And
why should the good times roll? Because today is also known as Fat Tuesday, the
last hurrah where revelers feast on rich foods before the fasting of Lent
begins on Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday is also called Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday
and of course, Mardi Gras. Parades takes place all week long in the French
Quarter and are walking parades, not the traditional large float parades.
Strings of gold, red and purple beads are thrown into the crowds. 
My family enjoys this festive holiday with
creole or Cajun cuisine. Beans and rice with sausage is a very tasty meal.
Dessert can be a King
Cake,
a sweet ring-shaped confection meant to honor the three kings who visited the
Christ child on Epiphany. It has a cream cheese filling and a simple glaze and
topped off with bright colored strings of beads. A tiny plastic baby is placed
into the bread and whoever finds the baby in their piece of cake must buy the
next King Cake. 
One year we purchased a King Cake. It was superbly wrapped and the
cake came with a miniature face mask made of porcelain, three strings of beads
and the plastic baby. I carefully made a mini-museum for these things, placing
them in a white shadow box. It hangs next to the pantry door and is always so
festive looking. When you have many small items that are precious, you need to
give them their fair due and showcase them the best way you can. That is why I
like shadow boxes. I call them mini-museums and they can be placed
throughout your home when space is limited. So enjoy this Mardi Gras
holiday and don’t forget to
“Let the good times roll.”
I came across this ingenious way of
displaying strings of beads.
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