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Saturday night was our 9th Mardi Gras Madness party. Amy used to live in New Orleans, and misses it very much, especially around Mardi Gras. In an attempt to ease her (second)-homesickness, we started having a Mardi Gras party when we moved into our house. It has grown so much over the years that on Saturday night, we had (by our count) 101 people attend (including the two of us). And our house is only about 1400 square feet, so...yeah.
Mardi Gras consumes our lives for about 2 weeks every year. It's a lot of work to have that many people over! There's the buying and the prepping and the decorating and the cleaning, and since it's winter here, there's the building of "Tent City" - one assembled insta-tent under which the turkeys…
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-homesickness,%20we%20started%20having%20a%20Mardi%20Gras%20party%20when%20we%20moved%20into%20our%20house.%20It%20has%20grown%20so%20much%20over%20the%20years%20that%20on%20Saturday%20night,%20we%20had%20(by%20our%20count)%20101%20people%20attend%20(including%20the%20two%20of%20us).%20And%20our%20house%20is%20only%20about%201400%20square%20feet,%20so...yeah.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMardi%20Gras%20consumes%20our%20lives%20for%20about%202%20weeks%20every%20year.%20It's%20a%20lot%20of%20work%20to%20have%20that%20many%20people%20over!%20There's%20the%20buying%20and%20the%20prepping%20and%20the%20decorating%20and%20the%20cleaning,%20and%20since%20it's%20winter%20here,%20there's%20the%20building%20of%20%22Tent%20City%22%20-%20one%20assembled%20insta-tent%20under%20which%20the%20turkeys%20are%20fried,%20and%20one%20giant%20tarp%20covering%20our%20back%20deck%20to%20provide%20heat%20and%20warmth%20since%20not%20everyone%20can%20fit%20inside%20the%20house.%20Luckily,%20we%20have%20plenty%20of%20friends,%20family%20and%20neighbors%20who%20pitch%20in.%20Those%20that%20do%20are%20known%20as%20the%20%22Krewe%22%20and%20are%20given%20special%20krewe-beads,%20different%20ones%20each%20year,%20to%20honor%20their%20efforts.%20Special%20thanks%20to%20Krewe%202012!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20since%20you're%20reading%20our%20blog,%20you're%20probably%20more%20interested%20in%20the%20menu.%20Chris%20is%20in%20charge%20of%20the%20fried%20turkeys%20(this%20year,%2090%20pounds%20of%20it)%20and%20spends%20most%20of%20the%20night%20in%20the%20driveway%20where%20many%20of%20the%20guests%20watch%20in%20awe%20as%20each%20perfectly%20seasoned%20crispy%20fried%20turkey%20is%20lifted%20from%20the%20vat%20of%20hot%20peanut%20oil%20(right).%20It%20is%20quickly%20brought%20into%20the%20house%20to%20the%20carving%20station%20(a%20cutting%20board%20set%20on%20top%20of%20our%20washing%20machine)%20where%20one%20hard-working%20guest%20volunteers%20to%20do%20the%20honors.%20(Thanks,%20Chipper!)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAmy%20makes%20a%20few%20other%20dishes,%20some%20appear%20each%20year,%20and%20others%20depend%20on%20her%20mood.%20One%20traditional%20dish%20is%20the%20Coca-Cola%20Ham,%20a%20spiralled%20ham%20cooked%20in%20cola%20and%20topped%20with%20a%20molasses-brown%20sugar-mustard%20glaze.%20Then%20this%20year%20she%20also%20made%20Pepper-Jack%20Gougeres%20(left);%20Bacon-Walnut%20Pralines;%20Muffuletta%20Pasta%20Salad%20with%20steamed%20shrimp;%20and%20in%20honor%20of%20our%20local%20moonshiners,%20Drunken%20Piggies%20in%20the%20Blanket%20(andouille%20sausage%20marinated%20in%20garlic%20mustard%20and%20Onyx%20Moonshine%20and%20wrapped%20in%20crescent%20dough).%20As%20we%20do%20every%20year,%20we%20provide%20the%20hurricanes%20(made%20with%20Pat%20O'Brien's%20Hurricane%20Mix%20of%20course)%20(this%20year,%20about%2015%20gallons'%20worth)%20and%20a%20little%20bit%20of%20beer%20and%20wine,%20soda%20and%20water.%20And%20enough%20Mardi%20Gras%20beads%20to%20go%20around.%20%22Throw%20me%20somethin',%20Mister!%22%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYou're%20probably%20wondering%20how%20that%20is%20enough%20to%20feed%20everyone?%20Well,%20it%20isn't,%20of%20course.%20That's%20the%20best%20part%20about%20our%20Mardi%20Gras%20party.%20Just%20about%20everyone%20brings%20a%20dish,%20and%20just%20about%20every%20dish%20is%20homemade.%20On%20Saturday,%20there%20was%20jambalaya,%20deviled%20eggs,%20shrimp%20cocktail,%20jalapeno-meat%20poppers,%20Cajun%20nacho%20dip,%20three-bean%20dip,%20Cajun%20meatballs,%20regular%20meatballs,%20mashed%20potato-stuffed%20tomatoes,%20chili%20cheese%20dip,%20%20%20%20%20veggie%20pizza,%20stuffed%20peppers,%20American%20chop%20suey,%20stromboli,%20stuffed%20mushrooms,%20spicy%20mac-n-cheese,%20Buffalo%20wings,%20and%20much,%20much%20more.%20Then%20there%20was%20the%20desserts,%20which%20included%20paczkis,%20chocolate%20chip%20cookies,%20oatmeal%20chocolate%20chip%20cookies,%20anise%20cookies%20with%20Mardi-Gras-colored%20frosting,%20brownies%20with%20walnuts,%20and%20plain%20brownies,%20among%20others.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPeople%20brought%20beer,%20wine,%20and%20liquor%20to%20share,%20consume,%20or%20offer%20as%20gifts.%20Awesome%20neighbor%20J,%20saint%20that%20she%20is,%20made%20400%20(that%20is%20not%20an%20exaggeration,%20but%20an%20actual%20number)%20purple,%20green%20and%20gold%20(well,%20yellow),%20Jello%20shots.%20Which%20are%20all%20gone.%20And%20her%20daughter,%20B,%20made%20us%20a%20delicious%20quiche%20for%20us%20to%20heat%20and%20eat%20the%20morning%20after.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThere's%20always%20room%20for%20Jello%20shots!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhere%20are%20all%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20pictures,%20you%20wonder?%20Where's%20all%20the%20%22food%20porn%22?%20Amidst%20the%20chaos%20of%20prepping,%20cooking,%20cleaning,%20decorating,%20serving,%20hosting,%20drinking,%20eating%20and%20enjoying%20everyone's%20company,%20there%20just%20isn't%20any%20time%20for%20that.%20So,%20enjoy%20the%20few%20that%20we%20have,%20but%20you'll%20have%20to%20use%20your%20imagination%20(and%20yes,%20you%20can%20let%20it%20wander%20-%20it's%20Mardi%20Gras%20after%20all).%20Maybe%20next%20year%20we'll%20hire%20a%20photographer.%20Until%20then,%20laissez%20les%20bon%20temp%20rouler,%20and%20Happy%20Mardi%20Gras%20to%20all%20of%20you!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELouie%20and%20Newfie%20enjoy%20the%20festivities%3C/p%3E){kind=link}