NOLA- My Love Pt. 3

Our conference was over on Saturday and our flight did not leave until late Sunday afternoon, so we again had a lot of time to sight see.

After the conference we walked around the French Market. I've been told that this is a great place to get the famous muffaletta. I am not a big fan of deli meat so I did not have one. They look amazing and are huge. If you are a deli meat with olive sandwich fan then you should definitely try one.

French Market

Muffaletta: Wikipedia

On my last post in pt. 2 I forgot to mention the most amazing experience. That night we went to Preservation Hall. The highlight of the sightseeing part of the trip. This is an amazing jazz experience that truly encompases New Orleans. There is a small stage with 5-6 members of a small jazz band. Each night there may be different performers. There are 3-4 small, old school church pews and pillows on the floor for guests to sit. The rest of the area is standing room only. We had to stand but I was grateful. I was able to dance and move to the music. Afterward we took a picture with the singer/trumpet player. We found out that he was a retired Math teacher. Go figure! It was an AMAZING experience and if you are in New Orleans this place should definitely be number one to visit.

After the french market we went to The Praline Company to get some pralines. New Orleans is famous for their pralines so we definitely wanted to try some. I did not really care for the pralines at The Praline Company. I am not sure if it was the lack of various types of pralines, they only had 3 different kinds, and it was like asking for the waitresses first born to try one. I mean come on...you know people are going to ask to try. When I finally ordered my three she made it a point to give me the ones that I asked for samples from. *Major side eye! They did, however, have a restaurant attached and the food looked pretty good. I am not sure if I would try it though.

The Praline Connection

We ended up going to another amazing praline bakery called Southern Candy Makers. To me these were the best pralines in town and I did not get the one I tried. The sweet lady behind the counter shrink wrapped my package for me to take home. LOVE.

After walking all day we rested for a bit at the hotel, changed, and walked to Dominica at the Roosevelt Hotel. Oh my Lord this restaurant was amazing. The owner is professional Chef John Besh. Light appetizers of various breads, olives, cheeses, meats, and jellies were distributed along the table. The roomie and I ordered the Wild Mushroom pizza which was topped with wild mushrooms, fontina, bacon, and an egg in the middle. Other friends at the table ordered the Margherita and Duck pizzas. I tasted the duck and it was superb. For dessert the waiter brought out small chocolate truffles covered in powdered sugar. I was in a food coma so I could only eat one.
I will definitely go to this restaurant again and again. The atmosphere, service, and prices were great for New Orleans. Our entire pizza was around $14 and we had a ton left over.

The next morning we packed up and headed to the oldest Catholic church for morning mass.

Afterward we met up at Desire Oyster Bar. I had the shrimp and grits. It was HEAVEN! I actually found the recipe online and I am totally recreating it. This dish consists of a creamy red sauce with peppers, onions, garlic, and Tasso ham. HUGE marinated shrimp and extra creamy grits make it complete. Best Meal EVER!

I LOVE this city. Even though I did not get a chance to eat at the restaurant on my bucket list (Emeril's). I know that I will be back again and again to try not just that restaurant but many more. The culture of New Orleans is amazing. Granted we were in the tourist section I feel like the citizens truly love their city. There is no other place like it.

You know I had to do it one last time. So greedy yet so amazing!

Side Note: This was a great conference for us to attend. I am so grateful that my team mates/school mates were able to attend. Though the conference was not at all what I pictured it to be, I did take with me at least three important things. Things that I plan to implement in my classroom and share with the rest of my team that did not get to attend.

1. We, as 1st grade teachers, are the foundation. The way we teach Math and the vocabulary we use are the building blocks for life long learning.

2. Rome was not built in a day. Learning takes time and effort. We cannot expect for our students to come to us already knowing all of the knowledge we "expect." That is why we are TEACHERS!

3. Have fun! Learning should be fun. Use manipulatives, create and play games, and let students use their own minds. Worksheet after worksheet is not fun.

Check out my girl at Simply Swarbrick. She has a great recap on the NCTM conference that we attended. Find out how she became famous while there.