Joyeux Mardi Gras! No one here in Maryland gives a rat's A about Mardi Gras. Honestly, I don't have a special relationship with Mardi Gras, either, especially since I quit drinkin'. I had the opportunity to go to the Mardi Gras my senior year in college, but punked at the last minute because I'm an idiot. I thought it would be more fun to spend spring break alone in my house. We like to celebrate holidays around these parts, though, just like monkeys do in the zoo. Holidays break up the year and we get to wear funny hats. Temple and I wore our matching Fat Tuesday outfits, and people looked at us like we were clowns, probably because we were dressed like clowns.
We went to Whole Foods to get the makings of a gumbo for my tater. Matt's got some slave in him, so the bar was high. For the roux, I used the bacon grease I had been saving for many months. I saved it instinctively any time Matt went on a bacon kick, but I never knew what I would use it for until today. Recipe: Equal parts grease and flour over medium high heat until it smelled toasty, like popcorn. Add diced yellow onion, celery, and okra. Sweat the veggies. Add beef broth and a can of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Add andouille and chicken. Heat until meat is done. Season with Tony Chachere's and Crystal. Enjoy.
Matt dug it big time. I took a picture of his satisfied face, but he told me not to put any douchey pictures of him on the internet.
We also had King Cake today. My recipe for King Cake: buy a King Cake. Eat it.
Here we are in our matching outfits. I look pregnant in this picture, don't I? I'm not. I'm full of baby Jesus cake. By the way, it seems that Whole Foods' King Cake is decorated with beads, but contains no baby Jesus. Uh, derp?
Lent starts tomorrow. Lent is really bikini season prep for Catholics, so I'm thinking about going old school and saying farewell to flesh for the 40 days. The last time I tried to go vegetarian, vegan, actually, I lasted 5 days then ate a whole live pig, so we'll see how this goes. I'll also be speaking exclusively latin and wearing a hair shirt.
Adeste Fideles, todos mis amigos...
