Busy weekend! I spent most of Saturday ice fishing with my sister. Or rather, she fished while I tried to keep my feet warm in gale force winds by a fire… and we shall never speak of that again.
Today, however, was a different story!
John and I planned out our annual Mardi Gras dinner party. I tried my hand at making a king cake for the first time. It is a yeast dough bread with filling inside. The recipe I made gave us 2 cakes, so I did them differently. Here is the dough all rolled out and spread with filling.
One cake I did with a cream cheese and strawberry jam filling (which I made today) and the other was a pecan praline filling. This was then rolled up jelly roll style and made into a ring:
Then baked up!
Then the best part is the colored glaze to make it festive!
I couldn’t wait to try it!
We got out the beads for the party:
My mother provided the masks:
Rare sighting of my dad being silly:
On the menu for tonight- shrimp and crab etouffe! John made this. He rocks!
We also had some cajun chicken strips. Just breaded seasoned chicken cutlets, really. Plus green beans with a bit of bacon! (Everything is better with bacon, right?)
And some cornbread muffins, courtesy of my sister. Normally I don’t have a giant plate like this, but it was the one I ended up with, so the food is all spread out LOL!
After dinner it was game time!
Just a tiny bit of alcohol in some coffee 
Then it was time for the awesome King Cake!
Very good! It is a yeast dough, so this was very much like a danish. I think it was pretty successful, although we have a lot of cake left over LOL! Definitely need to put a lot of this in the freezer.
Now, we are hunkered down for *another* winter storm. Heavy snow and blowing winds right now and up to a foot is expected by tomorrow morning. Eeek! Maybe I’ll have another piece of king cake!
ooo what fun. I love having people over.
OMG another winter storm!? I’m so over winter!
Now that’s a party! The king cake looks so fabulous! Love the colours.
It looks like a wonderful time was had by one and all…nice to get together with family. I did the same today.
Have a great week!
I’ve never been to a Mardi Gras party before. It looks like fun! I like the masks.
Lori & John, Thanks so much for hosting the Mardi Gras party. It was so much fun! The food and the company were great! It was so nice to get together. Too bad we got snowed on!!
Looks like you had a blast!!!! 🙂 Nice! And by the way—you look soooo much like your sister. Cute sisterly pic 😉
I love how much you all enjoy Mardi Gras and New Orleans – and your king cake looks way better than what I see in our grocery stores!
What a great party that has been! The cake looks delicious. Pack up a piece for me, hop on the next flight over here and we can share it while sitting in the sun that we have today.
I’d probably eat it all on the flight over LOL!
so FUN!!!!!
that said my fave word cluster in the post is ‘we shall never speak of that again’
🙂
I laughed.
outloud.
Looks like fun! Love the masks. 🙂
“We shall never speak of that again.” LOLOLOL!!
Ice fishing – not so much; Mardi Gras party – OH YES! Loved the pics & you all are so cute! Did Pixie join in on the fun or run & hide?
Our Costco had a ton of those King Cakes as we walked in the door. I guess they were partying here too!
I eyed that corn muffin until I saw the Godiva! 😉
Pixie had fun. She is actually a social cat. No mask for her, though 😀
Ice fishing? Yikes!
LOVE your King Cake! What a great job you did and SUPER good time celebration. Go Mardi Gras! Don’t you wish were were down there now?!!!!
I do want to be in New Orleans now. I can’t take any more snow!
Did you bake a surprise in the cake? don’t they do that? Like a ring or some little something for someone to find?? Or am i thinking of another tradition for something else???
Yes – there is usually a little gold baby baked in the cake, but we don’t do that.
Yay for Mardi Gras fun! Love that King Cake. And you and your sister are soooo cute together! Luckily, I haven’t gotten the baby in the cake lately. Lol.
i have never celebrated mardi gras… or st. pattys day.
im missin out!!!
How fun!!! LOVE the masks and wow, that King Cake is beautiful!!! Ice fishing? Sounds much less fun. Maybe wearing a mask and adding some alcohol to coffee out there may have helped?? LOL. Have a great day Lori.
The cake looks absolutely delicious!!!! Good luck with the winter storm, come on Spring!!!
That king cake looks fabulous! I would love, love, love to be in New Orleans right now!
I forgot to comment!! I comment in my mind, and then am surprised it doesn’t show up on the blog.
Yes, I laughed (in horror) at the ice fishing and your comment on it. And if you can believe it, I’ve never heard of king cake. But I don’t like danish that much, so it doesn’t tempt me.
Holey moley! It looks like a giant cake-doughnut. hehe
I am convinced I need to experience Mardi Gras.. based on this post alone.