*FOR A LITTLE TASTE OF NEW ORLEANS, TRY MAKING A MARDI GRAS KING CAKE!

Mardi Gras King Cake

   This frosted yeast bread is the highlight of any Mardi Gras party. If you want to hide a token inside, do so by cutting a small slit in the bottom of the baked cake...and remember to warn your guests!

This frosted yeast bread is the highlight of many annual Mardi Gras parties. If you want to hide a token inside, do so by cutting a small slit in the bottom of the baked cake…and remember to warn your guests!

Prep: 40 min. + rising Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Yield: 24 Servings

Ingredients 40 20 60       I

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1/2 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cans (12-1/2 ounces each) almond cake and pastry filling
• GLAZE:
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons water
• Purple, green and gold colored sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, sugar, salt, egg and 2 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll one portion into a 16-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Spread almond filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends together to form a ring. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough water to achieve desired consistency. Spread over cooled cakes. Sprinkle with colored sugars. Yield: 2 cakes

 Note: This recipe was tested with Solo brand cake and pastry filling. Look for it in the baking aisle.

MARDI GRAS FROM NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA!!!

    The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced back to Medieval Europe, though we have no written record of how that really transformed into the current Mardi Gras of today. But the origins of the Mardi Gras we celebrate today....with Kings, Mardi Gras colors, and brass bands....are traced to New Orleans.
    Although we can trace its history to the Romans, a French-Canadian expolorer, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville, landed on a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans in 1699 and called it "Pointe due Mardi Gras". He also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated the very first Mardi Gras.

    In 1704, Mobile established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile)....similar to those who form our current Mardi Gras Krewes. It lasted until 1709. In 1710, the "Boef Graf Society" was formed and paraded from 1711 through 1861. The procession was held with a huge bull's head pushed along on wheels by 16 men. This occurred on Fat Tuesday.
    New Orleans was established in 1718 by Jean-Baptise Le Moyne. By the 1730's, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans...but not in parade form. In the early 1740's, Louisiana's Governor The Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls...the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.

    The earliest reference to Mardi Gras "Carnival" appears in a 1781 report to the Spanish colonial governing body. That year, the Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Associaiton is the first of hundreds of clubs and carnival organizations formed in New Orleans.
    By the late 1830's, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras. newspapers began to announce Mardi Gras events in advance.
    In 1871, Mardi Gras's second "Krewe" is formed, the Twelfth Night Reveler's, with the first account of Mardi Gras "throws".

    1872, was the year that a group of businessmen invented a King of Carnival-Rex-to parade in the first daytime parade. They introduced the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold, the Mardi Gras song, and the Mardi Gras flag.
    In 1873, the first floats were constructed entirely in New Orleans instead of France. In 1875, Governor Warmoth of Louisiana signs the "Mardi Gras Act" making it a legal holiday in Louisiana, which it still is.
    Most Mardi Gras Krewes today developed from private social clubs that have restrictive membership policies. Since all of these parade organizations are completely funded by its members, we call it the "Greatest Free Show on Earth"!

History Behind the King Cake

    As part of Christian faith, the coming of the wise men bearing gifts to the Christ Child is celebrated twelve days after Christmas. We refer to this as the Feast of Epiphany or Little Christmas on the Twelfth Night. This is a time of celebration, exchanging gifts and feasting. Today, the tradition continues as people all over the world gather for festive Twelfth Night celebrations. A popular custom was and still is the baking of a special cake in honor of the three kinds called "A King's Cake".
    Inside every cake is a tiny baby (generally plastic now, but sometimes this baby might be made of porcelain or even gold). The tradition of having King Cake Parties has evolved through time, and the person who receives the slice of cake with the baby is asked to continue the festivities by hosting the next King Cake party.

    Originally, King Cakes were a simple ring of dough with a small amount of decoration. Today's King Cakes are much more festive. After the rich Danish dough is braided and baked, the "baby" is inserted. The top of the ring or oval cake is then covered with delicious sugar toppings in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold.

In more recent years, some bakeries have been creative with stuffing and topping their cakes with different flavors of cream cheese and fruit fillings.

    January 6th, the Twelfth Night after Christmas, is also the day Mardi Gras season begins. Mardi Gras Day is always 47 days prior to Easter Sunday (Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday).

    So, in Louisiana, especially, Mardi Gras season and King Cakes go hand in hand with literally hundreds of thousands of King Cakes consumed at parties and office lunch rooms every year.
    Ordering King Cakes over the Internet has now become an annual tradition by consumers all around the world...and many of the bakers offer them year around. After all, you can't have a Mardi Gras party without a King Cake.

TOP 10 MOST DISGUSTING CANDIES!

   Candy is normally a tasty little sweet treat designed to give pleasure to all. However, that is not always the case, as this list proves. For some unknown reason, some candy manufacturers have recently started producing the most disgusting candies you could image (they must be running out of ideas). Here is our list of the most disgusting candies you could ever eat.

10.

Ear Wax Candy

   I don’t care how this candy tastes, who in their right mind would enjoy scraping ear wax out of a plastic ear for eating? The whole idea just makes me want to gag! It even comes with its own swab. How many kids are going to start digging in their ears after they run out candy I wonder? Smart.

9.

Candy Scabs

 

   The gross factor in these candies is not their flavor, but the fact that they are designed to look like scabs – complete with plasters. I could possibly cope with that, but just imagine this scenario: Johnny and Jimmy are playing hide and seek. Jimmy hides in the bush that his dog Rover just recently pooped in. Jimmy inadvertently gets Rover’s poop on his hand and doesn’t realize it. They finish playing and mommy gives them some Candy Scabs to eat. Jimmy sticks it on his hand, pulls it off, and…. I think you get the picture. Dumb idea.

8.

Dubbel Zout

 

   The first thing this Dutch candy has going against it is that it is licorice flavored. I know a lot of people like the taste of licorice, but a lot of people voted for George Bush too – it doesn’t make it right. The next problem here is that this is licorice made with an enormous amount of salt. That’s right – it is salt “candy”. Add to that the fact that it looks like something you would expect to find on the floor of an English nightclub, and you have the makings of one of the worst candies ever.

7.

Hotlix Candy

 

   Okay – it is sweet – I will give them that, but inside each of these tasty candies is a REAL LIFE scorpion. Yup – when you lick through the sugar coating, you get to chow down on scorpion guts. Whoever came up with this candy needs to be forced to eat some Dubbel Zout.

6.

Gorilla Boogers

   We are really walking a thin line with this one – gorilla boogers are sweetened dried black beans (popular in Asian cooking). I was on holiday in korea once and had some of their sweet bean candy (they beat the beans to a pulp then shape it in to small bite sized pieces). It tasted like dirt. These boogers are made from the same beans. They taste like dirt too. Sweetened dirt. Enough said.



5.

Ant Candy

 

   Like the scorpion candy above, this is basically a lump of melted sugar with a bunch of dead ants thrown in to it. Of all the things in the world that they could have thrown in to their candy, what the hell made them choose ants. How does this stuff get past the FDA?

4.

Jane-Jane Tasty Tuna Tidbits

 

   Tuna was invented by mother nature for hippy vegetarians and people trying to shed some fat – so how has it managed to find its way in to candy? The main ingredient in these little blobs of sugary disgustingness is tuna. After that comes a bunch of chemicals of unknown origin, and finally sugar. Seriously – who would eat fish flavored candy?

3.

Crick-Ettes

   Just because Moses and the Jews ate locusts in the desert doesn’t mean anyone should do it now! These are real crickets sprinkled with a variety of flavors. I realize that chips (which they are similar to) are not usually labeled as candy, but they are so gross (and both are equally bad for you) that they deserve a spot here. Anyone that eats these things by choice deserves to be hit with a plague of boils.

2.

Durian Candy

 

   Durian fruit is a common fruit in Southeast Asia. To people unfamiliar to it, it usually evokes feelings of utter disgust. One food writer said: “its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.” You are not even allowed to bring this stuff in to hospitals or hotels in South East Asia. In Singapore, they have signs that forbid you from taking it on the public transport system (see here). That is how disgusting it is. So, it makes a lot of sense to make candy out of it. Not. But there you have it – someone has done it. This one was nearly number 1 on the list, until we discovered BeanBoozled…

1.

BeanBoozled

 

   BeanBoozled are jellybeans made by the company that brought us Gourmet JellyBeans. In a box of BeanBoozled we find 10 colors of beans and 20 flavors – every color has one tasty flavor, and a disgusting flavor – the idea is that you never know whether you are about to get a good one or a bad one. This makes it ideal for party games. So – why is this number one on the list? After you read the selection of “bad” flavors, you will understand: Skunk Spray, Moldy Cheese, Baby Wipes, Rotten Egg, Vomit, and more. And guess what? They really taste like their names. Next time you are watching a movie in the dark with friends, slip a few of these in to their bag of jellybeans for a great gag (literally).

MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE, OOOOOHHH EEEEE!

   Everyone loves a sheet cake. Try classic Mississippi Mud Cake--a luscious combination of sweet chocolate, crunchy pecans, and gooey marshmallows.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
  
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 (10.5-ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
• Chocolate Frosting

Preparation

1. Whisk together melted butter and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in flour and chopped pecans. Pour batter into a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan.
2. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; top warm cake evenly with marshmallows. Return to oven, and bake 5 minutes. Drizzle Chocolate Frosting over warm cake. Cool completely.
3. Note: 2 (19.5-ounce) packages brownie mix, prepared according to package directions, may be substituted for first 7 ingredients. Stir in chopped pecans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Proceed with marshmallows and frosting as directed.

THE CARNEVALE DI VIAREGGIO FROM ITALY!!!

    The Viareggio Carnival was established in 1873 when some of the local "signori" decided to organize a Sunday a little different from the rest, by inventing a procession of decorated floats which travelled up and down the main street of the city. On the occasion , a masked protest was also organized by a number of citizens, as they were forced to pay too many taxes and as a result the chief tax collector was certainly made fun of!! The parade was liked alot, not only by the patrons but also by the citizens and the idea of making floats that interpreted humor and dissatisfaction of the people and the events that came about in that year.
   Carnival of Viareggio celebrating 139 years of life and activity under the sign of a vivid tradition such as the long – established European tradition of Carnival festivals, is no doubt one of the best known events in Italy.
    Carnival of Viareggio since it was born it has been acquiring a strong touristic value and attracts every year more than one million spectators gathering to attend the magic of the great parade of big floats in papier – maché.
    In 2012, the usual five carnival masked parades are planned for February 5th, 12th 19th 21th 26th and March, 3th, on the extraordinary Liberty style staging along the seaside avenues of Viareggio. Every evening, there are carnival celebrations in all of the city's different quarters.

             Real travelling theatres - the allegorical papier-maché floats are the product of the unequalled creativity, of the extraordinary sculpture and painting skill of Viareggio ‘magicians’, and are the highest example of this popular art whose language has spread all over the world.
The parades take place in a ring-like circuit 2 km. long, on the seaside avenues of Viareggio, best known as La Passeggiata.
    Here the floats move among the spectators, who can attend the show with no barriers, becoming in turn the protagonists of the parade.
    During the Carnival period, Viareggio and his Passeggiata change into a true open air Museum where people coming from all over the world meet to enjoy together.
The parades also include folkloristic bands and performers with the most original masks, offering excitement, culture and tradition in a wide programme of entertainment and fun for children and adults

Viareggio

   The popular seaside town of Viareggio is situated on the Tuscany coast. Viareggio and the resorts "Torre del Lago Puccini", "Lido di Camaiore", "Marina di Pietrasanta" makeup about 20 kilometers of the Versilian Riviera (or Riviera della Versilia).
Viareggio has most of the usual attractions of a typical Italian seaside resort.
    The town's symbol, heart of its history, is the “Torre Matilde”, built by the Senate of Lucca in 1550. In 1601 Viareggio, that was already a township, was declared a free port, and in 1617 it became the chieftown in the Vicaria del Litorale (the coastal viacariate).
    The birth of the first bathing establishment dates back to 1823. We owe the building of Viale dei Tigli to Maria Borbone, through which she could reach the centre, leaving from her villa situated in the East pinewood. In fact, the touristic activity began in Viareggio right in this period. Many men of culture stopped for a time in this area: the poet Percy B.Shelley, Lord Byron, Manzoni, Puccini and D'Annunzio.
    The city is 23.76 miles to Pisa, 17.67 miles to Massa, 29.87 miles to Livorno, and 59.5 miles to Firenze.
    The 3 Km modern promenade, where the parade takes place, is one of the focal point of the city, characterized by shops, cafes, refreshment points and Liberty style buildings.
Viareggio is now a tourist seaside resort with beaches and hotels boast ancient tradition.

    Since then Viareggio has become the home of the Italian Carnival, with its masked parades characterized by allegorical floats in papermache'. These floats are true works of art to which the local float makers dedicate an entire year of workmanship to. There is not one politician, entertainer, or intellectual that has not been a target (protagonist) of one of these floats, which almost comes to life during the parade by the moving arms, opening and closing mouths and rolling eyes. On every float, young people and children find a place from which to throw confetti and shooting stars to the crowd. During the entire period, masked balls and parties in the various "rioni" (quarters, districts) are organized as well as numerous sport and cultural events.

    The official Viareggio Carnival mask is the "Burlamacco", a clown which wears clothes. Checkered overalls, taken form the Harlequin's costume, a white ponpon stolen from Pierrot's big puffy blouse, a white gorget-"Captain Scary" style, a red headband and a black mantle. The name Burlamacco derives from Buffaimacco a Florentine painter and a character in the "Decamerone". However, it is also said to be linked to the Lucchese surname Burlamacchi.

WANNA MAKE SOME CHOCOLATE CHUBBIES?

   Loaded with the nutty crunch of walnuts and pecans, these irresistible cookies are crisp on the outside, and brownie-rich on the inside. The secret is stirring the dough just long enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

Ingredients

• 6 (1-ounce) semisweet chocolate squares, chopped
• 2 (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt $
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• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preparation

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook, stirring often, over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
2. Beat eggs and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add chocolate mixture, beating well.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to chocolate mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in chocolate morsels, pecans, and walnuts.
4. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets.
5. Bake at 325° for 12 to 15 minutes or until done. Cool cookies on baking sheet 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool.

3D STAR ORNAMENT!

   This comes fro www.sawdustandpaperscraps.com .  These are really cool and could be used all year round with different types of papers and card stock.

3D Star Ornament Tutorial

Last year was Madison’s last year in elementary school and my last year as room mom. {Sniffle, they grow up so fast!}
I wanted to come up with an ornament craft that was different and unique and could be beautiful, fun, funky…whatever, depending on the combination of cardstock the kids chose.
I bought a book of thick patterned cardstock from Hobby Lobby when it was on sale for 1/2 off and split it with my friend who was room mom in another class {at another school}so this craft cost $5 for my whole class {about $.25 per child}.
How to:
1. Cut out 6 identical stars. {I cut a quite a few in different papers to give myself options when I started glueing it all together.}

{I used the die cut machine at the school as I had to cut out about 140 stars. You could use “clip art” in a Word document to create a template to cut out by hand if you don’t have a machine or access to one.}
2. Draw a line in between two legs into the center of the star.
3. Cut along this line.

Do this on all 6 stars.

4. Glue the two “cut legs” together creating a 4 point star that cups inward.

Do this to all 6 stars!

*Edit: Fold the star to create creases from the center of the star to each leg joint. As seen in the picture below.
5. Start connecting 4 point stars by gluing one leg of two different stars together.

6. Now glue 2 legs on another 4 point star…

to 2 legs on the “star ball” you just started.

7. Continue gluing 2 legs of a 4 point star onto the “Star Ball”, like you just did.

8. On the last two 4 point stars, you have to change it up a bit. On the second to last one, glue 3 legs to the “star ball”.

9. This will create an perfect hole for the last 4 point star to fit in. Just glue all 4 sides and insert!

10. Punch a hole and attach a ribbon or hanging string.

Now, you could stop here, but I don’t like the white edges.

So I used an ink pad and a Sharpie to distress them!

I had to use the Sharpie to get into the corners.

And that’s that!
I hope it made sense because it is difficult to “explain” step by step instructions without using my hands.
Do I need to make another video? You know you loved that Twang!

p.s. For Maddie’s class, I also punched a whole in the leg opposite the hanger so the kids could hang a circle with their picture and write the date on the back.