Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!

I went to college in Louisiana and Mardi Gras instantly became a part of my life as though I had grown up on the Gulf coast.

Mardi Gras is a great time to relax and enjoy life. Every year, my friend Anna's parents host a their friends, colleagues and family on their front yard to watch the parades pass. Anna's mom prepares a feast and visitors bring drinks, snacks and most importantly toilet paper. For those of you who have never been to Mardi Gras, having access to a clean potty (or any potty) is the key to happiness and that family has always made theirs available to parade goers.

Mardi Gras 2006

Mardi Gras 2007

It has been a few years since I have been able to join in the festivities in Lafayette but have always managed to bring a little bit of Mardi Gras to wherever I am.

Usually, I bring a king cake with me on a trip or having one shipped to me, but in order to cut costs (yay fun-employment) I made my own Mardi Gras goodies this year. The most fun part of a king cake is that there is a tiny plastic baby Jesus hidden inside and whoever finds it has to purchase the next king cake for the group.

I chose to celebrate the season by making the most brightly colored cupcakes I've ever seen. Green, yellow and purple as bright as I could make them. Honestly, the hardest part of this project was finding a tiny plastic baby Jesus in Madison, Wisconsin. The recipe is detailed and includes clear step-by-step instructions.

I substituted a box gluten free mix for her recipe and also used store bought frosting. It was just easier.



One dozen cupcakes and a bag of beads were sent to work with the BF today and I am glad our friend T was lucky enough to find the baby Jesus!