Author: Emily Gautreaux

Last Minute Labor Day Ideas

Don’t sit at home and twiddle your thumbs this Labor Day weekend!  Labor Day is one of the most traveled weekends of the year but if you haven’t made plans yet, don’t fret; it’s not too late.  We’ve found some great deals for you to take advantage of. Grab your significant other or your best friends and rock this long weekend!

  1. 4-Diamond Resort near Scottsdale:  Escape to “more luxurious-than-expected” (Gayot) We-Ko-Pa Resort in the Sonoran Desert with views of the Red Mountains. This deal saves 30% on regular rates, including a waived resort fee and daily dining credit.
  2. Los Angeles Boutique Hotel:   This converted mansion was once owned by silent film stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age and is a 10 minute walk from Rodeo Drive. Stay for Labor Day and save up to 20% compared to surrounding dates.
  3. 3 Night Getaway for Two Near Puerto Vallarta:  Hidden in the charming surfing village of Sayulita (just an hour north of Puerto Vallarta), this hotel invites travelers to opt out of the big-box resort in favor of a colorful boutique experience. Save more than 50% on stays through fall.
  4. Brand New Daytona Beach Oceanfront Hotel: Beach-lovers can stay at this newly opened Daytona Beach property into winter for 50% off with a $40 food and beverage credit.
  5. Ranch Mirage, 4 Star Westin:    Spread across 360 acres outside of Palm Springs, the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa “lives up to the name ‘resort'” (Fodor’s). Enjoy mountain views, three pools and a waterslide, and two championship golf courses with this 50%-off deal.

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Labor Day Banana Cake

Labor Day weekend is one of the most traveled weekends of the year.  Sometimes it is difficult to find a delicious recipe that also travels well, especially several hours away, and you don’t want to show up empty handed using the travel time as an excuse (we see your side-eye, Aunt Patty).  This Labor Day Banana Cake is anything but laborious, but travels like a dream and satisfies even the most picky eaters. Soft, moist, perfectly sweet, this recipe is for you.

Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
  • 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant banana pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup mashed bananas
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 dash vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, water, oil and mashed banana. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tests done. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
  4. To make glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and of a drizzling consistency. When cake is cooled, drizzle icing over cake with a zigzag motion. Sprinkle chopped nuts over wet icing if desired.

 

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8 Lakeside Restaurants to Visit in Louisiana

Louisiana is well known for its delicious food made not only at home but in its restaurants as well. Not only do we have some of the best food around but our landscaping is beautiful as well. Which is why this article put both of those together to bring to you eight of the best lakeside restaurants to visit in Louisiana during this time of year. So whether you are in New Orleans, Lake Arthur, Lafayette or Baton Rouge, you will want to stop by one of these amazing eateries to see what they have to offer.

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Britain’s Best Hidden Paradise: The Scilly Isles

The Scilly Isles are a little cluster of islands off the tip of Cornwall and they are truly astonishing. There are five inhabited islands and they are like little English villages stranded out in the ocean. They’re the kinds of places where everybody knows everybody but it rarely feels claustrophobic. There is plenty of room, the opposite of crowded beaches full of colorful umbrellas and loud boomboxes.  You could hike for miles and not see another person. They boast Britain’s most beautiful white sand beaches, miles of walking trails through gorgeous forest, and best of all, though strange, its own climate. With daytime highs barely reaching 57°F and rarely dipping below 50°F at night in the fall, it’s a welcome escape from Britain’s hot, muggy weather if you’re visiting that time of year. With such a comfortable temperature, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of the many shore-side restaurants and coffee shops.  Take a seat, relax, slow down to the pace of the locals, and watch the waves crash and the ships tug by while partaking in some fresh-caught fish and seafood. At Adam’s Fish & Chips, the only diner, it’s Adam himself who will catch your dinner from the ocean and then prepare it in the kitchen: pollock and lobster tails fresh from the ocean.

Though the islands aren’t easy to reach, even for the Brits, that’s part of the appeal, and the journey is an adventure in itself. From London, you take the sleeper train then transfer by bus to a nearby airport where a twice-daily helicopter and a fleet of tiny planes serve the islands. An added bonus- from the air, the islands are tantalizing.

Slow travel is the name of the game here, as even getting between the islands isn’t as simple as hopping on the next boat. Times and pick-up locations are dictated by the tides.  While the Scilly Isles might be hard to get to, it seems they’re equally hard to leave.

 

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LA May Receive Millions in Education Grants

The Louisiana Board will take to the polls soon to choose whether to award more than $10 million in education grants to go towards 67 school systems across the state specifically to improve the reading and writing skills of struggling students.

The main focus of this funding is “to advance the pre-literacy, reading and writing skills of disadvantaged youth, birth through grade 12, including English learners and students with disabilities.” There were only 11 states in the US to be chosen to receive this funding and Louisiana was one of them.

According to State Superintendent John White, “Research shows the early grades are vital for later school success. The key skills students develop one year must be built upon and reinforced the next.  As we enter into the second year of this grant, we must focus our attention on ensuring our children have access to a high-quality continuum of learning that could make a difference in positive, long term achievement outcomes.”

In order to fulfill the grant requirements, if awarded each of the 67 school systems implement the following 4 policies:

  • Extend CLASS, a nationally regarded system of measures used in Louisiana’s early childhood accountability system to evaluate teacher-student interactions, into Kindergarten classrooms;
  • Collaborate with experts to review students’ writing samples to gauge their knowledge of language and conventions in grade 1;
  • Adopt classroom observation tools to measure teachers’ use of standards-aligned materials that impact student learning experiences in grades 1 and 2; and
  • Implement a new skills check-up at the end of grade 2 to provide insight on students’ mastery of literacy and numeracy.

For more details on educational grant funding in Louisiana, click here.

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Best Roasted Broccoli Pasta Recipe

If you enjoy a good, classic casserole but also the crispy, lightly browned veggies, you will LOVE this roasted broccoli pasta.  This simple recipe has all the elements of the usual casserole — the pasta and vegetables tossed with ricotta and topped with Parmesan-dusted bread crumbs. But because all the ingredients are spread out on a sheet pan instead of being piled into a baking dish, everything browns, which in turn means more crunch and crisp edges. First, the broccoli is roasted until it softens and browns. Then, the other ingredients are spooned on top, and everything is quickly baked, making for a speedy, vegetarian weeknight meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 12 ounces tube-shaped pasta
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces best quality, whole milk ricotta
  •  Fresh lemon juice, for serving (optional)

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss together broccoli, oil, cumin (if using), 3/4 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Roast until tender and browned at the edges, 18 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and set oven to broil.
  2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan, panko, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and the black pepper.
  4. Toss cooked pasta with broccoli on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then dollop with ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan mix, drizzle generously with oil, and broil until topping is crisped and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice to taste, and serve.

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