Winter Camping

We took this weekend after Thanksgiving as an opportunity to go camping and climb in Mt.Judea, Arkansas at Sam's Throne - a culmination of bluff-line and relatively unpopulated woods that are fit for an amazing trip! It was Alpine and Pepper's first camping trip, so I was a little nervous, but they did well. It was particularly funny to see how domesticated my dogs really are. At night time, I would find them sitting by the entrance of our tent, waiting to "go inside" like they would any other night, rather than enjoying the cold air and warm fire. I suppose Alpine was frightened by an open flame and maybe Pepper was just following along in his footsteps. Who knows!

Pesto Grilled Salmon and Cheese Bread

Of course we planned a campfire menu that would energize us throughout the trip and give me something fun to do once the sun went down. The first night we did the traditional Hobo meal - where you prepare something in individual portions prior to the trip, wrap each portion in aluminum foil, and freeze the meal. This way, once the camp site is set up and a fire gets going, the Hobo meal is usually defrosted and ready for the hot coals of a burning fire! Last time we went camping, I made pesto grilled salmon and it was so tasty that we decided to do it again. Individual portions of salmon covered in the creamy tastiness of pesto make the best campfire food you've ever eaten! The key to this meal is getting the fire burning for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, where the coals beneath the fire are hot through and through. Pull some coals out to the rim of the fire pit, and toss the salmon Hobo dinners skin side down on the coals. Cook them for about 20 minutes or until the fish is flaky and pink, yum! While the fish was cooking,  I wrapped a pepperidge farm 5 cheese french loaf in aluminum foil and threw it on the outside of the fire for a snack... delicious!

In the meantime, I boiled some water on our camp stove and cooked 1/2 pound of whole wheat linguine noodles. Once they were cooked al dente, I drained them and added fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, and a hefty splash of white wine (a camp trip staple). Slap ya mama! Seasoning spiced it up, and here we have a yummy hot meal. Mmm.

After a campfire night with plenty of wine and smores, we woke up and got the coffee going (that's a necessary step to any day - camping or not!). In the meantime, Vincent toasted some whole wheat bagels over a lightly burning fire that we started for warmth. I scrambled several eggs and egg whites with cheddar cheese and cajun seasoning and we filled each bagel with a heaping serving of cheesy eggs. The boys had a few slices of summer sausage on theirs, but I naturally skipped out on that. *Tip - cover your plates with aluminum foil for easy cleanup! It's too cold outside to be doing dishes with bottled water.*

Saturday we hiked out to the throne and started on a climb called Chicken Coup, a 5.7 trad climb that was a little harder on the start than it looked. I just had some trouble getting good feet, but eventually I was able to scramble my way up! After that, we headed to a crack climb that I've done several times previously, but it always makes me angry when I start because it's so wide that I can't get my feet in a good lock. Once I get a good fist jam I can kind of smear out left on the rock face and I'll be golden after that. Fun climb, but even better to finish it once you get past that gnarly base!


Lunch time when we are climbing always consists of cinnamon raisin bagels with peanut butter and good old trail mix - peanuts, banana chips, and raisins! Pepper likes to crunch the banana chips extra loudly :) At night we made black bean burritos - which were eaten entirely too fast for me to photograph! I sauteed a bell pepper, medium onion, and one jalepeno on the camp stove + added a canned of black beans (I am a huge fan of reduced sodium Bush's black beans). We warmed some tortillas on the fire, tossed a handful of cheddar cheese, a splash of salsa verde and scooped some black bean filling into the burrito, rolled them and gobbled them down! Note... do not cut jalepenos when you're camping because you can't wash your hands well enough by pouring bottled water over them or using hand sanitizer... and you WILL rub your nose and/or eyes later and then cry about it. Ouch! Next time I will used pickled jalapenos.

Oh man, when we woke up the next morning we originated the epic blueberry pancakes - these things were meant for 6-9 pancakes, but we just made them one big handful. They were really yummy, but I was not able to finish even half of mine. The boys finished theirs and ate scrambled eggs - incredible! 

Climbing on Sunday was anything by effortless. Although we had these amazing pancakes for breakfast, we were exhausted from going all out the day before. We all climbed this great dihedral crack called Albino Rhino. It was a really fun climb - especially since you could stem at the top if needed. 

Albino Rhino

All in all, we had an amazing time. I can't wait to go camping again, if we can withstand some of these colder weekends - perhaps we will be back out there soon! 

Priority 1 Emergency: Sweet Potato Stroke!

Happy Turkey Day! I hope all of you are spending the day in the company of your families - and finding yourself appreciative for many things to be thankful for. I, for one, am incredibly grateful for my family, friends, my always interesting yet incredibly rewarding job, Alpine and Pepper - the infinite love and loyalty of furry best friends, but most of all for Vincent. I'm not sure that anyone can be as phenomenal as he has been today, and for that I am ever so thankful.

Working in EMS is a minute by minute mystery - something a little different than the well thought out plans I usually arrange. For example, this morning when I woke up and took a shower, I barely made it to the kitchen to pour myself a piping hot cup of coffee when the dreaded "beep beep beep" sounded to page me out on an MVA (motor vehicle accident). When we arrived on scene, there was a pickup truck turned on its side in a moderately deep ditch and another truck that appeared to have been side swiped - both passengers only endured minor injuries due to glass from the wreckage. Little to my knowledge, a mexican fella was sitting in the back seat of the police car in hand cuffs. He decided that it would be a good idea to drive really fast when he saw the police squad car at the Exxon station because of what was later determined as - invalid drivers license, stolen license plates x 2, outstanding tickets x 3... etc. Not to mention that his alcohol level was measured at 2x legally intoxicated. 7 am, people - and still dressed to the nines! If you're going to party with the mexicans, get ready to party hard.

Later, we saw a stroke in a patient that was entirely too young - early 30s, and a baby with severe pneumonia and pulmonary distress needed transport to a specialized children's hospital - a 3.5 hour round trip. These, among other job duties, are the reason that I alone was not able to carry out the delicious Thanksgiving menu that I planned on cooking at the station. Vincent, however, had other plans. I left some of the recipes up on my computer - but he managed to pull off the whole menu of immensely flavorful sides, served hot next to a moist and tasty turkey breast. Thank you baby :)

Thankfully (how appropriate!) I had previously done some prep work in the dessert department. A classic pecan pie - a dessert that I have been in charge of providing my family since I understood the concept of stirring ingredients and pouring them into a pie crust, was of course necessary!  Unfortunately, because of a lack in time, I opted to go for my elementary version of pecan pie - which was still delicious. It's a shame, though, because I really like making pastry from scratch and a homemade crust steps any pie up a notch! Oh well, settling for delicious has to work right now! Well - don't you know pie crusts are sold in packs of two! Not to mention, Thanksgiving isn't the same without pumpkin pie. This experience was a little less fortunate in the way of emergency calls. I made it yesterday and we had 3 calls during my attempt to cook it - and for each call I was forced to turn off the oven for fear that I'd set the whole station on fire if we were gone too long. Fear not! The pie finally cooked through and turned out to be a tasty treat. This one's for you, Fram!

Aside from dessert, which is naturally my favorite, here is the Turkey Day Menu:

Simple Roasted Turkey Breast 

Rosemary Herb Gravy

Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Pecan Topping

Creamed Spinach (thanks Ellie K. for making this more healthy)

Sister Schuberts Whole Wheat Rolls :)

Creamed Spinach!

This is the first time that I have brined a turkey. Well, shit, it's the first time I've cooked one period the end! (Vincent did the cooking). Water, salt, honey, and a stick of butter melted together until smooth and once cooled to room temperature, the 4 LB turkey breast soaked in this brine in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. This method is said to keep the turkey moist during the roasting process, and I'll have to say that I think it works! Once I had a few minutes to spare in between saving lives, I took the turkey out of the brine and patted it dry. At this point, I rubbed it with half of a stick of softened butter and we seasoned it generously with salt and pepper. Into the oven at 325 for a few hours - this was Vincent's expertise!!! I'm not sure how long he actually cooked it for, but when it hit my plate it was perfectly done. A meat thermometer would have helped... had I have been watching it cook!

Thanksgiving Meal

The sweet potato stroke - oh my goodness! My grandma originally made this recipe for Thanksgiving many years ago and it has been a hit ever since. It's a creamy blend of whipped sweet potatoes with cinnamon, brown sugar, salt and pepper - plus this year I spiced it extra with a hint of ginger and nutmeg. The topping is a crunchy rave of the original Corn Flake cereal, chopped pecans, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter (Vincent left the butter out and it was equally astronomical in taste :) If I hadn't been running calls all day, perhaps I could describe the utter magnificence of these sweet potatoes, but just trust me this time... they are the shit!

I hope you have concluded your Thanksgiving as a happy camper! Thank you for all that you do!

Ps. Speaking of camper - Vincent, Alpine, Pepper and I are embarking on a climbing trip/camp out for the weekend in the cold Arkansas valley of Mt. Judea where we will be at Sam's Throne. A fun place to be, but also a time to remember my sweet girl Emma. This will be Alpine and Pepper's first camping trip - a very cautious one at that. I think it will be great!!!

I'm Saucy!

This is funny because you may have heard that R&B song - "I'm Bossy." If not, just disregard the title. Vincent and I found ourselves in the kitchen singing "I'm saucy, it's the baddest beans around..." I said all of that to say this - Red Beans and Rice are a southern classic dish, which I like extra saucy! It also helps to have a saucy bean mixture when you're going to eat them with brown rice, because the rice is a little tougher than white rice.

There is something interesting that I took from a cookbook that my Mimi Lambert helped write many years ago in conjunction with her church. The cookbook, LaBonne Cuisine, follows many classic southern recipes and even includes some New Orleans favorites - such as Brennan's Restaurant Bananas Foster (YUM!) The cookbook had a small paragraph discussing the tradition of soaking beans overnight. Almost everyone soaks dried beans in a pot of water overnight to soften them in preparation for cooking the following day. Well, LaBonne Cuisine disagrees with that tradition because it is said to pull many of the nutrients from the dried beans into the soaking water. When the water is poured out and the beans are rinsed, many beneficial natural elements of the beans are lost. The cookbook suggests an alternate method, which is to simply cover the beans with water and bring them to a boil for 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat, place a lid on the pot and wait one hour. When time is up, drain and rinse the beans - and you'll have softened nutrient packed beans that are prepared to be cooked.

Now, if you're as southern as I am, you know good and damn well that red beans and rice include a big ol' hunk of pork sausage. Not in my kitchen! We are oink & moo free in the younger Procido generation. To many of my friends it may come as a shock that I have even gone this far...

 ... but give me a chance to explain. Turkey sausage is a lower fat, white meat option for recipes that call for meat to add a fundamental depth of flavor. This smokey turkey sausage does the trick! Not to mention, even to my surprise, it's quite tasty. (I know... I just said sausage is tasty. Forgive me!) Get a skillet going on medium heat, slice the sausage on a diagonal, and saute until browned. Sometimes a drizzle of olive oil is a good measure due to the low fat content of this sausage. Remove the sausage from the pan, and throw in the following:

2-3 stalks celery, scrubbed, trimmed and diced

1 medium sized white onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Salt and Pepper until the wafting smell hits you like heaven!

If you like, you can get this part going while those beans are soaking for an hour. By the way, this recipe calls for 1 Lb. of red kidney beans, I like Camilla brand.

Now, once you have the aromatics sauteed and the beans have soaked for at least and hour, drain and rinse the beans and throw them back into the pot along with the sausage, onion & celery mixture (you'll need a good sized soup pot for this!) Add the following ingredients for saucy red beans:

8-10 cups of water (watch the beans as they cook, adjust to your liking)

1 can of tomato sauce

2 tsp. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. Tabasco (sometimes I add several more dashes of this later)

1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Salt to taste (careful, the turkey sausage adds quite a bit of salt, so you may want to wait until the beans have cooked to add salt)

Bring the bean mixture to a boil and then cook the beans on medium heat or at a simmer for 2 - 21/2 hours or until creamy and tasty :) Add a small amount of chopped fresh parsley if you like. While you're waiting patiently for this scrumptious meal, or if you're Pepper - barking at the pot until it's ready, there is cornbread to be made. Red beans and rice wouldn't be right without cornbread! The Jiffy cornbread mix is a quick fix, and I like it just fine. However, this time I made some buttermilk cornbread from scratch, which was tangy, fluffy, and delightful. 

Also, for the rice - boil 3 cups of water with a sprinkle of salt. Add 2 cups of brown rice, stir, place the lid on, and cook on medium low for about 40 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID before at least 35 minutes. The steam held within the pot is essential for fluffy rice. Once the beans are almost ready to eat, dump the rice into the beans and stir it up... yum yum yum!

And voila! Saucy Southern Classic... Enjoy :)

...Excellent Eggs...

I like to eat eggs, regardless of the fact that I always (without fail) leave more than 2 bites of them left on my plate. Usually they are delicious, but they must be perfect in temperature and texture for me to eat them. I can only eat my baby chickens so fast, so once I have had my fill, I quit. Vincent is usually patiently waiting so that he can finish them.

Eggs before the flip!

In the last few months, I have been perfecting the art of "frying" eggs. I have an analon wok hybrid pan that has a nonstick surface with a flat bottom and fluted walls. This pan is by far the perfect egg cooking device, and it makes a damn good risotto now that I mention it. Anyway... Vincent loves eggs; he would eat eggs 3 times a day - every day of the week - if I cooked them. But only if I cook them. Never in my cooking enlightenment have I realized how amazing my eggs are until recently. One night, I needed a little touch of protein to a meal, and I decided that a couple of fried eggs would be the perfect element. A tab of butter and low heat is the key to making these tantalizing pillows of perfection. Once the eggs slowly form a solid bottom, I can flip them with the pan, and when they land it's only a few seconds before we have perfectly fried eggs.

You know, few things make me want to stop someone in the middle of their actions more than someone cracking a delicate egg onto an overheated pan. WHY?!?! People... eggs are very temperamental forms of protein. A pan on medium low heat is more than enough to cook an egg. Yes, it takes patience (which is comical because usually I have no patience what-so-ever, but for good eggs I can freakin wait!) So, here are a few guidelines:

- Take the eggs out of the fridge and allow them to start coming to room temperature when possible. 
- Use a nonstick pan to reduce the chance of burning to the pan.
- Never cook eggs over a flame that is higher than medium. (Don't do it. Just don't.)
- When scrambling eggs, add a splash of milk, salt, and fresh cracked pepper before whipping them with a fork. Once you pour the scrambled deliciousness into a preheated pan, allow them to cook for a minute or so before you bother them. Stir the scrambling eggs and add cheese half way. When the eggs look like they are still slightly runny, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to continue cooking from the residual heat of the pan. This will give you some of the creamiest, most delicious scrambled eggs you have ever eaten!
- Thinly sliced scallions can transform eggs with an amazing element of flavor.

Transform a Breakfast!!! 

Cinnamon Almond Oatmeal and Perfectly Fried Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein, although the yolks contain a lot of cholesterol. You can always use a 1 whole egg to 1 egg white ratio to make the breakfast more healthy. Also, in this beautiful cold weather, I really like a nice hot bowl of oatmeal. The protein from the eggs and the fiber from the oatmeal will keep you feeling full throughout the day. The traditional rolled oats that Quaker makes have an amazing hearty and earthy texture that makes me feel cozy when I eat them! I make the oatmeal according to the package directions using water or vanilla soymilk. If using water,  add a splash of milk to the oatmeal once it has been cooked to get that creamy texture. When available, sliced almonds are the perfect crunch and an added source of heart healthy ingredients to this complete breakfast.


[Some Oatmeal Flavor Ideas]
- One tablespoon of brown sugar per serving, a splash of maple syrup, and a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon  (cinnamon is said to keep you more alert throughout the day!)
- Stir a spoon full of peanut or almond butter into the oatmeal and top with a sliced banana
- Sprinkle a handful of dried cranberries, a dash of pumpkin pie spice, and some pumpkin seeds for a festive treat
- Get creative! Most fruits, baking seasonings, and nuts taste delicious in oatmeal! Or you could always eat it plain (the vanilla soymilk gives it a nice flavor by itself)

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Going for Brunch?
Maybe you're wanting eggs for a meal later in the day for breakfast. Great! We love breakfast for dinner :) And a delicious drink to serve with eggs is a Bloody Mary. In New Orleans, we drink these things starting early (haha) but that's just how things go...

Spicy Bloody Mary

Now. Traditional Bloody Mary Mix is made with tomato juice, a squeeze of lemon/lime, Lea & Perrins, horseradish, cracked black pepper, and pickled vegetables such as green beens or okra... and of course, Vodka. I like spicy Bloody Marys! A local market in Baton Rouge called Briarhill Farms, makes the spiciest and most complete mix I've ever tasted. (It's also capable of curing the worst of hangovers when you leave the vodka element out) This mix is just plain outrageous!



Vincent made some Bloody Marys yesterday with this mix, and they were amazing! We just use a stalk of fresh celery in leiu of the pickled vegetables, but with this spicy mix, that was all we needed. Yum Yum!

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Briarhill Farms Bloody Mary Mix is sold in Baton Rouge for $10 a bottle. Support the locals, screw Zing Zang!

Transfer or Transport?

The adult human heart beats 60-100 times per minute.  The lungs require 12-20 breaths per minute to oxygenate the body. Oxygen saturation should be 95-100% in a healthy person, but when the O₂ sat falls below 85%, the patient is in a state called hypoxia. When the body experiences trauma, sometimes the lungs go from a state of hypoxia to apnea (not breathing), where the air volume in the lungs essentially remains unchanged. When there is no airflow, the body is in respiratory arrest and the brain can only go a few minutes without oxygen before the body fails and ultimately ceases to live.

I watched these physiological processes slowly crawl from full force vital signs to critically unstable hypoxia in a patient, and I transferred her to a higher care hospital for a neuro consult. Upon arrival, in the fastest 3 minutes of life, vitals crashed to apnea and the heart rapidly ceased to beat.

The time frame of death for this person was short due to a legal document called a DNR order that prevents anyone from performing advanced life support for the patient. My job was to transfer this patient to a higher level of care – to bring this life to another physician that would also not have the ability to perform life support for this patient. A physician that would potentially evaluate the neurological condition of the patient, IF the patient survived the transfer. Why? Because the family thought it would be a good idea. The same family that opted to not have this person resuscitated if necessary. So this transfer of facilities was a decision made in an emergency by the family that resulted in a transformed life to a transported body. 

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” - Vincent van Gogh

A Whole New Bagel

Here we go! I've never blogged before, or even had the desire to share my hilarious life experiences with people... but after working a 219 hour pay period in the last 2 weeks, I came to the realization that maybe not everyone on Facebook wants to hear about my EMT stories and cooking endeavors. And that's how Lights, Sirens, and Gumbo was formed. I plan on using some of my free time (when I'm bored to death on a slow day at work) to share these stories and recipes with you.

72 hours off last weekend was possibly the best thing that ever happened to me. You know that feeling, when you wake up and you know that there are only a few minutes before you have to get up for work? Well, this time, I had that feeling - except I was able to stay in my warm bed... no beeps, no emergencies, no waking up to wash a freaking ambulance at 0545am. Just peace. And when I woke up, coffee. Thanksgiving blend, from Starbucks, to be exact (not the Folgers that the station provides. gag!). So I'm a food snob, who cares! I am a PROCIDO. (Bold because my origins are, also. Thanks, Papa Procido)

I'm fairly sure that when normal people get a weekend off, they use it for different purposes than I do. When I got off at 0700 Friday morning, I arrived home to have coffee with Vincent before he left for class. By 1030 I had the entire house swept, vacuumed, mopped, dusted, sheets changed, laundry x 3, puppies bathed and house smelling like a willow tree. Now then, running time! There is nothing better than a good cold run after a shift at work. Unfortunately, my left tibia and ankle have decided to not partake in my planned run. Swelling, redness, and aggravation set in at its best due to a previous stress fracture in my last half marathon (Rock n' Roll Dallas, March 2010). WHY ME! I just wanted to get some exercise for crying out loud. I've settled for cycling in the meantime. But let me be the first to tell you... if you think you're in shape from running, put on your cycling shoes and helmet and hit some hills with a 30 degree windchill and bless my soul I am not in shape! 30 minutes later I was sitting on the floor in my kitchen sharing a banana with Alpine and Pepper... wiped out.

Naturally, when I've obsessed over cleaning and I have exercised my body, there is only one thing left to do - cook. I was thinking along the lines of baked potato soup, using unsweetened soy milk for a healthier approach. Hmm, I thought, some bread would go nicely with that. Upon  referencing the Bread Bible, I came upon a recipe for Egg Bagels that called for the starchy water created from boiling potatoes. Perfect!!! Potato soup = potato water= Bagels... BRILLIANT! Ok, I got excited. I've never made bagels before, but it couldn't be that hard. Right?

Cinnamon Oatmeal-Wheat Bagels

 Nom Nom Nom. Made with whole wheat flour (30%), rolled oats, and cinnamon. Making bagels was really interesting, and surprisingly enough, it's really not any harder than making a traditional yeast bread. The dough starts essentially the same, with yeast, warm water (from the boiled potatoes), a little sugar to feed the yeast, flour, and some additional ingredients for optimal tastiness - honey, oatmeal, cinnamon. Once the dough is formed and kneaded, it rises, and then you just shape it into very small bagels (they become huge in the cooking process). The fun part is taking a floured finger and poking a hole in the center, and you have to spin it around your finger for about 30 seconds to form a large hole that eventually shrinks into bagel perfection. A pot of boiling water with a few tablespoons of sugar ( use salt if you plan on topping the bagels with something savory like poppy seeds or onions) serves as a bath for the bagel dough and this boiling process creates the nice skin that is characteristic of a bagel. They boil for about 3 minutes on each side. The expansion of the dough at this point is incredible! It really is crazy how huge the bagels become. Once they have boiled, they come out of the water and onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. An egg glaze is applied to the tops and then we sprinkled them with cinnamon-sugar for an added touch of yum! Bake for about 30 minutes and you have golden brown fresh bagels. Probably the best random endeavor I've had in a while.

Sunday I wanted to make something kind of fun to go with the leftover portobello mushroom risotto that I had earlier in the weekend, so I settled on a smoked gouda and broccoli quiche. Initially, I wanted to use spinach... only to realize that we didn't have any :( Oh well, broccoli is just as delicious - and a nice source of veggies for our meal. The quiche turned out fluffy and creamy - delicious! My best friend Fram has already requested a recipe for this baby, so here is a rough draft -

Broccoli Cheese Quiche
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups of skim milk
1 cup grated smoked gouda (or anything you have)
8-10 oz frozen broccoli, defrosted, drained, and chopped
2 Tblsp. butter (optional)
2-3 scallions, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese + paprika to top

Mix the first 8 of these ingredients together and whip with a whisk until fluffy. If you choose to use a crust, which is not necessary - just delicious, line a 8" round baking dish with the crust ( I used Pillsbury this time. Don't hate). Pour the quiche mixture into the crust and sprinkle with 4 Tblsp. of parmesan cheese and a heavy sprinkle of paprika. Freshly cracked black pepper really makes this dish delicious and the green onions give it a fresh taste! Bake in a 400 degree oven on the bottom rack for about 40 minutes, or until firm when the dish is jiggled and it is golden on top. Allow time for it to cool afterwards, as the eggs and cheese will need time to set (15-20 minutes).

Smoky Broccoli Gouda Quiche