Hoping that ya'll all had a very Merry Christmas! Mine was wonderful and I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by and sent me warm holiday greetings. I'd also like to say merci beaucoup to my new followers and if I have not been by to see you, yet, it's just because I've been very busy cooking for and celebrating Christmas. This is my 300th post and I'd like to celebrate by giving away an awesome Cajun cookbook. "Something to Talk About", compiled by The Junior League of Lafayette is chocked full of wonderful Cajun and Creole delights and takes you through each season, as we celebrate them, here in South Louisiana. To be eligible to win, just leave a comment on this post and tell me that you're a follower. The winner will be randomly selected on January 1st and announced shortly thereafter.
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I am finalizing my menu for my New Year's Day, brunch buffet, but I just wanted to share a scrumptious dip recipe that I will be serving my guests, that I adapted from this cookbook. I will be using crawfish, but it also can be made with shrimp, and it is out of this world!
1/2 cup butter1/2 cup each onions, bell pepper, and celery, diced
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
4 tbs.'s white wine
2 tbs.'s seafood stock or clam juice
Salt to taste
1 lb. cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails or peeled small shrimp
1/4 cup each fresh parsley and green onions, chopped
Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and celery and saute' for 5 minutes. Add Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, paprika, and garlic and stir well. Stir in white wine and seafood stock, and reduce heat to low. Add crawfish tails and salt and mix well and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Gradually add cream cheese until melted, stirring often and cook for 5 minutes. Add green onions and parsley and a little more white wine if mixture is too thick. Transfer to a dip bowl and serve with pastry shells. Makes 2 quarts. Sinfully delicious! Enjoy!
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An Award
I also have an award that I'd like to pass along to some of my favorite blog buddies who never fail to make me smile. Kitty @ The Block was kind enough to present me with the "Making Smiles on Faces" award. Thanks so much, Kitty, for including me on your list for this special award. Kitty is a Louisiana gal and talented writer who is now living on the East coast, and if you haven't visited her fabulous blog, you're in for a real treat! Since there are no strings attached to this award, I would like to pass it along to the following bloggers who always put a smile on my face and make me laugh. Please pay them a visit, when you have time, and tell them that I sent you! (in no particular order)
Congrats to all! Wishing you all a fun and fantastic week! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!
Posts
38 comments:
Well what an honour! Thank you Marguerite for your most generous "Making Smiles On Faces Award". I shall treasure this because of all the Blogs in BlogLand this is one of the ones I like visiting most. You are such a gracious and lovely hostess - the hostess with the mostess! and sinfully delicious if I may say so. It is a real pleasure making you smile my fiend (shucks, better put that right, friend! LOL).
This was indeed a surprise because I just popped round for another of your delicious Eggnogs. It may take a while but you'll make a cook and dancer out of me yet!!
My congratulations to you upon receiving the award from Kitty and my congratulations also to my fellow recipients. Hugs ~ Eddie
Have a good Cajun New Year, which I'm certain will include shrimp, maybe a little crab, probably a lot of Cajun music, and maybe the odd twirl on the dance floor. Have a good 2011!
Had a dip similar to this on Christmas eve. I'm going to try your version very soon, so thanks for the recipe! you know I'm a follower and I'd love to win the cook book!
Congrats on the award!
Marguerite! Thank-you! You've made my day!
My husband gave me a fantastic cookbook for Christmas, and he said that I should tell you about it, so here it is:
The Complete Southern Cookbook: More than 800 of the Most Delicious, Down-Home Recipes - by Tammy Algood
I spent nearly three hours perusing it yesterday -- well worth the hardcover price. It's a gem.
Again, I'm honored to be the recipient of your recognition. Your blog is always a delight and an inspiration!
Wishing you all good things in this new year....
xoT.
I follow! Each post is a little reminder of Louisiana!
Merci beaucoup! I am glad I make you laugh, but more important, I am glad I found your blog! YOU make me happy with all your up-beat posts. Also, thank you for following my blog and always giving me a comment.
Great giveaway! I would love to win this cookbook, I grew up with the Talk About Good ones from Lafayette J.L. and love those. My mom makes that red velvet cake recipe in there w/slight modifications and it's so good!
I'm sure this one is amazing too!
mmtyler @ gmail.com
Congratulations on the 300th post! I've subscribed to your blog for a while and have made several of your recipes with great results. Even though I lived in Lafayette for five years I never got a copy of Talk About Good even though I always meant to so I just became a follower of the blog in the hopes that maybe I'll win one. Have a Happy New Year!
now wait a minute Marguerite, if ever a smile comes across my face, it is when I visit you... thank you for thinking of me though, I will forever be smiling now - one of my first cookbooks was the original Jr League on Lafayette's "Talk About Good' and it truly is ... my copy is so worn out, the pages are just stuck in and the binding is well shot but that does not keep me from reaching for it just about every week... glad to follow you, would do so anywhere and thanks for the dip recipe too
smile------ hell bells you make me drool!
can we please get an award for that!
The prize could be drool cloths!
Happy New Year!
M
Blogger ate my first comment, but no way it will deter me from sending you my best wishes for another 300 posts. Congratulations, and keep on posting such delicious dishes.
Hey mags... Hope you had a terrific Christmas. Been a bit.... odd around here (Jackie was very sick... now just a little sick), so I haven't been around the blog world as much as I like. But I think things are almost back to normal.
Wish you well for the year, and 300 is a great milepost.. Always fun to come see you!
Dave
I'm not much of a cook (in that I don't cook much not that I'm a bad cook) but your recipes are always so tempting so put me in for it and I do follow.
Happy New Year!
I follow with Google Friend Connect. What a wonderful sounding book and recipe. Happy New Year!
Aww, shucks! Hope your holidays were a "delight"! I think bebe had a great first Christmas, and now that I'm getting back to blog land following the festivities, I'm catching up on posts. What a treat to see your blog award! Many thanks or as we say here in South Texas, Gracias! Congrats on your 300th! I look forward to trying many more recipes so keep 'em coming. They keep me connected to my Louzianee roots ; )
now this is a dip I could really sink a chip into and 300! way to go....
That dip sounds to die for and you've posted it just in time for New Year festivities. Congratulations on your award. It was well deserved. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary .
Oh and congrats on your 300th post - quite a landmark.
Thanks so much cher'! Glad to know I can make you smile!
Happy New Year to you, too. I am a new follower of yours and I've already generated a small army of fellow admirers of you. Thanks for sharing a part of yourself -- and those awesome recipes!
Im a follower :) Thank you for a fabulous year of yummy posts!
Cajun Delight is tops on my favorite blog listing - I totally love your recipes and it makes my Heart skip a beat everytime you mention your parties and Cajun music. Living so close to Louisiana (I'm a Texan) I delight in making Cajun food - fun for the tummy. Thank you so very much for your wonderful blog - just love your zest for Life.
Bonjour Marguerite , what a big honour the "Making Smiles On Faces Award" for me, thank you very much my dearest! I congrulate yours also with a big smile on my face. I will make my homework on the first week of January for my blog friends. Thanks again, wishing you a wonderful week, filled with love and happiness! See you next year-2011
Love and hugs, Zhivago.
Congratulations on your 300th post...! I always love, love, love reading your scrumptious recipes. I'm sure to bring my appetite when I visit your blog.
I hope you have a wonderful, Happy New Year...!
Eddie- You are quite welcome, cher! You are such a hoot and most deserving of this award! Merci beaucoup for the lovely compliments, and all the laughs and smiles, too! :)
John- Thanks so much for the good wishes. You're right on and maybe a little bit of champagne, too! Hope you have a great 2011, too! Cheers!
Pat- Thanks, so glad you like the dip and I hope you try it! To die for, cher! It's a great cookbook, too and you might just win it! Happy New Year!
T. Clear- You're so welcome, cher! Your post about the 60's Joy of Cooking cookbook really cracked me up! lol And, I've seen your new cookbook at a friend's house and it is fab! Thanks, it's my pleasure!
c.- Thanks so much for your nice comment and for stopping by! So glad you enjoy it! I tried your link but couldn't access your blog. Have a happy New Year!
Kat- You are very welcome, cher! Thanks so much for your sweet comment and for trying my recipes! Birds of a feather..... lol Wishing you all the best in 2011! Cheers!
Well, of course, I would love to have that cookbook. Christmas was a lovely time and I used a couple of my New Orleans cookbooks for my appetizers. My "River Road Recipes" and "Talk About Good" is over 30 years old!!
Congrats on 300 and your award, lovely job :) And very nice list of bloggers you have awarded...
Love the dip and the giveaway...both very cool :)
Wishing you an amazing New Years celebration and a lovely 2011!
Hugs
Hi, I found your blog thru Chef Dennis. I saw the word Cajun and ran right over here. Most people dream to go on a cruize, go to the beach, etc. My ultimate vacation is to visit Lousiana, just to eat and sample all of the great Cajun food I read about there. I make an awesome Crab/Clam Dip, a family tradition. Look forward to reading your posts, and would love to win the cookbook.
This recipe looks yummy. I really should know better by now to come here only after I've eaten!
Thank you sweet friend!!! I am trying to catch up with all of my blogging buddies today....it's been a busy week.
I would love to have the cookbook. Would you get me one and I'll send you a check.....it sounds like a great one to have on my shelf.
Thanks again for the award!
How did I miss this post? What could be better than a cajun cookbook, well your recipes here of course. Happy New Year.
That dip sounds really awesome! Would you believe that I actually forgot to check my reader for the past three days now? Talk about getting senile, that has to take the cake, I think. I couldn't figure out yesterday or today why I was finished with my regular computer type stuff so early every day lately until tonight, when it dawned on me -DUH! You forgot to check the reader, Dummy!
Hope you have a very Happy New Year and thanks again too for being such a faithful reader of my paltry little blog! I really do appreciate it. I read all your posts but don't comment very often, I know. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy your posts -just that I'm in a relatively quiet kind of mode and have been for quite some time now.
this is perfect. i was a bit lost as to what to bring to a new years party for the food table. awesome.
i wish you all the best for a happy new year !!
i follow of course
~laura xx
Marg- Hi and welcome! So nice to meet you! Thanks, it's a great cookbook and I've made that red velvet cake, too. It is out of this world! Have a very Happy New Year!
Erika- Hi and welcome! So glad that you liked them and and thanks so much for trying my recipes. The Junior League of Lafayette's cookbooks are the best. Also, thanks for stopping by and for following! Good luck and Happy New Year! Wish you still lived here!
Drick- Merci beaucoup for your lovely comment, cher! Love your "over the top" blog and recipes, too! I have all three of their cookbooks and mine are well used, also. You're very welcome! Enjoy!
cwg- Thanks for your sweet comment and for stopping by! That's a great idea about the "drool cloth" award! lol I'll have to work on that. Have a great 2011!
Rosaria- Merci for your kind comment and wishes, cher! So glad that you enjoy them! Lots more to come in 2011! Happy New Year!
Dave- So good to hear from you and happy to hear that Jackie is feeling better. Wishing both of you a healthy, Happy 2011! Cheers, cher!
Count me in! I love Junior League cookbooks and have a bunch - and I am definitely a loyal and happy follower.
Woo hoo! A great Cajun giveaway, Marguerite! I love Junior League Cookbooks, they're the best. I am glad I am a follower of your blog with it's great recipes and music too. Happy New Year and I'm looking forward to another of Cajun wonders!
Everytime, and I mean everytime I read your posts, I have to go eat sometime a short time later. Glad you don't post everyday! Have a great New Year !!!
ellen- Thanks for your sweet comment and for stopping by, cher! I love to cook, but don't love the clean-up, so I understand. Cheers!
Joan- Hi and welcome! So glad that you like the recipe and hope that you try it. Thanks so much for stopping by and for following! Happy New Year!
Kitchen Witch- You're so welcome, cher! The Christmas video of cher be'be' had me smiling from ear to ear. Thanks so much for trying my recipes. So happy that you enjoy them. Cheers and Happy New Year!
doggybloggy- Hi and welcome to Cajun country! The dip is divine and I hope that you try it. Merci beaucoup for stopping by and for following! Great to have you here and hope you'll stop in often! Happy 2011!
Mary- Thanks so much for your lovely comment! It's a great recipe and I hope that you give it a try. You might have to substitute shrimp for the crawfish, though. Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
Eddie- Why merci beaucoup, mon ami! Quite a landmark, indeed! Cheers, cher! Happy 2011!
Dee- You're very welcome, cher! You not only make me smile but make me laugh, like only like a fellow Cajun could! lol Happy New Year! Wish you were here!
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