Mardi Gras in a box.

Today is Mardis Gras. Or Fat Tuesday if you're not into the whole being a Francophile thing. Here's what Wikipedia wants to tell you about the day. Here's what the #1 result is according to Google {it's actually a teacher's site but there's some interesting stuff}. And here is what little old me is able to tell you: 
Mardis gras is the day before Ash Wednesday which, in the Catholic Church, marks the beginning of Lent. {Wiki's answer & the Church's answer.} Lent is the 40 day period leading up to Easter Sunday and, along with a few other characteristics, is a time of fasting. Thus, in preparation for 40 days of denial the day before Ash Wednesday is a time to overindulge. For some...Basically Fat Tuesday is your last chance to get in all of those vices which you will give up during the next 40 days.
Mardi Gras is also a very popular holiday in several areas around the world. Carnaval in Brazil being one of those places along with New Orleans {Louisiana}. 
In my family we've had our own little shin dig for many years though I cannot exactly tell you why. I think it's just that we like having fun?
Part of the Mardi Gras celebration is a King's Cake which I talked about here. It's a treat that is shared around Little Christmas time {early January} but also at Mardi Gras and I honestly cannot tell you why.
Anyway, along with a King's Cake we also have a big dinner of crab, shrimp and dirty rice. And we wear beads that were purchased at a store and not earned any other way.
We'd ordered a cake actually from Nola before and last year I snagged one at a bakery but this year my grandmother bought a boxed mix at World Market; score!
I had the honor of following the directions and present to you here my favorite parts of the Lazy Girl's King's Cake.

• The directions actually told me how to create a "warm place"...how novel!

• The mix included the baby. Per tradition there is to be a small charm or baby stuck in the cake and the lucky recipient gets to hold the next year's celebration. I think that there's also another Churchy holiday that comes after the Epiphany and that the person who gets the baby hosts that celebration when the cake is had at Epiphany and not Fat Tuesday. 

• When I looked at the front I noticed that the baby is also in the picture on the front cheering me on. 

• The cake actually wasn't that easy and involved yeast, two separate rising times and rolling out the dough. Sooooo...I felt like a capable baker; yea!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!
 xoxo, natty ♥