Author: Emily Gautreaux

Best Thanksgiving Destinations

Want to skip the family reunion and opt for a first-class Thanksgiving destination?  We’ve compiled the top places that will make you glad you ditched the traditional Thanksgiving experience.

  1. St. Regis Aspen Resort, Colorado
    At the St. Regis Aspen Resort, you can expect Thanksgiving-themed food and afternoon spent on the slopes or at the spa. At sundown, guests congregate by the front entrance for the ceremonial sundown champagne sabering while there are nightcaps and roasted s’mores at Shadow Mountain Lodge from 9 p.m. until midnight.
  2. MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
    Las Vegas’s the Park turns into a winter wonderland on the Monday before Thanksgiving, when its first-ever tree lighting ceremony will feature a 60-foot-tall Silver Tip Fir tree adorned with 3,000 holiday ornaments and 13,000 lights, plus 16-foot-tall Ornament Tunnels. After visiting Santa, listening to carolers, and taking a spin on the ice skating rink, guests can pop over to MGM Grand across the street to watch football at TAP with Turkey Sliders or a T-Day Plate with all the fixings, a special Thanksgiving day menu at Michael Mina Pub, or delicacies like oyster foie gras at Iron Chef Masaharu Moritmoto’s spot Morimoto.
  3. Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, Hawaii
    A Hawaiian paradise for Disney-lovers of all ages, Aulani has plenty of special Thanksgiving offerings for those fleeing the mainland. Give thanks with seaside dining at Aulani’s restaurant Ama Ama, celebrate with a Hawaiian-style Harvest Feast, live music, and characters in the Kaiona Ballroom, indulge in a Thanksgiving buffet at Makahiki—including oysters, crab claws, green tip mussels, and a poke station—or just grab a quick turkey-lunch to-go before finding your inner kid at the resort’s Rainbow Reef snorkeling experience, one of its two water slides, on the lazy river, or by exploring its awe-inspiring collection (the island’s second largest) of original cultural artifacts.
  4. Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee Located on 4,200 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, luxury retreat Blackberry Farm is an ideal place to spend the holidays, with a staggering list of events and offerings for the long weekend. There’s a welcome reception, a performance by composer Jonathan Wolff (best known for the Seinfeld theme song), family bingo, family trivia, a Turkey Trot 5K, a turkey fry tradition of peanut soup and angel biscuits for lunch on the lawn, teen game night, flag football, and, of course, special Thanksgiving dinners in the Barn and in the Dogwood, featuring Blackberry Farm’s renowned gourmet cuisine.
  1. Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, Rancho Santa Fe, California

Located half an hour north of San Diego, Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa is throwing their first-ever 5K Turkey Trot this year, beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Later in the day, guests can enjoy a feast over live music at the resort’s signature restaurant Veladora, where executive chef Jarrod Moiles has prepared a buffet with both classic favorites and gourmet alternatives, including roasted pumpkin bisque, chilled seafood, mac and cheese with herb bread crumbs, slow roasted turkey breast, chorizo, and herb stuffing.

Click here for several more amazing Thanksgiving getaways.

For articles similar to this one, click here.

 

SLCC Maritime Training Receives Cenac Barge Donation

South Louisiana Community College’s Maritime Training Program has received the donation of a fully refurbished barge from Cenac Marine Services.  The barge, which replicates a standard Cenac tank barge, is located in Munson Slip in Houma. SLCC tankerman training is being held there. This barge will allow for more hands-on training to a school that was badly in need of better training materials.  Depending on the size of the class, hands-on barge training can last approximately 8 hours long, according to a statement issued by Cenac. For now, the goal is a new class every two weeks. The very first batch of future mariners began training on August 12th.  Certified Cenac captains are serving as instructors, on their off time. They are certified by the state of Louisiana to teach the course, which takes a total of 32 hours to complete. After that course completion each candidate must complete basic firefighter training. Once that is done, the Cenac statement says, the candidates are certified as oil tankermen.  “From the very start of this project I have been excited about what we can offer to the community and to those interested in becoming tankermen,” Cenac said. “My company and I are fortunate to have the opportunity to provide a hands-on learning experience to many people for years to come.” If you or someone you know is interested in enrolling in SLCC’s maritime training program, you can register at 331 Dickson Road in Houma where the barge is housed or to learn more about South Louisiana Community College and its maritime training offerings, visit http://www.solacc.edu.

For articles similar to this one, click here.

8 Reasons Living in Louisiana Spoils You for Life

Living in Louisiana is truly something special and one of a kind. From New Orleans, to Lafayette, to Lake Charles and Shreveport, the rich culture and interesting history is undeniably fascination. So fascinating in fact, that people come from all over the world to try our food, dance at our festivals, and get a taste of the Cajun culture that is unlike any other.

In this article, written in onlyinyourstate.com, they say it best when by stating, “Louisiana is the best, right? The Bayou State has a way of getting into your soul and spoiling you for life. From the amazing community to the abundance of history around us, we are pretty lucky to live in such an amazing state.”

For those of us who have grown up in Louisiana or have grown to call it home, the list of why living in Louisiana spoils you for life could be endless but a few of the reasons are:

  1. We take southern hospitality to new levels.
  2. Our food is unparalleled.
  3. The scenery is amazing.
  4. We support creative types.
  5. Our music.
  6. We’re surrounded by history.
  7. Our state parks are pretty incredible too.

Can you guess what number 8 is? Click here to find out the answer.

What are some of the ways that living in Louisiana has spoiled you?

For more articles similar to this one, click here.

Soft-shell Chargrilled Oysters

Created in the Big Easy, this recipe truly lives up to that name because it packs a big punch and is a super easy-to-make-and-eat dish that has quickly become an alternative to traditional chargrilled oysters, which are made on a half-shell. Rather than the shell, you will use a slice of French bread. One side is dipped in a sauce and the oyster is placed on top of the sauce then dressed up with cheese and green onion.

The dry side of the bread is placed directly on the grill over indirect heat. When these are done, the bottom of the bread is firm and crisp, so folks can simply pick the treat up off a platter and chow down. Below you will find the oyster and special sauce recipe.  Enjoy, Cher!

 

Ingredients

(Makes around 2 dozen)

24 to 48 raw oysters, depending on size
1 long loaf French bread, enough to slice 24 1-1/2- to 2-inch-thick pieces
For sauce
3/4 pound butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste
3 teaspoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons Worcestershire
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
To top and assemble
1 pound to 3/4 pounds cheese, grated
Creole seasoning, to taste
4 to 6 green onions, coarsely chopped
4 or 5 fresh lemons

Preparation

Shuck oysters, or buy them un-shucked.  Slice French bread on an angle, or bias, into 1/2-inch slices.

Make sauce: Combine butter, garlic, hot sauce, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire in a bowl and cook over low heat just until the butter is melted. Wait 5 minutes, then add parsley, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pour sauce into a shallow side pan or bowl. Allow sauce to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Place bread slices on sheet pans. Dip one side of bread slice into the sauce. Place it dry side down on the sheet pan. Continue until all slices are dipped. (Only dip one side, so that the bottom of the bread can get crisp and firm, making the oysters easier to manage.)  Lift oysters out of oyster liquid and allow to drip for a few seconds. Place an oyster on top of each bread slice. If oysters are small, put 2 on each slice. Sprinkle Creole seasoning on each oyster, to taste. Top each with a generous tablespoon of grated cheese. Sprinkle chopped green onions op top.  Preheat grill or oven to 350 degrees.

If using oven, slide sheet pans into oven and bake about 30 minutes, checking after 15 minutes.

If grilling, use indirect heat by pushing coals to other side of grill; then place bread directly on the grill. Close grill and allow to cook for about 30 minutes, checking after 15 minutes.  Oysters are done when bread just starts to brown and cheese bubbles. Oysters will be hot, so allow to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on top and serve.

Click here for more delicious NOLA recipes.

For more articles similar to this one, click here.

Is There a Nontraditional Student Anymore?

Just what is a “traditional” and a “nontraditional” college student these days?  It seems that more and more people are going back to school as parents, taking a “gap year” after high school, and making other life decisions that used to not be the norm.  Popular culture tells us that college students are recent high school graduates, living on campus, taking remedial classes, and (hopefully) graduating four years later. But these days that narrative of the residential, collegiate experience is way off, says Alexandria Walton Radford, who heads up postsecondary education research at RTI International in North Carolina. Today’s college student is decidedly nontraditional — and has been for a while. Radford has done a lot of research on this and defines the nontraditional student as having one or more of the following characteristics:

Financially independent from their parents
Having a child or other dependent
Being a single caregiver
Lacking a traditional high school diploma
Delaying postsecondary enrollment
Attending school part time
Being employed full time

Close to 74 percent of undergrads fall into one of these categories — and about a third have two or three. Here’s a snapshot of the 17 million Americans enrolled in undergraduate higher education, according to numbers culled by the National Center for Education Statistics.

1 in 5 is at least 30 years old
About half are financially independent from their parents
1 in 4 is caring for a child
47 percent go to school part time at some point
A quarter take a year off before starting school
2 out of 5 attend a two-year community college
44 percent have parents who never completed a bachelor’s degree

As demographics shift, Radford argues, policy should follow. It’s vital that institutions look at the characteristics of their undergrad cohorts, she adds, to explore how to address their students’ unique concerns. Perhaps that means offering services like financial aid, advising or tutoring after-hours (instead of the typical 9 to 5). Maybe it means offering child care for student-parents, or extra parking for commuters. One thing for sure, says Radford, is that it’s probably time to coin a new phrase for nontraditional students, considering they are the new norm. Click here to read more.

For more articles similar to this one, click here.

6 Quick Road Trips To Take In Louisiana

With Fall approaching and the weather slowly but surely starting to cool down, there has never been a better time to take a Louisiana road trip and explore all there is around the state. In this article, written by onlyinyourstate.com, you will find 6 amazing places in Louisiana that are a must visit.

  1. Drive the Creole Nature Trail.

The Creole Nature Trail is a 180-mile All-American Road that will take you through the southwestern part of the state. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to view tons of wildlife, bayous, marshes, over 25 miles of Gulf of Mexico beaches, and a thriving Cajun culture. Stop off along the way to enjoy an authentic Cajun meal before taking one of the most scenic drives in Louisiana.

  1. Get lost in Kisatchie National Forest.

Louisiana’s only national forest is comprised of over 600,000 acres of beautiful pines and hardwood bottoms scattered across seven parishes in central and northern Louisiana. The rolling hills and the beautiful scenery is just the ticket for anyone looking to immerse themselves in nature for a few days. There are numerous hiking trails, so bring a tent and set out on a camping adventure you won’t soon forget.

  1. Cruise down one of Louisiana’s scenic byways.

For a true road-trip experience, head down one of Louisiana’s 18 scenic byways for a unique adventure. From the northern Boom or Bust Byway to the southeast’s Wetlands Cultural Byway, you’re sure to have a memorable time traveling down these roads. Check out our previous feature article here to learn more about Louisiana’s scenic byways.

  1. Tour some plantations.

The stretch of River Road from New Orleans to Baton Rouge is peppered with historic plantations, canopies of ancient oaks, and delightful views of the Mighty Mississippi. Stop off at a couple of plantations to take a tour and learn the history, or just take a joy ride down the historic road to admire the lovely architecture and beautiful surroundings.

 

For the final two must take road trips in Louisiana, click here.

For articles similar to this one, click here.