A friend who has followed my blog for years, even contributed posts in the past said she hoped I would continue my Sunday morning music posts. Well Nancy, here you go! I’m having to relearn Word Press since so much has changed since I was blogging regularly. I’m hoping I can do this right!

I love the music of Elgar and this is one of my favorite pieces. Performed by Jacqueline du Pre & her husband, conductor Daniel Barenboim in the 1960’s. I also love the movie, “Hillary and Jackie” about Ms. du Pre, her sister and the beautiful music they shared. I hope you’ll enjoy this and look forward to many more!

Melissa | Out&About, Simple Sundays | 08 23rd, 2020 | 2 Comments »

I believe in reincarnation, just all in one lifetime. Over the decades I have become and then undone again and again.  So I should have seen it coming. The day when I would outgrow my old skin. 
At 40 I decided I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I learned, I wrote, I read, I attended conferences and workshops and even went back to college. Little by little I found my voice and published many essays, short stories, articles, blogs and website content. My book, Mothering Mother, A Daughter’s Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir  took me to the studios of CNN, NBC, The National Parkinson’s Foundation , care facilities, bookstores, book clubs, colleges took me around the country.  It’s not book sales that made me most proud but the lives that my words touched. That I could share my story and that others could feel not so alone. 
But it was full circle time and my heart was yearning for something different. I saw in myself as a caregiver and in so many others far more than burnout. I experienced and witnessed a bankruptcy of spirit, soul, physical and mental and emotional health, as well as a devastating toll on many people’s finances and careers and sadly, relationships who were in the midst or coming out of caregiving. That’s when I realized the toll of giving ourselves to others and many times giving too much of ourselves to others. 
I wanted to back it up 30 years. For myself and for every adult daughter, spouse, family member and friend, nurse and doctor, I wanted to scream from every podium, “We’ve got to take care of ourselves people! And it’s got to start now! And it’s got to start with our attitudes of how we see ourselves and it’s got to start with our health and our wellness today! Not 30 years from now. But today. How we care for ourselves today is a direct correlation to how we will live 30 years from now! So wake up and get up and start living, moving, eating, thinking and speaking and being with intention!” 
I turned 50 and and I swear I heard a gong somewhere. Somewhere deep. The old sick and tired is how I felt about every aspect of my life..Sick when I looked at photographs of myself. Tired of looking in the mirror and not recognizing myself.  Sick when the doctor told me I was 50 lbs overweight for my height and was considered obese. Tired of not recognizing the girl in the mirror. And heartbroken. What happened to me???? 

My insides didn’t match my outside. I hid behind baggy clothing. I shopped in stores where I didn’t even like the clothing. 
Where was the confident playful sassy badass bougie gal I thought I’d get be?When does she get to come out and play?
I knew that if I kept going 50 would go to 60 would go to 75 lb and that at some point I would break through that inevitable pharmaceutical wall and join the millions of Americans who have type 2 diabetes, need to take high blood pressure, high cholesterol meds, sleep meds depression meds anxiety meds…the meds the meds the meds!
I don’t know what came over me except to call it a compulsion.Or in my case, a reincarnation.
I found myself tugging on a gym door. In all my years I had never set foot in a gym. I had done my fair share of Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, walked around more blocks than I could ever count, did some step classes back in the day, threw in a few jazzercise classes for fun but it  was on the typical six or eight week diet cycle where I  lost a few pounds only to gain them right back. 
But that day I stood at that desk it’s different. I didn’t know why I was ready but I was ready. Scared shitless–is it really possible to undo a lifetime of buying into an American diet and way of life? Is it really possible to make true and lasting change? Was I going to just let myself down yet another time?
Scared shitless, I knew it was time. Time to open that damn door and take that first step.

Many thanks to you, Carol! You inspire us all! I am on my own journey to transform my life and will keep readers up to date on my progress. We’re all looking forward to your second post next week in this three part series!

Melissa | people | 08 21st, 2020 | No Comments »

On Friday I’ll be sharing a post by my dear friend, Carol O’Dell. I met Carol years back when I was working as a literary agent with Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency. From the moment we met I felt a kindred spirit in Carol. Author of the bestselling book, “Mothering Mother”, she has experienced life as a parental caregiver, a role that changes one’s life forever. Following the loss of her mother she began an amazing journey, reinventing herself…body, mind and spirit!

Her story is one that I know will inspire you during these uncertain times. She proved that one can take control of their lives and live their dreams. Carol never ceases to amaze me with her joie de vivre and her incredible insight into life! Friday’s post will be the first of three as Carol joins our team as a contributing blogger.

We are working to make this blog site as interactive as possible with podcasts beginning shortly. Please leave comments and let us know how The Permanent Tourist is helping you to become your best self ever!

Melissa | people | 08 19th, 2020 | 3 Comments »

I am sharing this amazing photograph taken by my dear friend, Tony Drake, with you as I write this post. It’s the first post I’ve managed to put together in well over a year. Thankfully, I have kept my “The Permanent Tourist” domain and all other components to keeping my blog up and going. I love this photograph. It speaks to the beauty of life and of Mother Earth.

It’s time to recreate what The Permanent Tourist is. For years I posted from St. Simons Island, Georgia and basically focused on that area. I featured on my blog as well as radio show interesting people, local events, history of the area and…OF COURSE…food!

Many of you know my story and what brought me to life in Louisiana. I have grown to love it here but writing The Permanent Tourist in the same old way just never felt right. During the lock down we have experienced I found myself wanting to write again but wanting to do that differently, to refresh things and approach my blog from a new direction. Maybe the COVID 19 virus brought me the time to stop and take a look at what I really wanted to do now to spark the creative energy of this award winning blog!

And the idea came to me in a flash when I asked for direction during my morning meditation. I have learned that asking is the key to finding one’s way. I am so excited about what “we”, yes WE, are going to be writing and sharing with our global readership! I have, so far, three contributing writers who are going to be posting about everything from connecting with life in a more meaningful way, health, fitness, lifestyle, events, personal finances and of course FOOD!

So stay tuned as we share just how to enjoy your life to the fullest! Podcasts are in the works as well as a long awaited YouTube channel. I’m getting back to what I’m passionate about and the team I am putting together is not only dynamic, professional and experienced in their fields but FUN! It’s time to have fun, to help create a new normal that will enrich our lives and open new avenues of creating and loving life!

Melissa | Out&About | 08 12th, 2020 | 6 Comments »

I thought it would be fun to share some appetizers that are traditional in New Orleans.  These dishes would be a great addition to your holiday parties.  They are simple, tasty and perfect for the next round of festivities.  The roast tenderloin and baby new potatoes are personal favorites that will go with the Creole dishes perfectly!  Don’t forget your favorite cocktails, wine and a big bottle of  bubbly!

Pickled Shrimp*

Spicy Pecans*

Baby New Potatoes with Creme Fraiche, Caviar and Fresh Chives

Roast Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce

Chilled Crab Legs with Ravigote Sauce*

Pickled Shrimp*

Deliciously piquant, these shrimp make the perfect hostess gift when presented in a mason jar, a great appetizer of try tossing them in a crisp green salad.

1 medium red onion, in small dice

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced ( included green ends)

1 cup chopped fresh parsley (flat leaf)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 cup Creole mustard or other coarse mustard

2 tablespoons sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3/4 cup cane, malt or cider vinegar

1 1/4 cups extra virgin-olive oil

2 bay leaves

3 pounds medium to large shrimp, boiled (peeled, deveined, tails on)

Combine the red onion, green onion, parlsey, crushed red pepper, garlic, mustard, and sugar in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper.  Add the vinegar, and whisk in the oil in a slow, steady stream until the marinade emulsifies.  Add the bay leaves and adjust the salt and pepper.  Add shrimp and stir.  Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.  This will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Spicy Pecans*

These are great to keep on hand throughout the holidays!  I KNOW you can’t eat just one!

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 cup honey

 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1/2 pound pecan halved

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the honey, salt, and cayenne pepper, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring.  Remove from the heat, and add the pecans to the honey mixture.  Stir to mix well.  Spread the coasted pecans on a sheet pan, and bake in the pre heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, possibly more often toward the end.  Serve when cooled, first separating any pecans that stick together.  Store in an airtight container.

Baby New Potatoes with Creme Fraiche, Caviar and Fresh Chives

2 pounds small new potatoes, halved and steamed until just tender

1 cup sour cream

1 cup heavy cream

1 small jar caviar

1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Coarse sea salt

Take the cooked potatoes and scoop the middle out with a small melon baller.  Mix the heavy cream and sour cream to make creme fraiche.  Place a spoon full of this mixture into each cavity of the potato halves.  Place 1/4 teaspoon of caviar (your choice of quality and type) on the creme fraiche and sprinkle with chopped chives.  Sprinkle the finished, stuffed potato halves with coarse sea salt and serve on a platter.

Roast Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce

1 3-4 pound beef tenderloin

6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Coarse Sea Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons good olive

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Cut small slits along the length of the tenderloin and insert half of a garlic clove.  Rub the entire tenderloin with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Place the tenderloin in a long metal baking pan and sear on all sides until browned.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and roast the tenderloin for about 45 minutes, for medium rare, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches your desired doneness.  Slice 1/2 inch thick slices and place on a serving platter.

Horseradish Sauce:

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons good horseradis

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Mix all ingredients and serve in a small crystal bowl on the meat platter.

Chilled Crab Legs with Ravigote Sauce*

This is one of my all times favorites.  Commander’s Palace is famous for their Ravigote Sauce.  Chef Jaime shares this and the other recipes I’ve included in this post that have an asterisk (*) by them.  This is simple and so delicious!

5 pounds snow crab legs

Crab boil seasoning (I use Zatarain’s)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the crab boil seasoning and then the crab legs.  Boil, covered for about 15 minutes.  Remove the legs and chill until ready to serve.

Ravigote Sauce

1 cup Creole Mayonnaise (recipe below)

1/2 cup Creole mustard or coarse-ground German mustard

1 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped

1 medium egg, hard-cooked and diced small

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, capers, egg, and horseradish.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fold in the green onions.  Cover and refrigerate.  It will keep for a few weeks.

Creole Mayonnaise

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 medium white onion, diced

2 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt to taste

Place the egg, lemon juice, and onion into the bowl of a food processor and puree.  With the motor running, slowly add half the oil.  Then add the hot sauce, pepper, and salt.  Stop the motor, scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and, with the motor running again, slowly add the remaining oil.  Taste and adjust salt.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator for a week.

Melissa | Finally Friday!, food & entertaining | 11 30th, 2018 | 1 Comment »

I can’t think of a more beautiful place during the Christmas season than New Orleans.  Always thought of as one of this country’s most romantic cities, the holidays and all of the special traditions and activities simply add to that reputation.

My favorite place to kick off the holiday season is The Roosevelt Hotel in downtown New Orleans.  Thousands of white lights illuminate the lobby turning it into a winter wonderland.

The bar serves libations that can be sipped as you stroll through the lobby enjoying watching the people and the celebrating.

Last night the lights officially welcomed the season of giving as the annual crowd of eager onlookers gathered to watch.  What a beautiful way to begin this time of love, faith and wonder.  It makes me feel like a child again!  Get your “HoHoHo” on and pay The Roosevelt Hotel a visit!  You won’t be disappointed!

Melissa | Out&About | 11 28th, 2018 | 1 Comment »

This is music I found on YouTube.  A longer selection that most Sunday’s but it’s so beautiful I think you’ll enjoy listening and watching the beautiful pictures of Fall.  The colors, smells and memories of so many wonderful times with family and friends during this special time of year come to mind and provide comfort.  I wish you all a beautiful day of rest filled with love, good food, good drink and someone you love.  Peace!

Melissa | Out&About | 11 11th, 2018 | 11 Comments »

Ethereal music for a quiet Sunday morning.  French pressed coffee with chicory in my over sized mug….a splash of real cream.  I find it’s the little things that make more sense to me now.  Slowing down to a gentler way of living.  I have a sense of eternity not known to me before the losses of this past year.  I also have an inner peace I have not experienced before.  There are times when it is still unbelievable….how could it all have happened?  The important thing is to continue to live and to savor the many memories.  Always remember…the love never dies…not ever.  Peace!

Melissa | Out&About | 11 4th, 2018 | 1 Comment »

The weather is still up and down with warm days and somewhat cooler evenings.  Summer food doesn’t appeal any longer!  I’m sharing a menu that I think of as transitional, it’s easy and so delicious.  Whether you are entertaining or serving a Sunday dinner to your family, I think this fits the bill!  Enjoy and bon apetit!

Endive Spears with Herb Goat Cheese

 Chicken with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Capers over Quinoa Spaghetti

Fresh Asparagus with Lemon Butter

Plum Torte

White Bordeaux

Endive Spears with Herb Goat Cheese

2 heads of endive, washed and separated into spears

1 small log goat cheese

2 tablespoons chopped, flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh chives

1 teaspoon minced, fresh garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the endive spears, wash them and separate the spears, then place them on a plate.  Let the goat cheese come to room temperature.  Mash with a fork, adding the fresh herbs, garlic, salt and pepper.  Place one teaspoon on the end of each endive spear.  Arrange on a serving plate, that’s it!  Quick, delicious and not too fattening either!

Chicken with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Capers over Quinoa Spaghetti

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1 box cherry tomatoes

1 cup pitted olives (I get an assortment from the bin at Harris Teeter where you can choose from different varieties)

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 cloves garlic minced

2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped, flat leaf parsley

Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry.  Place the olive oil in a large skillet, bring to medium heat.  Brown the chicken breasts well on both sides, remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a plate.  Add the white wine over high heat to deglaze the drippings from the chicken, let reduce by about 1/4.   Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about ten minutes.  Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning the sauce over it and cook for another 20 minutes on low heat.  Serve over pasta with asparagus on the side.

Fresh Asparagus with Lemon Butter

1 bunch fresh asparagus, wash well and snap an inch or so off of the bottom of each spear

1/4 chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about two lemons and zest from one lemon

Steam the cleaned asparagus in the chicken broth for about seven minutes, until “just tender”, add the butter, lemon juice and zest, tossing well.  Serve on the side with the chicken and pasta.

Plum Torte

(Thanks to www.forgoodnesstaste.com for the lovely photo and recipe)

1/2 c butter

1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract (or 1/2 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. almond or lemon extract)

1 c flour 1 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)

1/4 tsp. salt

Topping: 1/2 c. sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375º.  Butter an 8×8 pan.  Cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla (and almond or lemon extract).  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add it in all at once and just mix until combined.  Don’t overmix or your batter will be tough!  (Mixing builds gluten which you want in bread, but not in pastry!)  Spread in the bottom of your buttered pan.

Place the plum halves into the batter by laying them on top, skin sides down, and pressing gently to “set them” in the batter.  Then spread the topping over the top of it all.  It will look like way too much cinnamon sugar, but it isn’t!  Trust me!

Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes until the plums have begun to give off their juice and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Melissa | Finally Friday!, food & entertaining | 11 2nd, 2018 | 1 Comment »

As the weather cools off festivals and concerts begin to pop up all over the North Shore and New Orleans area.  People meet in throngs to celebrate the gentle lake breezes and enjoy wonderful music and food.  Last Saturday night was no disappointment as we met friends for the Louisiana Philharmonic Halloween concert.  We loved hearing the famous music of Saint-Saens, among others.  Thousands of locals congregated at the band shell on the banks of Lake Pontchartrain sharing picnics, wine and joy.  It reminded me of my New York City days when we always met friends in Central Park for the amazing concerts there.  One thing I love about this area are the similarities I find to bigger city living.  And the fact that everyone is always ready to celebrate….even for no reason!  But at this event it was all about witches, goblins and all things Halloween.  Skylar took the video you see above.  It will definitely give you a sense of the spirit of the evening.

I couldn’t help taking a photo of two witches posing on the wall that borders the shoreline.  I would love to have included shots of the Louisiana Philharmonic as they played….way too crowded to even get close.  So we sat back, visited with friends both expected and unexpected!  It’s always so good to run into people you haven’t seen for months.  The festival atmosphere of the evening was wonderful!  Cool breezes….good red wine….cheese from Acquistapace and a lovely evening of fun and merriment!

As we packed up to leave the sun was setting on the western horizon of the lake.  Sailboats lazily rocking in the water made me wish I were on board.  What a beautiful place this is.  I never cease to be enchanted by the culture and history as well as the spirit of the people who call this home.  I’ve been here for three years now.  Not the easiest of times but every day gets a little better and I fell a bit stronger.  I’m learning that time is the only healing balm for sadness.  Have a wonderful Halloween this evening….wherever you may be!  We’ll be with friends celebrating the evening and the season.  Fall has arrived and not a moment too soon!

Melissa | Out&About | 10 31st, 2018 | No Comments »