Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Cajun Easter Faves + Festival Countdown

It's almost time for Easter and I am excited about a little getaway that I'm planning for the weekend. It's the first Easter in a very long time that I won't be preparing an Easter brunch or dinner, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite Easter recipes with you. These are tried and true, mostly handed down from my dear mother, grandmother, or aunts, and I hope that you will try them and enjoy them. Bon appetit!

Baked Ham w/ Pineapple-Rum Glaze

1 8 to 10 pound spiral ham 
12 pineapple slices, juice reserved
12 maraschino cherries, drained
Ham glaze (recipe below)

Place ham on rack in large roasting pan and top with pineapple slices. Place cherries in center and anchor with toothpicks. Pour 1 inch of water into bottom of pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes per pound, basting often, and pouring the remaining glaze over ham during the last 15 minutes.

Pineapple-Rum Glaze
Melt 1/2 cup butter, in saucepan. Add 4 tbs. pineapple juice, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cook and stir, until sugar is melted. Add 1 tbs. yellow mustard. Boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/4 cup rum, until blended. Baste ham often while baking. Divine! 

 For my Cajun Baked Ham w/ Sugarcane-Bourbon Glaze recipe, click here.



Click on recipe title to view recipes

Crab and Shrimp Jambalaya

 




 *****
Festival Countdown!

It's almost time for the biggest and best festival in Cajun country! In just one week, the 25th annual Festival International de Louisiane, will take place from April 27-May 1, in downtown Lafayette. Six music stages located throughout downtown, with bands from 15 different countries, as well as the finest Cajun and Zydeco bands around,  and the most awesome Cajun and Creole food that you can imagine! That's right, 5 straight days of great music, food, and fun! Woo-hoo! This is my absolute favorite festival and it's all free! For a complete schedule, click here. To read more about this fantastic festival and see more pics, click here.  

And just to give you an idea of all the fun at this festival, here's a little clip that I took at last year's festival. Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas were rockin the crowd at Scene Chevron. This is only one of 500 artists that played during the festival! Let the good times roll, cher!


Wishing you all a blessed and very Happy Easter! Merci beaucoup for coming by!

30 comments:

GYPSYWOMAN said...

my neighbors upstairs say "thank you very much for the fantastic dancin' music"!!!

Drick said...

I hope you have a fabulous holiday, wait, what am I thinking... of course you will, at least, I hope it is for pleasure,.,,
ham and potato salad, I could make a meal from just those two,,, of course I would not pass up the others ya know,,,

Kat said...

You enjoy your get-away, you certainly deserve it. Happy Easter!

Linda Starr said...

Have a great time; what a blast it will be, that shortcake is so tempting as is all the rest, but somehow I have craving for those strawberries today.

Lisa said...

Oh boy, what a feast! I wish I could sample them all.

nanny said...

The picture of the ham should be published.....yum
I wanted to warn you about the pimiento cheese, if you do make it for the shower.
The recipe called for grated onion, which I did....but there was juice in my grated onion so I dumped it all in; resulting in pretty strong flavor! Maybe chopped would have been better. All in all I vote for Bobby Deen's recipe and still substitute onion for sweet pickle relish.
Have a great weekend!

Jessica | Cajunlicious said...

I want that Jambalaya! YUM!

I am doing a post this evening that you are mentioned in!!! And something is being passed onto you again!!!

Eddie Bluelights said...

What a talented lineage - all those delightful recipes from your
mother, grand mother, aunts etc - wonderful. You all certainly know the way into a man's heart with all this delicious 'grub'.
As for the Easter Festival, have a ball! Well what a silly statement - I know you will. Enjoy your excursion at the weekend and have lots pof fun.
I wonder, is there ever a quiet time in Cajun Country? LOL Hugs ~ Eddie

Miz Helen said...

Hi Marguerite,
Wow just look at all that wonderful food. I would just have to hang out at that table all day. A little interlude with Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Cha's was great and sure made me feel lifted up for a bit.
You are so sweet to remember me with such kindness this past week. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week. Have an awesome week end!

Velva said...

As always, a wonderful food spread. I have my eye on that wonderful creole shrimp salad.

Happy Easter to you and your family.

Velva

Marguerite said...

Gypsy- lol, So glad they liked it! Thanks for stopping by, cher! Have a wonderful holiday! Cheers!

Drick- Thanks, and you're right, you know that I will! I could too, but it's so hard to pass up those bourbon glazed jumbo shrimp and the crab and shrimp jambalaya! Enjoy!

Kat- Merci, cher! I am looking forward to it! Hope you and your family have a Happy Easter, too! Cheers!

Linda- Thanks, you can't beat eating boiled crabs, crawfish, and shrimp, on the beach! Utopia! lol Hope you try the strawberry shortcake. It's fab!

Lisa- So good to hear from you! Thanks, so glad you like them and hope you try them! Especially the desserts! Thanks for stopping by!

Nanny- Thanks so much and it tastes even better than it looks! And thanks so much, again, for the great recipe and for the tip.

Trisha said...

I always enjoy my visits to your blog. All the food looks great!

kitchen flavours said...

Scrumptious yummies! Look delicious as always! Have a good Easter holiday! Happy Easter!

Pam said...

A great spread as usual. Love that ham with the bourbon glaze. And the festival sounds like a blast. Have a great Happy Easter!

Chef Dennis Littley said...

I hope you have an outstanding Easter my friend, you sure left us with some tempting delights to drool over!
It looks like the festival is going to be the place to be in Louisiana, wish I could make it!
Cheers
Dennis

Rosaria Williams said...

Always a big spread to enjoy first with the eyes. So good! Happy Easter, M.

Donna said...

I love, love, love reading people's traditions and loovee all the recipes you linked up:) Can't WAIT to try that Creole shrimp pasta salad.
Love your blog! Glad I found it on Ekat's potluck!

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I'm glad you don't have to cook, but I think there will be more than a few wishing you had.

Happy Easter to you.

Mary Bergfeld said...

I hope you have a wonderful holiday. The recipes you have left for us are wonderful. Blessings...Mary

Martha said...

I'm having an Easter party over at Seaside Simplicity and of course you are invited! Come on over to link up! Happy Easter :-)

Amanda- Eating in Winnipeg said...

I just started a blog hop and I'd love for you to come and link up one of your great recipes!!

Vagabonde said...

I declare Marguerite every time I come to your blog I become hungry – too many good looking dishes. I think that you could, for sure, open a restaurant in Paris (where I’ll be next week.) Have a great time in your get away and don’t dance too much – get some relaxation – laisses les bons temps rouler not laisses les bons temps courir! (running.)

Betsy Brock said...

Yum. It all looks fabulous!

Happy Easter!

Kathryn Magendie said...

Looks like I will finally make it down to Louisiana soon - and then I will have my shrimp poboy --- I tried one in Alabama, but it wasn't the same, nope, not the same at all!

Anonymous said...

Your Easter menu suggestions all look wonderful :) I hope you had a great trip and a happy Easter! Wishing you a fantastic week :)

Eddie Bluelights said...

Happy Easter, Marguerite ~ Eddie x

Pat Tillett said...

Each and every photo is killing me!
And that cake made me want to take a bite out of my screen!

Marguerite said...

Cajunlicious- Thanks, this jambalaya is my favorite! It was my mother's recipe and and I hope you try it! Thanks so much for the invitation, sorry I couldn't participate.

Eddie- Thanks so much for the lovely compliment, cher! My mother always said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. lol Merci, the weekend was so much fun, but a lot more fun is coming right up, at the festival. Not really! lol

Miz Helen- Thanks so much for your sweet comment! So glad you enjoyed the music and that it lifted your spirits. You're so welcome, it was my pleasure, cher!

Velva- Thanks, so glad you like it and hope that your Easter was happy, too!! Hope you try the shrimp salad, it's fab!

Trisha- Hi and welcome! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your nice comment! I'm so glad that you enjoy it!

KF- Merci beaucoup for the sweet comment and wishes, cher! My Easter was wonderful and hope that yours was, too!

Magic of Spice said...

Everything looks fantastic of course, but wow just look at that Jambalaya...delicious! Hope you had a great weekend away, and as always thanks for the great music and fun :)

Lisa said...

Thanks for linking this up to Sweets for a Saturday.