Karen came over tonight with fresh shrimp from the coast for a family meeting about the bakery. We are moving forward with the application process – cross your fingers! Karen and I had lots to gab about regarding or choices of cities while Matt played computer games. Seems like he should be the one that’s most excited!
Per usual, white wine was opened. I gladly accepted as I was ready for a snack (at 5:30) and wine satisfies me just as much as yogurt 
I had a second pour with dinner
We turned the shrimp into a gumbo of sorts (I classify anything with okra and tomatoes as a gumbo – sorry if that is technically incorrect!)
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled + deveined
- ~5 cups of whole okra, washed and trimmed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 whole tomato, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- ~1/3 cup leftover bell peppers, chopped
- 3 chicken stock cubes
- ~1 tbsp creole seasoning
- + 1 cup dry Lundberg’s short grain brown rice, cooked per package (LOVE this short grain rice!)
Prep shrimp. Bring chicken cubes (~1/2 a cup?) to a simmer and add okra. Cook for ~5 minutes. Add tomatoes, jalapeno, peppers and seasoning. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp, cover and cook ~3-4 more minutes. Shrimp are done when they are pink. Serve over rice.
I had about 1/2 a cup rice with a cup of gumbo. It was delish!
We had some cornbread in the freezer and headed up a small slice of that to have on the side. I believe this was the Trader Joe’s mix. So sweet and delicious!
After dinner Karen brought more of her Fig Bars, although I realized they are not figs, but dates inside!!! I was actually really full and just had one bite of Matt’s. First time ever I haven’t been interested in dessert!
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10 Reasons Why Gmail Rocks
- Multiple Inboxes
- Undo send (I use this ALL THE TIME!)
- Filters
- Keyboard shortcuts
- NavBar drag and drop
- Inbox preview
- Emoticons!!!!!!!
- Superstars
- Send + Archive Button
- New DRAG AND DROP LABELS!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Yes I read the Gmail Blog and I am a nerd ) If you use Gmail and see the little green Erlenmeyer flask up near “Settings,” click on it to find all kinds of fun features!
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I’m hoping to finish Vanity Fair tonight. The poor husband is already in bed for his 2:40AM wake-up call and it’s still light out!!
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Gmail too
I’ve been on there since you had to be invited by someone else!!!! Your shrimp looks amazing… I’ve got to get some shrimp soon!
The dinner looks fantastic!! I love GMAIL too!!
Have a great night!
I like that you had wine as a snack
I’ve definitely counted a pre-dinner beer as an “appetizer”. And gmail is amazing! I can’t believe I used to have dial-up AOL back in the day….
Wow, the shrimp looks perfect! Good luck with the bakery!! Bread is the BEST!
Jenn
Good luck with the application process. I think it’s amazing that you are following your dreams and I hope it all works out for you both.
Hey Kath– how do you undo send on gmail? I love it too but never knew you could do that!!
That dinner looks amazing
Best of luck moving forward!
Good luck with the application process!
Mmm I loveee cornbread…of any kind!
How exciting!! Good luck!
You can UNSEND in gmail?!?! you have revolutionized my life!!!
I love dragging and dropping anything online. SO EXCITEd about those changes!
Good luck with everything. How exciting for you! And I agree – anything with okra and tomatoes is gumbo
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How does unsend work?
Bahahahah KATH!
#1) i think its so funny how you have to be sensitive to being “technically” correct…forget the correcting readers, it IS what you SAY it is!!! this isn’t a HOW-TO blog! its a blog about the delicious food you eat to stay healthy and…as mentioned above…it IS what it IS!! But bless your li’l heart for being sensitive to those ’sensitive’ readers!
and…
#2 I LOOOOOOOOOVE the google blog!!! even though i don’t blog myself! ohhh bless you all.
thank you Kath for being such an inspiration!! I LOVE cooking off of your ideas and tailoring what works for you to what works for me. If nothing else, please remember you have HUNDREDS of readers who love and adore you regardless of your TECHNICAL correctness!! love love love!!!
What is the application process you mentioned for the bakery? Is it part of a franchise? Can you just buy/lease a building in your desired city, register a new business (corporation or LLC) and then go through the requirements for the city’s health codes for operating a food establishment? Help me understand.
OH MY GOSH, I did NOT know there was an UNsend button on gmail! I was just thinking about that the other day in fact, wondering why in the world Google wouldn’t have that facet on their already amazing gmail! Haha thanks for informing me.
I’m still scared of okra. Yes, I’m a wimp!
Somehow I missed that the bakery was a present-tense venture, I had thought it was more of a future plan. Congrats, and good luck with the application process.
How exciting that the plans for the bakery are starting to some together! Good luck with everything!
What an awesome way to use that shrimp. Sounds like a delicious mixture of ingredients!
the shrimp looks fantastic!!!
Your Gumbo looks so yummy! I’m going to try it this weekend. I saw okra at the markets last weekend and will get some!
Good luck with your bakery endeavors!
PS, I LOVE gmail and would never go back to any other email system after using it!!
I apparently don’t use gmail to its fullest potential!
i just figured out multiple inboxes and its saving my sanity with operationbeautiful.com!
Best of luck with the bakery stuff! I’m hoping all goes well and Charleston ends up with a thumbs up
We need some KERF here 
I am going to shoot you an email in a bit with our address. Have a great day!
So exciting to be moving forward! Good luck to you! The shrimp looks delish -but I’m not so much an okra fan. I’d definitely try this recipe (minus the okra) though!
I am completely with you on the gumbo thing. Any dish with okra, tomatoes, rice and some sort of cajun spice is gumbo in my book! : )
Kath — I see Karen pop up on your blog a lot, but I am not quite sure how you are related to her?!
you know, I’ve never cooked with okra. I think I’ve only ever had it 1 time. (and I think it was pickled) Dinner looked delish though.
Topeka could use a good bakery but I don’t suppose you’d consider moving that far inland
that’s so exciting about the bakery! i love shrimp – that looks great!
I am always so jealous of your cornbread. Whenever you have it I always immediately crave it for my next meal!!
PS – I’m totally with you on the gmail love – I’m an organization freak as well and it totally plays into that!
Gumbo looks fantastic. Can’t wait to hear more about bakery decisions!
I <3 gmail too! When I logged on and saw that today I thought “bravo google, you’ve done it again” haha.. i’m actually interested in hearing more about those date bars!
Teddy
LOVE, LOVE cornbread!! Especially warm from the oven. I’ve heard so many good things about the TJ’s mix too.
Undo Send is in Gmail Labs – the little green flask up by settings. You have 5 seconds to undo a send!
Donna ,
We are applying for a franchise, yes.
Kristine ,
Karen is Matt’s mom, my mother-in-law. She lives just down the road and is planning to move with us to help run the bakery
Kath
Nothing is better than a nice, crisp glass of white wine on a hot summer day!
can’t find little green flask
I must thank you for these Gmail updates!!!! You have got me hooked on SO many new Gmail apps! LOL.
have you tried the 15 min- lock-out??? I tried it…and then 5 mins into it I had to send an email (before I forgot) so I paniced and had to close the screen and log in again! haha..Eric just shook his head…