Shrimp and Jazz Festival

We went to the first annual Southwest Louisiana Shrimp and Jazz Festival this weekend! I love new events that enhance our lake area culture and hold promise for future growth. And I do believe this party has potential! Besides that, Lake Charles can never have enough festivals, right? I mean, what are we up to, 80 by now?

Considering this festival's first year, check out the line-up!

Local saxophone master and Grammy nominee Mickey Smith Jr. headlined the event. He's a fantastic musician. This is a poor quality photo, but check out his website to see better pics and more info.

Food vendors offered boiled shrimp, shrimp fettuccine, and shrimp and grits. I'll have to try that last one next year. I love fresh shrimp!

There were also handmade jewelry and other vendors (including my friend Andrea Beck who makes unique jewelry out of vintage typewriter keys) plus activities for the kids. If you missed it this year, make a point to attend the Shrimp and Jazz Fest next year!

Seralinguisity

This is a bit of a different kind of post for me, but you know, it's a rainy day, so the Lake Arthur Regatta plan simply didn't work out. Instead I'm spending the afternoon reading O magazine. A couple months ago, I started receiving Oprah's glossy publication and I have no idea how they got my address. I had not subscribed. I don't read many magazines, but surprisingly, I'm enjoying this. Okay, I'm off-topic already.

Anyway, so I'm flipping through the pages, reading nearly every word because the writing is so beautiful, and I come across a short piece on simple summer cocktails, which piques my attention because I'm currently doing a series about summer cocktails from local upscale watering holes for our local Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

And I'm immediately struck by what I consider to be a curious phenomenon that happens to me in my life with some regularity. If it happens to me, I'm certain it happens to other people as well.

Have you ever stumbled across, experienced, discovered, came in contact with, etc. something, anything, for example a word, object, idea or concept, or even a person that you are absolutely certain you have never ever heard of or seen before in your life, and then within a few days or a week, there it is again! I get the biggest kick out of this. It makes me marvel and laugh. I consider it a phenomenon and I realized today, as far as I am aware, it has no name.

So I decided to give it a name. Seralinguisity.

Here's the seralinguisity I experienced today. Three days ago, I was at Ember Grille and Wine Bar at L'Auberge Casino in Lake Charles doing research for my current assignment, and the wonderful bartender there (Kelly Bistok -- she is amazing) made me one of her fabulous signature cocktails called White Linen. A key ingredient is a spirit called St-Germain elderflower liqueur. I had never heard of that. But it's very nice!

So today I see cocktail recipes in Oprah's magazine (pg 102 of the July issue) and there it is again! St-Germain elderflower liqueur! I laughed. It's seralinguisity!

Or is it just coincidence?

Readers, do you ever experience this amusing phenomenon? Tell me your story.

National Doughnut Day 2015

In honor of National Doughnut/Donut Day today, I'm reposting my mom and pop donut shop post from 2009. You can read it here.

I don't know about the local donut scene, but the big chains, Dunkin and Krispy Kreme, are giving away free donuts today. Check out this link for details.

Interestingly, neither of these chain stores exist in Lake Charles. With all the fantastic privately owned donut shops in and around town, we don't need the corporate confections!

One of my favorite local donut shops that I had not yet discovered in 2009 is Delicious Donuts on Country Club Rd. They indeed have something akin to the bear claw I mention in my 2009 post. They are also well known for their shrimp and crawfish kolaches and king cakes during Mardi Gras season.

One of my favorite donuts is a raised donut with maple icing. It reminds me of my Grandma Drummer's cinnamon rolls. What is your favorite?

Have a SWEET day!