Happy Mardi Gras! It’s an early one, y’all! If you’re headed to the parades, take a peek below to see what’s rolling – and happening – in Jefferson Parish this Carnival season!
Krewe of Little Rascals, 12:00 p.m. — America’s longest-running Children’s Mardi Gras Krewe will start at the corner of Eldorado Street and Woodlawn Avenue in Metairie.
Family Gras – This free Mardi Gras festival takes place on the neutral ground of Veterans Boulevard near the Lakeside Shopping Center. This year, attendees can see performances by Deacon John, John Oates of Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, and Cyndi Lauper. Get more info here.
Krewe of Excalibur, 7 p.m. – Excalibur will begin at the intersection of Woodlawn Avenue and Eldorado Street.
Krewe of Adonis, 11:45 a.m. – This Westbank Krewe starts rolling from Kabel and Gen de Gaulle.
Krewe of Caesar, 6 p.m. – Founded in 1979, the 800-member Krewe of Caesar is best known for its signature float, Hydra.
Krewe of Centurions, 7 p.m. – Named after a group of Roman warriors, Centurions’ members are businessmen from across the Jefferson Parish Area.
Krewe of Isis, 6 p.m. – This all-female Krewe is comprised of 250 members and 21 floats. Catch it on Veterans Boulevard that night!
Krewe of Athena, 5:30 p.m. — Athena is one of Jefferson Parish’s newest all-female crews, formally established in 2014.
Krewe of Pandora, 6:30 p.m. — In just its third year, Pandora’s night-time parade is sure to excite!
Krewe of Argus, 10 a.m. — This morning Mardi Gras parade has a Krewe of 540 men, women, and child riders.
Krewe of Elks Trucks, follows — The Krewe of Elks is sponsored by the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks, a worldwide fraternal society dedicated to charitable deeds.
Krewe of Jefferson Trucks, follows — Celebrate the end of Carnival at the last truck parade of the season!
What better way to refresh your 1st Lake space than with some new and stylish interior design changes! Fresh color palettes, new furniture, and stylish wall art are just a few ways to transition your space into a vibrant, welcoming, and comforting environment for you, your family, and your friends in 2018.
Not only will you be on trend in 2018, updating your living space is a great way to create an inspiring sanctuary that encourages positivity in the new year. Get rid of that hand-me-down furniture, those dated decorative items, and that framed poster you’ve had since college. Use this guide to find the new looks you like, and transform your apartment home into a haven you just might not want to leave!
According to NOLA.com, plant accessories are growing wild in 2018. “Expect to see more houseplants, indoor herb garden and even shower plants — that’s right, plants that live in your shower — this year.”
Plants are a great way to bring nature inside, and their air purifying capabilities create a healthy living environment without the need for unsightly equipment. Herb gardens are also great to incorporate into your home-cooked meals. Check out our recipe blogs for ways to incorporate your herb garden’s bounty this year.
There’s no stronger way to make a statement than with a brightly colored sofa. Bold, rich hues are in for 2018, and many of these loud sofas come in velvet and satin finishes, which gives them and extra level of shine.
“A daring sofa color tackles two common design challenges: adding color and creating a focal point,” says Mitchell Parker of Houzz.com.
The artisan aesthetic has been in style for some time, but none are more prominent now than the woven accessory. Woven accessories can give your space an international feel and add a welcoming warmth to your rooms.
Visit a local art market or international market and pick out some pieces for functionality and style. Use a deep woven basket to store your living room’s throw blankets or assemble a medley of flat, uniquely-shaped weavings on the wall for an eye-catching global gallery.
There’s no need for busy and bulky bedroom furniture in 2018. Houzz suggests you eliminate the loud patterns and oversized items from your sleeping den and replace them with simple, utilitarian-style looks.
“Instead, a pared down, verging-on-minimalist look that incorporates soothing neutrals, soft fabrics and simple, functional pieces is the direction homeowners are heading.” If you really want to be on trend in 2018, incorporate soft, washed out lavender bedding into your look.
Did we miss a trend you’ve embraced for the new year? Have you already decorated with some of these trends and tips? Share your tips and interior looks with us on Facebook or tag your style updates on our Instagram so we can see how you’ve transitioned in 2018!
If you start every day with that phrase, then you’re in the right place. Coffee is the world’s favorite drink to wake up with, and it’s become the center point of a modern culinary revolution. Today’s coffee shops have transformed a common cup of Joe into a meticulously measured art form. Lattes and cappuccinos are topped with beautiful foam creations, iced coffee is brewed for 24 hours before it’s ready, and hot brews are poured at specific temperatures for the “perfect flavor profile.”
In addition to being a bit intimidating, the coffee shop can also be a bit overpriced, but with a few basic lessons and a couple pieces of brewing equipment, you’ll be well on your way to transforming your 1st Lake kitchen into the best java joint in the neighborhood!
Coffee beans come in a variety of sizes, colors, and flavors. The variations of flavors depend on the region and conditions in which they were grown. According to The Spruce, “Most regional varietals will fall into two main categories, Robusta or Arabica.”
Robusta coffee beans tend to be used in large-scale commercial brews, and they’re considered to have a more acidic taste and higher caffeine levels. Arabica beans tend to have more diverse flavor notes, but they’re difficult to grow, which increases the demand and price of this superior bean. If you buy your beans from a local coffee shop, you’re most likely buying Arabica beans.
The beans you buy come in a range of caramel to chocolatey brown colors, but they don’t start off that way. The original green colored beans are roasted with a dry heat, but their roasting times play an important role in the coffee’s brewed flavor. The three main categories are light, medium, and dark.
Light roasts retain a larger amount of the bean’s original flavor. They tend to be a little more acidic and feature brighter, sharper tastes and little to no “roasted” notes. Medium roasts have a darker color, an oily appearance, and tend to have a balance between the roasting effects and the bean’s original flavor. Medium beans tend to be the most popular of the three categories. Dark roasts focus heavily on the flavors derived from the roasting process. The bean’s original flavors are almost completely overcome by the roast, so your coffee will have a powerful smoky taste. Dark roasts are typically used in espresso drinks, like lattes and macchiatos.
Gone are the days of basic automatic coffee makers. With this new knowledge, you’ll be able to find the roast you’re the most interested in and brew coffee at home like a pro. If you plan on buying your coffee pre-ground, it’s best to use it as fast as possible. The Perfect Daily Grind says, “Coffee has a shelf life. This will vary, but a good rule of thumb is to only buy the coffee you’ll drink that week. Store your coffee in an airtight container at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.”
If you’re buying roasted beans, you can either grind the beans at home with a hand grinder or electric grinder, or you can bring your bag to a grocery store for grinding. A lot of coffee shops will grind the beans they sell to you before you leave the store. If you’re grinding your beans at home, it’s best to grind only what you will need to brew for that day and store the rest away.
So, you’re probably asking, “What do I do with my coffee now?!”
There are two techniques that have grown in popularity over the past few years: pour over brewing and immersion brewing. You can achieve both of these at home, but you will need some equipment to properly brew using these techniques.
Pour over coffee can be achieved using a coffee-specific glass pitcher, a porcelain dripper, a coffee filter, a kettle of hot water, and a kitchen scale. The porcelain dripper can be placed on top of either the glass pitcher or the coffee mug you intend to drink from. We like Blue Bottle Coffee’s easy-to-follow guide to the perfect pour over coffee.
Immersion coffee is most commonly associated with the French press or AeroPress. You can find French press and AeroPress coffee makers in home goods stores across the Greater New Orleans area. French press style is one of the easiest brewing styles, and unlike the single-serve pour over technique, it allows you to make larger amounts at one time. Follow The Kitchn’s guide to French press brewing here.
Not only will making coffee at home save you money, it will help keep our environment clean of plastic cups and harmful plastic straws. If you’re interested in learning more about the complex range of coffee flavors and roasting styles, you can visit a local coffee shop for one of their free “cupping” lessons. This is a great way to find the flavor profile that suits your tastes and puts you on the fast track to home-brewing glory.
But first, coffee.
Our brand-new luxury living community in Elmwood, Clearwater Creek Premier, is loaded with state-of-the-art features and apartment amenities you won’t find anywhere else in the Greater New Orleans Area. One of our goals for this new development was to provide energy efficient options in every single one of Clearwater Creek Premier’s living spaces.
At the center of this effort are the electric convection range and double-ovens located in the kitchen of each residence. The range uses radiant heating elements on its stovetop, which is significantly more energy efficient than its generic electric coil counterparts. Radiant coils are similar to traditional coil burners, but instead of protruding from the top of the range, they sit under a smooth and flat ceramic surface. Heat is conserved better under the ceramic top, which allows for faster heating times and higher heat outputs. Plus, it’s easier to clean!
Just under the range’s sleek stove are two, that’s right, two ovens! The ovens on this range utilize a dual element baking technique, which combines the efforts of the baking coil and the broiling coil for comprehensive cooking. The smaller top oven is ideal for warming or short cooking times, while the larger, convection-style oven offers delay bake and audible preheating capabilities.
If you’re ready to enjoy all of the perks of your Clearwater Creek Premier stovetop and range, put on your chef’s hat and try your hand at a few of our favorite seasonal recipes below!
Warm up when there’s a chill in the air with this rich and creamy Corn and Crab Soup recipe from Bon Appetit:
Reserve 1/4 cup corn. Bring remaining corn and milk to boil in medium saucepan. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Puree mixture in blender. Add clam juice, 3 tablespoons green onions, and 1 teaspoon ginger; puree again until almost smooth. Return puree to saucepan; bring to simmer. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn; sauté 1 minute. Add crab, 1 tablespoon green onions, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 3 teaspoons lemon juice; stir just until warm. Season with salt and pepper. Divide soup among bowls; mound crab mixture in center.
Good luck starts by pre-heating your state-of-the-art oven. Munch on this recipe from My Recipes:
Preheat oven to 425°. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until crispy and dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.
Mardi Gras will be here before you know it! Parade your new oven’s capabilities with this popular Mardi Gras King Cake recipe from Epicurious:
If you’re looking to make moves in 2018, consider visiting Clearwater Creek Premier today! Not only will you enjoy the cost-saving benefits of our kitchen appliances, but you’ll gain access to a multitude of other living amenities that will make you feel like you’re living in a luxury resort.
It’s no secret Jefferson Parish’s Elmwood neighborhood is a shopping destination for residents across the Greater New Orleans Area. Its large shopping center has a great selection of big-box stores, its movie theater boasts 20 screens, and its area attractions include an indoor trampoline park and laser tag venue. In addition to an abundance of amenities, Elmwood is an ideal place for those looking for a quiet and affordable alternative to downtown New Orleans living.
Living in Elmwood makes shopping a breeze. Elmwood Shopping Center is a one-stop shop for all of the items on your shopping list. In one trip, you can find new shoes at DSW, find a new dining table at World Market, find a television at Best Buy, and more! Instead of having to drive all over town to get the items you need, you can make one trip to one central location and then head right on home! It will save you gas, time, and a lot of patience.
Elmwood’s little corner of the Mississippi River is a quaint residential area with quick access to paved bike paths, public parks, and recreational spaces. La Salle Park is a well-kept multi-purpose recreational space for sports and nature explorations. Its nature boardwalk winds through native cypress trees, making it a scenic and calming spot for outdoor enthusiasts.
If you’re looking for some two-wheeled fun, the paved levee bike path is a great way to enjoy the action on the river while you get some exercise in. Pack a blanket and some snacks for a riverside picnic, or wind your way over to Oak Street on the outskirts of New Orleans for some good local eats and live music.
Elmwood might be a shopping haven, but it’s also a secluded treasure. Many of our 1st Lake properties sit tucked away on peaceful, open green areas which provide a feeling of escape and relaxation.
Bella Ridge is a blissful haven for easy living in Elmwood.
You can unwind poolside at Bella Ridge without the distracting sounds of blaring car horns, screeching sirens, or chatty tourists. You can share a casual and fun afternoon with your dog and your neighbors’ dogs in Clearwater Creek Premier’s gated pet park. You can go for an easy evening stroll alongside the flowing streams of Palmetto Creek. Every one of our Elmwood locations is designed to make you feel like you’re living in a remote luxury retreat.
If you’re considering a move, consider Elmwood as your new neighborhood. With great shopping, great outdoor spaces, and great living communities, you’ll find it easy to settle in and make yourself at home in Elmwood.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
