with something as big as a disaster, the end of a relationship, or sometimes it’s just a depressing movie or a sad song on the radio that can trigger a bad memory or a bad feeling. For some, it’s old baggage. It’s easy to say you forgive but not so easy to forget and if you can’t forget, then you haven’t truly forgiven.  I don’t mean that you have to completely erase everything from your memory in order to forget, but it’s a subconscious decision not to allow bad memories or feelings of animosity to surface and control your thoughts.  You push them aside and focus on what’s ahead like driving on a road.

The road in life might seem long, but in reality it is short and your final destination will be here before you know it, sometimes sooner that we’d like. If you are constantly looking through the rearview mirror you can’t enjoy the view in front of you. Furthermore, if you’re not focused on the road, that’s when you run off into the ditch. Take for instance, if you’re traveling on vacation and you run off the road, it takes more time and energy to get yourself back on the road and takes time away from your planned activities or relaxation…or worse, by the time you get there you are so flustered and stressed out that it takes even longer to calm down before you can even begin to enjoy yourself. Some people can even choose to let something like that ruin their entire vacation.

Ok, now that we took a little side trip, let’s get back to the climb. Whether you’re climbing a mountain or walking up a hill, it’s always harder with more weight on your back. This is why hikers carry small, lightweight backpacks with only the essentials. Even in today’s world of insane airport security and baggage fees we have learned to pack light. You only pack what’s necessary for your trip ahead. You wouldn’t bring a suitcase full of dirty laundry with you, so why would you carry old baggage around with you throughout your life? If you are carrying heavy bags up a hill, it’s inevitable that they will either pull you down by sheer force of gravity or trip you up and send you rolling down in a landslide! As far as leaving the baggage behind, it’s easier said than done for some. You cannot change the past or control what others have done, but only you have the power to change your future if you stop allowing yourself to relive the bad memories and start focusing on the here and now.

The climb actually started when we born and will continue until we die. Whether you’re a novice hiker with a hill to climb or you find yourself with a mountain to scale, chances are at some point along the way you will fall and get hurt or worse, someone you trusted will push you right down into the canyon.  Whether you end up with a scraped knee or internal bleeding…a wound cannot heal if you ignore it or keep picking at it. Regardless of the intensity of the wound, if you let it fester without seeking treatment they can eventually kill you. Most of the time, the skinned knees in life are easily dealt with by slapping a bandage on and going about your merry way but others require much greater care. The treatment you seek depends on your ability to deal with the situation, but whether you need a little physical therapy or a surgeon, still hypothetically speaking, deal with it and then the healing begin. Yes, it takes time to heal, but not forever. You can either allow the bacteria to keep eating at you or you can put some antibiotic on it and let it heal. You could even think your healing nicely and one day, you choose to stick your finger in it, full of bacteria, and the healing process has to start all over again. That’s when you have to make a choice to leave it covered, let the healing continue and move on. Even the smallest distractions like a happy song or a relaxing activity can help change your thoughts and help you shake it off, stand up, and keep climbing. As soon as you hear that voice in your head or that sad song on the radio saying to look in the rearview mirror or to open up that old wound, it’s up to you to block it out, ignore it and move on. 

Chances are, you will always have a scar to remind you of your past wound, but a scar is not an invitation to re-open the old wound, it’s a Victory! There’s a reason scar tissue is stronger and tougher than the skin around it. It’s part of the body’s natural defense and should only be a reminder that what you have overcome has made you a better, stronger person.

Focus on the good things, the opportunities ahead and turn to whatever keeps your head up, whether it’s your faith in God, your family or just sheer hope for the good things to come. No one else can do it for you…it’s a choice YOU must make every single day because you can only continue your journey one day at a time or choose to be stuck at the bottom! 

Making the most of your Home Brew

My husband and I have been home brewing for almost a year now and I not only enjoy drinking the beer, but it also comes in handy for cooking. Whether I add it right to a stew or chili, or use it in marinating, grilling and basting various meat and seafood, it always adds a delicious extra layer of flavor. But I'm always thinking of new ways to use all the ingredients and waste nothing.

Until recently we were using our spent grains just for composting, but on a recent trip to Boston we stumbled on a local brewery restaurant that uses their spent grain as well as their own yeast strain in their pretzels and pizza dough. The nutty flavor was unbelievable and it was possibly the best pizza I've ever had! We immediately wanted to start a new batch of beer just to use the grains!

I found several recipes online and tested a few. The pretzel recipe I have posted below was by far the best use of my grains. It doesn't use very much, so taking the advice of the owner of our local home brew supply store, I also made "barley bark", a crunchy snack for dogs! I also completely dried the remaining barley I pulled out of the mash and ground it up for flour. I even composted what was leftover.

For the dog treats, use the grains while they are still wet. To dry the remaining grains, loosely spread them in thin layers on a cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest heat setting (170-200 degrees) for 4-5 hours. At this point you can remove the driest of the grains for the pretzel recipe, but they do not need to be completely dry, pulse in a food processor to break up large chunks but leave coarse for texture). To continue drying the grains to make flour, you will need to pull the barley off the mushy parts and spread into a thin layer and continue drying 3-4 more hours until all the moisture is removed. Cool dried grains then grind finely using a coffee grinder or blender.

Barley Bark
4 cups spent grains
2 cups flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup peanut butter
cooking spray or vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray (mixture will stick to a non-stick pan if not spray or lightly oiled). Mix all ingredients and spread into a thin layer, about 1/4 inch, onto greased cooking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 1 inch squares. Lower oven to 175 degrees and dry pieces for 1 1/2-2 additional hours.

Spent Grain Pretzel Bites
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1/2 cup spent grains (dried and lightly ground*)
2 oz (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
 10-15 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk, beat with 1 Tbsp water
Kosher Salt

1. Combine warm water, sugar and yeast in mixing bowl. Let sit 5 minutes or until the yeast begins to foam at the top of the water. Mix until all flour is wet, then add remaining flour and knead until smooth. Dough should be thick and not sticky.
2. Pour olive oil into clean bowl and spread around sides. Toss dough in oil until all sides are covered. Cover bowl with a warm damp towel and allow dough to rise about one hour or until doubled in size.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix water and baking soda in a large pot and bring to a boil.
4. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll with both hands from center to outside making half inch thick ropes. Slice into 1 inch pieces or braid into traditional pretzel shapes if preferred. Cover with a damp towel until all pieces are made to prevent drying.
5. Carefully drop dough into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove quickly and pat dry with a paper towel.
6. Arrange dough on a baking sheet and brush with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with salt.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
*Dough may be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap and a freezer bag. Defrost at room temp for one hour covered with a damp towel before baking.

Good Beer on Sunday

Sundays are perfect for beer! Fall is upon us, football is in full swing and there's nothing better than pouring a tall foamy cold one and watching two teams on a big green field beat the crap out of each other...oh wait, they can't do that anymore...but this is not about football, it's about beer. It's not that I don't drink beer during any other season or on any other day of the week, but since we Southerners tend to be social drinkers, I enjoy the aroma and taste of the hops and barley most when the occasion is suited  for it...football, backyard barbeques, crawfish boils, festivals, or just sitting on the patio enjoying the great outdoors. So let me be clear, I'm certainly not talking about downing a six pack of Bud Light...I'm talking about drinking GOOD beer. My husband and I brew our own, but any quality craft beer will do. If your not into making your own, I would suggest Abita's Restoration Ale, Tin Roof's Perfect Tin, or Nola Brown. If you like the lighter style beers, go for a Nola Blonde or Abita Wheat...and if your local grocer or liquor store doesn't carry these brands, there are many high quality microbreweries all around the country.

Today I will enjoy either the "Flat Tire", which is close to a Fat Tire Amber Ale made by New Belgium in Colorado, or a "Kilt Lifter", a Scottish Style Ale. While both are a bit on the hoppy side, the Kilt Lifter is a bit smoother and sweeter, but can be deceiving because it's a "stronger" beer, meaning higher alcohol content...it is, after all, a "wee heavy". I think I'll go with that one...and Who Dat!

Kicking & Screaming - Part II

Part II:
Here comes the dreaded tropical storm threat. Not a threat to a vacation or a party or anything I had major plans for...but nonetheless, a reminder that summer is coming to an end, and definitely a reminder of how serious a hurricane can really be! Living in the New Orleans area all my life, I know that hurricane season may start on June 1st, but it doesn't really get into full swing until summer is over and school begins. The greatest threat is always August through September. We stock up on our supplies...water, batteries, canned food, gas, etc. It doesn't matter that only one computer model says it's coming straight towards you and all others say something else...sometimes you just get a gut feeling that you'd rather be safe than sorry! If there's one thing I've learned from the boy scouts, it's this: "Be Prepared"! So, needless to say...but I will anyway...the path of Tropical Storm Isaac changes again, with all paths leading toward Louisiana, as everyone else is waiting in long lines for gas and fighting for gallons of water at Wal-Mart, I am sitting on the patio having a margarita and watching my husband smoke a cigar. This is the life! I just wish this "calm before the storm" could last forever.

My sister and her husband decide to come stay with us because they live further south and we have a generator and plenty of supplies (a.k.a. 12 bottles of rum, 6 bottles of wine, 2 fifths of tequila, a case of home-brew beer, and a partridge in a pear tree). The forecast calls for a direct hit by a Category 2, the Governor calls for a state of emergency, and mayors order evacuations for surrounding regions closer to the coast. As the storm draws closer, the party gets started and the forecast actually sounds better. The storm hasn't even developed into a hurricane yet and it may be on a path to shift east, putting us on the weaker side. But no such luck! It remains on the predicted path and as the storm makes landfall, the local weather-celebrity grimly reports that the storm appears to be stationery. To make a long blog shorter...a category 1 Hurricane can be as bad as a 3 or 4 if it doesn't move quickly. We were very fortunate that we didn't lose anything but electricity, water, and sleep for a few days, but others were not so lucky! Family and co-workers were flooded and others are still without power and water. Even as I sit here writing, I feel somewhat guilty because I got a cool shower after cleaning up the debris in the sweltering heat, restocking groceries, and am now having margaritas and watching the LSU game in the air-conditioned "Drunken Parrot Pub" (in my own bar, in my own house).

But I'd like to think that my attitudes and latitudes have changed. I would do it all over again (including the other "big storm" that happened almost exactly 7 years ago), even if I lived on some island, in the threat of some other hurricane or some other disaster...I feel like I would still be PREPARED at least as much as I can be...even if it meant leaving everything behind for safer ground. I also have the common sense to know that not every disaster or situation can be prevented or fully prepared for.

That's why you have to..."Live Like You Were Dying", "Learn to Dance in the Rain", and my personal favorite..."Breath in, Breathe Out, Move On"!

Kicking & Screaming - Part I

This blog is in two parts only because it was started before it could be published...and as you will read below, the only thing that remains the same is "change"...

Part I:
The last vacation of the summer is over...school is now in full swing with relief of not having to pay summer camp tuition any longer...but at the same time resisting the end of summer with full force! My weekends are now spent at the pool trying to maintain the tan and beach body I spent all spring and summer working on, crossing my fingers that teachers don't assign too much homework to my 10 year old, and drinking as many margaritas and rum drinks my cardio sessions can "work off". It seems like only yesterday I was planning, scheming, working out and depriving myself of carbs to get ready for my long anticipated cruise to the Bahamas & Key West. That amazing vacation came and went, little league baseball ended, scout summer camp and family barbecues are now documented with digital images on Facebook, the Olympics are over, and finally our final summer trip with our closest friends was spent cruising around a lazy river in a tube, listening to Radio Margaritaville with boat drinks in hand. It was an unforgettable summer, but that's the problem...I don't want to forget and I don't want it to end!

Don't get me wrong, I am excited about the start of football season...the Saints, LSU and a good excuse to drink beer and eat nachos and pizza...but to put it simply, that's about it. I used to love Thanksgiving, Christmas, colder weather and my Eddie Bauer clothing collection that I only got to wear when the temps were below 40 degrees...but to quote Jimmy Buffett, I guess "I'm growing older, but not up"! Nowadays, I don't really mind the sweltering heat, sweating profusely at a baseball game or longing to jump in the pool after a hard workout. Maybe it's because I missed out on those careless days of crazy spring breaks in Panama City Beach and sneaking out to Bourbon Street as a youth...or maybe I'm just becoming a "snow bird"...way too early?  I guess it really doesn't matter because as life goes on, everyone goes through some form of "change" in one way or another. It may be a change from the way I felt...or the way I thought I was supposed to be so many years ago...but I feel like I truly belong on the "Coast of Somewhere Beautiful"...like I am meant to be thriving on a sun-soaked, sandy beach, blue water island somewhere in the Caribbean. I long for it day and night...and though I live in a sub-tropical climate near the Gulf Coast and thankfully, not in a northern frozen wasteland...it's still not nearly "paradise". I now find myself each year running out of summertime, like a child throwing a tantrum...kicking and screaming!