Mardi Gras-ing with the Best of 'em

I've not yet made it to New Orleans, although I'm considerably closer than I used to be.

So, until I finally visit the French Quarter, I'll have to celebrate Fat Tuesday in my own home.

I found a recipe for a fairly simple Anduille and Chicken Jambalaya, and split it in half to accommodate a veg-friendly version.



Wow...that was some pretty fantastic jambalaya! It's not an obviously spicy dish; no...the kick from the cayenne comes up and grabs you from behind, after you've swallowed. Still, not so spicy that you were begging for bread.
And the rice? Perfectly cooked; not soggy, and with the best of the flavors. The onions and green pepper were so caramelized and cooked down, I didn't even notice them in the dish...and I made it!
And it makes plenty, so Matt has lunch for the week.

And to really put us in the mood, I made a King Cake.



This isn't the recipe I've used before, but it was the quickest one I could come up with at short notice ("It's Tuesday already? Crap!").

I think the biggest difference between this and the one I'd made in the past was the decorating. And the directions!
This one wanted 1/4 cup of lemon juice to 3/4 cup of powdered sugar...and an additional 36 Tbl. water...!
One, I think they made a mistake, and forgot the hyphen for the water. And b, that was the strongest lemon frosting I've ever tasted (yes, I actually tasted it!)

Still, it came out alright. I think I prefer the 'divide the icing into three bowls and tint gold, green and purple' method over the 'use color paste and dye the sugar' one.

I compromised, and did both!



And, just like the real Mardi Gras festivities, I got a bunch of shiny beads...but as a married woman, it's not quite so shocking flashing your husband, is it?