The Secret Recipe

I work with a lot of people from New Orleans, so when I decided to make jambalaya, who better to ask?  My co-worker brought in a batch around Christmas and it was delish.  I begged for the recipe and he said it was technically a secret, but he would share it with me.  He started scribbling the ingredients as I anxiously awaited to read them.   Some type of gator seasoning? Granny's secret hot sauce recipe?  What could it be?

"Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix"

Yep!  That was all he wrote.  The secret ingredient was a mix.  I usually shy away from pre-flavored rice - they're loaded in sodium - but I figured if someone from New Orleans liked it, it couldn't be all bad.  Plus, they have a reduced-sodium version.

I added some canned chicken, turkey sausage, salad shrimp and extra veggies.  It was the easiest thing in the world to make and it was delicious.  

The Rest of the Weekend

After I finished working on Saturday, Simon and I went down to the Book Loft in German Village to browse the shelves.  Then we went to the Arena Grand Theatre to see The Watchmen.  I knew basically nothing about the book or the story, but I thought the movie was great.  A little gory in spots, but great!  

We did forget about the insanity that is Columbus when the first warm weather arrives.  With a 70-degree evening, the Gallery Hop, the UFC Match at Nationwide, and the Arnold Classic, downtown was PACKED.  We ran to Betty's after the movie for a quick bite and met some friends at MoJoe Lounge for a cocktail.

All in all, loads of fun!

I'm loving this weather - although I think we only get two days of it.  Bummer!