oh what a beautiful morning!

All the makings of a crappy day: Cold. Rain. Ate cookies for breakfast from last night's cookie exchange.

And yet, the charms of New Orleans are too seductive for that miserable nonsense. I started at the Farmers Market and it was amazing. I got strawberries from Pontchatoula. Strawberries in DECEMBER! I love Louisiana! And tomatoes (he grows in the greenhouse and promised me they would thrill me beyond all reason). And acorn squash and romaine lettuce and could have gotten beautiful carrots and beets but I was already set. Milk from Smith Creamery ("Would you like a taste of chocolate milk?" Trust me - it's sooooo good.) Cilantro and sweet potatoes and cauliflower. Satsumas and goat ricotta and eggs. Bell peppers and I begged the man to come back next week with his beautiful fennel because I simply couldn't face that challenge on top of everything else I got.

Oh, I just smelled the tomatoes and I think I orgasmed. Breathe deeply and enjoy the bounty. When he said something about "refrigerator" and I said, "You said I should put them in the refrigerator?" he almost snapped and confiscated them from my possession. Soul, no. Never, ever put tomatoes in the refrigerator. And I was thinking of something lovely with the strawberries for Monday dinner but they will not last that long because they are so aromatic and inviting.

Then I went to La Boulangerie and picked up a couple of baguettes for bruschette (or probably crostini since they're narrow). They have such wonderful baked goods and staff with French accents.

Then on to Whole Foods where I appreciate the attempted help of the staff but they don't know anything compared to the customers. In the wine aisle, a woman had six children with her and they appeared to not all be hers because the girls (all under twelve) were sipping from hot liquids and discussing the relative merits of different brands of wine that they have tried. And checking out, a woman had a small bundle of thyme for cheap which I hadn't seen so she pointed me in the right direction. Because of the dash I didn't have time to ask her what she was doing with 8 pounds of beets. Bummer.

You know how when you're madly deeply in love and seeing that person makes your heart flutter and stomach flip? That's how I feel about New Orleans.