Shrimp Season

    Shrimp season recently opened here...looks like it's going to be a good one!

Husband went shrimping with friend- came home with

 three ice chests full of beautiful Louisiana shrimp!

 

 

 

 First, we rinsed them while they were in the ice chest and let the water drain out. Next we had to take the heads off of ALL of this shrimp before we packaged them for the freezer.

 

My mother-in-law told me how to package them like this.  After taking the heads off of the shrimp, use a four cup measuring cup, fill with shrimp and pour that into a one quart Ziploc bag.  Seal it and then put that bag into another quart size bag.  (It's called double-bagging.)

Now that my freezer is full, I can start thinking of how I will cook them.  There are so many possibilities!  I will be sharing recipes soon....

Louisiana Boiled Crabs

     It's that time of year again...boiled crabs from Louisiana!  My husband went with a friend to the Vermilion Bay in south Louisiana the other day and came home with about three dozen crabs. That's enough for about three people....what can I say, we LOVE our seafood!

 

Don't they look delicious?

 

Here's the recipe:

3 dozen crabs
1/4 jar of Zatarain's Crab Boil
1 box salt
whole potatoes and onions - optional

Put water in a LARGE pot (fill about 1/2 way) and add seasoning.  I would add the potatoes and onions now.  How much depends on how many people you are serving.  I put three potatoes and three onions (one potato and one onion for each person).   Cover pot with lid.  On high heat, bring to boil.  When steam is coming out of the top, add crabs. Once the water comes to a boil again, cook the crabs for a full twenty minutes.  Drain the water or take the crabs out with tongs.    That's it!

 

I call these the necessities!  Oops, forgot the potatoes...

Another necessity down here: This boiling pot has a basket inside - fuel is a bottle of propane.

 

Note: If you only have a dozen to boil, you can boil them in a large pot on the stove.  That works too!

 

 

 

All things considered, this is a pretty healthy dinner...Enjoy!

Vacation Over

     My vacation has come to and end, so it's back to work.  I have been very blessed to have the opportunity to spend three weeks with my son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren on the east coast!  My son is active military (Army), still stateside. 

     My husband and I flew there, he stayed a week and had to fly back.  I decided to stay an extra two weeks while the kids were on summer break from school.  We did quite a bit while we were all together....the aquarium, the zoo, the beach.  My son and my husband got to do some fishing, caught a few fish too.  The Carolina's are beautiful!

The Aquarium

 

 

The Zoo

 

 

The Beach

 

     After my husband flew home, our big project was to get the youngest grandchild potty trained!  By the time I left, she was doing pretty well during the day.  Night training will come a little later.

     My oldest granddaughter had a list of things she wanted to do while I was there....  It included baking (she has been baking with me since she was able to sit on the counter next to me), she wanted to show me how to crochet, how to make friendship bracelets, etc. 

     We all played games, had a tea party, planted flowers, went to the park and the library.  Played in the sprinkler outside, watched movies, rode bikes.  How much fun can we cram into these three weeks!  These are the things we used to always do when they lived nearby. 

     My grandson is interested in the Avengers (and any other superhero) and Lego's.   I am so glad there are movies like that available to him.  All children need heroes to look up to!

     Saying goodbye is always hard.  My granddaughter held my hand on the way to the airport.  Don't cry.....

     I am so used to them living in the same town.  It's been an adjustment the past couple of years to have them far away.  Skype has been a godsend.  That and the fact that my Navy son is stationed here in Louisiana-  He couldn't come with us on  this trip. I do get to see him about every other weekend though!  It seems like my sons take turns living here...LOL. One moves away, the other comes back.

     The life of a military family.....