*Recipe Week*, Day #6: Moker's Poker Jambalaya

Here we are at Day #6 of *Recipe Week*, and we haven't asked you that All-Important Question: Are you having fun yet? We sure are!

Today we visit the Gulf Coast--specifically Dawn's Neck o' The Woods--and sample the culinary delights of the Great State of Louisiana! We came upon this recipe, though, in the oddest of ways.

You've met Moker, correct? He's my Hubz, Aunt Julie's Big Bro, and the one who introduced us to Texas's Banana Split Cake. Now that we've got that settled, let me explain about Moker's Poker Jambalaya.

We used to live in DC. As in Washington. Our Nation's Capital. Named for Our First President of the Good Ol' U.S. of A. While residing in The Capital City, we saw the sites, inhaled the ambience, and found lots o' fun things to do on the weekends!

One of those things, for Moker, at least, was playing poker. A friend of his introduced him to a game run out of a carpentry shop in suburban Maryland. And these craftsmen could cook! Moker never brought home much in the way of winnings, but he did bring home a few winning recipes! And over the years, we've taken those recipes, and tinkered with 'em a bit, and made 'em our own!

So, there you have it. Louisiana Jambalaya, by way of a suburban Maryland poker game, while we were living in DC. Got it? Well, get this!

Moker's Poker Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 lb. smoked sausage, sliced (we like andouille)

1/2 lb. ham, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

5 stalks of celery, chopped

1 bunch of scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 16-oz. can tomatoes; do not drain!

1.5 cups of water

1 Tsp. thyme

1/2 Tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 Tsp. black pepper

1 Tsp. salt

1.5 cups rice

1.5 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

2 lbs. peeled shrimp

Directions:

Sauté sausage and ham until lightly browned.

Add onions, pepper, celery, green onions and garlic. Sauté until tender.

Add tomatoes, with juice, thyme, papper and salt; cook 5 minutes.

Stir in rice.

Add water and Worcestershire Sauce.

Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, add shrip, and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, until rice and shrimp are done.

Tomorrow, we've got a Packer Party Treat for ya, so stay tuned!

Have Quilt, Will Travel!

Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn, The Pop'r Queen and King, respectively, have in-laws in DC. As in the Nation's Capital, home to the White House--which, BTW, is not near as big in person as you'd expect it to be!

But I digress. As you know, Auntie J. is a quilting fiend! She recently completed a quilt for Son Number 3 to use in college. She's working on another for my youngest--in fact, we hear she's in the final stages of production! The Traveling Quilt Odyssey, however, began three years ago, when Julie began the quilt above, for her niece Down DC Way.

The Quilt in Question is from the book 40 Fabulous Quick Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy, published in 2005. The pattern's name is actually Those Fabulous Blues, "But I call it Off to College and The Quilt From Hell," Aunt Julie explains.

Please continue, Dear Readers, and you'll see what Auntie J. means. "The method I used to make the two-inch, half-square triangle blocks (692 of them) was with purchased triangle paper. This is a great method, unless you use the wrong size paper! I couldn’t make the blocks fit together, and ripped and re-sewed for days. Finally, I ended up individually recutting each two-inch square, all 692 of them, and it went together beautifully. There were other issues in the assembly, but I’ve blocked them from my conscious mind. Would I ever make another one? What do you think?" Well, we already know that answer, don't we? She's done two quilts since then!

"I love this quilt, and hope my niece cherishes it forever," Aunt Julie continues. "Maybe I can use it someday when I visit her, when she has a house of her own!"

So, why is the quilt so elegantly draped on the fence across the street from Dubya's Domicile? It's quite simple, really. The DC Kinfolks wanted to commemorate all of The Pop'r Family's visits down DC way over the years, including, but not limited to, Soccer Boy's expulsion from Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home), the solemn Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery, the floor of the US House of Representatives, and Ford's Theatre, all in one day. Or was it two? Well, he was a lot younger then (about 4), and he knows better now. We can only hope! But that particulary Odyssey is a post for another day.

So, here's to lovingly hand-sewn quilts, patience, tourists and the bonds that tie families together over the generations. And three cheers for Auntie J.!

Happy Birthday, U. S. of A.!

They grow up fast, don't they? This is my gal, supporting Our Troops at the 1991 Desert Storm Parade in DC. She's about to turn 18, by the way! Have a Festive Fourth, everyone!