tablescape

"Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday." Traditionally, it is the last day for Catholics to indulge—and often overindulge—before Ash Wednesday starts the sober weeks of fasting that come with Lent. Formally known as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras has long been a time of extravagant fun for European Christians. In fact, some people think Mardi Gras celebrations have their source in the wild springtime orgies of the ancient Romans.

In the United States, Mardi Gras draws millions of fun-seekers to New Orleans every year. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in New Orleans on a grand scale, with masked balls and colorful parades, since French settlers arrived in the early 1700s. Hidden behind masks, people behaved so raucously that for decades in the early 19th century masks were deemed illegal in that party-loving city.

Well, I am not exactly talking about behaving raucously... but that might be fun... I am talking about recipes and tablescapes for  Mardi Gras.

Can you smell the Gumbo???

or maybe you like Jambalaya?

My son loves the olive bread...

I found a simple King cake recipe, I thought I would share....
5 (17oz) cans refrigerated cinnamon roll dough
1 jar of wilton purple sugar sprinkles
1 jar of  Wilton green sugar sprinkles
1 jar of GOLD yellow won't really do as you can see from my picture...

Preheat oven to 350 spray a round pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Separate cinnamon rolls, and place upright, cut sides touching, in a circle on prepared pan.
bake fro 25-29 minutes. Cool on a wire wrack for 15 minutes. Spread with icing from packages. Sprinkle immediately with desired amount of sugar in desired patterns.

If you are not familiar with a Kings' Cake and are wondering what that plastic baby is doing in the photo....
Here is the story:
Cake of Kings
The king cake , a Mardi Gras tradition, is said to represent the gifts the three kings brought to the baby Jesus. Catholic lore states that it took the kings 12 days to travel to Bethlehem as they searched for the holy family. The day of Epiphany, or the day after the twelfth day of the Christmas holiday, typically marks the beginning of Mardi Gras season. King cakes are used throughout the season's celebrations, and the person who finds the trinket inside ( usually a small plastic baby) is declared the "king".

So Now I need to think about what I should give up for lent?
are you up for a challenge .... religion or not give something up for 40 days....
If you were going to join the challenge.. what would you give up?