It’s Mardi Gras Party season!

Growing up with a cajun mom and lots of extended family in Louisiana, we loosely celebrated Mardi Gras and incorporated cajun flare in our cooking all year long. Tony’s, chicory coffee and beignets were regular appearances in my childhood kitchen.

Still to this day, I’ve yet to spend a Mardi Gras in New Orleans but that doesn’t mean I haven’t figured out a way to bring the Louisiana to Jacksonville.

Some years are bigger than others, but celebrating Mardi Gras has always been fun for me. Last year, we hosted our first Mardi Gras Party at our house and had the BEST time! Lots of way too strong Hurricanes, yummy treats like King Cake and Paczkis, and all the beads + masks.

Because I love to cook, I decided to try making a King Cake that I remember my mom also doing from the box of Mam Papaul’s. It’s easier than you think, and it tasted 10x better than even the store bought one from Gambino’s (if you know, you know.)

King Cake is more of a sweet bread than a cake. I won’t go into detail on how to make one, because depending on the box you get or the recipe you find, they are all different. But my advice is to make more filling than you think and tell your guests to watch out for the plastic baby you placed inside as they eat 😉

If you don’t want to make a cake, I recommend ordering from Sucre, a local to Louisiana bakery that makes some of the best reviewed homemade King Cakes for the season. I almost got one this year, but I was too late before they sold out. I recommend ordering about a month before Fat Tuesday!

To best prepare for a Mardi Gras party, make sure you’ve got lots of masks and beads. I ordered mine off of Amazon. We also cranked up this playlist on spotify to get FULLY in theme.

For a drink menu, it’s a nod to New Orleans and the French Quarter to serve Hurricanes. Here’s the recipe I used for a pitcher:

New Orleans Hurrincane’s

4 cups white rum

4 cups dark rum

4 cups passion fruit juice

2 cups pineapple juice

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup grenadine

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 lemons, sliced for garnish in pitcher

Throw everything into a large drink dispenser and top with a little ice as guests arrive. I served them in these Mardi Gras cups. These were a hit!

John got a kick out of this shirt… on amazon!

I like the more traditional polo with the three stripes, which I also found on Amazon for a great price! Just order with enough time, this isn’t on prime.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Let the good times roll!

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