Cafe Du Monde Frozen Café Au Lait Copycat

Being invited to New Orleans for a family vacation could very well be the highlight of our summer travels.  After thoroughly researching the Follow Your Nola tourism site we knew we wanted at least a week to see everything on our list.
You can see our itinerary here.

We started our journey on an evening Southwest flight with no stops.  We checked our stroller at the gate, which helped contain our daughter until we got on the flight.  We packed several activities, healthy snacks and travel surprises to keep our energetic 3 year old busy.  She did very well.  Southwest was a joy as always.
 
TRAVELER TIP:  I highly recommend night time flights for parents traveling with young children.  A sleepy child is more likely to fall asleep on a dark plane at night and that makes for an awesome flight for the parents.

We arrived late and checked into the luxurious JW Marriott New Orleans and called it a night.  The JW is absolutely lovely.  Classic decor with old world charm.  Our rooms were spectacular! The rooms are incredibly spacious..  Being we were staying a week this was really important.  Not a detail is missed at this hotel.  From the highly attentive and friendly staff  to the nighttime turn down service and everything in between.  We truly felt like royalty during our trip.  Their concierge service never missed a beat, suggestions on where to find the best barbecue shrimp, suggestions for rainy day kids activities and even where we could find a last minute piece of luggage (because we bought so much).  Munchkin still talks about the hotel.

After a fabulous night of sleep in our gorgeous hotel we headed out to start our day.  We strolled up Decatur Street and took in the sights.  Outstanding architecture surrounds you as you walk the streets of New Orleans.  Before we knew it we could see the Mississippi River and we were at Jackson Square staring at The St Louis Cathedral.  It is quite a sight. 

We decided to start the day off with at the original French Market coffee stand; Café Du Monde. What to order but, frozen café au laits and perfectly fried beignets that are sinfully coated in powdered sugar?  That is exactly what we started with. Pure heaven and a spectacular start to the day.  New Orleans is known for its chickory and Café Du Monde makes an  incredible blend of french coffee and chickory.  We loved it so much we visited several times during our trip and bought some to take home.

We sat inside the cafe the first day and then decided the outdoor covered patio was perfect for people watching.  Once we were home I began working on a recipe for my own Frozen Café Au Lait and we are so thrilled with what I came up with.  The recipe below is spectacularly reminiscent of the fabulously refreshing frozen drinks we enjoyed in New Orleans and I highly recommend you try it!

Back to Jackson Square to take in the city.  The streets were filled with the upbeat music of a brass band that totally drew us in.   We stopped in the square and popped a squat on the steps to take a moment and enjoy it.  What a fascinating city.

We stepped into the St. Louis Cathedral and it is certainly a sight to behold.  You really need to walk inside and enjoy the grandeur of this holy landmark.  It is the oldest operating cathedral in the United States.  The entire building is a work of art.  Breathtaking paintings, statutes and architecture is absolutely stunning.  It is something you have to experience.

Just about time for our tour, we walked over to Johnny Po'Boys and grabbed a scrumptious hot roast beef and cheese po'boy to take with us.  It was so big we decided one po'boy and a bag of chips would feed us.  There were so many choices, I would love to try more next time we are in NOLA.

Next we boarded a 50 passenger motor coach for our Super City Tour with Gray Lines.  TRAVELER TIP:  If have to tell you that is always my favorite (i.e., most important) part of every trip.  Touring the city you are visiting gives you a great perspective, inside tips from a local and a lot of history.  After you have taken the tour you can adjust your itinerary to go back and see things that are intriguing and cross some off your list.

Gray Lines Super City tour was absolutely fabulous.  It takes you through New Orleans on a narrated tour of this history rich city with several photo stops.  We even had a chance to get out at one of the cemeteries and look around.  The history lesson is amazing and engaging enough to keep my 3 year entertained for most of the trip.  Did I mention there is a bathroom on board?  Our tour guide was Sylvester.  I recommend you try and catch one of his tours.  From Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River and everything in between we marveled at the sights and stories that our driver shared.  Did you know that back in the day they could tell if you were Creole by the color of your house?  Do you know what Creole means?

After our tour we headed up Bourbon Street (which we will tell you all about on Thursday, so make sure you check back) to Bayou Burger.  We order 3 ginormous burgers.  My favorite part was this little dish of crab traps that we got as a free appetizer for checking in on Foursquare. Crab with cheese and jalapenos...  Deep fried.  Hello!

Back to our hotel room to collapse into our bed after a very fun filled day, we discovered a post card on the pillow and our beds turned down.  What a welcome 'home'.

Wednesday I will share more of our fantastic vacation with you including our trip to the magnificent city park and more!  Make sure you check back.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED - WINNER Heather Hayes Panjon
Now on to the giveaway:  Click the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win a fabulous travel pack

$100 American Express gift card
Digital photo frame
Sunglasses
I Love NOLA mug
I Love NOLA tote

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Frozen Café Au Lait
serves 2

2 cups strong brewed Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chickory Blend (or your favorite), frozen into ice cubes
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar (or your favorite sweetener)

Combine ingredients in a blender and chop until icy, then blend on high until you have your perfect consistency.  I like my pretty smooth, so I blend for a while.  You may have to turn the blender off to scrape down the sides a few times and then turn the blender back on. If you have a high powered blender you may have to use your tamper to push the mixture around a little.

Pour into 2 glasses, serve and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com 

Disclosure:  We are working in partnership with the New Orleans Board of Tourism and we have been compensated with a family vacation to New Orleans. 

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