November 2012 – The Life and Times of Bayoucreole

This is one post that I’m actually glad to be able to write.

If I’m writing it, I’m still here

and I didn’t stroke out.

Even though I’m still stuck in the bed, at least I’m not in the hospital anymore.

It all started Thanksgiving Day while I was in the kitchen cooking something.

I just didn’t feel like myself.

I felt tired and my heart was racing.

So, I stopped cooking and took a nap.

I felt better after that so, I finished cooking my holiday meal.

I took my vital signs.

My blood pressure was elevated but nothing too bad.

My pulse rate was another story though…it was high.

I called it an early evening and went to bed to get some rest.

The next morning (Black Friday) when I took my vitals signs, my blood pressure and pulse rate was still elevated.

I started to worry because I usually have a low BP and now, it’s been high for two days.

And my heart rate had been elevated for two days as well.

I began taking my vitals every 30 minutes to keep an eye on it and

at noon, my blood pressure hit 188/101 with a pulse rate of 130!

That bought me a trip to the emergency room.

I was hooked up to a monitor so they could keep an eye on my heart ( wouldn’t want me to have a heart attack or stroke while waiting to see the doctor)ran an EKG and some labs.

Everything looked okay.

My head was foggy as hell though and my pressure and pulse remained high.

So, after many hours in the hospital,

they gave me some medication to bring my pressure and heart rate down,

diagnosed me with high blood pressure and gave me a prescription for some meds.

High Blood Pressure.

Hypertension.

The Silent Killer.

It runs in the family and it seems to have caught up with me.

But we’re gonna battle it out,

because I have no intention of remaining on these meds.

And I play to win.

Well folks, the holiday season is slapping us in the face and the one topic of conversation I keep hearing here is NOLA is,

what ‘cha cooking?

I’m not planning anything fancy…just the regular stuff like,

Gumbo,Baked Mac and Cheese, Stuffed Bell Peppers,Candied Yams,Potato Salad,Turkey,Dirty Rice,Veggies, a few cakes and of course,

dinner rolls.

Again, nothing fancy…just my regular holiday cooking.

A few friends of mine and I were discussing what we put in our gumbo.

One of my friends puts everything but the kitchen sink in hers…gizzards,turkey wings,and all sort of other meats.

My other friend mentioned a lot of stuff as well but, the one thing I noticed that they both did not mention was,

Hot Sausage!

Where’s the heat!?!

I know a lot folks who make their gumbo without heat but, my mom was a creole-cooking, heat seeking woman and I was raised on gumbo with some serious heat to it.

My mom would always get her hot sausage from Bachemin’s Meat Market….Home of the Original Creole Hot Sausage.

Located next Circle Food Store on St. Bernard Ave., it was in the perfect location.

Folks would flock to Circle Food Store (you never said you were going to THE Circle Food Store) to purchase their staples and then, go next door to Bachemin’s (or Mule’s depending on how old you are…I grew up calling it Mule’s.)

Kevin Bachemin is a third-generation butcher. His grandfather purchased the meat market in 1969. Bachemin’s Meat Market had some of the best creole hot sausage around….tasty with some serious heat. Kevin was running the very lucrative business and holding down the family recipe when Katrina hit, wiping out their 40-year old business.