Author: Emily Gautreaux

Seasonal Soups to Warm You Up This Fall

Soup is the optimal dish at any time of year, but it shines brightly in the autumnal months as the weather gets brisker and a bit more biting.  A bowl of warm, fresh seasonal soup is always met with an appreciative glance as the temperatures start and continue to drop, so try out a recipe from SpruceEats’ collection of soup recipes that will warm the coldest of palettes.

Minestrone Soup

The Italian minestrone soup is known as a great kitchen sink soup, as it’s easily adapted to accommodate any vegetable in your fridge.  The base of the soup is made of tomatoes, and you are to add carrots, celery, green beans, zucchini, garlic, fresh basil, and seasonings. Toward the end of cooking, you can add in pasta shells to make it more filling. Alternatively, for those not necessarily vegetarian, a traditional minestrone can be obtained with the traditional ingredients of carrots, celery, beans, spinach, and pasta simmering in the tomato broth base. Add in some browned italian sausage or ground beef for a meaty flavor that is heart and made ever-more easy when it’s made in an instant pot.

Instant Pot Potato Soup

Okay sometimes one member of the family is genuinely craving soup, and sometimes soup is the cooking option that requires less effort on the part of the chef. If that is the case, and the preparer of dinner is busy in all other areas of their life, then this quick recipe is a godsend. The instant pot potato soup is a creamy, hearty collection that is flavored with shallots, thyme, and garlic. It can be ready in just 30 minutes, but as you can imagine, the flavor is made ever-better by allowing a longer cooking time. Be sure to top off every bowl just as you would a baked potato on a cheat day by adding bacon, sour cream, chives, and cheddar cheese.

Easy Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup

No single vegetable is associated with the autumnal weather, decor, and general season than the pumpkin, as is evidenced by every supermarket produce display, front porch, and corporate coffee drink. Though, just because it’s a popular fall recipe go-to doesn’t mean there’s not something to be gained from it; enter: the vegetarian pumpkin seasonal soup- perfect for any vegan or vegetarian. This recipe is not only healthy, but it’s quick and simple to make, as it only takes approximately fifteen minutes by using canned pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, soy, milk, and spices to make your kitchen smell like a great harvest.

Low-Fat Broccoli Soup

This broccoli soup may be healthy and low in fat, but it’s just as creamy and rich-tasting as its high-fat-concentrated counterpart. The body of the soup is made by the additions of low-fat milk and potatoes, but the broccoli shines through. This dish is best served as a dinner’s first course, especially when it’s topped with toasted pumpkin seeds or garlic croutons for those looking for a crunch-heavy texture.

Beet and Cabbage Borscht

Hailing from Russia is the powerful beet-laden borscht, and it’s perfect to take in during the gentle cold months of Fall. This bright red borscht seasonal soup is chock full of roasted beets, onions, cabbage, and white beans. Aside from warming up anyone on a cold evening, a pot of this hearty red soup can be frozen easily for reheating later in the season. To make your dish shine brighters, be sure to ass freshly chopped dill and a spoonful of Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or sour cream.

Celeriac and Parsnip Soup

This Fall recipe classic is immensely tastier than the sum of its parts. Begin by roasting the vegetables to give a deeper caramelized flavor, and then blend until the texture is silky smooth for an elegant presentation when topped with croutons and a dollop of pesto or sour cream.

For more delicious recipes, click here.

“Reboot Your Career” Project at Louisiana Community Colleges

Community and technical colleges in Louisiana have started the “Reboot Your Career” project in which 5,000 Louisiana workers who are out of a job due to the coronavirus pandemic are being retrained for high-demand positions that earn around $50,000 a year. This program’s launch was outlined in an Advocate article, and it details that this immense effort is meeting a large demand.

The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Monty Sullivan, reported that the state of Louisiana has recently already received hundreds of inquiries since the project began on September 14th, emphasizing how large the demand for such a project is in his area.

The “Reboot Your Career” project aims to retrain its workers in eight to twelve weeks at reduced tuition rates, so that those completing the program can enter either jobs or a career path where additional certification and education can pave the way for advancement in their field. This hope that the education continues certainly sets these workers up for upward mobility and a launching pad in general- as opposed to the stagnant state that many faced with the lay-offs and closed businesses left in the wake of the pandemic.

The program trains applicants for high-demand jobs from a list that was compiled after consulting with regional development leaders in Baton Rouge, including the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and GNO Inc, as well as the New Orleans area.

Jobs posted after hearing input from development leaders included positions in the health field, including nursing and medical assistants; the transportation field, including crane operators, car, and truck repair workers; the construction field, including carpenters, electricians, and plumbers;  and the fields of technology, manufacturing, and power-line installation. The complete list as well as other information on applying to the project is available at lectcs.edu/reboot.

An effort similar to the “Reboot Your Career” project came to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina struck the state in 2005. The disaster resulted in the training of 16,000 new construction workers, who were much-needed and heralded.

Senior Vice President for economic competitiveness at BRAC, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Liz Smith praised the effort, stating that both community and technical colleges had stepped up in 2016 when the state needed construction workers. “”I think they have a proven track record to be able to do this,” Smith stated, “”You see across the country short-term training is a very helpful answer for a large number of unemployed workers.”

In the Advocate’s article, Smith said that the group she works with shares its job board, BR Works, with state officials to help the project. BR Works’ job board includes more than 1,000 job postings from employers, with the highest demand being in the technology, health care, business, construction trade, law, and digital art design fields.

Louisiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education, Kim Hunter Reed, told the Advocate that she believes the most critical need for the restarting of the economy is education, saying that it “is a centerpiece of the work. The community colleges were made for this moment.”

The “Reboot Your Career” project initially made itself known with a 15-second ad played during the September 13th New Orleans Saints game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there are more ads to come throughout the season, as ads will be playing in a Saturday slot of CBS college football games.

The project is funded partially from the state’s education share from the $2.2 trillion stimulus package that was approved earlier this year by Congress called the CARES Act. Governor John Bel Edwards allocated $15.5 million for colleges and universities with $10 million financing the project’s integral retraining of workers.

For more Louisiana related articles, click here.

Roadside Attractions For Your Next Road Trip

The final destination of a road trip gets a lot of (well-deserved) credit, but it’s often the memories made along the way that stick with you for a lifetime, and a recent collection of the “weirdest” roadside attractions from Thrillist helps you find that “world’s largest insert-object-here” to be found when you’re enroute and looking for a pitstop, distraction, or excuse to simply rest your legs.

While it may seem like the continental United States is randomly “littered” with random madness, know that there’s a method to it all; these oversized cooking utensils and trippy theme parks are situated to lure travelers to roadside attractions off the beaten path, so here’s a suggested list of locations that are considered worth the trip.

Rainbow Rock Shop, Arizona

While Route 66 isn’t quite what it was in the past, there’s still the roadside town of Holbrook to maintain the interstate magic with an unexpectedly dense collection of roadside attractions, cement dinosaurs. These statues, some up to over 25 tall, were constructed personally by the shop’s owner and costs only a few cents to pose with. It’s worth it for the photo evidence alone as you try to convince people that there really is a secret dinosaur haven in the middle of Arizona.

Bishop Castle, Colorado

This roadside attraction is a 160-foot tall stone and steel structure includes two catwalks, a ballroom, four towers and a vast collection of iron railings and flourishes that will make you think you’re in a literal story book. The drawbridge and fire-breathing dragon were built by Jim Bishop, who invites others to walk between the tower’s bridges (at your own risk) or simply admire the impressive decor, ranging from hand-painted signs to a literal axe sticking out of the floor in the castle’s main hall.

Monkey Island, Florida

Located on Florida’s western coast on the Homosassa River is Monkey Island with a name that begs you to see what all the fuss is about.  This island is accurately named, as it houses a family of spider monkeys who now live in a caged enclosure, as they used to live on the mainland, harassing tourists by engaging in unlawful activities such as biting, pickpocketing, and vandalism. Take a break, enjoy some food and drink as you watch the monkeys from a safe distance whenever near the Homosassa River.

Doll’s Head Trail, Georgia

Georgia’s Constitution Lakes Park has a special history with its many lakes having been created by rainwater from a halted construction project decades earlier. Because of this, the park is covered in lakes, and a walking trail is lined by a local carpenter’s collected doll parts. Over the years, Joel Slaton has been repurposing junk and abandoned scraps into a muddy, creepy perimeter to this can’t miss patch of Georgian woods.

Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois

Though it’s only half the size of its famed Italian counterpart, this Midwestern version was built in 1934 and allows many tourists to pose for pictures in which they are “pushing” the leaning tower over without having to cross an ocean.

The Paper House, Massachusetts

Ellis Stenman in 1922 had an idea to insulate his summer home in newspaper, and this experiment grew tenfold into an outright obsession that consisted of 100,000 newspapers assembled into an actual house. Rest easy when you visit, as the home’s roof, floors, and frame aren’t made of paper, but the furniture, walls, amongst all else is made of paper, impressing many New England travelers.

Da Yoopers Tourist Trap, Michigan

We end our suggested list poetically, and rightfully with the “World’s Largest Working Chainsaw.” The term “yooper” is sling for a person living in the state’s Upper Peninsula, and this tourist trap is aptly named as it offers travelers with folk art, a tableau of deer drinking beverages, lots of outhouses, a gift shop, and of-course an oversize, but fully functional chainsaw.

For more travel related news and information, click here.

Louisiana Teacher of the Year and Principal

Recently, the Louisiana Department of Education announced the 2021 Louisiana Teacher of the year and Principal of the year in a press release from the Louisiana Department of Education.

Nathalie Roy, of Glasgow Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish, was named the 2021 State Teacher of the Year while Anita Dione Bradford, of Parkway Elementary School in Vernon Parish, was named the 2021 State Principal of the Year. The announcement was made at the virtual, 14th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Awards Gala, where  all Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists and semi-finalists were also honored.

2021 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year

At Glasgow Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish, Nathalie Roy teaches a diverse selection of course offerings including, Roman technology, classical mythology, as well as Latin. This international focus in her courses is a result of her educational background as she’s studied classical archaeology at the American Academy in Rome, where she was a Fullbright scholar, and at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece.

Roy is a National Board Certified Teacher, who has used her experience to publish articles with Cambridge University Press and the American Classical League on topics regarding Roman technology. During the pandemic, she has partnered with the American Classical League to offer free, live-streamed, and kinesthetic lessons on Roman Technology.

At school, her classes are expectedly focused on ancient Roman and Greek life, though it’s similarly infused with STEM. This cross-discipline focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is a particularly unique curriculum idea that has afforded Roy many grant opportunities over the years, and her students benefit from it.

With 63% of her students initially testing at the Approaching Basic and Basic achievement levels rising to 89% at Mastery or Advanced, despite not having prior exposure to classical mythology; it’s a testament to Roy’s teaching and a validation of the deservedness of her title.

2021 Louisiana State Principal of the Year

Parkway Elementary School’s principal Alnata Dione Bradford is (like the State Teacher of the Year) the proud daughter of two educators. While her parents, two Lousisana educators with a combined over 65 years of teaching experience, instilled a dedication and importance of love, faith, and education into their family, Bradford took the lessons to heart as she ascended at Parkway from assistant principal to the title she holds today.

Approximately 580 students from Grades 1-4 are taught at Parkway, which is located near an Army installation in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and over 90% of the school is military affiliated. Each month, Parkway tends to gain or lose a half-dozen students due to station reassignments or military deployments, but despite this fluctuating enrollment, Bradford is rightfully perceived as remaining resilient and ensuring a notable learning impact is made for all of the students for however long they attend Parkway, which was recognized as an “A” school in 2017.

Last year, the school was also recognized as a “Louisiana Top Gains” school with its 10.1 growth points earned, earning it the honor of receiving the most growth district-wide with its School Performance Score (SPS) increasing by 9.6 points. Appropriately this success is due to Bradford’s leadership.

A full listing of previous Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year honorees can be found in the following Louisiana DOE library. Louisiana Teachers and Principals of the Year are chosen by state education leaders, administrators and committees in partnership with Dream Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Principals. All collaborate annually to recognize and celebrate some of the state’s most high-achieving and exceptional educators with the Teacher and Principal of the Year programs.

 For more education related information, click here.

Cold Work Week Lunch Suggestions

Weekday lunches are often seen as the respite of a hectic workday, so they should ideally be made with little obstacles, such as the lack of a microwave oven. Thankfully, several “cold,” yet enjoyable work week lunch ideas are suggested in a recipe blogpost from Martha Stewart, so that you can take a break from the mid-workday stresses with a lunch that is easily-accessible and tasty.

These recipes are ideal for those working in an office or from home and have found that their past few weeks of lunches have either gotten stale or uninteresting. Invite yourself to spice things up and get out of the lunch-rut we all find ourselves in whether we’re moving last night’s leftovers into a reusable container or tossing together a quick salad. Refresh your next mid-day meal with the following fast and delicious recipe suggestions.

Grilled Skirt-Steak Salad

If you find yourself ever with a leftover portion of grilled steak, feel free to serve it over lettuce alongside orange and yellow bell peppers, feta cheese, and juicy cherry tomatoes for a flavorful and hearty salad. Make it interesting with a suggested basic vinaigrette atop it all!

Tuna-Salad Hand Rolls

Make yourself the talk of the lunchroom (or the star of your work-from-home situation) with a aesthetically-pleasing hand roll made from good-quality canned tuna, yes there is such a thing, that is mixed with mayonnaise and lemon juice, then folded into the nori sheets alongside sliced avocado and vegetables (which also make a great side dish). There’s nothing that quite matches the tuna salad’s taste and texture, so lean into that nostalgia with this asian-inspired, rolled treat.

Poached Chicken Sandwiches with Peas and Radishes

This picturesque sandwich has a vibrant and lush green that will similarly make any onlookers green with envy when eyeing your assembly of thick slices of rustic bread topped with a pea, almond, and ricotta spread. Make it as aromatic as it is visually-appealing with the addition of thinly-sliced radishes, fresh mint leaves, and sugar snap peas.

Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Feta

Fill your salad container with six simple ingredients and take a trip with the easily-prepared, Mediterranean-inspired lunch salad that has the power to not only satiate and nourish your appetite but also give you the final push you need to see to your afternoon duties with a brisk efficiency. All this needs is some pre-cooked brown rice, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, cucumbers, parsley, and fresh mint to have an aromatic, satisfying lunch meal.

Scandinavian Shrimp-and-Cucumber Sandwich

Skip a typical cold lunch salad in favor of this anything-but-boring lunch salad. This assembly is special in that you use poached shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, and Neufchatel cheese atop pumpernickel bread for an open-facing meal that is simply stunning and unforgettable.

Triple Decker PB & J Tea Sandwiches

Embrace a simpler time and update it for the adult version of yourself with this all-american classic: a triple-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s a classic for a reason, so let’s triple it by having it consist of three slices of bread and a double layer of peanut butter and jelly to make lunchtime simple and easy to please.

Taco Salad with Sweet-Potatoes

As many avoid overstuffing themselves at lunchtime as to avoid a post-noon slump, this heartily health-conscious salas aims to nourish you and keep things light. Roasted sweet potatoes are layered over a bed of lettuce alongside traditional taco toppings like black beans, jalapenos, crushed tortilla chips, and lime juice. Avoid the mexican take out, and fill that craving yourself with this sampling and satisfying salad.

For more delicious recipes, click here.

Five Austin Waterfalls You Can’t Miss

As the sun subtly hints that it’s lessening its heat waves and trees begin to transition from green-filled topiaries into autumnal palettes, it’s prime time to explore the nature surrounding one of the United States’ most industrial and modern-leaning cities, Austin, Texas. As TravelTRiangle reports, there’s no better answer to the decrescendo of summer’s than visiting the lush green valleys and hilltops, and Austin waterfalls that surround the “Hippie Haven” that has spawned many an artist, poet, startup, cowboy, and many more.

The capital city is a prime destination for any traveling adventure enthusiast as the city has 14 nature preserves, 20 beaches, 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, and 205 parks to choose from, though possibly the most unique feature of the greater Austin area is its instagram-able waterfalls that are consistently sought after by tourists and locals alike as many days can be lost being lackadaisical when swimming, picnicking, and generally enjoying the atmosphere of the following five Austin Waterfalls.

St. Edwards Park

Already a household southern name in hiking trails, St. Edwards Park rewards many hikers with a magnificent waterfall that looks like it was pulled right from an international nature magazine. A well-maintained hiking trail of varying difficulties leads interested parties to this heavenly cascade of water, and best of all, the area is largely covered by shade, protecting you and your closest friends from the sun, allowing you to plan ahead and make a day of it all. Post the pictures in the groupchat, pack a bag, and head to Spicewood Springs Rd while the weather is a perfect compliment to this park’s soothing waters.

Hamilton Pool Preserve

While most think of exotic locales when the word “waterfall” is mentioned, Hamilton Pool Preserve is located only a few minutes’ drive from the city on the Austin outskirts where it houses one of the most stunning waterfalls located in the continental United States. Though the name sounds incorporated or industrialized in nomenclature, this historic spot has a stream flowing onto limestone slabs that cascade into a watering hole after a 50 meter drop. Depending on the season, swimming isn’t consistently available year-round, as local officials keep a close eye on bacteria and rainfall levels to ensure safety. Stop by the aptly-named Dripping Springs today to see this can’t miss sight.

Twin Falls

Plan a trip to the Barton Creek Greenbelt, and see the most popular waterfall in Austin, Texas. Whether you’re embracing solitude, bridging the family along, or enjoying the sights and swimming with close friends, this waterfall is accessible to all close to the capital city due to its 3.7 mile round trip distance and is easily accessible to hike by children and leashed pets. Located at the base of the falls is a swimming hole for those wanting to jump, swim, and enjoy the can’t miss atmosphere that is only made more lush, vibrant, and uproaring by recent rainfall.

 Sculpture Falls

Also located along the Barton Creek Greenbelt of Austin is the clear-water Sculpture Falls with its secluded swimming hole that’s a perfect spot to jump into. You can reach these falls after a 2.5 mile hike that serves as a small deterrent to some, making this a less-busy attraction to those avoiding crowds. Follow the Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail, and visit a waterfall that is praised for its pet-friendly atmosphere.

 McKinney Falls

Adventure awaits at McKinney Falls where big crowds can gather without it seeming overpopulated. Besides the typical sight-seeing and basking in the uproarious cascade of water, several other activities are offered such as camping, hiking, fishing, and more. So make the most out of your next partial-Austin-getaway and dip a toe into the rushing, inviting waters.  

For more travel related news and information, click here.