There Is A BABY In My Cake!

Happy Mardi Gras! A late afternoon text message from David, that inquired about the possibility of a Kings Cake got my brain snowballing and my body scrambling to the grocery store for some items to create a last minute Mardi Gras celebration. Although as a child, we celebrated what the Polish call " Pączki Day" (Donut Day- as traditionally the lard, sugar, etc was used up before the Catholics' fasting of Lent began), David and I have taken to celebrating Mardi Gras with more of a New Orleans flair. Besides, David and I eat donuts WAAaaaayyyyy too regularly! Yes, I know, Tim Horton's is *nothing* like the Polish Pączki. Yet, although I like Pączki, I don't like them that much to consider them a treat. Instead, we have taken to New Orleans fare for our pre-Lenten splurge. Why New Orleans traditions? Well, our very good friend Jon lives in New Orleans and we have had the opportunity to visit New Orleans on numerous occasions (I believe this photo of David, Jon & me was in the year 2000. It was definitely on a rainy night in the French Quarter......and this photo is the last known location of the glasses Jon is wearing. Could they have unknowingly just fallen off of Jon's face while we were all on a typical French Quarter balcony??). Each time we visited we had more fun than was probably good for us. Unfortunately, it has been several years since we've been to Jon's for a visit. With Madeline, however, our future visits will most certainly be more low key. However, our stories of the French Quarter are ones we will giggle about and tell our grandchildren (okay, maybe not that).

Anyway, last minute I was running to the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients. Upon getting home I darted into the basement to dig out some Mardi Gras decorations from my teacher bins and some Mardi Gras beads from my Halloween bins.....(oh, the story behind those beads! More than you can imagine!) I quickly threw up some decorations and whipped together our dinner. We had Jambalaya, Caesar Salad and a baguette bread & butter. I mixed David and me up some official Pat O'Brien Hurricanes to drink (oh, another bunch of stories from our visit to Pat O'Brien's!) but, of course, Madeline had fruit punch instead. And, finally, for dessert we had the New Orleans traditional King Cake that I decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors - purple, representing justice; green, representing faith; and gold, representing power . The King Cake has a small baby trinket hidden inside and Madeline got the baby in her piece, which I guess means she'll have good fortune for the next year.

So here I sit, the night before Lent, still not knowing what I would like to sacrifice during the Lenten season. Oh, so many things to choose from!! Whatever I do, all I know is that I am looking forward to the END of Lent (Easter)! Not so much because I would be able to once again partake in whatever I give up but because my brother Paul and his family will be here visiting. SOoooo excited! In the meantime, enjoy the last little bit of those sinful splurges ;-)