A Southern Life: my take on traditions, food, sights and more.
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Dancin’ to the Mardi Gras
Music is the essence of Mardi Gras – you can’t have a parade, a carnival ball, or even a party without it. Our carnival music reflects our joie de vivre spirit, our desire to let the good times roll. The classic hits range from funk to R&B to brass band, but they have one thing…
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Masquerade Ball
Carnival Season in New Orleans is a wonderful time. Then entire season assaults your senses with colors and sound. One of the most sensational events, for me, is the Nyx Myx Masquarade Ball. It is invitation only and formal tux and floor length gowns and masks are required. I have lots and lots of pictures…
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Report from the Rex Den
The central command post for the Rex parade is housed in a nondescript industrial building. For most of the year it just serves as a workshop for float construction, but really comes alive with activity as Mardi Gras day approaches. I recently attended “Ladies Day at the Den”, and wanted to share some photos with…
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Costume de Rigueur
Invitations to old line Carnival balls invariably contain the phrase “costume de rigueur”. You may know the attire for men under such terms as “full dress”, “white tie”, or “tails”. For ladies it means a floor length evening gown – no tea length or dressy pants permitted. Ladies have it easy, but the process of…
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Mardi Gras Centerpiece
Some people have asked about the centerpieces that I used at the recent Epiphany brunch. These were very easy to put together and you can use the same idea with materials that you have available for whatever holiday you are celebrating. Here is what I used: Greenery from my yard (you can use whatever…
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Mardi Gras Pink!
As we get closer to Mardi Gras, Krewes are busy attending their Mardi Gras balls, gathering throws and making plans for their parades and parties. I am a member of the Mystic Krewe of Nyx. We parade at night on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras. We recently had a membership meeting/party to hear the…
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No Bake King Cake
Have you ever wanted to make a Mardi Gras king cake but were turned off by the complicated yeast bread recipes? Here’s a quickie recipe with beautiful results – and no cooking necessary. I attended a presentation today given by Cindy Pagragan of Cindy’s Sweet Sensations. She showed us slides of her exquisite novelty and…
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Winter Gardens
In late December, my husband and I took a walk around a garden district neighborhood in New Orleans. We took pictures of a lot of the Christmas decorations, but I also enjoyed seeing all of the things that were in bloom here in New Orleans. The things that bloom change from month to month and…
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Comfort Food Cook-a-Thon
I’ve been craving simple, home cooked food lately. I’m still paying for the eating excesses of the Christmas holidays, and the less than nutritious fare of parade parties is just around the corner. I devoted a dreary Sunday afternoon to restocking my freezer. I’m sure the gourmands are rolling their eyes right now. I’d love…
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Mardi Gras Gumbo
It’s been pretty rainy around here for the past week. The perfect time for gumbo. Okay, really any time is the perfect time, but today, it chased away the gloominess from the sky and helped restore the Mardi Gras mood. Okay, so I took a few shortcuts on the gumbo. Don’t judge me for being…
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Epiphany Brunch
Last Sunday, January 6th, we had an Epiphany brunch here with people from our church and friends. Church members provided food and it was great fun. My contribution was a king cake and a sausage and hash brown egg casserole (see the recipe in today’s lagniappe). Here is the table: The tradition of the king…
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Mardi Gras Time!
It’s official – the Mardi Gras or Carnival season has begun here in New Orleans. As Cindy said in the earlier post, the Mardi Gras season officially kicks off with Twelfth Night or the Epiphany. All of the Christmas decorations are now put away and it is time to start the celebrations leading up to…
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Mardi Gras is on the Way
January 6 to most people is Epiphany, but in New Orleans it is Twelfth Night, the beginning of the Carnival season. We are going to be talking a lot about Mardi Gras in the next couple of weeks, so I wanted to give you some background. Although they are often used interchangeably, Carnival is a…
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Cabbage…lots of it!
Every fall I plant broccoli. It does quite well in pots on my patio – container gardening is a trade off in the city for a nicely landscaped yard. In New Orleans transplants are generally available in early October, with harvest right around Thanksgiving. I was a bit surprised to find transplants at a big…