Mardi Gras Recipes and Ideas

Today is Fat Tuesday, the official day of Mardi Gras.  Down here in Louisiana, we have been celebrating Mardi Gras for a few weeks now.  Over the years, I have tried my hand at making some of Louisiana's infamous dishes and have posted it on the blog.  If you are on our Facebook and Twitter pages, then you have seen these recipes already.  However, for my RSS, e-mail subscribers, and other readers, I have taken the time to compile these recipes and ideas into one post.  

Click on the picture to view the recipes.

Mini-King Cakes

(This recipe/idea has been the most viewed on the blog in the past few weeks.  It is not your traditional way of making King Cakes, however, if you find yourself pretty busy and pressed for time, these will definitely suffice.  All you need is a can of pre-made cinnamon rolls and some colorful sugar crystals.)

Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

(Nothing says Louisiana more then a hot, steaming pot of Red Beans and Rice.  This is my family's go-to recipe for this lovely dish.)

Easy Homemade Beignets

(Yummmm!  Beignets!  It's one of the best things about visiting New Orleans!  This recipe is super simple and  so very easy to make.)

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

(It took me three tries to get this dish right...lol.  This recipe is a tad bit long but y'all will love the end results.  Add in some shrimp and tomatoes if you wish.)

Make these dishes today for your Mardi Gras Celebration and as we like to say here in Louisiana....

"Laissez les bons temps rouler"

(Let The Good Times Roll)

Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!!!!!

*~*Good News (Again)!!*~*

For those who haven't heard, I have been battling some health issues in the past month or so (click HERE to catch up on everything).

Well....I received the results back from the second biopsy and it is............

BENIGN!!!

Woo-hoo!!!  Now this mama can finally have piece of mind.  The question still remains though, what is causing my inflammation and abscesses?  Since I have eliminated the worst possible scenario (cancer), I will be on a quest to figure this out, but in the meantime...wanted to update y'all about this situation.

I'm still in recovery mode and am taking it easy so I can heal properly from this second surgery.  I have to go to wound care therapy three times a week so they can clean both of my surgery incisions and change the dressings.  Not fun at all and I am trying to look at these visits as a step closer to healing 100%.    

My family and I want to say 'thank you' from the bottom of our hearts for praying for us through this hard time.  And even though there are still some questions that need to be answered, we are so very grateful for the positive results we received this morning.

Thank you all so very much!!!!

God is Great Y'all....God is Great!!

*~*Surgery Update #2*~*

For those who aren't familiar to what has been going on with me, click HERE to read more.

Surgery #2 has come and gone.  The doctor ended up making a longer incision this time to drain this newly found abscess.  He also did some 'probing' around in there and also took another big chunk of tissue for another biopsy. 

We are all still waiting on the results of everything...and probably won't get them till next week sometime.  Surprisingly, I feel so much better...physical wise....with this surgery then I did with the last.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I am still in pain, but it hasn't been as bad as the first surgery.  

I walked into the hospital this time around with a happy face and a happy attitude.  I was still nervous, but not as nervous as the first time.  I made it clear to the staff that I wanted certain medicines to help me through it and spoke to my breast doctor about the procedure.  I was in complete control...unlike the last time.

I even made it a point to wear these colorful rainbow socks......

....these were the socks I wore to my first surgery.  I like to think of them as my 'good luck' charm :)  The operating nurse that I had the first time remembered me because of the socks.  I thought that rocked!

Now...we just sit and play the waiting game for the results...in-between visits to the wound care specialist to clean out and re-pack both of my incisions.  

This whole entire journey has not been easy on my family at all.  I cannot even begin to describe how stressful this whole thing has been on everyone.  I can only hope that we have seen the last of hospitals and operating rooms...and that this journey is slowly coming to an end.  

I pray and hope this second biopsy comes out benign and that if anything was found through this testing, that it can be treated aggressively.  

Thank y'all so much for your continued positive prayers and support!!  

I'm hoping I will be able to get back in that kitchen soon and start cooking/baking up some yummy deliciousness for ya :)