I don’t really need an excuse to gorge on seafood and sweets, but I’ll take Fat Tuesday as one anyway.
Lent begins in less than 24 hours, so I plan to make the most of this raucous holiday and splurge on empty calories like nobody’s business.
How are you planning to spend the day?
It doesn’t matter if you can’t make it to an organized Mardi Gras event; simply throw one together yourself. Your Fat Tuesday bash doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair; instead gather the clan, throw on some beads, jester hats, masks, feather boas, and some green, purple and gold garb, then go to town singing and dancing to jazz music or other party tunes.
If you are partying with pint-sized guests, consider building a bead tower. The shiny structure makes for an ideal table centerpiece. Start with a curved wire rack. Next, stack graduated sizes of Styrofoam balls coated with glitter and paint to create a tower. Finally, place strings of beads on the balls to make it look like a shimmery metallic bead tree.
Finally, don’t forget the festive food. Mardi Gras is not complete without seafood and decadent desserts, such as King Cakes, malasadas, and paczkis. To really spice up your Fat Tuesday, consider making the following simple shrimp dish:
Easy Creole Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
4 tablespoons flour
1/8 cup green onions, chopped
1 small can of diced tomatoes
3/4 cup shrimp stock
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 bay leaf
2 pounds fresh shrimp
Cooked rice
Directions:
Make a light roux from the butter and flour.
Add seasonings and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients except for shrimp and reduce on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Remove from heat and serve over hot rice.