I want to welcome guest blogger, Janie Glade from Old.New.Blue in New Orleans.  Thank you for contributing today's post.  Trust me, if you want a proper Southern wedding, do not call me.  Janie is a much better choice.     

Wedding season is upon us, and with weddings come rich Southern traditions. I am often asked what a wedding “trousseau” is, and if the tradition of the wedding trousseau still exists. It certainly does, especially in the South!
 
The definition of a trousseau is as
follows: “Trous-seau [French, from Old French, diminutive of trousse, bundle] The possessions a bride assembles for her marriage.”

Traditionally, a trousseau consisted of articles
of clothing that a bride brought with her on her honeymoon and used to start her new life as a married woman. While in the Victoria era, particularly in the Northeast, this
type of trousseau may have sufficed, pigs would fly before a Southern woman considered clothing the most important necessity for starting married life. In the South, clothing is only a small part of what would be considered a proper Trousseau.
 
For a Southern bride, family (and by family, I  mean every female relative from third
Cousins on up) involvement in preparation for a wedding and a new lifestyle is an essential part of life. Southern women value tradition and tradition is passed down through the women in the family. Aunts, sisters, cousins, grandmothers and especially the mother of the bride take great pride in collecting items that a young bride carries with her into her new  home. Together with the “wedding night” lingerie, traditionally given by the mother of the bride, today’s Southern Bride is sent off with linens (often hand embroidered by a member of the family or professionally monogramed), tablecloths (both casual and fine dining), linen napkins, kitchen towels and bath towels (which are also often monogramed). Formal and informal china, sterling and stainless flatware are registered for by the bride and are considered to be the appropriate gifts for a family member to give as shower and wedding presents. It is also very customary for the Southern Bride to be given a gumbo pot or a skillet that has been used in her  family for years. These traditions are alive and well in the South
and are very much a part of the way everyday life is lived in this part of the
country. The wedding trousseau is but one of the many unique and colorful ways that Southern women keep their heritage alive.

About Janie Glade: Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, Janie started her career in special event planning at the age of 23 in the sales office of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. In 1998 Janie started “An Event to Remember” and began planning special events across the United States on a full time basis.

After Hurricane Katrina, Janie opened “Weddings by Janie Glade”. In August of 2011 she expanded her Wedding Planning services to include a partnership with her daughter Marylyn Rigby and opened Old.New.Blue, a Wedding Necessities Boutique and Gift Shop on Magazine Street in Uptown. 
 
Old.New.Blue: 6117 Magazine Street, New Orleans
 Twitter:  @OldNewBlue

I feel as though I am falling down on my job of raising the proper Southern baby girl.  She is very excited about feeding herself and really doesn't want anything to do with that pile of baby food we have in the cabinet.  I've learned not to stock up on anything; it bites you.  The baby bites you too.  They don't tell you that when you are ooing and ahhing over little baby socks.  I find that the baby girl's favorite lunch is toast with spinach-artichoke hummus.  I had never even heard of hummus growing while growing up.  It was not on Grandma's table.  I find it to be exceptionally yummy but not exactly Southern.  I decided to counteract this by giving her butter beans...not lima beans.  I also had never heard of lima beans growing up.  If you didn't have butter beans on the table, you must be having black-eyed peas that night.  When we were feeling wild, it was crowder peas.  Good news is that the baby girl loves butter beans.  Bad news is that they knock the shine off the hardwood.     

Please do not look here for a recipe.  Up until my momma had mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, I was mistakenly playing Peek-A-Boo with the proper Southern baby girl.  I am sure that each family has its own sayings or games with babies, but Peek-A-Boo is pretty standard.  Our little one really enjoys it.  My momma pointed out that a friend of ours was playing Pee Pie.  It reminded her that Pee Pie was indeed the most appropriate version for Southerners.  This probably came from the words Peep Eye, but, let's face it, Pee Pie rings . 

First, I want to thank the people seated around us and our server, Kerri, for being patient with our mostly cranky little one.  She is like her mooma and does not do well in the heat.  I ordered the Andouille-crusted Catfish with cayenne butter sauce and chive aioli.  Kerri brought out the cornbread immediately, and it was wonderful and sweet.  In a blind taste test, I would have said it made for a mighty fine cake.  The catfish had a great flavor and not too much spice.  It was some of the best I have had.  I think the atmosphere in the restaurant is relaxed and pleasant.  It wasn't packed, but it was busy.  With a happier baby girl, I think it would have been even more relaxing.  The desserts everyone around had gotten looked wonderful, but we decided to get the little one to bed.  Boatwright's is Southern without trying too hard.  Yes, there are grits and greens and pecan pie, but there is so much more to the menu.  We will go back. 

Please take a look at my review of the new Royal Guest Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside on the Pilgrimages page of this website.  I see our little one begging to stay there soon.

This is the absolute easiest breakfast casserole on the planet.  I have already professed my deep love of canned biscuits, so this was a no-brainer when I saw the recipe.  It has the Sunday School stamp of approval as well.  We all take turns bringing breakfast, so that we only cook once every three months.  Pretty nice.  I fed 30 people for less than $10.  Each recipe is for an 11 x 7 pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Get a can of the Pillsbury Grands Flaky biscuits and quarter each biscuit.  In a bowl, mix 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of milk.  Toss the biscuits in the mixture.  Then mix in one package of cooked crumbled breakfast sausage and 1 cup of cheese.  Put it in your greased pan and bake for 25 minutes or until it is as brown as you like.  I can't express how great it is.  You can also use bacon.  Adding green onions can bring a little more flavor to the bacon version, if you can tolerate such a thing for breakfast.  Give this a try and let me know what you think.