Friday, July 15, 2011

A Cool Poolside Lunch + Cajun Boogie

We're in the dog days of summer, here in Cajun country, and what could be more fab than a cool poolside lunch. I like to make up platters of fresh fruits and veggies, with cool, creamy dips for dipping. And maybe a yummy salad or sandwich with a refreshing cold drink to sip on. This is one of my favorite ways to beat the heat! What do you do to stay cool?


This Smoky Blue Cheese Dip is just perfect with fresh veggies and will send your taste buds into orbit, cher!  It is very easy to make and will delight your guests! Enjoy!

Smoky Blue Cheese Dip

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
3 strips smoked bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
1/2 cup light mayo
4 tbs.'s low fat buttermilk
4 tbs.'s light sour cream
1/4 cup green onions, chopped fine
1 tsp.apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Salt and Tabasco to taste

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk until well blended. Chill for 1 hour and serve with fresh veggies or crackers. Also great with chicken wings. Cest bon, cher!

To see my Grilled Cajun Chicken Wings recipe, click here.
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And I also love to make up a big bowl of delicious shrimp salad and nestle it into a whole wheat French roll , and then top it off with lettuce, fresh Creole tomatoes, and alfalfa sprouts. Yum! My favorite!! Divine, cher!

Shrimp Salad Sandwiches

1 lb. medium, cooked shrimp, chopped
1 lemon, cut in half
1 tbs. Cajun seasoning
2 large hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup each, onion and celery, diced
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tbs. sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup light mayo
1 tbs. Creole or Dijon mustard
1 tbs. ketchup
Few shakes of Tabasco

In large bowl, squeeze lemon juice on shrimp and season with Cajun seasoning. Add eggs, onions, and celery, and mix well. In separate bowl, mix garlic, relish, mayo, mustard, ketchup,  and Tabasco and mix well. Add to shrimp mixture and toss to coat evenly. Chill until ready to serve. Serve on your favorite bread with romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes,  and sprouts. Bon appetit!

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And to drink, I love to make up a batch of these Strawberry Margarita Spritzers. So refreshing and delightful and perfect for a weekend gathering! Cheers!

Strawberry Margarita Spritzers

1 (10 oz.) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup tequila
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 (10 oz.) can frozen strawberry daiquiri mix, thawed
2 tbs.'s fresh lime juice
1 (1 liter)  bottle club soda
Lime slices for garnish

Place first 5 ingredients in blender and pulse until smooth. Pour into a pitcher and stir in club soda, right before serving. Garnish with lime slices. Cheers!

I'll be sharing these at:

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 Cajun Boogie

It's shaping up to be a fun weekend, with some great music events going on.Tonight, we'll be going to the Blue Moon Saloon, for a double header event, featuring the fabulous Feufollet band and The Lost Bayou Ramblers. Then on Sunday we'll be headed to Whiskey River Landing for a benefit dance with five bands playing for a good cause. Definitely, my kind of weekend!

Here's a little clip that I took of one of the bands that are playing at tonight's shindig. Their unique style of Cajun boogie can really get a crowd moving and here they are, rockin'  the crowd at Vermilionville, at the Bayou Vermilion Festival. A whole lotta nitty-gritty dancin' going on, cher!. Oh, the life of a Cajun is oh so fun!

To see more of my Cajun and Zydeco videos,  and to check out my You Tube Channel, click here.

Feufollet



Wishing all of you a great,  fun-filled weekend! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

30 comments:

Cloudia said...

colorFUL!



Aloha from Waikiki;


Comfort Spiral

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hidden art of homemaking said...

I am always so excited to see a new post from you!! this food looks beautiful and delicious..can't wait to try this blue cheese dip..yum yum...thanks for writing such a fun blog....

Rosaria Williams said...

I'm ready! And I need sun and great food prepared by a great cook and fabulous hostess. Thanks for the invitation, M.

It's Just Me said...

I'm hungry now!! YUMMO!! Luv, Mare
http://mare-itsjustmebeingme.blogspot.com/2011/07/fun-friday.html?spref=fb

ellen abbott said...

we started out this summer with the dog days. a whole summer of dog days this year.

Eddie Bluelights said...

You've got my mouth watering yet again LOL. Delicious and nuticious. What do I do to stay cool, you ask? When its really hot and overpowering which doesn't happen very often here, I find any air conditioned super market and do the shopping!! Cool! but boring!! Would rather be in your swimming pool though, sipping a delicious Strawberry Margarita Spritzer. LOL. Bye for now ~ Eddie

Shauna said...

Hope you have an amazing weekend :)

Joanne said...

This is the most refreshing post I've seen all day! We keep the meals lite and eat outdoors on the deck on these hazy, lazy summer days. We're expecting a stretch of weather reaching well into the 90s in the next week, phew!

Rita said...

Merci a toi. just have a pk of blue cheese wanting attention;this recipe will be perfect.
Rita

Marguerite said...

Cloudia- Aloha, cher! Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Mona- Thanks so much for your sweet comment! Glad you like the dip and want to try it. You're welcome, and thank you for reading it!

Rosaria- Merci for the nice compliments, cher! You're welcome, the door is always open for you!

Mare- Thanks, I love to make people hungry! :) So glad you stopped by and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Eddie- Merci beaucoup for the compliment, cher! Sorry you can't be in my pool, but you can make this Strawberry Margarita Spritzer! LOL Cheers and happy weekend!

Shauna- Thanks, I'm having a blast! Hope yours is fun, too! Thanks for stopping by!

Chef Dennis Littley said...

I just don't know where I would begin! At first I thought skip the veggies, just give me that dip and a spoon! Then I saw those wings...sigh...I love wings! and your shrimp salad whats a po boy to do when he can't decide! I know just keep eating!!
thanks for sharing all of your wonderful creations with us today!

Miriam said...

You always have such yummy looking food!!! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

Beautifully Forgiven, Kortney said...

Hi Marguerite! These dishes look delish!! Thanks for sharing! I hate the dog days of summer!! I am soo looking forward to waking up to cool crisp mornings again! :)

I'm stopping by from the Super Stalker Sunday hop! Thanks for joining us again!

Hope to see you again next weekend,
Kortney
Kortney's Krazy Life

Dawn said...

Just looking at your photos on this post makes my mouth water! Following you back from SSS! I'm off to go browse your recipes!!

Rebecka said...

following you via SSSBH...I love creole cooking and will be stopping by regulary to see what you'll be making next...

Olivia said...

That does sound like fun! I'm pinning (on pinterest) that shrimp salad to try later!
I'm a new follower.
suchakingdom.blogspot.com

Pam said...

Pretty cool and festive looking for a hot summer day! Love that blue cheese and the margarita will definitely work too! It's supposed to be a scorcher here today and all this next week. We have a lake a block away so I'll be visiting it. Love your video as always! Stay cool, mon ami!

Drick said...

I made a shrimp salad not too long ago, I don't think it was that good, yours sounds great - love that blue cheese dip, the cider just makes it for me...

Anonymous said...

Following you from the Sunday Blog hop - hope you stop by! www.blenifer.com

Farm Fresh Decor said...

Now I'm starving!! YUM! Thanks for stopping by my blog! So happy to follow back :D

Delightful Deets said...

This all looks delicious! Thanks for sharing, following you back!

Emily Stephens said...

Hi!

Thanks so much for linking up with Super Stalker Sunday hop again. There are several wonderful blogs participating this week, you're certain to find a few new favorites!

I look forward to reading more from you!

Your Co-Host,
Emily from Nap Time Is My Time

P.S. - I've recently switched from blogger to WordPress and had some issues when transferring the GFC widget. I'd really appreciate if you could double check to ensure you're following me!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Oh you have me drooling over everything. I especially can't wait to try the veggies and the dip and the cocktails!

Magic of Spice said...

This dip would be amazing with so many summer foods...what a spread! And the shrimp sandwich, of wow :)
I hope you have a wonderful week and looks like you have some great ways to stay cool :)

Marguerite said...

Joanne- Thanks, I love to eat light meals out by the pool, too. Looks like you're having a heat wave. Stay cool!

Rita- You're welcome, cher! Hope you try the dip, it's fab! Thanks for stopping by!

Chef Dennis- Merci beaucoup for your sweet comment! I know what you mean about the dip! :) And I hope you try the chicken wings, too. You're welcome, it's my pleasure!

Miriam- Thanks! Yummy looking and tasting food is my specialty! lol Thanks for coming by, cher!

Kortney- Thanks, so glad you like them! I know what you mean. You're welcome, and thank you for hosting! I will!

Dawn- Hi and welcome! Thanks so much for the nice compliment! And for stopping by and following back!

Jessica | Cajunlicious said...

Marguerite everything look s great!

Allison said...

Wow. All looks so amazing. I just spent way too long looking around you blog. Fantastic. Looking forward to your next post.

Linda Starr said...

I love blue cheese, smokey blue cheese sounds even better, and those strawberry drinks don't even look real they are so perfectly red and delicious looking.

Marguerite said...

Rebecka- Hi and welcome! So glad you like Creole and Cajun cooking! Thanks so much for stopping by and for following!

Olivia- Hi and welcome! Thanks for pinning the shrimp salad recipe and for following! Now following you, too. I hope you try it!

Pam- Thanks so much for your lovely comment! The dip and Margaritas are fab and I hope you try them. Glad you enjoyed the video, too. :)

Drick- Merci for your sweet comment, cher! The shrimp salad is divine and the dip, too. Hope you try them!

Jenn- Hi and welcome! Thanks so much for stopping by and for following! I'm following you back, now!

FFD- Thanks, so glad you like the recipes! And thanks a lot for coming by and for following back!

Lisa- Hi and welcome! Thanks for coming by and for following! Now following you, as well!

Six Sisters said...

Your recipes always have me drooling!!! This looks like the perfect summer meal! Thank you so much for linking up to Strut Your Stuff Saturday- we would LOVE to have you come back tomorrow and link up more of your great posts!
-The Six Sisters
http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com