Well, here we are. Today is Ash Wednesday for those who commemorate it. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday begins the season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Today is a day of fasting, which means that, although most days, I don't eat until noon, and eat just two meals and a small snack between them with no problem whatsoever, today I cannot eat between meals, making me unbearably hungry. That's how the cookie crumbles. And...there I go already!
Last night, we celebrated Mardi Gras, a celebration of yummy food and fun before the solemn season of Lent begins.
I set the table with perhaps the best holiday purchase I ever made: the Mardi Gras necklaces and coins! I bought those necklaces and coins years ago when the kids were little; we use them yearly to celebrate. Madison and I made a delicious jambalaya with chicken, kielbasa, shrimp, rice, vegetables, and all the seasonings. Madison made some cornbread, and we were all set! After we ate, the kids indulged me in some of my Mardi Gras games, and then we enjoyed Madison and Flynn's monkeybread with cream cheese icing. Rhett found the baby in his piece, and was declared Mardi Gras King!!! This means nothing except that you have to wear the hat and take your picture, but they all seemed to enjoy it. After that, we watched the Mardi Gras episode of The Twilight Zone before calling it a night.
Today will be quiet inside, but supposedly windy and rainy with thunderstorms outside. I hope you have a cozy day, my friends. See you back here Friday!
Billie Jo
We had a modest celebration last night with our traditional Mardi Gras pancake dinner. Now on to Lent.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a fun Mardi Gras celebration; weirdly that is one holiday we never celebrated (and I say weirdly because we often celebrated some odd ones in our homeschool just to keep things fun and interesting).
ReplyDeleteI find that because no meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and every Friday during lent I want it all the time.
ReplyDeleteThis is something we never celebrated, but your celebration looks like so much fun! You guys always know how to have a good time.
ReplyDeleteWe had pancakes as is our custom for the day before Lent begins.
ReplyDeleteI'm not Catholic (i'm a member of a multi denominational church) but I'm doing some practices of Lent: I'm taking a break from social media, from most news, and reading a wonderful book called From the Grave (a 40 day Lent devotional) by A W Tozer. HIGHLY recommend!! Your mardi gras food looks amazing..a.nd did i read on your sidebar you own THREE houses??????
ReplyDeleteThe food looks wonderful!!! Especially the cake. It all looks so festive and fun. And I did not know Twilight Zone had a Mardi Gras episode!
ReplyDeleteHi Billie Jo. The food in this post looks delicious! I hope that you have a blessed Lenten season.
ReplyDeleteI truly love how your family lives your religion. You are a light unto the world my dear friend!
ReplyDeleteAll of the food looks wonderful. Isn't it funny how some of the least expensive decorations we find become family traditions and last through so many years. I have a few too.
ReplyDeleteI love how you all LOVE to celebrate and you do such a fabulous job, not only with the food, but with all the decorations as well... This is AWESOME!! Lots of traditions and lots of memories being made...
ReplyDeleteLove the way you all celebrated Mardi Gras. So much fun. We had a blizzard warning last night and today so no fun in the outside for us today. The wind is still howling.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and hugs,
Betsy
Looks like a wonderful celebration had by all! And that food looks and sounds AMAZING!! Sharing with you today, spiritual Sister, and wishing you a blessed Ash Wednesday. We will be going to get ashes tonight at mass. Such a powerful time of reflection and prayer for this season to come.
ReplyDelete✝️🙏🏻💗
We got the wind and rain here today, more wind than rain. Your food looks good!
ReplyDeleteI have my eye on that jambalya! Yum.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn’t I celebrate Mardi Gras – you do the most fun things together! Everything looks wonderful, smiling faces, making those sweet memories. Just as it should be. Thanks for the reminder🙂
ReplyDeleteI've never celebrated this but the food sure looks good.
ReplyDeleteHow fun that you celebrated Mardi Gras so well!! Joe and I left the Catholic Church back in 2019 and joined the Presbyterian Church of America that year. Presbyterians celebrate Easter well, as do all Christians, but not Ash Wednesday or Lent. Old habits die hard, though, and I am aware of the season and approach it all with the reverence it deserves. xo
ReplyDelete