Mardi Gras Party Preview + Time for Parades !

It's time for Mardi Gras and time to put the finishing touches on my seafood buffet menu and purchase the wine and spirits. This is my favorite party of the year and it is so much fun! Guests will be coming in costumes and the party food, drinks, decorations, and favors will all have a Mardi Gras theme. This is what my menu looks like, so far, and I'll be sharing more of these Mardi Gras delights with you soon, so stay tuned!
Le bon mange, cher'! Enjoy!

Click on titles in black to view recipes.

Crawfish-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms *Spicy Crab-Stuffed Jalapenos * Mini Creole Shrimp Cakes w/ Jalapeno Cream Sauce * Mardi Gras Jambalaya * Fried Catfish Bites * Crawfish-Spinach Bread Bowl * Creole Shrimp Pasta Salad * Remoulade Potato Salad * Confetti Cornbread Muffins *

Cream Cheese Filled King Cake * Pecan Pie Brownies *  Lemon Pie Cupcakes *

New Orleans Hurricanes  *

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Crawfish-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

 2 tbs's. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

8 oz. crawfish tails, chopped

2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup light mayo

1 tbs. Cajun seasoning, (divided)

Few shakes of Tabasco

Salt to taste

8 portobello mushrooms, gills removed

In large, heavy skillet, on medium heat, saute the onion and garlic, for 5 minutes. Add the crawfish, parsley, hot sauce, and half of the Cajun seasoning to the pan, and saute for 10 minutes and set aside.. In large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, mayo, other half of the Cajun seasoning, and add the crawfish mixture. Place mushrooms, top side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Fill the mushrooms with the prepared filling, packing it down. Sprinkle with a little more cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, in a preheated 350 degree oven. Sinfully good! Serves 8.

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Remoulade Potato Salad

 3 lb.'s red potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp.salt

2 ribs celery,diced

1/2 cup green onions, sliced thin

3/4 cup light mayo

1/8 cup Creole or Dijon mustard

1/8 cup yellow mustard

3 tbs.'s ketchup

1 tbs. prepared horseradish

1 tbs. sweet pickle relish w /juice

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Spanish olives for garnish

In large pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 12 minutes and drain in colander. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and season with salt. Combine the next 10 ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Add to the potatoes and mix well, or until desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle top with Cajun seasoning and garnish with more green onions and Spanish olives. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 6  Divine!

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Time for Parades

It's going to be such a fun weekend in Cajun country! Parades will be rolling in Lafayette, beginning on Saturday, at 2:00 pm, with the Krewe de Cheins parade, and the fabulous Krewe of Rio parade on Saturday night. And don't forget about the pre-parade celebration in Parc Sans Souci! For a complete schedule of Mardi Gras events and parade times, click here. Gonna catch some beads, ya'll!

Let the good times roll, cher!

Wishing all of you a fun weekend! Wish ya'll were here! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Dat Tuesday! + Party Gras Day!

It was a picture perfect day, in Cajun Country, for Dat Tuesday! Not a cloud in the sky, sunny and 58 degrees, which was absolutely perfect, for the many Mardi Gras festivities going on around Lafayette.

Every where you went, people were shouting Who Dat or We Dat and cheering! There were Who Dat floats, Who Dat music, Who Dat, signs, Who Dat t-shirts; you get the idea? You might even say that many were STILL celebrating the New Orleans Saints Superbowl Victory! Woo-hoo! We "ALL" Dat, cher! Yeah, Saints!



We started out at Bisbano's for a little noontime happy hour and the King's Parade. These Cajun gals were dressed up for the occasion! That's a Hurricane that she's drinking! Guaranteed to make you happy, cher!

After the King's parade, we decided to head over to Cajun Field for the two afternoon parades. We were starving and went over to a friend's tent.

A fabulous array of goodies, including two King Cakes, on this snack table! As hard as it's going to be, I am giving up King Cake for lent, btw!



And some other friends were cookin' up some BBQ ribs and sausage! Out of this world, cher!


At Le Festival des Mardi Gras de Lafayette, the sensational , "Louisiana Red" band was jamming for the crowd. Check out the boots, ya'll! Kids of all ages enjoyed the great carnival rides.

These two floats were emptying their stash, as the parades came to an end!

You might say that catching beads is an obsession with some Cajuns!

And this was the day's bounty in beads! And catching my favorite mask beads
means good luck all year!

Everywhere you looked people were smiling, cheering, and catching beads, eating, drinking, being merry! And and just having a blast! The crowds were among the biggest, in Lafayette Mardi Gras history, and it was just an awesome day, filled with great Cajun fun! Until next year.....Let the good times roll, cher! And don't forget that Downtown Alive is right around the corner!

Cajun Superbowl Party Preview !

After watching the Saints win the NFC championship, Lafayette went wild! There were lots of parties and then more parties, but the biggest one is coming right up, and is right around the corner, when the New Orleans Saints go to the SUPERBOWL! GEAUX SAINTS! I will be having friends and family over, for the BIG game, and have already started planning the menu. I love to make these favorite party recipes, whenever I am having guests for a casual party buffet . Cest bon, cher!

Jalapeno Cheese Bread * Seafood Jambalaya * Crab- Stuffed Mushrooms * Spinach and Crawfish Bread Bowl * Spicy Cajun Buffalo Wings * Mini Muffalettas * Mardi Gras Slaw * Creole Potato Salad * Fresh Fruit and Veggie Trays * And who knows what else!? I'll be adding more, as I go along! Bon Appetit!
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Super Bowl and Mardi Gras parties just would not be the same without this fabulous Jalapeno Cheese Bread to compliment your party buffet. One of my favorite breads to make and eat is this buttery, hot, melt-in-your-mouth, jalapeno cheese bread! Oh cest bon, cher! Out of this world! Enjoy!

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

1 pkg. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, butter, eggs, salt, and 1 cup of flour.
Beat on low till mixed well, scraping bowl. Stir in remaining flour, cheese, pepper, and jalapenos. Beat for 2 minutes on medium, until dough thickens. Scrape bowl and cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, ( about 40 minutes). Beat down with a spoon, about 25 strokes. Grease a bundt or pull- apart bread pan and spread dough evenly into pan. Cover and return to a warm place and let rise until double, (about 45 minutes) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Cest bon, cher!

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And here's a great side that is perfect for the Mardi Gras season! It has the Mardi Gras colors of green, purple, and gold, and is perfect for either your Superbowl or Mardi Gras party! And it is so delicious, you'll even forget that cabbage is so good for you!

 Mardi Gras Slaw
 
1 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup chopped purple onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
2 tbs.'s red wine vinegar
2 tbs.'s fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup mayonaise, (light is good)
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. horseradish
1 tbs. Cajun seasoning
Salt to taste

Shred the cabbage in food processor. Place shredded cabbage, chopped onion and peppers in large bowl, and mix well. In separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and blend with a wire whisk. Add to cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Chill. Serves 6 Bon Appetit!


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