Shrimp Etouffee on a Hot Summer's Day (Wednesday, June 27th, 2018)

Another really hot day in Havasu calls for some more creativity on how to spend our day.  We had a lot of fun using our outdoor kitchen yesterday, so we decided to do it again today.  I love to cook, but sometimes in the heat of summer it just doesn't feel like it's worth heating up the house.  So back outside we went!

Tonight's menu...shrimp etouffee and rice.  

Many years ago, Steve's aunt Nancy and Uncle Lloyd gave us a signed copy of "Chef Paul Prudhommes Louisiana Kitchen" cookbook. 

I have used it so many times throughout the years, but I have to admit that being the health food junkie that I am, I always alter the recipes to make them healthier.  But this time Steve decided that he wanted me to make the authentic recipe, full on roux and all.  The outdoor kitchen seemed like the perfect place for this.

It's so weird to imagine that this is just oil and flour.  It's so pretty!

Once the roux was complete, we added the vegetables and set it aside.

 Once it was cool, we added the roux and vegetable mixture to the seafood stock we had made earlier using the shrimp shells.

The next step of this recipe killed me almost as much as the roux, but I did it!  Cooking the shrimp in almost a cup of butter.  Yikes!

We made the basic rice recipe to go with the shrimp etouffee, but I decided to try something a little non-conventional.   Instead of putting the ingredients together and baking it, I decided to try it in the rice cooker.  It turned out great and was so easy in the heat of summer!  I would definitely do this again.

Our shrimp etouffee turned out great, and I have to admit that it is better than the healthier version, but I'll still have to revert back to my healthy version for everyday cajun cooking.  

It was so much fun to make the authentic version of this recipe from the cookbook we received so many years ago.  Thanks Lloyd and Nancy for this priceless gift!

Outdoor Cooking At It's Finest (Tuesday, June 26th, 2018)

It's that time of year here in Havasu where you either want to eat out or cook out.  Today we chose to cook out.  We wanted a home cooked meal, but didn't want to heat up the house.  Steve chose chicken marsala.  The onions and peppers were already in the pot, and the red wine wasn't part of the recipe.

The sauce is almost ready, now to boil the gnocchi.

Gnocchi is done as well.

Oh my, there is nothing better than home made chicken marsala and gnocchi.  It's time to dig in!

It was a really hot day today (114), so it was nice to relax on the back porch while our meal cooked itself.

Topless Tuesday at the Golf Course? (Tuesday, June 26th, 2018)

Another day of golfing at our course here in Havasu.  As we tee'd off on the first hole, we were greeted by this coyote, just looking for a cool place to relax.  They never bother us, they just want to be left alone.

He found a nice shade tree right by the second hole tees where he laid down and went to sleep.

As we came up to the tees on the 16th hole, we were a little shocked at what we saw.  Was it topless Tuesday at the golf course?

Double take! 



Enough said! Yes, this was Andra's post not Steve's!

My First Birdie (Sunday, June 24th, 2018)

We're back to the heat of Havasu, which means lots of preparation for a game of golf.  Lots of water, cooling towels, sunscreen, a hat and a cart are all necessities in Havasu in June.  But none the less, we still love golfing, hot or not.  

Today we went out to play at 8:40.  We like to play a little later than most to avoid the crowds, and the heat really doesn't bother us.  We've been playing this crazy game for 13 months now, and although we feel like we are getting better, we (or maybe I should say I because Steve is pretty good) rarely get rewarded with a par and never a birdie.  But  today was a really big day for me.  I got my first birdie on a par 4, which means for you non-golfers that I got the ball in with three hits!

As much as we hate this game sometimes, it sure is rewarding when we play well!  

Back Home (Friday, June 22nd, 2018)

Our trip back home was very uneventful, just the way we would want it to be!  Crossing the border was interesting this time, in that we were searched by the Mexican military before crossing the border, then we went through immigration and customs on the U.S. side after that.  Out of our four rigs, three got to go into secondary for a additional search this time.  We were the lucky ones that just got to go around!  

We did not have a line at the border at all, but there was a line trying to get into Mexico coming the other direction for the weekend.  

When we got home it was about 3:00, and the thermometer said it was 116 F and 10% humidity. 



Welcome back to Havasu!  No more ocean breezes, no more waves crashing, and no more fresh seafood, but we do love it here, even when the temps are soaring.

I took time to clean up my shells that I collected on our sandy beach and at Las Conchas.  I think I did pretty well!  I'm excited to add them to my collection!

A lot of people has asked me where Puerto Penasco is... it is at the top of the Sea of Cortez, about an hour across the border in Sonoyta.  It takes us about seven hours to get there from Havasu.  This includes a stop for gas in Gila Bend and all the border related stuff!

Our Final Day in Puerto Penasco (Thursday, June 21st, 2018)

The dolphins were back this morning, entertaining us as we enjoyed our breakfast and coffee on the front "porch". 

This picture shows how close they were to the shore.

We also had a fly by from a military plane each day.  Here is today's plane.



Steve bought me some fresh tortillas from one of the local ladies (a little grandma) who sells them each day on the beach. The people here in Puerto Penasco are so friendly and hardworking.  They bring their carts, goods and services by each morning and afternoon.  

Our first stop this morning was Rodeo Drive to pick up the art work that everyone had commissioned earlier in the week.  The artist they are using is Marco.  He will quote you a price and make just about anything you want, or he has so many pieces already made.

Joyce's agaves were ready for her when we arrived.

This is some more of Marco's work.

When we left Rodeo Drive, we headed to the pescaderia to pick up some shrimp and scallops for dinner.  We decided that it would be fun to cook together on our last night and just sit around camp and relax.  

This is where we always get our fresh fish.

 Look at the size of these clams!

If you want your shrimp peeled and deveined, they have a station out back where they will do it for no extra charge.

Three different sizes of shrimp are available.

Steve and I bought the large shrimp for $10 per pound.  They are so easy to clean yourself.



The pescaderia is so good, they put our fish in a bag, then put the bag in a bag of ice to keep it fresh.  We still didn't waste any time getting back to camp to get our fish into the refrigerator.

We had a quick lunch, then we all prepared to head out for our final trip in Puerto Penasco.

Tony and Joyce were playing golf at the course near town, but we decided to take Jann and Larry to town and Las Conchas instead.  Mary and Jerry stayed at camp. 

Our first stop in the afternoon was a "treasure" shop in town.  We don't know what it's called, but it's one of those places that everyone should see.  It has as much stuff than Rodeo Drive (see Tuesday's post), but it's all in one building.  It's three stories tall, and pictures don't do it justice.  You have to see it to believe it. It's a little overwhelming!

 

When we finished at the "treasure" shop, we continued on to Las Conchas (The Shells).  It is a gated community just to the east of down town Puerto Penasco.  It has sand streets and really beautiful houses.  We went house looking and shell hunting while we were there.

When we got back from Las Conchas, Tony and Joyce were back from golfing, and we had all worked up an appetite.

So we all did our dinner preparations while the men threw the shrimp and scallops on the grill.

And as usual...a feast fit for kings.

The thought of leaving tomorrow morning is a little tough to swallow, so luckily all of this delicious food helped it go down.  This trip has been so relaxing, and yet we found plenty to keep us busy.  For a small fishing village, Puerto Penasco has so much to offer!